NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #43 4/30/2003

Written by: Bob Colling

National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action Weekly PPV #43
Date: 4/30/2003
From: Nashville, TN

Matches:
1.)Perry Saturn & Justin Credible defeated America’s Most Wanted, Brian Lee & Slash, and the Harris Brothers to earn a tag team title shot
2.)Jerry Lynn defeated Christopher Daniels
3.)D’Lo Brown & AJ Styles defeated Sonny Siaki & David Young
4.)Chris Sabin defeated Shark Boy, Jason Cross and Jimmy Rave in an elimination match
5.)The Amazing Red defeated NWA-TNA X-Division Champion Kid Kash to win the title
6.)NWA-TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett defeated Raven to retain the title

Angle Developments/Notes:
1. Lee and Saturn kick off the contest. Lee drops Saturn with a clothesline but Saturn hits a German suplex before locking in a cross arm breaker but Slash breaks that up. Lee tries to chokeslam Credible, but Justin gets out of it and after playing to the crowd is met with a big boot from Don. Storm tags in to knock Don off his feet with Credible. Credible tries to shake hands but Storm drops him with a right hand. Slash tags in and soon punches Storm to the canvas. Storm is double teamed by the New Church where Slash goes for a spinning slam but is met with a spear by Harris instead. Lee big boots Harris and hits a clothesline before sending him to the floor. Harris is met with a vicious chair shot on the floor as well. Ron tosses Harris over with a suplex. Saturn enters to drop Harris with a spin kick. Harris almost wins with a roll up but Saturn hits a clothesline and an elbow drop. Credible is bleeding over the right eye. Harris fights back with a DDT on Credible. Storm gets the hot tag and cleans house. Storm plants Saturn with a wheelbarrow DDT. Storm kicks Saturn in the head but can’t get a three count. Slash is planted with the H-Bomb but Storm breaks the cover up. AMW hit the Hart Attack on Credible but Saturn breaks the pin up. Storm hits the Eight Second Ride on Saturn but Slash pulls the referee out. Don kicks Harris into Storm and Saturn pins Storm after a Death Valley Driver to win the match. (**. A decent match between these four teams. It was a busy match as everyone tried to get everything they could into the match. The finish looked pretty bad as Harris was just standing there for one of the Harris Brothers to get involved. This will just lead to more tension between Harris and Storm.)

2. Backstage, Glen Gilbertti talks about being mad at Raven for apparently ditching S.E.X. To join Team Extreme. Glen is confident that regardless of the defection, his group will have the NWA-TNA World Heavyweight Championship at the end of the night.

3. Backstage, Jerry Lynn is pissed off about being the doormat for everyone else in the company. So, now he isn’t going to be Mr. Nice Guy or Mr. Clean. This could be a heel turn.

4. Lynn drops Daniels with a right hand after they talk about a tag match next week. If Daniels win then it will be 3 on 2 for the titles. If Lynn wins it will be 2 on I in his favor. Lynn baseball slides Daniels on the floor and hits a slingshot cross body dive on the floor. Daniels runs into a big boot and Lynn hits a hurricanrana off the middle rope. Lynn nearly wins after a tilt a whirl back breaker. Daniels drops Lynn throat first across the middle rope with a drop toe hold. Daniels hits a standing moonsault for a near fall. Daniels pulls Lynn down by the hair and hits a step up kick to the head for a two count. Daniels hits a slingshot leg drop from the apron but Lynn refuses to stay down. Lynn dropkicks Daniels down to the canvas and hits a spear before delivering a series of right hands. Lynn with a clothesline in the corner and a German suplex for a near fall. Daniels hits a leg sweep to stop Lynn’s momentum. Daniels slams Lynn off the top rope but Lynn pops his shoulder up at two. Daniels misses the BME but lands on his feet. Lynn hits the TKO for a two count. Daniels avoids the cradle piledriver with a backdrop. The referee gets hit and Lynn low blows Daniels to win the match with a school boy. (**1/2. A fine singles match between these two. Again, the referee bumps are getting to become too much. I guess Lynn’s attitude change is that he will do whatever he needs to do to win matches. I can’t complain with that. Lynn’s character needs some edge in TNA.)

5. Backstage, SEX and Team Extreme are arguing over which group Raven is associated with. Neither group actually knows where Raven’s head is at.

6. Siaki and Styles kick off the tag match. Styles leg sweeps Siaki and hammers away on Sonny before hitting a German suplex for a two count. Siaki gets frustrated and tags in Young. Styles takes David over with an arm drag and a back suplex. Young stops Styles with a right hand on a discus clothesline attempt. Brown comes off the top to clothesline Young. Brown scoop slams Young and Styles hits a hurricanrana on Brown off the middle rope to senton splash Young. Why couldn’t Brown just do that himself? Styles gets a near fall after a roll up. Styles hits a sloppy looking swinging neckbreaker on Young. Young avoids a dropkick and tags in Siaki who runs into a dropkick. Desire slaps Styles on the apron. Styles botches a springboard reverse DDT for a two count. Young clotheslines Styles from the apron as Styles was distracted by Desire. Young gets a two count after a powerslam. Siaki takes AJ over with a half nelson release suplex for a two count. Styles hits a reverse neckbreaker on Young after a delayed vertical suplex. Siaki prevents Brown from being tagged in and continues to work over AJ with a snap suplex and a leg drop for a two count. Styles plants Young with a tornado DDT and tags in Brown. Brown cleans house with a series of clotheslines and a spin kick. Young plants Brown with a spine buster but Styles breaks the cover up. Styles nails Siaki with the Pele Kick. Young drops Styles with a spinning front slam of sorts. Brown and Styles hit a sit out powerbomb/neckbreaker combo on Young. Styles takes Young out with a shooting star press on the floor! Brown with a spine buster on Siaki but Desire gets on the apron. Desire is knocked off the apron. Styles gets Siaki in the Styles Clash and hits it. Brown hits the top rope frog splash and wins the match. (***. A good tag match between these two teams. The finish was nice and a clean finish is always refreshing.)

7. Mike Tenay conducted an interview with Ron Killings and Konnan. Killings is tired of hitting a lot of speed bumps during his career. Ron believes himself and Konnan have a lot in common. Konnan chimes in and says that racism exists in life and in wrestling. Konnan notes that there aren’t any black or Mexican promoters, announcers or road agents. I believe at the time Tazz was an announcer in the WWE. Tenay notes that the Coach is black in WWE. Apparently, Konnan doesn’t consider Coach to be really black, which is probably racist to say. The interview ends with Konnan and Killings pissed at Tenay.

8. Back to the arena, arena dancer Lollipop is nearly attacked by some stalker who is dressed in slutty clothing. This would be the debut of Tracy Brooks.

9. Raven cut a promo about his part buddies and his current buddies wanting him by their side. Raven feels sorry for Jarrett having to wrestle a man who has fate on his side.

10. Rave and Cross kick off the contest. Rave takes Cross down with a head scissors. Rave chops Cross a few times but misses an attack in the corner. Rave takes Cross over with a suplex. Cross kicks Rave in the face and tags in Sabin. Rave rolls Sabin up for a two count. Rave nails Sabin with a running knee strike to the face for a near fall. Boy tags in and backdrops Rave to the floor. Boy takes Rave out with a cross body on the floor. Sabin botches a springboard off the top by completely missing the top rope and crashes to the floor. Cross takes everyone out with a dive on the floor. Rave runs into a big boot in the corner and Boy hits the Deep Sea Drop to eliminate Rave. Cross is dropkicked by Boy and nearly pinned. Cross plants Boy with a twisting face buster. Cross hits a somersault leg drop but can’t get a three count. Boy counters a suplex with an inside cradle for a two count. Cross plants Boy with a brain buster! Cross clotheslines Boy in the corner and Boy hits a neckbreaker. Sabin gets tagged in to nail Cross with a yakuza kick for a near fall. Cross hits a twisting neckbreaker off the middle rope on Sabin. Cross signals for the Crossfire but Sabin rolls out of the way. Sabin hits the Future Shock to eliminate Cross. Boy hits a face buster on Sabin for a near fall. Sabin with a swinging backbreaker on Boy for a two count. Boy dropkicks Sabin into a corner and hammers away on Sabin. Sabin avoids the Deep Sea Drop. Sabin wins after the Future Shock. (***. A fine elimination match between four X-Division guys that hardly get any time in the company. Sabin is fairly new to the company so picking up this win could mean bigger things for him moving forward.)

11. Backstage, Erik Watts says he is Jarrett’s drinking buddy and is showing him how to win matches. That’s just hilarious to think about. Dusty Rhodes comes over and Watts just gives him the replica NWA World Championship. So, that ends that feud.

12. Backstage, NWA-TNA X-Division Champion Kid Kash reminds us that he still owns Trinity and has suspended her without pay.

13. Kash and Red fall to the floor after they lockup. Kash sends Red into the guard railing back first. Red hammers away on Kash on the floor. They quickly get back into the ring and Red arm drags the champ. Red misses a standing somersault leg drop. Kash backdrops Red to the apron. Kash avoids a somersault dive on the floor and Kash tosses a chair into Red’s face. Kash leaps off the top to hit a clothesline back in the ring. Kash hits a swinging neckbreaker but Red kicks out. Kash clotheslines Red and nearly wins the match. Kash locks in a Boston Crab but powerbombs Red moments later for a two count. Red nails Kash with a spinning kick but Kash hits a German suplex. Kash drops Red with a face buster. Kash locks in a camel clutch in the middle of the ring. Red and Kash trade a series of pins until Red drops Kash with a kick to the head. Red hits the Code Red but Kash kicks out at two! Red hits a springboard dropkick and the 718 on Kash! Red hits a springboard elbow drop but Kash kicks out at two! Kash hits a springboard somersault dive and the referee goes down. What else would you expect? The masked luchadore comes in to drop Kash with a reverse DDT. The referee takes awhile before coming over to make the count and Red wins the title. After the match, the masked luchadore plants Red with a reverse DDT. (***. The main issue with this match is the inability to give Red a clean win. The finish felt flat. If Red were to win clean, the crowd would have popped big time. The fans love the kid and what he can do. It was a good match, but the bullshit finish really bugged me for this match.)

14. Various wrestlers hype up the Raven vs. Jarrett match.

15. In the ring, Lollipop calls out her stalker to a fight. The stalker comes down and there is a brief brawl until security breaks up the cat fight.

16. After four months of hype we finally get Raven vs. Jeff Jarrett. A lot of signs in the crowd supporting Raven. Raven shoulder blocks Jarrett and goes for a pin attempt but obviously doesn’t win so early. Raven is getting in Jarrett’s head by hitting an arm drag as well. Raven plays to the crowd after taking the champ down and is met with a few right hands before bailing to the floor. Jarrett goes after Raven on the floor and sends him into the guard railing a couple of times. Dinero distracts Raven to help Raven get control. Raven holds Jarrett for Dinero to enter with a chair but Dinero smacks Raven over the head on accident. Jarrett gets a two count on the cover. Jeff takes Dinero and Laree out with a cross body on the floor. Raven does the same to Jarrett! Raven drop toe holds Jarrett face first into the ring steps. Raven has been busted open due to the Dinero chair shot. A table has been set up on the floor. Jarrett is cut open as well as Raven puts Jarrett on the table. Raven goes to the top rope but Jarrett roles back into the ring. Raven hits an axe handle off the top for a two count. Raven delivers a weak running clothesline and a knee lift. Raven drops Jarrett face first onto a chair with a drop toe hold. Raven drives his knee into the back of Jeff’s head from the middle rope. Raven controls Jarrett with a sleeper hold. Jeff hits a jaw breaker and an ugly looking ace crusher. Jarrett dropkicks Raven and dropkicks Dinero off the apron. Jarrett slams Laree down chest first. Jeff gets out of the DDT and kicks Raven for a two count. Jarrett catapults Raven into a corner for a near fall. Raven superkicks Jarrett and almost wins the title. Jarrett hits the Stroke but Raven kicks out at two. Raven plants Jarrett with the DDT but Jarrett kicks out as well. Jarrett clotheslines Raven over the top to the floor. Jeff puts Raven on a table set up on the floor. Dinero attacks Jarrett on the top but is knocked off. Jarrett elbow drops Rave through the table! Jeff plants Raven with a DDT in the ring but the referee is pulled out. So, the referee ejects Dinero and Laree from ringside. Raven knocks the referee off the apron and both men low blow each other at the same time. S.E.X and the New Church decide to run out and brawl with each other. Raven calls for Team Extreme. They run down and attack Jarrett with weapons. Saturn hits the Death Valley Driver on Jarrett. Raven handcuffs Jarrett’s hands behind his back. Jarrett gets two chairs superkicked against his head. The lights go out as Raven attempts to hit Jarrett with a chair. The lights are back on and Sabu hits Raven with a chair! Sabu splashes Raven in the corner. Sabu knocks the Team Extreme guys off the apron. Sabu takes all of them out with a dive on the floor. Sabu leaps into the crowd and takes a fan out in the process. Raven misses a chair shot and hits himself with the chair. Jarrett covers but Raven kicks out at two! The referee unlocks the handcuffs. Actually, Raven unlocks the handcuffs for him. Raven plants Jarrett with a DDT but can’t get a three count. Jarrett hits the Stroke and wins the match. After the match, some trash is tossed into the ring as quite a few fans are not happy with the outcome. Dusty Rhodes comes out and celebrates Jeff’s win with him. Raven is laid out in the middle of the ring. (**1/2. A rather disappointing blow-off to a feud that had been going for so long. It was almost obvious that Raven was going to win the title and pretty much had to happen. So, I’m taking this as if Russo wanted to swerve the fans since that’s his favorite thing to do. This should have been where Raven won the title. There is no excuse to not have him be champion. The fans wanted it to happen… so just do it. Just bad booking beyond belief here.)

Final Thoughts:
Despite how badly the main event turned out, I thought this was a really strong show by TNA. The undercard didn’t have anything that was bad attached to it. I just wish the main event turned out differently. Nonetheless, the show gets a thumbs up from me.

Thanks for reading.