NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #57 8/13/2003

Written by: Bob Colling

National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Weekly PPV #57
Date: 8/13/2003
From: Nashville, TN

Opening Contest: Sinn, Vampire Warrior & Devon Storm vs. Three Live Kru: This is the in-ring debut of Three Live Kru on pay per view in TNA. The group is really over with the crowd already. Konnan and Storm kick off the match with Konnan working over Storm’s arm. Storm misses a running attack but pulls himself back into the ring only for Konnan to hit a face buster. Konnan hits a head scissors and they botch an arm drag. BG James tags in to work over Storm for a few moments. James decks storm with a right hand and knocks both Warrior and Sinn off the apron. Storm nearly pins James with a northern lights suplex. Sinn hits an assisted moonsault and Storm hits a springboard moonsault while Warrior hits an elbow drop for a two count. Warrior continues to work over James with some basic strikes while the referee is distracted. James and Warrior collide in the middle of the ring as he see the Harris Brothers watching the match.

Sinn and Killings get tags with Killings cleaning house hitting a scissors kick on Warrior. Storm enters and works over Killings with some strikes. Konnan clotheslines Storm but they can’t get a pin fall. Warrior is held as Killings hits a top rope leg drop to the groin area. Storm is caught on springboard attempt and slammed down by James. Killings springboards off of BG’s back to hit a heel kick in the corner. BG hits the pump handle slam on Sinn and that gets the three count. (*1/2. An expected outcome for the new act on pay per view. It’s a basic match that wasn’t awful to watch.)

We see footage from last week where Erik Watts was attacked and Jarrett blocked a bat shot from Russo. All of this happened after the show went off the air.

Erik Watts comes out and talks about his childhood and how his father taught him how to fight so that when you beat someone up they won’t want to mess with you again. Vince Russo and NWA-TNA World Champion AJ Styles came out and Russo said that as long as Styles is the champion he has the stroke around here. Russo claims he called and begged Sting to come back into TNA so that AJ could beat his ass. Russo announces there will not be a title defense because they are going on vacation. They entered the ring and Styles dared Watts to take the belt from him, but instead the returning LOW KI came in and attacked Styles. Legend got involved as well, but Watts helped out. Russo hits Watts with a baseball bat and Jeff Jarrett comes out to brawl with Legend. Ki kicks Styles and grabbed the championship!

Backstage, Glenn Gilbertti, Johnny Swinger and Simon Diamond cut a promo mocking Dusty Rhodes saying that tonight they will not fall victim to the biotic elbow.

Second Contest: Elix Skipper vs. Jerry Lynn: Lynn attacks Skipper from behind during his entrance and hammers away on Skipper with strikes. Skipper stops Lynn in the ring with some kicks and overhand strikes. Lynn drops Elix with a spinning back elbow and hammers away on Primetime. Skipper sends Jerry through the middle rope to the floor and attempts a moonsault off the apron but Lynn moves out of the way. Skipper grabs the weight scale but Lynn baseball slides Skipper off the apron as well. Skipper spin kicks Lynn against the ropes and hits a double springboard moonsault but Lynn kicks out at two. Skipper places Lynn across the top rope and walks the ropes but misses a hurricanrana and crotches himself on the top rope. Lynn plants Skipper with an elevated DDT and that gets the three count. (*1/2. The push for Skipper in a singles role appears to be over with rather quickly.) After the match, Skipper attacks Lynn with an overhead suplex. Elix misses a top rope leg drop. Lynn gets the weight scale and whacks Skipper over the head with it. Lynn puts a chin lock on Skipper as if he needed to put more punishment on Elix. Several officials come out to stop Lynn as we see Don Callis shaking his head in disapproval on the ramp way.

Backstage, NWA-TNA X-Division Champion Chris Sabin talked about the number one contenders match between Frankie Kazarian and Michael Shane. Sabin thinks he can beat either Shane or Kazarian on his worst day.

Third Contest: Michael Shane fought Frankie Kazarian to a no contest in a number one contenders ladder match: Kazarian knocks Shane down with a clothesline and quickly goes for the ladder. Shane decides to hit a somersault dive over the top onto Kazarian who had the ladder with him. Shane sets up the ladder in the ring but Kazarian cuts him off. Shane sends Frankie chest first into the ladder in the corner. Kazarian nails Shane in the face with the ladder. Shane avoids a ladder shot with a kick to the gut but Kazarian hits a springboard dropkick sending the ladder into Shane. Kazarian scoop slams Shane and sets the ladder up in the corner. Shane forearm smashes Kazarian but Frankie is able to backdrop Shane onto the ladder! Frankie climbs the top rope and leaps over the ladder to hit a leg drop on Shane! Frankie goes to grab the contract but Shane stops Frankie with right hands.

Shane hits a swinging neck breaker off the ladder to the canvas! They both begin to climb the ladder but Kazarian hits a sunset flip power bomb off the ladder! Kazarian climbs the ladder but Chris Sabin tips over the ladder and Kazarian crashes over the top to the floor. Shane gets up and sets the ladder up and begins to climb. Sabin comes back in and hits a springboard dropkick knocking Shane off the ladder. Sabin climbs the ladder and pulls the contract down. This match ends in a no contest. After the match, Sabin hits both men with the championship. Don Callis grabs the championship and contract. (**1/2. A few good spots in this one, but the non-finish hurts the whole segment.)

Mad Mikey destroys a vignette tape made for him.

Backstage, Jeff Jarrett talks about not believing he would hate Vince Russo as much as he does today. He will destroy Russo and get a title shot. Jarrett claims to know the strengths and weaknesses of Vince Russo.

Fourth Contest: Bobby Eaton vs. Kid Kash: Kash goes on the attack hammering away on Eaton after insulting Bobby on the microphone. Eaton is upside down on the apron and Kash tosses a chair at Eaton’s face. Kash dropkicks Eaton in the corner and comes off the apron with an elbow strike. Kid sends Eaton shoulder first into the ring post. Kash applies the claw bur Eaton fights back with right hands. Eaton backdrops Kash as he begins to make his comeback followed by a clothesline for a near fall. Bobby gets another two count with a swinging neck breaker. Eaton stops Kash with a back breaker but Abyss is on the apron. Eaton punches Abyss several times but is met with a low blow and Kash rolls Eaton up for the win. (*. These matches haven’t been all that great and Kash continues to need help in getting victories. I don’t think these are helping anyone.)

Backstage, Legend has attacked Erik Watts.

Backstage, Raven says there will only be closure in his feud with Shane Douglas and James Mitchell when he finds out who the mystery attacker has been for Mitchell.

Fifth Contest: Shane Douglas vs. Raven: Douglas avoids Raven early on but is able to ram Raven groin first into the ring post to start the match. Douglas sends Raven shoulder first into the guard railing. Douglas sends Raven face first into the ring steps with a drop toe hold. Raven has been busted open already as Douglas continues to control the match sending Raven into the guard railing. Raven fights back with right hands but Shane stops Raven with an eye poke. Douglas sends Raven face first into the announcers table and continues to taunt the fans. Douglas works over Raven in the corner with chops and Raven runs into a big boot. Douglas elbow strikes Raven into the corner and gets a steel chair from the floor. Douglas drop toe holds Raven face first onto the chair and taunts the fans some more. Raven stops Douglas with a low blow with the referee out of position.

Raven wedges the chair into the corner but Douglas sends Raven back first into the chair. Douglas decks Raven on the floor with several right hands and loves that he has Raven’s blood literally on his hands. Raven is able to send Douglas face first into the ring post and battles back with right hands. Back in the ring, Douglas has regained control as he attempts the figure four which he gets locked in and uses the ropes for leverage. Raven rolls over and Douglas reaches the ropes to break the hold. Raven drops Douglas with several clotheslines. They botch a spot and the fans boo the awkwardness. Douglas ducks a clothesline and attempts a belly to belly but Raven hits one of his own. James Mitchell comes out with someone inside a body bag to distract Raven. Mitchell tells Raven he can finish off Douglas or do something for Alexis Laree inside the body bag. Douglas prevents Raven from saving Laree but Raven gets the win with an inside cradle. After the match, Raven opens the body bag but it is the mystery man and the lights go out. Raven has been laid out as Mitchell gives Douglas scissors. Douglas tries to cut Raven’s hair but officials come out to keep that from happening. (**3/4. The feud has been going very well, and the match was entertaining aside from the late botch. The finish was good as we get a clean finish but Douglas remains strong since it wasn’t a finishing move and just an inside cradle. The mystery man angle continues to keep the feud going. Raven is probably the most over act in the company at this point.)

Don Callis announces that next week there will be an Ultimate X match to crown a next NWA-TNA X-Division Champion.

Sixth Contest: Glen Gilbertti, Johnny Swinger & Simon Diamond vs. NWA-TNA Tag Team Champions America’s Most Wanted & Dusty Rhodes: AMW start brawling with Diamond and Swinger while Gilbertti avoided Rhodes. Swinger and Diamond are sent to the floor after clotheslines by the champ. Harris backdrops Storm over the top onto Diamond and Swinger and hits a slingshot cross body of his own. Storm pulls Swinger up to the apron and hits a suplex back into the ring for a near fall. Harris gets tagged in and the champs double team Swinger. Harris hits a running bulldog on Swinger for a near fall. Swinger big boots Harris in the corner and Gilbertti tags in to hammer away on Harris. Harris takes Glen down and hammers away on Gilbertti. Dusty gets tagged in and goes for an elbow strike but Glen avoids it but Diamond enters and is met with one as Dusty stands tall in the ring.

Diamond tags in to try his luck with Rhodes and decides to mock the Dream. Rhodes has early control working over Diamond’s arm, which Simon naturally oversells. Storm tags in and comes off the middle rope to hit a double axe handle and a head scissors. Storm is tripped by Gilbertti and Diamond gains control with a clothesline. Diamond and Swinger hit a side slam/reverse DDT combo for a near fall. Gilbertti enters and hits Storm with a shot to the midsection and continues to work over Storm with strikes. Gilbertti drops Storm with a clothesline and Diamond gets a two count on the cover attempt. Diamond hits the Simon Series and a super kick but Storm kicks out at two. Storm drops Swinger with a super kick and another kick to Swinger’s head while kneeling. Storm tags in Dusty, but the referee didn’t see the tag. Storm is triple teamed in the corner while the referee was distracted by Harris. Diamond misses Storm and splashes Swinger in the corner. Storm tries again for the tag and gets Rhodes. Gilbertti tries to punch Rhodes but instead eats jabs and a biotic elbow. Rhodes has his bull rope and whacks Glen over the head with it. Rhodes has the cover and pins Gilbertti. (**1/4. That was okay, but nothing overly great. The heels in this feud really haven’t been looked like credible acts as they are unable to get wins.) After the match, Christopher Daniels attacks Dusty Rhodes until Jeff Jarrett comes out and makes the save hitting a spine buster and backdrop on Daniels. Legend comes out and clotheslines Jarrett over the top to the floor. The heels are beating on the good guys to end the segment.

Backstage, Low Ki says that he returned from the Orient because he is coming for the NWA-TNA World Championship. Ki promises that the match tonight will be one not to be forgotten about.

Main Event: NWA-TNA World Champion AJ Styles vs. Low-Ki: Ki backs Styles into a corner until the referee breaks them apart. Ki controls Styles with a go-behind briefly as Styles works over Ki’s arm. Ki kicks Styles away and they have a standoff. They trade working over each others arm with neither man getting a clear advantage. Styles knee lifts Ki but Ki delivers a forearm shot and several strikes to drop the champion. Styles quickly comes back with a dropkick and a swinging neck breaker for a near fall. Ki swings through the middle rope to kick Styles and delivers an uppercut. Ki puts a dragon sleeper on Styles in the ropes and lets go to soon hit a dropkick to the knee of Styles. Ki kicks AJ several times in the chest but AJ leg sweeps Ki, who pops up and drops Styles with a somersault kick. Styles counters a hurricanrana but Ki gets out of the Styles Clash, twice. Styles nails Ki with a kick to the back of his head. Styles hits a kip up head scissors to send Ki to the floor.

AJ hits a springboard reverse DDT off the apron onto the floor! Ki nearly pins Styles but walks into a standing spin kick. Ki counters a reverse DDT and has a dragon sleeper on the champ, but AJ backs into a corner where Ki gets put over the top rope and AJ uses his legs to drop Ki throat first over the top rope for a near fall. Styles continues to have control with basic offense. Ki puts the referee in front of AJ and hits a springboard kick to Styles face. Ki makes his comeback with a forearm strike and a double under hook overhead suplex for a near fall. Ki pummels Styles with stiff kicks to AJ’s face but only gets a near fall. Ki sets Styles up for the Ki Krusher but Styles countered with a DDT! Styles avoids a handspring kick in the corner and decks Ki with a discus clothesline for a near fall.

Styles with a flurry of strikes to back Ki against the ropes. Ki ducks a clothesline to lock in an arm bar submission. Styles breaks free and hits a German suplex followed by a front suplex but Ki kicks out at two. Ki avoids the springboard reverse DDT by kicking Styles in the face. Styles is sent to the floor following a kick to the back of his head. Russo tries to get involved on the floor but Ki decks him and punches Russo on the announcers table. Ki goes to the top rope but the referee stands in the way to prevent Ki from doing anything. Styles decks Ki over the head with the baseball bat and pins Ki as the referee was out of position. (**1/2. It was just okay. Sometimes Low Ki just isn’t entertaining and I think that was what happened here. The constant Russo involvement in the title matches are getting annoying and hurting AJ’s reign, I think. The fans were into it a lot more than I was, so maybe it was just me, but this was an average main event.)

Final Thoughts:
A fine week for TNA as we had several matches that were quality matches and there was a lot going on with the Dusty return, the advancement of the Douglas/Raven feud and announcement about Ultimate X next week for the first time ever. I’d say the show was good one.

Thanks for reading.