NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #59 8/27/2003

Written by: Bob Colling

National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action Weekly PPV #59
Date: 8/27/2003
From: Nashville, TN

Opening Contest: Three Live Kru vs. Shane Douglas, Sinn & Slash: Konnan and Slash kick off the contest with Konnan getting the advantage hitting a shoulder block. Konnan plants Slash with a reverse DDT and plays to the crowd. Slash battles back with right hands but here comes Killings to hit a scissors kick. BG James decks Douglas and holds Douglas open for Killings to hit a top rope leg drop to Shane’s groin. Slash attempted a cross body but is caught and slammed to the mat by BG and Killings. Slash drops BG following a bicycle kick and Sinn enters to double team James to keep control of the match. Slash hits a reverse lifting DDT on Sinn to have him land onto BG. BG runs into a back elbow and Sinn nearly pins BG with a rollup out of the corner. Slash takes BG down with a vertical suplex for a near fall. Douglas tags in and keeps control of BG until he is dropped with a hip toss.

BG nails Douglas with a clothesline and tries to make the tag. Killings gets the tag and Douglas begs off. Killings takes Douglas down with a head scissors takedown. Killings continues with a spinning heel kick and Douglas staggers into a corner. Slash accidentally clotheslines Douglas in the corner as the match starts to breakdown. Konnan works over Sinn on the floor while Killings attempts a front suplex on Douglas but James Mitchell enters the ring to distract Killings. Ron clotheslines Douglas over the top to the floor but the Gathering run into the ring to prevent Mitchell from getting involved. The referee has called for the bell as this would apparently end in a no contest. (*. I’m not sure what this was supposed to accomplish, but it wasn’t very good.)

Backstage, Sonny Siaki cuts a promo saying that tonight he buries the career of D’Lo Brown.

Second Contest: D’Lo Brown vs. Sonny Siaki: Brown works over Siaki on the floor sending Siaki into the apron back first. Brown leaps off the apron to hit a moonsault on the floor. Brown hits a slingshot senton splash but only gets a near fall. D’Lo backdrops Siaki over the top to the floor and attempted a dropkick from the ring but is caught and Siaki power bombs Brown dangerously across the apron followed by swing into the ring steps. Sonny hits a split legged moonsault but Brown kicks out at two. Siaki clotheslines Brown and taunts the fans. Siaki leaps off the middle rope but Brown hits an ace crusher in midair! Brown clotheslines Siaki several times and continues with a backdrop. Trinity gets on the apron to distract the referee as Brown hit a sit out spine buster. Brown sees this and Trinity jumps off the apron. Siaki plants Brown with a swinging neck breaker but only gets a two on the cover attempt. Brown drives Siaki down with a swinging side slam but Trinity comes off the top to plant Brown with a tornado DDT! Siaki hits the Siaki Driver and wins the match. (*1/2. I like Siaki and having him go over Brown is the right call. A few good moments but the interference shouldn’t have been required here.) After the match, Siaki and Trinity attack Brown and use a chair on him.

Backstage, Siaki and Brown are brawling outside until Jeff Jarrett appears and tosses Siaki into the back of the hearse after hitting Siaki with a guitar.

Don Callis comes out and complains about Erik Watts giving Jerry Lynn a NWA-TNA X-Division Championship match. Callis doesn’t think that Lynn should be rewarded for his out of control behavior. Callis said that he doesn’t have an obsession with Lynn, but rather with people who follow the rules.

Third Contest: NWA-TNA X-Division Champion Michael Shane vs. Jerry Lynn: Lynn controls Shane early on with headlocks and a hammerlock, but Shane takes him down and walks on his back, but Lynn returns the favor. Lynn avoids a punch in the corner and hammers away on Shane with several strikes. Lynn takes Shane over with a head scissors and several arm drags. Shane backdrops Lynn to the apron and drops him throat first across the top rope. Shane continues by hitting a baseball slide but gets slammed face first across the apron as he tried to hit a moonsault. Shane drop toe holds Lynn face first into the ring steps. Lynn comes back by dropping Shane throat first across the top and knocks Shane off the apron with a springboard dropkick. Shane attempts to suplex Lynn back into the ring but Lynn lands on his feet only to get dropped throat first across the top rope, again. Lynn fights back with strikes but gets yanked down by his hair.

Lynn whiplashes Shane to the canvas and kicks the champ in the face. Shane dumps Lynn through the middle rope to the floor to avoid Jerry. Shane comes off the apron to axe handle Jerry over the back. Lynn drop toe holds Shane face first into the middle turnbuckle but gets rammed face first into the top turnbuckle. Shane hits a flying forearm and a scoop slam. Shane heads to the top rope but jumps off and instead signals for the superkick. Lynn avoids the move and big boots Shane instead. Lynn yells at Don Callis and is low blowed by Shane which nearly leads to a pin fall. Lynn mounts Shane and pummels the champion with several strikes. Callis leaves the announcers table and runs to the backstage area. Lynn spears Shane and follows up with a power bomb! Lynn plants Shane with the TKO! Lynn goes for the cradle piledriver but has to deal with the red shirt security. Lynn turns around and Shane hits the super kick for the win. (**1/4. A rather boring match between these two, though I did like how they came across very even doing the same spot right after each other. I think Shane brings a different style that doesn’t rely on high spots and adds a different feel to the division, which is needed.)

Mike Tenay had a sit down interview with Raven earlier in the day. Raven still thinks it is his destiny to be the NWA World Champion. He talked about his blood feuds with Tommy Dreamer and Sandman in ECW. AJ Styles and Vince Russo came to the area but Styles was shoved down to the floor to end the segment.

Fourth Contest: The Sandman vs. Abyss: Sandman spits beer in Abyss’s face and hits him with a kendo stick. Abyss comes back with a clothesline and stomps away on Sandman before chopping him in the corner. Abyss catches Sandman on a slingshot cross body attempt and rams Sandman back first into the ring post. Sandman leaps off a chair and hits Abyss with a springboard splash against the railing. Back in the ring, Sandman hits a top rope swanton bomb. Kid Kash enters the ring and shoves Abyss and low blows him! Kash counters a power bomb by hitting a head scissors over the top to the floor, where Abyss lands on a table but it doesn’t break. Sandman gets a two count on a cover attempt. Abyss quickly hits the Black Hole Slam and wins the match. (*. I don’t like that Abyss and Kash are already having tension. That just seems a little rushed to me.)

Backstage, Terry Taylor tells Abyss that he should standup to Kid Kash. Kash appears and slaps Taylor. Abyss steps in front to prevent Taylor from getting at Kash.

Fifth Contest: NWA-TNA World Tag Team Champions America’s Most Wanted vs. Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger: All four men start brawling on the floor with Storm working over swinger with chops and Harris hammering away on Diamond. Storm slams Swinger face first into the ring steps. Harris hits a snap suplex on Diamond on the floor. Harris is choking Diamond with something while Swinger hits a suplex on Storm on the floor. Harris looks like he was using a chain on Diamond. Swinger decks Harris on the floor and goes back to Storm. Swinger rams Storm back first into the apron. Diamond works over Storm and tags in Swinger. The challengers hit a side slam/reverse DDT combo for a near fall. Storm kicks a charging Diamond in the corner but Diamond hits a northern lights suplex for a two count. Storm gets double teamed in the corner while Harris is trying to get involved and distracts the referee. Diamond gets a near fall on Storm following a vertical suplex. Swinger misses a clothesline and Storm hits a spinning kick to drop Johnny.

Harris gets the tag as does Diamond and Harris cleans house hitting a full nelson slam on Swinger. Harris mounts Diamond with several right hands but is stopped by Swinger. Harris hits a bulldog on Swinger and heads to the top rope. Harris hits a top rope cross body on Diamond for a near fall. Harris spears Swinger! Diamond nails Harris with a super kick and Storm super kicks Diamond for a two count. Diamond low blows Storm out of the corner. Harris attempts a slam on Diamond but is met with a low blow from Swinger almost leading to a title change. Harris yanks Swinger off the middle rope to help Storm. We get a tower of doom out of the corner and all four men are down. Glen Gilbertti makes his way down to cheer on his guys.

Gilbertti grabs one of the title belts and a steel chair. Swinger slides the belt into the ring to Diamond. Storm kicks the belt into Diamond’s face but Gilbertti pulls the referee out of the ring! Gilbertti is trying to convince the referee that the champs used the belts. Gilbertti hits Harris with a steel chair and the heels hit the Problem Solver to win the tag titles! (***. It’s a fine match with these two teams continuing to work very well together. Gilbertti has played his role very well. I can’t see Swinger and Diamond being champs for too long, though.)

Sixth Contest: Dusty Rhodes vs. Glen Gilbertti in a bullrope match: Rhodes makes his way down to the ring and we’ll be having the bull rope match right now. Early on, Rhodes works over Gilbertti with jabs and a low blow. Gilbertti bails to the floor and is yanked back into the ring where Dusty chokes him with the rope. Gilbertti continues to try and leave the ring but is yanked back into the ring. Gilbertti is busted wide open as Rhodes uses the cowbell on him. Gilbertti kicks Dusty on the knee several times followed by jabs. Dusty nails Gilbertti with an elbow strike to drop him. Rhodes hits Glen with the cowbell again and grabs his own bullrope. Gilbertti is distracting the referee as Christopher Daniels enters the ring and decks Rhodes from behind! Rhodes is laid out and Gilbertti gets the win. (*. Well, this was kind of stupid. It accomplishes in getting Daniels over as anti-tradition, which SEX was all about and has that connection with Gilbertti. The finish just came across really weak.) After the match, Chris Harris runs into the ring and cleans house. Harris drops Daniels with a spear! Swinger and Diamond enter the ring to beat on Harris but here comes Jeff Jarrett to clean house too. Jarrett has his guitar and smashes Daniels over the head with it.

Mike Tenay had a sit down interview with Mad Mikey earlier in the day. Mikey talks about being hit every time he was bad and that the “Mikey” commercials bothered him. Mikey says that by the second counseling session, the counselor was on the couch. Mikey has a tantrum after saying he would prove himself by winning a title in NWA-TNA.

Backstage, Three Live Kru are asked if they are high. Johnny Swinger, Simon Diamond and Glen Gilbertti enter the scene, though Jeff Jarrett takes Gilbertti out with a guitar shot from out of nowhere.

RODDY PIPER RETURNING TO TNA… We also are told about a Super X Tournament happening next week.

Main Event: NWA-TNA World Champion AJ Styles vs. Raven: This one looks like it is getting plenty of time as there is a half-hour left in the show. Styles opens the match by kicking Raven on the thigh but is met with a right hand to back him into a corner but Raven doesn’t followup. Raven head butts AJ on the groin for a two count and sends AJ to the floor. Styles quickly rolls back into the ring to avoid Raven. Raven attempts a DDT but Styles breaks free and is met with several jabs. Raven sends Styles to the floor but Styles rolls back into the ring again. Raven hits a snap suplex for a near fall. Raven tosses AJ over the top to the floor and rams AJ face first into the ring steps. Raven nails Styles over the head with a trash can on the floor. Raven hits a side Russian leg sweep sending Styles back first into the railing a couple of times. Styles has been busted wide open as Raven continues to work over AJ on the floor hitting the same move several times and AJ is knocked out.

Back in the ring, Styles stops Raven with a low blow and hits a springboard reverse DDT but can’t make the cover. The Gathering comes out and brings Russo to the backstage area. Styles and Raven trade strikes until Styles nails Raven with a spin kick for a near fall. Styles hits a vertical suplex and hits a knee drop. Raven drops Styles with a super kick and AJ rolls to the apron. AJ hits a springboard hurricanrana but on the cover Raven has his leg under the ropes. Styles locks in a death lock but Raven doesn’t give up. AJ wedges the chair into a corner and super kicks Raven. Styles drop toe holds Raven face first into the steel chair for a two count. Raven tosses the chair into AJ’s face and both men dropped down to the canvas. Raven clotheslines AJ a couple of times and has a second wind as he hits a knee lift.

Raven hits a running bulldog out of the corner but can’t keep Styles down on the cover. Raven blocks a springboard by hitting Styles with a chair and nearly wins the match. Raven attempts the DDT but Styles gets out but Raven hits the Styles Clash but Sinn comes out and pulls the referee out of the ring. AJ plants Raven with a DDT but Raven kicks out at two. Styles accidentally dropkicks Sinn off the apron. Raven goes for the DDT but Styles rams Raven into the referee. Raven still hits the DDT but the referee is knocked down. Slash comes in but Raven kicks powder into his face. Slash is blinded and drops Styles with the Whirly Bird. Raven covers Styles but still can’t get a three count. Raven attempts a top rope DDT but Shane Douglas knocks Raven off the top. Raven power bombs Styles in midair and knocks the New Chruch off the apron. Douglas low blows Raven and Styles hits the Styles Clash and gets the three count. (***. Well, the match had a lot of interference to protect Raven. When you book yourself into this spot, there is hardly ever a good way to go with it. Raven is so over with the crowd it isn’t even funny and they wanted him to be the champion. They worked a fined match, but Russo had to rely on a cheap way out to keep everyone strong.) After the match, Chris Harris grabs a microphone and says that they are tired of being screwed by Vince Russo. Harris threatens the referee to either restart the match or reverse the decision. The referee doesn’t need to make a decision as we get a massive brawl for a few moments. Erik Watts comes out and announces that next week… there will be…. WAR GAMES! It’s going to be a steel cage weapons war games. Be ready for BLOOD!

Final Thoughts:
Well, the tag title and main event matches were pretty good. For some reason I don’t get excited for Jerry Lynn matches, so some might find that more entertaining than I did. I am quite interested in the WAR GAMES next week since I’m a sucker for that match.

Thanks for reading.