Written by: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action Weekly PPV #60
Date: 9/3/2003
From: Nashville, TN
Opening Contest: Lazz vs. Mad Mikey: Lazz is a homosexual character that has face paint and rather tight clothing. Lazz tries to get some mind games on Mikey by touching him and holding Mikey when he is taken down to the canvas. Lazz mounts Mikey and humps him. There is a go-behind spot in the corner where Lazz humps Mikey and ends up kissing him. Mikey is angry and starts pummeling Lazz. Mikey plants Lazz with a double arm DDT and gets the win to end the quick match. (*. It’s a largely comedy match and a victory for the new character in Mikey.)
Backstage, Dusty Rhodes is interviewed by Terry Taylor. Rhodes talks bout War Games and how tonights match will be the most violent one ever seen.
Second Contest: Nosawa vs. Juventud Guerrera in a Super X Tournament Match: Guerrera plants Nosawa with a wheelbarrow bulldog and a spinning heel kick to send Nosawa to the floor. Guerrera hits a springboard cross body to the floor. Juventud chops Nosawa on the floor a few times and plays to the crowd which allows Nosawa to hook Juventud for a suplex into the ring but can’t hit the move. Guerrera hits a standing spin kick for a near fall. Guerrera misses a splash and gets kicked by Nosawa. Nosawa kicks the legs of Guerrera and drops Juventud with a kick to the face for a two count. Guerrera battles back with chops in the corner and hits a pump handle twisting slam. Juventud hits his version of the People’s Elbow but only gets a near fall on the cover attempt. Nosawa rolls through a rollup to dropkick a seated Guerrera. Guerrera plants Nosawa with a sit down suplex and heads to the top rope. Guerrera hits the 450 splash and wins the match. (**. A decent match but nothing overly entertaining. It’s cool to see Guerrera in TNA as I have always enjoyed his work.)
Backstage, James Mitchell talked about taking Raven’s image away by cutting his hair. Glen Gilbertti comes over and asks if Mitchell knows that they need to work together and doesn’t want his men getting hurt in the match tonight. Mitchell agrees assuring Gilbertti he will have his back in the War Games.
Third Contest: Teddy Hart vs. Jonny Storm in a Super X Tournament Match: Hart quickly works over Storm with strikes but Storm plants Hart with a DDT. Storm follows up with a dropkick and Hart rolls to the floor where Storm takes Teddy out with a double springboard somersault dive! Storm leaps off the top but is met with an ace crusher in midair. Teddy has an arm bar on Storm but can’t get a submission. Hart knee lifts Storm to the floor and hits a perfect springboard moonsault to the floor to take Storm out. Storm drives Hart to the canvas with a lifting spinning slam but misses a top rope moonsault. Hart comes off the top and spikes Storm with a sick DDT. Hart hits a shooting star press and that gets the three count. (***1/4. This is simply a match full of spots and it was entertaining for that purpose. Teddy is incredibly talented, just doesn’t have stable mindset.)
Backstage, Sonny Siaki is getting in an argument with Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger. Shane Douglas enters the scene and tells them to get their game faces on for the match tonight.
Fourth Contest: Chris Sabin vs. Jerry Lynn in a Super X Tournament Match: Sabin has the early control knocking Lynn down with a forearm strike but Lynn comes back with several right hands. Lynn gets his eye raked in the corner and Sabin delivers a knee strike in the corner. Lynn hits a sunset flip power bomb out of the corner for a two count. Lynn tries to get a few covers on Sabin but only manages two counts each time. Lynn sends Sabin to the floor but gets kicked by Sabin on the apron. Sabin nearly gets a rollup but Lynn kicks out at two. Lynn plants Sabin with a TKO but Sabin gets his boot on the bottom rope. Lynn is getting frustrated and has the referee around the neck as Cyrus comes to distract Lynn and Sabin pins Lynn following a low blow. (*1/2. This came across more of an angle advancement between Lynn and Cyrus, but the action was constant and decent anyway.)
Backstage, Raven warns Shane Douglas and James Mitchell that he is even more dangerous now!
Fifth Contest: Michael Shane vs. Frankie Kazarian in a Super X Tournament Match: Kazarian takes Shane over with a few arm drags and dropkicks Shane in the corner for the early advantage. Frankie dropkicks a seated Shane in the corner for a two count. Shane plants Kazarian with a side suplex. Shane continues to work over Kazarian with jabs in the corner and chokes Kazarian. Shane delivers a couple of back breakers for a two count. Kazarian rolls Shane up for a two count and another one with a backslide. Kazarian backdrops Shane and runs over Shane with a few clotheslines. Frankie hammers away on Shane in the corner but runs into a big boot. Kazarian snap scoop slams Shane out of the corner for a near fall. Shane kicks Kazarian to the canvas but can’t put Kazarian away. Shane looks for the super kick but Kazarian blocks it and looks for the Wave of the Future, but Shane counters and attempts a power bomb but Kazarian counters with a hurricanrana for the win. (**. These matches are going rather quickly, but they are still entertaining and they are fitting a lot into the match, it feels like.)
Backstage, Vince Russo tells AJ Styles that as long as he is breathing that he will make sure nothing bad will happen to him.
Sixth Contest: Juventud Guerrera vs. Teddy Hart in a Super X Tournament Match: Guerrera plants Hart with a botched looking tornado DDT. Guerrera leaps off the middle rope but Hart catches him with an arm bar submission but Guerrera doesn’t give in. Hart hits a side Russian leg sweep and holds Guerrera on the canvas with the arm bar. Hart runs into a big boot in the corner and Guerrera hits a head scissors takedown. Hart pulls Juventud to the floor and hits a hurricanrana off the apron to the floor. Hart leaps off the railing to hit a moonsault onto Guerrera on the floor. Guerrera yanks Hart off the apron sending Teddy face first across the apron. Guerrera takes Hart out with a springboard cross body on the floor. Guerrera and Hart trade shots on the apron until Hart gets crotched on the top and Guerrera hits a hurricanrana into the ring for a two count.
Guerrera drives Hart chest first down to the canvas for a two count. Hart gets out of a power bomb and hits a reverse tombstone but doesn’t go for the cover. Hart instead goes to the top rope and hits a twisting splash but Guerrera kicks out at two. Hart hits another top rope moonsault to take Guerrera out on the floor. Hart appears to have banged up his knee. Guerrera hits a double leg slam and dropkicks a seated Teddy after rolling through a rollup attempt. Guerrera misses the People’s Elbow but slams Hart to the canvas for a near fall. Guerrera hits a Torture Rack spinning slam for a near fall. Guerrera attempts a sit down scoop slam but Hart battles out of the hold and hits a tornado DDT for a two count. Teddy goes to the top and hits the shooting star press but holds his knee in pain. Guerrera essentially no sells the move and plants Hart with a sit down scoop slam. Guerrera gets crotched by Teddy. Guerrea hits a middle rope Juvi Driver and that’s it. (***. Just like the other Teddy match this was just full of spots and no story, nor was there supposed to be. I’d like to see more of Teddy and Juvi in TNA, honestly.)
Seventh Contest: Chris Sabin vs. Frankie Kazarian: They waste no time punching each other to start the match. Kazarian clotheslines Sabin followed by a few dropkicks. Sabin kicks Kazarian out of the corner and continues to hammer away on Frankie. Sabin knees Frankie in the corner and dumps Kazarian over the top to the floor. Sabin gets crotched on the top rope after attempting a dive to the floor. Kazarian hits a slingshot DDT onto the apron which gets a two count back in the ring. Kazarian hits a sunset flip power bomb off the apron onto the floor! Sabin counters a springboard with a German suplex in midair. Frankie gets sent face first into the corner with a head scissors by Sabin. Sabin nearly wins with a double hook suplex. Sabin attempts to get a submission by choking Frankie with his arms but can’t manage to get one.
Kazarian chokes Sabin over the top rope but lets go. Sabin kicks Frankie in midair on a spring board attempt but Kazarian hits the Wave of Future for a two count. Kazarian gets kicked by Sabin on the top turnbuckle. Sabin hits a muscle buster but Frankie kicks out at two. Sabin heads to the top rope but Kazarian hits the Spanish Fly off the top! Kazarian kicks a chargingg Sabin in the corner but Sabin rolls through a rollup to win the match. (***. The matches centered around spots continue but they continue to be entertaining for their purpose.)
Backstage, America’s Most Wanted is interviewed about the cage match and they are honored to be next to their partners. Kid Kash came over and at first apologized to Terry Taylor, but after insulting AMW, Kash hit Taylor and ran away.
Eighth Contest: Juventud Guerrera vs. Chris Sabin in the finals of the Super X Tournament: Sabin slaps Guerrera and they shove each other before colliding and both attempting dropkicks. Guerrera flips Sabin off and begins to hammer away on Sabin. Guerrera spin kicks Sabin and hits a head scissors followed by an arm drag. Guerrera keeps Sabin on the canvas with an arm bar. Sabin dangerously drops Guerrera on his shoulder followed by a kick to the head for a two count. Sabin runs into a big boot in the corner and Guerrera hits a spinning kick to send Sabin to the floor. Guerrera hits another slingshot cross body, which he has hit in every match tonight. Guerrera hits a slingshot elbow drop into the ring for a two count. Juventud has a modified abdominal stretch on Sabin but doesn’t get a submission with it. Sabin hits a wheelbarrow German suplex for a two count.
Guerrera attempts a power bomb out of the corner but Sabin counters. Guerrera still hits a seated dropkick and pummels Sabin on the canvas. Guerrera has Sabin on his shoulders and nearly wins the match anyway. Guerrera lands on his feet on a German suplex attempt. They trade rollups with neither man getting a three count. They both stagger down to the mat out of exhaustion from the series. They counter several attempted moves but Guerrera hits a wheelbarrow bulldog. Guerrera hits a springboard missile dropkick and signals for the end. Sabin plants Guerrera with a twisting slam for a two count. Guerrera plants Sabin with a double under hook piledriver but only gets a two count. Sabin counters the Juvi Driver with a DDT for a two count. Sabin heads to the top rope but gets dropkicked in midair. Guerrera heads to the top but gets stopped by Sabin. Sabin hits a superplex for a near fall on both men as their shoulders were down. Guerrera hits the Juvi Driver and heads to the top rope! Guerrera hits the 450 splash but Sabin gets his foot on the bottom rope! Sabin hits a muscle buster and pins Guerrera to win the tournament. (***1/2. The best match of the tournament and it got the most time of all the matches, as well. It’s a big win for Sabin.)
Main Event: WAR GAMES
Team Jarrett: Jeff Jarrett, Chris Harris, James Storm, D’Lo Brown, and Raven
Team Styles: NWA-TNA World Champion AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Simon Diamond, Johnny Swinger and Shane Douglas.
There isn’t a second ring so it’s not the traditional War Games, but oh well. TNA has done very well with blowing off several different feuds in one match, so there is a lot of interest to see how this plays out. Erik Watts is the special referee for the match. Three Live Kru are brought out to be the ring attendance, ring announcer and timekeeper. There are weapons inside the cage already for the wrestlers to use.
Daniels and Jarrett start the match with Daniels attacking Jarrett on the floor sending Jarrett into the cage and they brawl into the crowd. Jarrett whacks Daniels over the back with a steel chair but Daniels comes back with right hands. Daniels whacks Jarrett over the back with the chair and they are back at ringside. Jarrett plants Daniels with a spine buster and follows up with right hands. Jarrett tosses Daniels head first into the cage a few times. Jarrett grabs a trash can lid but is met with a kick from Daniels. Daniels grabs a kendo stick and whacks Jarrett to keep control of the match. Daniels also uses nunchucks on Jarrett to keep him on the canvas. Daniels goes to the top rope with the kendo stick but Jarrett gets his boot up and uses the stick on Daniels several times. Jarrett catapults Daniels head first into the steel. Jarrett rubs Daniels forehead across the steel as we have five seconds before the next entrant.
AJ Styles comes running down as the next entrant but is worked over by Jarrett. Jeff sends Styles into the steel cage and continues to work over Style until Daniels gets up and helps beat down Jarrett with a kendo stick. Daniels gets a table into the ring after a brief struggle.
Chris Harris is the next entrant to help Jarrett. Harris cleans house with strikes and hits a spear on Styles! Harris rams Daniels into the steel cage and plays to the crowd. Jarrett puts Styles on the table but Daniels kicks both Jarrett and Harris before hitting an STO on Harris. Styles lifts Jarrett up for a power bomb but Daniels comes off the top to drive Jarrett through the table.
Simon Diamond enters the match next. Diamond goes right after Jarrett with right hands. Jarrett has been busted wide open as the heels work over him. Jarrett has the nunchucks and hits all the heels. Daniels has been cut open as well. Harris is busted open, too.
D’Lo Brown comes down to even the odds for ninety-seconds. Brown goes right after Styles and whacks Diamond over the head with a trash can. The same goes for Daniels and Styles. Harris has Styles setup and hits the Catatonic on AJ! Jarrett has the trash can while on the middle rope and whacks Styles over the head with it.
Shane Douglas makes his way down to the ring and hammers away on Brown and Jarrett until a trash can lid shot by Jarrett ends his momentum. Diamond sends Harris into the cage face first. Daniels whacks Brown over the head with a trash can lid. Harris viciously whacks Diamond over the head with the trash can. Douglas has the baseball bat which he used on Jarrett.
James Storm is the next entrant using the trash can on all the heels to help his partners. Jarrett is on the top rope with his guitar and leaps off breaking the guitar over Daniels head!
Johnny Swinger is the final entrant for Team Styles, which is kind of an odd choice. Swinger and the heels work over the heels for a few moments as they have the advantage for a minute. Diamond is using the baseball bat on Harris while Douglas whacks Brown with a wet floor sign.
Raven is the final entrant for the match and is limping down towards the ring. Raven whacks everyone with a cooking sheet. Daniels kicks Raven to save Douglas from a DDT. Jarrett is sent into the cage by Daniels and Douglas. Brown is also sent into the cage by Daniels and Styles. The heels are dominating the match as the faces are all busted open it appears at this point. Raven, Jarrett and Brown send Douglas, Daniels and Styles into the cage. The faces are now in full control of the match after that turnaround. Raven plants Douglas with a DDT in the middle of the ring. Daniels drops Raven but is met with a spine buster by Brown.
Diamond and Swinger hit an elevated DDT on Brown. Harris spears Diamond and Storm hits the Eye of the Storm on Swinger! Styles hits a springboard reverse DDT on Storm! AJ climbs the top rope but Jarrett stops AJ and hits a top rope Stroke! Brown leaps off the top to hit a frog splash and Harris hit a leg drop on Styles at the same time which gets the win. After the match, Dusty Rhodes is attacked by Russo, Siaki and Joe Legend. Jarrett leaves the ring and brawls with the heels on the floor. Three Live Kru start brawling as well on the outside. Glen Gilbertti comes out to get in on the action as well. Douglas is working over Raven in the ring while everyone else brawls outside the ring. The New Church enters the ring as Abyss is out brawling too. Douglas cuts some of Raven’s hair to end the program. (***1/4. It is a violent cage match and the usage of weapons made it probably more enjoyable. War Games isn’t the real deal unless it’s two rings, though. A lot of heat for the match since everyone involved had bitter feuds going on. This is how you build your main event.)
Final Thoughts:
The tournament matches were full of high spots and they were a breeze to watch. Plus, War Games is never a bad thing to sit through, for the most part. It’s a strong show this week for TNA and they aftermath advanced the Douglas/Raven feud to a boiling point in the coming weeks.
Thanks for reading.