Written by: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action Weekly PPV #71
Date: 11/19/2003
From: Nashville, TN
A highlight video focusing on last week is shown between Jeff Jarrett and Raven. Jarrett doesn’t believe Raven can compete on his level. Raven was beaten up by the Red Shirt Security and Jarrett hit the Stroke onto a steel chair. CM Punk cut a promo saying that Raven didn’t want them to help. Punk knows that Raven will make the right decision to choose a partner. They show footage of the tag main event featuring Luger/Jarrett taking on Styles/Sting. Styles pinned Luger. Luger cut a promo saying that Sting did this on purpose to embarrass him. Sting says Luger should known better to try and one up him. Raven introduced his partner as being Sandman and not Punk or Dinero. Raven and Sandman lost the match. Erik Watts announced a six man Clockwork Orange House of Fun match for this week.
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with the Red Shirt Security. Callis tells Hudson to not worry all the time. NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett says that Jimmy Hart is trying to get everyone against them. Jarrett knows that everyone is after him. Jarrett wants them to get the job done on Raven. Jarrett wants Abyss to take AJ Styles out tonight, too. Jarrett wants an update on Hulk Hogan tonight. Jarrett is begging Hogan to show up.
Opening Contest: Legend, Kevin Northcutt & Ryan Wilson vs. Erik Watts, Raven & The Sandman in a Clockwork Orange House Of Fun: All six men go at it with the faces getting the advantage in the ring. Watts delivers a trash can lid while Sandman jumped off a chair to splash onto Wilson. Raven whacks Legend with a trash can shot. Legend has already been busted wide open. Wilson is bleeding now as well. Raven puts a plunger into Legend’s face in the corner. Raven is sent into the railing ribs first by Legend. Northcutt leg drops Sandman in the groin area. Northcutt low blows Watts in the corner. Wilson hits Sandman with a cooking sheet. Raven has been busted wide open as well. Watts is bleeding from the forehead as well. Sandman is triple powerbombed onto a group of chairs in the middle of the ring. Northcutt boots Raven coming off the ropes. Raven fights off the security and handcuffs Wilson to Watts around the post. Wilson beats on Watts with right hands, but he’s trapped. Northcutt and Legend are arguing with Legend wanting a key. They don’t have one. Raven and Sandman whack them with chair shots. Watts low blows Wilson. Goldylocks runs down to the ring and tries to use the key, but Wilson grabs her by the neck. Wilson gets sent into the post by Goldylocks and Watts is freed. Raven and Sandman drop Legend and Northcutt with clotheslines and superkicks. Raven drags Wilson over the bottom rope and Sandman leg drops a chair over Wilson’s arm! Watts jump kicks Northcutt and chokeslams Legend. Sandman hits both men with a kendo stick. Raven plants Wilson with the DDT to win the match. (*1/2. They just did brawling the entire time and it got a little old with the same repetitive spots. It was a one sided match with Raven’s team dominating, but that’s probably the right decision to end the feud.)
Mike Tenay had a sit down interview with AJ Styles earlier today. Tenay notes that Styles is the only triple crown winner in TNA history. Tenay thinks that it must be a slap in the face for Jarrett to suggest that Styles can’t hang at his level. Styles has heard that all his life. Styles has proved his doubters wrong every time. Styles recalls having beaten Jarrett for the NWA World Champion once before. Styles isn’t worried about Raven, at least not tonight. Styles this is about survival so he gets his title shot with Jarrett in two weeks. He’s going to survive because that’s what he’s done his entire life.
Second Contest: Shark Boy vs. Kid Kash: They counter each other early on trading headlocks and leading to a standoff that nobody cared about. Kash elbows Boy and arm drags Boy to the mat. Boy avoids Kash in the corner and counters a crossbody with an arm drag in midair. Boy clotheslines Kash followed by a dropkick. Kash dumps Boy to the apron but misses a baseball slide. Boy takes Kash out with a slingshot crossbody on the floor. Kash eye rakes Boy, but a knee lift by Boy stops Kash for a near fall. Kash drops Boy throat first over the top rope and hits a leaping clothesline for a near fall. Boy gets an inside cradle on Kash for a two count. Kash drops Boy over his knee with a backbreaker. Kash chops Boy in the corner, but Boy delivers a strike and takes Kash off the middle rope with a hurricanrana. Boy gets a two count following a neckbreaker. Boy works over Kash with right hands in the corner and bites his forehead. Boy connects with a bulldog out of the corner for a near fall. Kash shoves Boy off the middle rope and hits a moonsault for a near fall. Kash spikes Boy with the Money Maker to win the match. (*1/4. Kash has a great finisher, but nobody really cared about this match. The crowd was dead and the action wasn’t all that crisp as there was several clunky parts to the match.) After the match, Kash is trying to pull off Shark Boy’s mask, but security runs in to stop that. Kash decks them to the floor. Don Harris pulls Kash off and tells him to leave. Kash punches Don and Don fires back with right hands. Don tries for a big boot, but Kash bails through the crowd as Don chases.
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews NWA-TNA Tag Team Champions Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger. Glen Gilbertti tells the champs that he takes care of the problems. Gilbertti is going to take care of Konnan tonight. David Young enters the scene and needs a favor for his match against Chris Sabin. Kid Kash bumps into them and runs away with his bag.
Third Contest: Ekmo & Sonny Siaki vs. CM Punk & Julio Dinero: Siaki and Dinero kickoff the match with Siaki working over Dinero with strikes in the corner. Dinero splashes Siaki in the corner and head scissors Siaki into the middle turnbuckle. Punk heel kicks Siaki and continues with chops. Siaki tosses Punk with a half nelson suplex and Punk landed on his neck. Siaki takes Dinero down with a choke. Ekmo tags into the contest and controls Dinero with strikes. Dinero elbows Ekmo and looks for a crossbody, but is caught with a slam. Ekmo decks Punk off the apron to knee drop Dinero for a near fall. Ekmo runs over Dinero with a clothesline. Ekmo tags in Siaki after a headbutt. Dinero driven down with a double chokeslam for a near fall. Siaki sends Dinero into the corner and Ekmo delivers a splash. Ekmo misses a middle rope splash. Dinero manages to tag in Punk, who jumps off Ekmo to kick Siaki. Punk plants Ekmo with a slow moving tornado DDT. Punk dumps Ekmo to the floor. Punk hits a side slam and Dinero hit a elbow drop for a near fall. Ekmo delivers a double clothesline followed right hands and a superkick to Punk. Trinity refuses to send a chair into the ring and Ekmo is dropkicked over Siaki leading to a pin. After the match, Siaki argues with Trinity. (*1/2. The finish was a little odd and I’m not sure what the point is. Siaki and Ekmo are a good team and I think they could have a good run if given the opportunity.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson chats with Don Callis saying that a weak link is found in his power. Kevin Northcutt chimes in and says that Raven is stupid. Northcutt challenges Raven to a singles match. Northcutt says this is his world and Raven is just living in it. Callis tells us that AJ Styles luck is running out when he wrestles Abyss tonight.
Fourth Contest: Chris Sabin vs. David Young: Sabin gets a rollup on Young as soon as the bell rings and wins the match. Gilbertti enters the ring and he’s pissed. Young had been preparing himself with his back to Sabin. Gilbertti tells Sabin that they came here for a great match. Gilbertti wants Sabin to come into the ring for a fair fight. Sabin returns to the match and hits a springboard missile dropkick for a near fall. Young tosses Sabin with a release German suplex. Young clotheslines Sabin and keeps control with stomps. Young sends Sabin hard into the corner back first. Young kicks Sabin on the mat and locks in a chin lock. Sabin breaks free with chops and right hands in the corner. Young misses a splash and is dropped over the top rope throat first. Sabin decks Gilbertti with a right hand on the floor. Sabin tries for a sunset flip, but Gilbertti holds his arms until the referee kicks them and Sabin gets the three count for the win. (*. This felt like filler, really. Sabin should be focusing on the X-Division and not an essential comedy guy like Young.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews 3LK. Konnan thinks that Glen Gilbertti is an awful manager. Tonight, they have arrived to win the titles. BG James chimes in and promises to kick ass in three flavors. James is confident they will win the gold. America’s Most Wanted enter the scene and tell James that they are the number one contenders and say that they have them to deal with no matter who wins the match.
We see footage from a local radio show where Jimmy Hart talks about what Jeff Jarrett did to Hulk Hogan in Japan. They ask about the Bash at the Beach situation until Jeff Jarrett enters the room and confronts Jimmy. Jarrett has told Jimmy to not bring up the situation on air as it’s still being dealt with in court. Jarrett is tired of Jimmy and slaps the host of the radio show. Jarrett takes the radio guy down and delivers a few right hands before being escorted out of the room.
Mike Tenay introduces Jimmy Hart for an interview in the ring. Hart is coming out to Hogan’s WCW theme circa 1995. Hart has a poster with him and promises that the poster will reach the Hulkster that a fan made. Hart thanks Raven and AJ Styles for helping out Sting and himself. Jimmy talks about the radio show when Jarrett got involved. Hart thinks there will be a major lawsuit. Jimmy notes that Hogan is almost ready with the bandages being taken off. Hart hopes for a major announcement within the next week. Hart says that some of the fans will benefit from someone being here. This man has a bombshell for the fans.
NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett makes his way out as Jimmy Hart says they all want to know… why? Jarrett wants to know when and where Hulk Hogan is at. Jarrett says that Hart has a decision to make tonight. Jarrett wants to know the bombshell or if he doesn’t then Jarrett will give him a belt whipping. Hart runs away from Jarrett and Tenay asks Jarrett if he’s done enough to embarrass them this week. Jarrett turns his attention to Tenay and believes he’ll have to throw Tenay out the hard way. Jimmy Hart whips Jarrett a few times and tries to escape to the crowd, but AJ Styles runs out and attacks Jarrett with right hands. Styles rolls Jarrett into the ring and hits a springboard dropkick. Styles plants Jarrett with a DDT and Jarrett bails to the floor.
A video of Shane Douglas saying that he’s impressed by someone and that a new spot could be open in his group.
Fifth Contest: NWA-TNA Tag Team Champions Johnny Swinger & Simon Diamond vs. BG James & Ron Killings: James and Diamond start the title match. Diamond gets wrist control on James for a moment and takes James to the mat to deliver a stomp to the arm. James battles back with a forearm to drop Diamond. Swinger tags in to try his luck as we see America’s Most Wanted standing on the top of the aisle. Swinger takes James down and leg drops the arm followed by right hands to the shoulder. James drops Swinger with a big boot and double hip toss with Killings followed by a double elbow drop onto Swinger. Swinger knee lifts Killings, but Killings comes back with a powerslam and arm drag. Killings takes Swinger down to the mat and puts Swinger in an abdominal stretch. Killings tags in James and they deck Swinger to the mat. Swinger knee lifts James and misses a clothesline leading to James to jab Swinger followed by a forearm strike. Swinger boots James in the corner and Diamond sends James shoulder first into the ring post. Diamond wraps James arm around the post a few times. Diamond legally enters the match and works over James with right hands. James fights back with right hands. Diamond prevents a tag out and stops James with an arm breaker.
Swinger returns to the match with a knee drop. Swinger keeps control on James arm on the mat. Swinger pulls James to the corner and wraps James arm under the top rope. Swinger taunts Killings and Diamond drops James arm down. Konnan goes after Gilbertti at ringside. James forearms Diamond out of the corner and runs into an elbow strike. Diamond superkicks James for a near fall. James hammers away on Diamond but a knee lift stops him. James kicks Diamond and they collide on stereo clotheslines. Diamond makes the tag and Killings enters to hammer away on Swinger. Killings clotheslines Diamond awkwardly. Killings hits a forearm smash on Diamond. Killings avoids Swinger in the corner and James holds Swinger to allow a heel kick by Killings. Killings goes to the top and leg drops Swinger in the groin for a two count. Killings scissor kicks Swinger, but Gilbertti pulls the referee out. Konnan brawls with Gilbertti on the floor. Killings takes Swinger over with a German suplex. A second referee comes out and counts the fall. Both referees count the fall and they raise the arm of opposite teams. The referee’s aren’t agreeing with who won. A third referee comes out and takes the championships. (*. The crowd didn’t care at all and the finish fell flat because nobody really cares about this feud.)
Jeremy Borash announces that the tag titles have been held up.
There’s a video explaining the Triple Chance Tournament where the winner gets a shot at Michael Shane for the NWA-TNA X-Division Championship. X won a battle royal, Sonjay Dutt won a match against Chad Collyer and was attacked by X on the aisle. Daniels won a match against Low Ki and was attacked by X.
Sixth Contest: X vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Sonjay Dutt: X runs over Dutt after Daniels tricked Dutt into thinking they’d work together. Daniels tricks Dutt again as Dutt is clotheslined by X. Daniels forearms X a few times and Dutt delivers a few kicks. Daniels delivers a kick to the back of the head and Dutt head scissors X over. Daniels knee lifts Dutt and sends Dutt into X’s midsection for a near fall. Daniels pummels X with right hands on the mat. Daniels scoop slams Dutt onto X for another near fall. Daniels suplexs Dutt onto X and breaks up the pin. X tosses Dutt into Daniels and elbow drops Daniels as we see Chris Sabin watching the match. X clotheslines Daniels but Dutt hammers away on X before running into a big boot. Shane Douglas is also watching the match. X backdrops both men. X splashes Daniels and Dutt in opposite corners. X is dumped over the top to the floor. Dutt tries for a slingshot crossbody, but is caught by X. Daniels kicks X and hits a split legged moonsault to the floor. Dutt takes X out with a twisting dive to the floor. Dutt dropkicks Daniels and locks in an abdominal stretch after a head scissors causing both men to fall to the floor. X takes both men out with a somersault dive to the floor. X sits Daniels on the top turnbuckle hitting a hurricanrana for a near fall.
X hits a pump handle sit out slam for a two count on Daniels. Daniels tosses Dutt towards X and dropkicks both men down as we see Michael Shane watching the match. X backdrops Daniels to counter Angels Wings, but is dropkicked by Dutt. X plants Dutt with a pop up powerbomb to counter a hurricanrana. Daniels stops X with a jawbreaker and an STO. Daniels hits the Best Moonsault Ever, three times for a near fall as Dutt breaks the cover. Dutt hits a standing shooting star on X for a near fall. Dutt decks Daniels a few times and hits a heel kick. X hits a tilt a whirl face buster to drive Dutt down to the mat. X press slams Dutt over the top rope and is nearly pinned by Daniels. X plants Daniels with a sit out chokeslam, but Dutt makes the save on the cover. X decks Dutt to the apron. Dutt takes X over with a springboard hurricanrana and gets a three count. (**. There’s some good action here and they did several good spots, but the trend is that the crowd just doesn’t care about the action. Dutt winning is a surprise, but it probably the best match for Shane.) After the match, Shane confronts Dutt on the aisle, but nothing happens.
Raven is standing on the commentary table and says that Kevin Northcutt has been ordered by Jarrett to stop Raven’s destiny. Raven thinks that Legend will wrestle him, too. So, Raven wants to wrestle them both in a handicap match next week to eliminate them both. Raven recalls that he’s the man that ended James Mitchell, Vampiro, Sinn and Slash out of wrestling. He also broke Ryan Wilson’s arm. Raven was dripping blood the entire promo.
Main Event: AJ Styles vs. Abyss: Styles clotheslines Abyss over the top to the floor and takes Abyss out with a somersault dive to the floor! Abyss shoves Styles away, but Styles tries for a springboard moonsault only to be caught and slammed onto the apron. Abyss drives Styles face first onto a cameraman podium at ringside. Styles slides under the railing and hits a hurricanrana on the floor. Styles hammers away on Abyss in the ring and connects with a dropkick for a one count. Styles elbows Abyss in the corner and is driven to the mat gut first. Abyss splashes Styles in the corner. Abyss works over Styles in the corner with strikes. Abyss misses a splash in the corner and Styles drops Abyss over the top before hitting a crossbody for a two count. Abyss drives Styles to the mat with a wheelbarrow face buster for a near fall. Abyss overhand chops Styles in the corner a few times. Abyss dumps Styles to the apron and Abyss knocks Styles off after Don Callis held Styles leg. Styles has been busted open.
Abyss rams Styles face first onto the ring steps. Abyss beats on Styles with right hands at ringside. Abyss overhand strikes Styles to the mat and taunts AJ. Abyss drives Styles down with a side slam for a near fall. Abyss stomps on Styles and goes to the middle rope missing a splash. Abyss boots Styles and tries for a powerbomb, but Styles counters with a face jam. Styles head scissors Abyss followed by a kick to the head. Styles comes off the top and nails the referee with a missile dropkick. Styles boots Abyss in the corner and follows up with a dropkick. Styles plants Abyss with a springboard reverse DDT. Styles goes to the apron hitting a springboard 450 splash, but the referee is out. Don Callis grabs a chair and tosses it to Abyss. Abyss whacks Styles over the head with the chair. Abyss goes for the cover, but Styles kicks out at two. Abyss sends the referee to the floor. Abyss sits Styles on the top turnbuckle and lays a chair on the mat. Abyss hooks Styles, but Styles fights Abyss off and hits a sunset flip powerbomb onto the chair. Styles has the cover, gut there’s no referee. A second referee comes out for a near fall. Styles wedges a chair in the corner. Abyss tries for a powerbomb, but Styles countered. Abyss catapults Styles head first into the chair in the corner.
Abyss drives Styles down with the Shock Treatment for a near fall. Abyss hits the referee with the Black Hole Slam. Styles has the chair and smashes Abyss over the head. Abyss blocks a second attempt and tries for a chokeslam, but Styles counters with a rollup to win the match. (***. A solid main event as they worked well together and I’m glad that Styles won the match cleanly despite all the referee bumps.)
Red Shirt Security run down and attack Styles. Northcutt beats on Styles as Legend holds Styles. Styles ducks a clothesline and slides to the floor to escape. Jeff Jarrett appears and hits Styles with the championship on the aisle. Jarrett rolls Styles into the ring and the heels beat on Styles. Abyss plants Styles with the Black Hole Slam! Jarrett connects with the Stroke. Raven eventually comes out to make the save. Raven clotheslines Abyss and knocks Northcutt down. Dusty Rhodes makes his way out and has a strap. Rhodes goes after Jarrett with an elbow strike. Dusty Rhodes must have been the surprise Jimmy Hart was talking about earlier. Rhodes says that the thunder is here now. Dusty reveals that he’ll be wrestling Jeff Jarrett next week. The show is fans revenge and there will be lumberjacks. The lumberjacks will be chosen by the fans. They will have straps, too. Jarrett is not happy and shoves a fan at ringside.
Final Thoughts:
Aside from the last two matches, the action this week was not very good at all. It was sloppy and just didn’t feel like they knew what they were doing in some of the matches. AJ Styles looks to be primed to beat Jarrett, which likely means that’s not actually going to be happening. The crowd was dead for everything presented and that helps make this a poor overall show.
Thanks for reading.