Written by: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action Weekly PPV #74
Date: 12/10/2003
From: Nashville, TN
A graphic noting that Jerry Tuite, who competed as the Wall in WCW and Malice in TNA, has passed away.
Backstage, NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett has a board of people that they’ve taken out. Jarrett has the Red Shirt Security, Glen Gilbertti, David Young and Kid Kash with him. Jarrett says that 3LK is on the fence on joining them. Jarrett tells Don Callis that Piper will be here and Callis says that Piper hasn’t been seen. Callis didn’t check prisons and probably should have.
Backstage, AMW is with the Gathering and Chris Sabin talking when Erik Watts enters the room and says he’s taking care of business. CM Punk is pissed that Erik Watts doesn’t know who Piper is bringing. AJ Styles can’t deal with this and wants to know what’s going on later. Watts promises that he has some surprises for tonight.
Opening Contest: Don Harris vs. Kid Kash: Red Shirt Security attacks Harris during his entrance on the floor and send Harris into the guard railing shoulder first. Harris is rolled into the ring and the referee allows the match to happen. Kash tosses Harris to the mat and slaps Harris a few times. Kash stomps on Harris followed by right hands and stomps. Kash tries for a leaping clothesline and a springboard crossbody, but Harris tosses Kash with a fallaway slam. Harris backdrops Kash. Harris drops Kash with a few clotheslines sending Kash to the floor. Harris beats on Kash with strikes. Kash tries to hit Harris with a chair, but Harris blocks it and nails Kash with the chair instead. They return to the ring where Kash begs off. Harris tries for a chokeslam, but Kash breaks free and runs into a side slam. Harris fights off the Red Shirt Security. Kash low blows Harris, but Jeff Jarrett comes in with the guitar to smash it over Harris’s head. Kash has the cover and wins the match. (*. I was getting a little nervous that Kash as going to lose despite joining up with Jarrett. That is something that TNA would do, I feel. Anyway, it’s mostly a brawl and Kash needing help to win isn’t really a surprise at all.) After the match, Red Shirt Security beat on Harris. Jarrett once again says that you’re either with him or against him. Jarrett says if you are with him then you’re rewarded, but if not then you’re going to be like Don Harris is right now. Jarrett says that Raven, Styles and Roddy Piper can’t stop him. Styles slides in with a chair and cleans house and whacks Jarrett over the head with the chair.
Roddy Piper’s music hits as Styles is cornered in the ring as the heels are on the apron. Piper has several men playing the bagpipes. Jarrett is stunned to see this happening. The lights go out and Piper makes his way through the crowd into the ring. Piper has the NWA flag with him and he’s fired up in the ring with Styles. Piper says it’s good to be back in the NWA. Piper plugs a movie that he did and says that he’s not going to be thrown out of the building. He’s back to claim NWA turf. Piper says that the NWA is the first place to have health care for wrestlers. Piper tells Jarrett that the NWA made Jarrett and not the other way around. Piper mentions that Jim Duggan had cancer and Jarrett beat him down. Piper say he’s not on Jarrett’s victim list and Jarrett is on his list. Jarrett says that Piper has always been able to talk the talk but not walk the walk. Jarrett only sees Piper’s backup to be grown adults with bagpipes. Jarrett says the’s taking Piper out tonight and he’s at the top of his list.
D’Lo Brown slides into the ring and plants Jarrett with a sit out powerbomb. Styles slams Kash and Piper beats on the Red Shirt Security. Piper hits them with a flag. Erik Watts gets in the ring and has a microphone. Watts is really trying to get Jeff “the Jackass” Jarrett over and it’s not working. Watts says he’s going to make Jarrett’s life a living hell starting tonight. Watts announces that Jeff Jarrett will be wrestling D’Lo and Styles in the main event. Piper is going to be at ringside for the main event. Piper dedicates it to Road Warrior Hawk.
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews America’s Most Wanted regarding their tag title shot tonight. They have a chance to bring the belts home. Harris says they have waited four months for this opportunity. Harris says the tag titles are coming back home. Storm says they had been chasing after Diamond and Swinger, but now it’s 3LK and they will prove just why they are the best in the business.
Second Contest: NWA-TNA X-Division Champion Michael Shane vs. Christopher Daniels: Shane works over Daniels with a few knee lifts and right hands. Daniels trades shots with Shane until Shane delivers a kick to the gut. Shane is met with an eye rake by Daniels and blocks a clothesline with another boot. Shane comes off the ropes and is met with a heel kick. Daniels hammers away on Shane in the corner with right hands. Shane counters with chops in the corner. Shane backdrops Daniels and delivers a chop block. Daniels stomps on Shane’s left knee and wrenches on the leg. Daniels knee drops the leg several times and hits a moonsault onto the knee. Daniels wrenched Shane over the ropes but let go quickly. Traci Brooks tries to get involved, but Shane sends Daniels into the ring steps face first. Daniels cut his head on the steps and is bleeding big time. That looked to be a hard way cut. Daniels is bleeding crazy. Shane elbows Daniels and chokes him over the middle rope. Traci chokes Daniels while the referee is distracted by Shane. Shane misses a splash and lands on the middle rope. Daniels almost wins with a rollup, but Shane pummels Daniels with right hands.
Daniels counters a suplex and chops Shane several times, but is met with an elbow strike. Daniels delivers a few shots to Shane’s knee and runs into a elbow strike. Shane misses a somersault dive off the top and crashes to the mat. Daniels dropkicks Shane on the knee a couple of times. Shane avoids a baseball slide and Daniels leg whips Shane to the mat. Daniels drops Shane with a kick to the head for a near fall. Shane elbows Daniels to break free from a figure four attempt. Shane connects with a swinging neckbreaker. Shane tries for a suplex, but Daniels attempts a counter. Shane fights out and plants Daniels with a fisherman DDT for a two count. Shane tries for a reverse DDT, but Daniels plants Shane with an STO. Daniels misses the Best Moonsault Ever. Traci leaps off the top to splash onto Daniels. Shane misses a superkick and Daniels takes Shane down to lock in the Muta lock. Traci gets on the apron to distract the referee. Daniels lets go and pulls Brooks into the ring. Daniels pulls her pants down and tries for the Angels Wings, but Shane superkicks Daniels for a near fall. Traci tosses a chain into the ring, but Sabin runs out and tosses the chain to Daniels. Daniels decks Shane with the chain and the referee disqualifies Daniels. After the match, Daniels decks Sabin and they proceed to brawl. (**1/2. The accidental blood by Daniels actually helped the match as they didn’t have the crowd invested until that happened. The finish sucked, though. It’s weird to see Daniels presented as a face when he took out Ki in the manner that he did last week. I guess he’s more of a face than Shane would be. This didn’t really feature any big spots or the usual excitement you’d expect from the division in the past. So, it was really just a midcard match that didn’t standout for any reason other than the blood.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with the NWA Tag Team Champions, 3LK. Konnan doesn’t want AMW to think that they fear them, but they respect them. BG James chimes in and says they are going to take care of AMW. Glen Gilbertti enters the scene and says that Jarrett and Callis are running the show. Killings wants to know what he’s talking about. Gilbertti notes that they didn’t get a decision from them last week. Simon Diamond enters and tells Gilbertti to stop doing business for them. BG tells them to debate same sex marriage on someone else’s time. Gilbertti is pissed they weren’t at the meeting and they have no idea what he’s talking about. David Young says he told them about the meeting, but Diamond denies that. They think Gilbertti is an idiot. They might get involved in the tag title match and ask Glen what would happen if they did.
Third Contest: NWA-TNA Tag Team Champions Ron Killings & BG James vs. America’s Most Wanted: Storm and James start the match with Storm taking James down to the mat and keeps a headlock on before switching to a hammerlock. James counters with a right hand. James forearms Storm and ducks a clothesline to deliver a few jabs. Storm hammers away on James and goes for a superkick, but James bails to the floor. James forearms Storm against the ropes and Harris delivers an atomic drop. Harris kicks James to help Storm hit a side Russian leg sweep leading to a two count. Storm elbows James in the corner and Harris connects with a bulldog out of the corner for a near fall. Storm tries for a tornado DDT, but James counters and tags in Killings. Killings nails Storm with a forearm smash and hits a running powerslam. Killings ducks a clothesline by Harris and hits a stunner out of a suplex attempt. Killings heel kicks Storm and we see Simon Diamond and Swinger on the aisle. Killings works over the left knee of Storm, but doesn’t get a submission.
Killings drives Storm’s knee down to the mat and James tags back into the match. James knee drops Storm’s injured knee to keep control of the contest. Storm plants James with a DDT. Harris tags in and trades punches with Killings. Harris drops Killings with a full nelson slam. Harris comes off the ropes to clothesline James. Storm delivers a few clotheslines of his own. AMW hit their version of a Hart Attack on Killings for a near fall. Killings is sent to the floor by Storm. Harris collides with Storm on the apron and Killings heel kicks Harris as James held Harris for a two count. David Young is preventing Diamond and Swinger from getting towards the ring. Killings takes them out with a crossbody. Storm hits Young with a crossbody. James tries for a pump handle slam, but Harris sends James into the referee. Harris spears James but the referee is knocked out. Harris locks in a sharpshooter, but Gilbertti whacks Harris with a steel chair! Killings nails Harris with a scissors kick and wins the match. (**1/4. I hate the finish, which continues to be a trend in TNA. They are incapable of clean finishes. Killings looked good in there and AMW worked well as a unit. The finish doesn’t surprise me because they’ve got to protect AMW, who are the real stars of the division.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson knocks on Jeff Jarrett’s door. Hudson wants to know who Jarrett will pick as a partner tonight. Jarrett is tired of Hudson using Piper phrases and doesn’t know who will have his partner tonight. Don Callis comes over and says that Jarrett doesn’t even need one. Jarrett promises to have a great partner come match time.
A video package of Dinero and Punk saying that Raven doesn’t do as he say. They have passed the tests that Raven has put in their way. They will have Raven’s back because they are a team.
Fourth Contest: CM Punk & Julio Dinero vs. Kevin Northcutt & Joe Legend: Punk and Dinero slide into the ring and trade right hands with Northcutt and Legend. Punk hits a springboard crossbody on Northcutt for a two count. Legend nails Punk with a big boot to help his partner. Northcutt chops Punk in the corner followed by an elbow strike. Legend returns to the match and drops Punk with right hands. Legend comes off the ropes to deliver an elbow drop and gets a two count. Northcutt comes off the ropes to clothesline Punk as Legend hit a back suplex for a two count. Northcutt keeps a chin lock on Punk for a few moments. Punk stomps on Northcutt’s foot and delivers a forearm strike. Punk leaps towards Dinero, but is stopped by Northcutt. Northcutt lifts Punk up by his legs and Legend dropkicks Punk for a near fall. Punk gets out of a slam, but the referee is distracted on the pin attempt. Legend drops Punk with a superkick for a near fall. Legend stands on Punk’s hair and pulls his arms up. Legend continues with a forearm strike off the ropes and keeps control preventing a tag to Dinero.
Legend yanks Punk down by his hair and tags Northcutt back into the match delivering a boot and a knee drop for a near fall. Northcutt almost pins Punk after an overhead suplex. Legend drops Punk with another strike and taunts Dinero on the apron. Legend keeps a top wrist lock on Punk, but doesn’t get a submission. Punk avoids an elbow drop and tags in Dinero. Dinero clotheslines Northcutt, but Northcutt superkicks Dinero. Northcutt tries for a powerbomb, but Dinero counters with a rollup for the win. (*1/2. The crowd was rather lifeless for this and the match was boring. Red Shirts controlling the entire match only to lose to a rollup was a bit underwhelming. I wasn’t a fan of this.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews Shane Douglas regarding his upcoming match. Douglas says that he will answer where he is at in regards to Jarrett and will do so face to face. Michael Shane is with him and Douglas says he’s going to knock Chris Sabin blurry tonight. Douglas notes ultimate x taking place on January 7th and suggests that Sabin not look past him.
Fifth Contest: Chris Sabin vs. Shane Douglas: Douglas gets the early advantage with several strikes. Douglas rams Sabin into the corner and continues with chops. Sabin ducks a right hand and delivers a kick to the head. Sabin slams Douglas before going to the top rope. Douglas crotches Sabin to hit a superplex for a near fall. Douglas drives Sabin down with a front suplex and delivers a rolling neck snap. Sabin boots Douglas in the corner and rams Douglas into the turnbuckle followed by a chop. Sabin catapults Douglas into the corner and continues with right hands and a couple of clotheslines for a two count. Sabin avoids Douglas in the corner and hits a springboard clothesline for a near fall. Sabin forearms Douglas and ducks a clothesline. Douglas shoulder blocks Sabin and they both go down. Sabin kicks the chain away from Traci Brooks. Sabin drops Douglas with a spinning heel kick. Michael Shane is dropkicked off the apron. Brooks gets in the ring and yells at Sabin. Sabin blocks a slap and Douglas accidentally splashes Brooks. Sabin gets a rollup and pins Douglas. (*1/2. Douglas seemed like he was off his game and the flow to the match felt odd. Sabin getting the win works for me as Douglas seems like he’s kind of lost and isn’t a focus.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews AJ Styles, D’Lo Brown and Roddy Piper. Styles says this is all about revenge when it comes to Jeff Jarrett. Brown says that he got a lot of calls to return to TNA. Brown would say if there’s no place for Piper then there’s no place for him. Brown puts over Styles saying he never lost respect for him. Piper chimes in and says these are two people who aren’t afraid to wrestle together. Piper suggests that Don Callis be worried about getting fired.
Sixth Contest: Abyss vs. Raven: Abyss hammers away on Raven in the corner with several right hands. Abyss misses a splash in the corner and Raven rams Abyss head first into the turnbuckle. Raven fights back with right hands and drop toe holds Abyss to the floor. Raven kicks Abyss from the apron and begins to brawl on the floor. Abyss sends Raven into the guard railing. Abyss hammers away on Raven some more with right hands. Abyss rams Raven face first onto the ring steps and threatens the cameraman. Abyss clotheslines Raven over the railing into the crowd. Abyss whacks Raven over the back with a steel chair and jabs Raven a few times in the ribs. Abyss chokes Raven against the apron and rams Raven back first into the railing. Abyss goes under the ring to grab a table. Abyss decks Raven in the corner and sets the table up in the opposite corner. Raven jabs Abyss a few times, but Abyss counters a discus clothesline with a bearhug. Abyss squeezes Raven with the bearhug. Abyss drops Raven to the mat and goes back to the table in the corner. Abyss hits the post shoulder first.
Raven jabs Abyss followed by a discus clothesline. Raven clotheslines Abyss coming out of the corner and drops Abyss with a knee lift. Raven tries for a DDT, but Abyss counters with the Shock Treatment for a near fall. Abyss goes for another Shock Treatment, but Raven counters with a bulldog. Legend is on the apron to distract the referee. Raven decks Legend off the apron. Abyss spears Raven through the table in the corner for a two count. Abyss accidentally decks Legned off the apron and is almost rolled up by Raven. Abyss tries for a chokeslam, but Raven counters with the Raven Effect! Legend pulls the referee out and Kevin Northcutt takes Raven down with a suplex. Raven kicks out again on the cover attempt. Abyss puts a bearhug on Raven in the middle of the ring, but Raven prevents his arm from dropping three times. Raven breaks free and superkicks Abyss to the floor. Raven fights off the Red Shirts again. Abyss plants Raven with the Black Hole Slam, but the referee disqualified Abyss. Punk and Dinero rundown to the ring and brawl with the Red Shirts around ringside. Raven clotheslines himself and Abyss to the floor. (*1/2. It’s a rather simple brawl and they didn’t really do much of anything to keep my interest. I was hoping for a better brawl and this was rather lackluster for the most part.) After the match, Raven is attacked and nearly has his arm broken, but Punk saved him. Raven whacks Abyss over the head with the chair. Raven screams that he’s still standing. Raven wants the three men inside a steel cage and promises it will be a bloodbath.
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews Don Callis about the challenge he just made. Callis says if Raven loses the match then his dreams will be ruined in the company. Callis focuses on Piper and Watts suggesting that Goldylocks is sleeping with people on the board. Callis says they’ll attract insane people. Callis puts over his wits, which Watts doesn’t have. Callis promises that Piper will be taken back to the asylum because his a loose cannon. Callis assures us that Watts will lose his job.
Main Event: NWA-TNA World Champion Jeff Jarrett & Kid Kash vs. AJ Styles & D’Lo Brown: Kash and Jarrett attack before the bell, but Styles nails Jarrett with a springboard forearm. Kash tries for a springboard and is met with a dropkick in midair. Brown backdrops Styles over the top to take out both Jarrett and Kash on the floor. Brown hammers away on Jarrett against the railing and plays to the crowd. Kash and Styles trade rollups in the ring. Brown whacks Jarrett over the back with a steel chair. Styles takes Kash over with a back suplex. Brown legally tags in and kicks Kash in the ribs. Kash eye rakes Styles, but Styles comes back with a dropkick after being lifted up by Brown. Brown nails Kash with a seated clothesline for a two count. Brown rams Kash into the corner face first. Kash dropkicks Brown’s knee and tags in Jarrett. Jarrett back elbows Brown with Kash and keeps control with strikes. Brown plants Jarrett with a spinebuster and tags in Styles back into the match. Styles hammers away on Jarrett with right hands. Jarrett stops Styles with a quick right hand. Styles dropkicks Jarrett for a two count.
Styles slams Jarrett and comes off the ropes to knee drop the champ for a two count. Jarrett drops Styles throat first over the top rope and Kash returns to the match. Kash counters a springboard reverse DDT by hitting the Dead Level for a two count. Jarrett tags back in and plants Styles with a spinning back suplex. Jarrett hooks Styles and hits a delayed vertical suplex for a two count. Jarrett helps Kash to hit a leg drop on Styles for a two count. Kash stops Styles with a clothesline before tagging Jarrett back into the contest. Jarrett puts a sleeper on Styles in the middle of the ring. Styles misses a clothesline and they collide in the middle of the ring and fall to the mat. Brown is tagged in and hammers away on Jarrett. Brown heel kicks Jarrett and delivers a leaping forearm strike. Jarrett eye rakes Brown. Brown powerslams Jarrett for a two count as Kash broke the cover. Jarrett kicks Brown, but Brown clotheslines Kash several times. Brown lifts Kash up into the air to hit a cutter for a near fall.
Jarrett kicks Brown from the apron and Kash hits a springboard somersault dropkick across the ring for a two count. Styles plants Kash with a springboard reverse DDT for a two count. Jarrett knee lifts Styles but can’t hit the Stroke. Jarrett clotheslines Styles for a near fall. Brown hits a sit out spinebuster on Jarrett for a near fall. Kash puts Styles on the top turnbuckle. Jarrett has a steel chair, but Piper hit Kash with the flag. Styles hits a middle rope Styles Clash for the win. (**1/4. The crowd was rather dead and that’s likely because of Kash being a poor surprise partner selection. The action was a little too sloppy and it never picked up in intensity. The Styles Clash off the middle rope was cool, but probably unnecessary and could have been saved for a bigger moment.)
Jarrett confronts Callis on the floor out of frustration. There was a brief sound of Sting’s music before that moment, so that likely spoils that return. Styles and Brown embrace on the aisle while Jarrett yells at Kash in the corner. Kash is telling him what Piper did. Erik Watts appears in the crowd with Goldylocks. Watts says that Jarrett is destined for hell. Watts reveals that next week Jarrett will be putting the title on the line. Jarrett isn’t putting the title on the line again. Watts says that Styles and Brown will not be challenging. Watts reveals that Jarrett will defend the title against Sting next week. Jarrett says that the title will not be on the line and then brawls with Watts in the crowd. Kash runs over and helps Jarrett. Jarrett whacks Watts over the back with a chair several times. Sting’s music hits and his scorpion logo is seen to end the show.
Final Thoughts:
TNA continues to continue the feuds fairly well, but the in-ring action seems to be a little lackluster each time out. It’s a little annoying considering the talent they have in the company. Sting returning to wrestle Jarrett is a little played out and done too many times. As per usual, next week looks like an interesting card, but I’m worried about the execution of it.
Thanks for reading.