NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #75 12/17/2003

Written by: Bob Colling

National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action Weekly PPV #75
Date: 12/17/2003
From: Nashville, TN

We see footage from backstage after last weeks show where NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett is refusing to put the title on the line against Sting. Don Callis tells Jarrett that he’ll get it situated. If Jarrett has a problem then they all have problems. Jarrett doesn’t want to put the title on the line against Raven, either.

Speaking of Raven, we get a pre-tape promo by Raven behind a cage with CM Punk and Julio Dinero. Raven has the chair that he smashed over Abyss’s head last week. Raven promises to put Abyss’s head between the cage and squeeze on his head.

Don Callis tells the Red Shirt Security that they’ll take the fall if they don’t get the job done next week. Callis wants them to be killers. Kevin Northcutt tells Callis that it will be done in the cage. Raven tells us that he’s coming for Jarrett and the NWA World Championship.

Jeff Jarrett says he’s not putting the title on the line and Sting will be his next victim.

Backstage, Erik Watts is holding a meeting and says that Jarrett and Callis are a pain in his butt. Watts isn’t going to let them mess with his power. Watts has come through in a big way. Watts notes that he has given the guys the matches they wanted. Apparently, D’Lo and Styles are having a dream match. Watts says that Jarrett has thrown an injunction in to prevent the championship from being on the line against Sting. Jarrett will have thirty days between title matches. However, on January 7th Jarrett will defend against Raven if their team wins tonight. Styles chimes in and says he’d like the title match. D’Lo wonders why he wouldn’t get a title shot it he won the match tonight. Goldylocks wants to know what the board is all about. Goldy thought that Watts was controlling the business. AMW says they aren’t focused on titles but rather on payback and tonight payback will be a bitch.

They actually have match graphics and I’m digging them.

NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett and Don Callis come out to cut a promo. Jarrett claims a victory over Erik Watts and the board of directors. Jarrett reveals that he’s not defending the championship. Jarrett says that if this was a football game he’d be up 45-0. Jarrett thinks that Watts is working on borrowed time. Watts and Goldylocks make their way out to the aisle to confront Jarrett. Watts is still obsessed with calling Jarrett a jackass. Watts reveals that Jarrett will defend the title on January 7th. Jarrett tells Watts to stop lying to the fans and himself. Jarrett wants Watts to stop lying to Goldylocks and suggeats that she’s a gold digger. Jarrett thinks he’s going to come back later tonight for the main event, but Watts tells Jarrett he’s wrestling right now.

Opening Contest: NWA-TNA World Champion Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting in a non-title match: Sting stalks Jarrett into the crowd and Jarrett backs away managing to return to the ring while Sting hangs out in the crowd. Sting hammers away on Jarrett in the crowd and hits Jarrett with a trash can. Jarrett whacks Sting with a chair in the crowd and continues with right hands. Jarrett hits Sting over the back with a chair. Jarrett hammers away on Sting as they head up to the upper deck. They trade more strikes with Sting getting the better of the exchange. Sting drops Jarrett over the railing and rams Jarrett into the wall. They battle back to the entrance ramp and Sting hits a snap suplex. Sting brings Jarrett to the announcers table and rams Jarrett onto the table. Sting whacks Jarrett over the back with a chair. Sting stalks Jarrett in the ring, but Jarrett eye pokes Sting and runs the ropes to low blow Sting on a leapfrog. Jarrett rams Sting into the corner head first a few times. Sting and Jarrett collide shoulders leading to Sting falling onto Jarrett’s groin. Sting battles back with several strikes and a bulldog off the ropes. Sting hits a Stinger Splash in the corner. Sting goes for the Scorpion Death Lock and has it locked in the middle of the ring. Red Shirts come in but they get miscommunicate and drop to the floor. AMW brawls with them. Jarrett has the guitar from Kid Kash, but AJ Styles grabs it and drops Jarrett over the top rope allowing Sting to hit the Scorpion Death Drop for the win. (*. Smoke and mirrors and relying on brawling through the crowd. There was zero substance to this and protected Sting in the ring. I’d be really disappointed to not get a match from Sting at all here.) After the match, Jarrett has a bit of a temper tantrum arguing with the referee. Jarrett argues with Borash and yells at the announcers, too. Tenay shoves Jarrett and Jarrett grabs Tenay by the neck!

Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews the Gathering. If Raven wins tonight he can get a shot at Jeff Jarrett on January 7th. Punk says their goal is to make sure that Raven gets what he deserves. Raven doesn’t argue with the statement that his soul is dark and empty. Raven has a never ending circuit of rage, fury and chaos. Raven tells Jarrett that a final conflict is heading his way.

Second Contest: Chris Sabin vs. Christopher Daniels: Daniels has a wrap on his head since he was busted open last week and has stitches, I believe. Daniels keeps wrist control on Sabin for a moment, but Sabin counters. Daniels is tripped by Sabin and Sabin takes Daniels over with an arm drag. Sabin arm drags Daniels again followed by chops. Daniels rams Sabin into the corner a few times head first followed by strikes. Daniels chokes Sabin with his knee followed by chops. Daniels dumps Sabin to the apron, but Sabin sends Daniels to the floor with a missile dropkick. Sabin takes Daniels out with a crossbody off the top to the outside. Sabin hammers away on Daniels, but Daniels stops Sabin with a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Daniels tosses Sabin through the ropes to the floor. Daniels continues with strikes on the floor and drives Sabin back first into the apron. Daniels rams Sabin into the corner back first to keep control followed by chops. Sabin elbows Daniels in the corner and runs into a big boot. Daniels spears Sabin from behind.

Daniels bends Sabin over his knee with a hammerlock on Sabin, but doesn’t get a submission. Daniels plants Sabin with a Blue Thunder Driver for a two count. Daniels slams Sabin to the mat and heads to the top rope. Daniels goes to the top, but Sabin stops Daniels to hit an overhead suplex! Sabin chops Daniels a few times to keep control of the contest. Sabin drops Daniels with a discus chop. Sabin spikes Daniels with a brainbuster leading to a near fall. Daniels slams Sabin and signals for the BME. Daniels hits it and nearly wins the match. Sabin counters Angels Wings managing a two count. Daniels tries for a powerbomb, but Sabin counters with a kick to the head. Sabin trips Daniels to the mat and goes to the apron, but Elix Skipper decks Sabin from behind! Daniels plants Sabin with the Angels Wings to win the match. After the match, Skipper holds up the Triple X arm sign. (**1/2. There was some decent action in there, but the interference continues to annoy me. I could get behind a Triple X reunion, too.)

Backstage, NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett is with the troops telling them they better win their matches tonight. Jarrett wants Raven taken care of tonight. Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger enter the scene and tell Jarrett that they are going to run through Styles and Brown.

Third Contest: America’s Most Wanted vs. Glen Gilbertti & David Young in a street fight: They start off with brawling around ringside with AMW getting the better of the exchange. Gilbertti clotheslines Storm in the ring to get the advantage. Young sends Harris into the guard railing. Young and Gilbertti double team Storm with a drop toe hold/elbow drop combo. A trash can is wedged into the corner and Storm is sent head first into it. Harris leaps off the top to nail Gilbertti with a crossbody. Harris pummels Gilbertti with left hands, but Young stops Harris with a spinebuster. Gilbertti and Young have kept control with strikes in the corner. Gilbertti is sent into a trash can in the corner. Storm kicks a trash can into Young’s face. Harris and Storm deliver trash can shots. They go under the ring and grab a ladder. Young misses a baseball slide and gets the ladder smashed into his face. Storm catapults Young into the ladder face first. Harris continues to beat on Gilbertti as they go into the crowd. Harris whacks Gilbertti over the back with the chair while Storm stomps on Young.

Storm puts the ladder in front of Young’s groin and whacks the ladder with a chair into his groin. Harris is fired up beating Gilbertti while Storm kicked the ladder into Young’s groin. Gilbertti fights back with right hands on Harris, but Harris stops Gilbertti with a clothesline. Storm dumps a drink onto Young. Harris sets a table up on the floor while Young sends Storm face first onto the ladder with a drop toe hold. Young lays Storm onto the ladder and hits a springboard moonsault. Harris grabs Gilbertti and tries for a powerbomb through the table, but Young stops Harris. Gilbertti decks Harris with a right hand and sets a ladder up in the corner. Harris clotheslines both men to get the advantage. Storm misses a spear and hits the ladder as Gilbertti moved out of the way. Young and Gilbertti drop Harris with a ladder shot for a two count. Young rams Harris face first onto the ladder and brawl around ringside. Storm slams Young on the floor. Storm lays Young onto the table and heads to the top rope. Gilbertti stops Storm from behind with a right hand. Harris spears Gilbertti into the ladder. Storm hits a top rope swanton bomb to put Young through the table and gets the three count. (*1/2. It’s just brawling and uninspired wrestling for the most part. The finish was a bit annoying since Young just laid on the table despite clearly being able to move out of the way when Harris did the spear to Gilbertti. AMW winning should finish off the feud once and for all.) After the match, Red Shirt Security attack AMW. They handcuff Harris in the corner. Northcutt has a chair, but Storm superkicks Northcutt to save his partner. Jeff Jarrett slides into the ring and attacks Storm from behind. Jarrett whacks Storm with a chair a few times. Northcutt and Legend spike piledrive Storm onto a chair! Harris is helpless in the corner. Jarrett smashes Harris over the head with a guitar and taunts the crowd.

Backstage, Scott Hudson is with AJ Styles and D’Lo Brown. The man who wins the fall will get their dream match. Styles says they have mutual respect for each other. Styles is fine with either of them getting the title match. Brown chimes in and says he has a dream to be the World Champion. That dream will become a reality when they win tonight.

Fourth Contest: AJ Styles & D’Lo Brown vs. Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger: Styles and Diamond kickoff the match. Diamond misses a cheap shot, but gets arm control. Diamond takes Styles to the mat, but Styles gets control with an arm drag. Styles misses a splash in the corner and Diamond monkey flips Styles out of the corner. Styles takes Diamond over with a kip up hurricanrana. Styles keeps arm control, but Diamond knee lifts Styles. Swinger beats on Styles with stomps in the corner followed by right hands. Styles avoids Swinger in the corner leading to a two count with a rollup. Brown gets tagged in and shoulder blocks Swinger after missing a clothesline. Brown hip tosses Swinger followed by an arm drag. Brown clotheslines Swinger in the corner and plays to the crowd. Swinger low blows Brown and tags in Diamond. Diamond works over Brown with a back elbow strike for a two count. Brown is worked over in the corner as Swinger beats on D’Lo with right hands. Diamond chokes Brown while the referee is distracted. Swinger stomps on Brown and chokes D’Lo. Diamond returns to the match and Styles connects with a dropkick to send both men to the floor.

Brown fakes a dive to the floor and Styles hits a twisting dive to the floor. Styles drops Diamond with a dropkick and gets a two count. Diamond knee lifts Styles, but Styles takes Diamond over with a head scissors and a knee drop for a two count. Styles slams Diamond and tags in Brown. Brown and Styles splash Diamond for a near fall. Styles keeps control on Diamond, but is met with a gut buster on a slingshot crossbody attempt. Swinger sends Styles into the guard railing. Swinger rolls Styles into the ring and delivers a few shoulder rams. Styles fires back with right hands on Swinger. Swinger takes Styles down to the mat and tags in Diamond. Diamond is met with a dropkick to the knee. Styles nails Diamond with a pele kick. Brown gets the hot tag and heel kicks Swinger. Brown backdrops Swinger and slams Swinger to the mat. Brown delivers a leg drop to Swinger as Styles works over Diamond in the opposite corner. Diamond superkicks Styles and all four men are down. Tenay and West are unaware that Diamond hit a superkick.

Brown and Styles hit stereo slams and go to opposite corners. Brown hits a frog splash, but Styles completely botched a springboard as Jarrett is at ringside. They try to cover that as Jarrett getting involved, but that’s not the case. Styles slipped and crashed to the floor. Diamond and Swinger hit the Problem Solver on Brown to win the match. (*1/2. I’m honestly shocked that Styles and Brown lost the match. Diamond and Swinger get a huge win after looking like they’d be slowly moved out of the company. The AJ botch was pretty bad, I must point out.)

Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews Low Ki. Ki says that Daniels bought Michael Shane one weeks time. Ki says tonight is about the size of the fighters fight and not the size of the fighter. Elix Skipper enters the scene and wants to reform Triple X. Ki tells Skipper that the group is dead. Skipper tells Ki they are family before they walk off in opposite directions.

Fifth Contest: NWA-TNA X-Division Champion Michael Shane vs. Low Ki: They trade strikes until Shane works over Ki in the corner rubbing his eyes on the ropes. Shane jabs Ki a few times to get control of the contest. Shane sends Ki into the ropes, but Ki swings his legs and kicks Shane in the midsection. Ki comes off the ropes to deliver an elbow drop for a two count. Shane eye pokes Ki, but Ki chops Shane to the mat and delivers a few kicks to knock Shane down. Ki kicks Shane in the chest several times. Ki tries for another kick, but Shane bails to the floor. Ki kicks Shane from the apron to the floor. Ki chops Shane in the corner several times to keep control followed by an uppercut. Ki forearms Shane on the apron and tried for a dragon sleeper, but Traci Brooks gets involved. Shane forearms Ki off the apron to the floor. Shane sends Ki into the railing shoulder first. Shane tries for a cover, but Ki easily kicks out at two. Shane continues to beat on Ki with right hands. Ki fights back with chops. Ki gets a rollup for a two count and Shane nails Ki with a clothesline. Shane controls Ki on the mat with a chin lock.

Brooks grabs Ki’s boot from the floor and Shane knocks Ki to the floor. Shane slams Ki and delivers an elbow drop for a two count. Shane jabs Ki a few times to maintain the advantage. Shane drives his knee into Ki’s upper back. Shane knee lifts Ki and delivers several chops. Shane pie faces Ki before delivering more chops. Ki nails Shane with several chops. Ki comes off the ropes to clothesline Shane followed by a kick. Shane eye rakes Ki to regain control of the contest. Ki connects with a springboard kick to drop Shane to the mat and gets a two count. Shane knee lifts Ki, but Ki fights back with a kick to the chest and almost wins with a rollup. Shane drops Ki over his knee and delivers a stomp to the face. Shane heads to the top rope and hits an elbow drop for a two count. Ki grabs Shane with a go-behind and hits a German suplex for a two count. Ki tries for the dragon sleeper, but Shane blocks the move. Shane rams Ki into the corner several times. Ki misses a kick, but nails Shane from behind. Ki goes to the top rope and hits a twisting 450 splash, but Shane gets an inside cradle and gets a three count, but that looks like a screwup and Ki doesn’t look thrilled by that. (**1/4. I don’t think these two work very well together and there wasn’t much in terms of exciting offense.) After the match, Ki takes on Douglas and Brooks, but Douglas gets strikes on Ki to make the save. Brooks appears to have injured her knee. Douglas tells Ki that he’s messing with the new franchise. Brooks doesn’t appear to be hurt. Douglas says that 2004 will be the year of the new franchise. Elix Skipper comes out and stands over Ki. Skipper decks Douglas with a forearm and drops Douglas with a clothesline. Chris Sabin and Christopher Daniels get involved and they brawl. Skipper and Douglas brawl through the crowd. Ki and Daniels trade strikes. Shane and Sabin are brawling as well. Security runs into the ring to breakup the fighting.

Erik Watts comes down to try and cool things off between the four men. Watts has been thinking of something all night. Watts mentions the Ultimate X match and says there doesn’t need to be only two people in the match. Watts reveals there will be four men in the Ultimate X match. Michael Shane is not happy about this happening on January 7th.

Backstage, Scott Hudson is with the NWA-TNA Tag Team Champions 3LK. Hudson tries to speak some slang and they look at him weird. BG wishes everyone a happy holidays. They will have a new single released on January 7th.

Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews Don Callis, Abyss and the Red Shirts. Jarrett comes into the scene and tells them they better get the job done tonight because Watts is too close to getting too much power.

Main Event: Raven, CM Punk & Julio Dinero vs. Abyss, Kevin Northcutt & Joe Legend in a steel cage match: There are weapons in the cage such as tables, chairs and cooking sheets. Abyss and the Red Shirts control the opening moments by choking the Gathering and delivering weapon shots. Legend sends Raven into the cage and is met with a weapon shot. Abyss whacks Dinero over the head and pummels Dinero with right hands. Raven is busted open as is Dinero. Abyss digs a trash can lid into Dinero. Northcutt rubs Punk’s face into the cage and he’s bleeding too. The Gathering have all been busted open within a minute of the match starting. Raven gets a few shots on Legend, but that is short lived. The crowd is silent for this beating. Legend rams Punk into the cage face first. Gathering fight back with stereo jabs and discus clotheslines. They also deliver superkicks. Raven low blows Abyss and delivers a superkick along with Dinero and Punk. Dinero has a chain and beats on Northcutt with it. Raven chokes Abyss for a few moments. Abyss nails Raven with a big boot. Northcutt tosses Dinero with a release German suplex.

Legend comes off the ropes to kick Raven in the face. Abyss grabs Punk to hit the Shock Treatment. Northcutt hooks Dinero and rams Dinero into the cage back first. Northcutt has been busted wide open. Red Shirts setup a table. They stack another table on top. Dinero is laid onto the top table. Legend climbs to the top of the cage. Punk follows up the cage to stop Legend. Punk tosses Legend off the top of the cage to the mat. Raven pulls Dinero off the table. Kid Kash has bolt cutters and opens the cage. Wait, that Gilbertti. Kash is climbing the cage as Erik Watts attacks Gilbertti. Don Harris brawls with Kash through the crowd. Jeff Jarrett climbs the cage and tosses handcuffs into the ring. Punk is on the top of the cage and elbow drops Raven through the tables! Styles beat on Jarrett until Sting comes out again and sends Jarrett into the cage. Sting splashes Jarrett against the cage. Styles delivers a running splash against the cage, too.

Northcutt decked everyone with a pair of handcuffs. Raven handcuffs Northcutt to the ropes and Legend is handcuffed. Abyss is moving in the table, but he’s out of it. Gathering beat on Abyss with right hands. Abyss plants Raven with the Black Hole Slam! Punk is sent into the cage by Abyss. Raven whacks Abyss over the head with a steel chair. Punk and Dinero have chairs hitting Legend and Northcutt. Raven tries for the Raven Effect on Abyss, but Punk and Dinero whack Raven with the chairs. That allows Abyss to pin Raven for the win. After the match, Punk and Dinero stand tall over Raven doing his arm taunt. Tenay is shocked that they ruined his destiny and cost him a title match. (*1/2. It’s incredibly difficult to perform well in this match when you’re restricted by the cage and there is six guys in the match. Thus, it was mostly just weapon shots and brawling. The heel turn by Punk and Dinero was met with complete silence, which was the case for the entire match. Raven might be losing the fans since he’s always getting screwed out of the title or an opportunity. Looks like TNA is finally doing a Raven/Punk feud, but that’s been done to death on the indies, so I can’t imagine there’s a lot of steam attached to that.)

Final Thoughts:
Action wise, this show was a little underwhelming and the placement of matches was a little bizarre. Sting starting the show may have killed the crowd from the start. To have the top three challengers to Jarrett all lose on the night is a bit shocking and leaves me wondering who would be the next challenger to Jarrett. The heel turn by the Gathering didn’t come across well from a crowd reaction. Punk and Dinero didn’t come across likable to begin with so hopefully the heel turn sparks them. Overall, I’m giving this episode an average rating at best.

Thanks for reading.