Written by: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Weekly PPV #76
Date: 1/7/2004
From: Nashville, TN
The show starts off with a video package highlighting NWA-TNA World Champion Jeff Jarrett saying that he runs the show with Don Callis as long as he’s champion. The video also shows CM Punk and Julio Dinero turning on Raven. Jarrett was on the phone saying there’s no number one contender. Diamond and Swinger pinned D’Lo Brown during a tag match. Thus, there’s no current challenger for Jarrett’s championship.
At the TNA Christmas party, Don Callis met with Goldylocks for some drinks and wants her to listen to what he has to say. Callis says that he decides when people work and for how much. Callis suggests that Goldy would be better off with him instead of on the menu. Callis mentions money, and that intrigues her.
Jeff Jarrett is on the phone with Kid Kash by his side and has a list of people who make money with the company. He wants answers and either they are with him or against him. Jarrett wants Kash to talk to Abyss, but Kash doesn’t sound excited about that. Apparently, Erik Watts has to step down or the board is going to be exposed. Jarrett is not allowed to say something huge.
3LK come out to the arena to debut their new single. The song is what would eventually be their theme song for many years.
NWA-TNA World Champion Jeff Jarrett makes his way down to the ring with Don Callis and Kid Kash by his side. Jarrett punk’d Toby Keith out and that made him an influential person. Jarrett is going to start 2004 off on a good foot. Jarrett notes there’s not a challenger for him and as a result there’s no title defense tonight. Jarrett has turned over a new leaf and tells Mike Tenay that he’ll have to get into the ring and announce him as Mr. TNA. Jarrett is determined to remove Erik Watts from his position either the easy way or the hard way.
Erik Watts makes his way out with Goldylocks by his side. Callis wants to remind Watts that he could be in a lot of trouble. Callis did a background check and says that he came back clean. However, the people on the board didn’t come back clean. Callis says where there is smoke there is fire. Callis tells Watts he needs to think about his position in the company. This could get embarrassing and expensive for Watts. Callis says that he heard that Goldy doesn’t work cheap. Callis wants to know what Watts decision will be. Watts admits that Callis may be right about the board. Watts tells Callis that he’s not going to step down. Watts mentions that everyone made New Year resolutions and he’s sure that Callis made a resolution to not kiss Jarrett’s ass. Watts makes a short joke about Kash. Watts promises that Jarrett will lose the championship this tear at the Asylum. Jarrett thinks that Watts is drunk and that there’s no number one contender.
There’s a masked man behind Jarrett and tosses Jarrett over the top to the floor while Watts beat on Kid Kash. The masked man hammers away on Jarrett on the announcers table. Jarrett holds the ropes and bails to the floor.
A video of Roddy Piper cutting a promo is shown. Piper talks about fighting under the NWA banner. Piper takes credit for Hogan not having any hair.
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with Johnny Swinger and Simon Diamond for an interview. Swinger says that Hudson the holiday season has been subpar. Swinger didn’t kill himself because they have a title shot tonight. Glen Gilbertti comes over and says that Jarrett wants the tag titles tonight. Diamond asks Gilbertti if he ever thought they’d win the titles for themselves. Gilbertti wants them to do it the right way. Diamond blames David Young for everything falling apart. Gilbertti threatens that he’ll have to put matters into his own hands.
Opening Contest: AJ Styles, Chris Harris & James Storm vs. Abyss, Joe E. Legend & Kevin Northcutt: Storm starts off with Legend hitting a head scissors and a few kicks to knock Legend to the mat. Storm hammers away on Legend before tagging in Harris and Styles. Styles clotheslines Legend in the corner and AMW hit a double bulldog out of the corner for a two count. Legend uppercuts Styles and Northcutt tags in. We see Sarah the ticket lady arguing with Kid Kash and she’s forced to signed. Harris hits a crossbody off the top to take out the Red Shirts. Abyss attacks Styles from behind, but Styles sends Abyss to the floor with a hurricanrana. Storm forearms Legend, but Northcutt beats on Storm. Storm is tossed to the floor and worked over by Northcutt using a strap. Storm boots Northcutt in the corner and tried for a tornado DDT, but Northcutt tosses Storm into the corner with a suplex for a near fall. Abyss splashes Storm in the corner. Abyss press slams Storm to the mat for another near fall. Legend uses a strap on Storm outside the ring and the referee is distracted.
Legend sits Storm on the top turnbuckle and tries for a suplex, but Storm fights off and hits a tornado reverse DDT. Harris gets tagged in and hammers away on Northcutt. Harris drops Northcutt with a full nelson suplex. Harris ducks a clothesline by Abyss and delivers right hands. Styles hits a springboard dropkick and AMW clothesline Red Shirts over the top to the floor. Styles hits a somersault dive to the floor. AMW flapjack Abyss, but they get pulled to the floor by the Red Shirts. Styles plants Abyss with a tornado DDT! Harris spears Legend on the floor. Storm superkicks Northcutt and Styles is distracted by all of this. AMW use the straps on the Red Shirts. Styles nails Abyss with a kick after avoiding a German suplex. Styles tries for the Styles Clash, but Jarrett nails Styles with the NWA World Championship. Abyss hits the Black Hole Slam for the win. (**. A decent start to the show action wise as they kept a decent pace and the brawling around ringside was intense enough to make the match feel like a bigger deal. Jarrett getting involved makes me think that Styles is still the ideal contender for them.)
A video package for Trinity is shown. Trinity explains her career as a stuntwoman. She’ll do whatever is extreme. She says that she loves pain. Trinity wants to be the number one female performer in professional wrestling. Trinity was voted the 2003 TNA Babe of the Year. Sonny Siaki entered the scene and dismisses Trinity’s accomplishment.
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews Trinity, but Sonny Siaki enters the scene again. Siaki thinks he should have been the babe of the year. Kid Kash enters the scene and hits on Trinity briefly. Siaki tells Kash that he’s not signing anything. Siaki refuses to tell them who is telling him to not sign. Kash wants Trinity to call her.
Second Contest: NWA-TNA Tag Team Champions Ron Killings & BG James vs. Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger: Diamond and Swinger go after James to start the match. Diamond and James legally begin the match with Diamond dropping James with right hands. James jabs Diamond a few times but misses a right hand. James decks Swinger off the apron and Diamond delivers a superkick for a two count. Swinger enters and they hit a side slam/reverse DDT combo for a two count. We see Elix Skipper talking to Christopher Daniels backstage. Diamond and James trade strikes with Diamond getting the better of the exchange. Swinger keeps control of James on the mat. James clotheslines the challengers to get momentum in his favor. James tags in Killings. Killings hammers away on Swinger but misses a clothesline. Killings powerslams Swinger and connects with a leaping forearm. Killings nails Swinger with a scissors kick. David Young has come out and enters the ring. Diamond wants Young to leave the ring. The referee is on the floor trying to maintain order. Young accidentally clotheslines Diamond. Killings hits a front suplex and pins Diamond to retain the titles. (1/2*. Clearly this was designed to be an angle advancement for Swinger and Diamond to find more a reason to split from Gilbertti.) After the match, Diamond attacks Young from behind and they have a pull apart.
Kid Kash comes down to ringside with the contracts and sits next to them. Tenay says they are expanding internationally. TNA will be working with AAA and they work with IWA in Puerto Rico. Back to Kash, he has forced Tiny the Timekeeper to sign the contract. Security is telling Kash to head backstage. Kash shoves Chris Vaughn a few times.
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with Raven for an interview. Hudson mentions that Raven had his destiny taken from him when the Gathering stabbed him in the back. Raven says that Punk and Dinero are unprepared for what is going to be coming to them. They have opened the door and hopes they are ready for what is inside. Raven tells Hudson that he may or may not have a partner tonight, but he’s coming for payback.
Kash has a microphone and calls Vaughn a little boy. Kash says he’s a true athlete and Vaughn doesn’t belong here. Kash demands he sign the contract. Vaughn agrees to sign, but Kash turns his back.
Third Contest: Kid Kash vs. Chris Vaughn: Vaughn hits Kash with the clipboard. Vaughn hammers away on Kash, but Kash delivers a few kicks. A referee runs into the ring and is shoved by Kash. Vaughn hammers away on Kash and delivers a clothesline. Vaughn hooks Kash for a suplex, but Kash counters. Kash drops Vaughn over his knee neck first. Domn Harris comes out and big boots Kash. Don plants Kash with a slam as Rudy Charles literally turned around to not see it. Vaughn covers Kash and wins the match. (DUD. I’m not a fan of killing some of Kash’s heat here.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with CM Punk and Julio Dinero for an interview. Dinero says they don’t need Hudson’s opinion. Punk says they made a mistake in following Raven. Punk asks how it feels to be so close to get what he wanted only to have it snatched away. Punk says they may have something up their sleeves.
Fourth Contest: CM Punk & Julio Dinero vs. Raven & The Sandman: Punk slaps Raven as they have a standoff. Raven slaps Punk and drops Dinero. They spit beer into Punk and Dinero’s face. Sandman dropkicks Dinero while Raven low blows Punk. Punk avoids a DDT by Raven and crawls to the floor. Elix Skipper is talking to Low Ki now as well. Raven hammers away on Dinero in the corner followed by stomps. Raven drop toe holds Dinero and Sandman hits a top rope leg drop. Sandman works over Dinero with chops in the corner. Sandman beats on Dinero with several overhand chops. Sandman drops Dinero over the top rope and heads to the top rope hitting a leg drop. Sandman slams Dinero and goes to the apron only to miss a slingshot leg drop attempt. Sandman elbows Dinero in the corner and continues with left hands. Sandman misses a swanton off the top rope. Punk missile dropkicks Sandman and chokes Sandman while taunting Raven. Punk stomps on Sandman in the corner and delivers a few boot scrapes. Raven tries to deck Punk from the apron, but Punk delivers a running boot in the corner.
Dinero dropkicks Sandman for another two count. Dinero mounts Sandman with right hands. Dinero leg sweeps Sandman and tags in Punk. Punk hits a top rope leg drop. Dinero hits a moonsault off the top and tags in Punk. Punk misses a twisting senton and Sandman tags in Raven. Raven cleans house with strikes and knee lifts. Raven superkicks Punk, but the referee is knocked down in the corner. Raven hits a bulldog/clothesline combo on Dinero and Punk. A mystery person dressed in all black with a rag sprayed with ether is on the apron. They press the rag into Raven’s face on the apron and Raven is out of it. Punk plants Raven with a DDT to win the match. (*. The finish was bizarre and I don’t think that Punk and Dinero having another leader to be supporting acts to is the right direction to go in.) After the match, Sandman whacks Punk and Dinero with kendo sticks. The mystery man reveals himself to be Father James Mitchell!
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews Michael Shane, Shane Douglas and Traci Brooks. Shane wants Douglas to tell Hudson who the best champion of all-time is. Douglas says he agrees with Jeff Jarrett about how the NWA runs. Douglas thinks that the NWA is setting Shane up for a downfall. Douglas tells Shane this is why he’s wrestling three other guys. Douglas wants Shane to focus on Chris Sabin and allow Low Ki and Christopher Daniels take each other out. Douglas wants him to get the job done.
Mike Tenay is in the ring with Erik Watts and Goldylocks to present the Mr. TNA award. The original group of men to be voted for were Sting, Raven, Dusty Rhodes, AJ Styles and Jeff Jarrett. There are two screen focusing on Styles and Jarrett’s reactions. Goldy opens the envelope and Tenay looks like he’s disappointed. Tenay tricked us and reveals that AJ Styles won the award. Jarrett was pissed to find that out. Styles considers 2003 to be a great year for him. Styles puts over the TNA fans as being the best fans in the world. Styles wants more and says he wants the NWA-TNA World Championship.
NWA-TNA World Champion Jeff Jarrett makes his way out with Don Callis, Abyss and the Red Shirt Security. Jarrett wants Tenay to look at Styles record and notes he was the longest reigning NWA World Champion. He took out the Titans, Dusty Rhodes, Vince Russo and Hulk Hogan. Tenay tells Jarrett that Styles is Mr. TNA. Tenay suggests they settle this in the ring one on one. Jarrett asks how the fans feel about winner take all. Jarrett says they will do it his way. Jarrett is going to give Styles the chance to earn it. Jarrett wants a tag match where Styles will team with Watts to take on Jarrett and Abyss. If they win, then Styles gets a title shot. However, if Jarrett wins then Watts is out of a job. Goldylocks gets the microphone and says “you’ve got it, bitch.” Watts looked a bit confused by that.
A video package promoting the Ultimate X match is shown.
Main Event: NWA-TNA X-Division Champion Michael Shane vs. Chris Sabin vs. Low-Ki vs. Christopher in an Ultimate X match: Daniels and Shane try to climb early and they are stopped by Ki and Sabin. Sabin takes Shane over with a standing hurricanrana. Shane drops Sabin face first over the top rope. Ki and Shane go over the top to the floor following a Ki clothesline. Daniels heel kicks Sabin to keep control in the ring. Daniels forearms Sabin from the apron and kicks Ki. Shane stops Daniels on a moonsault and Sabin chokes Daniels upside down. Ki trades strikes with Shane until Sabin hits a somersault dive to the floor! Sabin sends Shane back first into the guard railing. Sabin sends Shane into the steel post. Daniels goes under the ring and grabs a table. Sabin hits a springboard leg drop on Shane sending Shane face first onto the chair. Shane avoids a kick by Sabin but is met with a few elbow strikes. Shane kicks Sabin and delivers a chair shot. Daniels has Ki on the apron looking for Angel Wings. Ki blocks by holding the ropes and tries for the Ki Krusher. They trade several strikes until Shane knocks Ki off the apron to the floor. Daniels drops Shane over the top rope. Daniels tries to springboard off the ropes to reach the belt, and misses.
Daniels begins to cross the wires, but Shane delivers a chair shot to the back! Shane tries to jump off a chair to grab the title and misses. Shane tries to cross climb and takes Daniels off the chair with a hurricanrana. Ki is sent through the ropes to the floor. Daniels has grabbed a new chair and sets it underneath the belt. Daniels misses grabbing the title. Low Ki springboard kicks Daniels off the chair. Ki rams Daniels face first onto the chair. Sabin kicks Ki off the chair. Daniels and Ki trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Ki has a dragon sleeper in the corner on Shane. Daniels tries to reach the title, but Ki also climbs across and kicks Daniels. Ki puts the dragon sleeper on Daniels until Daniels drops. Sabin hits a springboard dropkick to drop Ki to the mat!
Shane Douglas comes down with a ladder to help Michael Shane. Ladders are not allowed to reach the championship. Elix Skipper comes running down and attacks Douglas with right hands. Sabin has Daniels over the shoulder and drops Daniels face first onto a chair. Skipper chases Douglas to the backstage area. Sabin accidentally hit the referee on a baseball slide. Shane uses the ladder on Sabin. Ki kicks Shane into the corner with the ladder. Shane counters a cartwheel attempt with a superkick! Shane begins to climb the ladder, but Daniels meets him halfway on the same side. Daniels slams Shane down to the canvas. Sabin gets out of the Ki Krusher attempt by Ki. Sabin climbs the ladder and is met with a kick by Ki. Ki hooks Sabin hitting a German suplex off the ladder!
Daniels rams the ladder into Shane and does the same to Sabin. Daniels slams Ki to the mat and hits the Best Moonsault Ever! Daniels decks Shane in the corner with a right hand. Daniels climbs the ladder, but Shane got on the other side and is shoved off the ladder. Daniels drops Shane groin first onto the ladder. Daniels delivers a step up kick to drop Sabin. Daniels begins to climb the ladder, but Ki starts climbing the other side. Ki kicks Daniels a few times, but Shane tips over the ladder and both Ki and Daniels crash to the floor. Ki is holding his ankle in pain. The referee is stopping them from using the ladder. Chris Vaughn takes the ladder away. Shane is pissed and starts to climb the wire. Sabin kicks Shane off the top and Shane crashes through a table on the floor. Sabin climbs across and struggles to yank it down, but eventually does and crashes to the mat to win the championship! (****. As expected, that was a lot of fun and featured some great spots. It was constant action and everyone looked great. I was thinking that Shane may have retained to be undefeated at the Ultimate X kind of match, but Sabin regaining to get some revenge is a fine story, as well. A really good main event to kickoff 2004 for TNA.)
Backstage, Jeff Jarrett is on the phone telling Tom that he’s a genius for the stipulation. Jarrett says that Erik Watts is going to exit the company the old fashion way. Jarrett is happy to make sure Watts is out of the company.
Final Thoughts:
I find myself interested in the direction of the Jarrett/Watts feud, but I’m sure it will lead to Jarrett having all the control. Goldylocks sure seems to be teasing a heel turn after the interaction with Callis at the party and she seems to mostly interested in the money aspect. Action wise the show is a one match program with the Ultimate X delivering entertainment. The opening six man was okay for what it was too. They had a lot of talking on the show with the first match not happening until twenty minutes into the show. These shows need to have matches quicker to justify paying ten dollars for the show. If it were on regular cable it’s a different conversation.
Thanks for reading.