NWA-TNA Weekly PPV #96 5/26/2004

Written by: Bob Colling

National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Weekly PPV #96
Date: 5/26/2004
From: Nashville, TN

Opening Contest: 16 man Gauntlet Match: Christopher Daniels and Johnny Devine start off the gauntlet match. Eliminations occur by being thrown over the top to the floor and the final two will be a regular singles match. Devine slaps Daniels and Daniels responds with one of his own. Daniels shoulder blocks Devine and is nearly thrown to the floor. Daniels somersaults in from the apron and decks Devine with a clothesline. Daniels tries for a tilt a whirl slam, but Devine arm drags Daniels. The next entrant is..

Nosawa makes his way down to the ring and dropkicks Daniels on the knee followed by a shining wizard. Nosawa drop toe holds Daniels leading to a dropkick by Devine. Nosawa stomps on Daniels to keep control of the contest. Daniels clotheslines both men and continues to deliver strikes. The next entrant is…

Taichi Ishikari kicks Daniels in the corner and sits on the top turnbuckle to plant Daniels with a tornado DDT. Daniels is knocked down by Team Japan with a shoulder block. Daniels is being triple teamed as Devine delivers a few shots. The next entrant is..

Chris Sabin runs into the ring and cleans house with clotheslines to save Daniels. Sabin dropkicks Isikari off the apron to the floor for an elimination. Devine tries to eliminate Sabin but can’t do it. Nosawa nails Daniels with a spinning heel kick. The next entrant is..

Mr. Aguila slides into the ring and clotheslines Devine and Nosawa. Aguila head scissors Sabin after avoiding being sent to the floor. Aguila works over Devine with strikes in the corner. Devine decks Daniels from behind. The next entrant is..

Petey Williams goes after Sabin hitting a crucifix slam and pummels Sabin with right hands. Everyone is just trading strikes in corners and trying to eliminate each other. The next entrant is..

Ryuji Hijkata nails Daniels with an under hook suplex. Williams manages to head scissors Sabin over the top to the floor for the second elimination of the match. The next entrant is..

Jerry Lynn goes after Nosawa and Hijkata with strikes. Lynn tosses Nosawa to the floor for the third elimination. Lynn stomps on Williams in the corner. Daniels almost eliminates Williams. Daniels beats on Hijkata with right hands in the corner. The next entrant is..

Heavy Metal slides into the ring and slams Williams down allowing for Aguila to deliver a leg drop. Metal misses a dropkick, but Aguila knocks Williams to the apron and Metal hits a baseball slide to eliminate Williams from the match. The next entrant is..

Mitsu Hirari Jr. enters the match and hits an elbow drop on Metal from the top rope. Lynn is nearly eliminated but hangs on to stay in the match. The next entrant is..

Bobby Roode spears Daniels upon entering the ring. Roode tosses Daniels over the top to the floor for an elimination. The next entrant is..

Abismo Negro and he nails Devine with a DDT and a clothesline. Metal almost eliminates Devine, and Devine is clotheslined to the floor by Negro and Metal for an elimination. Metal and Hirari are eliminated as they both crash to the floor. The next entrant is…

Elix Skipper tosses Aguila with a suplex. Roode eliminates Lynn in the corner. Aguila misses a spinning heel kick and flies to the floor to be eliminated. Negro dropkicks Hijtakta. The next entrant is..

Eric Young double teams Negro in the corner with Roode. Young sends Negro into the corner shoulder first. The final entrant is..

Hector Garza goes after Roode and Young with right hands. Garza clotheslines Roode to the floor for an elimination. Negro hits a stunner on Young and sets up for a tombstone where Garza dropkicks Young on the way down. Garza kicks Young in the corner, but Young is able to eliminate Negro and Hijkata is eliminated as well. Young clotheslines Garza and Skipper. Skipper and Garza drive Young down to the mat with a flapjack. Young is clotheslined to the floor leaving the match to Garza and Skipper for a singles match.

They both miss dropkicks and Garza hits a crossbody off the middle rope. Garza tries for an inside cradle for a two count. Skipper gets a rollup on Garza for a two count. Garza slams Skipper to the mat and goes to the top rope. Garza misses a moonsault and Skipper delivers a kick. Garza avoids the Play of the Day and drops Skipper to the mat. Garza gets a bridging rollup and wins the match. (*1/2. The match felt like it took forever and the finish was a little dull. Garza seemed like a star compared to most everyone else in the match. The match kind of dragged when there was so many people involved.)

Jeff Jarrett comes down to ringside and demands that Mike Tenay get in the ring and Tenay agrees to get in there as Jarrett wants confirmation for his title shot. Jarrett wants Vince Russo in the ring, too. Jarrett is exercising his rematch clause on June 2nd. Russo makes his way out to confront Jarrett. Jarrett says that he was the last person Russo expected to see last week. Russo tells Jarrett that he was never not going to give Jarrett a rematch despite how much he hates him. Jarrett tells Russo to lineup all the guys he wants after he regains the NWA World Championship. Jarrett even suggests having them all in the same night. Russo wants Tenay to be a witness to this. Russo wants to shake Jarrett’s hand to give him a rematch. Russo says the rematch will be Jarrett, Killings, Raven, Styles and Harris. Russo is using Jarrett’s words against him. Russo notes that Jarrett has claimed to be the King of the Mountain. Russo reveals a King of the Mountain match for the first time ever. Russo explains the rules where all five men compete at the same time. When one man gets pinned they go into the penalty box for two minutes. Any man who gets a pin earns the right to get the NWA World Championship and hangs the title up. Whomever wins the match becomes the NWA World Champion. Jarrett is not a fan of this announcement. Jarrett tells Russo that he’s underestimated him for the last time and walks off.

Backstage, Scott Hudson is with Team NWA. Jerry Lynn puts over Chris Sabin as being the best at the Ultimate X. Lynn puts over Triple X as being former tag champions. Lynn promises a different story will be told by the end of the night.

Second Contest: Christopher Daniels & Elix Skipper vs. Bobby Roode & Johnny Devine: All four men are in the ring trading strikes until Roode sends Skipper to the floor and Daniels is double teamed. Daniels rolls through and Skipper hits a slingshot clothesline on both men. Devine is sent to the floor and Roode is worked over in the corner. Roode is met with a double hip toss and Skipper kicks Roode on the back. Roode controls Skipper before tagging in Devine. Devine takes Skipper over with a snap suplex. Devine hits a crossbody, but Skipper kicks out and spin kicks Devine. Skipper tries for a cover managing a two count. Skipper has Devine over the shoulder and Daniels delivers an elbow from the top rope for a near fall. Daniels plants Devine with a back suplex. Daniels drops Devine over the top rope and Skipper hits a springboard leg drop for a near fall. Skipper plants Devine with a DDT, but Devine recovers to superkick Skipper. Roode tags in and clotheslines both Skipper and Daniels. Roode plants Skipper with a neckbreaker for a near fall. Roode mounts Skipper with right hands and an elbow drop. Devine tags back in and kicks Skipper in the midsection to maintain control. Devine dropkicks a seated Skipper for a two count.

Devine elbow strikes Skipper a few times to keep the advantage. Devine distracts the referee and Roode chokes Skipper while the referee is out of position. Roode beats on Skipper on the apron and delivers a few stomps. Devine decks Skipper while the referee is distracted by Daniels. Roode keeps a sleeper on Skipper, but doesn’t get a submission. Skipper elbows free from Roode and Roode delivers an elbow strike and a knee drop. Devine tags back in and kicks Skipper followed by a fisherman stunner for a two count. Devine slams Skipper and comes off the top rope missing a shooting star press. Daniels clotheslines Devine and Roode after getting tagged in. Daniels cleans house hitting an STO on Roode for a near fall. Daniels slams Roode to the mat and hits the BME for a near fall as Devine breaks the cover. Devine misses a clothesline and Daniels delivers a few knees. Skipper hits a crossbody as Daniels hits a vertical suplex for a near fall. Skipper slams Devine as Roode spears Daniels. Roode connects with a TKO on Skipper. Devine has the cover, but Skipper kicks out. Daniels tags in and Devine decks Daniels with several strikes. Daniels tries for a hurricanrana, but Devine blocks it and nails Daniels with a missile dropkick for a two count.

Roode and Skipper enter and trade blows. Roode plants Skipper with a sit out powerbomb. Devine comes off the top with a moonsault. Daniels delivers a few strikes, but Devine superkicks Daniels and Roode hits a German suplex. Roode plants Daniels with a spinebuster for a near fall. Roode suplexs Devine onto Daniels. Skipper shoves Devine onto the ropes and walks the ropes to hit a hurricanrana. XXX hit a powerbomb/neckbeaker on Devine to get the three count. (***. A fine tag match and both teams displayed some quality tag moves. I’d like to see Daniels and Skipper reunite as a team on a full time basis.)

Backstage, Scott Hudson is with James Storm and Dusty Rhodes. Storm says it is more than a thrill to have Rhodes as a partner and puts over Dusty for always being there. Rhodes looked into the dictionary for tag team wrestling history. Rhodes didn’t find Kash or Dallas in the dictionary. Rhodes says that Kash and Dallas should see their doom coming next week.

Third Contest: Ryuji Hijkata & Mitsu Hirari Jr. vs. Abismo Negro & Heavy Metal: Negro is double teamed as soon as the bell sounds. Negro is met with a double clothesline. Hirari leg drops Negro on the groin and delivers a fist drop. Hijkata tags in and continues to work over Negro to deliver a kick in the corner. Negro knocks them both to the floor. Metal connects with a dive to the floor. Metal beats on Hijkata, but Hijakta delivers a kick in the corner followed by a brainbuster. Hirari slams Metal and misses an elbow drop. Negro hits a frog splash on Hirari for a two count after a slam by Metal. Negro nearly wins with a German suplex on Hirari. Negro hits a sit out slam for a two count, but Hijkata breaks the cover. Negro misses a splash in the corner. Hirari locks in an arm bar on Negro. Hirari rams Negro on the top turnbuckle and slams Negro off the top to the mat. Hijakta stomps on Negro’s arm ten times and puts an arm bar on, but doesn’t get a submission. Negro refuses to give in and Metal makes the save. Hijakta tags back in and chops Negro in the corner and keeps Negro on the mat. Hirari tags in and beats on Negro over the top rope with strikes. Negro manages to tag in Metal and Metal delivers a kick to the back. Metal misses an elbow drop. Hirari goes for an arm bar, but Negro tags in. Metal nails Hirari with a missile dropkick and a northern lights suplex for a near fall. Metal is superkicked by Hijakta. Metal clotheslines Hijakta to the floor and Hirari plants Metal with a sit down powerbomb. Negro breaks the cover to make the save. Negro splashes Hirari in the corner. Metal hits a hurricanrana off the top and Negro connects with a frog splash. Hijakta kicks Metal allowing Hirari to hit an exploder suplex to win the match. (*1/2. I have a hard time getting invested in these tag matches. The action was a little sloppy in places, but it’s mostly average wrestling.)

Backstage, Scott Hudson is with Team Canada. Scott D’Amore tells his guys they are on the verge of being eliminated and says that Eric Young has to get the job done tonight. D’Amore begins to motivate his guys saying they are better than this. Young leaves the scene motivated to win the next match.

Fourth Contest: Jerry Lynn vs. Mr. Aguila vs. Eric Young vs. Taichi Ishikari in a ladder match: Young goes to the floor and grabs a ladder. Ishikari tries a baseball slide, but Aguila hits it instead. Lynn dropkicks the ladder into Aguila, as well. Lynn forearms Ishikari a few times and delivers a spinning elbow strike. Lynn stomps on Ishikari, but Ishikari comes back with a kick in the corner. Ishikari plants Lynn with a tornado DDT. Aguila slams Young in the corner and sets a ladder up in the corner. Aguila sends Young into the ladder and misses a splash hitting the ladder and falling to the floor. Young hits Ishikari with the ladder off the apron. Lynn runs into a boot by Young in the corner. Young connects with a top rope moonsault. Young forearms Lynn a few times. Lynn takes Young out with a slingshot dive to the floor. Ishikari dropkicks Aguila followed by a kick to the head. Ishikari head scissors Aguila, but a second attempt is countered by Aguila and drives Ishikari down to the mat face first. Aguila slams Ishikari and heads to the top rope. Aguila is crotched by Lynn on the top rope. Lynn has Aguila on the top rope looking for a suplex, but Aguila drops Lynn face first onto the ladder. Aguila splashes Ishikari and sets teh ladder up. Young dives onto Lynn on the floor. Aguila sets the ladder up, but Young dropkicks Aguila and has the ladder fall onto himself.

Lynn goes after Young with strikes in the corner and stomps. Lynn bulldogs Young face first onto the ladder. Ishikari grabs the ladder and spins around with the ladder hitting everyone with it. Young sends Ishikari into the ring post face first with the ladder. Young sends Ishikari to the floor and lays the ladder down on the mat. Lynn plants Young with a DDT onto the ladder. Lynn pulls the the ladder to the apron and leg drops Young onto the ladder. Aguila slams Ishikari onto the ladder followed by a leg drop. Aguila sends Ishikari into the ladder face first. Young kicks Lynn entering the ring and Lynn eventually clotheslines Young on the apron. Lynn goes to the middle rope and decks Young a few times before trying a tornado DDT onto the ladder, but Young clotheslines Lynn into the ring. Lynn manages to take Young down onto the ladder anyway. Aguila stomps on the ladder where Ishikari is trapped. Lynn hammers away on Aguila followed by a leg drop. Lynn tries for a head scissors, but Young drops Lynn face first onto the ladder. Young rams Ishikari onto the ladder face first. Ishikari backdrops Young onto the ladder. Young sends all three men into the ladder and the ladder falls into Young, again.

Lynn has Ishikari setup for a powerbomb, but Ishikari counters with a hurricanrana onto the ladder. Young plants Ishikari face first down to the mat. Lynn hip tosses Young onto the ladder and Aguila moonsaults onto Young on the ladder. Aguila powerbombs Lynn onto the ladder. Aguila slams Young onto the ladder and misses a moonsault hitting the ladder. Lynn counters a tornado DDT and tosses Ishikari onto the ladder. Lynn tries to climb the ladder, but Young climbs as well until Aguila pushes the ladder over. Young sets the ladder up on the middle rope and Ishikari knocks Young onto the ladder. Lynn and Aguila push down on the ladder sending Young over the top to the floor! Aguila powerbombs Ishikari off the ladder. Lynn sets the ladder up in the corner and points towards Young on the floor. Aguila stops Lynn and climbs the ladder. Aguila misses a leg drop as Lynn rolls out of the way. Lynn sends Young into the corner, but Young elbows Lynn from the apron. Lynn stops Young on the ladder and hits a slam off the top of the ladder! Ishikari dropkicks Lynn off the ladder. Aguila tries to climb the ladder and Ishikari is on the other side trading strikes. Young pushes the ladder over and they both fall to the floor. Lynn and Young are at the top of the ladder trading blows. Lynn tries for a cradle piledriver, but Scott D’Amore breaks a hockey stick over Lynn’s back! Young recovers and manages to retrieve the X to win the match. (***1/2. A fun ladder match and a good showing by Eric Young that was quite impressive. His performance here would earn his job on a regular basis if I was in charge. The finish is fine as it continues Lynn’s feud with Team Canada.)

Backstage, Scott Hudson is with 3LK. NWA World Champion Ron Killings cuts a promo about King of the Mountain and says he’ll be the champion when Impact begins. Killings has been at the top of the mountain and it’s not going to end anytime soon. Konnan promises Killings they have his back. BG James doesn’t like that the deck is stacked against Killings and he hasn’t forgotten about Russo.

Backstage, Hector Garza is interviewed by Armando and cuts his promo in Spanish. Garza thinks the match will be no problem winning since he won the gauntlet earlier tonight.

Main Event: Petey Williams vs. Hector Garza vs. Chris Sabin in an Ultimate X match: Garza and Sabin chop Williams to start the match. Sabin and Garza yank Williams off the cables and slam Williams to the mat gut first. Williams is tossed up into the air and grabs the cables, but is yanked down and sent to the floor. Sabin spin kicks Garza and tries for a springboard, but is crotched by Williams. Williams arm drags Garza and is met with a dropkick. Garza clubs on Williams with a strike to the back. Garza drives Williams down to the mat face first. Garza heads to the top rope, but Williams knocks Garza to the apron. Williams hammers away on Sabin, but Sabin tries for a swinging slam. Williams counters with a dropkick to a seated Sabin. Sabin kicks Williams in the corner and connects with a spinning heel kick off the middle rope. Sabin hits a wheelbarrow suplex on Williams. Sabin tries to reach the X, but Garza dropkicks Sabin to the mat. Williams goes across the cables trying to reach the X and instead plants Garza with a DDT. Sabin elbows Williams, but is kicked by Garza. Garza hits a double German suplex and all three men are down on the mat. Garza gets up first and climbs the cable, but is dropkicked by Sabin and Williams hits a powerbomb. Williams takes Sabin down with a side Russian leg sweep.

Williams signals for the Canadian Destroyer, but Sabin avoids it and tosses Williams over the top onto Garza on the floor. Sabin takes both men out with a springboard crossbody to the floor. Sabin sends Garza into the railing and Williams does the same after knocking Sabin down. Williams takes Garza down with a hurricanrana off the cables. Sabin tries to climb the cables, but Williams stops Sabin in the corner and tries for a suplex. Sabin tosses Williams off. Sabin has Williams on his shoulders hitting a Cradle Shock off the middle rope! Garza nails Sabin with a kick to the ribs. Garza plants Sabin with a tilt a whirl slam. Garza is met with a kick by Sabin. Williams spikes Sabin with the Canadian Destroyer. All three men are down on the mat once again. All three men are on the cables all trying to get the X and they fall down at the same time. Sabin plants Garza with a brainbuster. Williams spikes Sabin with a sit out driver. Garza clotheslines Williams coming off the ropes. Williams dumps Garza over the top top the floor in the corner. Sabin climbs on the cable and Williams joins. Williams has a body scissors on Sabin, but falls off. Sabin avoids a dropkick by Garza and manages to pull down the X to win the match and the World Cup. (***1/2. A good match as they did enough big spots to hold interest. It should be no surprise that Team NWA won the whole thing. I’m sure this will be ignored in a matter of weeks.) After the match, Team NWA get their trophies and celebrate the win.

Final Thoughts:
If you’re a fan of the World X Cup you’re probably going to want to watch this. There was some good action with the final two matches delivering some quality action. I just glad to be done with the World X Cup because I much rather prefer watching a bunch of different matches rather than matches involving the same guys for two hours. I’m not going to recommend the show out of my personal taste, but the action is good.

Thanks for reading.