Written by: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Weekly PPV #103
Date: 7/14/2004
From: Nashville, TN
Backstage, Big Vito is pissed that Gilbertti and Swinger look like fools and wants Gilbertti to start acting Italian. Gilbertti blames David Young for being the worst wrestler in the company. Young enters and blames referee Mike Posey. Vito threatens Young and tells him to leave. Vitro promises to take care of business tonight and they’ll sleep with the fishes.
Opening Contest: NWA X-Division Champion AJ Styles vs. Michael Shane in a non-title match: Shane backs Styles into the corner and they trade slaps until Styles controls Styles with chops. Shane jabs Styles a few times, but is met with a forearm and scoop slam. Styles hits a knee drop and Shane begs off. Styles hammers away on Shane on the floor to keep control. Traci distracts Styles allowing Shane to deck Styles from behind. Shane sends Styles into the guard railing shoulder first. Styles delivers a few strikes until a knee lift stops him. Shane elbows Styles a couple of times and runs the ropes trying for a German suplex, but Styles lands on his feet to dropkick Shane for a two count. Styles controls Shane with a sleeper hold, but doesn’t get a submission. Shane breaks free with a jawbreaker. Shane avoids the Styles Clash by ramming Styles into the corner and hit a double leg slam. Shane nails Styles with a clothesline and taunts the crowd. Shane chops Styles in the corner and sends Styles hard into the corner. Shane drives Styles down with a backbreaker for a near fall. Shane keeps a chin lock on Styles in the middle of the ring. Shane knee lifts Styles, but Styles battles back only to be sent into the corner with a hip toss into the turnbuckles. Shane tries to cover, but only manages a two count.
Shane works over Styles in the corner with strikes and stomps. Styles fights back with chops. Styles misses a splash and Shane almost wins with a northern lights suplex. Styles chops Shane several times, but Shane yanks Styles down to the mat by his hair. Shane tries for the Styles Clash, but Styles breaks free and nails Shane with the Pele kick. Styles clotheslines Shane a few times to keep control of the contest. Styles press slams Shane and clotheslines Shane over the top to the floor. Styles takes Shane out with a somersault dive to the floor, but his legs hit the railing. Styles calls for the referee to get his help. Officials come running down to the ringside area to check on Styles. Styles can’t put pressure on his leg as Vince Russo has come out as well. The bell sounds and Shane wins the match by forfeit. (***. Well, I was not expecting a forfeit decision, but I think I like it. Shane can brag about beating Styles and the loss protects Styles from having to lose the match by pin or anything. So, in that regard I think it works well. I thought they worked a good match and they kept my interest throughout.)
Backstage, Big Vito is brawling with Pat Kenney. Vito sends Kenney into a the men’s bathroom where a little kid was washing his hands and is probably scarred for life. Vitro is stopped by security after a few moments.
Earlier in the day, Mike Tenay had a chat with D’Lo Brown. Tenay mentions that D’Lo’s plans were derailed by Monty last week. Brown talks about the birth of his first child five months ago and how that first derailed him. Brown something changed for him when she was born. Brown acts like he’s faking how deep the NWA World Championship scene is. D’Lo says that wrestling has taken a backseat as he only thinks about his daughter. D’Lo talks about showing pictures of his child to anyone and everyone. He hates having to be away from his daughter. D’Lo connects with Tenay having a granddaughter and he doesn’t want to leave her anymore. Brown looks forward to being a father and he’s looking forward to going home. Tenay says he can relate and wishes D’Lo well.
In the ring, David Young tosses Mikey Posey to the mat. Swinger and Gilbertti enter the ring and send Posey to the floor. Posey goes under the ring to get away from them. Posey has a broom and starting hitting Swinger and Gilbertti. Young is hit with the broom as well, but gets tackled to the mat. Shark Boy and D-Ray 3000 run into the ring to make the save.
Second Contest: Abyss & Alex Shelley vs. Sabu & Sonjay Dutt: Dutt and Shelley kickoff the tag match. They counter each other a few times on the mat and trade pin attempts. Dutt knee lifts Shelley followed by a standing hurricanrana. Dutt throat thrusts Shelley against the ropes. Shelley chops Dutt against the ropes, but Dutt comes back with a tornado DDT for a near fall. Sabu tags into the match and takes Shelley down to the mat to deliver an elbow drop for a two count. Sabu clotheslines Shelley followed by stomps on the mat for a near fall. Shelley stops Sabu with a jawbreaker and Abyss tags into the match to deliver several strikes. Sabu hammers away on Abyss, but a knee lift stops him. Sabu heel kicks Shelley and tags in Dutt. Dutt punches Shelley a few times and runs into Abyss. Abyss press slams Dutt to the mat after sneaking a tag into the bout. Shelley slams Dutt and goes to the apron to hit a slingshot leg drop for a near fall. Shelley tags in Abyss, who delivers a strike to the back. Abyss runs into a boot in the corner. Abyss splashes Dutt in the corner to keep control of the contest. Shelley boot scrapes Dutt and keeps control with a neck vice on the mat. Dutt clotheslines Shelley over his knee. Sabu gets the hot tag and cleans house on Shelley and Abyss. Dutt missile dropkicks Abyss. Dutt head scissors Abyss over the top to the floor.
Shelley gets a chair from Abyss, but Sabu dropkicks Shelley onto the chair followed by a leg drop onto the chair. Sabu springboards off the ropes to moonsault Shelley. Goldylocks gets on the apron to distract Sabu and Abyss has a chair. Abyss misses a chair shot and accidentally smashes Shelley with the chair. Sabu tags in Dutt to dropkick Abyss. Abyss kicks Dutt and tries for the Shock Treatment, but Sabu delivers a chair shot. Abyss no sells it until Dutt missile dropkicks the chair into Abyss face. Dutt hits the Hindu Press, but Shelley breaks the cover. Sabu springboards off the top to dive onto Abyss on the floor. Dutt has Shelley on the top rope looking for a hurricanrana, but Shelley drops Dutt face first onto the top turnbuckle. Shelley spikes Dutt with the brainbuster to win the match clean. (**. A decent tag match between these two teams. It was noticeable how uncomfortable Sabu is working a match when he’s not using a weapon. I like the team of Shelley and Abyss as they provide more depth to the tag division.) After the match, Sabu and Abyss brawl around ringside. Sabu puts Abyss on a table, but the lights go out. Audio of Raven plays saying Sheik is dead and wanting Sabu to wrestle him. The mannequin from the previous week is shown hanging. Abyss hits the Shock Treatment after the distraction. Abyss sends Sabu into the ring post and powerbombs Sabu through a table on the floor.
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with Dusty Rhodes for an interview. Hudson asks if Russo has accepted the legends offer. Dusty thinks that Russo needs to accept the offer and have the old and new work together. Dusty is looking forward to the guitar on a pole match taking place tonight. Hudson talks about Jeff Hardy and Dusty has some updates. Dusty reveals that Jeff Hardy will be returning to the Asylum next week. Dusty doesn’t know if Hardy will sign the contract next week. Dusty doesn’t tell Hudson what details are on the contract.
Third Contest: Amazing Red, Chris Sabin, Christopher Daniels & Elix Skipper vs. Johnny Devine, Eric Young, Petey Williams & Bobby Roode: Skipper and Devine kickoff the eight man tag. Skipper controls Devine with a wrist lock, but Devine leg sweeps Skipper to the mat. Devine misses a springboard crossbody. Skipper gets out of a pin by Young and tags in Daniels. Daniels elbow drops Young after being lifted up by Skipper. Daniels clotheslines Young and tags in Red. Red forearms Young in the corner followed by a kick in the corner for a two count.Red tags in Sabin to keep control. Sabin dropkicks Young for a two count. Young knee lifts Sabin and tags in Williams. Williams delivers a few strikes on Sabin before tagging in Devine. Sabin counters a hurricanrana attempt by hitting a sit down powerbomb. Sabin tries to make a tag, but Young enters to elbow drop Sabin. Devine and Young hit double forearms on Sabin. Young does a headstand in the corner and is kicked by Sabin. We see Vince Russo talking to an injured AJ Styles regarding his knee. Roode tags in and decks everyone on the apron before stomping on Sabin with Devine. Roode sends Sabin into the corner and delivers a few chops.
Roode takes Sabin over with a under hook suplex for a two count. Roode knee drops Sabin and keeps control with a chin lock. Sabin elbows free, but Roode yanks Sabin down and tags in Devine to maintain the advantage. Devine plants Sabin with a neckbreaker for a near fall. Sabin gets out of a powerbomb and dropkicks Devine. Sabin forearms Devine and Skipper hits a springboard clothesline. Skipper spin kicks Young and Devine. Roode decks Skipper with a clothesline. Daniels kicks Roode, but Williams plants Daniels with a tornado DDT. Red kicks Williams and hits a Red Star Press. Young hits a wheelbarrow neckbreaker on Red. Skipper tilt a whirl slams Young. Roode takes Skipper down with a full nelson slam for a two count. Daniels sends Roode to the floor and hits a springboard moonsault to the floor. Devine does a springboard moonsault onto Daniels on the floor. Skipper takes Devine out with a twisting crossbody to the floor. Sabin clotheslines Young to the apron and they both pull themselves up with Sabin taking Young over with a head scissors. Everyone is brawling on the floor when Red hits a superplex on Williams onto everyone on the floor.
Red sends Roode into the ring post shoulder first. Red hits a swinging STO off the middle rope. Red knocks D’Amore off the apron. Red climbs to the top rope, but D’Amore shoves Red off the ropes. Roode powerbombs Red while XXX powerbomb/neckbeaker combo on Devine. They both had pins, but the referee counts the pin on Devine. (***. It’s a good match, but the finish of a double pin has been done to death in TNA, so it’s a bit annoying here. Once the match broke down and everyone started to hit their big spots the match got quite good.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett and the Elite Guard. Hudson asks if Jarrett can work with Shamrock. Jarrett believes that he can work with Shamrock because he can work with anyone and his career proves that. Jarrett believes a guitar on a pole is his kind of match. Jarrett promises to come after Dusty Rhodes. Jarrett doesn’t like that Dusty had rolled the carpet out for Jeff Hardy. Jarrett reminds us that he took Hogan and Sting out of TNA. Jarrett is going to remain King of the Mountain until someone is man enough to knock him off. Monty Brown enters the scene to confront Jarrett. Brown tells Jarrett that nobody is listening. Brown tells Jarrett he doesn’t have to worry about Hogan, Sting or Hardy. Instead, Jarrett needs to worry about him. Monty smells fear on Jarrett. Brown takes his stare an act of aggression. Brown tells Jarrett he has something that he wants. Brown says that Jarrett is one POUNCE away from him taking it. Jarrett would love to finish the conversation after his match. Jarrett lists the guys he’s beaten and has a stare down with Brown to end the segment.
Fourth Contest: NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett, Ken Shamrock, Collyer, Hernandez & Onyx vs. Dusty Rhodes, Larry Zbyszko, BG James, Konnan & Ron Killings in a guitar on a pole match: All ten men are brawling around ringside to start the match. Dusty and Jarrett are trading strikes. BG jabs Onyx followed by a big boot. BG signals for the guitar, but we see Dusty and Jarrett brawling. Killings and Shamrock are brawling in the crowd. Jarrett enters the ring and is met with a rolling clothesline by Konnan. Shamrock slams Killings onto the announcers face first. Shamrock knee lifts Killings on the floor. Jarrett hits BG over the back with a chair. Dusty jabs Jarrett on the floor several times. Dusty sends Jarrett into the railing. Shamrock and BG brawl on the aisle. Hernandez tries for the guitar but is slammed by Killings off the middle rope. BG sends Shamrock into the post. Zbyszko hammers away on Jarrett followed by a hip toss out of the corner. Killings leaps off the top to leg drop Jarrett on the groin. Collyer stops Zbyszko on the top rope from getting the guitar. Collyer works over Zbyszko while Shamrock and Killings continue to brawl on the floor. Dusty and Jarrett continue to brawl in the crowd. Jarrett low blows Dusty and uses a chair on Rhodes a few times. Jarrett whacks Zbyszko with a chair over the back. Hernandez has a chin lock on BG and Jarrett jabs BG with a chair. Onyx leaps off the top to axe handle Konnan on the floor. Dusty nails Jarrett with a biotic elbow and hits everyone with an elbow. Rhodes signals for the guitar. Dusty won’t climb to the top rope to get the guitar. The heels recover to stop Dusty. Shamrock has the ankle lock on Rhodes! Jarrett climbs up the ropes to grab the guitar. Jarrett can use the guitar. Dusty has gotten up and breaks free from Onyx. Dusty has the guitar and smashes Onyx with it followed by an elbow drop for the win. (*. I really don’t understand the relationship with Shamrock and Jarrett. Shamrock went to the announcers and said he should be champion. Which, makes me think Shamrock will turn on Jarrett. There was nothing really going on here for the most part. Just a lot of brawling until the predictable finish.) After the match, Monty Brown comes out and has a confrontation with Jarrett until Shamrock steps in as the segment ends.
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews Michael Shane, Frankie Kazarian and Traci. They are happy about winning the first match against AJ Styles. Shane asks if the knee injury is legit. Shane thinks that the match was so lopsided and believes Styles may have faked the injury to get out of the match with Kazarian, too. Shane signed for a pro wrestling match while Styles was doing flips, which Shane didn’t sign up for. Shane brings up the prehistoric Jerry Lynn and says that they respect their elders. Shane wants to know who will get the title shot first.
Prior to the next match, Jerry Lynn comes out as the replacement. Kazarian isn’t going to do this and says he was contracted to wrestle AJ Styles. Kazarian believes he should win by forfeit if Styles can’t compete. AJ Styles makes his way out and has his knee taped up.
Fifth Contest: NWA X-Division Champion AJ Styles vs. Frankie Kazarian in a non-title match: Kazarian tries to take Styles down, but is stomped instead. Styles drives Kazarian face first down to the mat and keeps a front face lock on Kazarian. Kazarian gets a headlock on Styles, but Styles comes off the ropes with a shoulder block. Styles connects with a spinning heel kick and an arm drag. Styles takes Kazarian down to the mat and keeps arm control until Kazarian reaches the ropes. Styles arm drags Kazarian again to keep control. Styles yanks Kazarian off the ropes to maintain arm control. Kazarian misses a clothesline and Styles tosses Kazarian with a release German suplex. Kazarian avoids a clothesline with a boot to the face. Kazarian plants Styles with a slingshot DDT onto the apron. Kazarian sends Styles into the guard railing. Kazarian chokes Styles on the mat and taunts the crowd. Kazarian chops Styles into the corner and sends Styles hard into the corner back first. Kazarian dropkicks Styles in the corner and plays to the crowd. Kazarian tries for a cover, but Styles kicks out at two. Styles elbows free from Kazarian, but Kazarian delivers an elbow and dropkick into the corner.
Kazarian tries for a cover, but Styles kicks out at two. Kazarian continues to work over Styles in the corner with strikes. Styles fires back with right hands out of the corner and they trade chops. Styles pummels Kazarian to get the advantage. Styles tries for a springboard, but slips and crashes to the mat holding his knee. Styles takes Kazarian over with a kip up hurricanrana. Styles hammers away on Kazarian and hits a neckbreaker out of a vertical suplex for a two count. Shane and Traci have come down to ringside. Styles drops Kazarian with a German suplex and rolls through to drive Kazarian down to the mat face first. Traci gets on the apron to distract the referee. Shane superkicks Styles while the referee is distracted. Kazarian tries for the cover, but Styles pops out at two. Kazarian sits Styles on the top turnbuckle. Styles shoves Kazarian off and does a sunset flip followed by a discus clothesline for a two count. Traci was late on pulling the referee out. Styles knocks Shane off the apron. Traci gets in the ring and Styles hits the Styles Clash on Traci! Styles has a rollup on Kazarian while the referee checked on Traci. Styles tries for the Styles Clash, but Shane chop blocks Styles allowing Kazarian to win the match. (**1/2. Not as good as the first match on the show, but it’s a predictable outcome. They weren’t going to have either man taken out of the X-Division. I like that Shane and Kazarian got wins over Styles as it’s going to help them be viable contenders to Styles in the future. I’d imagine there will be tension between the two regarding who gets a title shot first.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with Pat Kenney for an interview. Kenney talks about Vito attacking him earlier. Kenney knows that Vito is Italian because he attacked him from behind. Kenney says that Irish and Italians have been fighting for a long time. Kenney wants Vito to attack him so that they can continue to fight. Kenney doesn’t care what kind of match it is, Kenney wants a piece of Vito. Vito enters the scene and attacks Kenney until security gets involved. Trinity was there, too.
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with America’s Most Wanted. Chris Harris says they are taking the Naturals seriously tonight. Harris says it’s easy to win the titles but harder to keep them. Storm says they are going to regain their possessions and win the tag titles the following week. Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper enter the scene and says that when AMW win the tag titles that they want a match against them to prove which team is truly the best. Skipper doesn’t care what Storm’s mom says. Skipper reminds them that XXX has four wins to their one.
Main Event: NWA Tag Tam Champions The Naturals vs. America’s Most Wanted in a non-title ladder match: Harris and Storm slide into the ring and go after the champions. Harris slams Douglas and Storm slams Stevens. Stevens catapults the ladder into Storm’s face. Harris hits Douglas with the ladder on the floor. Stevens baseball slides the ladder into Harris. Douglas lays the ladder over the railing and apron. Storm kicks Douglas and slides the ladder into his face. Storm grabs Stevens on the ladder, but Douglas powerbombs Storm off allowing Storm to still hit a superplex. Harris clubs away on Douglas in the corner. Harris sets a ladder up in the corner and sends Douglas into the ladder a couple of times. Harris misses a splash and hits the ladder. Harris backdrops Douglas over the top onto the ladder laid over the apron and railing. Stevens dropkicks the ladder into Harris. Storm rams Stevens back first into the apron and delivers a right hand. Storm clears off a table and brings the table towards ringside. Stevens backdrops Harris on the floor. We see the Elite Guard watching the match.
Stevens rams the ladder into the gut of Harris. Stevens sends Storm into the corner, but is met with an elbow. Stevens shoves Storm off the top and Storm somersaults through a table on the floor. Harris takes Stevens down to the mat with a full nelson slam. Harris drives the ladder into Stevens midsection. Harris drops the ladder off the middle rope onto Stevens. Harris rams the ladder into Douglas off the apron. Harris hooks Stevens for a suplex, but Douglas moves the ladder. Douglas smashes Harris with a chair shot. Douglas hits Harris with the chair a couple of times. Douglas lays Harris between a ladder and delivers strikes. Stevens moonsaults the ladder to sandwich Harris. Storm trips Douglas and Douglas hits his face on the chair. Stevens climbs the ladder and kicks Harris. Harris press slams Stevens off the ladder. Douglas tosses powder into Harris face. Douglas climbs the ladder, but Harris finds Douglas to stop him. Douglas drives Harris face first to the mat. Douglas sits Harris on the top rope, but Storm superkicks Douglas. Stevens moves the ladder under the belts and gear. Stevens begins to climb, but Storm meets Stevens on the ladder and they begin to trade strikes. Storm hits a sunset flip powerbomb! Douglas has a chair on the ladder and hits Storm. Douglas turns around to jump off the ladder and Harris spears Douglas in midair. Storm has gotten up and begins to climb the ladder. Stevens is on the ladder as well. Storm knocks Stevens off with a right hand and grabs the gear to win the match. (***. The spear spot was setup rather poorly as it made no sense for Douglas to turnaround to be speared in midair like that. Despite that, the match is good and I’m looking forward to a rematch next week. I like that they were able to have this finish without the Naturals being pinned.)
America’s Most Wanted grab a microphone and Harris says that everyone thought they were done. Harris talks about making history last year in the first ever cage match. Harris tells the Naturals they get their rematch next week in their dream match. Harris announces a six sided steel cage match for next week. Douglas looks terrified, but that’s the match next week.
Final Thoughts:
A really strong show this week as the in-ring action may have been the best the show has had in a long time. I think this has been the best PPV show of 2004, thus far. The in-ring was consistent and really good. Angles were continued fairly well and I’m all in to see a cage match between AMW and the Naturals. A nicely done week for TNA.
Thanks for reading.