Written by: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Weekly PPV #104
Date: 7/21/2004
From: Nashville, TN
Backstage, NWA X-Division Champion AJ Styles is having his injured knee checked out and Tenay mentions that a decision about Styles wrestling tonight will be made at match time.
Opening Contest: Mr Aguila & Abismo Negro vs. Christopher Daniels & Elix Skipper in a number one contenders match: Daniels and Negro start the match with neither man getting an advantage and they have a standoff. Daniels has arm control, but Negro hip tosses Daniels leading to a standoff. Daniels keeps a wrist lock on Negro leading to a test of strength. Negro keeps Daniels on the mat managing a two count. Negro catapults Daniels followed by an arm drag. Negro head scissors Daniels and tags in Aguila. Skipper tags in as well. Skipper misses a boot and kicks Aguila in the midsection. Aguila dumps Skipper to the apron, but Skipper delivers a kick to the head. Aguila kicks Skipper on the top rope and tries for a suplex, but Skipper fights off. Skipper hits a sunset flip, but Aguila quickly gets up. Aguila does a handspring and heel kicks Skipper to the mat. Aguila kicks Skipper a few times and hits a powerslam for a near fall. Daniels tags himself in and hits a flapjack on Aguila after Skipper lifted Aguila into the air for a two count. Skipper tags back in and clotheslines Aguila. Daniels hits a knee drop and Skipper manages a two count.
Skipper keeps Aguila on the mat with a kick to the back for a two count. XXX making quick tags in the corner to weaken Aguila. Aguila nails Daniels with a clothesline. Skipper slingshots into the ring to clothesline Aguila for a near fall. Daniels heads to the top rope and delivers an elbow strike as Aguila was over Skipper’s shoulder. Aguila comes off the ropes and they collide on stereo crossbody attempts. Negro gets tagged in and chops both Daniels and Skipper. Skipper accidentally kicks Daniels and Negro connects with a tilt a whirl backbreaker on Daniels. Aguila tags in and hip toss Daniels to the mat. Aguila springboards off the ropes to bulldog Daniels. Skipper prevents a cover and works over Negro with a back suplex. Skipper connects with a leg drop and Daniels hits a moonsault for a two count on Negro. Aguila saves Negro from a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo. Aguila and Skipper crash to the floor. Negro misses a splash in the corner and Daniels plants Negro with the Angel’s Wings for the win. (*1/2. That was a bit disappointing, actually. I was hoping for more high impact moves, but this felt rather bland and too much of a formula tag match. XXX being the number one contenders is a fine decision as they will have some great matches with either the Naturals or AMW.)
We are waiting for the arrival of Jeff Hardy.
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews Monty Brown regarding the NWA World Championship. Brown says that if you always do what you’ve always done the same results happen. Brown lists the men he has defeated in recent weeks. Brown notes that Jarrett didn’t beat him in the King of the Mountain match. Ron Killings enters the scene and says that Brown needs to hear the truth. Killings thinks that Brown is delusional and in denial. Killings suggests Brown should be playing football. Killings doesn’t think Brown is fit to be champion. Brown tells Killings to bring his friends and they can all get POUNCED! BG and Konnan enter the scene leading to security getting involved.
Second Contest: Big Vito vs. Pat Kenney in a street fight: Kenney enters the ring from behind and hits Vito with a trash can lid a few times. Kenney backdrops Vito and continues with weapon shots. Kenney whacks Vito over the back a few times but misses a splash in the corner. Vito savant kicks Kenney to the mat sending the trash can lid into his face. Vito uses a kendo stick to whack Keneny over the back a few times. Vito smashes Kenney on the groin with a pizza pan and pizza cutter. Kenney nails Vito with a trash can lid to regain control of the contest. Vito drops Kenney with a shot to the mat. Vito continues to use the kendo stick over Kenney’s back for a two count. Vito hammers away on Kenney and uses a trash can lid to knock Kenney to the mat. Vito side slams Keneny onto the trash can for a near fall. Vito nails Kenney with the trash can followed by another kick. Vito stomps on Kenney in the corner and puts the trash can in front of Kenney’s face. Vito decides to use the kendo stick, but decides to kick the can into Kenney’s groin in the corner. Vito has a dough roller, but Kenney gets to his feet and nails Vito with it. Kenney nails Vito with the trash can several times over the back. Kenney uses a strap on Vito several times. Kenney chokes Vito with the strap, but Trinity gets involved and is whipped by Kenney. Vito nails Kenney with a trash can to regain control of the contest. Kenney avoids a DDT attempt by low blowing Vito. Trinity low blows Kenney and Vito hits the jumping DDT for the win. (*. That was not a good street fight. I don’t think Vito is getting over at all with the crowd. I don’t think I buy into Vito as an enforcer for a group that is essentially losers. The match was mostly just meaningless weapon shots and there was no real story here.) After the match, Don Harris gets in the ring to have a standoff with Vito because that’s the kind of match we need.
Backstage, Scott Hudson interviews Johnny Swinger and David Young. Young says that Gilbertti is in Hawaii. Hudson knows that they are playing a game and is a masterplan. Hudson suggests that tonight may be Young’s final chance. Young says that Hudson makes him sick and tonight is the start of a winning streak. Young promises to not come back if he loses to a referee.
Third Contest: David Young & Johnny Swinger vs. D-Ray 3000, Shark Boy & Mike Posey in a handicap match: Young and D-Ray kickoff the match with Young shoving D-Ray to the mat. Young takes D-Ray down to the mat and delivers a few strikes. Young wants a piece of Posey and the referee is tagged in. Posey connects with a spinning heel kick and tags in Boy. Boy sends Young into the ropes and tells Young to look up into the sky and is stomped on his toes. Boy keeps Young on the mat with an arm bar. Young tries to pull the same trick, but Boy gets Young to turnaround and bites his ass. Swinger tags in and clotheslines Boy. Swinger elbows Boy in the corner, but Boy connects with a neckbreaker for a near fall. D-Ray tags into the match and double team Swinger with a double side Russian leg sweep. Posey splashes onto Swinger with help from Boy. D-Ray forearm smashes Swinger and tags in Posey. Posey punches Swinger and tries for a crossbody, but bounces off. Young tags in and beats on Posey with strikes in the corner. Posey boots Young in the corner, but Young tosses Posey with an overhead suplex into the corner. Swinger tags in and drops Posey over the ropes before delivering a boot to the face. Swinger decks Posey to the mat and tags in Young again. Young slams Posey to the mat and goes to the top rope missing a moonsault. Young plants Posey with a flapjack. Posey head scissors Young and tags in Boy. Boy cleans house with right hands and dropkicks. Boy punches Young several times, but is dropped over the top rope. Boy uses D-Ray to deliver a running headbutt. Swinger sends Boy to the floor. Young plants D-Ray with a spinebuster while Boy brawls with Swinger on the floor. Young tries to slam D-Ray, but Posey hits a missile dropkick and Young is pinned by both Posey and D-Ray. (*. Not a shock here that Young would lose once again. The match isn’t very good, but the crowd seems to get behind Posey. The end game has to be a singles match between Posey and Young to end the feud.) After the match, Young gets a microphone and says that it’s not funny. Young only ever asked for a chance in TNA. Young needs one more chance and he’s getting emotional. Young wants to wrestle Mike Posey next week in a singles match and if he loses then he’ll leave the company forever.
Outside the venue, a limo arrives and Dusty Rhodes exits. Dusty is determined to sign Jeff Hardy tonight.
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with Goldylocks and Alex Shelley. Goldy says that Abyss is wherever she wants whenever she wants. Goldy has had the time of her life recently. She has had money and power. Goldy wants more contracts to acquire. Goldy is having a competition where she’ll put her money up, but if they lose then she gets their contract. D-Ray 3000 walks into the scene not knowing what’s going on. Goldy takes that as he accepts the challenge.
Fourth Contest: Sabu vs. Abyss in a no disqualification/falls count anywhere match: Sabu is shoved into the corner and boots a charging Abyss. Sabu fires back with right hands, but Abyss runs into a back elbow. Sabu tries for a hurricanana and they fall over the top to the floor. Sabu whacks Abyss over the back with a steel chair. Sabu springboards off the ropes to dive onto Abyss on the floor. They brawl by the stage area with Abyss ramming Sabu face first onto the stage. Abyss tries to setup a table on the floor and fights Sabu off. Abyss has Sabu on the stage attempting a chokeslam. Sabu breaks free from the hold and punches Abyss off the stage through the table on the floor. Sabu leaps off the stage to elbow drop Abyss for a two count. Sabu goes under the ring and grabs a few chairs. Abyss sends Sabu into the ring post. Abyss misses a splash and hits the post, too. Sabu wedges a chair in the corner, but Abyss tries for the Shock Treatment. Sabu nails Abyss with a few chair shots to drop Abyss to the mat. Sabu connects with a chair assisted leg drop. Sabu goes to the top rope with a chair, but is stopped by Abyss. Abyss has a chair, but Sabu catches it and tosses it back at Abyss. Sabu goes to the middle rope to hit a middle rope chair assisted leg drop. Sabu tries for a cover, but Abyss kicks out at two. Abyss low blows Sabu in the corner and sends Sabu face first into the chair that was wedged in the corner. Abyss plants Sabu with the Shock Treatment leading to a near fall.
Abyss goes to the corner and grabs a steel chain. Sabu grabs the other end and ties Abyss in the chain causing Abyss to fall down to the mat. Sabu nails Abyss with the chain. Sabu connects with the triple jump moonsault and smashes Abyss with another chair shot. Abyss sends Sabu over the railing into the crowd. Sabu puts Abyss onto a table and leaps off the bleaches to leg drop Abyss through the table. Sabu sets up another table and goes to the balcony. The lights go out and when they come back on, Raven appears and he’s hanging Sabu with a noose. Raven drops Sabu off the balcony onto the table. Raven elbow drops Sabu through the table and puts Abyss on top to allow Abyss to win the match. After the match, Raven stands over Sabu taunting him before walking off. (**. There’s nothing here that you wouldn’t normally see between the two men. The finish is fine as it advances the major angle between Raven and Sabu. These kinds of matches tend to go by quickly and that was the case here, as well. They went nearly twelve minutes, but it didn’t feel like it.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with Michael Shane, Frankie Kazarian and Traci for an interview. Hudson wonders if AJ Styles will be able to compete tonight. Shane says that everyone knows that Styles will not compete tonight. They aren’t going to talk about Styles tonight. They want to know who gets the title shot first and when is that going to happen. Kazarian says they have proven they own the division and tells Shane if he gets the title shot the favor will be returned.
Backstage, AJ Styles is still having his knee checked out and it appears he’ll be unable to compete tonight on the show. Jerry Lynn and Chris Sabin are there checking on him, too.
Fifth Contest: Frankie Kazarian & Michael Shane vs. Chris Sabin & Jerry Lynn: Sabin and Lynn enter the ring to run off Shane and Kazarian during their entrance. Lynn and Shane kickoff the tag match legally. Shane backs Lynn into a corner and slaps Lynn in the face. Lynn goes to the floor, but Shane puts Traci in front of him. Kazarian cheap shots Lynn from behind. Kazarian tags into the match and works over Lynn with strikes. Lynn head scissors Kazarian and follows up with a bulldog for a two count. Sabin tags into the match and keeps control with a strike to the ribs. Lynn leg drops Kazarian after a drop toe hold. Kazarian sends Sabin into the corner, but is met with a kick. Sabin connects with a spinning heel kick off the ropes. Kazarian dumps Sabin to the apron, but Shane accidentally clotheslines Kazarian to the floor. Sabin takes Kazarian out with a somersault dive to the floor. Shane bails to the floor to avoid Lynn. Sabin elbows Kazarian from the apron and kicks Shane away. Sabin leaps off the top, and Kazarian delivers a kick in midair. Shane tags into the match and scoop slams Sabin followed by a knee drop for a two count. Kazarian drops Sabin over the top rope and Kazarian connects with a release German suplex for a near fall.
Kazarian slams Sabin and hits a springboard leg drop for a two count. Kazarian kicks Sabin on the mat before tagging in Shane to keep control of the contest. Shane puts a sleeper on Sabin for a few moments. Sabin elbows free from Shane, but is yanked down to the mat. Shane yanks Sabin down to the mat again by the hair. Sabin fires back with right hands and chops. Shane eye rakes Sabin, but Sabin delivers a kick to the head. Lynn and Kazarian get the tags with Lynn cleaning house. Lynn plants Kazarian with a reverse DDT and leg drops Shane over the middle rope. Lynn goes for the cradle piledriver, but Traci gets involved. Kazarian prevents Lynn from hitting the cradle piledriver on Traci. AJ Styles is on the apron and the distraction allows Lynn to pin Kazarian with a rollup. After the match, Styles drops to the floor holding his knee while Lynn and Sabin are attacked. Styles gets up with his crutch and tries to get involved, but is stopped by Shane with strikes. Styles nails Shane with the crutch a few times and does the same to Kazarian. Styles gets a microphone to cut a promo on Kazarian and Shane. Styles reveals who gets the first shot at his title. Styles announces that both men will get a shot at the same time. Styles makes the match for next week. Styles is going to give them the chance to prove they own the division in a match that he’s never competed in. Styles makes the match an Ultimate X match for next week. (*1/2. It’s a rather short match and there wasn’t a lot going on here to hold my interest. I’m a little surprised that they’d have Kazarian and Shane lose even with the distraction finish. They should be putting them over leading into next weeks big match. There wasn’t anything wrong with the match, but it was just kind of there not serving much of a purpose it felt like. I’m looking forward to Ultimate X.)
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with Raven for an interview. Hudson asks where Raven has been lately. Raven says that Sabu is a coward and it’s quite obvious. Raven claims that Sheik was embarrassed to have Sabu as a nephew and wished that Raven was his nephew instead. Raven says that on Friday it is time for Sabu to fight or flight.
Mike Tenay is in the ring and introduces Dusty Rhodes to come down to the ring. Dusty talks about having some electrifying nights and thanks Russo for allowing him to continue to do so. Dusty went all over North Carolina and introduces Jeff Hardy as the newest member of the TNA roster. Dusty puts the contract on the table while Hardy asks the fans if he should sign the contract. Hardy signs the contract. Dusty has another contract that he’s been carrying around for a month or so. Dusty says the contract isn’t about money or limos. Dusty says the contract is about passion. The contract assures Hardy an NWA World Championship match with Jeff Jarrett. Hardy goes to sign, but is cutoff by Monty Brown, who is not wanting to hear that. Brown enters the ring to confront Hardy. Brown doesn’t care where Hardy worked previously. Brown says that Hardy is in his domain, but Brown declares that he’s next in line for a championship match. Brown says he’s one pounce away from taking the title. NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett makes his way out to join the segment. Jarrett walks down to the ring with a guitar in hand. Jarrett says that nobody in the ring should be discussing the championship. Jarrett says that Brown is a Double A ballplayer trying to make the majors. Jarrett tells Dusty that he has no authority to make title matches since all the matches go through him. Jarrett gets in Hardy’s face and says that Hardy didn’t take the warning from last week. Jarrett reminds Hardy about the Hogan situation and how Hogan hasn’t been heard from since. Jarrett knocked Sting back to California and suggests that Hardy not unpack his bags. Jarrett slaps Hardy! Hardy fights back with several right hands and tosses Jarrett over the table. Hardy clotheslines Jarrett coming off the ropes. Hardy delivers a jawbreaker and a clothesline followed by right hands. Hardy slams Jarrett and heads to the top rope. Brown is just standing in the ring watching. Hardy hits the Swanton Bomb on Jarrett! Brown takes Hardy out with the Pounce! Brown misses a clothesline and Hardy delivers a forearm smash. Hardy leg drops Brown on the groin. Jarrett has a guitar and smashes Hardy over the head to leave Hardy laying. Jarrett bails to the floor as security enters the ring to end the segment.
Earlier in the day, Mike Tenay had a sit down interview with Kid Kash and Dallas to discuss Kash’s suspension. Kash calls Tenay an idiot because he can’t talk about what has happened over the past two weeks. Kash claims that AJ Styles has been getting special treatment. Kash tells Tenay he’s been saying this for two years. Kash is sick seeing Russo’s nose up Style’s ass. Kash is jealous of Styles having his own merchandise and being on the cover. Kash tells Tenay to go back into his history books and lookup the success that Kash has had wherever he goes. Kash doesn’t like anybody and claims he’s the best wrestler. Kash wants Tenay to admit it. Kash says that Dallas hasn’t been suspended but instead does whatever he wants to do because they are family. Tenay asks Kash if he has learned anything from the suspension. Kash instead asks if management has learned anything from his suspension and walks off.
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with America’s Most Wanted for an interview. Chris Harris says that they made history last year. Harris promises to make history again tonight. They are going to prove they are the best tag team again. James Storm chimes in and suggests the Naturals fix their hair because they aren’t going to look like that afterward. Storm will give XXX their title match and that goes for any of the teams. Triple X enters the scene and says that history tends to repeat itself. XXX would like to win the titles back from AMW and add another win over AMW to their record.
Main Event: NWA Tag Team Champions The Naturals vs. America’s Most Wanted inside a steel cage: AMW goes right after the Naturals as all four men are brawling in the ring. Stevens is sent into the ropes and met with a double backdrop. Stevens is sent into the cage face first. Storm blocks being sent into the cage and dropkicks Stevens on the knee followed by a dropkick to a kneeling Stevens. Naturals send Storm into the cage face first. Douglas works over Storm as the match has started with regular tag rules. Stevens sends Storm into the corner and runs into an elbow. Stevens runs into a powerslam by Storm. Harris tags in and connects with a leaping clothesline and a Thez Press to deliver punches. Harris catapults Douglas face first into the cage. Harris sends Douglas into the cage a few times. Harris plants Stevens with a full nelson slam. Douglas has been busted wide open. Stevens kicks Harris and runs the ropes only to be backdropped into the cage. Harris rams Stevens into the cage face first several times. Stevens, Douglas and Storm are all busted wide open. Harris has Stevens over his shoulder and rams Stevens into the cage, but Douglas chop blocks Harris. Stevens manages to send Harris into the cage face first. Douglas sends Harris face first into the cage again. Douglas rubs Harris face into the cage and Harris has been busted wide open. Stevens delivers a headbutt to Harris groin area. Harris comes out of the corner to deliver a double clothesline. Storm tags in and ducks a clothesline to forearm Douglas. Storm nails Stevens with a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. Storm sends Douglas into the cage face first. Storm sends the champs face first into the cage. Storm clotheslines Stevens and a kick to Douglas for a two count.
AMW hit a double bulldog on Stevens for another near fall. Douglas boots Harris in the corner, but Harris spears Douglas in midair coming off the ropes for a two count. Stevens climbs the side of the cage, but Storm rams Stevens into the cage several times. Harris has Stevens on his shoulders allowing Storm to hit a swinging reverse DDT for a near fall. AMW try for the Hart Attack, but Stevens kicks Harris. Stevens superkicks Storm and Douglas almost gets a rollup. Stevens climbs the cage and leaps off the top to hit a moonsault onto everyone! Harris nails Stevens with a left hand. Storm superkicks Douglas! AMW signals for the Death Sentence. Harris climbs to the top of the cage, but Stevens stops Harris. Stevens and Harris crash to the floor. Douglas and Storm are left in the ring. Douglas hits a middle rope DDT on Storm. Douglas tries for the cover, but Storm kicks out at two. Stevens and Harris are trading strikes on the cage outside the ring. They are both trying to climb back into the ring. Stevens falls down to the floor. Team Canada run down to the ring and attack Harris on the floor. Triple X fights Team Canada and 3LK get involved, too. Storm sends Douglas into the cage face first. Stevens climbs the cage with a chair, but Scott D’Amore hits Harris with a hockey stick over the back. Storm yanks Stevens off the ropes. Storm spikes Stevens with a Screwdriver, but Stevens kicks out at two. Douglas tosses powder into Storm’s face and the Naturals hit the Natural Disaster. Douglas covers, but Storm kicks out at two! Stevens whacks Storm over the head with a chair shot two times and Douglas manages to pin Storm to retain the titles. (***1/4. I enjoyed the cage match, but the whole point is to avoid interference and then we get a bunch of it. Naturals winning is a bit of a shock, but I like it. They’ve been doing well in the heel role and AMW do not need the titles. I think it’s ideal to slowly get to AMW vs. XXX and doing that for their first three hour PPV is the best move down the road. Looks like we’re going to get a Canada vs. AMW feud and XXX getting a shot at the Naturals.)
Final Thoughts:
Jeff Hardy signing with the contract appears to be the main takeaway from the show. It’s a good signing, but Hardy has always been presented as a midcard act. Hardy vs. Brown next week is a forgone conclusion. The show in-ring wise was a bit disappointing as the matches looked a lot better on paper than they did in execution. The main event was an enjoyable match, but it doesn’t save the show from being a disappointing one. Thus, I’ve got to give this week a thumbs down.
Thanks for reading.