Written by: Bob Colling
National Wrestling Alliance/Total Non-Stop Action presents Weekly PPV #107
Date: 8/11/2004
From: Nashville, TN
Backstage, Scott D’Amore is on the phone with the Prime Minister and says that even he knows that tonight is an important night. D”Amore rallied the group saying that Devine and Young need to win the tag title number one contenders for the tag titles. Roode will watch everyone’s back and hypes up Petey Williams to win the X-Division Championship tonight.
Opening Contest: BG James & Konnan vs. Johnny Devine & Eric Young in a number one contenders match: James and Devine kickoff the tag match. James shoulder blocks Devine and Devine backs into a corner to regroup. Devine gets a rollup on James, but James fights back with jabs and a forearm strike to drop Devine to the mat. James tosses Devine upside down into the corner. James forearms Devine and Young jabs James a few times. James decks Young to the mat before ramming Devine and Young into each other. Konnan tags in and trades wrist control with Young. Konnan shoulder blocks Young and hits a rolling thunder clothesline. Konnan tosses Devine over the top to the floor. James hip tosses Young and maintains arm control on the mat. James nails Devine on the apron, but Young connects with a flying forearm. Devine decks Konnan on the apron and works over James in the corner behind the referees back. Young returns to the match and rams James into the corner face first. Young keeps James on the mat with a headlock. James elbows Young and is met with a knee lift to the midsection. Devine tags in and hammers away on James before hitting a snap suplex.
Devine taunts Konnan and chokes James while the referee is distracted. Young returns to the match and gets a two count on James. Young chokes James over the middle rope briefly and D’Amore delivers a right hand. Devine comes off the rope to leg drop James and Young nearly gets a three following a top rope elbow drop. Devine slams James and heads to the top rope missing a moonsault. Konnan gets tagged in and hip tosses Young. Konnan drops Devine to the mat gut first. Konnan plants Young with a double leg slam. Konnan takes Young down to the mat with a Crossface, but Devine makes the save with a kick. Konnan has a front face lock submission on Young, but Roode is on the apron. D’Amore nails Konnan from behind with a hockey stick. Young has the cover and pins Konnan to win the match. Dusty Rhodes makes his way out and tells the referee what happened. The match is restarted. James clotheslines Devine to the floor. Young goes to the top hitting a crossbody, but Konnan rolls through and pins Young. (*1/2. I didn’t like the match being restarted and then have an immediate finish. I’m not looking forward to a 3LK vs. Naturals match either.) After the match, D’Amore wants a piece of Dusty, but is held back by Team Canada. Vince Russo comes out and talks with Dusty about what he just did.
Backstage, Goldylocks is demanding Sonny Siaki to rub her feet. Siaki is reminded that he has kids and Goldy owns his contract. Goldy’s feet are on Shark Boy’s back. D-Ray blows up the toilet and Goldy complains of the smell. Shane Douglas asks if Goldy knows who the mystery opponent is, but Goldy has no idea. She suggests that it could be Shane Douglas. Abyss enters the scene and Goldy tells him to not be late ever again. Goldy says that Abyss disgusts her and she never wants to see his face again. Goldy demands Abyss face the wall and leaves the scene.
Second Contest: Ekmo vs. Alex Shelley: Ekmo shoulder blocks Shelley to start the match and tosses Shelley into the ropes before hitting a spinebuster. Ekmo slams Shelley followed by an elbow drop. Ekmo headbutts Shelley to the mat a few times. Ekmo connects with a vertical suplex and Desire slaps Shelley over the middle rope. Ekmo nails Shelley with a running backside splash. Ekmo slams Shelley and goes to the middle rope, but Goldy distracts Ekmo. Desire chases after Goldy and they go backstage. Ekmo misses a splash off the ropes and Shelley dropkicks Ekmo on the knee a few times. Ekmo kicks Shelley into a corner, but Shelley comes off the ropes to dropkick Ekmo on the knee. Shelley tried for a hurricanrana, but over jumped and Ekmo plants Shelley with a cobra clutch slam. Ekmo clotheslines Shelley followed by a savant kick. Ekmo hits a swinging neckbreaker. Goldy has returned to the ring trying to escape Desire and ran into Ekmo. Desire has a catfight with Goldy in the ring until they fall to the floor. Ekmo comes off the top hitting a splash on Shelley. The referee is distracted by the catfight. Abyss enters and whacks Ekmo with a couple of chair shots followed by the Black Hole Slam. Shelley is put on top and wins the match. (*1/2. Goldy is the contract collector and I’m not sure what the end game here is. If I had to guess, Erik Watts will return and manage to free everyone from her control. The match was okay, but nothing great. Shelley didn’t come across strong here at all. They are for sure setting up a face turn for Abyss.)
Sabu is brawling with Raven in the crowd and has Raven attached to a dog collar. Sabu smashes Raven with a chair shot a few times. Sabu piles several chairs onto Rave and hits a leg drop off the middle rope. Sabu chokes Raven with the collar choking Raven over the top rope. Raven pulls on the chain and Sabu lands chest first onto the railing. Raven grabs a table and slides it into the ring. Sonjay Dutt comes out and tries to help Sabu. Raven misses a clothesline and Sabu dropkicks Raven on the knee. Dutt sets a table up in the corner as security runs down to the ring to stop the fighting. Sabu punches security and dives onto Raven through the ropes to the floor.
Mike Tenay is in the ring and talks about the championship committee involving Terry Funk, Larry Zbyszko and Harley Race. Tenay announces that Jarrett vs. Hardy will take place on September 8th, 2004 in the Asylum. Monty Brown’s music plays and Brown makes his way out to confront Tenay. Brown grabs the microphone and can’t believe that Tenay would announce a title match and he’s not involved in it. Brown wants to speak with the DOA. Brown wants a date set for him to wrestle the winner of the title match. Brown promises the winner will feel the POUNCE. Ron Killings makes his way out to join the segment. Killings confronts Brown saying that running your mouth gets you nothing. Killings says that Hardy earn his spot by beating Brown. Killings and Brown proceed to have a brawl despite security being in the ring. Dusty Rhodes comes out and has a microphone. Dusty announces that next week Brown and Killings will square off in a singles match.
Backstage, Shane Douglas interviews Glen Gilbertti, who is happy that he’s not dressed like a leprechaun. Gilbertti is annoyed with David Young and tonight he’s going to prove that Young is a loser and that he stinks. Gilbertti thinks that Young is the worst wrestler ever. Gilbertti knows that tonight he could be taken off the payroll, but he promises to go Brooklyn on Young. Big Vito enters the scene and gets in Gilbertti’s face saying that Gilbertti better take care of business tonight.
Third Contest: David Young vs. Glen Gilbertti in a loser gets fired match: Gilbertti and Young trade strikes in the corner until Young delivers a shoulder block. Gilbertti decks Young with a leaping clothesline. Gilbertti decks Young over the top to the floor. Gilbertti sends Young into the ring post shoulder first and continues with stomps on the floor. Gilbertti sends young hard into the guard railing shoulder first. Young fights back with right hands, but Gilbertti delivers a spinebuster followed by a swinging neckbreaker. Young is sent into the corner chest first and Gilbertti delivers a backbreaker. Gilbertti stomps on Young in the corner to maintain control of the match. Gilbertti nearly wins following a swinging neckbreaker and gets several two counts. Gilbertti continues with several stomps and tosses Young to the floor. Gilbertti sends Young into the stage shoulder first. Gilbertti follows up with a fist drop in the ring and comes off the middle rope with a forearm drop for a two count. Young battles back with right hands, but Gilbertti clotheslines Young several times. Young blocks a clothesline and messes up a leg sweep. Young drops Gilbertti with a kick to the head, but superkicks the referee. Gilbertti tries for the stunner, but Young connects with the spinebuster, but there’s no referee. Johnny Swinger comes up with taped knuckles to deck Young from behind. Young manages to kick out of the cover attempt. Gilbertti elbows Young in the corner, but Young counters a tornado DDT to send Gilbertti into the corner with a suplex. Young dropkicks Swinger off the apron and dropkicks Gilbertti. Young misses a top rope moonsault. Young stops Gilbertti from getting the brass knuckles and decks Gilbertti to win the match. (*1/4. The crowd didn’t care about this at all. Young wins his first match in 93 attempts and the crowd just remained mostly silent. I’m hopeful this concludes the focus on Young moving forward.) After the match, David Young celebrates with the fans while Vito is yelling at Gilbertti in the ring.
Backstage, Shane Douglas asks who is in charge, Russo or Rhodes. Russo says that everyone knows that he’s the Director of Authority. Russo wants to make things perfectly clear. As long as he’s here, there will be a place for Dusty Rhodes. NWA World Champion Jeff Jarrett enters the scene and says that Dusty is coming after Russo’s job and he’s going to get it. Jarrett asks if Russo can’t see what’s going on. Jarrett doesn’t think that Russo has any friends and believes that nobody would stand by his side. AJ Styles enters the scene and says that he can’t agree with Jarrett. Styles thinks that Russo is making the right decisions for the company 100%. Jarrett thinks the brown nosing is going both ways. Styles decks Jarrett several times and security runs over to break them up. Well, they actually fail and they brawl through the crowd.
AJ Styles and Jeff Jarrett continue to brawl through the crowd until Styles tosses Jarrett over the railing to the ringside area. Styles sends Jarrett into the guard railing followed by a kick to the ribs. Jarrett gains control in the ring and looks for the Styles Clash, but Monty Brown enters the ring and shoves Jarrett. Styles hits a springboard clothesline onto both men and dropkicks Jarrett. Brown comes off the ropes to nail Styles with the POUNCE! Ron Killings slides into the ring and makes the save for Styles. Killings connects with a spinebuster on Jarrett. Killings drops Brown with a flying forearm smash. Jarrett powerbombs Killings out of the corner. Brown tosses Killings with a fallaway slam. Jeff Hardy slides into the ring and makes the save with strikes to both Brown and Jarrett. Hardy drops Brown with a headlock slam and spikes Jarrett with a DDT to end the segment.
Fourth Contest: America’s Most Wanted vs. XXX: Daniels and Storm kickoff the tag match with Storm taking Daniels down. Daniels recovers to hip toss Storm followed by a dropkick. Storm hip tosses Daniels, but Daniels tries to send Storm to the floor. Storm pulls himself back up and kicks Daniels in the chest to gain the advantage. Harris tags in and atomic drops Daniels allowing Storm to hit a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Daniels leg sweeps Harris and Skipper almost gets a win with a rollup. Skipper keeps a headlock on Harris, but Harris manages to counter with a headlock of his own. Harris and Skipper collide on shoulder blocks and Skipper delivers a knee lift. Harris decks Skipper with a short arm clothesline. Harris hooks Skipper for a vertical suplex and drives Skipper down to the mat for a two count. Storm tags in and AMW hit a double backdrop on Skipper for a two count. Harris returns to the match and elbows Skipper, but Skipper kicks free and tags in Daniels. Daniels takes Harris down with an STO for a two count. Skipper tags back in and XXX slam Harris followed by Skipper slamming Daniels onto Harris for a two count. Skipper works over Harris with strikes and a dropkick in the corner. Skipper puts a headlock on Harris to maintain the advantage.
Skipper rams Harris into the corner and tags Daniels into the match. Skipper clotheslines Harris and Daniels hits an elbow drop for a two count. Daniels chops Harris in the corner followed by strikes, but runs into a boot. Harris ducks a clothesline to nail Daniels with a leaping clothesline. Skipper tags in and Storm cleans house with strikes. Storm hits a swinging neckbreaker on Daniels and kicks Skipper for a two count. Harris runs the ropes to hit the Hart Attack for a two count. Daniels pulls Storm out and rams Storm into the guard railing back first. Harris tries for the Catatonic, but Skipper counters with a back suplex. Daniels hits the BME on Harris leading to a near fall for Skipper. Daniels goes to the top and forearms Harris as Harris was over Skipper’s shoulder leading to a near fall. Daniels crotches Harris on the ropes and Skipper tries to walk the ropes, but Storm shoves Skipper off. Storm superkicks Daniels! AMW signal for the Death Sentence, but Skipper decks Harris off the top and Daniels almost pins Storm with a rollup. Skipper takes Harris out with a twisting dive to the floor. Storm almost gets Daniels with a backslide. Daniels nearly wins with a rollup. Storm and Daniels collide in the middle of the ring. Harris spears Daniels and gets the three count to win the first match of the best of three. After the match, Daniels is selling his injured shoulder and it’s suggested that his shoulder is separated. AMW check on Daniels showing concern. (***. For the first match of the best of three, I thought it was a solid match and they didn’t overdo anything to ruin future matches. It was a good start to the series, which I feel will only get better with each contest between the two teams.)
Backstage, Shane Douglas is with Raven for an interview. Douglas says that Sonjay Dutt has issued a challenge to Raven. Douglas knows what makes Raven and Sabu dangerous. Dutt wants a Hangman’s Horror match with Raven. Raven recalls the match with Vampiro and says we haven’t seen him since. Raven talks about training with Sabu’s uncle and is embarrassed to have been trained by him. Raven knows that he’s better than Sabu. Raven thinks that Sabu is nothing more than PR. Raven thinks that Paul Heyman tricked fans into thinking they were watching something new and different. Raven promises to retire Sabu the next time they wrestle.
A vignette promoting someone coming into the company soon is shown. I have absolutely no idea who the wrestler could be.
Backstage, Shane Douglas is with Michael Shane and Frankie Kazarian, the co-NWA X-Division Champions. Kazarian wonders what TNA is afraid of since they finally have role models that kids can be proud of. Kazarian notes that the NWA never had a problem with AJ Styles jumping divisions, but it doesn’t matter because they will remain champions. Shane chimes in and says that they have each others backs and they will remain co-champions. They aren’t Shawn and Marty because they will remain together.
Main Event: X-Division Gauntlet For The Gold for the vacant NWA X-Division Championship: A new entrant will enter the match after a minute. The final two men will compete in a singles match to determine the new NWA X-Division Champion.
1.) Kazarian
2.) Sonjay Dutt
Kazarian tries to toss Dutt over the top, but Dutt hits a missile dropkick instead. Dutt head scissors Kazarian out of the corner and delivers right hands in the corner. Dutt tries to toss Kazarian out, but Kazarian holds on.
3.) Chad Collyer
Collyer goes right after Dutt with several strikes and chops on the mat. Dutt holds on to avoid being eliminated by both men. Dutt is rammed into the corner face first and Collyer continues with strikes. Dutt holds onto the ropes and avoids being sent to the floor.
4.) LA Park
Dutt dropkicks Collyer as Park comes out and has a chair with him. Park powerslams Kazarian, but Dutt dropkicks Park. Park boots Kazarian and Dutt delivers a boot to Kazarian. Dutt hits a moonsault on Park, but Collyer works over Dutt with strikes in the corner.
5.) Miyamoto
Everyone is just casually brawling in the ring as the pace is going to go slower with more people in the ring. Dutt misses a crossbody and goes over the top to the floor after Collyer avoided the move.
6.) Jerry Lynn
Lynn quickly dumps Collyer over the top to the floor and goes after Kazarian with right hands. Lynn head scissors Kazarian followed by stomps in the corner. Park gets a few strikes in on Lynn and kicks Miyamoto. Lynn leg drops Kazarian over the middle rope.
7.) Joey Matthews
Matthews cleans house with strikes and a backbreaker to Lynn followed by an atomic drop and neckbreaker to Kazarian. Lynn plants Matthews with a reverse DDT. Park kicks Lynn on the mat and tries to toss Kazarian out, but fails
8.) Nosawa
Nosawa goes after Kazarian with kicks while Lynn was eliminated from the match during the entrance. Park decks Nosawa from behind. Park with a nice spinning heel kick to Nosawa. Matthews tries to get rid of Miyamoto, but isn’t successful. Park chokes Kazarian over the middle rope.
9.) AJ Styles
Styles is still selling the Pounce by Monty Brown, but goes after Kazarian with strikes before going to everyone else with strikes. Styles eliminates Miyamoto with a discus clothesline from behind. Styles hits a forearm smash off the top rope.
10.) Chris Vaughn
Kazarian cuts off Vaughn, but Vaughn delivers a facebuster after some arm drags. Park stops Vaughn with a kick to the face. Matthews works over Styles in the corner and chokes the former champion.
11.) Petey Williams
Williams delivers a neckbreaker and wheelbarrow buster to Vaughn. Matthews decks Styles from behind. Styles plants Matthews with a facebuster and tosses Matthews over the top to the floor. Styles works over Nosawa in the corner.
12.) D-Ray 3000
D-Ray is quickly eliminated and then just walks backstage. He doesn’t even seem to care all that much, really. Everyone continues to brawl in the ring. Vaughn hits a top rope clothesline on Kazarian.
13.) Mikey Batts
Batts goes after Williams with right hands and hits a wheelbarrow stunner. Nosawa double teams Williams for a moment. Vaughn kicks Kazarian to avoid being eliminated. Styles nails Park with a kick to the head.
14.) Jason Cross
Cross head scissors Styles and hits a Death Valley Driver on Batts. Cross hits a somersault leg drop on Williams and tries to eliminate Williams, but fails. Vaughn continues to avoid being eliminated by Kazarian. Batts is kicked off the apron by Styles and is eliminated.
15.) Jerelle Clark
Clark goes after Cross with right hands, but Cross delivers a kick. Clark head scissors Cross and hits an overhead suplex. Vaughn has been eliminated by Kazarian, I think. Park nails Styles with a kick to the head. Clark connects with a reverse hurricanrana on Cross.
16.) Kid Kash
Park and Nosawa have been eliminated by Styles off the apron. Kash goes after everyone and trades strikes with Clark. Kash hits a double under hook shoulder breaker on Clark. Kash chops Clark a few times. Styles tries for a Boston Crab on Kazarian, but isn’t very successful.
17.) Nigel McGuinness
Clark has been eliminated by Kash. McGuinness yanks Cross down by his arm a couple of times. Styles tries to head scissors Kazarian over the ropes, but Kazarian bounces off the ropes. Cross tries for a tornado DDT, but Kash manages to dropkick Cross off the apron to eliminate Cross.
18.) Psychosis
Psychosis hits a slingshot leg drop on McGuinness from the apron. Psychosis plants McGuinness with a DDT. Kash hammers away on Styles, but Kash goes to the top only to be kicked off the top by Styles with a Pele and eliminates Kash!
19.) Shark Boy
Boy goes after everyone to deliver right hands. Kash pulls the ropes down to cause Styles to fall over the top to the floor. Styles and Kash begin to brawl on the ramp and the referees try to keep them apart. However, Dallas comes out and attacks Styles with right hands. Styles goes after Dallas and is double teamed on the floor.
20.) Chris Sabin
Sabin goes after Williams hitting a dropkick. Sabin hits a springboard spinning heel kick on Williams. Boy bites McGuinness and Williams is almost eliminated by Sabin. Sabin backdrops Boy over the top to the floor. McGuinness works over Sabin with strikes in the corner.
21.) Amazing Red
Red chops McGuinness against the ropes and dropkicks McGuinness over the top with Sabin helping. Psychosis clotheslines Kazarian and tries to eliminate Kazarian, but can’t quite get Kazarian out.
22.) Michael Shane
Shane saves Kazarian in the corner working over Psychosis. Psychosis clotheslines Kazarian and sends Shane into Kazarian nearly causing an elimination. Shane superkicks Psychosis and Kazarian dumps Psychosis to the floor. Sabin hammers away on the co-champions. Sabin plants Shane with a tornado DDT. Kazarian kicks Sabin from behind to eliminate Sabin. Red hits a tornado DDT on Kazarian. Williams hits a side Russian leg sweep on Red, but Shane powerbombs Williams. Kazarian connects with a slingshot DDT from the apron. Williams holds onto the ropes to prevent Shane and Kazarian from eliminating him. Shane slams Red and Kazarian delivers a leg drop.
Shane continues to beat on Red in the corner with jabs and chokes Red in the corner. Red kicks Kazarian and manages to head scissors Shane over the top to the floor after being tossed into the air by Kazarian. Kazarian is stunned and works over Red in the corner with Williams. Kazarian clotheslines Red and agrees to work with Williams. Kazarian turns on Williams quickly with a suplex, but the camera missed it. Kazarian tries to dump Williams over, but Williams counters and eliminates Kazarian!
Red kicks Williams in the corner, but is met with a heel kick. Williams signals for the Canadian Destroyer. Red backdrops Williams and delivers a spinning kick. Red slams Williams for a two count. Red heads to the top rope, but Williams stops Red with a strike and tries for a move, but is shoved off. Red hits an elbow drop off the top for a two count. Williams rams Red into the corner and tries for a reverse DDT, but Red counters with a kick followed by a standing shooting star. Bobby Roode gets on the apron and Red takes Roode out with a dive to the floor. Red tries for a sunset flip and nearly wins. Roode distracts the referee as Red tries for the Code Red, but Scott D’Amore nails Red with the hockey stick. Williams hits the Canadian Destroyer for the win. Williams is the new champion. (***1/2. I hate the damn finish. Williams should have just won this cleanly and finished off an impressive showing. Having Team Canada continue to rely on interference isn’t going to put them over with the crowd. The match overall was fine and held my interest, but the finish is just frustrating.)
Dusty Rhodes comes down to the ring while Vince Russo stands on the aisle suggesting they don’t agree with what just happened.
Final Thoughts:
I’m going to go with a slight thumbs up for this week as the final two matches delivered some quality action and took up just about half the show anyway. The undercard for TNA is really lacking anything of interest as the main build for the company seems to be mostly on Jarrett/Hardy and the Raven/Sabu rematch. I doubt both those matches will take place on the same show, though.
Thanks for reading.