Lost Tennessee Footage: Bryan Turner’s VHS Rehab Collection: Volume Four

Bryan Turner’s VHS Rehab YouTube channel has been uploading old Tennessee wrestling footage from a variety of different promotions that had previously been thought of as lost footage. Thankfully, a lot of footage has been donated to Bryan and he’s been posting new matches and segments every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Full shows are published on Saturdays.

Lost Tennessee Footage: Bryan Turner’s VHS Rehab Collection: Volume Four

Match #1: Alternative Express (Chase Stevens & Andy Douglas) vs. Too Cool – 9/27/2003
Reason For Reviewing: I’ve really started to become a big time fan of Stevens and Douglas. I had only known them as the Naturals. So, to see them as a different gimmick where they are more of a goth/emo act is rather interesting to me. Too Cool teaming in 2003 is bizarre since Scotty was still actively in WWE. In fact, this is the only match in 2003 for Scotty outside of WWE. This is kind of a rare Too Cool reunion for the time.

Stevens and Douglas try for the cheap advantage, but they fail to do so. Stevens and Douglas collide on a running attack attempt. Too Cool split their legs and use their legs to row a boat. Athena gets in the ring to yell at Too Cool, but she’s taken down and Stevens is sent face first onto her groin. Christopher tosses Stevens by his hair across the ring out of the corner. Stevens is backdropped coming off the ropes and Scotty delivers a stomp for a near fall. Scotty dropkicks a seated Stevens for a near fall. Scotty overhand chops Stevens in the corner, but Stevens eye rakes Scotty. Douglas tags into the match and Scotty is double teamed in the corner. Douglas knee lifts Scotty for a near fall a couple of times. Douglas puts an abdominal stretch on Scotty. Stevens comes off the ropes to deliver a right hand to Scotty and slams Scotty. Stevens misses a springboard moonsault. Christopher gets tagged in and Douglas tags in, as well. Christopher cleans house with strikes and sends Douglas into Stevens face first. Christopher hits a sit down powerbomb on Stevens. Hotty returns to the match and hits a bulldog on Stevens. Scotty delivers the Worm to Stevens. Christopher leaps off the top to hit the Hip Hop Drop and pins Stevens as Douglas sat in the corner. (**. I enjoyed this more than I was expecting and I think a good portion of that was because the studio audience reacted really well to the action. It’s a formula tag match, but that’s all you need sometimes for an enjoyable bout.)

Match #2: Ricochet vs. Chuck Taylor – USWO 9/30/2005
Reason For Reviewing: Both guys are very young into their careers and have mostly been working for IWA-MS or lesser known companies in Indiana area. Obviously in 2023 they are both part of WWE and AEW respectively, but prior to that had significant runs on the indies. It’s cool to see them in a Memphis setting and to see how their styles translate.

Ricochet has a go-behind on Taylor, but Taylor quickly counters with a wrist lock. Taylor takes Ricochet down to the mat with some mat wrestling holds. Taylor gets out of a go-behind with a headlock. Taylor with a fireman’s carry and a full nelson. Ricochet is taken down to the mat where Taylor fights out and they have a standoff. Ricochet drop toe holds Taylor. Ricochet knocks Taylor down in the corner with a backflip followed by a splash for a two count. Ricochet delivers another kick for a near fall. Ricochet atomic drops Taylor and hits a standing shooting star press for a near fall. Taylor nails Ricochet with a big boot for a two count. Taylor knocks Ricochet off his feet with a chop for a near fall. Taylor continues with a dropkick, but Ricochet counters with a rollup for a near fall. Taylor locks in a modified Rings of Saturn. Taylor decks Ricochet with a short arm clothesline. Ricochet dropkicks Taylor over the top to the floor. Ricochet hits a slingshot hurricanrana on the floor.

Ricochet shoulder rams Taylor from the apron, but Taylor hits a powerbomb for a near fall. Taylor chops Ricochet in the corner to maintain the advantage. Taylor snapmares Ricochet followed by a few kicks to the back. Taylor double stomps Ricochet on the back of the head. Ricochet almost wins with a crossbody. Taylor hits a standing moonsault for a near fall. Ricochet delivers a heel kick for a near fall. Ricochet hits a tilt a whirl bulldog for a two count. Ricochet hammers away on Taylor in the corner, but is met with a superkick. Taylor hits a backbreaker and a flatliner. Taylor locks in a cobra clutch submission for the win. (***. That was a fun match with Ricochet showcasing his high flying ability to pop the crowd. Taylor did a good job, as well displaying impactful moves that weren’t high flying by any means. Anyway, a fun quick match.)

Match #3: PG-13 (Wolfie D & Jamie Dundee) vs. The New South (Kory Williams & Ashley Hudson) – NWA Worldwide 1/22/2000
Reason For Reviewing: In my CWA Memphis reviewing I haven’t reached when PG-13 debut and I’m excited for that when I eventually reach that point. So, to see them in 2000 is intriguing. I think they were doing shots for WCW, too. I am not familiar with the New South team, but they seem to be a top team in the area.

Wolfie and Hudson kickoff the tag match. Wolfie shoulder blocks Hudson followed by an arm drag and keeps arm control on the mat. Hudson powerslams Wolfie, but misses a clothesline and is met with a few clotheslines. Wolfie clotheslines Hudson to the floor. Dundee takes Williams down and the New South bail to the floor. Williams tries his luck against Wolfie and is met with right hands and a delayed vertical suplex to the mat. Dundee enters the match and dropkicks Williams as Wolfie hits a side Russian leg sweep. Wolfie returns to the match as PG-13 hits a double bulldog on Williams for a two count. Wolfie keeps a headlock on Williams as Dundee delivers a strike to the ribs and a double stomp for a two count. Wolfie delivers a strike from the top and a backdrop for a near fall.

Wolfie hip tosses Hudson to maintain control of the match with arm control. Wolfie kicks Hudson and Dundee enters, but Williams knee lifts Dundee from the apron allowing Hudson to deliver a DDT. Hudson uses the ropes for leverage to get a near fall. New South deliver a superkick/side Russian leg sweep on Dundee for a near fall. Williams chokes Dundee over the middle rope and Hudson gets a cheap shot in, as well. Williams scoop slams Dundee after taunting the crowd. Williams delivers an elbow drop to Dundee, but can’t keep Dundee down. Wolfie kicks Williams from the apron. Hudson gets involved and decks Dundee to the mat. Hudson legally tags back into the match. Hudson knocks Wolfie off the apron and works over Dundee, but runs into a boot in the corner. Dundee manages to tag in Wolfie and Wolfie cleans house with right hands. Wolfie slams both men.

All four men are in the ring until Dundee is sent to the floor. Dundee and Hudson hit each other with weapons and there is a double pin by Williams and Wolfie. The referee awards the match to PG-13. The New South attack after the bell. Hudson hits Wolfie and Dundee with his boomerang. (*1/2. The double pin spot was a little corny, but it’s Memphis so that’s to be expected. By the looks of it, these two teams would be meeting again for the tag titles. I’d consider this a fine teaser match to setup for the eventual tag title opportunity.)

Match #4: Marty Jannetty vs. Flash Flanagan – NWA Worldwide 1/22/2000
Reason For Reviewing: I’m not sure why, but I’m also interested in seeing Jannetty wrestler especially on the indie scene after his WWF run. Flanagan is an OVW guy and I remember him being praised for his in-ring ability.

Flanagan takes his time yelling at fans at ringside. Jannetty plays to the fans as Flanagan slowly gets back into the ring. Jannetty backs Flanagan into a corner, but cleanly backs off. They lockup with Flanagan getting a headlock for control. Flanagan keeps the headlock on by grabbing Marty’s hair. Jannetty works over Flanagan with strikes in the corner and grabs Flanagan’s hair to keep control until Flanagan bails to the floor. Marty catapults Flash across the ring and gets arm control on the mat. Marty counters a catapult attempt with a fist drop and keeps arm control on the canvas for a few moments. Flanagan works over Jannetty with an elbow strike, but Jannetty monkey flips Flanagan out of the corner. Flash kicks Marty a few times and misses a splash landing on the middle turnbuckle. Jannetty gets a two count on a cover attempt. Jannetty sends Flanagan into the corner and misses a splash hitting the top turnbuckle. Flanagan chokes Marty on the mat. Flanagan takes Jannetty over with a snap suplex. Flanagan hits a springboard twisting leg drop for a near fall.

Flanagan works over Jannetty over the apron with a strike to the chest a few times. Marty drops Flanagan over the top rope throat first. Jannetty decks Flanagan from the apron and continues with strikes. Flanagan connects with a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Marty fights out of a headlock, but is met with a clothesline. Jannetty counters a cocky pin for a near fall. Flanagan elbow drops Jannetty and delivers an elbow strike. Jannetty scoop slams Flanagan and leaps off the middle rope, but is met with a boot to the midsection. Flanagan has his feet on the ropes and argues with the referee. Jannetty almost wins with a rollup, but Flanagan decks Marty. Flanagan hits a springboard dropkick to knock Jannetty down. Jannetty elbows Flanagan and avoids a spear causing Flash to hit the post shoulder first. Jannetty hammers away on Flanagan several times followed by an overhand strike. Jannetty elbow strikes Flanagan and a backdrop for a near fall. Marty knee lifts Flanagan for a two count. Flash atomic drops Marty out of the corner. Jannetty gets a crucifix for a near fall. Jannetty misses an elbow strike in the corner. Jannetty drives Flanagan down to the mat face first and hits a superkick for a near fall. Flanagan rolls through a rollup and has a handful of tights to win the match. After the match, Jannetty clotheslines Flanagan over the top to the floor. (*1/2. I was a bit surprised by how slow of a match this one was. I was expecting more of a fast pace bout, but instead they went with more of a wrestling feel and it lacked any big spots to pop the crowd.)

That wraps up the fourth installment. Thanks for reading.