NWA Wildside TV
Date: 5/13/2000
From: Cornelia, GA
Steve Martin and Al Getz promote the show, which features New South vs. Bad Attitude and the debut of Ricky Noble. Bill Behrens enter the scene and says the Cole Brothers will be wrestling in place of New South because New South is working for WCW.
Opening Contest: Steve Skyfire vs. Rusty Riddle: Skyfire drops Riddle to the mat following strikes. Riddle strikes Skyfire to gain the advantage and delivers a scoop slam. Riddle comes off the ropes to deliver a knee drop. Riddle keeps control with a wrist lock and works over Skyfire with strikes over the arm before locking in an arm bar. Riddle knee drops Skyfire while having a hammerlock locked in. Riddle goes to the top rope, but is crotched by Skyfire. Skyfire springboard back elbows Riddle to the floor. Riddle catches Skyfire on a baseball slide and crotches Skyire into the ring post. Riddle sends Skyfire into the ring post shoulder first to maintain the advantage. Riddle rolls Skyfire into the ring where Skyfire delivers a dropkick. Skyfire slams Riddle to the mat and plays to the crowd. Skyfire elbow drops Riddle followed by a crossbody for a two count. Riddle powerslams Skyfire for a near fall. Riddle pummels Skyfire on the mat with right hands. Skyfire boots Riddle and tries for a double under hook, but Riddle breaks free. Skyfire tries for a handspring back elbow, but Skyfire hits the referee on accident. Riddle plants Skyfire with a DDT, but there’s no referee. Riddle tries for a slam, but Skyfire counters with an inside cradle for the win. (*1/2. Skyfire is decent in the ring, but Riddle does nothing for me.)
Scottie Wrenn is in the ring to cut a promo and tells the fans they all suck. Wrenn demands the fans show him respect. Wrenn is looking for his deserved shot at the Wildside Heavyweight Championship held by Stone Mountain. Wrenn will go through Shank tonight to get his hands on Stone Mountain.
Outside, Jeff G. Bailey is with the NWA Elite and says that Stone Mountain is dead meat. Bailey shows off the cars people drive when you’re part of the NWA Elite. Bailey insults David Young and the whole NCW team including JC Dazz, Jorge Estrada and Romeo Bliss. Bailey calls Jesse Taylor a loser who can’t win any matches. Bailey promises the NCW is getting beaten one by one. Terry Knight, Onyx and Eddie Golden are the members of the group.
Second Contest: Silky Boom-Boom vs. Ricky Noble: Silky knee lifts Noble followed by strikes. Noble arm drags Silky to gain arm control. Silky shoulder blocks Noble, but Noble monkey flips Silky followed by an arm drag. Noble works over Silky in the corner, but Silky hits a back suplex. Silky drops Noble with a right hand to the mat. Silky shoulder rams Noble in the corner. Noble snapmares Silky followed by a springboard moonsault. Silky nails Noble with a right hand to the mat and chokes Noble for a moment. Silky elbows Noble to the mat as the show goes to commercial. Noble hits a float over DDT right after the commercial and pins Silky. (*. I’m wondering if the match was bad and they used the commercial to avoid airing all of it. The finishing move was executed well, at least.)
Third Contest: Scottie Wrenn vs. Shank: Wrenn elbows Shank, but Shank takes Wrenn down to the mat and delivers a dropkick. Wrenn bails to the floor. Al Getz reveals they don’t have a business arraignment anymore. Shank dives over the ropes to take Wrenn out on the floor. Shank baseball slides Wrenn on the floor and they return to the ring. Wrenn drops Shank over the top rope and delivers a reverse DDT for a two count. Wrenn strikes Shank, but Shank delivers a suplex to stop Wrenn. Wrenn elbows Shank into the corner and baseball slides Shank on the groin. Wrenn leaps off the ropes to take Shank out with a crossbody to the floor. Wrenn rolls Shank into the ring to continue the match. Wrenn knee strikes Shank and gouges Shank’s face. Wrenn clotheslines Shank coming off the ropes. Shank chops Wrenn, but is stopped by an eye rake. Wrenn clubs Shank to the mat. Wrenn leg drops Shank on the groin and covers for a two count. Shank chops Wrenn several times and decks Wrenn with a clothesline. Shank kicks Wrenn in the corner and chokes Wrenn over the middle rope. Wrenn slams Shank and heads to the top rope. Wrenn misses a swanton bomb attempt. Shank powerbombs Wrenn, but Timber is at ringside. Timber whacks Shank with the chair allowing Wrenn to hit a springboard twisting leg drop for the win. After the match, Timber attacks Shank alongside Wrenn. Stone Mountain enters the ring and makes the save. Mountain plants Wrenn with a chokebomb. (*1/2. Wrenn is a good first opponent for Stone Mountain. I’m not surprised by Shank getting screwed over by Timber as a rematch between them is a the right direction.)
Wildside Heavyweight Champion Stone Mountain cuts a promo in the ring telling Scottie Wrenn he should be careful for what he wishes for because he’ll hunt down Wrenn and destroy him.
Main Event: AJ Styles vs. Wildside TV Champion Eddie Golden: Golden and Styles trade wrist locks and hammerlocks at the start of the bout. Styles elbows free and sends Golden into the ropes, but Golden shoulder blocks Styles. Golden takes Styles over with a fireman carry, but Styles responds with an arm drag. Styles keeps arm control on the mat. Styles is met with elbows. Golden misses a clothesline and is met with a dropkick and arm drag. Styles keeps an arm bar on Golden. Golden backs Styles into the corner to deliver a knee lift. Styles sends Golden into the corner and dropkicks Golden followed by a clothesline. Styles covers, but Golden kicks out at two. Golden drives Styles down with a double leg slam and a knee drop to the groin. Golden keeps Styles on the mat with a sleeper. Styles elbows Golden but runs into an elbow strike. Golden throws Styles under the ropes to the floor. Jeff G. Bailey stomps Styles on the floor a few times. Golden drops Styles over the ropes and Styles falls off the apron onto the railing. Styles sunset flips Golden for a two count. Golden decks Styles with a lariat. Golden scoop slams Styles and heads to the top rope. Golden is met with a boot after leaping off. Styles superkicks Golden into the corner and clotheslines Golden in the corner. Styles accidentally clotheslines the referee. Golden heads to the top rope, but Styles dropkicks Golden. Styles hits a middle rope flatliner and covers, but there’s no referee. Steve Martin slides into the ring to count the fall, but Styles gets off of Golden. Styles kicks Steve Martin and drops Martin with a Flatliner! Styles and Bailey stomp Martin. Styles baseball slides Martin. Jorge Estrada slides into the ring and talks to Styles, but Styles drops Estrada with a Flatliner. Rick Michaels enters the ring with a chair to make the heels leave the ring. (*1/2. There wasn’t much to the match action wise. I’m a bit confused by even having the match if the ultimate goal was to have Styles turn and align with Bailey anyway. I don’t know if Styles turning heel is the best decision from a business standpoint. AJ seemed like the ideal babyface to combat Bailey and the NWA Elite. Off the top of my head, that leaves Bad Attitude, Stone Mountain and JC Dazz as probably the core babyfaces to feud with Bailey’s group. It’s a shocking turn and I’m interested to see where they go, but initially I’m not thinking it will be a good direction.)
Outside, Jeff G. Bailey is talking to AJ Styles saying the turn was great and they planned it perfectly. Styles says it feels great to be on the winning team now. Styles has a much more cocky attitude. Styles gets in his new Corvette and drives off with Bailey.
Final Thoughts:
The main takeaway from this show is AJ Styles turning heel. Styles is one of the better workers in Wildside and his high flying offense is likely going to make it difficult to hate him. However, his attitude is coming across much similar to his TNA 2002 persona, and to an extent that got over as a heel despite his incredible in-ring ability. I’m conflicted on it here in Wildside, but I’ll give it a chance. It’s a major angle development.
Thanks for reading.