Total Non-Stop Action presents Xplosion
Date: 3/15/2003
From: Nashville, TN
MATCH #1: SONNY SIAKI VS. CHRIS DIVINE
FINISH: Siaki wins following the Siakilypse Now.
Bob’s Take: Sonny must be giving Rocky Maivia vibes because they chanted “Rocky sucks” at the beginning of the match. Divine has appeared on TNA before teaming with Quiet Storm, so he’s one of the more seasoned indie guys. Divine did a dive to the floor and Siaki seemingly had no interest in catching him. Siaki hit a nice overhead suplex into the ring steps. There were a couple of times Divine landed on his neck dangerously. Divine made this a bit more competitive than I would have expected, but I didn’t mind that. Siaki sit down tombstone is a great finishing move. Divine held his own, and I thought this was a quality match for Xplosion.
Match Rating: **1/2
Bert Prentice snd Jeremy Borash talk about D’Lo Brown making his debut in TNA last week. Prentice suggests another top name could be making their debut next week in TNA, but doesn’t want to spill the beans.
MAIN EVENT: BRIAN LAWLER & DAVID FLAIR VS. TANK & SCOTTIE WRENN
FINISH: Late in the match, Tank hit a flatliner on Flair, but Lawler came off the top to hit the Hip Hop Drop for the win.
Bob’s Take: Tank and Wrenn are regulars from NWA Wildside. Lawler’s work as an obnoxious heel doesn’t seem to get the credit that it deserves. It feels like his work in Too Cool as the fun tag team is remembered more than any of his heel work, which is much more entertaining. I think it is a safe assumption that Lawler and Flair are not going to be a main event act if they’re having a tough time with Wildside guys on Xplosion. There was not much heat here aside from the crowd showing some homophobia towards Lawler, but even Tank and Wrenn weren’t given much opportunity to shine.
Match Rating: *
Final Thoughts:
A bit of a downer of an episode overall as the duo of Lawler and Flair isn’t connecting with me as a main event act and being on Xplosion likely means it’s not going to be a focus long-term. Divine vs. Siaki was a solid match, but nothing to go out of your way to see.
Thanks for reading.