NWA Wildside TV
Date: 6/17/2000
From: Cornelia, GA
Steven Prazak is backstage talking about the NWA Elite taking on the NCW in an eight man tag main event. The match will feature Bill Behrens.
Shank is at the pawn shop with the stolen championship he grabbed last week. Shank walks towards the entrance before going to commercial.
Opening Contest: Jesse Taylor vs. Mickie Richards: Taylor arm drags Richards to the mat and gets a two count with a rollup. Taylor plays to the crowd before they lockup and Taylor gains control with a headlock. Taylor shoulder blocks Richards and hits a sit down powerbomb. Taylor keeps Richards on the mat with an arm bar. Richards strikes Taylor and continues with elbow strikes. They trade right hands until Taylor hits a wheelbarrow front slam for a one count as Richards reaches the ropes. Taylor strikes Richards against the ropes, but Richards stops Taylor with a low blow and a knee lift. Richards drops Taylor throat first over the top rope and chokes Taylor over the middle rope. Richards knee drops Taylor followed by strikes. Richards strikes Taylor, but Taylor hits a twisting suplex for a near fall. Taylor elbow strikes Richards followed by a right hand. Richards strikes Taylor and rams Taylor into the corner followed by knee lifts. Richards strikes Taylor in the corner and misses a clothesline. Taylor hits a belly to belly suplex for the win. (*1/2. I like Taylor being presented as a worthwhile wrestler instead of the losing streak he was dealing with a few months ago.)
Back to the pawn shop where Shank goes into the shop to see how much the championship is worth. Shank greets the woman behind the counter and asks how much she’d give him for the championship. Shank says the championship is valued at over $25k. Shank needs $25k. The woman can’t provide that kind of money. Shank threatens to remove her kidney. The woman can offer him $500. Shank accepts the money and runs off.
Backstage, Luther Biggs walks up to a guy named Jason and talks about Big John Studd. Biggs says Jason needs help to spice his career up. Biggs offers a chance to join his group. Biggs asks if Jason is with him and he accepts the opportunity.
Second Contest: Smasher vs. Mic Tierney: Tierney shoves Smasher into the corner and delivers several body strikes. Smasher fights back with a few chops. Tierney clotheslines Smasher to regain control of the bout. Tierney backdrops Smasher coming off the ropes. Tierney clotheslines Smasher coming off the ropes. Tierney puts an arm bar on Smasher, but Big Ron Studd comes out and chokeslams Tierney to cause a disqualification. Studd chokes Tierney as Luther Biggs enters the ring. Alton puts a leg lock on Tierney as Studd knocks down security. (NR. This fell flat for the most part.) After the match, Tierney recovers and decks various security guys because he’s pissed.
WOW Magazine segment hosted by Bill Apter is next. Apter addresses rumors about Dusty Rhodes hinting at an announcement to be made on his segment. Apter teases that it could happen, but it is not something that would change the landscape of pro wrestling. Apter shows an interview with DDP who talks about chatting with Pillman on the phone when Pillman left WCW. DDP says they lost touch due to them getting busy. DDP recalls the last time they talked which was the week Pillman died. That’s depressing.
Sean Royal and Rusty Riddle cut a promo saying they are coming to kick ass. Their team name is Total Destruction.
Shank is at a pay phone with his $500. Shank is pissed about having to spend 35 cents on a pay phone and hits the phone to get change out and make the call. Shank needs a catholic boy to his location and walks off.
Main Event: NWA Elite (AJ Styles, Eddie Golden, Onyx & Bill Behrens vs. Team NCW (Rick Michaels, David Young, Stone Mountain & JC Dazz): Dazz and Onyx start the match with Dazz hitting Onyx with a kick to the head. Onyx tags out to Styles. Styles slowly enters the ring. Dazz gets in Styles face, but Styles strikes Dazz and delivers a few kicks out of the corner. Styles drops Dazz with a right hand. Dazz avoids Styles offense and they miss moonsault and splashes. They have a standoff and get an applause from the crowd. Styles shoulder blocks Dazz, but Dazz powerslams Styles causing Styles to bail to the floor. Golden tags into the match as Michaels enters as well. Michaels strikes Golden followed by a hip toss and arm drag. Michaels backdrops Golden followed by another arm drag to keep control. Young enters the match and kicks Golden as the show goes to commercial.
Onyx splashes onto Michaels knee from the top rope. Michaels breaks free from Onyx with a jawbreaker. Styles tags in and back splashes Michaels. Behrens tags into the match and works over Michaels in the corner with strikes before tagging in Golden. Golden drives Michaels onto the mat several times. Jeff G. Bailey cheap shots Michaels as the referee is distracted. Styles knocks Michaels to the floor where Michaels is attacked once again. There are two referees in this match and they still miss interference. Styles strikes Michaels hitting a vertical suplex for a two count. Styles tags in Onyx to keep control of the match. Onyx splashes onto Michaels knee. Behrens stomps Michaels while the referee is out of position. Michaels stops Onyx with a forearm strike. Styles gets the tag and stops Michaels from tagging out. Styles puts a half Boston Crab on Michaels, but doesn’t get a submission. Michaels low blows Styles, but Golden enters the match and knee drops Michaels. Michaels kicks Golden into the corner where Behrens gets knocked to the floor. Behrens gets back on the apron and tags in to work over Michaels knee. Styles enters to continue to work over Michaels knee.
Michaels sunset flips Styles and pulls down Styles trunks for a two count. Styles stops Michaels with a dropkick. Onyx yanks on Michaels knee. Onyx covers for a two count. Behrens leg drops Michaels and Styles returns to the match. Styles uses a homophobic slur and suplexs Michaels. Styles hits a swanton bomb off the top rope for a two count. Behrens puts a figure four on Michaels, but doesn’t get a submission. Michaels counters, but Styles attacks Michaels to make the save. Team NCW enter the ring and everyone begins to brawl. Behrens grabs the tennis racket. Mountain decks Onyx to the floor and they brawl. Scottie Wrenn and Terry Knight come out and get involved. The referee has thrown the match out. After the match, Stone Mountain is handcuffed to the ropes. Wrenn hits Mountain with a chair shot. Steve Martin enters with a chair and whacks Rick Michaels! The fans are throwing garbage into the ring. Martin has turned heel and joined the NWA Elite. The fans are flooding the ring with trash. The mat is covered in liquids. Mountain has been busted open. Behrens reveals that Martin is the new COO. Martin tells Michaels he brought Michaels into the business and can take him out. Martin chokes Michaels with a chair. Martin says “if you can’t beat them, join them” and embraces Styles. Michaels is left a bloody mess to end the show. (*1/2. The aftermath is very good. Michaels working the majority of the match makes a lot more sense considering the aftermath. The crowd responded very well to Martin turning heel and it came across as a big moment for Wildside.)
Final Thoughts:
The major development coming out of this show is Steve Martin turning heel. Martin is a hated figure amongst most Wildside fans, and now they can truly boo him and it means much more than heckling a unlikeable babyface. Martin turning sides is a good move, but Michaels is now feuding with essentially two non-workers in Martin and Behrens. They’ll need to attach a wrestler to them for a direct feud and it would likely elevate that worker into the main event scene. I’d imagine Styles is the likely wrestler to eventually pivot to a feud with Michaels. I also wouldn’t be surprised if David Young turned on Michaels, too.
Thanks for reading.