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KELLER'S NWA-TNA PPV REPORT
APRIL 2, 2003
LIVE FROM NASHVILLE, TENN.
-Mike Tenay and Don West introduced the program. Tenay announced that Jeff Jarrett would defend against D-Lo and Kid Kash would defend the X Title against Jerry Lynn.
-Glen Gilbertti stood in the ring and tried to talk D-Lo into joining SEX. "Jeff Jarrett is an egomaniacal, great wrestler, but he's not as good as he thinks he is." He said Jarrett is only a "good guy" because he wrestles in his hometown in Nashville. A.J. Styles came out and attacked Gilbertti. They brawled for several minutes. Gilbertti held his own and actually ended up manhandling Styles. "Who is this Glen Gilbertti?!" screamed West. "Holy cow!" Raven then entered the ring and sat in the corner and watched. Several members of TNA security then ran out and break up Gilbertti and Styles. West said it was Gilbertti who put Styles through a table enabling Raven to become no. 1 contender, but then Gilbertti in essence gave up Raven's earned no. 1 contender status to D-Lo. After security helped Styles out of the ring, Raven and Gilbertti exchanged words. D-Lo then ran out and went nose-to-nose with Raven. The Harris Brothers and Sonny Siaki ran out to the ring to attempt to restore order. West said Raven had reason to be upset, but he was injured and couldn't take advantage of his no. 1 contender status.
-A taped interview aired with Mike Tenay sitting between Konnan and Jerry Lynn. Tenay said originally it was supposed to be an interview just with Lynn. Konnan said when he saw that, he wanted to be present to give his side. He said the cruiserweight and X Divisions are just renamed lucha libre styles. Lynn said he and Sean Waltman used to sit around watching tapes of the luchadors in Mexico because they wanted to get better. He said they had a chance to go to Universal Pro in Japan. Tenay said the X Division is just an extension of lucha libre. Konnan said that Tenay never gave props to lucha libre until he got there. Lynn said he has respect from lucha libre wrestlers and he loves to wrestle luchadors. Tenay asked about the mystery luchador. Konnan said he respects Lynn more because of what he said. Konnan said he was behind the interference last week from a mystery wrestler, but he handed Lynn the outfit as a gesture to say he wouldn't do it again. Lynn then shifted to talking about getting an X Division title shot later.
-They went live to Goldy who interviewed Raven, saying he would get his title shot soon, but he didn't know whether it would be against D-Lo or Jarrett. Raven talked about his difficult childhood being a burden that "would crush most men, but I thrive on adversity." He said it's hard to put into words what a crushing burden he's gone through. Somebody heckled him and Raven yelled at him and told him he was in the middle of saying something important. He said the people of Nashville are such trash. "I have a destiny, damn you, people! I am going to be NWA World Hvt. Champion and I don't give a damn if it's Jeff Jarrett or D-Lo Brown. Show me the respect I deserve."
1 -- "WILDCAT" CHRIS HARRIS vs. BRIAN LAWLER
Lawler got in an early bodyslam and began screaming in celebration in a scene out of Deliverance. Harris ended up quickly out-wrestling him including a flying clothesline rebounding off the ropes. Lawler took over at 2:10 with an eye rake, but Harris moved out of the path of his crossbody block. harris then hit his own cross bodyblock from the top rope for a two count. Lawler again took over with a choke. Harris came back and Lawler pinned after a DDT, but Flair distracted the ref. Flair held up the NWA Title belt, but Harris reversed Lawler into it and scored a two count. Harris then gave Lawler the Catatonic finisher, but Flair again distracted the ref. A frustrated Harris knocked Flair off the ring apron. Lawler then nailed Harris with the title belt and scored a three count.
WINNER: Lawler at 6:57.
STAR RATING: **1/4 -- Good match. The finish surprised me as I expected Harris to be given some singles momentum, but this loss gives him reason to seek revenge against Flair and Lawler in the future as he builds up his singles rep before moving to main event title shots down the line.
-After the match Lawler and Flair double-teamed Harris. Lawler gave Harris a legdrop off the top rope. Dusty Rhodes came out and gave them a double clothesline and bionic elbows. Dusty didn't get much of a pop for his bionic elbows, but he did get a pop when he grabbed the NWA belt back. It's nice to see how TNA (despite Russo's belief that it's just a worthless prop) is building up the prestige and value of the title belts. Lawler snuck up behind Dusty and yanked the belt out of his hands. Lawler and Flair then bailed out to ringside. Dusty gave Flair a hard time for stealing his dad's belt. He equated it to stealing from Babe Ruth or Muhammed Ali's trophy cases. Dusty said once Fritz Von Erich had his head in a claw hold and it took him out, but he vowed some day he would come back and earn it. He said he didn't want to be a daddy's boy (prompting Flair to cover Lawler's ears; the dynamic between Flair and Lawler is fun). Fans began a "Daddy's Boy" chant. Dusty asked the crowd if they'd be his posse. Lawler said he couldn't get posse if his life depended on it. Dusty said he may be an old man, but he's gotten plenty of posse. Lawler said: "You said it right, old man, but you forgot to add fat." Dusty sarcastically said: "Oh, that hurts." Lawler said it hurts Dusty deep down that he's walking around with the NWA Title belt which has "so much nostalgia back when you meant something." He said Dusty is old news and he is the present and future. "Possession is nine-tenths of the law," Lawler said. Dusty challenged him to a bunkhouse match. Lawler mocked the fans' "Dusty" chant. "Do you think I'm stupid," Lawler said. He added that he would be more than happy to give him a shot at the belt, but only under his stips. Dusty said anything he wants. Lawler said next week he can have a shot at the belt in a ladder match. Dusty seemed a little taken aback by that stip. "I would pay thousands of dollars to get to see Dusty Rhodes try to climb a ladder," Lawler said. "How about it, Dusty?" Dusty accepted. Tenay wondered if Dusty was thinking right.
-Goldy interviewed Perry Saturn and Sandman backstage. Saturn said SEX can't join a revolution after the war has already been fought. He said it takes great nerve to call themselves extreme. James Mitchell entered the scene and said he wouldn't supply them with a partner for the six-man tag match later. Tenay wondered who would be the partner.
2 -- TRINITY vs. ALEXIS LAREE
Tenay acknowledged that it was strange to see Trinity wrestling without Kid Kash at ringside. The crowd was behind Trinity, but Alexis dominated the early minutes. Trinity came back at 5:00 and went to the top rope, but Laree then knocked her off the top rope. Trinity shoved Laree off the top rope and went for her moonsault. Laree moved and Trinity landed with a thud. Raven came out at 6:00 and sat in the corner inside the ring. That prompted Kid Kash to come out. Trinity then flattened Laree and scored the clean pin. Raven gave Trinity a DDT after the match. Kash didn't intervene, but instead just walked off, officially turning heel. Raven then dragged Laree away with him, leaving Trinity in the ring alone.
WINNER: Trinity at 6:35.
STAR RATING: *1/2
-Goldy interviewed Jeff Jarrett. She said some people have been saying he's been acting differently lately. Jarrett said he didn't want rumor b.s., he wanted names. Goldy said "some of the boys" told her. Jarrett snapped and said, "Oh, you've been around a few months and all of a sudden you're going to throw around insider terminology." She brought up how he said he was at a charity event, but then interfered and attacked everyone last week. Jarrett grabbed her by the throat and said it's not beneath him to kick her ass if she kept it up. Strange segment.
3 -- PERRY SATURN & SANDMAN & NEW JACK vs. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS & RON & DON HARRIS
New Jack is the first "TNA surprise of the week." He came out with a trash can lid and bashed the SEX team in the head. West said it's like they've travelled back in time. They brawled in the ring and at ringside. New Jack climbed onto the railing in the stands and was going to leap onto Saturn, but Brian Lee shoved him off. Jack fell through a table. Lee then beat up Harris, too, showing they weren't taking sides with each team. Back in the ring, Saturn gave Harris a German suplex into a bridge, but Harris yanked Harris out of the ring. Slash brought a chair into the ring, but Saturn kicked it into him. Saturn then gave Harris his Death Valley Driver for the win.
WINNERS: Saturn & Saturn & New Jack at 4:55.
STAR RATING: * -- Pretty much a typical unhinged brawl, but nothing special.
After the match, Mike Barton, identified by Tenay as the former Bart Gunn in the WWF, then attacked Perry Saturn.
-Goldy asked Kash how, after all of the help Trinity has given him, he could turn his back on her. Kash said her place is in the corner, not "taking it upon herself to get herself over and stand in the spotlight." Kash said his responsibility from now on is to show her where her place is. There was strange shouting in the background. Someone yelled, "What I want to know is where the hell were you?" Tenay said it sounded like Chris Harris yelling at James Storm for not being there for him. It was a nice touch how they didn't make it seem obvious they were trying to catch the argument, but instead they just happened over barely overhear it. It made it seem realistic rather than put-on, which adds to the ability to suspend disbelief and get emotionally wrapped up in what's going on (a notion seemingly completely foreign to Vince and Stephanie McMahon).
4 -- SONNY SIAKI vs. DAVID YOUNG
Siaki hit a split-legged moonsault and scored a two count at 2:00. Each wrestler used the other's finisher against each other for two counts. Young missed a moonsault at 3:30. Siaki then went for the Siakilypse, but Young escaped. Young then scored the pin with a Magistral Cradle. The announcers sold it as a big upset.
WINNER: Young at 4:00.
STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Good, but pretty short.
-After the match, Siaki went berserk and attacked Young from behind. Athena handcuffed Desire to the ringpost and Siaki to the corner. Young then uncuffed Desire and gave her a spinebuster. Tenay said it was "payback for a week ago." Siaki went nuts, still cuffed to the rope in the corner, unable to help.
-A video feature aired on Ron "The Truth" Killings including Mabel's debut.
5 -- RON KILLINGS vs. ELIX SKIPPER
Killings flew over the top rope onto Skipper at ringside with a nice bodyblock. Skipper took over offense during the body of the match. Killings teased a comeback at ringside, but Skipper moved out of his path and he crotched himself over the ringside barrier. Back in the ring, Skipper hit a missile dropkick off the top rope at 6:20 for a near fall. Both men were down and exhausted at 7:00, slow to rise. Killings threw the first punch from his knees. He followed with several more punches and an upper cut and forearms to Skipper's chest. After a good minute of back and forth action, Killings finished Skipper with a sitout powerbomb suplex. After the match Mabel came out and splashed both Skipper and Daniels in the corner.
WINNER: Killings at 9:00.
STAR RATING: **3/4 -- Good action from start to finish in the match.
-A home video aired of Erik Watts cutting a promo on Jeff Jarrett with Brian Erlacker sitting around on a couch. Another video aired with Watts with Neil McCoy and Ira Dean. Another video aired with Watts hanging out with Mark Rypien and Jim McMahon at a bar. Finally, another video aired of Watts with Jim Daly.
-West began yelling about next week's line-up including Dusty vs. Lawler, some big NASCAR news, and Sandman & New Jack vs. The Harris Brothers in a match with weapons stashed all over the arena.
6 -- KID KASH vs. JERRY LYNN -- X Title match.
Good to see an X Title match back near the top of the card again. Jeremy Borash did ring introductions for this match which gave it a "big fight" feel. Tenay said without Trinity at ringside we'd find out if Kash was up to the task. Kash was limping with a bad knee, acknowledged by the announcers. Kash offered a handshake, but Lynn was about to shake his hand, he gave him a poke to the eyes. Kash gave Lynn a huracanrana off the apron to the floor, but came up favoring his knee even more. Back in the ring Lynn came back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a near fall at 6:20. After some back and forth action, Lynn hit a legdrop off the ropes for another near fall at 9:22. Lynn powerbombed Kash for another near fall at 9:35. A guy in a black Venom bodysuit attacked Lynn with a DDT, leading to Kash's win. Tenay and West assumed it was Konnan's doing.
WINNER: Kid Kash at 11:45.
STAR RATING: ***1/4 -- Really good action.
-A video packaged aired on the D-Lo vs. Jeff Jarrett feud.
7 - JEFF JARRETT vs. D-LO BROWN - NWA Hvt. Title match.
D-Lo attacked Jarrett just as he was coming out of the locker room. They brawled for several minutes in the aisle and around the crowd and toward the secluded SEX locker room. Glen Gilbertti interfered briefly against Jarrett. D-Lo dragged Jarrett to ringside and rammed his forehead into the stairs. In the ring D-Lo stomped away at Jarrett in the corner. Jarrett began his comeback at 4:00. Gilbertti yanked a chair out of Jarrett's hands from behind. D-Lo then quickly DDT'd Jarrett on the mat on the floor. In the ring D-Lo applied a sleeper. Jarrett began fading. Jarrett's arm dropped twice, but of course not a third time. That spot is a bit "too '80s Hulk Hogan" for my taste these days. Apparently to the crowd, too, since they didn't pop. Jarrett fought back with punched and then swung D-Lo into the ropes. Instead of a big boot, he hit a back bodydrop. Then instead of a legdrop, he hit a big dropkick. D-Lo came back with a kick to the gut and gave Jarrett a Stroke (which looked really sloppy as Jarrett seemed to be overprotecting himself). Jarrett gave D-Lo a Low Down for a two count. Jarrett then stood on the second rope and punched away at D-Lo. Gilbertti entered the ring and gave Jarrett a reverse DDT. D-Lo made the cover, but Jarrett kicked out at two. Jarrett caught a charging D-Lo with an elbow and then followed with a top rope bodyblock, but he took the ref down when D-Lo moved out of the way. Glen Gilbertti then distracted Jarrett as Mike Sanders (oh, how we missed him so much on this show) nailed Jarrett with a title belt. D-Lo made the cover. The groggy ref made a slow two count before Jarrett lifted his shoulder for a mild pop. Jarrett ducked a D-Lo clothesline attempt. On the rebound, each clotheslined the other. Both men were down at 9:00. Raven entered the ring and sat in the corner. As the ref yelled at him, Sanders attempted to kick Jarrett, but he kicked D-Lo instead. Jarrett then hit the stroke for the win. Raven then squared off with Jarrett in the ring after the match as SEX members surrounded the ring. Alexis Laree entered the ring. Jarrett nailed her with a chair as the show abruptly ended.
WINNER: Jeff Jarrett at 9:45.
STAR RATING: *** -- Good match, although not a show-stealer by any means.
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