SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NWA POWER TV REPORT
OCTOBER 22, 2019
ATLANTA, GA. AT GPB STUDIOS
REPORT BY MICHAEL TAYLOR, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Announcers: Jim Cornette, Joe Galli
– The show opened with a video package recapping the events between Nick Aldis and Kamille over the last three weeks. Joe Galli announced that his last two attempts to investigate potential descension between the two have been considered confrontational. Galli closed by saying Aldis requested to only be asked about the NWA Heavyweight title going forward. “Into the Fire” began as the NWA Power intro video played.
-The camera panned the audience before landing on the announcers. Cornette and Galli were quickly interrupted by Eddie Kingston. Kingston stated that he and Homicide would have another shot at the NWA Tag Team Championships due to The Dawson’s outside interference last week. He then challenged The Dawsons to a match and began intensely speaking directly into the camera. Kingston closed by stating the only thing he and Homicide had to live for was professional wrestling.
(Taylor’s Analysis: Kingston swore throughout the interview and was censored. This added intensity to an already heated promo, but I hope the show doesn’t rely on this trick too much in the future. I’m glad Kingston made it clear that The NWA granted he and Homicide another tag title match in the future, and that they wouldn’t be penalized because of the outside interference from The Dawsons. Perhaps the most notable part of this interview was Jim Cornette. Cornette looked like he was genuinely having fun to the point that he couldn’t help but smile. I’m sure the atmosphere reminds him of his prime.)
(1) MARTI BELLE vs. CRYSTAL ROSE
-The show returned to scheduled events as Marti Bell made her way to the ring. Formal introductions took place and the bell rang. Both women traded offense until Bell hit a hurricanrana. At this point, Cornette announced he received word from the production crew that The Dawsons would be responding to Kingston’s challenge after the match. Belle rallied and hit two running clotheslines. From there, Belle hit a Pearl River plunge for the victory.
WINNER: Marti Belle via pinfall
(Taylor’s Analysis: This was a very quick match to showcase Marti Belle. A brief follow-up interview after the match would have further established Belle and the women’s division.)
-The camera cut to announcer Josh Marquez who introduced The Dawsons. Marquez asked why The Dawsons interrupted the tag team title match last week. The crowd booed loudly as The Dawsons claimed they would fight anyone in the locker room, except for Kingston and Homicide. Both Dawsons smirked and the interview ended.
-A commercial aired for Into the Fire, the NWA’s first pay-per-view.
-A video package for the debut of Thunder Rosa aired.
-The show returned with Joe Galli attempting to introduce Tim Storm. Galli was interrupted by Arron Stevens who was dressed as a pirate. Stevens asked Galli to remind everyone that his no eye contact rule was still in effect. Stevens tried to silence the crowd before a “Captain Morgan!” chant broke out. Stevens announced he was there to promote his latest work called “Tropical Pirates”. He then threw to b-roll footage which included shots of him interacting with an unnamed female, an empty island, and a pirate ship. Stevens closed by saying when it came to acting, he had more chops than Ric Flair.
(Taylor’s Analysis: This still isn’t clicking for me, but I’m willing to give it a chance to develop. Stevens seems motivated to make it work which could make the difference. I think the gimmick is supposed to serve as a positive contrast to the serious tone of the show, but so far it feels out of place.)
-A commercial for the NWA 70 DVD aired.
-The show returned recapping the win of Nick Aldis over Tim Storm.
(2) CALEB KONLEY vs. DAN PARKER
-With Parker in the ring, Konley made his ring entrance. Formal introductions took place and the bell rang. Parker trash-talked Konley to start the match. Konley responded with a shove and then cinched in a headlock. After, Konley chopped Parker and hit a head scissors takedown from the corner. With parker on the mat, Konley hit a standing senton for a two count. Parker countered offense from Konley and hit a running knee. From there, Parker locked an abdominal stretch. Konley broke the hold and hit a suplex, followed by a springboard moonsault for the win.
WINNER: Caleb Konley via pinfall
(Taylor’s Analysis: Konley looked good in a short amount of time. The announcer’s talked about his quest to make a name for himself which added importance to his win.)
-The camera returned to Joe Galli in the interview booth. Galli introduced Tim Storm who entered to cheers from the audience. Galli asked Storm how he was feeling knowing he could never challenge for the NWA Heavyweight title again. Storm started by thanking both Nick Aldis and the NWA. A fan shouted, “We love you, Tim!”. Storm responded by saying not only did the fans still love him but “Mama Storm” did as well. A “Mama Storm!” chant broke out. He said he had hard decisions to make about his future. Eli Drake interrupted and said one loss shouldn’t cause Storm to second guess himself. Drake ran down former NWA champions and said Tim Storm is on the list of the greatest of all time. Drake said that he and Storm should challenge for the NWA Tag Titles. He also asked Storm to team with him later in the night against The Dawsons. Storm responded by saying he would consider Drake’s offer before walking away which drew boos from the crowd.
(Taylor’s Analysis: The idea of the younger wrestler helping a veteran find his way back to a title is a great story. The only downside is that Drake’s intentions are somewhat scattered since the first episode of Power. He has made challenges to two different champions in two consecutive weeks. I would like to see him commit to teaming with Storm to challenge for the tag titles. Doing so could lead to great matches as champions followed by great matches as opponents.)
-A parody commercial for Spiritual Advisor Invisible Hair Cream aired.
(Taylor’s Analysis: No, that was not a typo. I am now on a quest to see exactly what from the ’80s this was a parody of.)
-The show returned with a video package highlighting the brawl between James Storm and Jocephus. Jocephus was shown with a black trash bag in hand and whispering to Josh Marquez. Marquez announced that Jocephus would like to apologize directly to Storm and shake his hand. Colt Cabana made his way to ringside and took a black cowboy hat out of the trash bag. Jocephus took a beer out of the bag as Cabana put the hat on and pointed finger guns at the audience. Cabana and Jocephus shook hands before Jocephus threw white powder in Cabana’s eyes. James Storm then attacked Jocephus from behind and hit the last call. Storm was about to hit the last call on Cabana before Ken Anderson arrived and pulled Cabana out of the ring.
(Taylor’s Analysis: This segment felt very random. I have no idea why Cabana interjected himself here. His goody mannerisms and attempts at comedy brought the show down overall. There isn’t enough room for both Arron Stevens and Colt Cabana in the same show.)
-A commercial for the future NWA live events aired.
-The show returned with Joe Galli introducing Nick Aldis and Kamille. Aldis said the energy of the NWA was bringing out the best in the roster. He talked about who should be the next number one contender for his NWA Heavyweight title. The crowd began shouting suggestions to Storm. Storm agreed with the suggestions of Eli Drake and James Storm. When a fan shouted “Jocephus!”, Aldis said, “Well, we might have to see about that one” which drew laughs from the crowd. Aldis said he would look else ware if no one on the NWA roster stepped up. Galli then began asking more questions about the relationship between Storm and Kamille. The crowd started to boo Galli. Aldis said Kamille could speak whenever she wanted to and challenged Galli to ask her a question. Galli asked Kamille why she continued to stand by the side of Aldis. Kamille sneered at Galli and declined to speak before she and Aldis left the interview.
(Taylor’s Analysis: Aldis is one of the best talkers in the business right now. His improvised interactions with the audience are so refreshing, and his ability to present himself as a credible champion is second to none.)
-A video mysterious video package aired with a voice-over talking about “mother earth”. It ended with a question on the screen asking, “Who is The Mark?”
(3) ELI DRAKE & A MYSTER PARTNER vs. THE DAWSONS
-The show returned with Drake making his entrance. Tim Storm made his entrance, confirming that he would team with Drake in the match. The Dawsons entered the ring and the bell rang. Drake and Dave Dawson started the match. Drake hit a running clothesline followed by a running neck breaker. Dave tagged in Zane. With a series of quick tags, Drake and Storm kept control of the match. Zane backed storm in the corner with a bear hug and tagged in Dave Dawson who reapplied the bear hug. The crowd started another “Mama Storm!” chant. Zane tagged back in as Storm quickly made his way to his own corner and tagged Drake. The pace quickened and Drake hit a modified slam on Zane for a two count. Storm tagged back in but The Dawsons quickly took the advantage and hit their finisher for the win.
WINNERS: The Dawsons via pinfall.
-After the match, The Dawsons continued to beat down Tim Storm as Drake lay injured on the outside. Kingston and Homicide charged the ring as The Dawsons retreated. Nick Aldis entered the ring and tended to Tim Storm as the ending credits rolled.
(Taylor’s Analysis: Hopefully, this does not lead to immediate tension between Drake and Storm, as there is a great redemption story to be told with Drake at Storm’s side. The match itself was effective in continuing to establish The Dawsons as both vicious, yet cowardly heels.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a very promo heavy show, but not in a negative way. The commentary continues to be excellent, as does the presentation and pacing of the studio wrestling format. The comedy segments haven’t done any serious damage but should be kept to one per week. There also needs to be more time devoted to establishing the women’s division with longer matches and promos from the women’s roster. Overall, this was another solid and enjoyable watch.
Haven’t watched this episode yet… after reading this, I’m gonna try and sneak it in before NXT tonight.