Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter Back-issue Flashback
USA Wrestling Review
February 2, 2002
Nashville, Tenn. at the Fairgrounds
Report by Larry Goodman

Promoter Bert Prentice opened the show by introducing Jim Cornette and Scott Hudson as his new announcing team. The announcing duo is scheduled to be at upcoming TV tapings, which are held monthly on the first and third Saturdays.

(1) Chase Stevens beat Lucky West (w/K–9 Kohl). West is a good heel and drew good heat from the crowd. In the end, Stevens caught West with a superkick and followed up with a frogsplash for the win. A strong opener, which the crowd was into from start to finish.

(2) Big Bully Douglas beat T.J. Gray. In the year 2002, it’s no longer a problem for a guy (Gray) with two nipple rings and another in his belly button to be a babyface in Nashville. Late in the match, Mike Rapada pulled Gray’s leg out from underneath him during a suplex attempt, causing Douglas to fall onto Gray for the win.

(3) Malia Hosaka beat Leilani Kai with a huracanrana. It’s hard to believe there is an unsigned female wrestler in the U.S. that is better than Hosaka. She can really work and being in there with a veteran like Kai didn’t hurt.

(4) Bart Sawyer beat Rod Biggs (w/Athena) in a dog collar match. Before the match, Sawyer brought out heavy duty dog collars, similar to the ones used by Roddy Piper and Buzz Sawyer back in the Omni days. This was a surreal hardcore mess of a match. In the end, babyface Sawyer touched all four corners to win the match. Afterward, Biggs hung Sawyer over the ropes with the dog collar.

(5) Cassidy O’Reilly beat Mike Rapada (w/Pimp Daddy E). Before the match, Rapada hilariously asked O’Reilly if they could be friends like they were back in the days when they used to go up and down the roads together spending O’Reilly’s money. In the end, O’Reilly caught Rapada in a backslide for the win.

(6) Chris Harris beat Ashley Hudson to retain the USA Title. In the end, Harris hit a flying bodypress onto the heel Hudson for the win.

(7) James Storm fought Rick Michaels to a no–contest in a TLC match. The match of the night. that featured tables, ladders, and chairs as advertised. These two killed each other while taking one big bump after another.

(8) Jerry Lawler (w/Joanie) beat David Flair. I’ve seen a lot of Lawler matches over the last few years and he really brought his working shoes for this one. Both wrestlers received big pops during their intros. Flair took the mic and said that his father taught him more about wrestling than Lawler ever dreamed of. Later, Flair suckerpunched Lawler while the ref tried to break a hold. Later, Lawler piledrove Flair, but didn’t let it end there. Lawler piledrove Flair two more times and pinned him. Lawler then said he brought his cell phone so that Flair could call his mom and dad.

[Torch photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch.com]

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