NWA-TNA PPV #21 review
November 13, 2002
Live from Nashville, Tenn.
Report by Gregg Allinson, Torch Team Contributor

Show starts with Goldylocks singing the National Anthem. Let's just say I doubt Lillian Garcia's losing any sleep.

After the credits, Professor Mike Tenay and Major Don West talk about tonight's show. Tenay is very surprised that he hasn't heard anything from Mr. Wrestling III yet. Then graphics for Brian Lawler vs. Jorge Estrada, Kid Kash vs. Jerry Lynn, and Jeff Jarrett vs. Syxx-Pac. Only one of these matches would actually take place on the program!

Mortimer Plumtree accompanies AJ Styles (who's wearing street clothes) to the ring. Styles says that the Kid Kash vs. Jerry Lynn match won't happen. Plumtree explains that in every contract that's been signed since Styles joined up with Plumtree, there's an automatic rematch clause, which means AJ Styles gets a title shot tonight. Jerry Lynn comes out, says that Kid Kash busted his ass to get a title shot and that he's talked to the NWA officials and gotten their permission to make the match a three way dance: AJ Styles vs. Jerry Lynn vs. Kid Kash.

Girls/Scroll. Tenay mentions that all of the proceeds of tonight's show are going to the Tennessee Disaster Relief Fund.

(1) EZ Money defeated Tony Mamaluke: I've always thought Money had a better look (and name) as Jason Jett. If he's a face now (and it appears he is), they should use that persona instead, in my opinion. Nice little match, including a great bit where EZ laid on his back and kicked Mamaluke straight up into the air and another cool spot where EZ dropkicked Mamaluke as he was jumping off the top rope. Money won with the "Cha-Ching", which basically starts off like a suplex, but ends with Money just kind of tossing his opponent to the floor. Pretty good stuff.

Scroll/Girls: The Professor hypes the NWATNA.com overhaul.

(2) Sonny Siaki defeated Chris Vaughn: Surprisingly, Tenay said nothing about Vaughn's background. Total squash, with Siaki going over with the Siakilypse.

"Earlier today", Goldylocks talks to Grandmaster Lawler backstage. We hear some very loud moaning in another room, and Lawler breaks in to find April showing (and yes, she was topless, albeit with soap barely covering the naughty bits). Oddly enough, Bruce was hiding in the shower too. Afterwards, Tenay and West try to figure out what he was doing there.

On the entrance ramp, Minister James Mitchell talks about how there's been a lot of debate about the merits of sports entertainment and the merits of traditional wrestling. The Disciples of the New Church are neither sports entertainers nor traditional wrestlers, but pure evil, and the nature of evil is constantly shifting. Mitchell introduces Belladonna, a pretty cute Goth girl, as the newest member of the Disciples, then re-introduces MALICE!

(3) Malice (w/Minister James Mitchell and Belladonna) defeated Kaos: Same story as the last match, except Malice toyed with Kaos (which actually sounds like a New Church name if you ask me) by chokeslamming him and then standing up at the two-count. Finally, Malice does a legdrop off the top rope to put Kaos out of his misery.

Girls/Scroll: Tenay hypes NWA Wildside and a card from NWA Hawaii at the Honolulu Hard Rock Caf�. The Major and the Professor both offer their services to NWA Hawaii.

(4) Grandmaster Lawler (w/April) defeated Jorge Estrada (w/Priscilla): Lawler stands on the announcer's table and asks why everyone's snickering at him and what was on the video. April denies that there was anything on the video.

Near the end of the match, Lawler starts rifling through April's purse and tries to hit Estrada with it. Estrada ducks, puts it on Lawler's neck, then does a second rope legdrop on Lawler as he's standing. April distracts Estrada, but then Priscilla and her get into a catfight. As Estrada watches the fight, Lawler hits Estrada with a low blow and rolls him up for the pin, then tosses Priscilla off of April.

Scroll/Girls: Hype for tag team matches, Amazing Red vs. Jimmy Yang.

Goldylocks talks to Jeff Jarrett, who complains about being held down and says that for whatever reason, Syxx-Pac wasn't there, so he gets a bye in the World title tournament. Then a graphic of the tourney brackets air.

(5) The Amazing Red defeated Jimmy Yang to become the #1 contender to the NWA X-Title: Yang has Monty Brown (and Ace Steel)'s old music going, as well as some swanky new non-Elvis duds. Red continues to impress, as he did this crazy twist into a headscissors takedown and wrapped his legs around Yang's head and stretched his arm out. Yang was also impressive, as he wrapped his legs around Red's head and stretched him out on the ropes, Tarantula-style. Red won with the Infra-Red to get a shot at the winner of the X-Title match.

Girls/Scroll: Tenay and West talk about the last match.

Goldylocks is talking to BG James when out comes Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett wishes James luck and offers his hand for a handshake, but James refuses it. Jarrett keeps on saying he's sincere, and finally, James shakes his hand and gets attacked until security hauls Jeff Jarrett off.

(6) The SAT (Jose and Joel Maximo) defeated The Rainbow Express (Lenny and Bruce) to advance in a mini-Tournament for the NWA Tag Team Titles: Much like last week, the Rainbow Express use the tried and true method of getting heel heat by stalling and hugging each other. There's all sorts of wacky gay hijinks in this match, including a part where Lenny tries pinning Joel, but the referee stops counting because Bruce in behind him in a position that looks very much like he's ready to have anal sex and the other tried and true heel heat tactic of having tag wrestlers "accidentally" end up in a 69 position. They also furthered the "Lenny wants to be Miss TNA" angle by having him pull down the ropes so that Bruce went flying out of the ring. Mercifully, the SAT won with a Spanish Fly.

Goldylocks talks to Bullet Bob Armstrong to clarify Don Harris's status with the company. Bob says that he's fired as head of security, but still allowed to compete as a wrestler.

(7) The Harris Brothers (Ron and Don) defeated The Hot Shots (Cassidy O'Reilly & Chase Stevens) to advance in a mini-Tournament for the NWA Tag Team Titles: The Hot Shots finally have their own music, although it's not a huge improvement over the comedy music they were using before. Don West's mic kept on fading in and out for the first minute or two of the match. Basically another squash, although for couple of seconds, the Hot Shots got some clotheslines and a double dropkick in. Harrises won with the H-Bomb.

Scroll/Girls: Mike Tenay tries in vain to get me to care about the SAT/Harris Brothers match next week. Don't get me wrong, I love the SAT!but the Harrises? Ugh.

BG James comes out, surprising the Major and Professor, who were under the impression that the Disciples vs. America's Most Wanted match was next. James complains about being double-crossed by Jarrett in a profanity-laced interview, and Jarrett comes out to confront him. Jarrett says that both he and James have the night off, but James calls the entire Jarrett family "pussies" and Jarrett rushes at James. The referee and Bullet Bob sanction the confrontation as the official Tournament final.

(8) Jeff Jarrett defeated BG James to win the World Title Tournament and a championship match against NWA World champion Ron "The Truth" Killings: Mostly just a brawl through the entire Asylum, with both men attacking each other with garbage cans and chairs. Match ended when Jarrett reversed the Pumphandle Slam into a Stroke onto a chair, which enabled Jarrett to pin James.

Girls/Scroll.

(9) Disciples of the New Church (Prime Time Brian Lee and Slash w/Belladonna, Minister James Mitchell) defeated America's Most Wanted ("Cupcake Cowboy" James Storm and "Wildcat" Chris Harris) to become the new NWA Tag Team Champions: Belladonna, James Mitchell, Slash, and Brian Lee all enter together. Harris and Storm run in from out of the crowd and clear the ring. Much like last week, this was just a bloody, intense fight. Match ended when James Storm accidentally cross body blocked the referee and knocked him out, giving Lee the chance to use the spike on Storm and pin him.

Scroll/Girls: West talks about his shock over America's Most Wanted losing the tag titles.

Recap of last week's five-way X-Division tables match and the Styles vs. Lynn match. Graphics for all three men air!but sadly, there's no Tale of the Tape.

(10) Jerry Lynn defeated AJ Styles (w/Mortimer Plumtree) and Kid Kash in a Three Way Dance to retain the NWA X-Title: At the start of the match, all three competitors circle each other. Kash and Lynn double dropkick Styles out of the ring, then trade armdrags. When they're done, they do an ECW-style staredown, then shake hands. Styles jumps off the top rope and sends both flying. Kash tries doing a Sunset Flip on both Lynn and Styles, but Styles flips out and breaks up the pin. At the end of the match, Styles accidentally knocks out Plumtree and Lynn hits the Cradle Piledriver on Kash to retain the title.

The Major runs down next week's line-up, including the debut of a new worker named Crimson Dragon, and the show ends with Jeff Jarrett on the entrance ramp talking about the history and importance of the NWA world title.

The Bottom Line: While not as good as last week, this was also a pretty decent show. I'm amazed at how over the Disciples of the New Church are over as faces, and Amazing Red and Jimmy Yang's match was great. It's a pity that we don't get to see more of Yang. I also think they really need to lay off the squashes, especially if there's no point to them (at least with Malice, you can use the excuse that they were building him up as an unstoppable monster, but what was the deal with Siaki's match?). People aren't going to pay $10 for squash matches, Jerry!

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