NWA-TNA PPV #15
October 2, 2002
Live from Nashville, Tenn.
By Gregg Allinson, Torch Team Contributor

I'd like to open this recap on a personal note. To the super-hot redhead in the blue shirt who was screaming at the beginning of the show: marry me.

As always, your announcers are "Professor" Mike Tenay and "Major" Don West.

BG James and Syxx-Pac come to the ring accompanied by a loud TNA chant from the crowd. James' mic work is stronger this week, but unfortunately, much of what he has to say still makes no sense. Case in point: he claims that if the future of wrestling is Ron Killings, the future is grim. He passes the mic to Syxx-Pac, who wants Lo-Ki's shot because he feels Lo-Ki isn't in his and James' league yet. Sean, Sean, Sean... don't make me hate you. Syxx-Pac hands the mic back to James, who calls The Truth "the suntan Superman" and claims that he and Syxx are "white Kryptonite". I hope there's no plant life in the building.

An incensed Ron Killings walks out as the crowd chants "overrated". He says that James and Syxx don't want him, they want his NWA World Title. Again, Killings has a point. But Syxx comes back with an equally valid one: he's sick of Killings playing the race card, and tells the Truth that he's not Dolemite and that this isn't 1967. Now it's Syxx who's got the point. Syxx is about to take on Killings for the NWA title when Jeff Jarrett comes out, wondering where the third member of "Team Derelict" is. You know, just when Jarrett was getting on my nerves, he pulls out a great line like that a totally redeems himself. JJ badmouths the late, great Scott Hall and sets up a handicap match for later that night. To punctuate the statement, Brian Lawler and Elix Skipper attack, but they're easily beaten down by Team Derelict. The Forces of Evil leave together, huffing and puffing in anger. Kind of a weird opening, but it picked up steam when Jarrett came out and ended decently strong.

We get our first glimpse of the night of the ubiquitous TNA girls and promotional scroll. As it rolls, the Professor welcomes Mediacom and Cablevision to the "TNA family".

The Major and Mike hype tonight's title matches and make an unfulfilled promise to find out where Scott Hall is.

(1) Amazing Red defeated Shark Boy. Tenay hypes this as a great chance for both Shark Boy and Amazing Red to move up in the X-Division. Elix Skipper joins us on commentary and in an awkward and abrupt change, Tenay informs us that he's just been informed that Bullet Bob Armstrong has cut Skipper from the handicap match. This leads to some repetitive and Killings-lite style rambling from Skipper. "Repetitive" is the word for this match all around, with Shark Boy and Red executing a lot of similar-looking flips. While the match isn't as bad as Skipper's commentary, it's pretty boring. Red wins with the InfraRed followed by a Red Star Press. Skipper rushes the ring after the match to attack Red and beats down security, but... and I'm starting to wonder if I should create an NWA-TNA drinking game... Don Harris saves the day. I should also note that once more, Mortimer Plumtree was standing on the ramp scouting.

Promotional scroll and TNA dancing girls.

Another nice video package recounting last week's Lynn/Killings match, where Lo-Ki attacked Killings and cost him the match.

Goldylocks interviews Lo-Ki, who takes shots at Syxx-Pac and Ron Killings. Strong mic work.

The SAT's music plays, but out comes Ron Killings. He challenges Lo-Ki to the title match right then and there. Never one to back down from a challenge, Lo-Ki jumps into the ring, and we have our World title match.

(2) Ron "The Truth" Killings (NWA World Champion) defeated Lo-Ki in a World title match. The challenger promptly gets stomped by the champ. Killings maintains control of the match until he tries jumping into Ki, who sidesteps him, leaving Killings a nice tasty turnbuckle sandwich. Ki stars chopping the hell out of Killings. Tenay stresses that Killings wanted this match so that he could get revenge on Lo-Ki, nicely sidestepping my question in the Lounge about why the bottom-ranked X-Division contender is getting a World title match.

The two brawl to the outside of the ring, leading to a spectacular spot where Ki tries to launch himself off the security rail, but is tossed into the crowd by Killings. The fight continues all across the Asylum. Killings attacks Ki with an equipment case. When they return to the ring, Ki is obviously weakened and nearly pinned twice. Mortimer Plumtree is still scouting, continuing the storyline of his interest in the X-Division. Killings does a half-nelson to work Ki's back, then arrogantly does some splits, which allows Ki to get some offense in, but Killings takes him down and works the back again. After he gets out, Lo-Ki tries a crossbody, but Killings catches him, but Ki manages to move him into the ropes and do a modified tarantula! Outstanding. The Truth ultimately prevails with the True Conviction. Strong, strong match. Possible Match of the Year contender, and Killings and Ki looked like true big leaguers.

Following the match, Killings takes the mic, but he's attacked by a masked man in a white sweatshirt, mask, and pants. Oh boy... I hope the fact that he's dressed in all white is just a coincidence, but I'm betting it's not. I will, however, bet that this newcomer is Mortimer Plumtree's new find.

Some more dancing and another scroll. Tenay hypes the 54th Anniversary Show, which I mistakenly called the "50th" Anniversary show last week.

(3) The SAT (Jose and Joel Maximo) defeated The Flying Elvises (Jimmy Yang and Jorge Estrada) in a match for the #1 contendership to the NWA World Tag Team Titles. Plumtree is still taking notes. Sonny Siaki also comes out to watch the match. Near the end, he offers to "tag in" to a dazed Estrada, but backs off, causing Estrada to slip and costing the Elvises the match. The SAT won with the Maximo Explosion, which looked a little like the bastard offspring of the Doomsday Device and the Acid Drop. Decent match, good for advancing the Elvises storyline.

More dancing and another scroll.

Goldylocks is about to interview Sonny Siaki when Jerry Lynn attacks him. AJ Styles rushes out and holds Lynn back, allowing Siaki to beat him up. Styles and Siaki stuff Lynn in an equipment case.

(4) Sonny Siaki defeated David Young. Siaki has new, non-Elvis entrance music. Tenay tells us that Young has just returned from a tour of Japan (Yang, Ki, Young... does everyone in TNA go on tours of Japan?) with a new focus. The Major notes that Young has dropped his manager Miss Bobcat, which is also helping his focus. While it's somewhat weak to end a storyline by having the commentators resolve it, it's better than nothing and a hopeful sign that TNA will start tying up loose threads. Young honestly looks much better than I remember him being and, thankfully, they don't treat him as a total jobber, which would be easy to do but would make the match horrible. Match ends when Young gets Siaki in a pinning predicament, then nonsensically goes for a moonsault, which he misses. Siaki pins him after a Money Clip.

Yet more dancing and another scroll.

Our second video package of the night, this time with quite possibly the best music ever used in NWA-TNA. Recap of the Harris/Storm vs. Harris/Lee match from last week.

Goldylocks talks to Ron Harris and the extremely goofy Aussie Ashley Hudson. Ron is mad because Harris and Storm walk around like they're tag team champions. Uh, guess what? He ends the interview by making reference to an enigmatic pact with Don Harris.

(5) "Cupcake Cowboy" James Storm & "Wildcat" Chris Harris (NWA Tag Team champions) defeated "Aussie" Ashley Hudson & Ron "Don't Call Me Don or Chris" Harris in a Tag Team title match. Tenay, shockingly enough, tells us that Ashley Hudson is a former "New Bushwacker" with Luke Williams. You don't say? Don West, who's rapidly becoming expository man, tells us that Brian Lee isn't teaming with Ron tonight because Ron felt that Lee dropped the ball in last week's match. The champs win the match after Chris Harris ducks a Ron Harris kick, which lands squarely on Aussie. Following the match, Ron hugs Ashley... then beats him up. Harris tosses Jeremy Borash from his chair and uses it to brutalize Chris Harris, Hudson, and security until Don Harris attacks Ron and stops his rampage.

Goldy updates us on Lynn's status as the Flying Elvises console him.

(6) AJ Styles defeated Jerry Lynn (NWA X-Champion) in a Ladder Match for the X-Title. As in the Killings/Ki match, there's some psychology here as Lynn has a "neck injury" due to the attack from Styles and Siaki. Several excellent spots in this match, including one where Lynn bounces off the ropes and powerbombs Styles off the ladder. It wouldn't be an X-Division match without Mortimer Plumtree staking it out, and, of course, he's there, along with Sonny Siaki. Styles bridges the ladder across the ring and the security ramp and attempts to break Lynn's neck, but Lynn suplexes him into it. Awesome exchange between Lynn and Styles where they dodge each other's kicks until Lynn legdrops Styles onto a chair that Styles had bought into the ring. Styles is busted open and Lynn gouges his forehead with something, drawing even more blood. Just as victory is in grasp for Lynn, Styles tries knocking him off the ladder, but he turns and catches Styles with a clothesline. Lynn goes to the top rope, but Siaki rushes down and trips him. The two fight outside the ring and Lynn manages to turn back Siaki, but AJ jumps off the top rope and knocks him out. Styles climbs the ladder and begins his second reign as X-Champion.

Lynn runs up to the ramp and spears Siaki until the new champ makes the save. In a show of unity, much of the X-Division (The Flying Elvises, all three members of the SAT, and Shark Boy) come to Lynn's aid. When all is said and done, Bullet Bob Armstrong comes out and judges that due to the pre-match assault on Lynn and Sonny Siaki's interference, Lynn is still the champion and orders a rematch for next week. Well, that was another MOTY contender until the Dusty Finish rendered it null and void...

Our final visit with those lovely TNA girls and our final chance to see where we can see Total Nonstop Action live and in person.

Our obligatory Major Don West shill of the week. In what's probably the most exciting news for next week from the standpoint of NWA-TNA getting mainstream exposure, West announces that Chris Rock (!) will be filming his new Dreamworks film "Head of State" at the Asylum. That's certainly a hell of a step up from Hermie Sadler and Screech. In the most exciting news from a wrestling standpoint, West announces that next week will feature an Iron Man match between Lo-Ki, Kid Kash, and Tony Mamaluke.

As if reading my mind, the camera shows that incredibly hot redhead from the start of the show dancing.

(7) Team Derelict (Syxx-Pac and BG James) defeated The Forces of Evil ("Double J" Jeff Jarrett and Brian Lawler with April). I believe this is our first Plumtreeless match of the night. As Team Derelict enters the ring, James gives us a Hey Yo in honour of the still missing Scott Hall. In an amusing bit, Syxx claims that he's sleeping with April, and that if Lawler wins tonight, maybe he'll let Lawler watch. Lawler responds by rushing out of the ring and straight into a James clothesline. James takes Scott Hall's place from last week by playing the face in peril for a large part of the match. After Syxx is tagged in, he's nearly pinned, owing to interference from Elix Skipper, but the Forces of Evil still can't seem to win. James forces Skipper to the outside, but Elix remains and watches the match. James wins the match by pinning Lawler following a pumphandle slam. The three members of the Forces attack Team Derelict, but in turn, the SAT attack them, looking for revenge on Elix Skipper. Ron Killings and the World title turn the tide, and much like last week, the show ends with the Forces of Evil brutalizing the faces. I wonder if Ron Harris is actually an incognito member of the Forces, and his "pact" with Don had something to do with an agreement on Don's part not to stand up to the Forces of Evil.

The Bottom Line: As I said, two MOTY contenders, and there was nothing in the way of moronic backstage sketches or Miss TNA promos. Apart from the Dusty Finish, this show was smart and well-booked from the start, and it never sank below "inoffensively bland". Unbelievable show, and if they're able to capitalize on Chris Rock's presence next week and deliver another strong show, this promotion could be going to the next level.

Gregg Allinson also writes a weekly column for The Torch Lounge on Mondays. He can be reached at GAllinson@pwtorch.com.

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