By Larry Goodman, Torch Team Contributor

NWA Wildside TV review
Aired in national syndication on October 30, 2004
Taped at the NWA Arena in Cornelia, GA on October 2, 2004
By Larry Goodman, Torch Team Contributor

Steven Prazak welcomed the select few that somehow found their way to “the nation’s number one pro wrestling alternative NWA Wildside.” Prazak introduced “the angry Amish warrior” Dan Wilson. Prazak asked Wilson if they had razor blades in East Tennessee. Wilson said he would ask his great uncle (the senior citizen of hardcore, Gypsy Joe).

Wilson explained the scenario that culminated in the crowning of new tag team champions on last week’s show. Murder One and Slim J were scheduled to defend the tag titles against Tank and Iceberg, but the number one contenders had prior commitments. Jeff G. Bailey goaded M1 the champions into a title match against Azrael and Mikal Adryan. Jason Cross beat M1 down with a chair before match could get underway. J got massacred. Azrael and Adryan walked away with the belts.

An ad for the Version 6.0 videotape aired (available at www.nwa-wildside.com).

Prazak said this week’s show featured title defenses by the World Television Champion, Jeremy V and the NWA Wildside Heavyweight Champion, Jason Cross.

Cut to Urban Assault Squad (Shadow Jackson & Nemesis) approaching the ring. Nemesis had fashioned his Confederate flag into a cape. Jackson was wearing his like a beach towel. Shadow laid his flag out like a prayer rug and stomped a mudhole in it. “I don’t think Shadow Jackson wishes he was back in Dixie,” said Prazak.

COMMENTS: A classic old style wresting television segment, equal parts heat and hilarity.

(1) Shadow Jackson (with Nemesis) destroyed Anthony Henry in 4:55. Match was joined in progress as Nemesis bounced Henry’s skull off the hardwood floor with a clothesline. Henry was no match for Jackson’s power. Jackson used a sitout double fist to the face for a near fall. Jackson shrugged off Henry’s modest comeback and dumped him out. Nemesis threw a chop that exploded on Henry’s chest. Henry ate more of Jackson’s offense. Henry tried for a sunset flip, but Jackson yanked him up by the throat for a chokeslam. Jackson did a one-foot-on-the-chest pin attempt. Jackson hit a spinning sidewalk slam. Henry fired back with some last gasp forearms. Jackson put Henry away with a DDT. Urban Assault Squad was in the midst of hanging Henry, when Biohazard and Silo Storm ran out to make the save.

COMMENTS: By the numbers. Jackson was on cruise control. Nemesis is working a lot stiffer than when he first arrived in Wildside.

Todd Sexton rudely interrupted A Three Guys That Totally Rule promo segment. Sexton walked right in front of the camera on his way to confront rookie Matt Sells, who was seated in a chair minding his own business. Sexton accused Sells of laughing at him. Sexton went berserk. He bitch slapped Sells right out of his seat and totally abused him. I loved the part where Sexton grabbed a box fan and smashed it on Sells’ head.

(2) Jeremy V pinned Ace Rockwell (with Al Getz) to retain the World Television Title in 8:20. Rockwell gave V an open hand slap and ran away smiling. Rockwell took V down with a fireman’s carry. Rockwell signaled that he was too smart for the champion. V gave Rockwell the “Who’s your daddy?” treatment. Rockwell bumped big on V’s high backdrop. V gave Rockwell a receipt for the bitch slap. Getz pulled V down by the hair when ref Mike Posey wasn’t looking. Rockwell leveled V with a lariat. V got the best of a stiff chopathon. V tried for the VKO, but Rockwell had it scouted and chop blocked the knee. Rockwell was oozing arrogance as he worked over V’s knee. Getz choked V while he helpless in the tree of woe. V came back with a one-legged DVD. V hit a VKO light that Rockwell sold huge. The sudden appearance of Sexton on the ring apron caused a scene. Security forced Sexton back to the dressing room. V went for the VDT, but Rockwell blocked it and mule kicked V in the groin. Rockwell hit THE MOVE, now known as the Flagrant Foul. It goes something like this: 1) Rockwell faces away from his opponent and grabs a double underhook. 2) Rockwell flips over his victim while maintaining the underhook grip and 3) sits out, driving his victim’s neck and shoulders into the mat Vertebreaker style. Rockwell took his time making the cover and V was barely able to roll a shoulder. Rockwell was a picture of flustration. Wilson said his inexperience was showing through. Rockwell hit a spinebuster. V’s kickout was a little stronger this time. Rockwell covered again, but V wasn’t staying down. Rockwell tried for seconds on the Flagrant Foul. V blocked it and got all of the VKO. V hit the VDT for the three count.

COMMENTS: Give V a good opponent (something he hasn’t had in recent title defenses) and you’re almost guaranteed to get a good match. V retained in his best title defense to date, despite outside interference by Getz and distraction by Sexton. This was Rockwell’s breakout match as a singles performer in Wildside. To this point, Rockwell had been seen almost exclusively in tag team situations, where his dickish attitude and bumping selling ability stood out. Now, Rockwell had added an amazing finishing move to the package.

(3) Iron Saints (Vito & Sal Thomaselli) defeated Jay Fury & Nick Halen in 12 minutes. Anthony LaGotto was absent from ringside. Halen traded side headlocks with Sal. Halen jacked Sal’s jaw with the best dropkick he’s ever done on Wildside TV. Halen went for another dropkick, but Sal hung onto the ropes and grabbed another side headlock. Halen reversed it to a headscissors. Sal kicked out. They shook hands. Fury and Vito in for more side headlock action. They did some nice amateur style reversals on the mat. Vito grabbed an armbar and made the tag. Sal wanted to brawl. Sal missed a Stinger splash and got leveled by a Fury lariat. Fury made the tag. Halen did some high impact stuff. Fury and Halen doubled upon Sal. Fury hit the dropsault and went for a back cover, but Vito broke it up with a gut stomp. Coming out of the commercial break, Sal took a run along the middle rope to set up a tornado DDT. That was a new wrinkle. Fury kicked out of the pin. Fury use the Jaytrix to duck a high crossbody and hit the Enzifury. Both men collapsed on the mat. Crawling tags in both corners. Halen was cleaning up. But Vito rolled away from Halen’s swanton bomb. Big bump there. Halen recovered to hit an elevated rocker dropper, but Sal was in to make the save. Sal gave Halen a back suplex, and put Vito on top for the pin. Fury saved at the last split second. Halen and Fury destroyed Vito with a double hiptoss smack into a double uranage. Sal saved again. Sal pulled the ropes down on Fury. Halen fought off a Saints double team and struggled for a sunset flip on Sal. Fury dropsaulted Sal and landed on top of Vito for a cool double pin attempt. Fury and Halen charged at Saints. Vito backdropped Halen over the top. Fury ate Sal’s superkick. Saints brought Fury off the top with the Muthaforgetaboutit for the pin. It was handshakes and hugs all around in a mutual show of respect.

Three Guys That Totally Rule (Salvatore Rinauro, Seth Delay and Fast Eddie) spoiled the party with a surprise attack on the Saints. Rinauro clocked Sal with his Rookie of the Year trophy. Three Guys smoked Vito with their finishers. Three Guys posed over the fallen bodies of Saints. Prazak said the Wildside matchmakers were sure to take the action of Three Guys into consideration.

COMMENTS: These teams really match up well. There extra level of intensity was palpable. Crowd was quiet early but the back and forth false finishes had them popping. I don’t like the Enzifury to set up the hot tag, unless Fury makes the tag right away. It’s hard to buy Fury perfectly executing such a great athletic move and then being too exhausted to crawl 10 feet. The postmatch beatdown, explained as a preemptive strike by Three Guys on the up and comers, sets up a 6 man for Fright Night with the inclusion of an additional Thomaselli brother. Not sure what was up with LaGotto not being there.

(4) Gabriel beat Jason Cross (with Jeff G. Bailey) via DQ in 11:36. Cross retained the NWA Heavyweight Title. Wilson said Gabriel was getting his first shot at a major singles title in Wildside. I wonder how Fast Eddie felt about that. They opened with crisp wristlock reversals. Cross escaped from Gabriel’s hammerlock and celebrated with a backflip. They hit the ropes. Both men missed with big moves, Gabriel with a senton backsplash and Cross with a running shooting star press. Gabriel dusted off an old A. J. Styles move, a chest moonsault into a corner lariat, but Cross ducked the lariat. Cross made no mistake with his rabbit lariat. Cross hit a dragon suplex. The momentum sent Gabriel through the ropes. Cross took over on the inside. In an act of credibility preservation, Prazak noted that Cross came up short on his running shooting star press. Cross choked and chopped. Cross countered a sunset flip with a spinning legdrop. Cross softened up Gabriel’s neck. Gabriel broke a rear chinlock with a series of elbows to the breadbasket. Cross cut him down with a lariat. Cross used the somersault legdrop for a near fall. Gabriel blocked the best damn brainbuster. Gabriel tried for the senton backsplash again, but Cross got his knees up. Gabriel sold the agony. Cross switched his focus to Gabriel’s back. Cross felled Gabriel with a spinwheel kick. Gabriel kicked out of the pin. Gabriel escaped from another brainbuster attempt to hit a fireman’s carry gutbuster. Both men were slow coming to their feet. They swapped huracanranas. Gabriel did a back suplex and floated over for a two count. Gabriel tried for Cradle to the Grave, but Cross escaped and hit the Idolizer. Gabriel rolled a shoulder to avoid the three count. Cross signaled for the Crossfire and slowly ascended to the top. Gabriel met him with punches. Gabriel hit a superplex. Both men struggled to their feet. Gabriel put Cross on the deck and hit the senton backsplash. Gabriel tried going to the top, but Bailey pulled him down. Gabriel went up again. This time, Bailey sent Gabriel flying into the rail. Posey called for the bell.

Bailey said Gabriel would have to pay for embarrassing the Elite. He threw two chairs into the ring an ordered Cross to break Gabriel’s neck. “As I look around this building I think God Squad to Hell, because I don’t see any stinkin’ Altar Boy Luke to save you tonight. And A. J. Styles and Dusty Rhodes aren’t coming from some corner to protect you.” Cross gave Gabriel a brainbuster onto the stacked steel chairs. Bailey said it would be Gabriel’s last night in the business. Wilson called for an ambulance. “Where’s your God, Gabriel? I don’t see him anywhere.” Cross delivered a second, and even sicker, brainbuster onto the chairs. Bailey got on his knees next to Gabriel’s crumpled body. “I want you to say you love Satan. Say it right now. Say you love Satan.” Fade to black.

COMMENTS: Great match. I liked the back and forth blocking of their big moves, until Gabriel hit the senton backsplash, a move that nobody enjoys taking, on the third try. Gabriel is getting a well deserved push singles push. Back in July, it appeared that God Squad was going to make a run at the tag titles held by Slim J and Murder One, but Luke’s limited availability ruled it out. The gaping hole caused by the absence of Caprice Coleman, combined with the focus on the tag team division, left a shortage of strong face challengers for the singles titles. The junior champion needed MASSIVE outside interference to beat Gabriel, and here, the heavyweight champion couldn’t defeat him, and Bailey had to take a DQ to salvage the belt. Since Gabriel has never uttered word one, and he’s not real big on facial expressions, he gets over on body language. Nobody sells with more anguish. The brainbusters in the postmatch angle looked quite capable of causing serious injury, as Cross attempted to eliminate a major threat to his title reign. Bailey’s mic work alluded to Wildside’s match of the year at Hardcore Hell and brought the Heaven vs. Hell storyline back in full effect.

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