by Larry Goodman, Torch Team Contributor

NWA Wildside TV review
Aired in national syndication on February 26, 2005
Taped at the NWA Arena in Cornelia, Ga on January 15, 2005
By Larry Goodman, Torch Team Contributor

Dan "The Dragon" Wilson and Steven Prazak opened the latest edition of "the world's number one pro wrestling alternative" NWA Wildside. Wilson recapped last weeks' main event, a match that saw Jay Fury and Slim J beat 2 out of the 3 Guys That Totally Rule (Fast Eddie and Seth Delay).

Prazak said this week, the NWA Wildside Heavyweight Champion, Onyx would put the title on the line in a fatal four-way involving Ray Gordy, Rainman and Jimmy Rave. If Onyx lost the fall, the winner become the new champion.

(1) Jeremy V beat Forsaken (TV time = 1:38). Wilson was puzzled as to why V was yet to receive his guaranteed TV title rematch. V used reverse and standard style atomic drops. Forsaken kicked a field goal with V's mouth and got a token near fall with a flying lariat. V took a time out. Commercial break. V hit a dragon suplex. Forsaken jumped the gun by putting his foot on the ropes at one. V laid into Forsaken with big forearms in the corner. V hit the VKO and finished with the VDT.

COMMENTS: Mission accomplished. Common sense, a commodity that is often in short supply where pro wrestling is concerned, dictated a quick, decisive win for the former TV champ.

(2) Iceberg & Tank beat New Legacy (Jeff Brown & Jerry Brown with Mike Paige) to retain the NWA Wildside Tag Team Titles (TV time of 5:35).Speaking of lacking common sense, Legacy tried to get the jump on the champs. Iceberg and Tank dumped them like garbage. Tank gave Jerry a suplex on the floor. Jerry sold it like his back was on fire. Legacy took time out to lick their wounds. Jeff didn't look real thrilled to be in the ring with Tank. Jeff wanted a test of strength. Tank smacked him in the face. Tank decked Jeff and kicked him low. Jeff wandered into the wrong corner and took an open swat hand from Iceberg. Tank busted out the Stan Hansen lariat. Tank landed stiff kicks to Jeff's spine and head. Tank snapmared a quarter ton of Iceberg on top of Jeff. Tank squished Jeff with a double stomp/elbow drop. Tank DDTed Iceberg's melon on Jeff's head. Jeff was toast. Tank wouldn't go up for Jerry's scoop slam attempt. Tank blasted Jerry with an open hand and lit him up with chops. Iceberg gave Jerry an avalanche corner splash. Tank gave Jerry an STO for a near fall. Jerry used Paige's golf club on Tank's knee. Legacy tried a double clothesline, but Tank ran right through it and doubled clotheslined Legacy. Tank hot-tagged Iceberg. He cleared the ring. Tank dragged Jeff back inside for the finish. Paige took a bump from Tank. Iceberg pinned Jeff with the slice 'n dice style Thigh Drop of Doom.

COMMENTS: A killer squash match. The best to air on Wildside TV in quite awhile. Tank and Iceberg were at their sadistic best. Jeff may have sustained a concussion on the kick to the head. As enhancement talent, Legacy are money. To the extent that it could be called selling, Legacy looked like they were channeling that great brother jobber team from yesteryear, the Mulkeys.

Al Getz was in the ring with his World Television Champion Todd Sexton. Getz gloated about getting the best of Attorney Jeff G. Bailey. Said I told you people so. Getz took credit for Bailey's decision to leave Wildside.

Getz said they had decided that Sexton was going to be the "most fightingest" TV champion ever by defending the title on television each and every week. Getz issued an open challenge.

"The Original Suicidal Tendency" John Phoenix appeared on the entrance ramp for the first time over two years. Standing ovation. Getz freaked. Sexton bailed when Phoenix hit the ring. The crowd gave Phoenix the "welcome back" chant. Prazak said Sexton used to idolize Phoenix. Getz tried to weasel out of it. Said the challenge was only intended for full-time members of the Wildside roster. Said Phoenix wasn't worthy of a title shot. His protests fell on deaf ears.

(3) Todd Sexton (with Al Getz) beat John Phoenix to retain the World TV Title in 9:10. They went back and forth on the arm. Wilson listed Phoenix among the elite wrestlers in Wildside history such as A. J. Styles, David Young and Rick Michaels. Sexton took Phoenix down with a drop toehold, floated over and smacked him in the head. The commentary shifted to a discussion of Sexton's massively inflated ego. Sexton got a fireman's carry and tweaked Phoenix again. Sexton had a casual chat with Getz. Sexton got the best of another back and forth sequence with an armdrag. Phoenix took a time out. Phoenix faked a lockup up and lit into Sexton with rapid fire boots to the gut. Wore his ass out. A clubbing forearm dropped Sexton to the mat. Phoenix went for a superkick. Sexton blocked it and tried to return fire, but Phoenix tripped him up and hit a legdrop the back of the head for a two count. Sexton ducked a lightning kick and grabbed a side headlock. Phoenix shot Sexton into the ropes and stuck a knee in his gut. Phoenix got a two count with a rolling heel kick to the back of the head. Phoenix dumped Sexton, which set up an awesome tope con hilo. Both men down and hurting. Phoenix tossed Sexton back inside, but as Phoenix stuck his head through the ropes, Sexton seized the advantage with a swinging neckbreaker. Sexton abused the back of Phoenix with a barrage of knees. Phoenix went for a sunset flip, but Sexton rolled through and applied a Liontamer. Sexton switched to full blown Boston crab. Phoenix got a ropes break. Phoenix tried to counter, but Sexton drove his back into the turnbuckles. Phoenix reversed a whip and ate an elbow charging in. Phoenix caught Sexton with a lightning kick. Prazak's call was spot on, admitting Phoenix didn't deliver the full impact. They traded shots. Phoenix used a headbutt. Sexton tagged Phoenix with a sneaky uppercut as they battled for control. Phoenix went to one of his combo moves, a uranage backbreaker into a flatliner. Phoenix climbed to the top and hit the guillotine legdrop. Sexton kicked out at 2 and 1/2. Sexton superkicked Phoenix for a close near fall. Sexton charged into an elbow. Phoenix went up for the 450 splash. But alas, no water in the pool. Sexton used an Oklahoma roll with his feet on the rope for extra leverage to pin Phoenix.

COMMENTS: Great to see Phoenix bring his unique style back to Wildside. This wasn't vintage Phoenix, but he showed surprisingly little ring rust for a guy that has wrestled one match in the last two years. Add Phoenix to an impressive list of Sexton's recent conquests that includes Jeremy V, Gabriel, Caprice Coleman and Masada.

Wilson did the championship style introductions for the main event. Rave and Gordy were soundly booed, while Rainman got a mixed response. Salvatore Rinauro was out with Rave, but referee Mike Posey sent him to the back.

(4) Ray Gordy defeated Onyx and Jimmy Rave and Rainman. Gordy pinned Rainman, so Onyx retained the NWA Wildside Heavyweight Title (14:05). Rave wanted Onyx. The crowd broke out the "Jimmy sucks" chant. Rave gave them his mean face. Rave got a double wristlock. Onyx reversed it. Rave tried a fancy reversal. Blocked by Onyx into a headlock takeover. Rave countered with a headscissors. Onyx escaped with a kick out. Onyx hiptossed Rave for a quick two count. Rave used the headlock takeover. When Onyx countered with the headscissors, Rave claimed Onyx was choking him. Rave kicked out and tried for hiptoss. Onyx blocked it and tried to take Rave's head off, but Rave ducked and grabbed a side headlock. Rave tossed Onyx through the ropes to set up the first big spot of the match. Rave with a tope? Nope. Rainman rudely cut him off. Rainman was set for a quebrada, but Gordy snapped his throat off the top rope. It was Gordy with a pescado on Onyx. Onyx rammed Gordy's head into the camera stand and headed back inside to trade pin attempts with Rave. Rave thumbed Onyx in the eyes. Rave chopped the champ. Onyx caught Rave with his head down and turned him inside out with a lariat. Rave rolled to the apron to gather his sense. Rainman tagged in. Onyx tagged Gordy. Rainman and Gordy traded blows. Rainman used a corkscrew dropkick for a two count. Gordy kicked Rainman low. Gordy took Rainman down with a drop toehold and used a baseball slide to the head. Gordy with a spinal tap. Gordy got two with a snap suplex. Rainman poked Gordy in the eyes. Double tags. Rave offered Onyx a handshake. Onyx grabbed headlock instead. Onyx decked Rave with shoulder tackle. Rave raked the eyes. Rave stomped Onyx down to the mat. Rave used a baseball slide to the groin. Onyx kicked out at two. Rave grounded Onyx with a rear chinlock. Onyx elbowed his way free. Onyx reversed a whip and backdropped Rave. Onyx tagged Rainman, who put the boots to Rave. Rainman wound up and clotheslined Rave. But Gordy made a blind tag and took over on Rainman. Gordy worked on Rainman's back. A power drive elbow was good for a two count. Rainman collapsed after taking a corner clothesline. Rainman hit the Spinesplitta out of nowhere. Both down. Rave tagged in and pounded on Rainman. Rave rolled through on a sunset flip and nailed Rainman with a charging knee. Oops. Gordy was late with the save and Rainman never got the shoulder up. Posey did a good job covering it. Rave clobbered Gordy with a rabbit lariat. Rave tried another charging knee, but Rainman ducked it. Onyx made a blind tag and slapped the Jamaica City Dreams on Rainman. Gordy clocked Onyx to break it up. Posey was losing control of the match. Gordy planted Rave on his face with an inverted version of the spinning fisherman suplex. Rainman blocked Gordy's german suplex, but Onyx dumped him via the top rope pull down. Onyx hit the Angry Man Slam on Gordy. Rave jumped Onyx from behind. Rave had Onyx positioned for the Clash, but Onyx countered with the Blackout (spinning implant DDT). Rainman smoked Onyx with the Dark City Street Cutter. But Gordy tagged Onyx and surprised Rainman with a german suplex to score the pinfall.

COMMENTS: A solid match worked in a relatively conservative style. Match got Onyx across as a fighting champion, one will to risk the belt against three heels. The finish gave Getz Enterprises another win over what remains of the NWA Elite and repositioned Gordy as the number one contender. Rave is becoming a master of the subtle heel manuevers. With the new gear and improved physique, Rainman looks like a serious contender for a spot in the WWE development program in Atlanta. For that matter, all four of these guys figure to have a shot at a spot.

The show closed with another silent short featuring the Lost Boys. Bailey's mock gravesite could be seen more clearly. The headstone was piece of broken glass with Bailey's name on it. Azrael shattered the glass with a flaming torch. Bailey's final resting place was engulfed in flames.

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