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NWA-TNA PPV
NOVEMBER 5, 2003
LIVE FROM NASHVILLE, TENN.

-After four minutes of recaps of last week, included an ill-advised reminder that the "big surprise" last week was Hacksaw Duggan, they went outside where Scott Hudson interviewed Jimmy Hart. Hudson told Hart last week he dropped a "bomb" on TNA with the Duggan surprise (you can say that again), but this week Jarrett knows what is awaiting him. Hart said Sting's worst enemy might be right under his nose, then he let out his maniacal pull string cartoon laugh three times.

1 -- JULIO DENIRO & C.M. PUNK vs. LAZZ & KID KASH

Julio had "Die, Mitchell, Die" written on his chest. What did Bruce every say bad about him? Tenay said Kash wasn't at all pleased he was teamed with Lazz, but he took it as a challenge to prove he can still beat The Gathering even with the outlandish Lazz as his partner. Lazz wears facepaint and dresses like the homeless member of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and looks a bit like Lodi in the face. Kash hit a nice double springboard moonsault at 5:00 for a near fall. Kash and Lazz did a sexually suggestive spot with Punk when they had a tug-o-war with his body, prompting West to say he was glad Tenay was the play-by-play guy. Four-way action broke out at 6:30. Punk yanked Kash off of Lazz during a pin attempt, then the two fought at ringside. Deniro and Punk finished off Lazz with their Near Death Experience double-teaming neckbreaker finisher. Kash powerbombed Lazz after the match. Abyss came out to save Lazz and nailed Kash with a clothesline, sending Kash retreating through the crowd.

WINNERS: Punk & Deniro at 7:31.

STAR RATING: *1/2 -- Solid tag match. Good pacing and some nice moves.

-Hudson interviewed Raven who briefly promo'd his match later against "Father" James Mitchell.

-Tenay interviewed Jeff Jarrett in center ring. The fans chanted "Hogan" and Jarrett said he came to the ring to talk about him. He held up a Japanese newspaper and a German wrestling magazine and said both were questioning when Hogan would recover from knee surgery and join TNA. It's smart to create a perception that internationally people are talking about the Jarrett-Hogan angle, since obviously it's not the talk of the WWE-dominated U.S. scene and they need to create the perception the Jarrett-Hogan angle is a big deal. When Tenay asked the wrong follow up question, Jarrett ordered Tenay to leave the ring. Tenay acted all macho, and it took about seven threats from Jarrett before Tenay backed down. Jarrett told him he wasn't kidding. Jarrett said he was about to talk about the next person on his agenda at which point A.J. Styles's music began to play. Styles stood in the crowd. Jarrett called him a "redneck" and said he was hanging out with his kind. They really need to stay away from any insults that peg anyone with Southern terms because that just doesn't play well outside of Nashville, assuming it even has any effect in Nashville. TNA has too much of Southern rep already. Jarrett said he doesn't get it, he's not among the top contenders. Styles asked Jarrett if what he was saying was he can't compete in the heavyweight division. Jarrett told him to enter the X Division Triple Chance Invitational. Styles said the X Division doesn't need him, but the heavyweight division does because he's the one who can knock Jarrett off the pedestal. Styles made his way to the ring. Jarrett met him at the security railing. Jarrett dropped Styles face-first over the ringside stairs. Jarrett set up the Stroke in mid-ring, but he postured too much and Styles came back. Red Shirted Security and Don Callis entered the ring. Styles fended them off effectively, but Jarrett then blindsided him with a chairshot. Red Shirted security then beat Styles to the back. Abyss then attacked the Red Shirts just as they threw Styles out of the arena. Abyss then caught Callis in the ring, who begged off, pleading for his safety. Abyss grabbed Callis for a chokeslam, at which point the Red Shirts attacked him again. Abyss, though, took control again. Callis fled the ring. Callis overacts, as if everyone watching is 90 percent blind and won't understand his emotions unless he exaggerates everything to ten times the natural intensity.

-Hudson interviewed James Mitchell who asked Raven how he prepared for the match. He suggested he was pulling wings off of insects and torturing small animals. He said that's his style - to pick on those weaker than him. Mitchell said the strong may dominate the weak, but the clever dominate the strong. "Raven, do not underestimate what my mind can do," he concluded. Now there's a good promo with a realistic tone minus cartoonish overacting and '80s pull-string laughs.

2 -- SHANE DOUGLAS vs. SANDMAN

Tenay said Douglas promised to introduce the new Franchise tonight, but he came out alone. West said deception is Douglas's way. After five minutes of the expected brawling, a woman attacked Sandman with a top rope dive. Douglas then gave Sandman a belly-to-belly, but Sandman kicked out. A second belly-to-belly finished off Sandman.

WINNER: Douglas at 5:49.

STAR RATING: 3/4*

-After the match Douglas welcomed her to his alliance. She said there is nothing she wouldn't do for him. You know, the tired old sexual innuendo that's been done a million times. Blah segment.

-Hudson interviewed Hart backstage who asked Jarrett to finally explain once and for all why he laid down for Hogan at Bash in the Beach. The camera panned to the left and Sting was standing there, saying it was "Showtime!"

3 -- EKMO FATU & SONNY SIAKI (w/Trinity) vs. AMERICA'S MOST WANTED

Tenay and West did a good job setting up how important this match was for AMW's standing in the tag division. The heels beat up James Storm for five minutes, then Chris Harris got the hot tag - like every other AMW match lately. Siaki broke up a Harris pin attempt on Ekmo. Harris backdropped Siaki over the top rope to the floor. Ekmo came back and went for a splash on Storm in the corner, but Storm moved and Ekmo nailed Siaki. Harris then covered Siaki for a near fall. Storm and Siaki brawled at ringside as Harris worked over Ekmo. Trinity slid a chair into the ring and Harris used it to KO Ekmo. The ref yelled at Trinity, giving Siaki a chance to enter the ring. Harris sat up the Catatonic on Siaki, but David Young nailed Harris from behind. Siaki then reversed Harris into a Siakilypse for the win.

WINNERS: Siaki & Ekmo at 9:16.

STAR RATING: ** -- Solid action. Very formula, but the finishing sequence was well executed for the most part.

-Hudson interviewed Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger who said they don't defend against losers, and AMW are losers. Young then approached Glenn Gilberti and told him that was part one of their two part plan. Gilberti seemed confused, so Young told him he agreed to a tag match with them against 3 Live Crew. Gilberti was upset. Diamond and Swinger mockingly said Gilberti looked upset and they should cool him off. Then they said they were going to get a drink instead.

4 -- X DIVISION BATTLE ROYAL: Sonjay Dutt, Chad Collyer, Low Ki, Jonny Storm, Christopher Daniels, Shark Boy, Chris Sabin, and The Masked X.

Tenay said he had no idea who invited the Masked X. West said Tenay has said the X Division isn't about weight, and the Masked X looked to be 265 pounds, much bigger than the other wrestlers. Great, take a marketable group of wrestlers and put them all in a match where one goofy looking big guy dwarfs them. X eliminated Storm and Shark Boy at 3:00. Dutt went after X, but X overpowered him and tossed him upside down into the corner, then he pressed him and threw him onto Shark Boy and Storm at ringside. It had to be tough for Tenay to sit and watch this dumbass decimation of the drawing power of X Division wrestlers by having then tossed around like little kids by an unknown. Daniels eliminated Collyer next. Tenay explained the rules of the match, stating that the final five would move on the tournament, with the winner automatically advancing to the final three-way match and the other four facing off in singles matches to earn a spot in the finals. That meant Shark Boy, Storm, and Dutt were out of the tournament. Tenay said, "X has taken over the X Division in one night." Daniels, Low Ki, and Sabin worked over X together, then turned on each other. Sabin eliminated both Daniels and Low Ki from behind, meaning they would wrestle each other next week while the battle royal runner up (Sabin or X) would wrestle Collyer in two weeks. Meanwhile, X powerbombed Sabin onto his head on a chair in center-ring. X then lifted Sabin and tossed him over the top rope.

WINNER: The Masked X at 10:06.

STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Some nice moves, but this style booking is so counter-productive. The argument for it is that viewers are supposed to be willing to pay to see if X can possibly be stopped by the other two X wrestlers, but even if he ultimately loses in the three-way match, the damage has already been done. An unknown lug beat up the entire X Division in one match. I think that style booking does more damage in the long-run than even last week's debacle of bringing in Hacksaw Duggan and Rick Steiner in a WCW Thunder reunion.

-Hudson interviewed Don Callis who said he wanted to do what was best for business.

-A videotape message aired from Roddy Piper who said he is one of the last living icons of professional wrestling. He said the NWA is his home. He compared the Red Shirted Security to the British Redcoats. He said he heard Hulk Hogan wanted to win the NWA Title, but he was thinking of stopping him. He threw in a reference to Vince Russo, then said TNA is a rocket ship ready to take off. Much more coherent than usual.

5 -- 3 LIVE KREW vs. GLENN GILBERTI & DAVID YOUNG

WINNERS: 3 LIVE KREW at 4:09 after a chairshot by B.G. James on Gilberti.

STAR RATING: 1/2*

-After the match, Diamond & Swinger ran out. AMW made the save and cleared the ring. AMW demanded a tag title match. Siaki also came out and demanded a tag title shot. Gilberti said he was overwhelmed and didn't think well under pressure. Meanwhile, AMW and 3 Live Krew exchanged words in the ring.

-A recap aired of the Raven-Mitchell feud.

6 -- RAVEN vs. JAMES MITCHELL

Raven beat on Mitchell from the start. Mitchell bladed early and blood flowed in a heavy stream from his forehead. Raven then wrapped a chain around his face and yanked on it. Raven grabbed a chair, but then Punk and Deniro came to ringside. Raven turned to them to tell them he didn't need then, giving Mitchell a chance to take control for a minute. Raven came back and scored a pin after a DDT. Mitchell didn't answer the ten count.

WINNER: Raven at 5:18.

-After the match, Raven hung Mitchell by the chain over the top rope. Not much of a master plan on Mitchell's part to this point. "So much for Jim Mitchell and his church," said Raven. Punk and Deniro mocked Mitchell as he was sprawled out in a bloody mess at ringside. Punk and Deniro entered the ring and stood behind Raven as he talked. Raven said next in line was Jarrett because it was his destiny to be NWA World Hvt. Champion. Raven turned and again asked Punk and Deniro to let him take his journey on his own. He said he was setting them free and it was time for them to do things on their own. Punk pleaded with Raven not to walked away from them. Raven returned to the back despite his begging. Punk asked Deniro what they were going to do without Raven.

-Tenay and West talked about the debut of the Masked X. Low Ki interrupted and said Triple X is no more and he will go after Christopher Daniels all out. West then plugged the TNA DVD and other merchandise. They shifted to the main event NWA World Title match.

7 -- JEFF JARRETT vs. STING

Sting got a nice ovation coming out. Tenay and West sold it as practically the biggest crowd pop in the history of civilization, doing their best to make this seem like a huge match. Too bad Sting couldn't have been bothered to deliver an actual promo earlier in the show to establish why anyone should believe he was serious about returning to wrestling and that he had a personal motivation to go after Jarrett. Sting overpowered Jarrett early and Jarrett sold it with facial expressions that said, "What have I gotten myself into." At 3:30 they brawled into the crowd, with Sting throwing chops. Jarrett put on a sleeper to take control of the match. Sting fought out of it and hit a couple Stinger Splashes in the corner. When he went for the cover, Callis came to ringside and yanked Sting off of Jarrett. Jarrett hit Sting with the title belt. Jimmy hart came to the ring to tell the ref what happened. Meanwhile, Sting came back and applied the Scorpion Death Lock. Red Shirted Security entered the ring. Sting fended them off, but Jarrett then hit Sting with a chair for the DQ.

WINNER: Sting via DQ at 8:50.

STAR RATING: * -- Blah blah blah. Almost no bumps. Never got out of second gear. The finish was lame. Just not a main event quality effort. The only thing to justify that lame effort from Sting is if he was told before the match he was getting 10 percent of the pay promised to him because that was a ten percent effort from what he owed the upstart TNA company.

-After the match Raven came to the ring and got in a staredown with Jarrett. He fought off Jarrett and the Red Shirts, but was eventually overwhelmed by the numbers. A.J. Styles then came out and dove over the top rope onto the Red Shirts, then punched away at Jarrett. Abyss then came out and the ring cleared for him except for Styles. Styles raised Abyss's arm, but Abyss snapped and chokeslammed Styles. Jarrett entered the ring again. Callis gave Jarrett a guitar. As Jarrett was about to hit Sting with the guitar, Sting blocked it with his bat and then took down Abyss and the Red Shirts with the bat. From the stage, Callis declared that Raven will never be World Champion. He said by next week, the Red Shirts would take care of him. Sting grabbed the mic, got some easy heat by announcing the city of Nashville by name, and then said he "kinda likes what's going on around here in TNA." He then said he is coming back next Wednesday, but only under one circumstances. He turned to Styles and said he wanted him to be his tag partner. Jarrett agreed to the match and said his partner would be someone dying to come to TNA, "The Total Package" Lex Luger. West and Tenay screamed "Unbelievable!"

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