By Marc Donmoyer, Torch Team Contributor

NWA-TNA PPV #60
August 27th, 2003
Live from Nashville Tenn.

Welcome back to the Asylum. TNA is hitting a stride as of late, and for the most part this show kept it going. The last two shows managed to break the ten dollar value, and Its great to see a promotion in an upswing, for once. My value system is based on many elements, and even an amazing match can seem low on value if we�re not given a reason to care. The main event of TNA tonight had the potential to hit the jackpot, with the exciting, and quick, rise of Raven to #1 contender-ship status. The match was an exciting rollercoaster, and managed to have the big game feel needed for a main event. The end of the show left the asylum hungry, but a little bit pissed.

WWE took Alexis Laree. Somewhere a baby cries. I no longer get to spend my Wednesday nights with the amazing Alexis.

A smart video package aired, detailing tonight�s show. It established that tonight was about finishing grudges.

(1) Three Live Crew (B.G. James & Ron Killings & Konnan) wrestled Shane Douglas & Sinn & Slash (w/James Mitchell) to a no contest. This was a fine opener, with an annoying ending. Mitchell at the announce table, but his mic didn�t start working until mid match. Three Live Crew are over in the asylum, and they took it to the bad guys early, including some nice triple team moves. Mid-Match Mitchell mentioned Alexis Laree was missing from the back, much to my dismay. I can only hope WWE puts her on RAW, and fast, then I�ll have a reason to watch besides Chris Jericho. After some decent action, Mitchell got involved with Killings. The Gathering (Julio Dinero & C.M. Punk) ran in to neutralize Mitchell, and the ref called the match. It caught me off guard, and didn�t make much sense. This wasn�t anything special, but the wrestling was actually pretty good, too bad about the ending.

Match Value: 50 cents. Good energy, stupid ending.

Terry Taylor was sitting in for Goldylocks, er, Scott Hudson. He interviewed Sonny Siaki in the parking lot. Siaki barely managed to say anything before Taylor told him his match was right now. Siaki seemed shocked, and ran to the ring.

(2) Sonny Siaki (w/Trinity) defeated D-Lo Brown. Ouch- bad news for the down-Brown. Brown lost this match after a weak attack from Trinity. Match started well when Brown hit a nice drop kick on the ramp. The bell rung after some outside brawling. There was a cool spot where Brown tried for a baseball slide, but Siaki caught him and powerslammed him on the outside. Brown hit an apron to outside moonsault on Siaki. In the ring Siaki hit a funky split-legged moonsault. After they exchanged a few power moves, Brown hit the sudden impact, but Trinity had the ref distracted. Brown got all huffy, but took a Siakalypse Now. Brown managed to kick. Trinity hit a tornado DDT. Brown, drugged from Trinity�s smell (I guess), stayed down for three.

Match Value: 75 cents. 5 minute match with another weak ending. Good action while it went on though, which is more than I�d expected. I�m not too upset I have to see Brown get the win back. One spot I really liked saw Siaki jumping from the second rope, and Brown catching him with a cutter.

So far this PPV is just okay� Time to hit the rum, har.

After the match Brown brawled to the outside with Siaki. Poor fella was getting ganged up on, but Jeff Jarrett saved him.

Mike Tenay and Don West ran down the rest of the show. Don Callis came out and expressed his anger over Jerry Lynn getting an X-Division title match. He didn�t approve, but said Watts had the power to make the match. Tenay asked why he�s singling out Jarrett, and Callis said Lynn was an example of wrestlers breaking rules.

A highlight of last weeks Ultimate X match aired, showing Michael Shane�s victory. The replay made this match seem twice as good as it was, showing all the amazing spots. That match was such a good idea, I can�t wait for the next one.

Michael Shane cut a promo. He was cocky, and called himself the Showstopper. He name dropped being Shawn Michaels cousin. Just in case anybody didn�t catch it the first 29 times we were told. Not a bad promo.

(3) Michael Shane defeated Jerry Lynn to retain the X-Division title. This was a good defense for Michael Shane, though nothing to awe-inspiring. At times it seemed a little basic for an X-Title match, but I appreciated the pace. Putting Lynn back here helps give the division a more realistic feel. Tight action started it, building to some nifty exchanges. It was a little heavy on the punches and kicks, with some power moves thrown in. Lynn was playing to Callis, at the announce table, for much of the match. Michael Shane hit a double ax handle on Lynn, on the outside. Double ax handle? Scandalous. Lynn got on Shane and kept hitting him, despite the ref trying to get him to stop. Callis got pissed, and left. After ten minutes of back and forth action, Lynn got a run going. Lynn hit a brutal powerbomb, followed by the TKO. Lynn wanted the cradle piledriver, but red shirt security entered. They distracted Lynn, and Shane hit the sweet chin music for three.

Match Value: $1.50. Good length, good action, but everything remained at good. Not one people will be talking about, but an effective title match nonetheless.

Raven is such a pro. He cut a really good interview with Mike Tenay. He calmly ,and articulately, discussed his past feuds. He talked about Tommy Rich and Buzz Sawyers NWA Title feud. He talked about his ECW feuds with Tommy Dreamer and Sandman. He said James Mitchell was out to get him, but he never let his eyes of the prize. The prize is his destiny, the NWA Title. Styles broke up the interview and spazzed out on Raven, but Russo took him away. No punches were exchanged, but good tension was.

I really like this promo style, and Raven got me ready for the main event. Bonus: 25 cents.

Two cute blonde girls gyrated in steel cages.

A video of last week�s �lucky 13� gauntlet match aired, focusing on Sandman and Abyss� fighting.

(4) Abyss defeated Sandman. I didn�t know what to expect from this, but it ended up okay. This PPV certainly had an undercard. Sandman did some neat stuff, including a slingshot plancha, which Abyss caught him during. Sandman also hit a really nice senton from the top. Kid Kash interfered after a few minutes, mouthing off at Abyss. They had an awkward powerbomb-hurracanrana battle that saw Abyss getting whipped out of the ring onto a table, which didn�t break. Sandman got Abyss in the ring, but Abyss wouldn�t pin. Abyss hit his swinging one-armed sideslam (black hole), and got the pin on Sandman. Abyss won decisively. So far he�s proved he�s not dead weight in the ring.

Match Value: 50 cents. Too short and meaningless to be worth more than that, but it was okay. It managed to advance Kash and Abyss� relationship a little, that�s about it.

Terry Taylor interviewed Kash backstage. Kash called Taylor a fossil, and slapped him. Taylor went after Kash, but Abyss protected him. Taylor said Abyss shouldn�t stand for Kash�s abuse. Abyss was too insecure to challenge Kash. Maybe someday Abyss will believe in himself enough to not get bullied around. We can only hope my friends, we can only hope.

(5) Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger defeated America�s Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm) to win the NWA World Tag Team Titles. I didn�t list Gilberti here because he didn�t come out until late in the match. This match was really good, again, and I was digging it. My roommate Jesse, the one who doesn�t watch wrestling, happened to be in the room. Even he marked out late in the match, giving me five. I�m simply amazed they managed to seem fresh after all these weeks. After some slow outside action, the bell was finally rung. Harris was waylaid on the outside, and Storm got ganged up on bad. The announcers mentioned that the belt could change hands on a DQ. Storm almost got pinned after an awesome northern lights reversal from Simon Diamond on Storm. Storm managed to eventually get Harris after a series of enzugiris. Harris went nuts, hitting a great flurry, including a nifty full nelson slam. Harris nailed a bulldog, and then tried for a pin with a solid high crossbody. Harris wanted to hit the catatonic on Swinger, but Diamond hit him in the junk. Swinger tried for a roll-up, but Harris kicked. The four of them managed a four person superplex that was just phenomenal. The crowd went crazy, amazed at what they�d just seen. Jesse said he�d never seen anything like that, and I had to agree. One was in the powerbomb position, while the other three were locked up. Seeing was believing people, and it was cool. Everyone was a wreck after this, and Gilberti entered. Gilberti distracted the ref, keeping AMW from getting the pin. Diamond tried to use a belt on Harris, but Harris kicked him in the face. Gilberti pulled the ref out of the ring before the three count, saying Harris had cheated with it. Referee Rudy Charles took the belt to the announce table. Gilberti hit Harris with a chair, and Diamond & Swinger hit a pancake-DDT combo for three.

Match Value: $2.75. Awesome match, obviously slightly watered down due to their weekly battles. It really didn�t matter, because this was really exciting, and had one amazing moment I won�t soon forget. This did not make you question why you paid to see it. It was ten minutes of exciting tag team action.

(6) Glenn Gilberti defeated Dusty Rhodes in a bull rope match. Right after the tag match, Gilberti came to the ring and said that was bull-poop (well not really poop�). These two punched and kicked and such, with fun facial expressions, and lame action. Rhodes dominated most of it. Christopher Daniels ran in and hit Rhodes, costing him the match.

Total Value: 25 cents.

After the match they ganged up on Rhodes, but Chris Harris came in to help. Diamond & Swinger ran out, and the heels took over again. Super-Jarrett couldn�t stand for it, so he came in and cracked a guitar over Daniel�s head. He played to the crowd, and checked on Rhodes.

Mike Tenay did a sit-down interview with Mad Mikey. Mikey played every obvious nuance of mad, and even had a temper tantrum in the end. He said he was pissed off Mae Young trained him, and gave him the bronco buster. If I was required to vote, I would vote �this was lame.�

Terry Taylor interviewed Three Live Crew backstage. Taylor asked Three Live Crew if they were high. They hinted they were, but Killings pointed out he was high on life. Diamond & Swinger & Gilberti came in to interrupt and gloat. Jarrett came out of nowhere and whacked Gilberti with another guitar. It was kind of funny.

�Rowdy� Roddy Piper is coming to TNA, and boy is he pissed. He was hoping to get a show on HBO after his dramatic words, but ended up back in TNA instead.

Mike Tenay and Don West put over next weeks X Division tournament, the Super X. They showed brackets involving 4 guys from the States, and 4 from other countries. The international and U.S. champ will battle for the victory.

They hyped the main event with a video package.

(7) A.J. Styles (w/Vince Russo) defeated Raven to retain the NWA World Title. Another terrific main event. Due to character and storyline, this was Styles� best title defense thus far. They started out with some kicks and grappling. Things sped-up quickly, and Raven wanted an early Evenflow. Raven punched Styles out of the ring, but quickly brought him back in, delivering a vertical suplex for two. Raven nailed Styles on the outside with a trash can, and then went to town on him. He hit five Russian leg sweeps into the barricade, in a row! Normally that doesn�t work (five of the same move in a row, see Scott Steiner Royal Rumble), but this was effective. Styles looked drained. Raven played to the crowd, and brought Styles in for a pin attempt. Russo distracted the ref, and the pin wasn�t counted. Styles hit a low blow, followed by his spring to reverse DDT. The Gathering came to ringside and carried Russo to the back. Styles was a bloody mess, but managed a tight enzugiri, followed by a vertical suplex. The crowd cheered Raven as he kicked. Styles hit a springboard head scissors. He followed up with two brutal snap mares into spine kicks. Styles put on a great submission, but Raven got the ropes. Styles set up a chair, trying to hit the drop toe hold, but Raven avoided it, cracking Styles with the chair. Rudy Charles administered the 10 count, Styles was up on 7. Raven hit a bulldog for two. Raven now wanted the drop toe hold to the chair, but Styles did an amazing spot. He jumped off the chair instead, to the ropes, caught himself, and came back for the crossbody. Raven quickly countered, hitting Styles with the chair. They had a solid reversal war, and Raven hit a flawless Styles clash on Styles. Sinn, of all people, got involved. Styles hit the Evenflow on Raven, but Raven kicked. Styles hit Sinn with a drop kick by accident, knocking him off the turnbuckle. The ref bumped, and Styles took the Evenflow from Raven. The ref was down, and Slash did a run in. Slash wanted to use powder, but Raven thwarted him. Slash got himself blinded, and accidentally hit an airplane on Styles, thinking it was Raven. Raven wanted a top tope Evenflow, but Shane Douglas got in the way. Styles tried to capitalize by hitting a jumping top rope headscissors, but Raven countered with a powerbomb. The crowd was rabid for Raven to win. Douglas hit a low blow on Raven, and Styles hit the clash for three. Russo ran in and grabbed the belt. James Mitchell cackled from the ramp.

Match Value: $5.25. For only a week of build-up, this match felt special, and it was pulled off really well. I was going nuts for this one. It was just a notch under Low-Ki-Styles in the way of in-ring work, and the storyline made it seem better. The run-ins were annoying, but consistent with Mitchell wanting to ruin Raven, so it worked.

After the match Chris Harris ran to ringside. He went off on everyone being screwed, and said he was sick of it. He ordered Rudy Charles to restart the match. The heels ran in and chaos ensued. Diamond, Daniels, Swinger, and Douglas were all in the ring. Super-Jarrett ran in, again, to save the day. Erik Watts joined the fun. He said next week would be bloody Wednesday, and there would be a huge cage match, a la War Games. It will be good guys vs. bad guys, and weapons are welcome. He will be special referee, and Dusty Rhodes came out, and said he�d hold the key. The whole thing seemed kind of flat, as the asylum wanted something else to happen now. Russo ordered the heels to charge the ring, and after about five seconds of brawling TNA went off the air.

One too many Jarrett run-ins. Fine: 50 cents.

Total Value: $11.25. TNA delivers quality wrestling, and intrigue for the promotion.

Email Marc feedback/comments to MDonmoyer@PWTorch.com. We TNA fans have to stick together. Check out more from Marc in the PWTorch.com Lounge in his column: What it�s Worth.

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