By Wade Keller, Torch editor

NWA-TNA PPV
JANUARY 28, 2003
LIVE FROM NASHVILLE, TENN.

-After clips from last week's show, they showed Erik Watts, Goldy Locks, and Chicago Bear linebacker Brian Urlacher getting out of a limo.

-The opening montage then aired with Randy Savage rapping followed by Mike Tenay and Don West introducing the show live from ringside.

1 -- ABYSS vs. D-LO BROWN

I'm very interested in this match. Abyss has had good matches with just about everyone, and D-Lo tends to disappoint consistently with his matches. We'll see who wins out. D-Lo started aggressively and clotheslined Abyss over the top rope, then went after him at ringside. West excitedly said he's never seen anyone go after Abyss like this. D-Lo gave Abyss a totally half-hearted whip into the ringside railing from 20 feet away, forcing Abyss to obviously accelerate on his own into the railing. D-Lo dropped Abyss's head over the top rope and then hit a top rope crossbody block for a two count. They went back and forth for the next few minutes with fast-paced action. Abyss set up a table at ringside, then lifted D-Lo in the air. D-Lo escaped and then hit an enzuigiri. Both men were down on the mat as the ref began to count toward ten. Both men got up and they continued back and forth action without either dominating offense. Abyss gave D-Lo the dropdown torture rack for a near fall at 6:35. D-Lo came back with a powerbomb. The ref checked on Abyss. Abyss shoved the ref. The ref bumped into the ropes. That caused D-Lo to lose his balance (although it looked lame) and fell to the mat. Abyss then hit his finisher.

WINNER: Abyss at 7:49.

STAR RATING: *1/4 -- Good effort, but D-Lo is just a step off and sloppy in a lot of what he does. He just doesn't seem to have ring timing at all right now.

After the match Abyss slammed D-Lo through a table. El Leon attacked him at ringside. He fought with him into the ring and then clotheslined him over the top.

-Scott Hudson interviewed Jeff Jarrett and his men backstage. Jarrett's attorney on the speaker phone said Urlacher had to leave the arena or lose his job. Jarrett, the Red Shirts, Don Callis, Kid Kash, Glenn Gilberti, and David Young laughed. Gilberti whispered to Jarrett which member of Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger secretly signed his loyalty pledge.

-They went back to ringside where D-Lo was being tended to by medics. He was bleeding from the mouth. Tenay said it might be internal injuries.

-A video package aired on the feud between Michael Shane and Chris Sabin.

2 -- CHRIS SABIN vs. MICHAEL SHANE (w/Shane Douglas, Tracy) -- X Title match

Tenay put perspective on the match, saying it was Sabin's first defense of his second reign. Douglas joined West and Tenay at ringside. The fans chanted "boring" in the opening seconds when Shane and Sabin went to a headlock. Sabin gave Shane a head scissors, sending Shane to ringside. They fought at ringside where Shane threw an elbow to Sabin's head. Tracy attempted to distract Sabin, but Sabin was onto her. She later hit Sabin with her cast, sending him to the floor. Shane then worked over Sabin at ringside, throwing him into guardrail. At 4:45 Sabin fought back with some hard chops. Shane knocked Sabin off the top rope and Sabin ended up hanging upside down in the corner. Shane then slidekicked Sabin in the face. Tenay said there was no place for Sabin to go. Douglas said, "Yes there is. The dentist office. Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Shane then put Sabin in a chinlock with a knee jabbing him in the back. Sabin quickly elbowed out. Shane hit a nice overhead powerslam as Sabin came off the rope. As Sabin fought back, Shane poked him in the eyes. Sabin fired back at 7:00 with a hard chop. Sabin hit Shane with a springboard dropkick, sending Shane to the floor. Sabin then clotheslined Shane into the crowd. He followed him into the crowd and slammed him into ringside chairs. Sabin springboarded off the top rope into the crowd onto Shane with a tackle. Sabin lifted Shane and dropped him to the mat with a neckbreaker for a two count. Tracy put Shane's foot over the bottom rope. Shane rolled up Sabin for a near fall. Shane gave Sabin a DDT for a near fall. Shane went for a superkick at 10:00, but Sabin ducked it and then bridged Shane for a three count. Douglas yelled "No!" and then threw off his headset. After the match Douglas got in Shane's face and yelled at him. They need to figure out whether they want Sabin and Shane to be each be a babyface or a heel and stick with it for at least a year for any tease of a turn to have any effectiveness. Shane and Douglas ended up hugging.

WINNER: Sabin at 10:20 to retain the X Division Title.

STAR RATING: **3/4 -- Good ten minute match.

-Highlights aired of Johnny Fairplay's debut last week. Then Tenay's sitdown interview aired with Fairplay. He was wearing a neckbrace and said he can't believe Styles disrespected him like that. As Tenay began to ask him a question, he pulled out two cell phones. Tenay quoted the media calling him one of the most hated people in America. Fairplay said only fat and ugly people don't like him. He said others, especially women, like him - "four at a time." When Tenay asked him about being Roddy Piper's personal assistant, Fairplay told Tenay to never mention that name to him again. A woman brought Fairplay a beverage. Tenay asked Fairplay what he brings TNA to the table. He said he brings ratings. He'll bring the biggest buyrates in the history of the company. He said the ratings will double each week. Tenay asked if that is all he brings? Fairplay then revealed he will be hosting an interview segment called, "Playing Fair with Fairplay." Tenay said, "An interview segment, sort of like Piper's Pit?" Fairplay got up and left at the mention of Piper's name.

-A taped segment aired with Sandman smoking and drinking outside in a junk yard setting. He said he swore to himself he'd never make a deal with the devil, but now he's in a position where he has to. He said next week he will bring in another partner and he will keep coming at him (James Mitchell) until he destroys him.

3 -- C.M. PUNK & JULIO DENIRO (w/James Mitchell) vs. SANDMAN & MIKEY WHIPWRECK

Sandman came to the ring and revealed Mikey was his tag partner. Tenay said Mikey used to be managed in ECW by Mitchell. Mikey acted crazy, made it seem he was with Mitchell's men and turning on Sandman, but then punched them and shared a beer with Sandman. Mikey leaped off the top rope at Dinero at ringside, but Dinero moved and Mikey hit the guardrail. That gave Punk and Dinero a chance to double-team Mikey. Sandman managed a comeback with a double DDT/Russian leg sweep on both opponents at once at 3:00. Dinero came back quickly and flattened Sandman with a slam off the ropes for the win just seconds later. As Punk and Dinero attacked Sandman, the lights went out and another bizarre message played on the big screen for a couple seconds, presumably from Raven.

WINNERS: Dinero & Punk at 3:21.

STAR RATING: 3/4*

-Hudson interviewed Simon and Swinger backstage. They argued over which of them must've signed the loyalty pledge. Then they thought maybe Gilberti was lying. Gee, ya' think. Simon said Gilberti is so desperate he's lying.

-Callis called Urlacher to the ring. Callis told Urlacher that if he doesn't leave the ring, he gets to take over control of the company. Callis said there is an easy way and a hard way. Urlacher asked him what the easy way is. Callis said the easy way is to do what he does every Sunday and run away like a chicken. He asked what the hard way is. The Red Shirts attacked Urlacher. He ducked and bounced off the ropes awkwardly (it isn't as easy as it looks) and then hit the Shirts with a clothesline. When Fairplay ran into the ring, Urlacher pressed him and threw him onto the Red Shirts at ringside. He looked blown up as he played to the crowd briefly.

-Hudson interviewed Lynn with the U.S. representatives for the Feb. 11 X Cup Tournament. Lynn said they're going to scout the AAA talent. He was with Sabin, Sonjay Dutt, and Elix Skipper.

4 -- "SHOWTIME" ERIC YOUNG & SHARK BOY & CHAD COLLYER & MATT STRYKER VS. HECTOR GARZA & MR. AGUILA & JUVENTUD GUERRERA & ABISMO NEGRA

Kid Kash walked out before the match with a clip board. He tried to take the mic out of Jeremy Borash's hands. Borash yanked it away and told him he isn't signing any clip board and told him if he knows what's good for him, get out of the ring. The wrestlers walked up into Kash's face. Kash counted the four on one odds and left on his own without a fight. Kash slapped Tiny and grabbed him before leaving. Sara then bashed him with a broom. When he turned and grabbed her, Tiny attacked Kash, who fled to the back when Don Harris and Chris Vaughn came out. The match began with Juventud vs. Shark Boy. Young tagged in against Negro. Then Aguila (formerly Essa Rios in the WWF) tagged in against Collyer. Stryker then faced off with Garza. Pretty nondescript random action for several minutes. Garza dove onto a pile of wrestlers at ringside at 8:30. In the ring Juvi gave Young his Juvi Driver. Aguila finished off Young with a dive off the top rope. After the match Team TNA faced off with Team AAA in the ring. They shook hands in a sign of mutual respect.

WINNERS: Aguila & Juvi & Garza & Negra at 8:51.

STAR RATING: 3/4* -- Just random spots and nothing all that memorable.

-Hudson interviewed Trinity backstage. She said she doesn't want to be with Sonny Siaki or Kid Kash. Siaki barged in was going to handcuff her to his wrist. Kash attacked him from behind and then cuffed him to a role in the locker room. Kash told him, "It looks like you're going to be hanging around for a little while."

-A video aired of 3 Live Krew performing one of their songs. Then a clip aired of Kash getting in the faces of the Red Shirts. He told them he heard that if they don't win the tag titles, they're out the door and back to bouncing bars.

5 -- THE RED SHIRTS vs. RON KILLINGS & B.G. JAMES (w/Konnan)

Konnan did his usual mic work. The crowd seemed to be into it. The Red Shirts beat on Killings during the body of the match. He made a comeback. Four way action broke out with Killings diving onto Legend at ringside. Shane Douglas and Michaels Shane came out and interfered. Douglas KO'd James with his chain as the ref was distracted by action at ringside. Northcutt then covered James for the three count.

WINNERS: The Red Shirts at 7:02 to capture the NWA Tag Team Titles.

STAR RATING: * -- Pretty blah. The 3 Live Krew title reign may be one of the most forgettable in tag team title history.

-Hudson interviewed Sandman backstage. He said Sandman just got an emergency call on his cell phone. Hudson asked if it was Raven. Sandman said he was crazy to even suggest it. He said no, he was talking to Terry Funk. Hudson said, "It doesn't get any bigger than that."

-Tenay then interviewed the ICP. Their Juggalos went crazy in the crowd. When Tenay asked about the Juggalos, one of the Clowns, said he shouldn't ask because he wouldn't understand, but over time he'll grow to love it. He said they like watching TNA every Wednesday, so from now on they're going to take time off from music each Wednesday to be part of TNA. He said he thinks Jeff Jarrett was cool (or was it "dope" or "the bomb," words he used a record number of times in a two minute promo) when he was saying slapnuts, but now he just seems to be flapping his lips. Gilberti interrupted, with David Young following behind him, and said if they apologize to Jarrett, they can be accepted by them. The lead Clown reacted with sarcasm. Gilberti said he laid it out there, he needs to apologize to makes things good. A fight broke out with all four and ICP cleared the ring. Fans chanted "ICP, ICP." That could have been a lot worse.

-Tenay and West talked about America's X Cup and said they'd explain the point rules at a later time, but there would be singles matches, four-man tags, and an eight-man elimination match as part of the tournament. Violent J came back out. He said it's apparent they're going to have to put the boots on and take care of business next week. He challenged Young & Gilberti to a tag match next week. West then announced Abyss vs. El Leon for next week.

-A preview vignette played previewing the Erik Watts vs. Don Callis match and they misspelled Watts's name "Erick."

6 -- DON CALLIS vs. ERIK WATTS -- Falls Count Anywhere

All of the wrestlers from the back came out handcuffed to an enemy. Lynn had to drag Kash to the ring, who kept fighting and Lynn kept yanking him. Jarrett handcuffed Tenay to the guard rail. Callis managed to take control at 1:30 and bashed Watts with objects at ringside. They fought into the crowd where Watts made a comeback. Watts threw Callis into the announcing area. Watts bashed Callis across the back with a chair. When Watts got into it with some wrestlers at ringside, Callis bailed out to the back area. Watts chased after him. Callis surprised Watts with an attack and went for a piledriver. Watts reversed it into a backdrop for a near fall on the stage. Back in the ring Watts hit Callis with a few clotheslines and a boot to the face that "barely grazed him" (i.e. missed entirely). He then set up a chokeslam, so Callis slapped the ref to the mat. Watts chokeslammed Callis and made the cover. Trinity moonsaulted Watts from behind. Callis covered Watts and scored a two count. The Naturals ran out and got into it with some wrestlers at ringside. Callis brought the NWA Title belt into the ring, but Watts kicked it into Callis's face. Then he set up a piledriver on Trinity. He set her up for a powerbomb and slammed her to the mat. Goldy entered the ring and cheered Watts on. Callis recovered and swung the belt at Watts. Watts ducked. When Watts lifted Callis for another chokeslam, Goldy low blowed him from behind. West screamed, "Goldy, you whore!" Callis then hit Watts with the belt and scored the pin.

WINNER: Callis at 8:40.

STAR RATING: neg.* -- Whatever value it had for chaos was offset by really bad wrestling. Ugly match.

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