NWA: Total Nonstop Action - From Its Inception!

[ADG]



http://www.marksandsmarks.com

TNA Notes

* The buy rate for ‘The Triple Threat’ has been confirmed as a 0.18 up from last weeks 0.17. However attendance has dropped to 2,945. TNA management are currently eyeing the 3,000 mark to be achieved soon.

* The decision to add the “Earlier Today” segment on the PPV was done at the last minute and barely finished recording before the show began for real.

* Right now TNA has big plans for CM Punk and his “straight edge” gimmick. No word yet on any possible program with Kanyon about who truly is better.

* TNA have apparently decided on who will lead The Brethren alongside James Mitchell but are keeping tight-lipped about who ‘The Anointed One’ will be.

* Right now the plan is for Steve Corino to continue with his ‘Old School Challenge’. Presumably until they find someone to put over him and catapult to stardom.

* Some have been pushing for the X Division Championship ladder match to main event the next show, but Jerry Jarrett is apparently dead set on the World Title match main eventing.

* After the show went off the air, the brawl between Scott Steiner and Ken Shamrock escalated to the extent that Rick Steiner and Frank Shamrock came out to back up their brothers. Expect to see the footage this week.

* The NASCAR deal is expected to go ahead. Expect NASCAR drivers to be in the front row at TNA shows soon.

* Lash LeRoux was on a one shot deal to get beaten black and blue by Mike Awesome.

* The NWA are in negotiations to bring some big name stars into the X Division. Right now the hope is that Jushin Thunder Liger and Sabu will agree to a special exhibition match in the near future.

~* Bill Goldberg posted a news update on his website about his career options. This bit in particular was interesting:

I got a contract offer to return to the ring last week, and it wasn’t from the WWE!

[Evilution]

Very very good. All there is to say really

[Guest Faded Sanity]

Personally I would like to see Goldberg as "The Anonited One" that would be pretty interesting to read.

[jayden]

Hmmm, hadn't considered that. It would be amazing but I think if you take Goldberg you can't really give him any other character, he's too big a name to just have as some guy like that. You're taking all that name value and draw and not bothering capitalising on it despite having to pay stacks of cash on him.

Would be interesting though.

[ADG]

NWATNA – The First Defence

Tonight on NWATNA the NWA World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line as the champion, “The Chosen One” Jeff Jarrett defends the title against “The Bad Guy” Scott Hall in a match now fully sanctioned by the NWA Executive Committee. Can Jarrett emerge victorious or will Scott Hall make Jarrett’s reign a short one?

Tonight the NWA crowns its very first World X Division Champion when three of the very best go at it, in a ladder match! Low Ki, Taka Michinoku and Jody Fleisch step into the ring to do battle against one another. The winner will emerge the first X Division Champion.

With the World and X Division divisions now in full swing, one division still has a cloud of uncertainty hanging over it. Tonight that veil will be lifted as Harley Race will personally take charge of the division and tonight, he’s got a big surprise in store for us all!

After last weeks main event we saw a huge four man brawl erupt as Scott and Rick Steiner and Ken and Frank Shamrock battled it out as the show came to a close. Tonight you’ll see the footage from when we went off the air, and in singles action, Ken Shamrock goes on one one, with Rick Steiner.

Two weeks ago we saw the debut of Mike Awesome as he ploughed through Norman Smiley. Tonight he is back and booked in a handicap match against The West Hollywood Blondes of Lenny and Lodi.

PLUS!

The Brethren will be in the building as they prepare for ‘His’ arrival and Curt Hennig will be in action against David Young and he has some strong words for Brian Christopher.

** Confirmed Card **

NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match ~ “The Chosen One” Jeff Jarrett © vs. “The Bad Guy” Scott Hall

NWA X Division Championship Match - Ladder Match ~ Low Ki vs. Taka Michinoku vs. Jody Fleisch

Ken Shamrock vs. Rick Steiner

Mike Awesome vs. The West Hollywood Blondes

Curt Hennig vs. David Young

[jayden]

Really interesting looking show thus far. Predictions....

I don't see Hall going over Jarrett, and to be honest I'm glad about it. Jarrett makes a better champ at this point.

I've got a horrid feeling you're putting Jody over in the X match. He's looked really strong so far even though both the others are way better workers. I'm hoping for Low Ki, I'm guessing Fleisch.

I'm thinking the division Race is getting involved in is the tag division. You have some strong teams there, the Pitbulls of course, but some good upcoming ones elsewhere on the roster and plenty of singles guys you could chuck together to form makeshift teams for one night so I'm looking forward to that if it is tag team.

Shamrock Vs Rick Steiner, I see Scott giving Rick the win, and Frank making some sort of save. I'm loving the idea of seeing the Shamrock's and the Steiner's feuding in some way. It's a really fresh idea.

Awesome should continue his push and destroy the Blondes, I can't wait to see those two taking Awesome Bombs through tables.

I expect Hennig to beat David Young as Young's basically useless. Nice to see that Hennig and Christopher's problems haven't been forgotten about.

Also interested to see where Steve Corino and CM Punk fit into the show after their impressive debuts.

[Pesci]

Yep, Fleish went over. *chokes cat to death in fit of rage* Oh, and now a feud with Storm. Great.

As for the rest of the show, I think it's probably the best yet. For starters, somebody other than Jeff Jarrett got promo time, which is always an added plus. The first segment wasn't all that great, but it did what it was there to accomplish - set Steiner out as the bad guy, and Hall and Shamock as the good guys. CM Punk's interview was awesome, and just created yourself a monster heel right there. I don't know if a 42% rating is enough for the reaction you gave to the fans, what with beer bottles and the like, but the way you wrote it certainly seemed like you have high hopes for the kid. The Steve Corino promo was alright - nothing spectacular, but it did what it was supposed to do, and that was put him over as another star hungry for the title, and set up the Old School Challenge. To be honest, if I was a fan in attendance, I really wouldn't have cared one bit about the Young Lions Battle Royal. Who are these kids, and what the hell are they doing on a show I paid good money for? Still, you built up Punk well as I mentioned before. The same goes for the Corino match - nothing interesting, but I suppose it gives him something to do whilst he's being moulded into a viable threat.

The Lost Boys/York and Christian match was quite a nice addition to the show, as it showed off The Boys' personalities, and having them constantly looking towards Mitchell for support was a nice touch. I also liked the way you made it seem like they couldn't get the job done on their own, and without their manager probably would've lost.

I'll skip over the ladder match annoncement, because there isn't really much I can say about something as short as that, and as for the main event, the right man went over. Hall should act as viable cannon fodder to Jarrett, because something tells me he won't be the one to end the reign.

And speaking of Jarrett, where was he? Come on, he's the boss' son. He'd have you fired!

[Guest Faded Sanity]

Hmmm, hadn't considered that. It would be amazing but I think if you take Goldberg you can't really give him any other character, he's too big a name to just have as some guy like that. You're taking all that name value and draw and not bothering capitalising on it despite having to pay stacks of cash on him.

Would be interesting though.

←

[ADG]

NWATNA – The First Defence

- Hennig Opens The Show –

The fourth show of TNA opened with Curt Hennig already in the ring. A microphone in hand, he waited for the cheering to quieten slightly before speaking, giving Mike Tenay and Don West time to hype the rest of the show, including the X Division ladder match and Jarrett versus Hall, for the NWA Title!

Curt Hennig: Three weeks ago, on the first show of NWA: Total Nonstop Action, I entered the Gauntlet for the Gold…..With the express purpose of leaving the Von Braun Center as the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. But thanks to one little jackass, that all went to hell!

The crowd want to know who he’s talking about. Hennig halts his speech to let tension build up.

Curt Hennig: The man I am talking about is of course…………Brian Christopher.

Standard (maybe even piped in) booing starts.

Curt Hennig: That little jealous jackass cost me my shot at the NWA World Championship. He took a steel chair and beat me down because I had pinned him. Well Brian Christopher, if you’re going to take a steel chair to every man, woman and child that pins you in the ring, pretty soon, TNA won’t have a goddamn roster left. Now, my major goal is still to become the NWA World Champion, and claim my first World Title, a title that is loooonng overdue. But for now Brian Christopher, I’m coming for you!

The crowd cheers but these turn into boos as David Young comes from the back, charging the ring for his match with Hennig.

[75]

- Hennig Comes Through But The “Next Generation Superstar” Makes His Mark -

Curt Hennig – after being interrupted – was understandably pissed and he showed it against the same man who interrupted him, David Young. Hennig made short work of Young, beating him from pillar to post, letting out all his rage as the crowd watched in a bored silence, popping only when Hennig nailed a big move and then asked the crowd for acceptance. The match was over in a little over three minutes as Hennig nailed the Hennig-Plex for the 1-2-3! The big story was after the match however as “The Next Generation Superstar” Brian Christopher charged the ring complete with steel chair and one ferocious swing was all it took to bust Hennig open and TNA went to a commercial with Brian Christopher trash talking over the unconscious body of Curt Hennig.

[73/51/62]

- Gotta Love That Gregorian Chanting! -

TNA heads backstage to a dark room. The only source of light comes from three candles on a mantle under a symbol (a circle encircling a five point star) that has a serpent wrapped around it. Lined up stand Lestat, Slash and The Lost Boys. Standing before him is “The Sinister Minister” James Mitchell. He has the golden chalice in his hand and as he stands before Lestat he drips two fingers into the chalice then runs the fingers across the forehead of Lestat. He moves down the line as he talks, running the liquid across the foreheads of the four during the “One” parts.

James Mitchell: One blood………..one family………..one soul………..one life. The time is nearly at hand, when ‘The Annointed’ arrives, and the NWA is led down the dark path………..along the Ghost Roads……..to Entropy itself. The Brethren…..will lead the NWA…….straight into hell itself………..and when it has happened……and the darkness reigns in life……….and those of the light are banished to the Nightmare realm………..we…….and we alone……..will rule.

Spooky………

[67]

- So Wait. I Get To Beat Up Some Gays? I LOVE My Job! -

TNA continued its theme of squash matches as Mike Awesome, along with his manager Dutch Mantell took on Lenny and Lodi, The West Hollywood Blondes. The rumour had been that the WHB were due a huge push with Joel Gertner but when The Pitbulls signed on and needed a mouthpiece, Gertner got the nod and the WHB now become Awesome’s punching bags. This match went slightly longer, clocking in at a little over four and a half minutes but again the crowd was virtually dead only popping when Dutch Mantell started arguing with the referee, not that Awesome really needed his assistance in any way, shape or form. Awesome ended it with Awesome Bombs to both Lenny and Lodi and he got the double pin for the 1-2-3. After the bell Awesome delivered a second Awesome Bomb to both guys for good measure before leaving. Awesome is really being put over as an indestructable machine.

[73/53/63]

Lenny lost overness.

- Haven’t We Seen The “Family Feud” Angle Done To Death Already? -

TNA continued as Ken Shamrock and Rick Steiner did battle in a standard match which achieved one thing in that it got the crowd remotely excited and happy to be there. Shamrock was the solid fan favourite so while both men here were meant to be portrayed as face “looking for respect” from the opposing family as Tenay and West kept reminding us. This match did keep up the standard of action for the evening as Shamrock’s atheliticism and Steiner’s experience led to them mutually helping each other to a passable match. Both men were with their brothers at ringside and several times it looked like they might come to blows on the outside but both knew that would cause a DQ and refrained from getting it on. The match, like the two before it didn’t go to the ten minute mark but this wasn’t a squash as both men got in some decent offence. Shamrock though was the more impressive of the two. A persistant rumour at the moment is that Ken has requested a match or two with Jeff Jarrett to see what they can do, although this is mostly as Ken doesn’t want to be stuck as a tag team wrestler. Eventually everything boiled over and all four brothers were going at it, both in the ring and outside it. When the brawl between Frank and Scott spilled into the ring, referee Jim Mollineaux had no other choice than to call for the bell and rule the match a no-contest. This didn’t stop the Shamrocks and Steiners though as they continued to brawl, all the way up the aisle to the back.

[72/70/71]

- I Hear That The Executive Washroom Is Nice -

TNA heads to the back into the office of the Executive Committee where Harley Race is sitting.

Harley Race: As you are all no doubt aware, the NWA World and X Division champions have been crowned or will be crowned tonight. The NWA Tag division, which will be the responsibility of myself however, has not yet began. Well that changes next week when we determine new NWA World Tag Team Champions, in a twelve team tournament. 4 triple threat matches, with the winners meeting in an Anything Goes, Double Jeopardy Match at the end of the night. The team left standing will be the new NWA Tag Champions. Thank you for your time and enjoy the show.

TNA returned to the ring where ladders were being lain around the ring for the next match and the X Division Championship belt was being hung above the ring.

[87]

==COMMERCIAL BREAK==

- Holy Hell! That Ladder’s So Big You’ll Get A Nosebleed! -

In the best match of the night by far Low Ki, Taka Michinoku and Jody Fleisch battled it out for the honour of being the first NWA X Division Champion in a ladder match. The match was absolutely insane with all three men putting it all on the line to get the prize. Fleisch was the first to amaze, with a SSP off the ladder onto a standing Taka, only for Ki to come roaring in with a Shining Wizard to the head of Fleisch as he got up. The three men went through the usual fare, trying to get the crowd into it which they managed slightly but every time they got them hooked they’d let them slip away again, which detracted from the match significantly. In all, four ladders were utilised (one for each man plus one MASSIVE ladder) and they were joined by various chairs, tables and other weapons which the three men used to add height and risk to the spots. The ladders were doubled up for some spots, including the familiar see-saw spot, which saw Ki and Michinoku smashed by the ladder thanks to Fleisch. Michinoku responded, getting the crowd on their feet, teasing a Michinoku Driver to Fleisch off the ladder but Fleisch reversed it into a backdrop and Michinoku went through a table set up in the ring – Low Ki then dropkicked the ladder, sending Fleisch through a table on the outside! This was when Ki brought the big ladder into play and it too took a tumble, sending Ki to the concrete thanks to Jody Fleisch stumbling into it following a chairshot from Michinoku. As the match hit the twenty minute mark it was hard to see how much longer they could go on, given the punishment all three men had absorbed. They all found a third wind though and went another seven minutes, even if the ladders did get put away for a while and it became big spot, rest, repeat. Eventually, in true “anyone can win” fashion all three men climbed their own ladder only for them all to take a tumble off their ladders thanks to punches from one another, but while Fleisch and Michinoku crashed to the mat, Ki landed on the middle rope, turned and walked a tightrope of ladders to the belt, grabbing it and falling 12 feet to the mat, triumphant. After the bell all three men shook hands before Fleisch and Michinoku left, leaving Low Ki alone in the ring to give thanks for his win.

[89/53/71]

The NWA X Division title has gained in image.

==COMMERCIAL BREAK==

- Tonight……”The Bad Guy”…….Is Leaving…….NWA-World-Champion. How Do You Write Those Long Pauses He Takes? -

TNA went backstage where some generic blonde – lets call her Goldylocks – was standing by with the challenger for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, “The Bad Guy” Scott Hall.

Goldylocks: Scott Hall, tonight, live on pay per view, you take on “The Chosen One” Jeff Jarrett, for the NWA World Championship. Now all throughout your career you’ve never won the big one, you’ve never been World Champion, but that could all change tonight-

Scott Hall: Hey yo! That ‘could’ change tonight……..that will change tonight. Now, ‘The Chosen One’, he likes to think that he all that, that he can’t be touched, that like that NWA World Title……he made of solid gold. Well tonight……I…..will melt him down. Tonight……”The Bad Guy”…….is leaving…..the new…..NWA World Champion. Survey says, chalk one up…………..for “The Bad Guy”, chico.

Scott Hall walks off as his music starts and we head back to the ring.

[88]

- Jarrett Escapes With The Title -

TNA headed into the main event riding off the back of a highly enjoyable ladder match and excellent hype of this match by both Jeff Jarrett and Scott Hall. The big question was whether the match would live up to the hype. It almost did. The match itself was perfectly fine, with a good, solid pace, well thought out psychology, an engaging atmosphere for the crowd and just enough well veiled suspense to keep the fans gripped. But that’s all it was – fine. There was nothing to tip it over the edge and make it one to remember. Both Jarrett and Hall brought their A games and Scott Hall showed that when determined he could still go when it required him to, even if he did start to tire after the ten minute mark. But even then the two were still really relying on old tricks to keep the fans entertained and a few times they lost a section as the action slowed to allow both men to catch their breath before they went at it again. It did though, have one positive thing going for it that all throughout the match, it was not at all obvious which man would come out on top, keeping everything even with both men having near falls. They even traded finishers with Hall kicking out of the Stroke only to find that Jarrett would later kick out of The Edge. This of course added another element of the match which Don West had to ruin as he yelled “WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO DO MIKE!?!?!?!?” over and over into the microphone to the general annoyance of the paying audience. Once the two men hit the twenty minute match both were extremely tired and after an enjoyable match they brought it to a conclusion, but left it open for a rematch as a ref bump saw Rudy Charles momentarily out of commission allowing Jarrett time to nail Hall over the head with the guitar and make the cover to get the pinfall win. TNA went off the air with Jeff Jarrett triumphantly holding up his NWA World Title as Scott Hall was tended to by Rudy Charles.

[74/85/81]

The NWA World Heavyweight title has gained in image.

Overall Show Rating: 74%

We got a 0.18 buy rate for 'Total Nonstop Action'!

The attendance was 2973 people.

We made $450000 from pay-per-view revenue.

We made $29730 from ticket sales.

[jayden]

Ok so.........

Nice to see Hennig get some mic time. By this point he was pretty dull and uninspiring in the ring but he still has some personality and if you use it I could get into his character a lot. Just hope he ends up going over Brian Christopher. Nice to see Young jobbed out as it's basically all he's good for. I hate matches that he wins because I end up having to see the world's worst Spinebuster ever. Christopher attacking with the chair all tied in nicely after what's happened previously. Christopher constantly cracking people's skulls with chairs could get interesting even if I'm not a fan of him.

Loved the Mitchell segment. I always mark out for dark sinister stuff and this has heaps of potential to work really well. The anointed needs not to be a disappointment as he's getting a huge build up and I think his debut will be the making, or breaking, of this whole group.

Awesome squashing Lenny and Lodi was exactly what I expected, and exactly what I was hoping for. Awesome's getting pushed well and while it's getting him over in the eyes of a reader like me, I'm guessing that in terms of the game it's no making any different to his overness right now. Him squashing people is fine for the moment but I'm looking forward to him getting his first proper feud and more meaningful competition, as well as Mantell getting the chance to open up on the mic a bit more.

Steiner Vs Shamrock. Couple of points here. One, I didn't get to see what happened on the previous show with their four man brawl. The other thing is that Frank has just sort of turned up in TNA. I know his Brother is the reason and it makes sense in that respect, but even perhaps just some sort of bit of Tenay commentary, or a sitdown interview with the brothers, maybe even some MMA footage of him or something to build him up to an audience who probably don't know a lot about him would have been better for me. That said, Steiners Vs Shamrock's is fresh and looks set to be pretty brutal so no complaints from me.

The announcement about the tag titles was good and bad for me. Good that we're getting tag champs, and with 12 teams there's gonna be a biggish division. Bad in so much as that it means yet more three way matches which I'm still not a fan of. That concept seems way too indie and gimmicky for me, and not something that translates half as well into a promotion with has delusions of the bigtime.

The Ladder match sounded really good. Really got across the point of what was going on and the great spots the match would produce. When Low-Ki dropkicked the ladder out and Fleisch went tumbling through a table on the outside I marked out like a bitch. Fleisch is hugely over rated, I was surprised, but pleasantly, that you had Low Ki go over. He's 5 times the worker Fleisch is. Great stuff.

Hall interview, nice, decent bit of buildup. We've not seen Jarrett on the show so far though. It's probabyl tough with the number of segments you've got but we've sort of gone from too much Jarrett on show one, to not enough Jarrett at this point as he's the NWA World Champ.

Jarrett Vs HAll was great, I struggled at any point to believe that Hall would win but in reality whoever you had going for the belt in that one I'd have struggled to think they'd have won. Having Jarrett drop the belt already would have been a bad idea in my eyes. The match was good though, nice to see you referencing Hall being able to produce when he wants to, and that he bought his A game, as I remember thinking when TNA debuted after watching his stretcher match with Jarrett that "my God, Hall actually looks like he's trying and this is pretty good". The ending all made sense. I get a bit bored of seeing Jarrett hit peopel with guitars but that's not your fault, that's his gimmick.

Just one other thing I felt with this show. One thing TNA always had to do, due to the weekly PPV's, was sell the following week's show. Often it actually caused them problems as they always needed to hold something back. Now, this show felt very much like a blowoff show, with the two titles on the line and no major match or main event announced for next week. It leaves me really unsure of what's going to be on the next show. Sometimes that's a good thing, but with the way TNA had to work at this point I tend to think it's a bad thing. All in all a really solid show though, couple of things that were amiss for me but this one's still keeping pace and building some nice stories.

Edited April 12, 2005 by jayden

[ADG]



http://www.marksandsmarks.com

TNA Notes

* Last weeks TNA pay per view did a 0.18 buy rate with a confirmed attendance of 2,973 for a total gate of $480,000. Right now TNA are choosing to draw positives from this as they haven’t deterred fans yet, but the hope had been to break the 0.2 mark by now.

* Even though having a prominent on screen role, behind the scenes Brian Christopher is apparently not in the good books with management after showing up late to the last two shows as well as ignoring a photo shoot TNA had planned for him.

* ‘The Anointed One’ is expected to debut in the next few weeks.

* The footage from the Shamrocks/Steiners brawl two weeks ago was scheduled to air but in a production mistake a commercial for replica Jeff Jarrett guitars and Scott Hall “Hey Yo!” t-shirts aired in its place.

* Ken Shamrock is arguing that he should be a singles worker, instead of being stuck with his brother Frank. He has support from Jeff Jarrett, who wants to work a couple of matches with Shamrock.

* Both Low Ki and Jody Fleisch were injured in the ladder match last week but both were minor injuries and will fully recover by next week.

* Both Steve Corino and CM Punk are expected back at next weeks pay per view.

* The plan within TNA is still to allow Scott Hall to take the title from Jeff Jarrett, however they are holding off until Hall can prove he will be a consistent, reliable and above all, drug free performer. Right now the title change is scheduled for mid November.

Other Notes

* Goldberg has signed a 6 date agreement with All Japan Pro Wrestling. It is believed that AJPW have broken the bank what with the recent NOAH walkout to regain fans.

======================================

NWATNA – Tag Team Turmoil

Tonight the tag teams of TNA take over as they enter the ‘Turmoil Tag Tournament’. At the end of the evening one team will emerge the new NWA World Tag Team Champions. The matches have been drawn at random by Harley Race and what a line-up of matches it will be.

In their debut The Backseat Boyz of Trent Acid and Johnny Kashmere will look to make an immediate impact. But their opponents won’t be easy to beat as Doring & Roadkill and The West Hollywood Blondes will all want a shot at the titles.

Excellence Inc. look to continue their strong opening of their TNA careers as they meet The SAT and The Jung Dragons for spot #2 in the final Fatal 4 Way.

The Harris Boys will look to excerpt their dominance over two smaller teams as Matt Stryker & Chad Collyer and Killings & Konnan challenge them.

In the final qualifier The Pitbulls with Joel Gertner will meet their match in The Shane Twins. But don’t count out the plucky youth of York & Matthews. One of these teams will join the three others in a hardcore ‘double jeopardy’ 4 way match for the NWA World Tag Titles! Both members of a team have to pinned for the team to be eliminated.

PLUS!

The NWA World Heavyweight Champion “The Chosen One” Jeff Jarrett will be in the house following his defence of the title against Scott Hall, Curt Hennig and Brian Christopher will share the same ring as Hennig teams with Jerry Lynn against “The Next Generation Superstar” and Sonny Siaki and The Brethren will be in attendance.

[jayden]

Ok predictions.

First Tag Team Turmoil match I see the Backseat Boyz winning. Reason being that you made Doring & Roadkill look incredibly weak on show one and they've not been built up in any way since. Having the Backseat's lose to them would be a bad idea. And the West Hollywood Blondes similarly just got squashed by Mike Awesome. The Backseat's will go over two weak looking teams here I reckon.

Second one, I'm thinkin Excellent Inc. I just find it hard to take lightweight teams seriously and I think Excellence Inc are the ones you'll push here. The SAT are the eternal jobbers, and while the Dragons are cool it'd be hard to take them seriously in the final, whereas I could believe you were going to put Excellence Inc over (even though in the end i don't think they'll win the whole thing)

Third one is hard for me to predict. I'd be surprised if you put the Harris Boys over. Stryker and Collyer are really generic. And then there's Killings and Konnan, except you jobbed them out to the Lost Boys already. Hmm, actually, why aren't the Lost Boys in the tournament. If they'd been in this match I'd have expected you to put them over. Umm, tough to pick, I'll say Stryker and Collyer even though I don't see them as being all that impressive.

Final match it's gotta be the Pitbulls. You've had them on a tear so far and they look really strong. The power match up with the Shane Twins will be interesting, and York and Matthews can provide all the movement in the match. Should be good, but you gotta go with the Pitbulls.

So, Pitbulls Vs Collyer & Stryker Vs Excellence Inc Vs The Backseat Boyz. I'm probably wrong, but I reckon at this point you'd have the Pitbulls going over. They've looked hugely strong. The only way I could see them losing is in some kind of screw job ending to set up the Bulls chasing the Backseats or Excellence Inc for the titles. Hmmm, now I'm confusing myself. Ok so basically I think any one of the Pitbulls cleanly, or Excellence Inc/Backseats cheaply will win the titles.

Hennig & Lynn Vs Christopher & Siaki. The heel team I reckon will get this one after more Christopher chairshot action.

[ADG]

NWATNA – Tag Team Turmoil

=================

=================

- “The Chosen One” Speaks……..That Means You Listen Slapnuts! -

“Welcome to the NWA! Welcome to Total-Nonstop-Action!” and welcome indeed to the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, Tennessee for NWATNA and we’ll kick off by being joined by the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, “The Chosen One” Jeff Jarrett who comes out in his street gear, shades on, belt over his shoulder, microphone in his hand. The crowd let him have it with “ASSHOLE” chants as he paced about the ring. Finally raising the microphone to his mouth, the crowd fell quiet to let him speak.

Jeff Jarrett: Last week I successfully defended my title against Scott Hall. You all saw me pin that drunkard one, two, three in the middle of this very ring. You all saw “The Chosen One” defeat “The Bad Guy” and do it in some style as well. You all me show why I am the NWA World Heavyweight Champion and why I am the very best in this business today!

Voice: Now ah gotta say sumtin’ bout that!

The crowd pops huge as “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes makes his way onto the apron.

Dusty Rhodes: Jeff Jarrett! Ah said three weeks ago, here on da N-Dubya-A pay per view that I would make sure dat yoo were a fightin’ champion! Dat you were an honourable champion, but you ain’t been one o’ them at all!

The crowd cheers this as the head of the Executive Committee stands up to the champ.

Dusty Rhodes: You screwed Scott Hall outta da NWA Championship, dat guitar of yours won you that NWA Tiiiittle, it wasn’t that you’re any good, or that you tha best in the world today!

In the ring Jarrett is fuming but Rhodes continues his onslaught.

Dusty Rhodes: Now you will be-

Jeff Jarrett: I-

Dusty Rhodes: You will be quiet and you will listen to what ah have to say. Last week, you screwed Scott Hall outta his shot, this week, ahm screwing him back into the title picture. Next week, live on pay per view, it gonna be Jarrett vs. Hall, round two!

A huge cheer from the crowd, although I’d be pissed that it wasn’t gonna be on tonight.

Dusty Rhodes: And to make sure you don’t get to cheat your way to another win, dere’s gonna be a special guest referee!

[84]

==COMMERCIAL BREAK==

- One Request. No WHB As Tag Champs……Thanks -

The first three way tag match of the night pitted the debuting Backseat Boys against Doring & Roadkill and The West Hollywood Blondes in a three way dance. The crowd were slightly responsive, but it must have been a disappointment as both Doring & Roadkill and The WHB did have some mainstream publicity in ECW and WCW. All three teams came firing out the blocks, trying to get the match over with as quickly as possible to conserve as much energy for the ‘Double Jeopardy’ match later on. The WHB played their usual role of bitches as they bumped their asses off for the Backseats and D&R and no doubt received absolutely no thanks for it backstage. Word is that management is preparing a shortlist and putting all their guys into 3 piles; Regulars; Occasional and Emergency Use Only. Lenny and Lodi, rather unsurprisingly are about to be classified as the ‘to be used only as a last resort’ tag team for TNA. The debuting pair of Kashmere and Acid were by far the most impressive team as they showcased a number of innovative double team moves, ending with a Double Spinebuster onto Lodi for the 1-2-3. The Backseats advance in good shape and Doring & Roadkill are protected by not being pinned. Bye Lenny, Bye Lodi.

The Backseat Boys dft. The West Hollywood Blondes and Doring & Roadkill - [79/56/67]

==COMMERCIAL BREAK==

- Truly Excellent? That’s Us!; Donovan and Morgan, 2002 -

Excellence Inc. were next in the ring and they were joined by The SAT and The Jung Dragons for a far better match which the crowd cared about far less. This match was designed with the sole purpose of getting Excellence Inc. over as the Maximo brothers, Hayashi and Yang bumped their asses off, mightily selling everything that Modest and Morgan threw at them, which was a lot. Move after move came raining down to high praise from Tenay and West but a bored silence from the crowd (stupid Tennessee inbreeding hicks!) and as it would, this depressed the six a tad and led to a couple of minor mistakes in the closing minutes. Like the first match Tenay pushed how the teams wanted to get it over with quickly even if it was only Excellence Inc. who would be in any kind of shape to wrestle again later in the night. In the closing moments we got a couple of scares as The SAT and The Dragons went through a quick routine together ending with what looked like a three count by Joel Maximo on Kaz Hayashi but according to the referee is was only a very close three. Immediately following this we got a three count (to stop any more mistakes) as Donovan Morgan nailed Jose Maximo with a Helicopter Bomb for the 1-2-3! Excellence Inc. join The Backseat Boyz in the final.

Excellence Inc. dft. The SAT and The Yung Dragons - [93/48/70]

- Wrestling Thumbs-Up, Rapping Thumbs-Down -

Next up we got some quick freestyles as Ron Killings & Konnan came to the ring rapping some unintelligible babble about “downtown gals” and “gettin’ freaky, deaky wit’ dem”. Soon pooping on the party though were The Harris Boys and Stryker & Collyer and while it wasn’t as solid a match as the previous two, it wasn’t poor at all. Ron and Don kept to what they knew – uninspired brawling – while Killings, Stryker, Collyer and to a lesser extent Konnan put on a good show for the crowd, who were mostly quiet. Tenay and West tried to paint the almost silent crowd as “respectful, taking in everything fully” whereas I would paint them as “bored shitless”. TNA must be worried right now, even when they put on an above average show, gimmicked and all hyped beforehand the crowd doesn’t really match the action in the ring. The Harris’ played their typical “dominant big men” roles while Stryker & Collyer were the “plucky youngsters” and Killings & Konnan the “dark horse veterans”. Hey, Tenay said it, not me. Regardless the match went a little over nine minutes before Ron Killings got the (fluke?) roll-up on Don Harris for the 1-2-3! Well looks like The Harris Boys are now definitely The Jobber Boys. Pretty confused why they didn’t make Stryker or Collyer do the job.

Ron Killings & Konnan dft. The Harris Boys and Stryker & Collyer - [72/53/62]

==COMMERCIAL BREAK==

- Was There Ever ANY Doubt Who Was Going Over Here? -

The final match of the qualifiers saw The Pitbulls steamroll over The Shane Twins and York & Matthews in short order. This wasn’t even really a match, more a decimation as both the Shane Twins and Y&M didn’t get in one single piece of offence. Joel Gertner on the outside was happier than a pig in shit as Pitbull #1 and Pitbull #2 dealt with their four foes. Durante taking care of The Shane Twins while Wolfe had fun tossing York and Matthews all over the ring. Eventually though assault lost its fun edge and Pitbull #1 nailed a Belly-To-Belly Suplex to Joey Matthews for the 1-2-3. The Pitbulls celebrated with Joel Gertner as the other two teams retreated to the back to nurse their wounds and perhaps look for alternative employment.

The Pitbulls dft. The Shane Twins and York & Matthews - [72/55/63]

- They Stole That Chanting From ‘Evita’! -

‘Tag Team Turmoil’ heads backstage to a darkened room. A mantelpiece juts out from the wall and on the mantle sits a candle bridge, containing 5 candles. “The Sinister Minister” passes in front of the camera, sweeps to his right in a complete 180 to face the camera before sitting down. The camera scans down to see the rest of The Brethren sitting around a symbol of a five point star enclosed in a circle painted on the floor. Mitchell sits at the top of the star, with the other four at the other points. A bowl with fire engulfing the edges is placed in the middle of the circle.

James Mitchell: We summon you, send us your servant, let him do your bidding, and with our help, bring you to the highest alter………………………to rule. Savay enchina, hakoochimoya goya, turana filmana. Three weeks. Fin.

TNA cuts to black.

[77]

“The Sinister Minister” James Mitchell gains overness rising from 51-52.

==COMMERCIAL BREAK==

- Christopher Runs Like The Coward He Is -

As if we weren’t already sick of tag team competition the one possible in-ring rest from it was spurned in favour of another tag match as Curt Hennig teamed with Jerry Lynn against the duo of Brian Christopher & Sonny Siaki. Surprisingly they brought the goods to the table as Lynn and to a lesser extent Hennig carried the two youngsters to a good match. Throughout the twelve minutes they were out there Christopher would not step into the ring against Hennig fairly, instead only entering the match when Hennig was on the mat and scarpering the moment Hennig began to fight back. The longer this drew on the more the crowd began to hate it, popping each time Hennig hit the first big right to Brian Christopher (who the fans are now beginning to give X-Pac heat because his gimmick just isn’t working) only for Christopher to tag out, ruining all momentum and crowd interest and regardless of his best efforts, Siaki just isn’t that good inside the ring. Eventually Siaki was laid out with a Cradle Piledriver from Jerry Lynn who then tagged in Hennig. With Siaki out of commission Hennig invited Christopher into the ring, to face him mano y mano, but instead of sticking around to fight, Brian Christopher ran away, up the aisle to the back getting major heel heat from the crowd. Not as tough without his chair obviously. Curt Hennig though tagged in Lynn before giving chase to Christopher. This left Jerry to make the cover on Sonny Siaki for the 1-2-3!

Curt Hennig & Jerry Lynn dft. Sonny Siaki & Brian Christopher - [82/61/71]

==COMMERCIAL BREAK==

- The Winners, And NEW Tag Team Champions………………. -

Onto the main event of the evening as The Backseat Boys, Killings & Konnan, Excellence Inc. and The Pitbulls took to the ring for the second time in one night. The ‘Double Jeopardy’ rules were gone over by Tenay and West before the match. For a team to be eliminated both members have to be pinned or made to submit. Thankfully TNA held off from making this match Tornado Rules because that would have been overkill. We were kept guessing with the match as all four teams had opportunities to win and indeed to lose as well but each one couldn’t get the job done. For ten minutes all four teams remained intact and the crowd was really getting into it and inparticular getting behind The Backseat Boys, so it only made sense that they were the first to go a man down as Johnny Kashmere was nailed with a Superbomb from Pitbull #2 for the 1-2-3. This meant that Trent Acid was all alone but what was notable was that Kashmere stayed at ringside to cheer support for his partner and it seemed to help as Acid nailed a Yakuza Kick to Konnan for the 1-2-3 to leave Ron Killings by himself! Excellence Inc. then took to the ring and worked over both Acid and Killings with their two on one advantage at all times, but they should have been worrying about The Pitbulls as Pitbull #1 speared Donovan Morgan to get the pin. It was then that Acid, Killings and Modest realised they needed to work together and a 3 on 2 handicap situation came into effect, although including Kashmere, Konnan and Morgan it became a 6 on 2 match. Even The Pitbulls couldn’t take that and Pitbull #2 was eliminated following a Spinning Neckbreaker from Michael Modest and a Twisting Splash from Trent Acid for the 1-2-3. Even though it was now technically 1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1, the three continued to work over Pitbull #1, but support from #2 and Joel Gertner provided some much needed backup and when Kashmere, Konnan and Morgan started squabbling amongst themselves on the outside the same happened in the ring, causing Killings to be eliminated after Michael Modest ducked a Yakuza Kick from Trent Acid and Acid hit Killings for the pinfall. Acid was then quickly rolled up by Modest for the 1-2-3! This left Michael Modest and Pitbull #1, and the two duked it out, even though they were tired for several minutes, near fall after near fall after near fall. In the end new tag team champions were crowned as Pitbull #1 grabbed Modest from behind and nailed a Neckbreaker Drop for the pin and we had new tag team champions. ‘Tag Team Turmoil’ went off the air with The Pitbulls and Joel Gertner celebrating with their new NWA World Tag Team Championships.

The Pitbulls dft. The Backseat Boys, Ron Killings & Konnan and Excellence Inc. to become the NWA Tag Team Champions - [82/63/72]

Overall Show Rating: 68%

We got a 0.18 buy rate for 'Total NonStop Action'!

The attendance was 4367 people.

We made $450000 from pay-per-view revenue.

Edited April 14, 2005 by ADGray

[jayden]

Hmmm, really didn't enjoy that show anywhere near as much as the others.

- Scott Hall Vs Jeff Jarrett again? Great. I'll really struggle to get interested in this a second time round, special referee or not.

- The Tag Team Turmoil was a concept that didn't excite me, filled with matches that didn't excite. Four three ways, and a four way all on one show was way too much for me. All the right teams went over and that's fine but I just couldn't get into it and it left me feeling the show was all a bit anti climactic.

- I am still really looking forward to finding out who the anointed one is. It's one of the things that's makin me want each following show to hurry up so I can find out who it is.

- The Christopher Hennig stuff is progressing nicely

- There was a bit of a sense of selling next week's show. It's just that what it was sold with isn't something I'm all that keen on. Even with that announcement though I still left the show feeling a bit "hmm, dunno what's coming on next week's show, nothin really there to sell it to me". Not sure how much old TNA you've seen so if I'm telling you something you already know I apologise but one thing they did get right with Don West back in the day was his "Super Salesman" bit at the end of the show where they'd just basically let him rant and try and flog the following week's show. It was mildly amusing to watch and while he totally oversold everything it did give you a bit of a sense of wanting, and needing, to buy the following PPV.

[ADG]



http://www.marksandsmarks.com

TNA Notes

* The feeling inside TNA is that last weeks show was the poorest of the five so far, however again the buy-rate for the show was 0.18. It isn’t expected the buy-rate will fall this week due to a Jarrett vs. Hall re-match for the NWA World Title.

* If you’re wondering about the increased attendance at the last pay per view, TNA have lowered their ticket prices to $12 for adults and $9 for children. This resulted in a gate of 4,367.

* TNA have now lost all patience with Brian Christopher after he no showed a second TNA photo-shoot and then criticised TNA management on the “Big Bobby Brooke” radio show which went out all across the eastern seaboard.

* Don West has been pushing for his own small “Shillville” segment at the end of each show. West feels he can use his skills of sale to hype viewers into purchasing the next weeks show.

* Right now it is expected that Dusty Rhodes will be the special guest referee for the world title match between Jeff Jarrett and Scott Hall.

* WWE midcarder Test has reputedly been telling WWE management that TNA are monitoring him. Martin’s [Test] contract expires in November and it is believed that TNA may try to offer him a pre-contract agreement to bring him in.

* Recent rumours suggest that ‘The Anointed One’ may be Florida indy regular Hotstuff Hernandez going under a different name. However some are also saying it may be Samoa Joe or even the British Alex Shane under a mask.

* The Lost Boys were kept out of the NWA Tag Title Tournament as management believe that The Brethren should not be worried about titles, given their overall goal appears to be to kill the NWA, so why bother winning and defending titles? It’ll just get in the way.

* TNA are taking a look at some of the youngsters from the recent X Division and Young Lions matches to see if they should be kept around. There is talk of NWA: Wildside, NWA: United Kingdom, NWA: Bluegrass or NWA: Florida working as a development territory.

[Michael]

or even the British Alex Shane under a mask.

[jayden]

That would be very cool. Even if not in this role, Shane could be an awesome cocky British asshole.

Edited April 18, 2005 by jayden

[Pesci]

I dunno whether or not it's just me, but I found that tag team tournament to be hideously drawn out, and it dominated much of the show, leaving little time for anything else. The Pitbulls were clearly going over from day one, and I look forward to a long and healthy reign. After all, all of the other teams have no personality what-so-ever, apart from the WH Blondes, and they're always gonna be jobbers anyway.

The Jarrett/Rhodes segment served it's purpose, but I don't really see why I should care about Scott Hall, or his eventual loss to Jeff Jarrett. He wasn't even ON this show, which sucks in itself, because following that "screw-job", you'd have thought he'd be a little pissed himself. This whole thing is Jarrett VS Rhodes, and anybody else Jarrett fights, whether it be Hall, Shamrock, Steiner or generic face #265, is almost certainly losing until you take the focus OFF of the fat man, and ON to some decent challengers.

I'm getting bored with Mitchell and The Brethren. This stuff doesn't interest me, so I'm waiting until you debut The Wall to care. Oh, and Hennig needs to kick Brian Christopher's punk ass to end the feud, since Christopher's gotten the upper-hand in every aspect of the feud thus far, although I doubt it will even be mentioned on next week's show, due to your wishy-washy booking thus far.

You have shown potential for good storylines in the first few shows, but I consider this show a let down personally. There was very little advancement due to the huge tournament, and a shortage of big name stars into the bargain.

[ADG]

NWATNA – The Return Match

Two weeks ago, “The Chosen One” Jeff Jarrett cheated to emerge victorious against Scott Hall and retain his NWA World Heavyweight Title. Tonight, on the order of Dusty Rhodes there will be a re-match as once again Jeff Jarrett defends against Scott Hall, but Rhodes has covered any attempted cheating by Jarrett as he has appointed a special guest referee! Who will it be? We’ll find out tonight!

Last week “The Next Generation Superstar” Brian Christopher chose to run rather than face Curt Hennig in the squared circle. Tonight he has no such luck as the two will meet in a lumberjack match! With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, who’ll emerge victorious in this one?

Tonight Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat has a huge announcement regarding the X Division. What will it be, and will it have any impact on the X Division Champion, Low Ki who’ll be in the house tonight?

Also tonight “The King of Old School” Steve Corino will be in the house with another ‘Old School Challenge’. Who will answer the call tonight?

PLUS!

The Brethen will be here and they’ll tell us exactly when ‘He’ arrives, tonight! Frank Shamrock will meet Scott Steiner in one on one action and CM Punk and Shelton Benjamin meet in a ‘Young Lions’ battle.

[ADG]

NWATNA – The Return Match

- Scott Hall Is Focused -

The sixth broadcast for NWA: Total Nonstop Action opened backstage in the dressing room of “The Bad Guy” Scott Hall. He was sitting on a folding chair, solemnly looking into the camera.

Scott Hall: Hey yo, so tonight, ‘The Bad Guy’ gets a second shot at the NWA Championship. A second shot at ‘The Chosen One’ Jeff Jarrett and a second shot at destiny. Two weeks ago, a guitar stopped ‘The Bad Guy’. Not Jeff Jarrett. Tonight, in the TNA ring, with a special guest referee………a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion will be crowned. Survey says, chalk one up…………………..for “The Bad Guy”.

And we fade into the opening credits…..

[86]

- He Is Better………..Than You! -

Total Nonstop Action opened up week six of its existence with CM Punk taking on Shelton Benjamin in singles action. The crowd was largely unresponsive to the two men but Punk and Benjamin didn’t seem to care as they catered to the small percentage of fans who were taking an interest in the match, blending mat-based wrestling with a little high-flying and a smattering of brawling to create an excellent match. It could have fallen into the trap of becoming a spotfest but both Punk and Benjamin made sure that didn’t happen keeping things grounded and only bringing out the big moves when they suited the occasion. Continuing his victory streak it was the straight edge superstar’s night, as CM Punk got the victory with the Pepsi Plunge for the 1-2-3.

[93/39/66]

= “THE CHOSEN ONE” T-SHIRTS ONLY $25! =

- “The Dragon” Makes His Announcement -

TNA comes back from a merchandise plug to the ring where Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat stood with a microphone in hand and the fans on their feet.

Ricky Steamboat: Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know by now, I am in charge of the X Division here in NWA:TNA!

The crowd cheer.

Ricky Steamboat: And I take my job very seriously. So to that end, I have a major announcement to make.

He’s building up the suspense……

Ricky Steamboat: For the past three weeks, I have been in constant negotiations with two of the biggest wrestling stars on the planet today, to see that they will come to TNA, and wrestle in a TNA ring.

Yeah right…..

Ricky Steamboat: And next week, they’ll be here…………to sign a contract, to wrestle each other, two weeks from now, live on pay per view!

Fifty bucks says it’s a disappointment. Essa Rios vs. Gillberg.

Ricky Steamboat: That’s all. Thank you for your time.

Um…….he’s forgotten something.

Ricky Steamboat: Oh! I forgot to tell you didn’t I? I forgot to tell you who would be wrestling. Well, I guess it is better to get it over with. Next week, in this ring, an X Division Showdown contract will be signed by………………..

Ooooooohh…..

Ricky Steamboat: …………..Ultimo Dragon!......................

The crowd pop huge for Ultimo….

Ricky Steamboat: ………………and Rey Mysterio Jr!

That does it and the crowd go absolutely mental. Ultimo and Mysterio in a TNA ring! They don’t disappoint do they. Steamboat exits the ring, a far more popular man.

[79]

- The Family Feud Lives! -

Continuing the “family feud” angle between the two teams, Scott Steiner and Frank Shamrock took to the ring to defend the honour of their families. Unfortunately, to the casual observer it would have seemed that neither man really cared all that much about their families honour as they wibbled and wobbled, teetered and treaded carefully through a dull, unimaginative match which the crowd largely ignored. The occasional “Boring” chant did spring up but it was quickly extinguished due to lack of support from any of the other fans in attendance. Both men had taken to the ring alone for the match, without their siblings, however while this may have been a completely innocent gesture on the part of Ken and Frank Shamrock, the Steiners had other ideas as Rick Steiner made his way to the ring. Even then though it didn’t seem to help as his first act was to trip up his brother and almost cost him the match. Big Poppa Pump” recovered though and got the win with the Steiner Recliner for the submission win.

[63/51/57]

= COMMERCIAL BREAK =

- “The King” Is Alive and Well In Memphis! -

Next up we returned to decent wrestling as Steve Corino took to the ring to face another youngster looking for a shot at glory in the ‘Old School Challenge’. Tonight it was former OVW talent Charlie Haas who was to try his luck and he proved a tough opponent as he put up much tougher resistance to Corino’s offence than James Storm had done three weeks before. Haas even got a couple of huge spots in, including his Exploder Suplex for a near pinfall and a modified sharpshooter which Mike Tenay called the Haas of Pain. Corino sold both well before he came back with his Lariat and the Figure Four Leglock. Neither of these though could get the job done against Haas who managed to kick out of the Lariat and then reach the ropes off the Leglock. However finally Haas’ inexperience caught up with him and Corino got the opening to nail the Old School Expulsion for the 1-2-3 pinfall victory! But there is definitely a future for Charlie Haas in Total Nonstop Action and Corino acknowledged this by shaking the hand of Haas after the match, congratulating the youngster.

[83/51/67]

- Now That Was PERFECT! Pity We Can’t Use That Gimmick -

TNA continued along with the Lumberjack Match between Curt Hennig and “The Next Generation Superstar” Brian Christopher. This match could have been a slow burning, long, well paced, back and forth match. Instead TNA used the match to bury Brian Christopher as Hennig romped to his victory in a little over eight minutes of a virtually one sided match. The only offence Christopher got in was as a result of the lumberjacks attacking Hennig on the outside. But with Brian Christopher on his way out of the company right after the show TNA used the opportunity to put over one of their loyalists on his way out. With the stopwatch reading 8 minutes, 5 seconds Curt Hennig nailed his Hennig-Plex for the 1-2-3! As Christopher left the arena we were treated to a rousing rendition of “Na Na Hey Hey (Goodbye)”, led by Curt Hennig, Ron Killings and Konnan - who were the main ‘face’ lumberjacks at ringside. The cameras followed Christopher all the way to the parking lot and TNA headed to a commercial with Christopher leaving in his Cherokee Jeep.

[74/63/68]

- Sweet Sixteen -

Backstage, the NWA X Division Champion, Low Ki stood, awaiting an interview with Goldylocks.

Goldylocks: I’m back here with the new NWA X Division Champion, Low Ki, who two weeks ago defeated “The Phoenix” Jody Fleisch and Taka Michinoku in a great ladder match to win the title.

Low Ki: Goldylocks, two weeks ago, I did defeat both Jody Fleisch and Taka Michinoku for this title belt, but I didn’t really beat them. To truly defeat an individual, you must pin them or make them submit. To these two men, I did neither……

Voice: You didn’t do it to me either!

From off-stage appears “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels who barges into Ki before turning to face him again and grabbing the microphone from Goldylocks.

Christopher Daniels: You never pinned me, or made me submit. You’ve pinned one man Low Ki, and climbed a ladder faster than two others and you’re the X Division Champion!?!? Huh, some championship that is.

Low Ki: Christopher Daniels, listen here. It is true, eighteen men had the chance at this championship when they met in their Showcase matches, and I have only pinned one of those other seventeen men. There are still sixteen men I haven’t truly defeated in an NWA:TNA ring, but next week Christopher Daniels, I will begin to put that right.

Christopher Daniels: And just how exactly are you going to do that?

Low Ki: Sixteen men and sixteen matches, starting next week on pay per view, I will face every man I haven’t yet defeated. But you, Christopher Daniels, will be number sixteen.

Low Ki exits the interview area leaving Daniels with Goldylocks.

[69]

Both men gained overness.

= COMMERCIAL BREAK =

- And The Mystery Ref Is…… -

Back from commercial Dusty Rhodes was already in the ring with a microphone. On one side of the ring stood the NWA World Heavyweight Champion “The Chosen One” Jeff Jarrett and on the other side stood the challenger to that title “The Bad Guy” Scott Hall. Lacking though was the special referee.

Dusty Rhodes: Nooooww, we got the challenger, and we got the champion, but we don’t got the referee. Now ah promised you aaallll a special guest referee, and ah got one! Now lemme introduce him to you all right now. Get on out here!

The snare drums start and the bagpipes kick in and none other than “Rowdy” Roddy Piper comes out onto the stage in a custom made referee‘s shirt with ‘Hot Rod‘ written across it. In the ring though Jarrett jumped Scott Hall and Piper charged to the ring as Rhodes bailed.

[87]

- Doomed! Doomed! TNA Is Doomed! -

So this was it, the big one, the do or die match. Jeff Jarrett versus Scott Hall with the addition of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as the special guest referee. They squared off two weeks ago in an enjoyable affair but the crowd was even more rabid here, wanting Hall to leave with the World Title which had proved so elusive throughout his career. At the beginning it looked like he’d get it as like he had two weeks previously Hall took control of the match and with Piper there to prevent any cheating from Jarrett it seriously looked like the NWA World Championship would find a new home. As it was a fortnight ago, both men nailed their finishers but this time it was the other way round as first Jarrett kicked out of The Edge then Hall kicked out of The Stroke. Both men then took issue with Piper for his officiating but Piper wasn’t intimidated and retaliated with strong words of his own. This nearly led to Hall getting the victory, rolling up Jarrett for the three but the champion kicked out at the last minute, and then it was Hall almost pinned as he told Piper off for what he thought was a slow count. Things continued along at a merry pace, but this time the two were more aware of their limitations and kept the match under twenty minutes, but again we saw a shock as Piper and Jarrett argued on one side of the ring, none other than VINCE RUSSO appeared from the crowd and nailed Scott Hall across the back with a steel chair. Hall battled back to his feet only to be nailed with The Stroke from Jarrett and it got the 1-2-3!

[76/87/82]

Vince Russo debuted his new gimmick (Executive Consultant), it got a positive response.

Overall Show Rating: 72%

==========================

IT’S SHILL TIME WITH DON WEST!

==========================

Don West: NEXT WEEK! WHAT A SHOW WE’VE GOT! REY MYSTERIO JR AND ULTIMO DRAGON IN THE HOUSE! LOW KI BEGINS HIS RUN AGAINST ALL CHALLENGERS TO HIS X DIVISION TITLE! MIKE AWESOME FACES LASH LEROUX AND RON KILLINGS ONE ON ONE WITH DISCO INFERNO! PLUS WE’VE GOT STEVE CORINO BACK FOR ANOTHER ‘OLD SCHOOL CHALLENGE’ AND NOW WE’VE GOT VINCE RUSSO IN TNA! DON’T MISS IT!

Edited April 18, 2005 by ADGray