LoveMuscle
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Friday, March 5, 2004
TNA XPlosion
Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams
Morales: Hello, everyone, welcome to XPlosion! I'm Jeff Morales, and joining me this week is Dick Williams.
Williams: Hello, Jeff. Last Monday we saw the shocking rise to power of Vince Russo. Mick Foley is out as commissioner after Shane Douglas convinced the courts that he was forced into the Total Elimination Battle Royal.
Morales: I still can’t believe it. And now, this is the first full show since Russo took over, and who knows what we’re going to see tonight?
Williams: For sure, we don’t know. We haven’t been given any kind of format for the show tonight. The only person who has any kind of clue what matches we’ll see tonight is Vince Russo, and he’s not telling.
Morales: Well, we do know a match that was already scheduled, as Psychosis will be taking on Bas Rutten.
Williams: I guess that’s going to be our first match this evening, as Steve Corino and Psychosis are already on their way to the ring.
Steve Corino gets a microphone when he and Psychosis get to the ring. Corino claims Mick Foley was about to award Super Crazy a X title shot just before he was forced out as the commissioner, so he hopes Vince Russo will honor that. Corino says that, in fact, all of his guys are deserving of a X title shot, and Psychosis will prove that tonight when he defeats Bas Rutten.
OR: 80
Psychosis (with Steve Corino) vs. Bas Rutten: An excellent match, but the fans don’t care because Bas Rutten is involved. They’ve never cared much about any of Rutten’s matches. While Corino may have claimed this match will be a showcase for Psychosis’ claim for a X title shot, this one’s more of a mat-based wrestling match. Rutten tries several submission-style holds, drawing a few “boring” chants from the fans. Psychosis battles back, and takes command with a series of dropkicks. He holds the advantage all the way to the end, scoring the pin after a Sky Twister Press.
Winner: Psychosis
OR: 80
CR: 71
MQ: 90
Vince Russo leads Sports Entertainment Xtreme to the ring, and Shane Douglas is out with them as well.
Russo: First of all, I need to finish up some business from Monday. Shane Douglas was wrongfully terminated from TNA by the former commissioner, Mick Foley. So I’ve decided that my first free agent signing as commissioner will be Shane Douglas. Shane, welcome back.
Douglas: Thank you, Mr. Russo. I’m glad to be back, and I’ll show you that you made the right decision.
With that, Douglas returns to the locker room area.
Russo: Now, on to more pressing matters. Ron Killings, you interfered in Scott Hall and Charlie Haas’ Tag Team title match and cost them the belts. This, only a day after you stuck your nose in my business in Sonny Siaki’s match at Total Elimination. All four of us want a piece of your ass! Now get out here now and take what’s coming to you.
OR: 88
Ron Killings comes out, but he’s not alone. He’s joined by Jerry Lynn, A.J. Styles, and the X champion, The Amazing Red.
Killings: Russo, I remember what it was like the last time you were commissioner, and I have to tell you The Truth: it sucked big time. You were always giving favors to your SEX buddies, just like you did last Monday. Everyone knows Hall and Haas don’t deserve a Tag Team title shot. Well, I’m not about to sit back and watch TNA be taken over by Sports Entertainment Xtreme. These three men represent the tradition about TNA. They’re the reason why everyone is here tonight, not you four losers in the ring.
Russo: Losers? Why don’t you send those three in the ring and let them receive a traditional ass-kicking?
OR: 89
TNA Tradition (with Ron Killings) vs. SEX (with Vince Russo): The crowd was really into this rare six-man tag match. Sonny Siaki and The Amazing Red ran through many of the same high spots they did just five days earlier at Total Elimination. A few tags later, the fans were treated to a long series of chain wrestling by A.J. Styles and Charlie Haas, showing both men’s amateur background. Not to be outdone, Scott Hall and Jerry Lynn even showed off their brawling ability, as Lynn surprisingly hung in there with the bigger man. But it didn’t last long, as Hall got the upper hand. Sports Entertainment Xtreme took turns working over Lynn, until finally he was able to make the hot tag to Red. The smallest man in the match, Red was able to use his quickness to always keep one step ahead of SEX, as eventually the match fell into a pier six brawl. One referee just isn’t enough to stay in charge of six men. Russo tries to interfere, but once again Killings levels him with just a punch. Four for the wrestlers take their fighting to the floor leaving the two legal men in the ring. Red hits the Red Star Press on Hall and gets the pin.
Winner: TNA Tradition
OR: 85
CR: 80
MQ: 91
Cyrus comes to the ring as the announcers wonder what else can happen tonight. He says he’s bringing a new wrestler to TNA, and directs our attention to the video screen. It comes to life and shows about five tough-looking men sitting in a bar drinking beer. Another guy walks in, words are exchanged, and it’s a 5-on-1 attack! But shockingly enough, the one guy just whips all five of the others in this barroom brawl. All sorts of tables, chairs, bottles, and (of course) the jukebox are all destroyed in the melee. Cyrus says this man is Harley Lewis, and he’s bringing his brand of destruction to TNA very soon.
OR: 71
Backstage, Vince Russo walks into Low-Ki’s dressing room. He says he knows they separated on less than friendly terms, but Russo reminds Low-Ki that he’s the boss now, and he’s supposed to put on an entertaining show for the fans. And what is more entertaining than a World title match? Russo tells Low-Ki that he’ll be defending the title against Masato Tanaka tonight. Low-Ki just glares at him.
OR: 79
Mr. Wrestling comes to the ring and takes the microphone.
Wrestling: Shane Douglas, last Sunday you lost the Total Elimination Battle Royal. And now, tonight, you’re once again employed in TNA? That sounds like cheating to me. As everyone knows, my goal is to eliminate cheating from TNA. I thought you already were eliminated from TNA, but I guess I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.
Shane Douglas comes out, and he already has a microphone.
Douglas: Nick Dinsmore, you call me a cheater? I’ve never had to hide myself behind a mask. If you want a piece of The Franchise, why don’t you just say so and I’ll Franchise your ass like all the others!
Wrestling: Bring it on, bitch!
OR: 79
Mr. Wrestling vs. Shane Douglas: Douglas gets the upper hand early in the match. But when Mr. Wrestling starts making the comeback, Douglas tries to take shortcuts to stay in command. But of course, that’s cheating, which only serves to energize Mr. Wrestling. The rolling Germans wear out Douglas enough that Mr. Wrestling is able to lock on the Crossface and get the submission victory.
Winner: Mr. Wrestling
OR: 79
CR: 78
MQ: 80
New Jack leads Masato Tanaka to the ring for the main event. Of course, he gets a microphone to do some talking first.
New Jack: It’s about damn time someone gave Masato Tanaka a World title match! This man has beaten everyone he’s come up against in singles competition. He’s even pinned the mighty Bill Goldberg twice! Now Low-Ki, finish polishing that belt and give it a goodbye kiss, then come on out here and prepare to lose your precious title.
OR: 84
NWA World title match: Masato Tanaka (with New Jack) vs. Low-Ki ©: An excellent hard-hitting match. Tanaka hit several power moves on Low-Ki, frequently getting a two count. But he just couldn’t hold him down for the three. Finally, after about 20 minutes, Tanaka hit the Roaring Elbow and the crowd went wild, but Low-Ki managed to get his foot on the bottom rope at two and 7/8ths. Even New Jack was already starting to celebrate that one. Tanaka stared at the referee in shock, trying to figure out what else he had to do to get the pin. With Tanaka thrown off his game, Low-Ki made the comeback and re-established control. A short time later, he hit the Ki-Krusher on Tanaka to get the pin.
Winner: Low-Ki
OR: 88
CR: 83
MQ: 93
OR: 82
Rating: 7.75
Attendance: 10004
Best segment: Interview with Ron Killings and TNA Tradition (89)
Worst segment: Cyrus introduces the Harley Lewis hype video (71)
Best match: Low-Ki over Masato Tanaka (88)
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Monday, March 1, 2004
The losers of last night’s Total Elimination Battle Royal now find themselves unemployed. The Rougeaus’ contracts ran out, and everyone else was terminated. Another contract that ran out was Sting. He was plenty charismatic and over with the fans, but his matches weren’t up to par with most everyone else on the roster.
Chavo Guerrero retired yesterday. No, not our Chavo – his old man, Chavo Sr. However, Chavo Guerrero Jr. will be taking some time off to be with his father. For sure he’ll be gone tonight, so we’ll see how long he’s away. Also, Ricky Steamboat announced that he will be retiring at the end of this month. “The Dragon” hasn’t been an active wrestler for some time, but he’s still been making appearances at various indy shows in a non-wrestling capacity.
As the wrestling industry continues to boom, there is more interest than ever before. We received a press release today announcing the formation of Overdose Wrestling. They’ll be operating at a small level initially, but they hope of one day becoming a force in the industry. Personally, I would have gone with a different name than that, at least something that doesn’t conjure up such a negative image. If they hire someone and rename him Brian Pillman or Rick Rude, I swear I’ll buy out that thing and close its doors forever!
Here’s what our active roster looks like today (faces in blue, heels in red, tweeners in black, all followed by their current over):
MAIN EVENT
none
UPPER MIDCARD
none
MIDCARDERS
Jody Fleisch (89)
TAKA Michinoku (89)
Jeff Jarrett (86)
D'Lo Brown (84)
Mr. Wrestling (84)
Super Crazy (84)
The Amazing Red (84)
Masato Tanaka (83)
Big Vito (82)
Ultimo Dragon (82)
Psychosis (81)
A.J. Styles (76)
Jerry Lynn (76)
Funaki (75)
Tomoaki Honma (75)
Jushin Liger (74)
Nova (72)
Yuji Nagata (72)
Kid Kash (94)
EZ Money (92)
Low-Ki (92)
Bill Goldberg (90)
Scott Hall (88)
Donovan Morgan (87)
Sonny Siaki (87)
Charlie Haas (84)
Chavo Guerrero Jr. (84)
Johnny Smith (84)
Scoot Andrews (84)
Simon Diamond (84)
Michael Modest (83)
Jun Akiyama (82)
Syxx-Pac (75)
Bas Rutten (74)
Joey Matthews (74)
Mr. Aguila (70)
LOWER MIDCARDERS
CIMA (63)
OPENERS
Ricky Marvin (42)
JOBBERS
none
MANAGERS
Alicia Shamrock (93)
New Jack (93)
Ron Killings (93)
Steve Corino (92)
Cyrus (96)
Vince Russo (91)
Mike Sanders (73)
NON-WRESTLERS
Mick Foley (96)
TAG TEAMS {members} (experience)
Kaientai {TAKA Michinoku & Funaki} (66)
Excellence Inc. {Michael Modest & Donovan Morgan} (51)
Styles and Lynn {A.J. Styles & Jerry Lynn} (29)
Mucho Dinero {EZ Money & Kid Kash} (12)
The Hardcore Japanese {Masato Tanaka & Tomoaki Honma} (3)
TITLES (image) {current holder}
NWA World (91) {Low-Ki}
NWA X (87) {The Amazing Red}
NWA Tag Team (85) {Kaientai}
TNA XCitement
Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake
Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.
Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.
Kavovit: Tonight’s main event features Jeff Jarrett taking on Simon Diamond.
Snake: Diamond hasn’t been very happy with commissioner Mick Foley after his inactivity for most of last month, but he’ll be here tonight to face the former World champion.
Kavovit: And Vince Russo is in the building, and he’s been all smiles all day long. I wonder what’s going on there.
Snake: Last night he kept going on about his big plans for tonight, maybe we’ll find out what he was talking about later on.
Kavovit: But now, let’s get to the ring for tonight’s opening match, Syxx-Pac taking on Super Crazy.
Steve Corino and Super Crazy walk to the ring. Corino gets a microphone and says he knows Crazy will take care of business tonight against Syxx-Pac, and hopefully commissioner Foley will see fit to giving him a X title match with The Amazing Red soon.
OR: 81
Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Syxx-Pac: Pac looks fired up tonight, as he puts on an excellent match. The fans couldn’t care less about this match if they were wrestling with starving rodents in their ring attire. The fans finally start to come around near the end, as Crazy gets Pac in the corner and starts punching him. The crowd counts along in Spanish, which is always a nice touch. Crazy hits the Trifecta Moonsault to get the pin.
Winner: Super Crazy
OR: 81
CR: 72
MQ: 90
Commissioner Mick Foley’s music plays, and he comes to the ring with a microphone.
Foley: Thank you! It’s good to be back here at the TNA Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee! We had a great pay-per-view event last night, don’t you think? Yeah! How about that Amazing Red, huh? Well, he’s the new X champion, and as commissioner part of my responsibility is to find opponents to challenge for the titles. I heard Steve Corino earlier tonight, and I’ve decided that …
Russo: Hold it right there, Mick!
Russo steps through the curtain with a document in his hand.
Russo: Foley, you are such an idiot. I can’t believe you went through with that Total Elimination Battle Royal last night! You know what the courts stated about forcing people into those kinds of matches.
Foley: Wait a minute, Vince. Everyone in that match agreed beforehand to the rules and stipulations.
Russo: Is that so? All right then – if there’s anyone in the building who lost last night’s Battle Royal, come out now!
Shane Douglas’ music plays, and he steps through the curtain!
Russo: Well, well, Mick – if it isn’t your good friend Shane Douglas! Shane, did you agree to put your career on the line in that match?
Douglas: Hell no, and nobody can produce any kind of proof that I did. I never signed anything, I never verbally committed to any kind of match like that, and I never would.
Russo: You see, Mick, you made one mistake, but it’s going to cost you! You remember what happened eleven months ago, when I was in charge of TNA? You stole the commissionership away from me! Tonight, Mick, I will have my revenge! I have here a court document that states, based on the testimony of Shane Douglas, that you violated the previous court order by forcing him into that match, and I have once again been placed in charge of TNA. So before you go making any decisions about who should fight for what title, I wanted you to know that you don’t have that option anymore! Now get the fuck out of my ring, you piece of crap!
Foley leaves, totally stunned and dejected by the surprising turn of events.
Russo: Now then, as Foley was saying, the commissioner has the right to make title matches whenever and against whoever he chooses. So I’ve decided that, right now, we’re going to have a Tag Team title match. Kaientai, get out here and bring those belts, because you’re going to lose them to my team of Charlie Haas and Scott Hall!
OR: 86
NWA Tag Team title match: Kaientai © vs. Scott Hall & Charlie Haas (with Vince Russo): Another great match, but TAKA Michinoku and Funaki are both obviously still worn out from their title defense last night. Hall and Haas work over both TAKA and Funaki, and it looks like they’re well on their way to regaining the belts. TAKA fights back, but Russo interferes to give his Sports Entertainment Xtreme team the advantage once again. The referee is suspicious, and he has a discussion with Russo. Meanwhile, Ron Killings comes through the curtain with a chair! He nails Hall and takes off before the referee ever spots anything. Funaki climbs to the top rope and hits a Missile Dropkick as TAKA cuts off Haas’ interference. The referee makes the three count as Kaientai have successfully retained their titles.
Winner: Kaientai
OR: 86
CR: 81
MQ: 91
Simon Diamond comes to the ring. He says he wants to be the first to say thank goodness Foley is gone. But now he can get back to the business at hand. Tonight he’s going to beat Jarrett once again to prove he deserves a lot better than he’s been getting, and hopefully Russo will notice him.
OR: 79
Jeff Jarrett vs. Simon Diamond: The fans are into this one, having been woke up by Foley’s dismissal and the Tag Team title match. Jarrett starts out on fire, completely controlling Diamond. But a thumb to the eye changes all of that, however. Diamond dips into Sting’s bag of tricks and pulls out the old armbar. He holds on for about four minutes before Jarrett starts making a comeback. A flurry of punches puts Jarrett firmly in control. He sets Diamond up on the top turnbuckle and signals to the crowd for a Superplex. But something happens mid-move, and they both crash down into a pile. Diamond’s on top, and the referee counts the pin. Diamond quickly takes off back to the locker room area, as the replay on the video screen shows Diamond reaching into his trunks, pulling out a chain, and punching Jarrett with it while he was attempting to execute the Superplex.
Winner: Simon Diamond
OR: 86
CR: 85
MQ: 87
OR: 83
Rating: 5.95
Attendance: 10013
Best segment: (tie) Kaientai over Charlie Haas & Scott Hall; Simon Diamond over Jeff Jarrett; Vince Russo becomes TNA commissioner once again (86)
Worst segment: Interview with Simon Diamond (79)
Best match: (tie) Kaientai over Charlie Haas & Scott Hall; Simon Diamond over Jeff Jarrett (86)
-
Sunday, February 29, 2004
Once again we’ve made it through another month injury-free. That’s always a concern of mine when you start officially making matches several weeks before the show, such as The Amazing Red becoming the No. 1 contender, or entrants into the Total Elimination Battle Royal.
TNA Total Elimination
Hosts: Jeff Morales and Bart Snake
Morales: Hello, TNA fans, we’re live from the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania, and this is Total Elimination! I’m Jeff Morales, and with me tonight is Bart Snake. Bart, it’s good to see you.
Snake: I'm glad to be working with you, Jeff. I can’t wait for tonight’s show!
Morales: Our main event tonight features D’Lo Brown challenging Low-Ki for the World title.
Snake: Low-Ki has turned back all comers since winning the World title several months ago. But tonight he’s facing D’Lo Brown, who also has had an impressive run since arriving in TNA, defeating Sting, Bill Goldberg, and everyone else that’s stood in his way.
Morales: Also, The Amazing Red will get a shot at the X title when he faces Sonny Siaki.
Snake: Red won a mini-tournament a few weeks ago to become the No. 1 contender for the X title, so tonight we’ll see what he does with it.
Morales: And the Tag Team titles will be on the line when Kaientai defends the belts against Excellence Inc.
Snake: Another tag match tonight will see Styles and Lynn once again facing Mucho Dinero.
Morales: These teams have a long history with each other, and tonight they’ll meet one more time to try and settle the differences between them.
Snake: Speaking of differences, Mr. Wrestling has had his share of them with Cyrus and The Virus. Tonight he’ll face his biggest test when he wrestles Bill Goldberg.
Morales: Oh, man, that one should be a barnburner! But no more so than when Jody Fleisch and Chavo Guerrero Jr. finally square off one-on-one.
Snake: These two have been going after each other ever since Guerrero interfered in Ken Shamrock’s farewell match with is good friend Fleisch.
Morales: But tonight’s opening match has a lot more long-term implications than any other match on the card. Ten men will be in the Total Elimination Battle Royal with their jobs on the line! Only the winner will still work for TNA after tonight.
Snake: The participants are already making their way to the ring, so let’s get to the ring before the action begins!
Total Elimination Battle Royal: Mass brawling to start. It’s supposed to be every man for himself, but it’s soon apparent that the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers are working together, as they toss Vampiro over the top rope (Elimination #1). Everyone else picks up on this pretty quick, and amidst all the chaos everyone else gangs up on the Rougeaus. Raymond Rougeau (Elimination #2) is tossed my a group including Alex Wright, Big Vito, Norman Smiley, and Brian Lawler, while Jacques Rougeau Jr. (Elimination #3) is pitched out by Shane Douglas, Christopher Nowinski, and Devon Storm. With that potential problem taken care of, the teamwork quickly breaks down. The next to go is Devon Storm (Elimination #4), courtesy of Big Vito. Norman Smiley tosses Alex Wright (Elimination #5), then does a Big Wiggle. With Smiley’s attention diverted, Brian Lawler sneaks up behind him, and the next thing Smiley knows he’s over the top rope and down on the floor (Elimination #6).
Final four: Big Vito, Brian Lawler, Christopher Nowinski, and Shane Douglas. Vito brawls with Lawler as Nowinski and Douglas watch. The announcers remind us that Douglas and Nowinski are occasional tag team partners, and thus they’re content to watch the others fight. Douglas and Nowinski hatch a plan: Nowinski signals to Douglas that they should clothesline both Vito and Lawler over the top rope. Douglas nods, and they get ready. They charge Vito and Lawler, bud Douglas pulls up at the last second. Nowinski successfully clotheslines Lawler to the floor (Elimination #7). Douglas, instead of clotheslining Vito, instead gets behind Nowinski and throws him out as well (Elimination #8). Vito looks confused, but quickly realizes it’s down to him and Douglas. He chases Douglas around the ring, but Shane hops over the top rope, eliminating himself (Elimination #9) and giving the win to Big Vito. Vito looks shocked that Douglas would give up like that after making it to the final two.
Winner: Big Vito
OR: 74
CR: 73
MQ: 75
Backstage, Vince Russo walks into the Sports Entertainment Xtreme dressing room, where Sonny Siaki is getting warmed up for his match.
Russo: I can’t believe it! I can’t believe that idiot went through with it!
Siaki: So everything’s in place for tomorrow night?
Russo: Yeah, it sure is! But listen, let me worry about tomorrow night. Right now you’ve got to worry about tonight.
Siaki: Aw, I’m not worried about The Amazing Red.
Russo: But did you hear what he said last night? I don’t know what he’s got, and what I don’t know concerns me, and it should concern you.
Siaki: Hey, it’s only The Amazing Red, right? What could he possibly get that’s better than me with you in my corner? Now come on, my match is next.
Siaki leaves, but Russo just stands there, shaking his head. Siaki sticks his head back in.
Siaki: Come on! Remember, tonight we party to celebrate tomorrow night!
That brings a smile to Russo’s face, and he finally follows Siaki.
OR: 79
NWA X title match: The Amazing Red vs. Sonny Siaki © (with Vince Russo): An excellent match, truly one fitting of the X title. With all the aerial moves, we might need to change the ring ropes after this match, because they should be worn out from all that work. Siaki has a definite size advantage over Red, something rarely seen by Siaki. Siaki uses this to pound on Red at the start of the match. A brawl for the X title? No way. But one of the most amazing things about Red (pardon the pun) is his speed. He’s faster than Siaki, who’s pretty quick in his own right, and uses that to make up for Siaki’s size advantage. So here’s the key to the whole match: Siaki’s not used to having the size advantage or the speed disadvantage, while Red is used to the size disadvantage and the speed advantage. So knowing that, it’s not hard to understand that Red gets control because he’s in a much more familiar situation than the one in which Siaki finds himself. Red uses all sorts of dropkicks and springboard maneuvers to keep Siaki on the mat. But Russo pulls Siaki out of the way of a Springboard Moonsault, and Red crashes to the mat. Siaki then assumes control and runs through his offense. A Springboard Dropkick and a Tiger Suplex only get a two count on Red. A missed dropkick puts Red back on the offense. A Rolling Kick sets Siaki up for the Infrared! But Russo hops up on the apron, and Red breaks the pin to go argue with Russo. Idiot. Siaki runs at Red, but he ducks, and Siaki collides with Russo. Red hits the Red Star Press to get the pin. But before the referee can raise his arm, let alone hand him his title belt, Siaki attacks, and Russo gets in the ring to help out with the assault. Suddenly, Ron Killings comes to the ring! He floors Russo with one punch, and fights with his old adversary, Siaki. Red recovers, and a brief two-on-one on Siaki ensues until Russo grabs his ankle and pulls him to the floor, saving him from a double clothesline from Red and Killings.
Winner: The Amazing Red
OR: 87
CR: 84
MQ: 91
NWA Tag Team title match: Kaientai © vs. Excellence Inc.: Another great match, as I’ve come to expect from these two teams. This wrestling clinic features all the transitions and psychology the wrestling “experts” talk about that’s missing from wrestling matches today. Donovan Morgan and Michael Modest get TAKA Michinoku in their corner and work over his leg, which would prevent him from using a lot of his typical offense. After nearly ten minutes and two false tags, TAKA finally makes the hot tag to Funaki, who is well rested and loaded for bear. Dropkicks all around for Excellence Inc., and a lightning kick sends Morgan to the floor. Funaki hits his Tornado DDT and scores the pin on Modest.
Winner: Kaientai
OR: 86
CR: 80
MQ: 92
Styles and Lynn (with Ron Killings) vs. Mucho Dinero: The crowd is pretty much split in two – half of the arena cheers for Styles and Lynn, and the other half is solidly behind Mucho Dinero. Anyways, this is as noisy as a crowd has been in some time. They can sense that something special is about to happen, as this is a great match. The only problem is that, as a tag match, it uses the same old standard tag match formula that we just saw in the Tag Team title match (only at a quicker pace), but the fans don’t seen to mind one bit. Neither team can sustain an advantage for much more than three minutes, as all four wrestlers end up playing Ricky Morton at some point in the match. As such, there really aren’t any “hot” tags, but several “lukewarm” tags. At the end, Kid Kash is in the ring with Jerry Lynn, but Kash punches A.J. Styles, who is on the apron waiting for the tag. Styles falls to the floor, and Killings climbs up on the apron to protest Kash’s attack of Styles. With the referee distracted, EZ Money comes in, and along with Kash hits the Cha-Ching on Lynn. Money slides out of the ring as the referee turns around and counts the pin.
Winner: Mucho Dinero
OR: 94
CR: 95
MQ: 94
(A.J. Styles dropped in over from 85 to 76. Jerry Lynn dropped in over from 85 to 76. EZ Money gained in over from 86 to 92. Kid Kash gained in over from 88 to 94.)
Jody Fleisch vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.: This grudge match has the tough act of having to follow that last match, but it’s yet another great match, even though the fans aren’t quite into it as much. Hey, for all the energy they put into that last one, they deserve a break. The announcers recap their month-long series of run-in attacks on each other to establish the heat between the two. Fleisch dominates for most of the match, but Guerrero cheats to gain the upper hand. In fact, Guerrero runs through all the standard old-school heel cheating moves, like the back rake and the thumb to the eye. The referee admonishes him for these things, but you can’t change a leopard’s spots. Or something like that. Guerrero hits the Frog Splash, but instead of going for the pin locks on The Gory Guerrero Special. I guess he just wanted to hear Fleisch submit, because that’s exactly what happened.
Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr.
OR: 88
CR: 83
MQ: 93
Mr. Wrestling vs. Bill Goldberg (with Cyrus): Well, they couldn’t all be great matches tonight, so let’s just get this one out of the way as fast as possible, OK? Actually, it was a good match, but it pales in comparison to the last four matches. Goldberg hits all his power moves, even hitting the Spear. He goes for the pin, but pulls Mr. Wrestling up at two. Cyrus still calls him Nick Dinsmore for some reason. Goldberg delivers more punishment to Mr. Wrestling, and even makes a couple of pin attempts, but pulls him up each time at Cyrus’ urging. Goldberg tosses Mr. Wrestling to the floor, and while the referee is discussing the weather with him, Cyrus starts putting the boots to Mr. Wrestling. Wait a minute, that’s cheating! Sure enough, Mr. Wrestling seems to be energized by Cyrus’ cheating. Mr. Wrestling starts channeling Hulk Hogan, as he starts “Hulking up” to the delight of the crowd. Goldberg goes outside and punches Mr. Wrestling, but he no-sells it. He really is channeling Hogan! Goldberg rolls Dinsmore back in. Uh, I mean Mr. Wrestling. Dammit, now Cyrus has me doing it too! Anyways, Mr. Wrestling catches Goldberg coming back in with a boot, and hits an impressive German Suplex on the much bigger man. Goldberg’s on the canvas, and Mr. Wrestling quickly applies the Crossface! Goldberg taps out, and Cyrus is hysterical.
Winner: Mr. Wrestling
OR: 83
CR: 84
MQ: 84
(Bill Goldberg dropped in over from 91 to 90.)
NWA World title match: D’Lo Brown vs. Low-Ki ©: Our high expectations for this match are let down early, as the fans just don’t get into it very much. It’s a very good match, but again not quite what we were hoping for. Low-Ki bumps a lot for Brown’s power moves, giving some fans hope that D’Lo just might pull off the upset. But Low-Ki comes back with a vengeance, delivering several stiff kicks to Brown. Brown comes back, though, and hits the Sky High. Low-Ki kicks out at two, but is still down. Brown climbs to the top rope and signals for the Lo Down, but Low-Ki pops up and applies a surprise Superplex to D’Lo. Low-Ki nails Brown with the Ki-Krusher to get the pin and retain the title.
Winner: Low-Ki
OR: 87
CR: 85
MQ: 89
OR: 85
Buy rate: 1.86
Attendance: 20719
Best segment: Mucho Dinero over Styles and Lynn (94)
Worst segment: Big Vito wins the Total Elimination Battle Royal (74)
Best match: Mucho Dinero over Styles and Lynn (94)
-
Saturday, February 28, 2004
TNA XHilaration
Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue
Vaughn: Hi, I’m Ahmed Vaughn, and this is XHilaration! My partner this week is Emma Barbecue. How’s it going, Emma?
Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. Tonight we have Jeff Jarrett taking on Scoot Andrews!
Vaughn: Andrews has been on a pretty good run as of late, except for his surprise loss to The Amazing Red last Monday. Speaking of Red, we’ll be hearing from him later on.
Barbecue: Also tonight we’ll be seeing Joey Matthews and Super Crazy in action.
Vaughn: But our opening match features Masato Tanaka taking on CIMA. Let’s go to ringside and watch this match.
New Jack leads Masato Tanaka to the ring. He says Tanaka is going to kick CIMA’s ass. I guess that works for me.
OR: 87
Masato Tanaka (with New Jack) vs. CIMA: Nothing makes people want to buy pay-per-views like a bunch of squash matches the day before the show, and this one looks to be the first of several. Actually, it’s an excellent match, because CIMA sells Tanaka’s offense so well. CIMA does get in a few shots, but the fans aren’t buying it. Tanaka hits the Roaring Elbow and gets the pin.
Winner: Masato Tanaka
OR: 80
CR: 67
MQ: 93
Mucho Dinero makes a surprise appearance, much to the delight of their fans. They say they’ve thought about it, and they issue a challenge for Styles and Lynn! They challenge them to a match at Total Elimination. The announcers say that hopefully we’ll get a response sometime before the show is over.
OR: 81
Mike Sanders leads Joey Matthews to the ring. Sanders then starts talking trash about Yuji Nagata, sending the crowd to the concession area.
OR: 77
Yuji Nagata vs. Joey Matthews (with Mike Sanders): Clearly the fans have little interest in either of these two. Despite the lack of crowd reaction, Matthews and Nagata have a very good match. Matthews cheats, as does Sanders whenever the referee isn’t looking. Fortunately for them, cheating against Nagata is different than against Mr. Wrestling, as Nagata falls victim to it every time. In the end, Matthews hits a Swinging DDT to score the pin.
Winner: Joey Matthews
OR: 78
CR: 69
MQ: 88
The Amazing Red is standing by backstage. He reminds us that in his last match against Scoot Andrews, Andrews and his manager, Cyrus, double-teamed him after he scored the win. In his match before that, Red defeated Joey Matthews, but again was beaten up by Matthews and his manager, Mike Sanders, afterwards. He says that for tomorrow night, he’s taken out a little insurance policy just in case Vince Russo tries to attack him after he beats Sonny Siaki for the X title.
OR: 70
Steve Corino comes out with Super Crazy and points out that none of his guys are on tomorrow’s pay-per-view. Corino actually admits he’s been less than successful putting together a tag team from among the wrestlers he manages. He reminds us that Crazy is a former X champion and could win the title again any time he has the opportunity, and he’s going to show us here tonight when he beats Mr. Aguila.
OR: 83
Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Mr. Aguila: Another squash, but the fans actually care a little bit about Crazy, so it’s not all that bad. Actually, it’s a great match, and that causes the fans to come around for the finish when Crazy hits the Trifecta Moonsault to get the pin.
Winner: Super Crazy
OR: 81
CR: 72
MQ: 90
Commissioner Mick Foley’s music hits, and he comes to the ring. He says he heard Mucho Dinero out here earlier, and he’s been on the phone with Ron Killings putting together that match. So tomorrow night at Total Elimination, A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn will take on Mucho Dinero.
OR: 83
Scoot Andrews comes to the ring, accompanied by Cyrus. Cyrus takes the microphone from the ring announcer and tells us all that Monday’s match was a fluke and there’s no way The Amazing Red could beat Scoot Andrews again. He concedes that perhaps Andrews should stick to wrestlers outside the X division, and helpfully points out that his opponent tonight, Jeff Jarrett, will never be confused for someone in the X division.
OR: 91
Jeff Jarrett vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): The hometown crowd cheers Jarrett on, but also Cyrus has become a target for the fans’ boos in recent weeks with his sharp, biting interviews. Good back-and-forth action, but Andrews finally gets the upper hand when Cyrus trips up Jarrett. Andrews holds on to that advantage until the end, when the fans re-energize Jarrett. He makes the big comeback and even has Andrews ready for the Stroke, but Andrews grabs the rope and Jarrett hits the canvas alone. Andrews hits the Forces Of Nature and covers for the three.
Winner: Scoot Andrews
OR: 85
CR: 82
MQ: 88
OR: 81
Rating: 6.37
Attendance: 10012
Best segment: Interview with Cyrus and Scoot Andrews (91)
Worst segment: Interview with The Amazing Red (70)
Best match: Scoot Andrews over Jeff Jarrett (85)
-
Friday, February 27, 2004
TNA XPlosion
Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams
Once again, the show starts off with footage from earlier today inside commissioner Mick Foley’s office. The door bursts open, and Simon Diamond walks in.
Diamond: Dammit, Foley, what the hell’s been going on around here?
Foley: What are you talking about?
Diamond: D’Lo Brown gets a fluke win over me last month, and you haven’t booked me on any show since. Meanwhile, D’Lo gets a shot at the World title? What kind of a commissioner are you?
Foley: Look, Simon, I’m glad you’re here, because I just happen to have a match for you tonight. You’ll be facing one of the biggest, toughest dudes in all of TNA. Oh, and he’s undefeated too. A win over him will really help put you over in the eyes of the fans.
Diamond: Bring him on, I’m ready! Who is it?
Foley: Oh, it’s Ricky Marvin.
Diamond: Ricky Marvin! That little pipsqueak doesn’t have any business here in TNA. He’s in way over his head and you know it.
Foley: That doesn’t matter. He’s all yours. Have a nice day!
OR: 89
Morales: Hello, everyone, welcome to XPlosion! I'm Jeff Morales, and joining me this week is Dick Williams.
Williams: Hello, Jeff. We just saw earlier today commissioner Mick Foley scheduling Simon Diamond to face an impressive newcomer to TNA, Ricky Marvin.
Morales: Also tonight, Mucho Dinero will take on The Hardcore Japanese.
Williams: And Jody Fleisch will take on Syxx-Pac tonight, two days before he’ll face Chavo Guerrero Jr. at Total Elimination.
Morales: Coming up later, we’ll hear from the World champion, Low-Ki. But that music must mean we’re about to hear from Simon Diamond, so let’s hear what he’s got to say.
Simon Diamond gets a microphone before entering the ring. He says he’s been off television for so long, many fans were asking him if he still worked for TNA. Simon says tonight’s match against Ricky Marvin doesn’t pose a challenge for him, so he’ll be reminding everyone just who Simon Diamond is.
OR: 89
Ricky Marvin vs. Simon Diamond: This one’s over quickly. Diamond cheats early on to gain the advantage, then hits the Problem Solver to end the match in less than a minute. So much for Marvin’s undefeated record.
Winner: Simon Diamond
OR: 76
CR: 65
MQ: 88
Low-Ki comes out to the announcers’ desk. He says he doesn’t know what D’Lo Brown has done to deserve a World title shot, but he’ll beat him anyways, just like he’s beaten everyone else. He says if D’Lo wants to prove he deserves a title shot, then tonight he should face the one man who holds an undefeated mark against D’Lo – Sting.
OR: 82
Jody Fleisch vs. Syxx-Pac: Another by-the-numbers match, as Syxx-Pac clearly isn’t a match for Fleisch, no matter how much he cheats. It’s a very good match, but like the first one the end result was never in doubt once the bell rang. Fleisch pins Syxx-Pac after a Phoenix 720 DDT. But he has little chance to celebrate before Chavo Guerrero Jr. runs through the curtain! He knocks Fleisch down and climbs to the top rope … Frog Splash! Guerrero finally has gained a measure of revenge on Fleisch.
Winner: Jody Fleisch
OR: 82
CR: 77
MQ: 88
Backstage, Mucho Dinero says Styles and Lynn aren’t in the building tonight, so they won’t have to worry about them interfering in their match tonight like they did Monday. They say that they’re focused entirely on The Hardcore Japanese tonight.
OR: 86
New Jack leads The Hardcore Japanese to the ring. He says they’re going to beat Mucho Dinero tonight. Um, OK.
OR: 87
The Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. Mucho Dinero: Perhaps the fans are tired of the formula, but good wrestlers can still get a great match out of the standard tag team formula. Mucho Dinero works over Tomoaki Honma in an extended heat sequence before Honma makes the hot tag to Masato Tanaka. Tanaka clears both EZ Money and Kid Kash from the ring, but while the referee is getting the weary Honma out of the ring, Mucho Dinero hits the Cha-Ching on Tanaka, and Money covers to score the pin.
Winner: Mucho Dinero
OR: 84
CR: 79
MQ: 90
D’Lo Brown comes to the ring. He says he heard Low-Ki’s challenge earlier tonight, and he knows Sting is in the building. So if Sting doesn’t mind, D’Lo wants a match with him.
OR: 86
Sting vs. D’Lo Brown: The fans finally wake up for this match, and I start to think that possibly Total Elimination’s main event won’t be as much of a fiasco as I fear. As for this match, it’s a little different than most Sting matches. While the formula is the same, the sides are different. Brown dominates early, but then Sting gets the advantage and uses the rest holds on D’Lo while he catches his breath. The fans make a lot of noise, and Brown comes back as the pace picks up for the finish. Brown avoids a Stinger Splash and floors Sting with a Sky High. Brown then climbs to the top rope and hits a Lo Down to score the pin. Afterwards, Brown helps Sting to his feet, and they shake hands.
Winner: D’Lo Brown
OR: 82
CR: 84
MQ: 80
(Sting dropped in over from 93 to 92. D’Lo Brown gained in over from 82 to 84.)
OR: 83
Rating: 7.75
Attendance: 10047
Best segment: (tie) Simon Diamond confronts Mick Foley; Interview with Simon Diamond (89)
Worst segment: Simon Diamond over Ricky Marvin (76)
Best match: Mucho Dinero over The Hardcore Japanese (84)
-
Monday, February 23, 2004
TNA XCitement
Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake
The video screen comes alive to start the show with footage from earlier today in commissioner Mick Foley’s office. He’s working at his desk when someone new to TNA enters.
Foley: Well, if it isn’t my good friend Nova from ECW! Long time no see, pal. What’s going on?
Nova: It’s good to see you too, Mick. I was in the area and thought I’d stop by to pay you a visit.
Foley: Oh, come on, I know you better than that. You’re here to try and get a job in TNA, right?
Nova: Um, well, … yeah! And, seeing as we’re good friends and all, and you’re in charge …
Foley: Hold it right there. I take my duties seriously in the commissionary position. No matter who they are or how good of friends they are with me, you’ve got to show you belong here.
Nova: Come on, Mick, just give me a chance! You know what I can do in the ring.
Foley: Well, there is one last qualifying match for the Total Elimination Battle Royal. I’ll tell you what – you beat Christopher Nowinski tonight, and you can work here in TNA.
Nova: Nowinski? That Harvard guy who lost in Tough Enough? No problem!
OR: 83
Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.
Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.
Kavovit: Tonight we have the last Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match, which will see Christopher Nowinski take on the debuting Nova.
Snake: Nova was a pretty impressive performer in the old Extreme Championship Wrestling, but it’s been a few years since he’s been seen in a major promotion like TNA.
Kavovit: Also tonight, Mucho Dinero will be in action against the team of Jushin Liger and Psychosis, and later on we’ll hear from Cyrus.
Snake: But right now, let’s find out who will be the last man to enter the Total Elimination Battle Royal.
Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Nova vs. Christopher Nowinski: Nova really doesn’t look too impressive in his debut, but then again working with the relatively inexperienced Nowinski doesn’t help matters much. This match is basically a showcase for Nova to hit all of his moves and to introduce fans who aren’t familiar with him to who and what he is. Nova finishes off Nowinski with the Spin Doctor.
Winner: Nova
OR: 74
CR: 70
MQ: 79
Cyrus comes to the ring with Scoot Andrews. He talks about how glad he is to be rid of those two idiots Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith. Cyrus continues on, saying that after Andrews beat Sting last Saturday, he’s confident he can take on anyone, even a X-division wrestler. He says he wants to see just how amazing The Amazing Red can be, so he challenges him to face Andrews!
OR: 90
Red’s music plays, so we’ve got …
The Amazing Red vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): This one’s a great match, but the fans just don’t get into it too much. Andrews’ win over Sting isn’t the kind of headline news it would have been several months ago, and Red’s biggest claim to fame was winning a lackluster tournament to become the No. 1 contender for the X title. Andrews tries to keep the pace slow, but quickly finds out that Red is quite adept at mat wrestling as well. Andrews looks to be in trouble, and Cyrus hops up on the apron. That gets Red’s attention, but Red dodges Andrews’ attack, and he collides with Cyrus. Red takes advantage and quickly hits a Red Star Press to get the win. Afterwards, Cyrus hops in the ring, and he and Cyrus make short work of Red with their numbers advantage. They leave him lying in the ring, with the medics out to check on him.
Winner: The Amazing Red
OR: 84
CR: 76
MQ: 92
Mucho Dinero hit the ring to talk about their opponents tonight, Jushin Liger and Psychosis. EZ Money reminds us that Psychosis and Liger received a Tag Team title shot last month, and they think beating them will earn them the same opportunity. Kid Kash says that in fact they should be the ones to face Kaientai at Total Elimination.
OR: 89
Jushin Liger & Psychosis (with Steve Corino) vs. Mucho Dinero: Another very good match, but as we all remember Liger and Psychosis aren’t perceived as threats in the tag division. The most vocal fans are the Mucho Dinero fans, which now make up about a third of the crowd in the TNA Asylum. Mucho Dinero controls the action for most of the match, keeping Psychosis isolated in their half of the ring. Of course, it just wouldn’t be a tag match without a hot tag, but Liger can’t sustain the advantage for very long. Soon thereafter, he falls victim to the Cha-Ching, and Kash gets the pin. But here come A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn! They attack Mucho Dinero, which serves to wake the fans up, before Mucho Dinero retreat to the safety of their locker room.
Winner: Mucho Dinero
OR: 83
CR: 78
MQ: 89
OR: 83
Rating: 6.20
Attendance: 10035
Best segment: Interview with Cyrus and Scoot Andrews (90)
Worst segment: Nova over Christopher Nowinski (74)
Best match: The Amazing Red over Scoot Andrews (84)
-
Saturday, February 21, 2004
TNA XHilaration
Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue
Vaughn: Hi, I’m Ahmed Vaughn, and this is XHilaration! My partner this week is Emma Barbecue. How’s it going, Emma?
Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. Tonight we have Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith taking on Styles and Lynn!
Vaughn: Tonight is Smith and Akiyama’s last chance, according to Cyrus. Last week they nearly came to blows after losing to The Hardcore Japanese.
Barbecue: Someone who’s had his share of problems with Cyrus’ Virus is Mr. Wrestling, who will be in action tonight against Bas Rutten.
Vaughn: But our opening match is another Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match. Tonight, Brian Lawler will wrestle Mr. Aguila, and the loser is entered in commissioner Mick Foley’s Total Elimination Battle Royal.
Barbecue: Let’s go to ringside and watch this match.
Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Brian Lawler vs. Mr. Aguila: Perhaps the crowd is a little late arriving this evening, as there is little interest in this match. Lawler has been off television for some time, and has been less than successful in the matches he has wrestled in recent months. Aguila hasn’t been in TNA very long, but he also doesn’t have a very impressive win-loss record. But the fans aren’t really missing anything, as the match is decent, but not great. The dull action plods on for nearly six minutes before Aguila hits a Moonsault on Lawler to get the pin.
Winner: Mr. Aguila
OR: 74
CR: 68
MQ: 81
Mr. Wrestling comes to the ring for his match. He says after he saw Bas Rutten’s Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match on Monday, he decided that Rutten needs to learn a lesson about what happens to cheaters. Mr. Wrestling says tonight Rutten will learn something he’ll never forget.
OR: 86
Mr. Wrestling vs. Bas Rutten: This one was a very good match that saw Rutten trying to cheat, but that only served to get Mr. Wrestling angry, and he ended up controlling Rutten for most of the match. He applied the Crossface to Rutten, but suddenly Bill Goldberg runs through the curtain and into the ring! Mr. Wrestling gets up, but Goldberg Spears him right back down. Goldberg picks him up and delivers a Jackhammer! The referees and road agents all come in to separate Goldberg from Mr. Wrestling.
Winner: Mr. Wrestling by disqualification
OR: 80
CR: 72
MQ: 88
Cyrus appears at the side of Bill Goldberg with a microphone.
Cyrus: Nick Dinsmore, apparently you forgot about the biggest, baddest member of The Virus! You want to call my guys a bunch of cheaters? Why don’t you try that while Bill Goldberg is around!
OR: 84
Cyrus and Bill Goldberg return to The Virus’ dressing room, where Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith are already having a heated conversation as Scoot Andrews tries to keep them calm. Cyrus quickly assumes control and tells them they’d better get focused on Styles and Lynn. He reminds them that if they can’t work together, he’s kicking them out of the Virus.
OR: 86
Ron Killings leads Styles and Lynn to the ring in preparation for their upcoming match. Killings gets on the microphone and cuts a scathing promo on Johnny Smith and Jun Akiyama.
OR: 93
Styles and Lynn (with Ron Killings) vs. Johnny Smith & Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): Smith and Akiyama work surprisingly well together, given their differences recently. Cyrus seems as standoffish as he was during Akiyama’s match on Monday, but nods approvingly as his team dominates Jerry Lynn. But that only lasts so long, as some miscommunication between Smith and Akiyama allows Lynn to make the hot tag to A.J. Styles. Styles picks up the pace as he is able to keep both Smith and Akiyama off balance until Lynn recovers enough to take Smith out to the floor, leaving Styles alone with Akiyama. A Styles Clash is enough to get the pinfall to end this great match.
Winner: Styles and Lynn
OR: 87
CR: 80
MQ: 95
Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith start to argue, as Cyrus only stands at ringside, shaking his head. Scoot Andrews comes out and once again tries to separate them, but Cyrus pulls him away. Finally Cyrus gets a microphone.
Cyrus: OK, OK, that’s enough out of you two. You know you’re out of The Virus, so get out of the ring. Besides Bill Goldberg, there’s only one other man I can count on to get anything done, and that's this man here, Scoot Andrews. I have the utmost confidence in him, and I challenge anyone in the back to come out here and wrestle him right now!
OR: 90
Sting’s music plays, and he walks out to the ringside area.
Sting: Anyone, Cyrus? Including me? You’re on!
OR: 90
Sting vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): Andrews is very good, but I doubt anyone can do much with Sting anymore these days, since his matches are all so formulaic. You know the routine by know: Sting dominates the first couple of minutes, then we get the extended rest sequence, and finally hit the big finish. Sting hits two Stinger Splashes and signals for the Scorpion Death Lock when Cyrus jumps up on the apron. Sting grabs him and signals to the crowd like he’s going to punch him, but before the blow can land Andrews has recovered. He spins Sting around and hits the Forces Of Nature to get the pin.
Winner: Scoot Andrews
OR: 84
CR: 85
MQ: 83
(Scoot Andrews gained in over from 83 to 84.)
The fans were already starting to leave, thinking the show was over, when commissioner Mick Foley’s music hits, and he walks out to the ring.
Foley: Thank you. I have an announcement to make. After Bill Goldberg attacked Mr. Wrestling earlier tonight, I thought it would be in everyone’s best interest to add another match to Total Elimination one week from tomorrow. Next Sunday, Bill Goldberg will face Mr. Wrestling one on one at Total Elimination. Thank you, and have a nice day!
OR: 89
OR: 86
Rating: 6.04
Attendance: 10046
Best segment: Interview with Ron Killings and Styles and Lynn (93)
Worst segment: Mr. Aguila over Brian Lawler (74)
Best match: Styles and Lynn over Jun Akiyama & Johnny Smith (87)
-
Friday, February 20, 2004
TNA XPlosion
Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams
Morales: Hello, everyone, welcome to XPlosion! I'm Jeff Morales, and joining me this week is Dick Williams.
Williams: Hello, Jeff. Tonight’s main event features Chavo Guerrero Jr., who is undefeated since arriving in TNA, taking on one half of the Tag Team champions and former X champion TAKA Michinoku.
Morales: You don’t want to miss that one. And speaking of tag teams, tonight The Hardcore Japanese face their toughest test to date as they take on Excellence Inc.
Williams: And we’ll also hear from D’Lo Brown later on, but let’s get things started with tonight’s Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match.
Morales: Alex Wright will be facing Yuji Nagata, and the loser will be entered in the Total Elimination Battle Royal.
Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Yuji Nagata vs. Alex Wright: As usual, the fans are disinterested in this qualifying match. It’s a good match, as both men are content to actually wrestle. Wright cheats some, but Nagata’s superior skill always swings the advantage back to him. In the end, he applies the Nagata Leg Lock, and Wright taps out.
Winner: Yuji Nagata
OR: 76
CR: 70
MQ: 82
Backstage, New Jack cuts an excellent promo hyping The Hardcore Japanese and their upcoming match with Excellence Inc. He says tonight’s match will show who should get a Tag Team title shot at Total Elimination.
OR: 90
(Tomoaki Honma gained in over from 74 to 75.)
Excellence Inc. comes to the ring carrying microphones. Michael Modest lets Donovan Morgan do most of the talking, so it’s not that bad, actually. Morgan says they heard what New Jack said, and he’s right about one thing – this match will show who deserves a Tag Team title shot, and it’s not The Hardcore Japanese.
OR: 81
The Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. Excellence Inc.: Michael Modest and Donovan Morgan attack Tomoaki Honma and Masato Tanaka from behind to start, but that strategy backfires pretty quickly as Tanaka and Honma prove to be superior brawlers. Modest and Morgan head to the floor to regroup and come up with some different strategy. They slow things down with their technical wrestling expertise, getting Honma on the mat and isolated on their half of the ring. The next 10 minutes features Excellence Inc. working over Honma, systematically taking him apart as Tanaka and New Jack can only watch. But, like in all good tag matches (and this one’s a great one), the face manages to make the hot tag to his partner. Tanaka comes in and knocks down both Modest and Morgan, and Honma recovers enough to even things as it’s a pier-six brawl. The Hardcore Japanese whip Modest and Morgan towards each other, but Morgan leapfrogs Modest, who clotheslines Honma out of the ring. Excellence Inc. has the numbers advantage, and soon thereafter Morgan hits a Double Underhook Piledriver on Tanaka to score the pin.
Winner: Excellence Inc.
OR: 85
CR: 77
MQ: 94
D’Lo Brown comes to the ring with a microphone.
Brown: You know, last Monday I was watching XCitement and saw Low-Ki defend the World title against Ultimo Dragon, and I have to say I wasn’t impressed. Low-Ki, you’ve been defending that belt against people like Norman Smiley, Ultimo Dragon, and Jeff Jarrett. But right now you’re looking at the real deal. If you really want to prove something, why don’t you take me on?
OR: 80
Suddenly, Charlie Haas’ music plays, and he comes out with Vince Russo.
Russo: D’Lo, you’ve been running your mouth about how you’re the ‘real deal’ and how people need to prove themselves? Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is, D’Lo. Why don’t you wrestle Charlie Haas. If you think you’re World title material, he’ll prove you wrong.
OR: 78
D’Lo Brown vs. Charlie Haas (with Vince Russo): The match is good, but things never really seemed to click. Brown hit several power moves to start, but Haas countered with some nice amateur wrestling takedowns. However, Brown’s no slouch at mat wrestling either, he’s just not up to the level that Haas is. Haas is able to stay on top of Brown for most of the match, but Brown powers back. He runs through his moves, picking up the win after a Sky High.
Winner: D’Lo Brown
OR: 82
CR: 78
MQ: 86
The camera cuts backstage, where we see commissioner Mick Foley watching the show when Excellence Inc. walks in.
Morgan: Did you see what we did earlier tonight? We beat The Hardcore Japanese.
Modest: To us, that means we’re the No. 1 contender for the Tag Team titles. So you need to make the match for Total Elimination.
Foley: Hmm … let me think about it and get back with you later.
Morgan: What do you mean, ‘think about it’? There’s no question which team is the most excellent in TNA, and they need to be given a title shot.
Foley: Right now they need to get out of my office! And that is final!
Modest and Morgan quickly leave as Foley sits back down to watch the main event.
OR: 83
Chavo Guerrero Jr. comes to the ring and takes the microphone from the ring announcer.
Guerrero: Jody Fleisch, last Saturday you attacked me for the third time! Neither time you had any business getting involved. I was proving a point to Ken Shamrock about breaking his word, and you attacked me. You hit your Phoenix 720 DDT on me after my match with Super Crazy and after my match with Raymond Rougeau. I’m warning you, Fleisch – stay out of my match tonight, or else!
OR: 87
TAKA Michinoku vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.: Chavo cheats to gain the early advantage, but really control goes back and forth between the two. Both men are great mat technicians and great high-flyers, and the result is a great wrestling match. The tide turns when TAKA goes for a Flying Cross Body from the top rope, but Chavo pulls the referee in the way, and he gets knocked to the mat. While TAKA checks on the ref, Chavo slides out of the ring and grabs a chair. He gets back in the ring, and TAKA turns around, only to be blasted by Chavo. Chavo lines up for another shot, but Jody Fleisch comes through the curtain at top speed. He spins Chavo around and hits a couple of punches before delivering yet another Phoenix 720 DDT to Chavo. Fleisch kicks the chair out of the ring and drags TAKA on top of Chavo. Fleisch gets out of the ring and shakes the referee, which magically helps revive him. He sees TAKA covering Chavo and counts the pin, giving Chavo his first loss in TNA.
Winner: TAKA Michinoku
OR: 86
CR: 80
MQ: 93
Fleisch pulls TAKA out of the ring as Chavo recovers. He realizes what happened when the referee raises TAKA’s arm once again, and starts pointing fingers at Fleisch, which are promptly returned. Suddenly, Mick Foley’s music hits, and he comes to the ring with a microphone!
Guerrero: Did you see that? He …
Foley: Shut up, Chavo! I’ll get to you in a moment, but I’ve got a couple of announcements to make. We’re nine days away from total elimination, and as of right now we only have two matches scheduled: the Total Elimination Battle Royal and the X title match between Sonny Siaki and The Amazing Red. I’ve been sitting in the back, watching this show, and there’s several issues that need to be resolved, and Total Elimination seems like the right place. Chavo, you want Jody Fleisch?
Guerrero: Yes, I …
Foley: Jody, do you want Chavo?
Fleisch nods his head.
Foley: Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you to have a match at Total Elimination. Now get out of my ring!
Fleisch leaves the ringside area, as Chavo stares dumbfoundedly at Foley before eventually leaving.
Foley: Now then, there’s a couple of other matters that I’ll take care of right now. First is the Tag Team titles. There’s a lot of teams out there that are deserving of a title shot, but after reviewing the records and watching their match tonight, I’m granting Excellence Inc.’s request for a shot. So at Total Elimination, it will be Kaientai defending the Tag Team titles against Excellence Inc. And finally, Low-Ki will be making a title defense. Based on what I saw earlier tonight, as of right now I’m naming D’Lo Brown as the No. 1 contender for the World title. In nine days at Total Elimination, D’Lo Brown will face Low-Ki for the title, and that is final! Have a nice day!
OR: 84
OR: 83
Rating: 7.75
Attendance: 10029
Best segment: Interview with New Jack and The Hardcore Japanese (90)
Worst segment: Yuji Nagata over Alex Wright (76)
Best match: TAKA Michinoku over Chavo Guerrero Jr. (86)
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Monday, February 16, 2004
Saturday was “one of those days.” You could almost see it coming, the way the crowd has been responding to a lot of the matches recently. Also, Jun Akiyama complained about Masato Tanaka being a little too reckless in their tag match. But outside of the ring, there were a lot of good points: Several stories were advanced, and Cyrus continued his hot streak on the microphone. He’s taken three nobodies who haven’t really been given much of a push and has done everything he could to get them over.
TNA XCitement
Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake
Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.
Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.
Kavovit: Tonight we have a Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match with Bas Rutten taking on Big Vito.
Snake: That should be a good match. Also tonight, Mr. Wrestling will answer Cyrus’ latest challenge when he faces Jun Akiyama.
Kavovit: Mr. Wrestling has defeated Scoot Andrews and Johnny Smith, so tonight he … wait a minute, that’s Low-Ki’s music! What’s this all about?
Low-Ki steps through the curtains to some massive heel heat, and then he walks over to the announcer’s desk.
Kavovit: Ladies and gentlemen, the World champion, Low-Ki! What are you doing here tonight?
Low-Ki: Did you see XHilaration last Saturday?
Kavovit: Yes, I did.
Low-Ki: Then you saw Steve Corino suggest that someone like Ultimo Dragon was worthy of a World title shot. Can you imagine that masked goof as the World champion?
Kavovit: Well, I …
Low-Ki: And I would just imagine that they’re not the only ones who think they’re deserving of a World title match. So tonight I’m going to put on another demonstration of why I am the World champion and that there’s nobody in TNA who can take this title from me. Ultimo Dragon, Steve Corino, you’d better get ready. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it. Tonight you’re getting your ass kicked!
OR: 92
Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Big Vito vs. Bas Rutten: Like most of these qualifying matches, the fans are really having a hard time getting too involved in them, since they usually feature some of the less over workers in the company. Tonight is no different, and even though Vito and Rutten put on a good match, the crowd is less than enthusiastic. Rutten gets a lot of cheating, such as using choke holds, poking the eyes, and other things to try and get some heat, but to no avail. Rutten finally locks on the Guillotine Choke, and Vito taps out.
Winner: Bas Rutten
OR: 77
CR: 71
MQ: 84
(Big Vito dropped in over from 83 to 82. Bas Rutten gained in over from 73 to 74.)
Mr. Wrestling comes to the ring and gets the microphone. He says just for educational purposes, he looked cheating up in the dictionary and found Jun Akiyama’s picture! He says that just proves that his quest to eliminate cheating still has a long way to go.
OR: 78
Mr. Wrestling vs. Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): The announcers talk about the friction between Cyrus, Akiyama, and Johnny Smith that happened just two days ago, and note that Cyrus isn’t quite as into this match as he usually is. Sure, he’s at ringside. But he’s nowhere near as vocal as he normally is. The action in the ring quite often left Mr. Wrestling in a position that would leave him vulnerable to interference behind the referee’s back by Cyrus but instead he doesn’t get involved. With it pretty much being a one-on-one match, Mr. Wrestling proves to be too much for Akiyama to overcome without Cyrus’ aid, and he gets locked into the Crossface. Akiyama taps out, and Cyrus only shakes his head.
Winner: Mr. Wrestling
OR: 80
CR: 75
MQ: 86
Steve Corino leads Ultimo Dragon to the ring and retrieves a microphone from one of the ring crew. He says this is the kind of respect him and his guys deserve. He tells commissioner Mick Foley to watch this match and see for himself that Dragon didn’t belong in a Total Elimination qualifying match.
OR: 91
NWA World title match: Ultimo Dragon (with Steve Corino) vs. Low-Ki ©: Great match, which finally got the crowd to wake up a little. Dragon scored four or five near-falls early in this match, but the fans didn’t seem to buy Dragon as a serious threat to win the belt. In fact, this one looked like a really good X division match with all the high flying both men were doing. But the last move wasn’t an aerial move – it was a Ki-Krusher, which Low-Ki used to get the pinfall to retain the title.
Winner: Low-Ki
OR: 87
CR: 81
MQ: 93
OR: 84
Rating: 6.20
Attendance: 10001
Best segment: Low-Ki gives Ultimo Dragon a World title match (92)
Worst segment: Bas Rutten over Big Vito (77)
Best match: Low-Ki over Ultimo Dragon (87)
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Saturday, February 14, 2004
TNA XHilaration
Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue
Vaughn: Hi, I’m Ahmed Vaughn, and this is XHilaration! My partner this week is Emma Barbecue. How’s it going, Emma?
Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. Tonight we have Chavo Guerrero Jr. taking on Super Crazy!
Vaughn: That’s a pretty good main event. Also tonight, Jacques Rougeau Jr. will face Scoot Andrews.
Barbecue: Two more of Cyrus’ Virus, Johnny Smith and Jun Akiyama, will be in action against The Hardcore Japanese.
Vaughn: But our opening match is another Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match. Tonight, Ultimo Dragon will wrestle Devon Storm, and the loser is entered in commissioner Mick Foley’s Total Elimination Battle Royal.
Barbecue: That music must mean Steve Corino and Ultimo Dragon are on their way out to the ring, so let’s go to ringside and watch this match.
Devon Storm is already in the ring as Steve Corino leads Ultimo Dragon to the ring, and Corino retrieves a microphone.
Corino: This match is utter bullshit! Is there anyone in this building, besides commissioner Mick Foley, obviously, who feels Ultimo Dragon should be in this Total Elimination Battle Royal? Is there anyone who thinks he should even risk that possibility by being in a qualifying match? If anything, Ultimo Dragon should be given a shot at the World title! Devon Storm, no disrespect, but tonight you will be made into an object – a display as to how much commissioner Foley was wrong to put Ultimo Dragon into this match.
OR: 86
Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Ultimo Dragon (with Steve Corino) vs. Devon Storm: Corino’s prediction is pretty accurate, as Dragon totally outclasses the slower Storm. The match ends in exactly three minutes with Storm tapping out to the Dragon Sleeper.
Winner: Ultimo Dragon
OR: 71
CR: 71
MQ: 87
Backstage, Cyrus gets Johnny Smith and Jun Akiyama ready for their match against The Hardcore Japanese. Cyrus continues his impressive hot streak, cutting a well thought-out promo on The Hardcore Japanese as Smith and Akiyama can only stand in the background, grunting and trying their hardest to look intimidating.
OR: 89
New Jack leads The Hardcore Japanese to the ring and tries his best to match Cyrus on the microphone, but comes up a little short. Still, he does have the crowd fired up for the upcoming tag match, so I guess he did his job.
OR: 86
(Tomoaki Honma gained in over from 73 to 74.)
The Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. Jun Akiyama & Johnny Smith (with Cyrus): Well, maybe I was giving New Jack too much credit, because the noise died down as soon as the match began. But it is an excellent match, even though the fans don’t seem to care. There’s a slight pop when Masato Tanaka tags in for the first time, but that’s about it. This match is a lot slower paced than the first one, as Tanaka and Honma are brawlers while Smith and Akiyama are mat wrestlers. Both sides alternate being in control and in peril, but ultimately the heels collide, and The Hardcore Japanese debut a new finishing move, the Stereo Roaring Elbows, on Akiyama. Honma gets the pinfall off that. As New Jack and The Hardcore Japanese celebrate their win, Smith and Akiyama get into a little shoving match until Cyrus gets in the ring and tries to separate them. Eventually, Scoot Andrews also comes out to help keep Smith and Akiyama from coming to blows.
Winner: The Hardcore Japanese
OR: 72
CR: 71
MQ: 90
Cyrus gets a microphone, and my expectations continue to rise. Cyrus starts to berate Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith for their recent lack of success, both as a team and in singles competition. Cyrus tells Akiyama that he’s got Mr. Wrestling on Monday (well, actually he said Nick Dinsmore, but we know what he meant), and he’s giving them one more chance as a team next Saturday. Cyrus then says he knows he can count on Scoot Andrews to come through for him, and he tells Smith and Akiyama to go sit in the back and watch the next match between Scoot Andrews and Jacques Rougeau Jr.
OR: 91
(Scoot Andrews gained in over from 82 to 83.)
Jacques Rougeau Jr. vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): The announcers remind us that it was only a week ago that Andrews defeated Jacques’ brother Raymond in a Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match, although they neglect to mention Chavo Guerrero Jr.’s involvement. Andrews does an admirable job carrying Rougeau to a good match, and gets rewarded in the end when he gets the Forces Of Nature for the pin.
Winner: Scoot Andrews
OR: 73
CR: 80
MQ: 84
Speak of the devil: Chavo Guerrero Jr. is backstage, talking about his match against Sting last night and his match against Super Crazy tonight. He says he’s tired of wrestling old, slow, crippled wrestlers because it takes so long to wrestle them, like he had with Sting last night. I love shoot comments that aren’t meant to be. He says he knows tonight’s match will be much faster paced, but that just means he’ll win a lot quicker.
OR: 81
Steve Corino comes to the ring once again, this time with Super Crazy. He’s a little more calm this time, since there’s no threat of elimination on Crazy like there was on Ultimo Dragon earlier tonight. Corino says that Chavo Guerrero Jr. has been running roughshod all over TNA since he arrived nearly a month ago, and tonight Super Crazy will be the one to put him in his place.
OR: 85
Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.: What a great match! Considering who was involved, however, it’s really no surprise. Crazy surprisingly controls Chavo and scores several near-falls in the first six minutes, but Chavo cheats to turn the tide. No, really, Chavo cheats. Where’s Mr. Wrestling when you need him? Anyway, Chavo continually cheats while staying in command despite Corino’s protests to the referee. Chavo applies The Gory Guerrero Special, and Super Crazy taps out. Suddenly, Jody Fleisch runs in from the back and once again hits a Phoenix 720 DDT on Chavo! Fleisch stands over the fallen Guerrero, and a smile slowly speads across his face as the show ends.
Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr.
OR: 76
CR: 77
MQ: 94
OR: 80
Rating: 6.04
Attendance: 10026
Best segment: Cyrus tells Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith to watch Scoot Andrews’ match (91)
Worst segment: Ultimo Dragon over Devon Storm (71)
Best match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. over Super Crazy (76)
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Friday, February 13, 2004
TNA XPlosion
Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams
Morales: Hello, everyone, welcome to XPlosion! I'm Jeff Morales, and joining me this week is Dick Williams.
Williams: Hello, Jeff. Tonight we have the finals of the mini-tournament to crown a new No. 1 contender for the X title. The Amazing Red will face Joey Matthews, with the winner getting a title shot against Sonny Siaki at Total Elimination.
Morales: Also tonight, Mr. Wrestling will face his latest challenge from Cyrus, as he’ll be facing another member of The Virus.
Williams: And that brings us to our main event tonight. Sting will be facing the undefeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Morales: That one should be a barnburner. But right now, Norman Smiley is making his way to the ring.
Williams: Tonight he’s in a Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match, but we still don’t know who his opponent is!
Morales: Last Monday, commissioner Mick Foley gave two newcomers a chance to work in TNA if they could win either a qualifying match or the Total Elimination Battle Royal itself. Ricky Marvin pulled a major upset by knocking off Vampiro on Monday, so we’ll see who the other new guy is.
Norman Smiley gets a microphone and says he’s so hyped for his match tonight that he promises not one, but TWO Big Wiggles after he wins. Uh, first things first, big guy.
OR: 73
Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Norman Smiley vs. CIMA: Dick Williams shows off his knowledge of Japanese wrestling by talking about what a big star CIMA is in Japan. The fans act as though they could care less about CIMA, or Smiley too for that matter. This one’s pretty much all CIMA, as he hits a variety of high-flying moves on Smiley, showing his potential in the X division. CIMA scores the pin after hitting a move Williams says is the Shubain.
Winner: CIMA
OR: 72
CR: 61
MQ: 83
(Norman Smiley dropped in over from 70 to 69.)
Mike Sanders is backstage with Joey Matthews. He tells him that since the last man standing between him and a X title shot is The Amazing Red, he might as well start making plans for his match against Sonny Siaki at Total Elimination.
OR: 70
Commissioner Mick Foley comes to the ring to a large pop from the fans. I guess he’s the special guest ring announcer for the finals of the tournament he put together to crown a new No. 1 contender for the X title. He introduces The Amazing Red first, then Joey Matthews and his manager, Mike Sanders.
OR: 94
The Amazing Red vs. Joey Matthews (with Mike Sanders): The fans still could care less about these two men, as they get really quiet after commissioner Foley leaves the ringside area. Red controls the first minute or so, but Sanders grabs his ankle, distracting him long enough for Matthews to get the advantage. Matthews works over Red for the next 8 or 9 minutes. By then, the fans start to realize this is a very good match and start rallying behind Red, and sure enough he is able to make a comeback and reclaim the upper hand. Sanders obviously sees his man is in jeopardy of losing, so he hops up on the apron to distract Red. Red takes a swing at him, but Sanders ducks. He then grabs Red and holds him as Matthews charges, but Red escapes and Matthews collides with Sanders. Red’s ready – Red Star Press! Red covers Matthews, and the referee counts to three. Red celebrates, but quickly Sanders is in the ring, and before long a two-on-one beatdown ensues. A couple of referees come out and help get Sanders and Matthews away from Red, but not after Red has taken a good beating.
Winner: The Amazing Red
OR: 80
CR: 71
MQ: 89
The cameras cut backstage to The Virus’ dressing room, where Cyrus is getting Johnny Smith ready for this match against Mr. Wrestling. Well, Cyrus calls him Nick Dinsmore instead of Mr. Wrestling. I don’t know why – doesn’t he know who Smith is wrestling tonight? Actually, it’s a really strong segment from Cyrus, who does a good job conveying how much he hates Mr. Wrestling for pretending he’s not Dinsmore.
OR: 93
(Cyrus gained in over from 92 to 96. Johnny Smith gained in over from 78 to 79.)
Mr. Wrestling arrives in the ring with some new Superman-sounding music. I’m glad to see he’s really getting into this character. He once again professes his dislike of cheaters and says tonight he will once again show everyone that cheaters never win.
OR: 88
Mr. Wrestling vs. Johnny Smith (with Cyrus): OK, what’s up with the crowd tonight? They just haven’t gotten into much of anything tonight, other than Foley’s surprise appearance. Once again, a very good match does little to draw the crowd into what’s happening in the ring. This one’s almost a replay of the Mr. Wrestling/Scoot Andrews match from a little over a week ago. As you can guess, Smith and Cyrus cheat early and often, and Mr. Wrestling somehow is able to recover each and every time. Maybe he does have super powers? One power he definitely has is the ability to make people tap out to the Crossface, and that’s exactly what he does to Smith. Mr. Wrestling celebrates his win, but Cyrus gets the house microphone and tells him he’ll have to face Jun Akiyama on Monday.
Winner: Mr. Wrestling
OR: 81
CR: 73
MQ: 89
Backstage, the cameras spot Sting walking to the ring for the main event. As he walks past a door, it opens and Chavo Guerrero Jr. jumps out with a chair! He nails Sting a couple of times, knocking him to the floor. Chavo tosses the chair aside, and then he walks to the ring.
OR: 94
(Chavo Guerrero Jr. gained in over from 79 to 82.)
Chavo Guerrero Jr. gets in the ring and takes a microphone, and then tells all the fans he’s sorry, but there’s not going to be a main event match tonight, so they might as well go home. Aargh! I hate it when they say things like that! In fact, several people are seen leaving their seats, headed for the exit. Chavo says Sting is nothing, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool.
OR: 74
Suddenly, Sting’s music plays, and he limps through the curtain. The fans cheer as they return to their seats for …
Sting vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.: I think even the fans are starting to catch on to the fact that Sting is washed up. Sting and Chavo run through the typical Sting match formula. You should know it by now – a flurry of moves at the beginning, an extended period of rest holds while Sting catches his breath, and then the pace picks up for the finish. So let’s just skip right to the finish, as Sting fights out of the 5-minute headlock (so named because of how long it lasts) and uses a barrage of punches and chops to knock Chavo to the corner. Sting whips him to the other corner, but misses the Stinger Splash. Chavo gets right on him, applying The Gory Guerrero Special and getting Sting to tap out. Sting taps out? I know, I can’t believe it either.
Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr.
OR: 85
CR: 86
MQ: 84
(Sting dropped in over from 94 to 93. Chavo Guerrero Jr. gained in over from 82 to 84.)
OR: 82
Rating: 7.51
Attendance: 10043
Best segment: (tie) Mick Foley introduces The Amazing Red and Joey Matthews; Chavo Guerrero Jr. attacks Sting (94)
Worst segment: Interview with Mike Sanders and Joey Matthews (70)
Best match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. over Sting (85)
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Monday, February 9, 2004
TNA XCitement
Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake
On the video screen, we see footage shot from commissioner Mick Foley’s office from earlier today. We know it was from earlier today because of the helpful “earlier today” label in the corner. The camera is facing Foley, and we can see there’s two men seated across from him, but we can just see their legs.
Foley: So both of you want to work in TNA. I’ll tell you what – right now we’re having qualifying matches for a thing called the Total Elimination Battle Royal. If you guys want to work here, you’ll have to survive through a qualifying match. You think you’re up to it? Good, we’ll get you in right away. Tonight, you, the Ricky Martin look-alike – what’s your name?
???: It’s …
Foley: IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOUR NAME IS! Ha ha, that never gets old. Anyway, tonight you’ll be facing Vampiro. As for you, on Friday you’ll face Norman Smiley in a Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match. Now if either of you lose, you’ll get one last chance to stay in TNA by winning the Battle Royal. Understood? Good, because that is final!
OR: 95
Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.
Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.
Kavovit: Tonight we have a Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match with Vampiro taking on someone who’s trying to get a break here in TNA.
Snake: Vampiro is no pushover, so whoever it is will definitely have their hands full tonight.
Kavovit: Also tonight, Raymond Rougeau will be looking for a little revenge against Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Snake: Chavo defeated Raymond’s brother, Jacques Rougeau Jr., in a Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match last Friday, and then just two days ago he cost Raymond his qualifying match against Scoot Andrews.
Kavovit: And in out main event tonight, Kaientai will be putting their Tag Team titles on the line against Mucho Dinero.
Snake: Mucho Dinero has been on quite a roll in both tag team and singles action, but tonight they face a big test when they face the Tag Team champions for those belts.
Kavovit: But that’s coming up later. Right now, Vampiro is already in the ring, and … is that “La Vida Loca” I hear playing?
The announcers don’t know what the guy’s name is until the ring announcer says it. So we’ve got …
Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Ricky Marvin vs. Vampiro: This is Marvin’s debut, and Vampiro is winless so far in TNA, so the crowd is something less than enthusiastic. In fact, a guy in section 213 can be heard snoring. Vampiro controls his less-experienced opponent for most of the match, as the announcers declare Marvin’s stay in TNA to be a short one. But then Vampiro whips Marvin into the ropes and goes for a dropkick, but Marvin hangs on to the ropes and Vampiro crashes to the mat. Marvin quickly climbs to the top rope as Vampiro gets up. He turns around, right into a Flying Huracanrana! The announcers call it a Ricky Rana, so I’ll go with that. Marvin covers, and gets a quick pinfall! He celebrates his win as Vampiro quickly gets to his feet. He spins Marvin around and delivers Nail In The Coffin! Vampiro delivers a couple of kicks to the kid before walking away in disgust.
Winner: Ricky Marvin
OR: 70
CR: 59
MQ: 81
(Vampiro dropped in over from 76 to 75.)
Chavo Guerrero Jr. comes to the ring and starts talking trash about Raymond Rougeau. He points out that since both of the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers are in the Total Elimination Battle Royal, at least one of them will be totally eliminated from TNA at the pay-per-view. He says that would still leave too many Rougeaus here.
OR: 82
Raymond Rougeau vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.: Raymond looks fired up early on as he completely destroys Chavo. But, sure enough, Chavo cheats to bring the onslaught to a screeching halt. He stays on Rougeau, maintaining the advantage for the rest of the match before locking on The Gory Guerrero Special. Before long, the referee calls for the bell, but Chavo won’t release the hold! Suddenly, Jody Fleisch comes out and hits the ring. Chavo turns and sees him, and his eyes get big. He drops Rougeau, but takes a boot to the stomach and a Phoenix 720 DDT from Fleisch. Fleisch helps Rougeau to the back as Chavo slowly recovers in the ring.
Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr.
OR: 80
CR: 78
MQ: 82
(Chavo Guerrero Jr. gained in over from 78 to 79.)
Mucho Dinero come to the ring, acknowledging their large following in the crowd. They say they’re glad to be getting another shot at the Tag Team titles, and they won’t let all their fans down tonight. That draws a mixed reaction from the crowd – cheers from their fans and boos from all the rest.
OR: 89
NWA Tag Team title match: Kaientai © vs. Mucho Dinero: This great match features lots of high flying and some mat wrestling, a mixture that with these four results in a great match. Neither team can keep the upper hand on the other for much more that two or three minutes until at around the 17-minute mark, when a hot tag to Funaki eventually results in all four men brawling in the ring. EZ Money and TAKA Michinoku tumble out to the floor, and the referee goes out there as well, trying to separate them. Meanwhile, Kid Kash hits the Lottadollas on Funaki and tries to get the pin, but there’s no ref. But here comes A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn! They jump in the ring and attack Kash. Styles climbs to the top rope as Jerry Lynn picks up Kash. Spike Cradle Piledriver! That’s gotta hurt. Styles and Lynn leave as Funaki recovers, never knowing about the outside interference. He picks up Kash and hits a Tornado DDT as the referee finally gets back into the ring. Funaki scores the pin before Money can break it up.
Winner: Kaientai
OR: 89
CR: 86
MQ: 92
(The Tag Team titles have gained in image from 83 to 85.)
OR: 84
Rating: 6.08
Attendance: 10038
Best segment: Mick Foley schedules the next two Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying matches (95)
Worst segment: Ricky Marvin over Vampiro (70)
Best match: Kaientai over Mucho Dinero (89)
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Saturday, February 7, 2004
TNA XHilaration
Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue
Vaughn: Hi, I’m Ahmed Vaughn, and this is XHilaration! My partner this week is Emma Barbecue. How’s it going, Emma?
Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. Tonight we have EZ Money taking on Stingl!
Vaughn: That’s a pretty good main event. Also tonight, Raymond Rougeau will face Scoot Andrews in a qualifying match for the Total Elimination Battle Royal.
Barbecue: Last night, Raymond’s brother, Jacques Rougeau Jr., lost his qualifying match, so he’s already entered into the Battle Royal.
Vaughn: And later on, we’ll hear from Mr. Wrestling once again. But right now, the X champion, Sonny Siaki, is making his way to the ring for our opening match.
Sonny Siaki comes to the ring with Vince Russo. Siaki takes the microphone and the crowd begins to boo.
Siaki: Last night, I saw that Joey Matthews and The Amazing Red made it to the finals of commissioner Mick Foley’s little tournament thingy to find a new challenger for my title, and I have to say I wasn’t very impressed. Do either of you know what it takes to hold this belt? Well, let me give you a little demonstration. Tonight I’m going to be wrestling Brian Lawler. Just to make things interesting, I’m going to put my title on the line. I don’t have to do that, I’m doing it for your benefit. I don’t want people blaming me for whipping your ass at the pay-per-view too easily. So just sit back and watch, and see how a real X division champion is supposed to handle himself.
OR: 82
NWA X title match: Brian Lawler vs. Sonny Siaki © (with Vince Russo): The announcers are stunned by Siaki declaring this match to be a title match, and then they question what Lawler’s done to deserve a title shot. The crowd is into it right off the bat. While they’ve never been behind Lawler much in the past, they just hate Siaki, and especially Russo, so much that they want to see them lose. But that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. Lawler gets in a few good shots, but this one is basically all Siaki. He nails Lawler with the Siakalypse to score the pin.
Winner: Sonny Siaki
OR: 80
CR: 76
MQ: 84
On the video screen, the fans see a highlight package showing Mick Foley’s announcement last night that Raymond Rougeau would be in a qualifying match for the Totla Elimination Battle Royal. Included in the clips are some of Cyrus’ comments about the Rougeaus from last week and footage of Jacques Rougeau Jr.’s loss last night.
OR: 82
Cyrus leads Scoot Andrews to the ring. Cyrus says the only reason commissioner Mick Foley put Andrews into this Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match is because he lost to that goofy cape-wearing Mr. Wrestling on Monday. Cyrus challenges Mr. Wrestling to face a member of The Virus. As for tonight, he says he meant every word he said about the Rougeaus last week, and Jacques Rougeau Jr. only proved him right last night by losing his way into the Battle Royal. Cyrus says Raymond will be joining him in that match.
OR: 92
(Scoot Andrews gained in over from 81 to 82.)
Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Raymond Rougeau vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): Oddly enough, Rougeau controls most of this match, much to Cyrus’ dismay. Rougeau hits a Tiger Bomb, then signals for the Quebec Press. But suddenly the video screen comes to life, and Chavo Guerrero Jr.’s face appears! He says that one Rougeau in the Battle Royal just isn’t enough. Andrews recovers while Rougeau is distracted. Rougeau turns around and walks right into the Forces Of Nature! Andrews gets the pin as Chavo laughs on the video screen.
Winner: Scoot Andrews
OR: 80
CR: 78
MQ: 82
Mr. Wrestling comes to the ring with a microphone. He says he accepts Cyrus’ challenge and says he’d be glad to take on anyone Cyrus has. But tonight his mission to rid the world of cheaters brings him to Sports Entertainment Xtreme. He says Scott Hall used to be a man of fair play, but ever since he went to the dark side and joined SEX, he has committed a lot of cheating, for which he needs to be punished.
OR: 82
Not surprisingly, that brings out Scott Hall and Vince Russo. Russo gets a microphone and starts cracking jokes about Mr. Wrestling’s appearance while Hall laughs and finishes off his drink. Russo says it’s hard for him to imagine someone coming out here in public wearing a cape and mask and having his underwear on the outside can find something about anyone else that deserves to be punished more than that. Hall drains his cup and slides under the bottom rope, and the match is on.
OR: 85
Mr. Wrestling vs. Scott Hall (with Vince Russo): The match starts as a brawl, giving Hall the immediate advantage because that’s about all he can do in a ring. But eventually, Nick Dinsmore … uh, I mean, Mr. Wrestling uses his superior mat wrestling skills to get Hall off his feet. From then on, Mr. Wrestling keeps Hall down for most of the rest of the match. Hall makes a minor comeback, but that only serves to put him in the proper position for Mr. Wrestling to lock on the Crossface. Hall quickly taps out.
Winner: Mr. Wrestling
OR: 83
CR: 82
MQ: 84
On the video screen, we see clips of Sting’s loss to Kid Kash on Monday, and hear EZ Money cutting a promo on Sting. Some really nice work by the production department.
OR: 91
EZ Money comes to the ring, slapping hands with the large contingent of Mucho Dinero fans on one side of the aisle. He gets a microphone and says it has become painfully obvious to everyone that Sting has nothing left but his name. He says it’s hardly worth his time to wrestle Sting, so he plans on finishing off Sting early so he can get home in time to see the stock market weekly wrap-up on television.
OR: 87
Sting vs. EZ Money: Despite EZ Money’s bravado, this one isn’t a short match. I guess he’s going to have to miss his TV show. Well, he’s got lots of money, he probably has TiVo. It falls in line with Sting’s other matches recently, featuring lots of rest holds to help keep Sting fresh. Sting runs through all his moves, but yet once again can not get a pinfall. Money makes his own comeback and hits the Money Clip, and the referee counts to three.
Winner: EZ Money
OR: 86
CR: 89
MQ: 81
(EZ Money gained in over from 84 to 86.)
OR: 84
Rating: 6.51
Attendance: 10018
Best segment: Interview with Cyrus and Scoot Andrews (92)
Worst segment: (tie) Sonny Siaki over Brian Lawler; Scoot Andrews over Raymond Rougeau. (80)
Best match: EZ Money over Sting (86)
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Friday, February 6, 2004
TNA XPlosion
Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams
Morales: Hello, everyone, welcome to XPlosion! I'm Jeff Morales, and joining me this week is Dick Williams.
Williams: Hello, Jeff. Last week, commissioner Mick Foley created a mini-tournament to crown a new No. 1 contender for the X title. The four matches we had last week were scintillating, and tonight’s semifinals should only be better.
Morales: Yeah, tonight’s semifinals feature Syxx-Pac vs. The Amazing Red, and Joey Matthews will be challenging one half of the Tag Team champions, Funaki.
Williams: On Monday, though, Foley announced that this month’s pay-per-view, Total Elimination, will feature a Battle Royal in which every one except the winner will be fired from TNA. Tonight we’ll have another qualifying match, where the loser is forced into the Total Elimination Battle Royal.
Morales: And we haven’t even talked about tonight’s main event! That one will pit Excellence Inc. against Styles and Lynn.
Williams: We’ll talk more about that one throughout the night, but right now Mike Sanders and Joey Matthews are on their way to the ring.
Mike Sanders gets a microphone before joining Joey Matthews in the ring. He says last week’s win over Jushin Liger was no fluke, and tonight Matthews will prove it by beating another Japanese wrestler, Funaki.
OR: 74
Funaki vs. Joey Matthews (with Mike Sanders): The fans have a hard time getting into this match, even though it’s a good one. Funaki controls the action for most of the match until he tries to bounce off the ropes on the wrong side of the ring. Sanders pulls the top rope down, and Funaki spills to the floor. Matthews distracts the referee while Sanders whips Funaki into the steel steps. Sanders rolls Funaki back into the ring. As Funaki struggles to get back on his feet, Mathews climbs to the top rope. He hits a Flying Press, and the referee counts the pin. Sanders gets in the ring, and him and Matthews start putting the boots to Funaki. TAKA Michinoku is out quickly to chase away Matthews and Sanders, saving his partner from what would surely be a brutal beating.
Winner: Joey Matthews
OR: 77
CR: 69
MQ: 86
The cameras cut backstage to commissioner Mick Foley’s office. There’s a knock at the door, and the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers enter.
Raymond: You wanted to see us, Mick?
Foley: Yeah, come on in, both of you. You know, I heard what Cyrus said about you last Saturday, and to a certain extent he’s got a point.
Jacques: What do you mean?
Foley: Well, I think even you’ll have to admit that your time in TNA up to this point hasn’t been very successful.
Raymond: Mick, you know that TNA is the top wrestling promotion in the world. The best and most talented workers are here. We’ve just taken a little longer to adapt than we had anticipated.
Foley: That may be, but you’d better adapt faster. You see, coming up in a little more than three weeks is Total Elimination, where we’re going to have a Total Elimination Battle Royal. I have put both of you in qualifying matches. Jacques, tonight you will face Chavo Guerrero Jr. Raymond, tomorrow you will face another member of Cyrus’ Virus, Scoot Andrews. I hope that you both see just how close you are to being totally eliminated from TNA, and maybe now you’ll start to show me why I brought you here in the first place. And that is final!
OR: 93
The Amazing Red vs. Syxx-Pac: The fans are a little more into this one, but mostly just by chanting “Syxx-Pac suxx,” or something like that. But it’s a very good match, and that helps get them more involved as the end of the bout approaches. Syxx-Pac has done his homework, apparently, as he grabs the ropes to block the Infrared. But a couple of minutes later he falls victim to the Red Star Press. Red will now face Joey Matthews next week for a X title shot.
Winner: The Amazing Red
OR: 79
CR: 71
MQ: 88
Chavo Guerrero Jr. comes to the ring looking quite upset. He gets a microphone and says he can’t believe commissioner Foley thinks Chavo should be in a qualifying match for the Total Elimination Battle Royal. Once again, Chavo takes credit for retiring Ken Shamrock and also points out that he’s undefeated in TNA. He promises that will continue tonight against Jacques Rougeau Jr.
OR: 74
Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Jacques Rougeau Jr. vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.: The announcers joke that the winner gets the rights to the “Jr.” moniker. Ha. The noise from the crowd picks up too, as they find Chavo’s antics in the ring to be quite annoying. Rougeau takes Chavo to the mat early, but before long Chavo uses his superior speed to gain the advantage over his older and slower opponent. Eventually, Chavo applies The Gory Guerrero Special. Jacques holds out briefly, but eventually submits. Chavo won’t release the hold, and the referee threatens to reverse his decision and disqualify Chavo. But Raymond Rougeau comes running in, so Chavo drops Jacques and leaves before Raymond can get a hand on him. Raymond checks on his brother, and much finger-pointing is exchanged between Raymond and Chavo.
Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr.
OR: 80
CR: 78
MQ: 83
(Chavo Guerrero Jr. gained in over from 76 to 78.)
Donovan Morgan is backstage, saying that it’s about time Excellence Inc. got a shot at the Tag Team titles. He says tonight they’re going to show everyone they’re one of the elite teams in all of wrestling when they beat Styles and Lynn tonight. Michael Modest appears and says everything’s ready. Morgan nods, and they walk off as the announcers wonder what Modest was talking about.
OR: 85
Meanwhile, Styles and Lynn are already in the ring, and Ron Killings has a microphone. Guess what – he thinks HIS team deserves a Tag Team title shot.
OR: 89
Styles and Lynn (with Ron Killings) vs. Excellence Inc.: Both teams prove they deserve a Tag Team title shot in this match, which many observers say is the best match they’ve ever seen. Interesting reaction from the crowd – most cheer Styles and Lynn, but the well-dressed Mucho Dinero fans boo them. Either that, or else they’re disappointed Mucho Dinero isn’t wrestling tonight. Great back-and-forth action as both teams seem content to put on one of the finest displays of tag-team mat wrestling ever. But eventually Jerry Lynn seems to have taken command of Donovan Morgan, and signals for the Cradle Piledriver. Michael Modest drops off the ring apron, runs around the ring, and starts brawling with A.J. Styles on the floor! While the referee attends to that, Mucho Dinero runs in from the back with chairs. Chair shot to Lynn! Killings gets up on the apron, but he too takes a chair shot to the head. EZ Money and Kid Kash quickly leave as the referee turns around, only to see Lynn laid out and Morgan getting back on his feet. Morgan picks up Lynn and busts out the Helicopter Bomb! The pinfall is academic then. Mucho Dinero get back in the ring and continue to work over Lynn. Styles gets in the ring, but Lynn’s not able to help, and the numbers game overwhelms him as well. After a couple of minutes, Money and Kash decide they’ve done enough damage and finally leave.
Winner: Excellence Inc.
OR: 90
CR: 84
MQ: 96
OR: 83
Rating: 6.91
Attendance: 10009
Best segment: Mick Foley books the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers in Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying matches (93)
Worst segment: (tie) Interview with Mike Sanders and Joey Matthews; Interview with Chavo Guerrero Jr. (74)
Best match: Excellence Inc. over Styles and Lynn (90)
-
Monday, February 2, 2004
TNA XCitement
Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake
The show begins in commissioner Mick Foley’s office, where he’s busy working at his desk when Shane Douglas barges in.
Douglas: Dammit, Foley, what kind of organization are you running? You let someone like New Jack bring in anyone they want to? He springs this new guy, uh, Tokyo Honda, on me in a tag match last Saturday, and what do you do about it? Nothing!
Foley: Now calm down, Shane. Tomoaki Honma is a well-respected wrestler in Japan, and bringing him here to TNA was quite an accomplishment. Besides, he pinned your ass!
Douglas: Look, I don’t care! He doesn’t deserve to be here, and …
Foley: Wait a minute, Shane. Let’s talk about who deserves to be in TNA and who doesn’t. In fact, that’s what I was working on when you stormed into my office. You see, in a less than four weeks we’ve got a pay-per-view event called Total Elimination. I figured that we can’t have an event named that without putting some meaning behind it. So what we’re going to have is a Total Elimination Battle Royal. Over the next ten shows, we’ll have a qualifying match. Those who lose the qualifying matches will be entered into the Battle Royal, and those who are eliminated during the Battle Royal will be Totally Eliminated. So, Shane, since you don’t think Tomoaki Honma deserves to be here in TNA, tonight’s first qualifying match for the Total Elimination Battle Royal will be Honma vs. you.
Douglas: Me? Do you realize New Jack could interfere and cause me to lose, putting my career here in jeopardy?
Foley: Oh, yeah, I realize that. Now if you think you deserve to be in TNA more than Honma, why don’t you go to the ring right now and prove it?
Douglas looks upset as he turns and leaves Foley’s office.
OR: 93
Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.
Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.
Kavovit: What a shocking announcement from the commissioner’s office! A Total Elimination Battle Royal will take place, and tonight the qualifying matches begin with Shane Douglas taking on Tomoaki Honma.
Snake: And that’s not even our main event! Sting is here, and he’ll be taking on Kid Kash.
Kavovit: Mr. Wrestling will be out in a little while, but right now Shane Douglas is already making his way to the ring, so let’s go there now!
Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Tomoaki Honma (with New Jack) vs. Shane Douglas: This one’s a little more evenly matched than last Saturday’s tag match involving these men. Douglas cheats a lot, but Honma manages to fight back, causing Douglas to drop to his knees, apologizing and begging for mercy. Honma will have none of that, and he starts pummeling Douglas with punches. Honma hits the Roaring Elbow and gets the pin. Douglas becomes the first entrant in the Total Elimination Battle Royal.
Winner: Tomoaki Honma
OR: 76
CR: 71
MQ: 81
(Tomoaki Honma gained in over from 72 to 73.)
Mr. Wrestling comes to the ring and gets the microphone from the ring announcer.
Wrestling: As you all know, it is my quest to end all cheating from TNA. And after watching XHilaration last Saturday, I’ve reached the conclusion that some of the biggest cheaters in TNA are currently working for Cyrus. So right now I challenge anyone working for Cyrus to come out and face their destiny.
Cyrus’ music plays, and he steps through the curtain along with Scoot Andrews.
Cyrus: What ever made you think that any member of The Virus cheats? I can’t recall us ever being disqualified for cheating, and the referees here in TNA are good enough that they’d catch any cheating that occurred. But, if you insist on wrestling one of my boys, Scoot Andrews here is more than willing to get in the ring and give you a wrestling lesson.
OR: 84
Mr. Wrestling vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): surprisingly enough, Andrews wrestles pretty cleanly, and it’s a very good match for the first five minutes. Then Cyrus trips up Mr. Wrestling, and Andrews pounces to grab the upper hand. Andrews dominates for the next four minutes, but the fans slowly rally behind Mr. Wrestling and giving him the spark of energy he needs to make a comeback. He regains control, and soon thereafter locks on the Crossface, and Andrews taps out.
Winner: Mr. Wrestling
OR: 82
CR: 76
MQ: 89
Kid Kash comes to the ring with a microphone as the announcers point out that nearly a quarter of the fans here tonight are cheering him, and many of those are dressed up in suits and neckties. Kash says that tonight he will be facing the biggest challenge he’s ever had as a singles wrestler, and he’s glad that so many Mucho Dinero fans showed up tonight to cheer him on as he faces Sting. A real good interview, much less heelish than usual for Kash.
OR: 90
Sting vs. Kid Kash: With all the Mucho Dinero fans, as well as the usual Sting love-fest, the crowd was really into this match. It quickly degenerates to the usual Sting match, with a flurry of Sting offense followed by rest holds. The action eventually picks up again with Sting making his patented comeback, but Kash puts a quick end to that. He whips Sting into the ropes, and goes old school, hitting his old ECW finisher, the Bawitaba. The announcers call it the Lottadollas. Well, sounds about the same and fits his current gimmick better, so I’ll go with it. Kash scores the pin off the Lottadollas.
Winner: Kid Kash
OR: 87
CR: 90
MQ: 83
(Kid Kash gained in over from 86 to 88.)
OR: 84
Rating: 5.83
Attendance: 10016
Best segment: Interview with Kid Kash (90)
Worst segment: Tomoaki Honma over Shane Douglas (76)
Best match: Kid Kash over Sting (87)
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Sunday, February 1, 2004
In personnel moves, Bas Rutten was promoted from a Lower Midcarder to a Midcarder. The program we had planned for him and Ken Shamrock was totally scrapped when Shamrock announced his retirement. However, we thought that Rutten shouldn’t be punished for Shamrock’s decision, so we gave him the promotion he deserved.
As mentioned, Ken Shamrock is now retired, but he wasn’t the only one retiring from TNA this month. One of our writers, Trina Andersson, also retired. We have hired Luigi Berkley to replace her.
Also this month, Steven Richards’ contract ran out, and we have decided not to renew it. Like most of the wrestlers who have recently left us, he has signed with Danger And Violence Extreme. Someone who didn’t sign with DAVE was Crash Holly. Our doctors re-evaluated him and have decided that even when he does return from his injury, he won’t be able to compete at the same level as he had prior to his accident.
Here’s what our active roster looks like today (faces in blue, heels in red, tweeners in black, all followed by their current over):
MAIN EVENT
Sting (94)
UPPER MIDCARD
none
MIDCARDERS
Jody Fleisch (89)
TAKA Michinoku (89)
Jeff Jarrett (86)
Raymond Rougeau (86)
A.J. Styles (85)
Jerry Lynn (85)
Jacques Rougeau Jr. (84)
Super Crazy (84)
Big Vito (83)
Masato Tanaka (83)
D'Lo Brown (82)
Ultimo Dragon (82)
Mr. Wrestling (81)
Psychosis (81)
Funaki (75)
Jushin Liger (74)
The Amazing Red (74)
Tomoaki Honma (72)
Yuji Nagata (72)
Norman Smiley (70)
Kid Kash (86)
EZ Money (84)
Brian Lawler (71)
Low-Ki (92)
Bill Goldberg (91)
Scott Hall (88)
Donovan Morgan (87)
Sonny Siaki (87)
Charlie Haas (84)
Simon Diamond (84)
Jun Akiyama (82)
Scoot Andrews (81)
Shane Douglas (81)
Johnny Smith (78)
Michael Modest (78)
Chavo Guerrero Jr. (76)
Christopher Nowinski (76)
Devon Storm (76)
Vampiro (76)
Alex Wright (75)
Syxx-Pac (75)
Bas Rutten (73)
Joey Matthews (72)
Mr. Aguila (70)
LOWER MIDCARDERS
none
OPENERS
none
JOBBERS
none
MANAGERS
Ron Killings (95)
Alicia Shamrock (93)
New Jack (93)
Steve Corino (92)
Cyrus (92)
Vince Russo (91)
Mike Sanders (73)
NON-WRESTLERS
Mick Foley (96)
TAG TEAMS {members} (experience)
Fabulous Rougeau Brothers {Jacques Rougeau Jr. & Raymond Rougeau} (98)
Kaientai {TAKA Michinoku & Funaki} (64)
Excellence Inc. {Michael Modest & Donovan Morgan} (48)
Brothers In Paint {Sting & Vampiro} (30)
Styles and Lynn {A.J. Styles & Jerry Lynn} (26)
Mucho Dinero {EZ Money & Kid Kash} (8)
TITLES (image) {current holder}
NWA World (91) {Low-Ki}
NWA X (87) {Sonny Siaki}
NWA Tag Team (83) {Kaientai}
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Saturday, January 31, 2004
TNA XHilaration
Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue
The show begins backstage, where we see Ken and Alicia Shamrock still saying their goodbyes to other wrestlers. This time, the group we see them with includes Jeff Jarrett, Sting, and commissioner Mick Foley.
OR: 92
Vaughn: Hi, I’m Ahmed Vaughn, and this is XHilaration! My partner this week is Emma Barbecue. How’s it going, Emma?
Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. Tonight we have D’Lo Brown taking on Scott Hall!
Vaughn: That’s a pretty good main event. Also tonight, the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers will take on Johnny Smith and Jun Akiyama.
Barbecue: And last week, New Jack promised us we’d see a new Hardcore Japanese team.
Vaughn: That’s our opener, as we see Shane Douglas and Christopher Nowinski already in the ring. That’s New Jack’s music, so he must be on his way out right now.
New Jack comes out with a microphone and Masato Tanaka. He says his new find will team up with Tanaka to form the most hardcore team of Japanese wrestlers to ever appear in this country. With that, he introduces Tomoaki Honma to the crowd. They cheered politely, but somewhat less than enthusiastically. I guess they’re willing to give New Jack the benefit of a doubt, but they want to see him in action for themselves before they’re willing to make any judgments about Honma.
OR: 86
The Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. Shane Douglas & Christopher Nowinski: As expected, this one’s basically a showcase to introduce Tomoaki Honma to the TNA fans. He delivers some impressive power moves on both Douglas and Nowinski and shows some nice teamwork with Masato Tanaka. Honma delivers a Roaring Elbow of his own on Douglas to get the pin.
Winner: The Hardcore Japanese
OR: 77
CR: 72
MQ: 82
Chavo Guerrero Jr. comes to the ring and gets a microphone as the announcers wonder what he’s doing out here.
Guerrero: Last week, I beat Ken Shamrock to send his old ass to the retirement home. Ever since then, it seems all I see on TNA programs is Shamrock saying goodbye to everyone in the back. Well, I’m sick and tired of it. You lost, Ken! You said it yourself, if you lost you’d retire. Now it’s time for you to live up to your word. Go home and sit in the rocking chair.
Ken Shamrock’s music plays, and he comes to ringside with Alicia Shamrock and Jody Fleisch.
Ken: I said if I lost I’d retire, but I’ll do it under my own terms.
Guerrero: What are you talking about? You lost, so you’re retired. Your time has past, Shamrock, and it’s time for you to leave.
Alicia: What my husband is saying, Chavo, is that he will retire after tonight. However, he wants to have one last match for all these fans at the TNA Asylum who have supported him all these years. It’s not going to be the kind of match he had with you last week, Chavo. It will be a clean match that he can be proud of, and it will be against someone he has a lot of respect for. Tonight, Ken Shamrock will wrestle his last match, and it will be against his friend, Jody Fleisch!
Chavo fumes in the ring as Ken Shamrock and Fleisch high five and then shake hands with a few fans at ringside before returning back to the locker room area.
OR: 77
Cyrus leads Johnny Smith and Jun Akiyama to the ring. He says the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers have looked quite a bit less than fabulous ever since coming to TNA. Cyrus says he’s decided that calling them “fabulous” must be sarcastic, as everyone backstage laughs at them when they’re introduced like that. He says tonight the joke’s on them, and the only ones laughing tonight after their match will be Johnny Smith and Jun Akiyama.
OR: 92
(Jun Akiyama gained in over from 81 to 82.)
Fabulous Rougeau Brothers vs. Johnny Smith & Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): The Rougeaus seem determined on proving themselves tonight, and actually have a decent match for a change. The crowd is pretty strongly behind them. The match is fairly even, until some miscommunication causes Smith and Akiyama to collide. Jacques Rougeau Jr. tags in Raymond Rougeau, and he cleans house on the still-groggy members of Cyrus’ Virus. He knocks Akiyama to the floor, then hits the Quebec Press on Smith to get the pin.
Winner: Fabulous Rougeau Brothers
OR: 82
CR: 80
MQ: 84
Backstage, Scott Hall and Vince Russo are discussing what they’re going to do to D’Lo Brown. Hall finished his cup of … whatever he’s drinking tonight, and says that he’ll finish off D’Lo with no problems.
OR: 83
D’Lo Brown comes to the ring and gets the microphone. The then proceeds to cut a very poor promo on Scott Hall. What’s up with that? He calls Hall an alcoholic – that’s nothing new. I guess after that I’m supposed to want to see them fight.
OR: 73
D’Lo Brown vs. Scott Hall (with Vince Russo): Russo frequently assists Hall, which helps him get the advantage. However, D’Lo won’t be denied, and he manages to get control back from Hall. Brown floors Hall with a lariat, and then climbs to the top rope. He hits the Lo Down to score the victory.
Winner: D’Lo Brown
OR: 83
CR: 82
MQ: 84
Alicia Shamrock comes out before the next match to serve as the special ring announcer for the main event. She introduces Jody Fleisch, who comes out and shakes her hand, and then she introduces her husband, Ken Shamrock, once again stating that this is his last match. Alicia then takes a seat at ringside.
OR: 94
(Alicia Shamrock gained in over from 92 to 93.)
Jody Fleisch vs. Ken Shamrock: The fans seem to have a hard time getting into this match. I think they’re skeptical about Shamrock’s retirement, since we’ve all seen how many times wrestlers retire and then unretire. In fact, I guess you could say Shamrock came out of retirement for this match. But it’s a great match, as Shamrock puts on one last display of the technical ability that made him a World champion, but Fleisch also shows his dazzling array of high-flying moves that he used to win the X title several months ago. They go on for almost 25 minutes until Chavo Guerrero Jr. runs in and attacks Shamrock, drawing several boos from the crowd who was enjoying this great match. The referee calls for a disqualification, awarding the match to Shamrock. Fleisch spins Chavo around and hits the Phoenix 720 DDT! He helps Shamrock to their feet and they celebrate over the fallen Guerrero.
Winner: Ken Shamrock by disqualification
OR: 86
CR: 81
MQ: 92
OR: 84
Rating: 6.44
Attendance: 10037
Best segment: Alicia Shamrock introduces Ken Shamrock and Jody Fleisch (94)
Worst segment: Interview with D’Lo Brown (73)
Best match: Ken Shamrock over Jody Fleisch (86)
-
Friday, January 30, 2004
A.J. Styles showed up this afternoon complaining about a hand injury as a result of a basketball game yesterday. The medics looked it over and decided it wasn’t anything serious, but said he shouldn’t compete for the next couple of days and give it a chance to heal up. He wasn’t supposed to be in the mini-tournament anyway, but we did have him scheduled in a match tomorrow. I guess we’ll hold it off until Monday.
TNA XPlosion
Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams
The show starts in the locker room, where we see Ken and Alicia Shamrock saying goodbye to several wrestlers, including Ron Killings, Jerry Lynn, D’Lo Brown, and Jody Fleisch.
OR: 79
Morales: Hello, everyone, welcome to XPlosion! I'm Jeff Morales, and joining me this week is Dick Williams.
Williams: Hello, Jeff. As we just saw, Ken Shamrock is in the building tonight, bidding farewell to his now-former coworkers. Last Saturday he lost a retirement match, and as a result Ken’s having to hang up his wrestling gear for the last time.
Morales: But that only adds to what we’ve got in the ring tonight. Monday, commissioner Mick Foley announced that he was having a mini-tournament to determine a new No. 1 contender for the X title, and the only people eligible were those who weren’t in the first X tournament several months ago.
Williams: I haven’t seen the pairings, so we don’t know who will be facing who tonight. However, I have talked with several wrestlers, and I know some of the people involved tonight are Funaki, Devon Storm, Yuji Nagata, Mr. Aguila, and Jushin Liger.
Morales: Well, I can tell you what our first matchup is, as Mr. Aguila is already in the ring, and here comes one half of the Tag Team champions, Funaki!
Funaki vs. Mr. Aguila: This wasn’t the ideal start to the tournament, considering one guy is currently a champion and the other lost his only other match in TNA (although it was to Jody Fleisch – no shame in that). The match is good, but really never seemed to get in the groove, and the fans were more interested in batting around a beach ball than watching the match before security confiscated it. Funaki hits the Tornado DDT to score the pinfall and advance to the semifinals.
Winner: Funaki
OR: 77
CR: 70
MQ: 85
Steve Corino comes to the ring with Jushin Liger. Corino says he doesn’t know who Liger is facing tonight, but he does know that Liger can handle whoever his opponent is.
OR: 88
Some strange music sounds, and Mike Sanders steps through the curtain! The silence is deafening, as three crickets are heard in the background.
Sanders: Now I know what some of you are thinking, and let me tell you that I’m not here to wrestle Jushin Liger. If I were, I would beat his ass from pillar to post. No, I’m here to say that I’m back in TNA, and I’ve brought someone with me. He’s the guy who’s going to beat Jushin Liger on his way to earning the X title shot at Total Elimination. He is Joey Matthews!
OR: 73
Jushin Liger (with Steve Corino) vs. Joey Matthews (with Mike Sanders): The sound you hear isn’t the crowd cheering or booing, it’s the sound of toilets flushing in every public restroom of the TNA Asylum. Matthews didn’t achieve much in the few weeks he was in TNA the first time, and Sanders was equally unsuccessful his first time through. Liger and Matthews put on a good match, but nothing outstanding given that this is supposedly leading up to an X title shot. Sanders trips up Liger to give Matthews the advantage. He’s able to maintain that advantage, hitting a Flying Press to score an upset victory and advance on in the tournament.
Winner: Joey Matthews
OR: 76
CR: 66
MQ: 86
Backstage, we once again see Alicia and Ken Shamrock hugging and shaking hands with some wrestlers, including TAKA Michinoku, Funaki, Mr. Wrestling, New Jack, and Masato Tanaka.
OR: 85
Devon Storm is already in the ring as Mick Foley comes out before the next match. He says that Joey Matthews and Mike Sanders are back in TNA for good, as well as two more wrestlers who are returning after a long time away. Storm’s opponent in this next match is a man who’s been gone for nearly a year. The music plays, and The Amazing Red bounds through the curtain! The fans cheer Red’s return as Foley leaves the ring.
OR: 85
The Amazing Red vs. Devon Storm: Unfortunately, the noise dies down as soon as the match begins. They don’t know what to expect from Red, but Storm is a known quantity. Red looks sharp, keeping the larger Storm off balance. You know, it’s not very often Devon Storm has this kind of size advantage on anyone, but he’s unable to capitalize on that thanks to Red’s quickness. In the end, Red leaps off the top rope and hits the Infrared to get the win.
Winner: The Amazing Red
OR: 79
CR: 72
MQ: 86
The camera cuts backstage, where the Shamrocks are still saying their goodbyes. Among those seen this time are Steve Corino, Psychosis, Super Crazy, Ultimo Dragon, Jushin Liger, and a still heavy-breathing Amazing Red.
OR: 82
Yuji Nagata vs. Syxx-Pac: Syxx-Pac returns to TNA after more than a year away from the company, even before I arrived. The fans seem like they could care less whether or not he’s back. Either that or else they strongly suspect Nagata’s one-match-long winning streak will come to an end. If so, they’re right as Syxx-Pac ends a surprisingly dull opening round to the mini-tournament when he gets the pinfall on Nagata following a X-Factor.
Winner: Syxx-Pac
OR: 77
CR: 70
MQ: 85
OR: 79
Rating: 6.91
Attendance: 10047
Best segment: Interview with Steve Corino and Jushin Liger (88)
Worst segment: Mike Sanders returns, introduces Joey Matthews (73)
Best match: The Amazing Red over Devon Storm (79)
-
I haven't been around here for a while, but I think thats gonna change now that I see that one of my favorite diaries ever has returned. Can't wait for you to catch up and keep this going.
Good to have you back!
-
Monday, January 26, 2004
TNA XCitement
Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake
Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.
Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.
Kavovit: What an exciting pay-per-view we had last night! Low-Ki, Sonny Siaki, and Kaientai all successfully retained their titles in some great matches.
Snake: I was there, you don’t need to tell me. But tonight’s main event features someone who wasn’t at Super Bowl Party ’04, Bill Goldberg.
Kavovit: Goldberg will be taking on Norman Smiley. Also tonight, Chavo Guerrero Jr. is back after scoring an upset victory over Ken Shamrock two nights ago to send the former world champion into retirement.
Snake: Chavo will be facing Big Vito, and also commissioner Mick Foley will be out with an announcement in a little bit. But tonight we start off with tag team action, featuring Steve Corino’s team of Super Crazy and Ultimo Dragon.
Steve Corino comes to the ring with a microphone, and he’s flanked by Ultimo Dragon and Super Crazy. He admits that Jushin Liger and Psychosis lost their Tag Team title match last night, but then says Kaientai is a good team and he’s sure he’ll get another chance with either Psychosis and Liger or Dragon and Crazy. He says tonight Dragon and Crazy start on their way to a title shot.
OR: 84
Super Crazy & Ultimo Dragon (with Steve Corino) vs. Alex Wright & Steven Richards: A good match, thanks mostly to Dragon and Crazy. The fans smell squash, and that’s exactly what they get. Dragon locks the Dragon Sleeper on Richards, and he soon taps out.
Winner: Super Crazy & Ultimo Dragon
OR: 78
CR: 71
MQ: 85
Chavo Guerrero Jr. comes out next with a microphone, bragging about retiring Ken Shamrock. He says this is just the beginning, and he’s ready to make a big impact in TNA, starting with Big Vito.
OR: 85
Big Vito vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.: The crowd was a little more involved in this match. Chavo got them stirred up during his interview, and they were hoping to see him take a beating. But instead it is Vito who receives a beating, courtesy of Chavo. Chavo cheats on several occasions behind the referee’s back, which helps him keep the upper hand. Finally, Chavo hits a Brainbuster to score the pinfall.
Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr.
OR: 78
CR: 74
MQ: 83
Mick Foley comes to the ring, which draws a pretty good pop from the crowd.
Foley: It’s good to be back here in the TNA Asylum! Last night, Sonny Siaki defeated Jody Fleisch to keep the X title, and I got to thinking about who would challenge Siaki next. Siaki held the X title for a long time, and he already holds victories over nearly every long-time X division wrestler. As you may recall, I had a tournament several months ago to crown a top contender for the X title. Fleisch won that, and he’s had a couple of chances at the belt on pay-per-views without any success. So what I’ve decided to do is to hold a mini-tournament to crown a new top contender for Total Elimination. But this tournament is only open to those wrestlers who didn’t compete in the first tournament. We’ve had a few newcomers arrive since then, and I’ve had a few phone calls from former TNA wrestlers who’d like to come back here. Starting this Friday on XPlosion, eight wrestlers who haven’t had a chance to get a X title shot will fight for the right to take on Sonny Siaki. And that is final!
OR: 87
Norman Smiley vs. Bill Goldberg (with Cyrus): Goldberg’s appearance elicits a few boos from the crowd, but then Smiley doesn’t seem like much competition to them, so they’re still pretty quiet. Goldberg hits a powerslam, and Smiley writhes on the mat in pain. The announcers call that a “Little Wiggle.” Goldberg hits the Spear for the first time in ages, it seems, and follows that up with a Jackhammer to get the pin.
Winner: Bill Goldberg
OR: 77
CR: 78
MQ: 78
OR: 80
Rating: 5.89
Attendance: 10034
Best segment: Mick Foley announces X division mini-tournament (87)
Worst segment: Bill Goldberg over Norman Smiley (77)
Best match: (tie) Super Crazy & Ultimo Dragon over Alex Wright & Steven Richards; Chavo Guerrero Jr. over Big Vito (78)
-
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Yesterday was another one of “those days.” Hopefully tonight won’t make it two in a row.
Before the show begins, commissioner Mick Foley comes to the ring. He welcomes everyone to the show, and then he points out that representatives from the two Super Bowl participants are in attendance tonight. He points out the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers and NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles sitting in the front row. Foley says that in honor of them making it to the Super Bowl, next month’s pay-per-view, Total Elimination, will take place in State College, Pennsylvania! He can say that all he wants, that’s been scheduled for months. He notes the only thing between then is an empty seat, so he introduces the winner of TNA Magazine’s trivia contest, Coqui, and tells him to sit in the chair between Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and Steelers linebacker Kendrell Bell. Coqui takes a seat and looks nervous as Foley instructs him to make sure there’s no hostilities between the two teams.
OR: 87
TNA Super Bowl Party ‘04
Hosts: Jeff Morales and Bart Snake
Morales: Hello, TNA fans, we’re live from the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas, and this is Super Bowl Party ‘04! I’m Jeff Morales, and with me tonight is Bart Snake. Bart, it’s good to see you.
Snake: I'm glad to be working with you, Jeff. I can’t wait for tonight’s show!
Morales: Our main event tonight features Jeff Jarrett challenging Low-Ki for the World title.
Snake: Low-Ki has been as active in TNA than any World champion since Jeff Jarrett, but he’s been laying low after Jarrett attacked him after his title match with Sting a couple of weeks ago. But he returned Friday to attack Jarrett from behind. What will happen tonight?
Morales: Also, Jody will get a shot at the X title when he faces Sonny Siaki.
Snake: Two more members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, Charlie Haas and Scott Hall, lost their shot at the Tag Team titles last Friday, so tonight it will be Jushin Liger and Psychosis taking on Kaientai for the belts.
Morales: Another interesting tag match tonight will see Styles and Lynn facing Mucho Dinero. These two teams have had a nice little rivalry going for the last few weeks, and tonight they’ll finally get their hands on each other in a tag match.
Snake: Another rivalry that has been going on a lot longer is D’Lo Brown and Simon Diamond. In recent weeks, Diamond seems to have gone on to other things, but tonight his attention better be on D’Lo, or else he could go home with a loss.
Morales: But our opening match tonight will be Mr. Wrestling squaring off with Michael Modest. Modest claims that Mr. Wrestling is actually Nick Dinsmore, whom he beat senseless with a baseball bat several weeks ago. Mr. Wrestling claims he’s trying to get rid of cheaters, and he’s starting with Modest.
Snake: Modest is already in the ring, and that music must belong to Mr. Wrestling, who is making his debut here tonight …
Morales: Unless you believe it’s Nick Dinsmore.
Mr. Wrestling vs. Michael Modest: Modest points out that Mr. Wrestling is wearing the same trunks Nick Dinsmore wore last month at Holiday Hell, complete with the interlocking “ND” logo. The crowd doesn’t really get into this match, which sees Modest intentionally do a lot of cheating just to get Mr. Wrestling riled up. The referee somehow misses all of it, or else he deems it not serious enough to call for a disqualification. A couple of times, when Modest is solidly in control, he tries to unmask Mr. Wrestling, shouting that he’s going to prove it’s Nick Dinsmore. But on the second try, Mr. Wrestling grabs Modest’s arm and turns it into a Crossface! Modest yells as Mr. Wrestling cranks on Modest’s neck a couple of times, but soon Modest has no choice but to tap out.
Winner: Mr. Wrestling
OR: 80
CR: 75
MQ: 85
NWA Tag Team title match: Kaientai © vs. Jushin Liger & Psychosis (with Steve Corino): All five, including Corino, shake hands before the start of the match as the announcers hype that this will be a clean match, unlike the one we just saw. Not only is it clean, but it’s a great match! We get the usual move-countermove-countermove-stalemate sequence that draws some applause from the appreciative crowd. All four are in excellent condition, and they are able to make frequent tags to their partners to keep the pace up for an action-packed 18 minutes that sees both teams in command at various times. At that time, all four men are in the ring, and take turns applying their finishing moves on each other. The last one, though, happens when Funaki hits a Tornado DDT on Liger with TAKA Michinoku and Psychosis on the floor. Funaki covers and gets the pin.
Winner: Kaientai
OR: 85
CR: 78
MQ: 92
(The NWA Tag Team titles have gained in image from 81 to 83.)
While the crowd tries to catch their breath after that match, the cameras cut backstage where Ron Killings is standing by with Styles and Lynn. He says Mucho Dinero has been a thorn in their sides ever since they met in the Tag Team tournament, and tonight they’re going to beat them just like they did in that tournament.
OR: 93
(Jerry Lynn gained in over from 84 to 85. A.J. Styles gained in over from 84 to 85.)
D’Lo Brown vs. Simon Diamond: The fans have caught their breath, I guess, as they’re as loud as they’ve been all night for this match. This one’s quite a bit slower paced than the Tag Team title match, but it’s still very good. Diamond uses his wrestling technique to keep the more powerful D’Lo on his back early on, but the fans are swift to get behind D’Lo. I guess they’re down with the Brown. D’Lo comes back with a Spinebuster, then hits a Sky High. Diamond looks as vulnerable as ever tonight, and suffers his first loss in singles action after D’Lo lands the Lo Down to get the pin.
Winner: D’Lo Brown
OR: 88
CR: 89
MQ: 87
(D’Lo Brown gained in over from 80 to 82. Simon Diamond dropped in over from 87 to 85.)
Styles and Lynn (with Ron Killings) vs. Mucho Dinero: The fans were able to continue to keep up the volume through this match as well, which was a great match. More back-and-forth action kept the crowd guessing who would win. Most backed Styles and Lynn, but there were at least 1,500 Mucho Dinero fans in attendance as well, judging by the large suit and tie-wearing contingent. Again, all four end up brawling in the ring, until Styles clotheslines Kid Kash, sending both over the top rope and to the floor. Killings checks on Styles, but Kash is the first one up. He gets a chair and the referee warns him not to hit Styles, so he nails Killings instead. The ref gets out of the ring to check on Styles and Killings, and Kash gets in the ring with the chair. EZ Money whips Lynn towards Kash, who nails him with the chair. Money then picks up Lynn and delivers The Money Clip right on the chair. He pushes the chair out of the ring while Kash gets the referee’s attention back on the action in the ring. He slides in as Money makes the cover on Lynn and counts the pinfall without ever seeing the chair used on Lynn.
Winner: Mucho Dinero
OR: 91
CR: 89
MQ: 93
Backstage, Low-Ki says Jeff Jarrett should know what he was talking about last Friday. He says Jarrett accused Low-Ki of hiding from him, but Low-Ki asks where Jarrett was in the months prior to Holiday Hell. While Low-Ki was winning and defending the World title, Jarrett was nowhere to be found. Low-Ki says after tonight, Jarrett will go running back into hiding with his tail between his legs.
OR: 81
NWA X title: Jody Fleisch (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Sonny Siaki © (with Vince Russo): Yet another great match, and the crowd is involved as well, but just not quite as much as before. Hopefully they’re saving something for the main event. Incredible high-flying action, but both men know each other so well that they’re seemingly having to invent new moves and countermoves on the fly to combat each other. Fleisch somehow even has found a counter for the Siakalypse, which the announcers point out. Of course, moments later Siaki escapes a Phoenix 720 DDT as well. What goes around comes around, I guess. Russo reminds Siaki that he’s got a move Fleisch has never felt, so Siaki delivers it. Fleisch has no counter for the dreaded Sonny Side Up, and Siaki scores the relatively easy pinfall off it.
Winner: Sonny Siaki
OR: 88
CR: 86
MQ: 91
NWA World title match: Jeff Jarrett vs. Low-Ki ©: Jarrett puts on his best performance in a long time, but probably a lot of that was because of who he was in the ring with, as Low-Ki pulls a very good match out of him. Jarrett hits all of his moves, even the Superplex and the Stroke, yet somehow Low-Ki manages to kick out each and every single time. Jarrett decides to go old school, and applies the Figure Four Leglock. On two occasions Low-Ki seems to have passed out and the referee starts to count his shoulders down, only to kick out at two. But Low-Ki manages to roll Jarrett over to reverse the pressure. The announcers attribute Low-Ki’s ability to withstand that hold to his extensive martial arts background. Both men walk with a limp after their extended time in the Figure Four, but Low-Ki recovers quick enough to hit Jarrett with the Ki-Krusher to successfully retain his title.
Winner: Low-Ki
OR: 87
CR: 88
MQ: 88
OR: 86
Buy rate: 1.94
Attendance: 20437
Best segment: Interview with Ron Killings and Styles and Lynn (93)
Worst segment: Mr. Wrestling over Michael Modest (80)
Best match: Mucho Dinero over Styles and Lynn (91)
-
Saturday, January 24, 2004
TNA XHilaration
Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue
Vaughn: Hi, I’m Ahmed Vaughn, and this is XHilaration! My partner this week is Emma Barbecue. How’s it going, Emma?
Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. Tonight we have Michael Modest and Masato Tanaka in action!
Vaughn: Tanaka is making his return to TNA tonight after spending a few weeks touring his native Japan. He’ll be facing Devon Storm, and Michael Modest will be facing Yuji Nagata.
Barbecue: Also tonight, Steven Richards has challenged Jacques Rougeau Jr. to a match.
Vaughn: That’s coming up in a little while, but right now Michael Modest is on his way to the ring.
Michael Modest snatches the microphone from the ring announcer and starts by congratulating his partner, Donovan Morgan, or beating Sting last night. He says that was the most excellent match he’s ever seen. I don’t know what match he was watching, the crowd response made the match better than it really was. Anyway, Modest says that Morgan’s win inspired him, and tonight he’s going to beat Yuji Nagata just as bad as Morgan beat Sting last night.
OR: 79
Yuji Nagata vs. Michael Modest: Unlike Donovan Morgan’s match last night, Modest pretty much controls Nagata. Mostly, he does this with some timely cheating that the referee doesn’t catch. Nagata tries to reverse an Irish whip, but Modest reverses that, and the referee is caught in the wrong place. He collides with Nagata and collapses to the mat. Modest takes advantage of the referee being knocked out and delivers a Low Blow to Nagata. He then retrieves a chair from ringside and blasts Nagata across the back twice before throwing the chair to the floor. Modest covers Nagata, but the referee is still out. Suddenly, the masked man with the cape returns! He picks up the chair and gets in the ring. Modest stands, but takes a chairshot to the head! The caped crusader drags Nagata on top of Modest and leaves as the ref starts to come to. The referee counts the pinfall, and Nagata collects his first win in TNA.
Winner: Yuji Nagata
OR: 70
CR: 72
MQ: 85
(Michael Modest dropped in over from 79 to 78.)
The announcers call the masked man over to their desk.
Vaughn: First of all, tell us about yourself and what your mission is in TNA.
Wrestling: My name is Mr. Wrestling, and I’m here to see to it that these people get the best matches there is. My goal is to eliminate all cheating in wrestling matches. My first target is Michael Modest. He has a long history of cheating. Just look – tonight he used illegal punches and a chair to try and get the win. In the past, he has even gone so far as to use a baseball bat on someone! I’m here to put an end to that.
With that, he takes off.
OR: 86
Steven Richards comes to the ring with a microphone for his match. He says recently everyone has been beating the not-so-Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, and tonight it’s his turn. He plans on beating Jacques Rougeau Jr. tonight just like everyone else has.
OR: 79
Jacques Rougeau Jr. vs. Steven Richards: These two wrestlers try to have a technical match, but it just isn’t working for them. So then thy try brawling for a little bit, but things don’t get any better. This match is so abysmal the fans start to boo regardless of who’s in control. Finally, Jacques ends their suffering when he applies an Abdominal Stretch on Richards, who shortly thereafter taps out.
Winner: Jacques Rougeau Jr.
OR: 67
CR: 75
MQ: 76
Before the next match begins, Michael Modest comes out to the announcers’ desk with a bag of ice on his head.
Modest: Look, I’ll cut right through the crap. This Mr. Wrestling is no superhero. That’s just plain, ordinary Nick Dinsmore! Sure, maybe I did hit him too hard with the baseball bat, and maybe I’ve scrambled his brains so that now he thinks he’s some kind of Saturday morning cartoon character, I don’t know. Nick Dinsmore, Mr. Wrestling, why don’t you use that cape of yours and fly down to Houston for tomorrow night’s Super Bowl Party ’04? I’ll be there, and if you want to get in the ring with me, I’ll be more than happy to kill a few more of your brain cells!
OR: 80
New Jack comes to the ring with a microphone and Masato Tanaka. He tells us that Tanaka has just completed an undefeated tour of Japan, and now he’s come back to TNA. However, he didn’t come back alone. While in Japan, he found someone who was every bit as hardcore as him. If he can get his passport issues straightened out, next week we’ll see the new Hardcore Japanese.
OR: 88
Masato Tanaka (with New Jack) vs. Devon Storm: Tanaka dominates Storm with his arsenal of power moves. He quickly re-establishes himself in TNA with this impressive performance, and he finishes off Storm in about six minutes with the Roaring Elbow.
Winner: Masato Tanaka
OR: 72
CR: 73
MQ: 87
Since the matches tonight were fairly short, the announcers have to stall for time by hyping the card for tomorrow’s Super Bowl Party ’04. But they get a reprieve when Ken Shamrock’s music plays and he comes to the ring with Alicia Shamrock. She gets a microphone before entering the ring.
Alicia: Ken, are you sure this is what you want to do?
Ken nods his head.
Alicia: OK, then. As you all have seen in recent weeks, Ken’s been a little … depressed. He is starting to question himself and his abilities. I’ve tried to tell him that he’s still the same guy who not too many months ago was the World champion. So tonight, Ken wants to challenge anyone in the back that hasn’t faced him in the last month to come out here right now and face him, and if Ken doesn’t win …
Ken takes the microphone.
Ken: If I can’t beat whoever comes forward, I don’t deserve to be here anymore. I’ll quit. I’ll hand up my boots. I’ll retire.
The announcers are shocked by this stunning revelation, and wonder who will step forward to accept this challenge. They start to name off who Ken has faced in the past month, until some unfamiliar music plays. The curtain opens and there stands Chavo Guerrero Jr.!
OR: 92
(Alicia Shamrock gained in over from 89 to 92.)
Oh, did I mention Chavo had a microphone with him?
Guerrero: Ken Shamrock, you should retire! You don’t deserve to be on national television. First, you ran away from the WWF all those years ago when you weren’t successful there. You tried getting back into mixed martial arts, but you were a failure at that too. Tonight, you want to put your career on the line against anyone you haven’t faced in the last month? You haven’t faced me, Shamrock. With the opportunity to send you to the retirement home, I’ll gladly step in the ring with you tonight.
OR: 80
Ken Shamrock (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.: This was a great match, but the fans had a hard time getting into it despite the emotional promo Alicia had before Chavo showed up. Despite whatever Shamrock thinks, he’s still as good as ever, but tonight he’s facing a third-generation superstar who’s been around the business all his life. As the match continues, the announcers give the history of the Guerrero family in the wrestling business. Shamrock looks to be in firm control of the match, but when he whips Guerrero into the ropes, Chavo springs off with a flying forearm! Chavo picks Shamrock up and locks on The Gory Guerrero Special! Shamrock taps! Chavo wins, and I guess Ken Shamrock is now retired.
Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr.
OR: 75
CR: 79
MQ: 90
(Ken Shamrock dropped in over from 90 to 88.)
OR: 78
Rating: 6.64
Attendance: 10007
Best segment: Ken Shamrock makes an open challenge, Chavo Guerrero Jr. accepts (92)
Worst segment: Jacques Rougeau Jr. over Steven Richards (67)
Best match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. over Ken Shamrock (75)
-
Friday, January 23, 2004
TNA XPlosion
Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams
The show begins with the cameras in commissioner Mick Foley’s office. There’s a knock at the door, and Vince Russo enters.
Foley: Ah, hello, Vince. What’s on your mind?
Russo: You know what I’m here for, Mick. It’s wrong that Scott Hall and Charlie Haas lost the Tag Team titles in a Fatal Four-way match. They deserve to get a rematch soon.
Foley: You mean soon, as in this Sunday at Super Bowl Party ’04?
Russo: You got it!
Foley: Well, there are some other teams that also deserve a title shot. Just a little while ago, Steve Corino was in here talking about Jushin Liger and Psychosis, and he thinks …
Russo: Liger and Psychosis? Are you kidding me? They score a fluke win when some weirdo dressed up like some kind of superhero in a mask and cape helped them to win, and you think they deserve a title shot?
Foley: I’ll tell you what, Vince. Let’s just find out which team is more deserving. Tonight, right here in the TNA Asylum, it will be the team of Charlie Haas and Scott Hall taking on the team of Psychosis and Jushin Liger, and the winner will get the Tag Team title shot this Sunday. And that is final!
OR: 91
(Vince Russo gained in over from 87 to 91.)
Morales: Hello, everyone, welcome to XPlosion! I'm Jeff Morales, and joining me this week is Dick Williams.
Williams: Hello, Jeff. We’ve got a great show tonight, featuring Donovan Morgan taking on Sting!
Morales: And as you just saw, commissioner Mick Foley booked a No. 1 contenders tag match between Scott Hall and Charlie Haas of Sports Entertainment Xtreme and Steve Corino’s team of Jushin Liger and Psychosis.
Williams: The winner will get a shot at Kaientai in two days for the Tag Team titles. Also, Jeff Jarrett will challenge Low-Ki for the World title at Super Bowl Party ’04, and tonight he gets in one last tune-up match before then, when he faces Christopher Nowinski.
Morales: Someone else who’s getting some final work before Super Bowl Party ’04 is D’Lo Brown, who is already on his way to the ring for his match against Bas Rutten.
D’Lo Brown gets in the ring and acquires the microphone from the ring announcer. He says Simon Diamond has scored some impressive wins in recent weeks over Sting and Ken Shamrock, but D’Lo says Diamond still hasn’t beaten him cleanly. He says Diamond’s wins won’t be worth anything after Brown beats in this Sunday.
OR: 82
D’Lo Brown vs. Bas Rutten: This was a very good match that got the crowd more involved as it continued. Rutten used his usual array of mixed martial arts moves, primarily submission-type moves, which led to several near falls for him. But D’Lo showed an impressive display of power by turning some kind of armbar submission into a Sky High. D’Lo then took to the top tope and landed the Lo Down to get the pin.
Winner: D’Lo Brown
OR: 79
CR: 71
MQ: 88
Jeff Jarrett comes out for his match, talking trash about Low-Ki. He says nobody has seen Low-Ki since Jarrett kicked his ass two weeks ago. He points out Low-Ki was the one that called Ken Shamrock a coward for the better part of a month, and now look who’s gone into hiding. Jarrett says Low-Ki only has two more days to hide before Jarrett will get his hands on him.
OR: 89
Jeff Jarrett vs. Christopher Nowinski: It comes as no surprise to anyone that this match is all Jarrett. He dominates the less-experienced Nowinski, hitting the Stroke in about five minutes to score the pinfall. He climbs to the middle turnbuckle and starts yelling to the crowd about what a chicken Low-Ki is, but behind his back Low-Ki has come through the curtain! He pulls Jarrett off the middle rope and delivers a Ki-Krusher! Now it’s Low-Ki who stands over Jarrett and talks trash, finally saying he’ll see him Sunday.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett
OR: 78
CR: 78
MQ: 79
Backstage, we see Vince Russo telling Charlie Haas and Scott Hall what the deal is for tonight’s match with Psychosis and Jushin Liger. They say that’s no real challenge, and they’ll go through them just like they’ll go through Kaientai this Sunday to regain their titles.
OR: 79
Steve Corino leads Jushin Liger and Psychosis to the ring. He gets a microphone and points out that Scott Hall and Charlie Haas never beat anyone to earn the Tag Team titles, and thus don’t hold any claim to getting a rematch. He says they were sham champions, and tonight his team will prove what a fraud they were.
OR: 82
No. 1 Contenders match: Jushin Liger & Psychosis (with Steve Corino) vs. Scott Hall & Charlie Haas (with Vince Russo): This one was a good match, but after the Jeff Jarrett/Low-Ki confrontation they just saw, they’re not quite as loud even though the stakes are much higher in this match than the Jarrett/Nowinski match. Haas starts and tries to use his amateur wrestling background to his advantage, but he soon discovers that both Psychosis and Liger are as technically proficient as he is. So he tags in Hall and lets the big brawler go to work. Hall uses his strength to dominate the smaller Liger and proceeds to pound on him for several minutes. But Hall makes a mistake, and Liger is able to make the tag. Psychosis uses his speed to keep the advantage on Hall, and even knocks Haas off the apron. Psychosis climbs to the top rope and hits the Sky Twister Press! Russo tries to interfere, but Corino cuts him off before be can interrupt the referee’s count. Liger and Psychosis will now face Kaientai at Super Bowl Party ’04.
Winner: Jushin Liger & Psychosis
OR: 81
CR: 76
MQ: 86
Backstage, we see Sting walking to the ring as we hear Donovan Morgan’s music play.
OR: 93
Donovan Morgan is already in the ring, and he’s got a microphone. He tells the production crew to cut his music. He says he hopes Sting is walking out of the building, because if he walks into this ring he’ll get his ass handed to him most excellently.
OR: 87
Sting vs. Donovan Morgan: The crowd explodes when Sting steps through the curtain, and they only get louder when Sting takes control early in the match. But Morgan turns the advantage, and starts hitting the rest holds. Morgan tries to keep the crowd involved by changing to different holds every couple of minutes, but in the end they’re still rest holds. After ten minutes of stalling so Sting could get his breath back, Sting makes the babyface comeback and looks to be in full command of Morgan. Sting goes for the Scorpion Death Lock, but he’s too close to the ropes, and Morgan is able to grab them, so the referee breaks the hold. Sting seems a little confused by this, and Morgan is able to take advantage, and within three minutes he’s got Sting set up for the Double Underhook Piledriver. He connects, and picks up the stunning pinfall.
Winner: Donovan Morgan
OR: 87
CR: 90
MQ: 83
(Sting dropped in over from 96 to 94. Donovan Morgan gained in over from 84 to 87.)
OR: 84
Rating: 7.59
Attendance: 10028
Best segment: Sting is walking! (93)
Worst segment: Jeff Jarrett over Christopher Nowinski (78)
Best match: Donovan Morgan over Sting (87)
-
Monday, January 19, 2004
TNA XCitement
Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake
Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.
Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.
Kavovit: What an exciting main event we have lined up for tonight! Ken Shamrock will be facing EZ Money in a match made as a result of last Friday’s XPlosion.
Snake: Money’s tag team partner, Kid Kash, scored an impressive win over Shamrock, leading Money to decide he too wanted to challenge Shamrock to a match.
Kavovit: Also tonight, Jody Fleisch will be in action against Devon Storm, but let’s get to the ring for tonight’s opening match, Jun Akiyama vs. Jushin Liger.
Jushin Liger comes to the ring with his manager, Steve Corino, who happens to have a microphone. He reminds everyone that Liger and Psychosis successfully defeated Excellence Inc. last Saturday and now they deserve a title shot.
OR: 88
(Jushin Liger gained in over from 73 to 74.)
Jushin Liger (with Steve Corino) vs. Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): This was a very good match, but the fans had a hard time getting into it. Akiyama used his size advantage to dominate Liger early, but then Liger picked up the pace to get a step ahead of Akiyama. Liger continued to use a hit-and-run attack to keep in control before finally hitting a Brainbuster to get the pin on Akiyama.
Winner: Jushin Liger
OR: 77
CR: 68
MQ: 87
Backstage, Ken Shamrock sits in his dressing room, looking at the floor, while Alicia Shamrock tries to cheer him up. She says that now Ken knows what to expect from Mucho Dinero, so he should be able to handle EZ Money. Jody Fleisch walks past and says it’s time for his match. Alicia leaves with him as Ken continues to stare at the floor.
OR: 91
(Alicia Shamrock gained in over from 87 to 89.)
Jody Fleisch (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Devon Storm: The announcers debate where Ken Shamrock is mentally, but there’s no question what’s on Fleisch’s mind. He gets the early advantage on Storm and keeps it for most of the match, but continually yells for Sonny Siaki. In less than four minutes, Fleisch gets the pin after a Phoenix 720 DDT, then climbs to the middle turnbuckle and signals to his waist in the “I want the belt” gesture.
Winner: Jody Fleisch
OR: 82
CR: 78
MQ: 86
EZ Money comes to the ring with a microphone. He says he saw Ken Shamrock sulking around backstage earlier today, and he figures he must be jealous of him and Kid Kash. After all, they each already have more riches than Ken Shamrock will ever hope to have, they’re better wrestlers, they’re smarter, and they’re more handsome. Money reminds us that Kash beat Shamrock last week, and tonight’s his turn.
OR: 88
Ken Shamrock (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. EZ Money: This was an excellent match that had a lot of fan interest right from the start. Despite his appearance earlier, Shamrock looks pretty motivated, while Money is every bit as good as usual. Money commands early on, but midway through misses a dropkick. Shamrock yells and takes the offensive. He works over Money pretty good for the next couple of minutes, and appears to be setting him up for the Ankle Lock. Money realizes this too and rolls to the floor. As he approaches Alicia, Ken leaves the ring to protect his wife, but Money gets back in. As Ken re-enters the ring, Money is waiting and assumes control once again. Before long, Money hits the Money Clip to pick up the win.
Winner: EZ Money
OR: 88
CR: 86
MQ: 90
OR: 86
Rating: 5.76
Attendance: 10038
Best segment: Alicia Shamrock comforts Ken Shamrock (91)
Worst segment: Jushin Liger over Jun Akiyama (77)
Best match: EZ Money over Ken Shamrock (88)
NWA:TNA -- Russo's Revenge!
in The Dome Retro Room
Posted
Saturday, March 6, 2004
TNA XHilaration
Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue
Vaughn: Hi, I’m Ahmed Vaughn, and this is XHilaration! My partner this week is Emma Barbecue. How’s it going, Emma?
Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. Tonight we have Mucho Dinero taking on Excellence Inc.!
Vaughn: Both teams have really been impressive lately. Mucho Dinero defeated Styles and Lynn at Total Elimination just six days ago, and also Mucho Dinero came awfully close to winning the Tag Team titles from Kaientai last Sunday.
Barbecue: Also tonight we’ll be seeing Simon Diamond in action against D’Lo Brown.
Vaughn: And later on we’ll see Joey Matthews take on the winner of the Total Elimination Battle Royal, Big Vito. But our opening match tonight is Scoot Andrews versus Piloto Suicida.
Barbecue: Piloto Suicida hasn’t wrestled in TNA since September, but tonight he returns to face Cyrus’ wrestler. In fact, Cyrus and Andrews are already on their way to the ring.
Cyrus gets a microphone and tells everyone to shut up, which of course has the opposite effect. He says Piloto Suicida hasn’t been seen in nearly six months, and after Scoot Andrews is finished with him tonight it might be another six months before he’s seen again.
OR: 94
(Scoot Andrews gained in over from 84 to 85.)
Piloto Suicida vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): Suicida has improved since is first stint in TNA, but still Andrews pretty much keeps him grounded. Sure, Suicida sneaks in a few high-flying moves, but Andrews is the better man today. He gets the Forces Of Nature for the pin.
Winner: Scoot Andrews
OR: 79
CR: 70
MQ: 89
Mike Sanders comes to the ring with Joey Matthews for his match. Sanders congratulates Big Vito on winning the Total Elimination Battle Royal, but then says that after Matthews is done with him tonight he’ll wish he had been eliminated. This promo would have been better if Cyrus hadn’t done a much better job with the same theme a little earlier tonight.
OR: 75
Big Vito vs. Joey Matthews (with Mike Sanders): Vito goes on the offensive early, but Matthews is much quicker and is able to maneuver himself out of several tricky situations. Sanders interferes and Matthews jumps on the opportunity. He flies all over the ring, using a lot of his X division-style offense. Matthews hits the Swinging DDT to get the pin.
Winner: Joey Matthews
OR: 77
CR: 72
MQ: 82
(Joey Matthews gained in over from 74 to 75.)
Backstage, Simon Diamond talks trash about D’Lo Brown. He reminds us that Brown managed to beat him at Super Bowl Party ’04, and tonight he’s looking for some revenge.
OR: 79
D’Lo Brown comes to the ring. He says Simon Diamond is right – Brown did beat him the last time they faced each other. He points out that he almost beat Low-Ki for the World title, so don’t be surprised if he beats Diamond again. What those two things have to do with each other, I don’t know, but that’s what the man said.
OR: 88
D’Lo Brown vs. Simon Diamond: Diamond jumps Brown as soon as he enters the ring. But Brown quickly regains control and dominates Diamond. I guess Brown knew what he was talking about after all, as this match isn’t really even close. But that all changes when Diamond pulls the referee into the path of Brown’s charge, knocking him down. While Brown checks the referee, Diamond pulls a chain out of his trunks! He wraps it around his fist and readies himself, waiting until Brown turns around. Suddenly, Mr. Wrestling runs through the curtain! He gets in the ring and spins Diamond around. The first punch sends the chain flying, and after a couple more punches a German Suplex puts Diamond on the mat. Mr. Wrestling leaves as finally Brown turns around and the referee stirs, neither one knowing anything at all about Diamond’s chain or Mr. Wrestling’s interference. Brown climbs to the top rope and hits the Lo Down and the ref crawls over to count the pin.
Winner: D’Lo Brown
OR: 85
CR: 82
MQ: 88
Mr. Wrestling is still at ringside, and he gets a microphone as Brown leaves and Diamond recovers in the ring.
Mr. Wrestling: Simon Diamond, I saw what you did to Jeff Jarrett last Monday, even if the referee didn’t. You cheated! You pulled a chain out of your tights and nailed Jarrett, costing him the match. When you pulled out the chain once again tonight, I wasn’t going to sit by and let this kind of cheating occur. Because wherever cheating occurs, Mr. Wrestling will be there to restore truth, honesty, and fair play to the wrestling business!
OR: 88
Inside the commissioner’s office, Vince Russo is trying to watch the show on the television as Sonny Siaki, Scott Hall, and Charlie Haas are all pitching him their ideas for matches, most of them involving themselves and titles. Russo is obviously annoyed and tells them to leave so he can watch the show without interruptions. They all look stunned, but then do leave.
OR: 78
Mucho Dinero comes to the ring, and tonight the majority of the fans are cheering for them. They point out that Excellence Inc. was the No. 1 contender for the Tag Team titles last month, so they think beating them should get them a shot at Kaientai’s belts.
OR: 83
Mucho Dinero vs. Excellence Inc.: The fans are really behind Mucho Dinero in this match, and that’s the first time I can remember them ever getting that strong of a babyface reaction from the fans. Kid Kash and EZ Money obviously notice this as well, as they seem to exert even more effort than usual. Great back-and-forth match that comes to an end when Mucho Dinero hits Michael Modest with the Cha-Ching. Kash gets the pin while Money brawls with Donovan Morgan outside the ring.
Winner: Mucho Dinero
OR: 89
CR: 88
MQ: 91
OR: 83
Rating: 6.78
Attendance: 10017
Best segment: Interview with Cyrus and Scoot Andrews (94)
Worst segment: Interview with Mike Sanders and Joey Matthews (75)
Best match: Mucho Dinero over Excellence Inc. (89)