NWA:TNA -- Russo's Revenge!

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, August 1, 2003

Apparently, the falling industry is affecting Mexico as well as America. Asistencia Asesoria y Administracion have gone bankrupt, and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre have issued a bankruptcy warning.

Our talent scouts have discovered a young prospect at an indy show, and we have quickly signed him and sent him to Japan to help get over and to work on his charisma.

I saved the best news for next-to-last today. Finally, we have a new television contract, and the timing couldn’t have been better. We only have five weeks left on our deal with DirectTV. Right now, I’m not sure we’ll renew that contract or look for a better TV deal. All I know is that a talented announcer was signed to host the new show. He’ll probably also be doing the announcing on pay-per-views as well. So, late night every Friday, make sure to catch XPlosion on Fox. Well, late night for now – hopefully we can get that converted to a slot in prime time soon.

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 (99)

UPPER MIDCARD

Jeff Jarrett (85)

Curt Hennig (84)

Road Warrior Hawk (81)

Road Warrior Animal (78)

MIDCARDERS

Jody Fleisch (86)

Ken Shamrock (85)

Masato Tanaka (80)

Psychosis (75)

Ebessan (71)

Norman Smiley (70)

Super Crazy (70)

Sabu (69)

Ultimo Dragon (68)

Anthony Durante (65)

Damien 666 (63)

Chris Chetti (62)

Brian Lawler (71)

Scott Hall (89) {currently suspended}

Bill Goldberg (88)

TAKA Michinoku (84)

Sonny Siaki (80)

B.G. James (78)

Marcus Bagwell (77

Shane Douglas (77)

Disco Inferno (77)

Konnan (75)

Low-Ki (73)

Johnny Smith (68)

Bryan Clark (67)

Crash Holly (67)

Jamal (66)

Brian Adams (65)

Gangrel (65)

Malice (65)

Steven Richards (64)

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Perry Saturn (60)

Akira Taue (53)

Jun Akiyama (70)

Charlie Haas (54)

OPENERS

Piloto Suicida (45)

Osamu Nishimura (43)

JOBBERS

none

MANAGERS

New Jack (84)

Steve Corino (79)

Alicia Shamrock (72)

Vince Russo (93)

Cyrus (80)

NON-WRESTLERS

Mick Foley (91)

TAG TEAMS {members} (experience)

Road Warriors {Road Warrior Hawk & Road Warrior Animal} (100)

Kronik {Brian Adams & Bryan Clark} (87)

The Hardcore Japanese {Ebessan & Masato Tanaka} (2)

Haas Of Pain {Charlie Haas & Crash Holly} (1)

TITLES (image) {current holder}

NWA World (87) {Bill Goldberg}

NWA X (83) {TAKA Michinoku}

NWA Tag Team (78) {B.G. James & Low-Ki}

NWA Hardcore (64) {Sabu}

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 is TNA's re-debut of XPlosion on Fox. Tonight we have Disco Inferno of Sports Entertainment Xtreme taking on Super Crazy.

Morales: Also, Ken Shamrock will be teaming up with Curt Hennig to take on Haas Of Pain.

Williams: But that music can only mean one thing … here comes commissioner Mick Foley!

Foley: Hello Jeff, Dick. Tonight, TNA would like to welcome all the viewers watching at home on the Fox network! This is a special night, and not only because of the re-launch of XPlosion, but because I have a couple of announcements to make. Two days ago, Vince Russo announced that Sonny Siaki would not be competing in X-division matches as long as TAKA Michinoku is the X champion. Russo, let me remind you that I am the commissioner and I will decide whether or not Siaki is in the X division! And speaking of TAKA Michinoku, Vince, you've been running your mouth about how TAKA has beaten all the opponents he's faced in the X division. You know what? You're right. TAKA has been the X champ since April, and he has defeated all challengers. So I've decided that for our next pay-per-view, I would do everything in my power to find the best challenger for him. So starting next Wednesday on Total Nonstop Action, we will have a 16-man tournament, where the winner will face TAKA Michinoku for the X title on Sunday, August 31, at the Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee! And, Vince, one of those 16 men will be Sonny Siaki! Have a nice day!

OR: 94

(Mick Foley gained in over from 91 to 95.)

Osamu Nishimura vs. Marcus Bagwell: After losing to Piloto Suicida two days ago, the fans at the TNA Asylum are starting to chant "Marcus Jobwell" at him, which is both clever and cold. Bagwell controls for most of the match despite frequently taking time out to yell at the fans. However, the "Jobwell" chants cause him to completely lose focus, and he starts paying more attention to the crowd than to Nishimura. That allows Nishimura to sneak up behind him and lock in the Cobra Twist! Bagwell soon submits, which causes the fans to get even louder with the "Jobwell" chants.

Winner: Osamu Nishimura

OR: 67

CR: 57

MQ: 78

(Marcus Bagwell dropped in over from 77 to 76. Osamu Nishimura gained in over from 43 to 46.)

Haas Of Pain is out to tell us that they are entering the X-division tournament. However, they are still focused on the main goal of winning the Tag Team titles. Tonight they face two of the best competitors in TNA, but they don't have the tag team experience that Haas Of Pain does.

OR: 73

(Charlie Haas gained in over from 54 to 57.)

Ken Shamrock (with Alicia Shamrock) & Curt Hennig vs. Haas Of Pain: This is the standard tag team match. Shamrock and Hennig get the early advantage, but some well-timed cheating gives Haas Of Pain control. They work over Hennig for several minutes before a mistake allows Hennig to make the hot tag to Shamrock. Shamrock dominates both men and even gets the Ankle Lock on Crash Holly, but Charlie Haas breaks up the hold. Hennig has recovered and knocks Haas to the floor, where they brawl. Meanshile, Shamrock hits a High Angle Belly To Belly on Holly and gets the pinfall.

Winner: Curt Hennig & Ken Shamrock

OR: 76

CR: 71

MQ: 81

Steve Corino is in the ring with Super Crazy. Corino announces that all four members of his stable will be in the X division tournament. But tonight, Super Crazy gets to beat Disco Inferno.

OR: 88

(Steve Corino gained in over from 79 to 82.)

Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Disco Inferno (with Vince Russo): Somehow, Crazy gets a very good match out of Disco. Russo helps Disco cheat frequently, until Corino decides he's had enough of that and chases Russo to the back. Disco looks around for his manager, and Crazy takes advantage. It's not too much later before Crazy hits the Trifecta Moonsault to pick up the win.

Winner: Super Crazy

OR: 77

CR: 68

MQ: 87

(Disco Inferno dropped in over from 77 to 76.)

OR: 78

Rating: 4.87

Attendance: 10022

Best segment: Mick Foley announces X-division tournament (94)

Worst segment: Osamu Nishimura over Marcus Bagwell (67)

Best match: Super Crazy over Disco Inferno (77)

[LoveMuscle]

Wednesday, August 6, 2003

TNA Total Nonstop Action

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, TNA fans, and welcome to another edition of Total Nonstop Action! I’m Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake. Bart, it’s good to see you.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven. I can’t wait for tonight’s show, featuring the first round of the X division tournament!

Kavovit: Last Friday on XPlosion, commissioner Mick Foley announced a 16-man tournament to determine a No. 1 contender for the X title, and tonight we have four first-round matches featuring Psychosis, Low-Ki from Sports Entertainment Xtreme, Super Crazy, and the Hardcore champion, Sabu.

Snake: What if Low-Ki won the tournament? He would have to face his SEX partner, TAKA Michinoku, for the title?

Kavovit: Or what if Sabu won, and then defeated TAKA Michinoku to become both the Hardcore and X champion?

Snake: Our main event, however, won't be a X-division match, because it will be Curt Hennig taking on Marcus Bagwell.

Kavovit: Bagwell hasn't had much luck in recent weeks, getting kicked out of Sports Entertainment Xtreme and being upset by Piloto Suicida and Osamu Nishimura.

Snake: But making their way to the ring right now is Low-Ki and his manager, Vince Russo.

Low-Ki takes the microphone from the ring announcer and tells us that Mick Foley had no business placing members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme in this tournament. I'm not sure, but I think he just promised a Finger Poke of Doom if either he or Sonny Siaki won the tournament! Low-Ki says he's going to take out the competition and then him and Siaki will work something out for the tournament's final match between them.

OR: 78

X Tournament, first round: Chris Chetti vs. Low-Ki (with Vince Russo): The crowd's expectations are pretty low for this match, but it actually turns out to be a pretty good one. Chetti actually seems to be in command of the match, until Russo nails Chetti with Low-Ki's Tag Team title belt when the referee isn't looking. Low-Ki controls for the rest of the match, eventually hitting the Ki-Krusher to score the pin.

Winner: Low-Ki

OR: 69

CR: 69

MQ: 85

Backstage, Charlie Haas is getting Crash Holly warmed up for his tournament match. Holly says he isn't scared of Sabu, as Haas reminds us that this won't be a Hardcore match.

OR: 72

Steve Corino and Sabu make their way to the ring, and Corino has a microphone. Corino tells us that if both Sabu and Super Crazy win tonight, then they'll meet in the second round. Corino says he doesn't have a problem with that. Sabu gets his attention and points to the ceiling. Corino looks up, but doesn't see anything.

OR: 84

(Sabu gained in over from 69 to 70.)

X Tournament, first round: Sabu (with Steve Corino) vs. Crash Holly (with Charlie Haas): Sabu uses his high-flying moves to take the early advantage, but Haas grabs his ankle, allowing Holly to get a temporary advantage. Corino comes around the ring and starts fighting with Haas, and the referee tries to break up that skirmish. Meanwhile, Steven Richards comes from the back with a chair. He nails Sabu in the back, and Holly quickly takes advantage. He hits the Crash Landing as Richards gets the ref's attention. The referee counts the pin as Haas and Corino continue fighting, unaware that Richards was ever involved.

Winner: Crash Holly

OR: 65

CR: 63

MQ: 84

However, Richards isn't done yet. He gets back into the ring with the chair and continues the assault on Sabu. After four or five more chairshots, he drags Sabu to the corner and posts him! Ouch. Corino eventually gets free of Haas and chases Richards away.

OR: 63

X Tournament, first round: Psychosis vs. Damien 666: The match starts with a handshake. The fans are still quiet. Maybe this is just too much X-division goodness for one show? Anyway, they get treated to a good match. Some back-and-forth action, but eventually Psychosis gets control and finishes off Damien with a Sky Twister Press. After the pin, Psychosis helps Damien up, and they hug to a small pop from the crowd as the announcers tell us that Psychosis will face Low-Ki in the second round.

Winner: Psychosis

OR: 65

CR: 60

MQ: 86

Steve Corino is back out, this time with Super Crazy. There's a small trickle of blood on Corino's forehead, the result of his fight with Haas Of Pain earlier. He says the whole tournament is a joke if Foley's going to let Crash Holly's win over Sabu stand. Then he points out that Super Crazy's opponent tonight, Jun Akiyama, isn't even a X-division competitor! Corino says that in a X-division match, Akiyama is no match for Super Crazy.

OR: 80

X Tournament, first round: Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Jun Akiyama: Corino is proven right early, as Crazy controls for the opening minute. However, some timely cheating gives Akiyama control for the next few minutes, and he slows the pace down quite a bit. This is a X-division match? Well, for sure it's a great match, even if the crowd doesn't appreciate it. Crazy starts making a comeback and the announcers remind us that the winner of this match will face Crash Holly. Crazy speeds up the pace, which gives him the advantage. Crazy gets the win after the Trifecta Moonsault.

Winner: Super Crazy

OR: 69

CR: 63

MQ: 91

Curt Hennig comes to the ring to tell us he's going to face Marcus Jobwell tonight. Oh, he meant "Bagwell." Thanks for clearing that up, Curt. Hennig points out that after the last few weeks, Bagwell is far from perfect, and tonight he'll get another mark in the loss column.

OR: 77

Curt Hennig vs. Marcus Bagwell: The "Jobwell" chants start early, and Bagwell is quickly distracted by them. Even though this is by far the worst match on the card, the fans cheer the most for it. Well, cheer and chant "Jobwell." Hennig dominates for most of the match, hitting a Hennig Plex to pick up the win.

Winner: Curt Hennig

OR: 68

CR: 80

MQ: 69

OR: 71

Rating: 2.00

Attendance: 10022

Best segment: Interview with Steve Corino and Sabu (84)

Worst segment: Steven Richards assaults Sabu (63)

Best match: (tie) Low-Ki over Chris Chetti; Super Crazy over Jun Akiyama (69)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, August 8, 2003

Wednesday was just "one of those days," where the overall rating for the matches is much lower than what it should be for no reason. Also, the fans didn't respond like we'd hoped for the X tournament. Admittedly, some of the wrestlers weren't very over, but the matches were all good, especially Super Crazy against Jun Akiyama.

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 will see two former Tag Team champions face each other when the Road Warriors take on Disco Inferno and Konnan.

Morales: You can bet Vince Russo will be at ringside with Konnan and Disco for that one. Also, our main event features Sting taking on Shane Douglas.

Williams: That one should be good. In a few minutes, Masato Tanaka will be taking on Marcus Bagwell. But right now, here comes commissioner Mick Foley.

Foley: It's good to be back here in the TNA Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee! Last week I was out here to announce a 16-man tournament to crown a No. 1 contender for the X division. The winner of that tournament will face TAKA Michinoku for the X title on Sunday, August 31 in Memphis. But that won't be the main event that night. I've looked back at the entire history of the company, and I thought that we'd re-live history that night. On the very first show this company ever produced, they determined the first World champion with a match called "Gauntlet For The Gold." But we're going to put a little twist on that. We'll have two rings, side by side. We'll start with two men, and every couple of minutes another wrestler will come to the ring. Eventually, thirty of the top performers in this company will all participate. Now, you're probably saying to yourself, "Mick, why would the wrestlers want to put themselves through something like this?" Well, the answer is simple. The match is called "Gauntlet For The Gold" for a reason. The winner of that match will become the NWA World champion! Now, before Cyrus and Bill Goldberg complain, let me tell you that not only will Goldberg be in that match, but as the current champion he will automatically be the last entrant in the match. The other 29 participants will draw numbers at random to determine the order they enter the match.

Morales: Mick, what are the rules for that match?

Foley: It's simple, really. A wrestler is eliminated from the match if they are pinned, if the submit, or if they are thrown over the top rope to the floor. They can fight in either ring and they can go from one ring to the other, so long as they don't go over the top rope and hit the floor with both feet. I've already told you that Bill Goldberg will be in the match. Would you like to know who else will be involved? OK, but I'm only going to announce five participants at a time. In addition to Goldberg, in that match will be Curt Hennig, Anthony Durante, Johnny Smith, and Norman Smiley. Have a nice day!

Suddenly, Steven Richards' music hits, and he joins Foley at the announcers' desk.

Morales: Steven, what are you doing out here?

Foley: Are you upset that your name wasn't among the first five mentioned? Well, there's five more sets of names to be announces, and …

Richards: I came out here to ask if you saw shat I did to the Hardcore champion two days ago.

Foley: As a matter of fact, I did, and I was going to …

Richards: See? I proved that I can get as hardcore as anyone. I busted Sabu up so bad, even his manager is afraid to show his face here tonight!

Foley: Steve Corino isn't scheduled to be …

Richards: So I want a title shot, Foley! A Hardcore title shot! And I want it on this show next week!

Foley: Now hold on a minute, Stevie!

Richards: It's Steven!

Foley: Whatever, you listen to me now. There's a long list of guys who want a Hardcore title shot - guys more deserving than you! You want a Hardcore title match? Then you have to go to the end of the line and wait your turn. And that is final!

OR: 79

(Mick Foley dropped in over from 95 to 93. Steven Richards gained in over from 64 to 66.)

Masato Tanaka (with New Jack) vs. Marcus Bagwell: The announcers explain that commissioner Foley put Ebessan in the X Tournament, so that's why Tanaka is in singles action tonight. The crowd gets into it right away, chanting "Jobwell". This one isn't much different than recent Bagwell matches, as the crowd distracts him and allows his opponent to get an advantage that Bagwell can't overcome. However, tonight Tanaka gets a good match out of him, unlike Curt Hennig on Wednesday. Tanaka picks up the win with a Roaring Elbow.

Winner: Masato Tanaka

OR: 77

CR: 74

MQ: 81

Disco Inferno and Konnan hit the ring with their manager, Vince Russo. Konnan wants to speak on this - Orale! Arriba la raza! Disco reminds us that they beat the Road Warriors to become the Tag Team champions, and now he hears that the Road Warriors want a shot at their fellow SEX members, B.G. James and Low-Ki. Konnan says that's not going to happen, because any thoughts they might have about becoming Tag Team champions again will end when they lose to Konnan and Disco tonight.

OR: 76

Road Warriors vs. Disco Inferno & Konnan (with Vince Russo): This one is another match that's surprisingly good, as Disco and Konnan are really cheating their tails off. It's pretty clear that's the only way they're going to hang with the Road Warriors. But no amount of cheating prevents Disco from being pinned by Animal after a Doomsday Device. After the match, Hawk climbs the turnbuckle nearest Russo and makes the "I want the belt" gesture around his waist. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't see Low-Ki and James enter the ring behind him with chairs. They take out Animal before Hawk even knows they're there, and then he too falls victim to their chairshots.

Winner: Road Warriors

OR: 79

CR: 77

MQ: 81

Sting comes to the ring before his match. He tells the crowd that he's glad to be back, and he has a special message for Mick Foley: he wants in the Gauntlet For The Gold. He hopes that Foley will put him in after he does the commissioner a favor tonight by beating up Shane Douglas.

OR: 92

Sting vs. Shane Douglas: The crowd is quite loud for this match, even if the match quality was only so-so. I'm starting to feel that TNA is a lot like WCW at the end - the fans don't care about the best workers, and the most over people are the worst wrestlers. That's not to say this was a bad match, it's just not as good as the first two. Douglas cheats to get the early advantage, but Sting comes back to the cheers of the fans. Douglas taps out to the Scorpion Death Lock.

Winner: Sting

OR: 81

CR: 86

MQ: 72

OR: 80

Rating: 4.87

Attendance: 10010

Best segment: Interview with Sting (92)

Worst segment: Interview with Disco Inferno & Konnan (76)

Best match: Sting over Shane Douglas (81)

[LoveMuscle]

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

TNA Total Nonstop Action

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, TNA fans, and welcome to another edition of Total Nonstop Action! I’m Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake. Bart, it’s good to see you.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven. I can’t wait for tonight’s show, featuring more first-round action from the X division tournament!

Kavovit: Last week, we saw the first half of the first round announced a 16-man tournament to determine a No. 1 contender for the X title, and next week we'll have the quarterfinals. The four men who won last week will be taking on each other - Psychosis against Low-Ki and Super Crazy vs. Crash Holly.

Snake: But tonight is the other half of the first round, and we'll see Jody Fleisch, Sonny Siaki, Ultimo Dragon, and Ebessan in action tonight.

Kavovit: Also, last Friday on XPlosion, commissioner Mick Foley announced that there will be a Gauntlet For The Gold, and announced five of the 30 participants. Right now, here comes commissioner Foley to announce five more names for this match. Take it away, Mick!

Foley: Thank you. First of all, I want to say that it's good to be back here at the TNA Asylum! Now then, last Friday I announced five of the competitors for the main event at Gauntlet For The Gold. Curt Hennig, Norman Smiley, Anthony Durante, Johnny Smith, and of course the current champion, Bill Goldberg. Vince Russo demanded that Sports Entertainment Xtreme be represented as well, so both Disco Inferno and Konnan will be in the match. The other three competitors are men who have already been eliminated from the X Tournament - Chris Chetti, Jun Akiyama, and Damien 666. Have a nice day!

OR: 92

On the video screen, we see footage from earlier today when New Jack and Ebessan were discussing tonight's match. New Jack doesn't know how Ebessan keeps getting drawn in to these kind of matches. He's hardcore, not X-division material. Ebessan just shrugs.

OR: 85

Charlie Haas comes to the ring with his tag-team partner, Crash Holly. Haas puts over Holly's win against Sabu last week, and says that he'll beat Ebessan to advance just like Holly did.

OR: 68

X Tournament, first round: Ebessan (with New Jack) vs. Charlie Haas (with Crash Holly): This one's a good match, but just average for the X division. The fans still aren't too much into Haas Of Pain, which affects their enthusiasm for this match. New Jack keeps shouting threats to Holly every time it looks like he might interfere, and Holly wisely stays out of the action for most of the match. However, Ebessan appears to be firmly in control, so Holly eventually trips up Ebessan to give Haas the advantage. New Jack gets in Holly's face, and the referee tries to keep them apart, completely turning his back on the in-ring action. Jamal runs in from the back and attacks Ebessan from behind, and hits the Top Rope Splash! He rolls out of the ring and starts brawling with New Jack while Holly points out to the ref that Haas has covered Ebessan. He counts the pin, totally unaware of Jamal's involvement in the match.

Winner: Charlie Haas

OR: 71

CR: 61

MQ: 82

(Ebessan dropped in over from 71 to 70. Charlie Haas gained in over from 60 to 61.)

Holly gets Haas out of the ring just as Malice and Kronik came out to continue the attack on New Jack and Ebessan. Cyrus is out as well, directing the beatdown. Masato Tanaka and Akira Taue finally come from the back with chairs and chase away Cyrus and The Virus.

OR: 73

Steve Corino comes out with Piloto Suicida. Corino tells us that he doesn't understand why Suicida has to fight Jody Fleisch, but promises that it will be one hell of a match. He knows Fleisch will put on a good, clean fight, so it's probably best for Suicida.

OR: 77

(Piloto Suicida gained in over from 46 to 47.)

X Tournament, first round: Piloto Suicida (with Steve Corino) vs. Jody Fleisch: Corino was right - this was a great match. The fans could care less about Suicida and are expecting a total squash for Fleisch, buy he sells a lot of Suicida's offense. However, it's not long before Fleisch hits the Phoenix 720 DDT for the pin. After the match, Fleisch helps Suicida to his feet, and they shake hands.

Winner: Jody Fleisch

OR: 71

CR: 52

MQ: 91

Steve Corino is out again, this time with Ultimo Dragon. Dragon has Brian Lawler as his first-round opponent in the tournament, and unlike the last match, Corino can't trust his guy's opponent. Corino reminds us of the match Dragon had with TAKA Michinoku last month at Nonstop Summer, and says that Lawler isn't in the same category with TAKA.

OR: 84

(Ultimo Dragon gained in over from 68 to 69.)

X Tournament, first round: Ultimo Dragon (with Steve Corino) vs. Brian Lawler: The fans are a little more involved, and they get a standard X-division match as a reward. In the end, Dragon hits an Asai Moonsault to score the pin.

Winner: Ultimo Dragon

OR: 75

CR: 65

MQ: 85

Sonny Siaki is out with Vince Russo. Russo is happy because Foley put his guys into the Gauntlet For The Gold. Siaki says SEX has a plan to keep the X title right where it is, and tonight his part of it begins when he defeats Perry Saturn.

OR: 84

X Tournament, first round: Perry Saturn vs. Sonny Siaki (with Vince Russo): The announcers tell us that next week Jody Fleisch will face Charlie Haas in the quarterfinals, while the winner of this match will face Ultimo Dragon. This one was a pretty good match, but it was all Sonny Siaki. Russo never had to interfere. The Siakalypse finishes off Saturn.

Winner: Sonny Siaki

OR: 77

CR: 67

MQ: 87

OR: 77

Rating: 2.00

Attendance: 10045

Best segment: Mick Foley names five more GFTG entrants (92)

Worst segment: Interview with Charlie Haas (68)

Best match: Sonny Siaki over Perry Saturn (77)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, August 15, 2003

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 will see the Road Warriors again, this time taking on Kronik.

Morales: You can bet Cyrus will be at ringside with Kronik for that one. Also, our main event features Jeff Jarrett taking on Marcus Bagwell.

Williams: That one should be good. In a few minutes, Sabu will defend his Hardcore title against Malice. But right now, here comes commissioner Mick Foley.

Foley: It's good to be back here in the TNA Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee! Over the past week, I have announced ten entrants for the Gauntlet For The Gold. Last week, Sting said he wanted to be a part of that match, so tonight Sting is one of the five people I'm adding to that match! Also, despite my better judgment, I'm allowing my good friend Shane Douglas to be in the Gauntlet For The Gold. The other three people are Gangrel, Osamu Nishimura, and Marcus Bagwell.

Suddenly, New Jack's music hits, and he joins Foley at the announcer's desk.

New Jack: What the hell kind of company are you running here, Foley?

Foley: What are you talking about?

New Jack: Did you see what Cyrus and his goons did to me and Ebessan on Wednesday?

Foley: Yes, I did, and …

New Jack: I am sick and tired of dealing with them! They cost Ebessan his shot at the X title and they cost Masato Tanaka and Ebessan the Tag Team titles last month!

Foley: So what do you want me to do about it?

New Jack: I want a match - Loser Leaves Town. The Hardcore Japanese against The Virus, winner takes all.

Foley: I can't do that! You know that I can't book Loser Leaves Town matches, or I'll lose my job.

New Jack: You'd better do something, Foley. I've killed before, and I'm starting to get that feeling again. You'd better do something, or else their blood will be on your hands.

OR: 90

NWA Hardcore title match: Sabu © vs. Malice: The referee sends Steve Corino and Cyrus back to the locker room, leaving the two combatants alone in the ring to start. The announcers remind us that Malice won the very first Hardcore match in TNA. It's a pretty good match, but the fans don't seem to care for it. In less than five minutes, the mat is littered with the wreckage from this match: a broken table, a couple of crushed trashcans, a dented street sign, and a bag of mixed fruit. (Don't ask.) Sabu appears to have the advantage, until Steven Richards comes out with a Singapore cane! Richards swings … but Sabu ducks, and Malice is hit instead. Sabu knocks Richards out of the ring and quickly picks up the pin on Malice. Richards is back in the ring, but Sabu slides out. Richards has a temper tantrum while Sabu backs through the curtain.

Winner: Sabu

OR: 72

CR: 61

MQ: 84

(The NWA Hardcore title has gained in image from 64 to 66.)

Richards leaves, and Malice struggles to his feet. Suddenly, Masato Tanaka and Ebessan are at ringside with chairs! They get on opposite sides of the ring, as Malice tries to keep them out. But he has is back turned to the locker room, so he misses seeing New Jack get in the ring with a crutch. Not surprisingly, the crutch gets broken across Malice's back, sending him to his knees. Ebessan and Tanaka enter the ring and deliver several chairshots before Jamal, Cyrus, and Kronik come out and chase them away.

OR: 61

(Masato Tanaka dropped in over from 80 to 78. New Jack dropped in over from 84 to 83.)

Jamal helps Malice to the back as the Road Warriors' music plays, so we go straight into the next match.

Road Warriors vs. Kronik (with Cyrus): Another pretty good match, but Kronik wasn't prepared for this match when they came to the ring to assist Malice. After a few minutes, they start to get into the flow of the match, and even seem to be in control. But that comes to an end when Masato Tanaka and Ebessan come back out and chase Cyrus away. The distraction allows the Road Warriors to get control, and they quickly get Brian Adams set up for a Doomsday Device. After Animal pins him, The Hardcore Japanese get into the ring to fight Kronik, but Jamal and Malice come out - and this time they have chairs. The Hardcore Japanese retreat before receiving any chairshots.

Winner: Road Warriors

OR: 78

CR: 73

MQ: 83

Jeff Jarrett comes to the ring with a microphone. He makes fun of Marcus Bagwell getting kicked out of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, saying that he wasn't very good at SEX. Oh, the wit and humor of Jarrett.

OR: 76

Jeff Jarrett vs. Marcus Bagwell: The fans already have a decent "Jobwell" chant going before Bagwell ever steps through the curtain. Bagwell pays less attention to the fans than he has been, but you could tell he's still distracted by them. The match is pretty much all Jarrett, who finishes him off with the Stroke.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett

OR: 78

CR: 80

MQ: 74

OR: 76

Rating: 4.87

Attendance: 10042

Best segment: Discussion between Mick Foley and New Jack (90)

Worst segment: Hardcore Japanese ambush Malice (61)

Best match: (tie) Road Warriors over Kronik; Jeff Jarrett over Marcus Bagwell (78)

[LoveMuscle]

Wednesday, August 20, 2003

TNA Total Nonstop Action

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, TNA fans, and welcome to another edition of Total Nonstop Action! I’m Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake. Bart, it’s good to see you.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven. I can’t wait for tonight’s show, featuring the quarterfinals of the X division tournament!

Kavovit: Last week, we wrapped up the first round, and now we're down to just eight men. The winner of the tournament will face TAKA Michinoku for the X title at Gauntlet For The Gold.

Snake: We should have some really good matches tonight. Jody Fleisch will be taking on Charlie Haas, and Haas' partner, Crash Holly, will be facing Super Crazy.

Kavovit: Besides Super Crazy, Steve Corino also has Ultimo Dragon in the tournament, and tonight he faces Sonny Siaki.

Snake: Similarly, besides Siaki, Vince Russo also has Low-Ki, and he'll be challenged by Psychosis.

Kavovit: But now, let's check out this footage shot earlier today.

On the video screen, we see Haas Of Pain watching a videotape of Super Crazy's first-round match against Jun Akiyama. Crash Holly says there's no way Super Crazy will do any of those moves on him and confidently predicts a victory tonight.

OR: 74

Steve Corino and Super Crazy come to the ring for their match. Corino says that Crash Holly shouldn't be so quick to dismiss Super Crazy. Corino promises tonight we'll see something from Super Crazy that nobody's seen in a long time.

OR: 78

X Tourmanent, quarterfinals: Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Crash Holly (with Charlie Haas): This was an incredible match that the crowd was initially quiet for, but they started to come around as the action picked up. Both sides had control of the match at various points throughout the first 12 minutes, but then Super Crazy took control. Crazy signals to the crowd, and then hits a Space Flying Tiger Bomb! Haas' eyes bulge and his jaw drops at that move, while the fans start chanting "TNA". Crazy hits the Trifecta Moonsault, which was pretty much unnecessary after the other move. Haas tries to get into the ring to break up the pin, but Corino grabbed his ankle to prevent that, and Super Crazy advances to the semifinals.

Winner: Super Crazy

OR: 79

CR: 69

MQ: 90

Commissioner Mick Foley makes his way to the ring as the announcers speculate which five men will be added to the Gauntlet For The Gold this week.

Foley: Thank you. I'm going to keep this short today, because I've got a lot of work to do researching the possibilities of meeting New Jack's request. Tonight's five entrants into the Gauntlet For The Gold are the man just eliminated from the X tournament, Crash Holly; three wrestlers eliminated from the tournament last week - Perry Saturn, Brian Lawler, and Piloto Suicida; and last but not least, Jeff Jarrett. Have a nice …

Cyrus' music cuts Foley off, and Cyrus comes out from backstage.

Cyrus: Foley, you've got to get New Jack under control! Did you see what him and the Hardcore Japanese did on XPlosion last Friday? They cost Kronik a match they were firmly in control of, and they assaulted Malice for no reason whatsoever.

Foley: Now, calm down. I …

Cyrus: Calm down! Are you for real? Look, I want New Jack out of here. I can't stand him any more.

Foley: Now look, New Jack already asked for a Loser Leaves Town match and I told him, just like I'm telling you now, that I can't do that.

Cyrus: Well, you can't have him come running in on every one of my guys' matches. This is all your fault, Foley, and it's your job to make things right.

OR: 79

Backstage, we see Piloto Suicida and Ultimo Dragon congratulating Super Crazy on his victory. Steve Corino says that the Space Flying Tiger Bomb was as cool a move as he has ever seen. Corino then tells Ultimo Dragon that now it's his turn to show the fans what he can do against Sonny Siaki.

OR: 89

Sonny Siaki and Vince Russo hit the ring first, and Siaki reminds us that regardless of how this tournament ends up, the belt is staying with Sports Entertainment Xtreme. He then says that he's going to squash Ultimo Dragon like a little lizard.

OR: 83

X Tournament, quarterfinal: Ultimo Dragon (with Steve Corino) vs. Sonny Siaki (with Vince Russo): If wrestling was a game of "can you top this," this match did exactly that to the first one. The fans were still fired up over the first match, and then these two come out and put on a great match for them. Awesome back-and-forth action, and just when it seems like Dragon is in control for good, Russo would interfere to turn the tide. Corino becomes increasingly frustrated by Russo's interference, but the referee prevents him from doing anything about it. Eventually, it's just too much for Dragon to overcome, and Siaki pins him after a Siakalypse.

Winner: Sonny Siaki

OR: 81

CR: 72

MQ: 91

Charlie Haas comes to the ring with Crash Holly. Holly still looks a little shaken from his match earlier tonight. Haas says that he will beat Jody Fleisch to advance in the tournament, and he's going to carry the banner for Haas Of Pain.

OR: 72

(Charlie Haas gained in over from 63 to 66.)

X Tournament, quarterfinal: Jody Fleisch vs. Charlie Haas (with Crash Holly): This one wasn't quite at the level of the first two, but it was still very good. The crowd is even hotter though, which adds to the match. Fleisch is more experienced in X-division matches, though, and that really shows through here. Fleisch gets control late in the match and finishes Haas off with a Phoenix 720 DDT.

Winner: Jody Fleisch

OR: 81

CR: 74

MQ: 88

Low-Ki hits the ring with Vince Russo. He reiterates what Sonny Siaki said about the X title earlier, and in fact Low-Ki isn't worried at all about Psychosis. He's looking ahead to his semifinal match-up this Friday with Super Crazy.

OR: 79

X Tournament, quarterfinal: Psychosis vs. Low-Ki (with Vince Russo): Perhaps Low-Ki should have been more concerned about Psychosis, as he gives him a great match. Psychosis controls from the start, and the fans are solidly behind him. Psychosis signals for the Sky Twister Press, and Russo knows he has to act. While the referee checks on Low-Ki, Russo pushes Psychosis off the top rope. Low-Ki recovers - Ki-Krusher! That's enough to get the pin.

Winner: Low-Ki

OR: 82

CR: 73

MQ: 91

OR: 79

Rating: 2.00

Attendance: 10002

Best segment: Interview with Steve Corino and Ultimo Dragon (89)

Worst segment: Interview with Charlie Haas (72)

Best match: Low-Ki over Psychosis (82)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, August 22, 2003

Those were some very fine X division matches on Wednesday. Every one of them was a shining example of what the X division is all about - great matches.

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 will see the semifinals of the X division tournament.

Morales: It started with 16 men, and now we're down to the final four. Tonight, Low-Ki will face Super Crazy and Jody Fleisch will do battle with Sonny Siaki.

Williams: Those should be great matches. Also, Sabu will defend his Hardcore title against Marcus Bagwell. Right now, let's hear from Steve Corino, who is standing by with Sabu and Super Crazy to talk about their matches.

Backstage, we see Steve Corino with Sabu and Super Crazy in the background. Corino first talks about Crazy's match against Low-Ki, saying that Vince Russo's interference last week cost Ultimo Dragon his shot, and tonight he'll do everything he can to keep Russo from screwing Super Crazy as well. But up first is Sabu and his Hardcore title match against Marcus Bagwell. Corino says Bagwell obviously doesn't have too much experience in these kind of matches because he's too much of a pretty boy. Corino says Sabu might rearrange Bagwell's good looks. Throughout the whole interview, Sabu keeps pointing up to the ceiling, and Super Crazy keeps looking up but, not seeing anything, keeps shrugging and signaling that Sabu is crazy as well.

OR: 77

NWA Hardcore title match: Sabu © (with Steve Corino) vs. Marcus Bagwell: Sabu enters the ring with a chair and Bagwell promptly gets out. What did he expect in a Hardcore match? This one's pretty much all Sabu. He gets Bagwell laid out on a table at ringside and then climbs to the top rope. Moonsault! That's more than enough to score the pin right there on the floor. Steven Richards comes out with his Singapore cane and gets in the ring, daring Sabu to enter. He does, and a brief brawl is on! Richards quickly runs to the back, leaving Sabu and Corino still wanting more of him.

Winner: Sabu

OR: 65

CR: 69

MQ: 78

(Marcus Bagwell dropped in over from 76 to 75. The NWA Hardcore title gained in image from 66 to 68.)

X Tournament, semifinal: Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Low-Ki (with Vince Russo): If you thought Wednesday's matches were something, check this one out. Awesome is not a strong enough word to describe this match. The fast-paced action only slows down when Russo cheats to give Low-Ki the advantage. Corino has learned from Ultimo Dragon's loss two days ago, so when the referee has his back to him, he cheats to help Super Crazy regain the advantage. Russo goes nuts, and the fans eat it up. Crazy hits the Trifecta Moonsault, but Russo is there to put Low-Ki's foot on the ropes, and points this out to the referee to break up the count. A few minutes later, Low-Ki nails Crazy with the Ki-Krusher, but this time it's Corino who puts Crazy's foot on the ropes to break up the pinfall. Low-Ki has had enough of this foolishness, and decides to play it safe this time. Dragon Clutch! Low-Ki's got it locked on in the middle of the ring, and Corino can do nothing about it. Crazy taps out, and Low-Ki advances to the finals.

Winner: Low-Ki

OR: 75

CR: 75

MQ: 94

Sonny Siaki joins Low-Ki and Vince Russo in the ring. Low-Ki says that their plan is nearly complete, and now it's up to Siaki to wrap things up. Siaki reminds us that Fleisch stole the X title from him several months ago, and he'll never forget that. Tonight will just be a small measure of revenge.

OR: 88

X Tournament, semifinal: Jody Fleisch vs. Sonny Siaki (with Vince Russo): Another great match between these two. Unlike the first semifinal, Fleisch doesn't have anyone in his corner to offset Russo's interference. You'd think the referees would be onto him by now, but I guess it's not meant to be. Fleisch is very aware of Russo's tricks, and for the most part stays away from his side of the ring. However, when Russo climbs up on the apron and starts yelling at Fleisch, he just can't control himself any more. He grabs Russo and signals to the crowd that he's going to deck him … but Siaki charges from behind. Fleisch moves, and Siaki hits Russo! As Russo hits the floor, Fleisch rolls up Siaki and gets a quick pin! Low-Ki comes charging out of the back, but Fleisch is out of the ring. Low-Ki points at Fleisch and says he'll see him next week.

Winner: Jody Fleisch

OR: 77

CR: 82

MQ: 91

Commissioner Mick Foley comes to the ring to make some announcements.

Foley: Hello, Nashville! We're just nine days away from Gauntlet For The Gold, and there's still ten open spots. So now I'll name five of those, and the final five next Wednesday on Total Nonstop Action. It's pretty simple - they're the last five people eliminated from the X tournament: Psychosis, Charlie Haas, Ultimo Dragon, Sonny Siaki, and Super Crazy. Now, on to something else. For more than a week I've been trying to come up with something, some kind of match, that would settle things between The Virus and the Hardcore Japanese, and I think I've come up with a workable solution. So what I'd like to have right now is for Cyrus and New Jack come out here right now.

New Jack comes out first to a sizeable pop, and then Cyrus comes out as well, cautiously eyeballing New Jack.

Foley: Come on, Cyrus, New Jack won't hurt you right now. He wants to hear what I've got to say as much as you do. You see, we're already going to have the two rings set up side-by-side for the Gauntlet For The Gold match. So here's what we're going to do. On one side of the ring, it will be the team of New Jack, Masato Tanaka, Ebessan, and Akira Taue. On the other side will be the team of Malice, Jamal, and Kronik, Brian Adams and Bryan Clark. Both rings will be surrounded by an enclosed steel cage. The two teams will fight with no rules and no holds barred. The only way to win is to make a member of the other team submit.

Cyrus: That sounds like Wargames.

Foley: That's exactly what I'm describing!

New Jack: And it's Loser Leaves Town, too, right?

Foley: I told you I couldn't do that.

New Jack: So what's the purpose? We make them quit, and a week later they'll still be interfering in our matches.

Cyrus: Wait a minute, my guys aren't going to quit. It's your guys who are the quitters.

Foley: Now hold on …

Suddenly, Vince Russo's music hits, and he comes out to join the argument. In his hand is a piece of paper.

New Jack: What the hell are you doing out here? This doesn't concern you.

Russo: I've got the solution to all your problems right here. I was saving this for a rainy day, but I figured I could offer it up right now for a pretty good price.

Russo offers the paper to Foley, but Russo pulls it back when Foley reaches out to take it.

Russo: Oh, no. It's going to cost you, Mick.

Foley: What do you want, Vince?

Russo: I've got three of my guys in the Gauntlet For The Gold. Bill Goldberg is going to be the 30th entrant, and I want my guys to be 27th through 29th.

Foley: No way, Vince. I'm not going to ruin the integrity of that match.

Russo: OK, fine.

Russo turns and starts walking away.

Foley: Wait a minute, Vince. If what you've got is as good as you say it is, I'll see to it that your three guys are all in the 20s. That's the best I can do.

Russo thinks about it for a moment, and then unfolds the paper.

Russo: In my hand is a court order signed several months ago. It further clarifies the earlier ruling on Loser Leaves Town matches. It says that if both sides agree to the stipulation, then the commissioner is allowed to make a Loser Leaves Town match between those parties.

Foley: Great! Cyrus, do you agree?

Cyrus: You bet I do!

Foley: New Jack?

New Jack: Hell, yeah! I've been waiting for this a long time.

Foley: Then it's settled. It will be Wargames, and the losing team is gone from TNA! And that is final! Have a nice day!

OR: 90

(Cyrus gained in over from 80 to 82.)

OR: 76

Rating: 4.87

Attendance: 10034

Best segment: Mick Foley schedules Wargames at GFTG (90)

Worst segment: Sabu over Marcus Bagwell (65)

Best match: Jody Fleisch over Sonny Siaki (77)

[LoveMuscle]

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

Last Friday, Vince Russo suffered a back injury when he was knocked to the floor and he'll be out of action until the end of September. Russo was able to walk out and deliver his lines at the end of the show, but was complaining about the injury immediately after the show. A thorough examination by the medics showed the severity of the injury. Fortunately, he'll only be out about five weeks. Still, he's enough of a major character that I'll need to explain his absence on television.

TNA Total Nonstop Action

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, TNA fans, and welcome to the final edition of Total Nonstop Action! I’m Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake. Bart, it’s good to see you.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven. Tonight’s show is special for many reasons besides being the final episode. Tonight we have the finals of the X division tournament!

Kavovit: Jody Fleisch will be taking on Low-Ki, and the winner will face TAKA Michinoku for the X title this Sunday at Gauntlet For The Gold.

Snake: Also, since commissioner Mick Foley wanted us to go out with a bang, tonight's main event features Bill Goldberg defending the World title against Sting.

Kavovit: Speaking of commissioner Foley, tonight he will name the final five participants in the Gauntlet For The Gold match.

Snake: But last Friday on XPlosion, Foley made a match at Gauntlet For The Gold between The Virus and the Hardcore Japanese. Let's take a look.

On the video screen, we see highlights of Foley making the match last Friday. Spliced in with the video is footage of the cage being constructed for Wargames. As Foley names off the competitors for each side, we see their faces on the screen.

OR: 73

(Akira Taue gained in over from 53 to 54.)

The cameras cut to the locker room, where Haas Of Pain is discussing their losses in the X tournament last week. They decide that they'd rather be in tag team matches like tonight, where they're really going to make a name for themselves by beating the Road Warriors.

OR: 79

(Crash Holly gained in over from 70 to 71. Charlie Haas gained in over from 68 to 71.)

Steven Richards comes to the ring with a microphone. He says he's ready to prove to everyone that he's hardcore, but Sabu isn't here tonight. So he challenges anyone in the back to come out and face him in a Hardcore match. Some music plays, and a challenger comes out.

OR: 77

(Steven Richards gained in over from 66 to 67.)

Hardcore match: Anthony Durante vs. Steven Richards: I think the fans were expecting someone a little better than Durante, so they were disappointed. This one is your standard Hardcore brawl, but pretty much Richards controls the match. Unusual Hardcore item of the night: a frying pan, which Richards uses to knock out Durante to score the pin. Why in the world was there a frying pan under the ring?

Winner: Steven Richards

OR: 63

CR: 64

MQ: 77

Backstage, an interviewer knocks on Sports Entertainment Xtreme's dressing room door, and Low-Ki answers. She asks to speak to Vince Russo, but Low-Ki tells us that last Friday Vince Russo screwed up Sonny Siaki's semifinal match against Jody Fleisch. Low-Ki reminds us that SEX doesn't tolerate any screw-ups anymore, so Vince Russo got taught a lesson about screwing up, just like Scott Hall. So tonight, Low-Ki has to clean up Russo's mess and finish the job that Siaki started.

OR: 88

Road Warriors vs. Haas Of Pain: A surprisingly good contest, as Haas Of Pain somehow is able to keep the Road Warriors on the mat. There may have been some cheating involved, but surely the referee didn't see it, or else he would have called for a disqualification. But in the end, the Road Warriors have too much power. Hawk hits the Doomsday Device on Holly, and Animal scores the pin.

Winner: Road Warriors

OR: 70

CR: 74

MQ: 83

Cyrus is standing by backstage with Bill Goldberg. He reminds us of the last time Goldberg fought Sting for the title, and it was the greatest match in the history of TNA. So good, in fact, that they are reprising that match tonight on the final edition of Total Nonstop Action. Cyrus says that just like their first meeting, Goldberg will win.

OR: 82

Meanwhile, in another part of the building, Sting says that he's waited a long time for this match. He plans on winning the belt tonight, and then becoming the 30th entrant into the Gauntlet For The Gold in four days, where he will successfully defend the title. Hey, first things first, pal.

OR: 98

X Tournament finals: Jody Fleisch vs. Low-Ki: The announcers talk about what Low-Ki said about Russo as Low-Ki walks to the ring alone. Fleisch comes out to a nice pop from the crowd, and from the opening bell the action takes off. It's a great match, with both men pulling out all the stops. Fleisch wants the title shot, and Low-Ki doesn't want him to get the title shot. It looks like it's going to come down to which one wants it more, and in that case, the answer is Jody Fleisch. He eventually wears down Low-Ki and nails the Phoenix 720 DDT to score the pin. Suddenly, TAKA Michinoku hits the ring. Michinoku Driver! Low-Ki is up to his feet by now, and he tells TAKA to give him another one, so he does.

Winner: Jody Fleisch

OR: 78

CR: 83

MQ: 92

Mick Foley comes to the ring as the announcers try to figure out who's left on the roster that's not already in the Gauntlet match.

Foley: Wow, what a conclusion to that X Tournament! I think we should give a round of applause to not only the winner, Jody Fleisch, but to all 16 competitors for all the outstanding matches they put on. Yeah! Now then, tonight's the night I'm supposed to name the final five people who will be competing in the Gauntlet For The Gold. I suppose many of you are expecting Low-Ki to enter the match, since others have been entered as they lost out of the X Tournament. However, Low-Ki will not be in the Gauntlet because him and B.G. James will be defending the Tag Team titles against the Road Warriors! So here's what I'm going to do. Earlier tonight you saw a highlight package about the little Wargames match I made for Gauntlet For The Gold last Friday. Already the stipulation is that the losing team is gone from TNA. I'm going to add another stipulation - all four members of the winning team will be entered into the Gauntlet For The Gold! So that takes care of four of the final five names. The fifth name is one that's familiar to you all, and I just found out that he'll be back from his tour of Europe in time for that match. The last entrant is the man who won the first Gauntlet For The Gold, Ken Shamrock! Thank you, and have a nice day!

OR: 91

NWA World title match: Sting vs. Bill Goldberg © (with Cyrus): The fans are totally into this match. After several minutes of back-and-forth action, Sting is firmly in control. He hits a Stinger Splash and signals to the crowd that it's time for the Scorpion Death Lock. Cyrus is up on the apron to distract Sting, which is surprisingly successful. Goldberg recovers and is ready for the Spear. Sting turns around - Spear! Goldberg hits a Jackhammer to score the pin. Cyrus gets in the ring and, along with Goldberg, starts putting the boots to Sting. Suddenly, the crowd goes really wild, and a man wearing blue jeans comes out of the crowd and into the ring. It's Ken Shamrock! Shamrock hits Goldberg with several right hands and then clotheslines him out of the ring. Cyrus gets out before Shamrock can catch him. The announcers are going nuts as Goldberg and Shamrock point at each other to end the final show of Total Nonstop Action.

Winner: Bill Goldberg

OR: 79

CR: 92

MQ: 79

(Bill Goldberg gained in over from 88 to 89.)

OR: 79

Rating: 2.00

Attendance: 10050

Best segment: Interview with Sting (98)

Worst segment: Steven Richards over Anthony Durante (63)

Best match: Bill Goldberg over Sting (79)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, August 29, 2003

That's two straight shows that have been "one of those days." It's especially disappointing that the final show on DirectTV would be like that.

Charlie Haas joined the long list of workers to complain about Road Warrior Hawk being too stiff and reckless.

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 are just two days away from the Gauntlet For The Gold! All 30 participants have been chosen and I'm sure they're ready to go.

Morales: On Wednesday, the final edition of Total Nonstop Action, Jody Fleisch won the X-division tournament and will be taking on TAKA Michinoku for the X title this Sunday. Also, we found out that the Road Warriors will challenge B.G. James and Low-Ki for the Tag Team titles.

Williams: And don't forget commissioner Mick Foley's big announcement on this program last week. This Sunday it will be The Virus against the Hardcore Japanese in Wargames, and the losing team will have to leave TNA.

Morales: But tonight it isn't Mick Foley who has a big announcement to make, and I'll tell you right now. Starting next week, XPlosion is moving to prime time!

Williams: Now that is big news!

Morales: But back to wrestling. As we said earlier, the Road Warriors will be challenging Low-Ki and B.G. James for the Tag Team titles, and earlier today we got this message from the champions.

On the video screen, we see B.G. James and Low-Ki with the Tag Team title belts over their shoulders. They say they don't believe that the Road Warriors deserve a shot at their belts, so tonight they're going to make them prove it. They challenge the Road Warriors to face Sonny Siaki and TAKA Michinoku tonight!

OR: 82

The camera cuts to commissioner Mick Foley's office, where he's busily writing something until Steven Richards walks in.

Richards: Did you see me beat Anthony Durante on Wednesday?

Foley: Yes I did, it was fairly impressive.

Richards: So do I get my Hardcore title shot tonight?

Foley: No, Johnny Smith has a title shot tonight. But I'll tell you what, Steven. You stay out of that match - don't get involved in any way - and you can have a Hardcore title shot this Sunday at Gauntlet For The Gold against whoever wins.

Richards: Thank you, Mick. It's about damn time.

OR: 81

(Steven Richards gained in over from 67 to 68. Sabu gained in over from 70 to 72.)

NWA Hardcore title match: Sabu © (with Steve Corino) vs. Johnny Smith: A surprisingly good match, it turned out better than everyone expected. Well, except for the fans, who really don't seem to care much for Sabu. It's an intense brawl with sone really stiff weapon shots. Finally, Sabu gets control and finishes off a game Johnny Smith with an Arabian Facebuster for the pin.

Winner: Sabu

OR: 75

CR: 61

MQ: 89

(The NWA Hardcore title has gained in image from 66 to 68.)

Alicia and Ken Shamrock come down to the ring. They talk about how great it is to be back in the TNA Asylum. Ken reminds everyone that he's undefeated in the Gauntlet For The Gold, and Alicia says that he'll win the title again this year.

OR: 90

(Alicia Shamrock gained in over from 76 to 79.)

Ken Shamrock (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Shane Douglas: This one is another good match, but features a lot of Douglas taunting Alicia whenever he gets the advantage. Finally, Ken snaps and places Douglas in the Ankle Lock. Douglas taps out, but Ken won't release the hold. Ken tells Douglas to apologize to Alicia, and Ken finally releases the Ankle Lock after he does.

Winner: Ken Shamrock

OR: 80

CR: 79

MQ: 81

Road Warriors vs. TAKA Michinoku & Sonny Siaki: The announcers tell the audience who didn't see Wednesday's show that apparently Low-Ki has taught Vince Russo a lesson for his repeated screw-ups, and that's why Russo isn't at ringside tonight. Amazingly, the SEX team carries the Road Warriors to a very good match, even though the Road Warriors seem to be firmly in control. That comes to an end as Animal signals for the Doomsday Device. B.G. James and Low-Ki come through the curtain and begin assaulting the Road Warriors, drawing a DQ from the referee. Jody Fleisch hits the ring and starts battling with TAKA Michinoku before Sports Entertainment Xtreme leaves the ring and Fleisch high-fives the Road Warriors.

Winner: Road Warriors by disqualification

OR: 84

CR: 80

MQ: 89

OR: 82

Rating: 4.87

Attendance: 10015

Best segment: Interview with Alicia Shamrock and Ken Shamrock (90)

Worst segment: Sabu over Johnny Smith (75)

Best match: Road Warriors over Sonny Siaki & TAKA Michinoku (84)

[LoveMuscle]

Sunday, August 31, 2003

On Saturday I received a phone call from Ross Hart, the owner of Stampede Wrestling of Calgary. He wanted me to come to his company and take them to the top, just like I've done with NWA: TNA. They're currently at a regional level, but are more than a quarter of a million dollars in debt and don't really have the kind of talent that we currently have here, so I passed up the offer.

This month's pay-per-view brings us to The Pyramid in Memphis, a short three-hour drive from our home in Nashville. The workers are all pumped up for this show, and we can only hope that it isn't "one of those days."

TNA Gauntlet For The Gold

Hosts: Jeff Morales and Bart Snake

Morales: Hello, TNA fans, we’re live from The Pyramid in Memphis, Tennessee, and this is the Gauntlet For The Gold! 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 is the 30-man Gauntlet For The Gold, with the winner being named the new World Champion. As the current champion, Bill Goldberg is automatically awarded the 30th spot in the match, and an earlier agreement between commissioner Mick Foley and Vince Russo will result in Disco Inferno, Sonny Siaki, and Konnan all entering no earlier than 20th.

Snake: Also tonight, TAKA Michinoku will defend his X title against Jody Fleisch. Fleisch won a 16-man tournament to crown a No. 1 contender for the X title, and tonight he gets his title match.

Morales: Also, B.G. James and Low-Ki will be defending their Tag Team titles against the Road Warriors.

Snake: Steven Richards will be challenging Sabu for the Hardcore title in our first match, but what about Wargames between the Hardcore Japanese and The Virus?

Morales: You can see the steel cave suspended over the two rings that those eight men will be competing in. The loser of that match will no longer work for this company, so there's as much on the line in that match as any tonight.

Snake: All throughout the afternoon and early evening, the entrants for the Gauntlet For The Gold have been drawing their numbers out of a hopper. Check out this footage from earlier today when the drawings began.

On the video screen, we see Mick Foley standing in front of a cylinder filled with ten balls as Foley explains the procedure to a crowd of wrestlers. He reminded everyone of his agreement with Vince Russo, so he invites Konnan, Sonny Siaki, and Disco Inferno to come draw first. He says these balls only contain numbers 20 through 29. After they draw, he dumps a bag containing the first 19 numbers into the bin and spins it around a couple of times before other wrestlers start to draw numbers.

OR: 86

NWA Hardcore title match: Sabu © (with Steve Corino) vs. Steven Richards: Richards takes the advantage early as the two brawl from one ring to the other, onto the floor, and into the stands. At one point, Richards gets Sabu positioned half in and half out of one ring. After dropping a knee on Sabu's head, he leaves the ringside area as the announcers wonder where he's going. The camera crew follows him to the production area, where he slaps one of the tech guys and grabs some control device. He pushes a button, and the cage starts to lower from the ceiling! Corino realizes what will happen to Sabu if the cage comes all the way down with him on the ring apron like that, so he pulls him to the floor. By the time Richards realizes what has happened, the cage is only about six feet from the ring apron. By the time he gets back to ringside, Sabu is up and ready to fight some more. Sabu whips Richards into the ropes, but the back of his head hits the bottom of the cage. Oh, the irony. Richards goes to the floor. Sabu dives over the top rope, grabbing the bottom of the cage with his hands, which allow his feet to swing freely and kick Richards. Sabu climbs up the outside of the cage … Moonsault! That's enough for Sabu to score the pinfall on the floor. A good match with some innovative spots.

Winner: Sabu

OR: 72

CR: 64

MQ: 81

(The NWA Hardcore title has gained in image from 68 to 70.)

While the ring crew finishes lowering the cage and preparing it for Wargames, the camera crew cuts to Cyrus' locker room. He's getting his guys prepared for their big match. He says that after tonight they will never have to worry about New Jack and the Hardcore Japanese ever again. He reminds them that after they win, they'll have to get ready to help Bill Goldberg defend the World title in the Gauntlet For The Gold. Goldberg says he doesn't need anyone's help and walks out of the room. Cyrus tells Malice, Jamal, and Kronik that they have to remember to stick to the game plan.

OR: 100

(Cyrus gained in over from 86 to 90. Bill Goldberg gained in over from 89 to 92.)

Wargames: New Jack, Ebessan, Masato Tanaka & Akira Taue vs. Bryan Clark, Brian Adams, Jamal & Malice (with Cyrus): New Jack starts against Malice. They brawl for five minutes, when the coin flip is won by - surprise! - The Virus. Bryan Clark enters and it's 2-on-1 for two minutes until Masato Tanaka evens it up. The Hardcore Japanese get the advantage until Jamal comes in to give his team a numbers advantage. Akira Taue enters to even the numbers. Brian Adams is the last to enter for his team, and then finally Ebessan gets to enter. The announcers remind us that the only way to win is to make someone from the other team submit. The teams continue to brawl for 12 minutes after Ebessan enters the match. By that time, everyone is bleeding. New Jack's bleeding the worst, but that's pretty much expected. Malice rams Taue's head into one of the turnbuckles at the same time that New Jack tosses Clark into that side of the cage, and one of the tie-downs in the corner comes loose. Cyrus takes advantage of this small opening and slides a chair through the gap between the ring apron and the bottom of the cage. Adams has the chair, and he rears back to swing with all his might to strike Ebessan. He swings … but the chair hits the top of the cage! Adams drops the chair and starts shaking his hands. Tanaka grabs the chair and hits Adams with it! Sometimes, being short has its advantages. He smacks Jamal about half a dozen times with the chair while Ebessan, Taue, and New Jack keep Kronik and Malice busy in the other ring. Finally, Jamal has had enough, and calls it quits. A violent bloodfest that's a throwback to the early Wargames matches.

Winner: Hardcore Japanese

OR: 71

CR: 64

MQ: 78

While the cage is being raised and the ring cleaned up, the camera cuts to Sports Entertainment Xtreme's locker room. Low-Ki appears to have taken over as the leader while Russo is out. He pumps up TAKA Michinoku for his X title match, Konnan, Sonny Siaki, and Disco Inferno for the Gauntlet match, and finally he tells B.G. James that now it's time for them to defend the Tag Team titles.

OR: 100

(Low-Ki gained in over from 77 to 78.)

Backstage, Mick Foley is next to the bin as the still-bleeding Hardcore Japanese draw the last four balls for the Gauntlet match. Foley wishes them good luck and tells them to go see a trainer before the match. Suddenly, Shane Douglas arrives, carrying his bag. He says something about being late and then notices that all the balls have already been taken out of the bin. Foley says he drew a number for Douglas and pulls a ball out of his pocket. He hands it to Douglas, who looks at it and gets angry suddenly. Foley just laughs and walks away.

OR: 84

NWA Tag Team title match: Road Warriors vs. B.G. James & Low-Ki ©: A good match, and the crowd is really into it as well. Solid back-and-forth action, but Low-Ki adds in an element of speed and mat wrestling that the Road Warriors can't match. Both Low-Ki and B.G. James hit their finishing moves, but the Road Warriors always manage to kick out of the pin. Finally, in an act of desperation, James grabs the timekeeper's bell and nails Hawk behind the referee's back. Low-Ki makes the cover, and James holds Hawk's foot just to make sure he doesn't kick out.

Winner: Road Warriors

OR: 83

CR: 82

MQ: 85

(The NWA Tag Team titles have gained in image from 78 to 80.)

NWA X title match: Jody Fleisch vs. TAKA Michinoku ©: Excellent match, which we've come to expect after the X tournament. The announcers point out that while Fleisch was having to battle his way through the tournament, TAKA wasn't having to wrestle and is the fresher of the two. Sure enough, after about 25 minutes TAKA gets the advantage and finishes off Fleisch with the Michinoku Driver.

Winner: TAKA Michinoku

OR: 87

CR: 81

MQ: 93

(The NWA X title has gained in image from 83 to 85.)

Gauntlet For The Gold: Norman Smiley (Entry #1) is out first, followed by Shane Douglas (Entry #2). That’s why he was so upset at Foley! Douglas pretty much controls the early part, but Smiley makes a comeback, and even takes time to do a Big Wiggle. Out next is Charlie Haas (Entry #3), and he teams with Douglas to get Smiley almost out of the ring, when a heavily bandaged New Jack (Entry #4) hits the ring to make the save. Piloto Suicida (Entry #5) enters one ring, while in the other Shane Douglas tosses Norman Smiley (Elimination #1). Anthony Durante (Entry #6) goes for the first ring and starts battling with Charlie Haas. Surprisingly, in the second ring, Piloto Suicida tosses New Jack (Elimination #2). I guess he got some payback for how New Jack roughed him up in his TNA debut. While Suicida gloats over tossing New Jack, Duglas sneaks up behind him and tosses him on top of New Jack (Elimination #3). Johnny Smith (Entry #7) hits the ring, but adds nothing. Crash Holly (Entry #8) joins the match, and right away helps his regular tag-team partner, Haas, eliminate Durante (Elimination #4). Masato Tanaka (Entry #9) joins the match, and all the heels jump him. Chris Chetti (Entry #10) looks like he might help Tanaka, so Haas Of Pain quickly toss him (Elimination #5). Better assistance arrives in the form of Curt Hennig (Entry #11). Douglas tries to go to the second ring, but Hennig catches him in the middle and tosses him to the floor (Elimination #6), which no doubt brings a smile to commissioner Foley’s face. Jun Akiyama (Entry #12) joins the fray as the action picks up. The fan interest picks up when Sting’s name is announced (Entry #13). Sting tosses Johnny Smith (Elimination #7), while Haas Of Pain team up again to eliminate Hennig (Elimination #7). Gangrel (Entry #14) joins Sting in the second ring as Tanaka throws Akiyama from the first ring (Elimination #9). Ultimo Dragon (Entry #15) joins the fight as Sting tosses Gangrel (Elimination #10). Several minutes pass without an elimination, but with the additions of Osamu Nishimura (Entry #16), Perry Saturn (Entry #17), and Brian Lawler (Entry #18). As the announcers start tracking who’s left, reminding us that SEX won’t appear until at least #20, Haas Of Pain once again teams up to eliminate Nishimura (Elimination #11). Akira Taue (Entry #19) comes out, and immediately finds himself in the same ring as Tanaka and Haas Of Pain. The two teams are alone in that ring, trying to settle things amongst themselves. Psychosis (Entry #20) joins the other ring, as does Disco Inferno (Entry #21). In the first ring, Haas and Holly reverse the attempted Irish whips, and instead send Taue (Elimination #12) and Tanaka (Elimination #13) over the top rope. Ultimo Dragon transitions to their ring, as does Damien 666 (Entry #22). In the second ring, Disco Inferno tosses Saturn (Elimination #14), while Sting does the honors on Lawler (Elimination #15). Marcus Bagwell (Entry #23) joins the first ring as Haas Of Pain claim another victim, this time Ultimo Dragon (Elimination #16). The crowd once again rises to their feet when Jeff Jarrett (Entry #24) is introduced. In case anyone was wondering if Sports Entertainment Xtreme holds grudges, Disco Inferno answers that question when he tosses Marcus Bagwell (Elimination #17). Haas Of Pain tosses Psychosis (Elimination #18), but he would prove to be their last victim tonight, as Jarrett and Sting combine to take out both Charlie Haas (Elimination #19) and Crash Holly (Elimination #20). Konnan (Entry #25) joins the second ring and helps Disco eliminate Damien 666 (Elimination #21). Sting and Jarrett square off against Disco and Konnan as Ebessan (Entry #26) enters the first ring. The fight continues and is subsequently joined by Ken Shamrock (Entry #27), Super Crazy (Entry #28), and Sonny Siaki (Entry #29). It takes all three members of SEX, but finally Sting is tossed (Elimination #22). The final competitor is the champion, Bill Goldberg (Entry #30). Jarrett and Shamrock combine to eliminate Konnan (Elimination #23), while Super Crazy does the task on Disco Inferno (Elimination #24). Goldberg claims his first victim of the night, tossing Ebessan (Elimination #25) and quick following up with Super Crazy (Elimination #26).

Final Four: Ken Shamrock, Jeff Jarrett, Bill Goldberg, and Sonny Siaki. Shamrock is paired up with Siaki in one ring, while Jarrett and Goldberg fight in the other. Like seemingly every other time they’ve been in the ring together, Goldberg comes out the victor, and this time is no different as he tosses Jarrett (Elimination # 27). Meanwhile, Shamrock tosses Siaki, but he holds on to the top rope and tries to “skin the cat.” Goldberg has now moved to that rig, and nails Shamrock with a Spear, which knocks him into Siaki and sends him to the floor (Elimination #28). Goldberg picks Shamrock up – Jackhammer! Goldberg easily pitches Shamrock over the top rope to successfully retain his title.

Winner: Bill Goldberg

OR: 75

CR: 69

MQ: 82

OR: 83

Buy rate: 1.97

Attendance: 20744

Best segment: (tie) Cyrus prepares The Virus; Low-Ki psyches up SEX (100)

Worst segment: Hardcore Japanese over The Virus (71)

Best match: TAKA Michinoku over Jody Fleisch (87)

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, September 1, 2003

Today we said goodbye to Malice, Jamal, Bryan Clark, and Brian Adams. I’d like to say they’d be missed, but then I’d just be lying to you.

Our sponsorship agreement with Stacker 2 came to an end, but the deal has been so beneficial to both parties, we quickly agreed to a new one with the same terms as the previous one.

After only drawing a crowd of 55 to their show last month, New Era Pro Wrestling as dropped to Backyard level and owner Ed Schmitt as left the company. Also, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and Jersey All Pro Wrestling have both gone bankrupt. We sign two workers from these promotions and send them to Japan for further development.

In other roster moves, Charlie Haas as been most impressive in his short time in TNA, and so we decide that he deserves a promotion from Lower Midcarder to Midcarder. Similarly, Jun Akiyama has been putting on some really good matches, so he too bets bumped up to the Midcard. After those two moves, 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 (99)

UPPER MIDCARD

Jeff Jarrett (85)

Curt Hennig (84)

Road Warrior Hawk (81)

Road Warrior Animal (78)

MIDCARDERS

Ken Shamrock (89)

Jody Fleisch (88)

Psychosis (80)

Super Crazy (80)

Masato Tanaka (79)

Ultimo Dragon (79)

Sabu (72)

Ebessan (70)

Norman Smiley (70)

Anthony Durante (65)

Damien 666 (63)

Chris Chetti (62)

Brian Lawler (71)

Bill Goldberg (92)

Scott Hall (89) {currently suspended}

TAKA Michinoku (84)

Low-Ki (83)

Sonny Siaki (80)

B.G. James (78)

Shane Douglas (77)

Disco Inferno (76)

Jun Akiyama (75)

Konnan (75)

Marcus Bagwell (75)

Crash Holly (73)

Charlie Haas (72)

Johnny Smith (68)

Steven Richards (68)

Gangrel (65)

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Perry Saturn (60)

Akira Taue (54)

OPENERS

Piloto Suicida (55)

Osamu Nishimura (48)

JOBBERS

none

MANAGERS

New Jack (83)

Steve Corino (83)

Alicia Shamrock (79)

Vince Russo (91) {injured}

Cyrus (90)

NON-WRESTLERS

Mick Foley (93)

TAG TEAMS {members} (experience)

Road Warriors {Road Warrior Hawk & Road Warrior Animal} (100)

Haas Of Pain {Charlie Haas & Crash Holly} (3)

The Hardcore Japanese {Ebessan & Masato Tanaka} (2)

TITLES (image) {current holder}

NWA World (87) {Bill Goldberg}

NWA X (85) {TAKA Michinoku}

NWA Tag Team (80) {B.G. James & Low-Ki}

NWA Hardcore (72) {Sabu}

Later this afternoon, I’ll meet with Steven Kavovit to find out if we’re getting anyone added from NWA Japan this month.

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, September 5, 2003

Strangely enough, after being gone less than a week, Ed Schmitt is back with New Era Pro Wrestling. I guess the situation there wasn't as bad as he thought.

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 will see two former Tag Team champions collide when The Hardcore Japanese take on Disco Inferno and Konnan.

Morales: Ebessan and Masato Tanaka defeated Disco and Konnan to win the titles, and now these two teams face off again tonight. Also, Sabu will be defending his Hardcore title against Perry Saturn.

Williams: And my format says that a bit later, Norman Smiley will be taking on Cyrus' mystery man. Who could that be?

Morales: After his team lost Wargames last Sunday, to my knowledge the only person he manages is the World champion, Bill Goldberg.

Williams: Well, I guess we'll find out if indeed it is Goldberg who will be facing Smiley, or if it's someone else.

Morales: But right now, Low-Ki and the X champion, TAKA Michinoku, are making their way to the ring.

Low-Ki: As you can see by the title belt around my waist, myself and B.G. James are still the Tag Team champions. Also, you can see that TAKA Michinoku is still the X-division champion. So what I'd like right now is for commissioner Mick Foley to come out here, because we have a special message for him.

After a few moments, Foley's music plays, and he joins Low-Ki and TAKA in the ring.

Low-Ki: As you can see, commissioner, TAKA is still the champion. You had your little tournament to find the top contender in all of TNA, and he failed to take the title from TAKA. So I think that right now you should just go ahead and retire the X title, since nobody in the X division has beaten him for his belt.

Foley: You're right about several things, Low-Ki. Yes, TAKA Michinoku did defeat Jody Fleisch at Gauntlet For The Gold. And yes, Fleisch did win the X tournament, which means that he was the best contender in TNA - at that time. However, since Sunday, I have been searching all over the world to find a new contender for TAKA's title, and I think I have just the man.

Low-Ki: Are you deaf, Foley? Nobody's beaten TAKA for his title, and nobody is going to. If there was anybody good enough to beat him, they would already be in TNA.

Foley: Actually, he was in TNA once, but lost a Loser Leaves Town match in February. I'm sure you remember those, Low-Ki, since you lost one yourself. But he's coming back for one reason - to take the X title. And there's nothing you can do about it. Have a nice …

Suddenly, Low-Ki and TAKA Michinoku jump Foley and start beating him up. Moments later, A.J. Styles comes through the curtain and heads straight for TAKA Michinoku! Foley starts to get the advantage on Low-Ki, and soon the two members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme leave the ring.

Foley: Take a good look, TAKA! Because this is the man who will beat you for your title at Autumn Ambush - A.J. Styles!

OR: 81

As the announcers talk about Styles' return to TNA, some unrecognized music plays and someone never seen before hits the ring.

Morgan: For those of you who don't know me, my name is Donovan Morgan! All around the world, every wrestler knows this is the place to come. If you're as good as you think, you can make a name for yourself here. So that's why I've come. I am universally recognized for excellence in the ring, and now it's time for the sports entertainment world to take notice of me. So if there's anyone in the back who wants to see excellence in action, come down to the ring right now.

OR: 73

Osamu Nishimura vs. Donovan Morgan: Morgan's debut against the lightly regarded Nishimura didn't draw much of a reaction from the fans. It's a very good match, some would even agree with Morgan that it's "excellent." Morgan makes short work of Nishimura, pinning him after a Double Underhook Piledriver.

Winner: Donovan Morgan

OR: 73

CR: 59

MQ: 87

Steve Corino comes out with Sabu. Corino says he's glad to finally be done with Steven Richards, so now Sabu can move on to bigger and better things. Tonight Sabu will be defending his title against Perry Saturn. They don't have any problems with Saturn, so may the best man win.

OR: 87

(Sabu gained in over from 72 to 73.)

NWA Hardcore title match: Sabu © (with Steve Corino) vs. Perry Saturn: Corino says they don't have an issue with Saturn, but you'd never know it from this match. Sabu seems to have reached a new level of viciousness since midway through his match against Steven Richards. Sabu gets Saturn stretched out on a table, then picks up a chair and climbs to the top rope. Arabian Facebuster! Sabu and Saturn both crash through the table. Corino cringes at that move as the referee counts the pinfall.

Winner: Sabu

OR: 71

CR: 57

MQ: 86

Norman Smiley comes out for his match as the announcers continue to speculate who his opponent may be. Smiley takes the microphone from the ring announcer and says it doesn't matter who Cyrus gets to wrestle him, he will fall victim to the Norman Conquest. He then asks if anyone wants to see a Big Wiggle. Smiley does the move as the fans cheer.

OR: 73

Cyrus comes out alone to his music.

Cyrus: Cut my music! Last Sunday, the four no-names I used to manage were defeated by the Hardcore Japanese. And good riddance! They never amounted to anything. I managed them to victories they couldn't imagine. I got them title shots they never would have had without me. My genius was wasted on them. But tonight I get to begin anew. Starting with the foundation of The Virus, the World champion, Bill Goldberg, I will form a new Virus that will soon have all of TNA at my command. Ladies and gentlemen, the newest member of The Virus, Jun Akiyama!

OR: 83

Norman Smiley vs. Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): I think Akiyama was a let-down to the crowd, as their boos died down when he stepped through the curtain. Akiyama has a reputation of losing good matches, so at least we do have something to work with. Cyrus aids Akiyama on several occasions throughout the match, including distracting Smiley near the end after he signals for the Norman Conquest. With his attention diverted, Smiley doesn't see Akiyama sneak up from behind. He turns around - Blue Thunder! Cyrus jumps up and down as the referee counts the pin.

Winner: Jun Akiyama

OR: 74

CR: 67

MQ: 82

Backstage, we see Disco Inferno and Konnan finish up preparations for their match. Konnan reminds Disco that tonight they get some revenge against the team that stole their titles.

OR: 74

New Jack hits the ring with The Hardcore Japanese. He tells the audience that last Sunday they got rid of a major thorn in their side. With that business taken care of, it's time to get back to other business, like regaining the Tag Team titles. So tonight they're going to go back to where it all began and beat Konnan and Discso Inferno, just like they did to win the titles in the first place.

OR: 87

(Ebessan gained in over from 70 to 71.)

The Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. Disco Inferno & Konnan: A surprisingly good match, as all four were really clicking tonight. The action goes back and forth to start, but eventually falls into the standard tag formula. Konnan and Disco work over Tanaka, preventing him from making the tag for several minutes. Eventually, he does make the hot tag, and Ebessan dominates both members of SEX. Ebessan hits the Ebessan Driver on Disco, and Tanaka prevents Konnan from breaking up the pin.

Winner: The Hardcore Japanese

OR: 77

CR: 71

MQ: 84

OR: 77

Rating: 8.00

Attendance: 10004

Best segment: (tie) Interview with Steve Corino and Sabu; Interview with New Jack and The Hardcore Japanese (87)

Worst segment: Sabu over Perry Saturn (71)

Best match: The Hardcore Japanese over Disco Inferno & Konnan (77)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, September 12, 2003

Konnan complained about Masato Tanaka working too stiff last week. Tanaka was issued a warning, but that's about all I can do about it for now, other than make sure they don't face each other for a while.

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 will see A.J. Styles in action for the first time since returning to TNA last week.

Morales: Our main event tonight features Curt Hennig against Steven Richards, who has recovered from his Hardcore match against Sabu nearly two weeks ago.

Williams: And speaking of Hardcore matches, Perry Saturn will be in one for the second straight week, this time against Konnan.

Morales: That match was set up earlier today by Sports Entertainment Xtreme, and we have this footage to show you.

On the video screen, we see all six of the active members of SEX hanging out in their dressing room. Low-Ki points out that they have the Tag Team titles and the X title, but they don't have the Hardcore title. He asks which person who doesn't have a belt wants to challenge for that, and all three - Disco Inferno, Sonny Siaki, and Konnan - all volunteer. Low-Ki decides Siaki is the least hardcore of the three, and since Disco was pinned last week, he doesn't deserve the opportunity. Konnan suggests that he start off where Sabu left off last week, with Perry Saturn.

OR: 99

(Konnan gained in over from 75 to 78. Low-Ki gained in over from 84 to 86.)

A.J. Styles vs. Brian Lawler: The crowd is pretty hyped up for Styles. It's a good match, typical of the X division. Lawler tries hard, but he just can't keep up with Styles. Styles scores the pin after the Styles Clash.

Winner: A.J. Styles

OR: 70

CR: 71

MQ: 86

The camera cuts backstage to the vending machines, where Alicia Shamrock is purchasing a soft drink. Out of nowhere, Cyrus approaches and tells her that Ken Shamrock was lucky Bill Goldberg didn't seriously injure him at Gauntlet For The Gold. Ken Shamrock then appears, stepping between Alicia and Cyrus. Cyrus backs away, and Ken pulls Alicia back towards their dressing room.

OR: 75

Konnan hits the ring for his Hardcore match with a microphone. Orale! Arriba la raza! Konnan cuts his standard interview, then tells Sabu to take notice because K-Dogg's the one who will be taking that Hardcore title from him.

OR: 82

Hardcore match: Perry Saturn vs. Konnan: This one isn't as wild as most Hardcore matches, but they do brawl at ringside for quite a while, using various weapons found under the ring. Does anyone know why there's always trashcans and stop signs under the ring? Are these necessary for putting the ring together and taking it apart? Konnan is pretty much in control for most of the match as the announcers point out that Saturn must still be feeling the effects of last week's match with Sabu. Konnan locks in the Tequila Sunrise and Saturn taps out - an unusual finish for a Hardcore match.

Winner: Konnan

OR: 66

CR: 67

MQ: 81

Curt Hennig hits the ring for the main event. He says last week he saw someone come out here and talk about how his matches were excellent. Hennig admits that his moves were excellent, but they weren't perfect. He tells Donovan Morgan to pay attention, because he's about to witness perfection.

OR: 84

Curt Hennig vs. Steven Richards: Despite Hennig's speech, this match was far from perfect, even though Hennig dominates Richards. Hennig lands the Hennig Plex, and the ref begins the count. However, Donovan Morgan is quickly in the ring with a chair, which he uses on Hennig's exposed stomach. The referee calls for the bell, signaling for a DQ. But that doesn't stop Morgan, who continues the assault on Hennig. Morgan sets up the chair and whips Hennig into the ropes … and then delivers a Drop Toe Hold, sending Hennig face first into the chair! Morgan plays to the crowd before leaving, as the camera zooms in on a bloodied Hennig.

Winner: Curt Hennig by disqualification

OR: 65

CR: 74

MQ: 73

As the announcers start to wrap up the show, Ken Shamrock's music plays, and he comes to the ring with Alicia. Ken says Alicia told him about what Cyrus said, so he's challenging Cyrus to bring someone out for a match right now!

OR: 86

(Ken Shamrock gained in over from 89 to 91.)

Cyrus comes out with Jun Akiyama and a microphone. He says he was simply telling Alicia the truth, but if Shamrock wants a match, Jun Akiyama would be glad to face him. Shamrock signals for him to bring it on, so Akiyama charges the ring.

OR: 90

(Jun Akiyama gained in over from 75 to 76.)

Ken Shamrock (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): They brawl for about a minute before a referee finally comes out and signals for the bell, making this an official match. They settle down into a fine technical match, which is very good for the brief time it occurred. But it doesn't last long. Shamrock is obviously in control, when Johnny Smith comes running down the aisle. He jumps in the ring and attacks Shamrock, and he and Akiyama begin a beatdown on Ken. Cyrus grabs Alicia and makes her watch the attack. The referee signals for a DQ and tries to break it up, but Smith tosses him over the top rope. After a couple of minutes, Cyrus releases Alicia and calls off the attack.

Winner: Ken Shamrock by disqualification

OR: 75

CR: 78

MQ: 90

Cyrus takes a microphone from the ring announcer and gets in the ring.

Cyrus: Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the newest member of The Virus, Johnny Smith!

OR: 88

OR: 80

Rating: 8.00

Attendance: 10033

Best segment: SEX decides Konnan should challenge for the Hardcore title (99)

Worst segment: Curt Hennig over Steven Richards (65)

Best match: Ken Shamrock over Jun Akiyama (75)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, September 19, 2003

Well, last week was another one of "those days," when matches are rated much lower than they deserve.

At a house show last weekend, Psychosis suffered a broken leg and will be out of action for a year. While we didn't have any plans for him this month, that's one less talented performer we have to work with for the next twelve months.

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 will see Donovan Morgan in action again, this time against Norman Smiley.

Morales: Well, I really don't have much else to say. I mean, look at our format here, folks. Commissioner Mick Foley left it pretty much bare for tonight.

Williams: The only other match we know about is Konnan taking on Anthony Durante in a Hardcore match.

Morales: But also, Cyrus issued a challenge to Ken Shamrock earlier today. Take a look.

On the video screen, we see Cyrus standing with Johnny Smith and Jun Akiyama. He says that while Bill Goldberg is off successfully defending the World title in South America, Cyrus and The Virus are taking care of challenges here in TNA. He says right now the biggest threat is Ken Shamrock, so that's who they're targeting. He challenges Shamrock to find a tag team partner for tonight to face Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith.

OR: 67

Konnan hits the ring with a microphone.

Konnan: Yo, yo, let me speak on this. Orale! Arriba la raza! Hey Sabu, you better pay attention to this next match. After I beat Anthony Durante in a Hardcore match, I'm challenging you to a Hardcore title match at Autumn Ambush, 'cause nobody knows more about being Hardcore than K-Dogg.

OR: 80

Hardcore match: Anthony Durante vs. Konnan: Konnan steps the pace up a little from last week's match against Saturn, but still it's generally less brutal than most Hardcore matches. Sure, the action leaves the ring, and Durante uses several things found under the ring, but Konnan just seems out of place in Hardcore matches. Durante gets the advantage for a moment, long enough to set up a table. However, Konnan recovers and attacks Durante. They brawl, and Konnan gets the upper hand. He lays Durante out on the table, then he climbs up on it as well. He locks in the Tequila Sunrise on top of the table! Durante taps out and Konnan yells for Sabu.

Winner: Konnan

OR: 66

CR: 71

MQ: 78

Donovan Morgan is backstage. He starts out by ripping on Curt Hennig, saying he hasn't been perfect for many years and now he's so old he's nowhere near excellent. Morgan says that if anyone wants to see excellence, just watch him dominate Norman Smiley tonight.

OR: 86

Norman Smiley comes out to the ring for his match. He cuts a pretty dull interview, drawing slight pops for offering to do the Big Wiggle. As he does the move, Donovan Morgan attacks from behind, and the match is on.

OR: 70

Norman Smiley vs. Donovan Morgan: Morgan has the advantage from the sneak attack and he never gives it up. Smiley does a good job selling Morgan's offense, so the match turns out to be pretty good despite pretty much being a squash. Morgan lands a move the announcers dub as the Helicopter Bomb, and then covers for the pinfall. The referee raises Morgan's hand, but Curt Hennig comes charging through the curtain. He lands a few moves on Morgan before he retreats, leaving Hennig alone in the ring.

Winner: Donovan Morgan

OR: 68

CR: 72

MQ: 81

Sonny Siaki comes out with a microphone as the announcers wonder why he's out here right now. Siaki says that A.J. Styles can't just come in and expect a title match right away, so tonight he's challenging Styles to a match, and if Styles loses then he forfeits his X title shot at Autumn Ambush.

OR: 77

A.J. Styles vs. Sonny Siaki: This one got the crowd pumped up, and it was a great match to boot. They battle back and forth, but soon Styles gets control and starts to look like he's going to finish Siaki off. The fans, announcers, and camera crew catches TAKA Michinoku sneak to ringside, ducking down to avoid being spotted by Styles or the referee. The referee gets a little too close to the action and gets poked in the eye. Seizing the opportunity, TAKA gets in the ring, holding the X title belt. He swings, but Styles ducks and Siaki is knocked out instead. Styles delivers a Superkick to TAKA, sending him over the top rope and to the floor as the ref seems to have recovered. Siaki struggles to his feet, but Styles hits the Styles Clash to finish him off. The referee counts to three as TAKA gets back in the ring, but Styles slides outside, telling TAKA that he'll see him in nine days.

Winner: A.J. Styles

OR: 76

CR: 80

MQ: 91

The camera cuts to the Shamrocks' locker room, where we wee Ken toss a cell phone aside.

Ken: He says he can't get here until next week.

Alicia: Then who will be your partner tonight?

There's a knock at the door, and Ken cautiously opens it a little. Seeing who it is, he opens the door all the way and Jody Fleisch walks in.

Fleisch: Kenny, I heard you need a partner for tonight. I've had an awful lot of respect for you ever since our first match. If you want, I would be honored to be your partner tonight.

Ken looks at Alicia, and she nods approvingly.

Ken: OK, let's go.

OR: 84

Ken Shamrock (with Alicia Shamrock) & Jody Fleisch vs. Jun Akiyama & Johnny Smith (with Cyrus): Another great match, which the announcers miss the first few minutes of while discussing who could Shamrock have been talking to on the phone. Shamrock and Fleisch dominate until Cyrus' interference helps turn the tide towards The Virus. However, it's not too very long before Fleisch and Shamrock are firmly in control and Shamrock appears to be setting Akiyama up for the finish. Cyrus gets in the ring, delivering a forearm to Shamrock's back. He turns around, not selling the blow, as the referee calls for the bell. Cyrus quickly leaves the ring with Shamrock right on his heels. They round two corners, but Cyrus slides down as a fan in the front row picks up his chair and nails Shamrock in the face! Fleisch comes over, too, but he also falls victim to a chairshot from the fan. Security tries to put a stop to it, but Smith and Akiyama simply beat them up as well.

Winner: Ken Shamrock & Jody Fleisch by disqualification

OR: 74

CR: 76

MQ: 91

Cyrus and the Virus hold the ropes open as this fan is ushered into the ring.

Cyrus: Allow me once again to introduce the newest member of The Virus, Scoot Andrews!

OR: 78

OR: 75

Rating: 8.00

Attendance: 10032

Best segment: Jody Fleisch joins up with Ken Shamrock (84)

Worst segment: Konnan over Anthony Durante (66)

Best match: A.J. Styles over Sonny Siaki (76)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, September 26, 2003

That's two weeks in a row where it's been "one of those days." That's fine as long as it doesn't happen Sunday. I'd gladly trade two weekly shows with poor match ratings for a pay-per-view with proper match ratings.

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 will see Konnan in another Hardcore match as he continues to try and get Sabu's attention.

Morales: He'll be taking on Akira Taue of the Hardcore Japanese. Also, Ken Shamrock has challenged Cyrus' Virus to take on him, Jody Fleisch, and a mystery partner in six-man tag action.

Williams: Who can this mystery person be? Is it the one Ken Shamrock was talking on the phone with last week?

Morales: I can only assume so, Dick. Also, members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme will try to take care of each others' problems tonight. We have footage to show you from earlier today.

On the video screen, we see TAKA Michinoku stretching out when Low-Ki walks up. He tells TAKA he's going to do him a favor by wrestling A.J. Styles tonight. TAKA looks pleased and bows in gratitude. Low-Ki says that TAKA needs to do something for him. Since The Hardcore Japanese want a Tag Team title shot, Low-Ki suggests TAKA team with Sonny Siaki and face them tonight. TAKA looks a bit reluctant, but nods his head in agreement.

OR: 91

(TAKA Michinoku gained in over from 85 to 88. Low-Ki gained in over from 86 to 88.)

Konnan comes to the ring with a microphone, as some of the fans audibly groan at the prospects of another Konnan interview. He runs through his standard introduction - arriba la raza! - then says he wonders why he hasn't heard from Sabu. He says if Sabu doubts his competition, then tonight he'd better watch because he's taking on someone from a stable of Hardcore wrestlers. He then proceeds to run down Akira Taue before his music plays.

OR: 74

Hardcore match: Akira Taue (with New Jack) vs. Konnan: A pretty good match, especially considering Konnan was in it. Taue controls for most of the match, but Konnan cheats to get the advantage. He takes a chair from the ring announcer and gets back into the ring. Chairshot to Taue! Konnan calls for Sabu to watch. Arabian Facebuster! Hey, that's gimmick infringement! The referee counts the pinfall as Sabu's music plays. He gets in the ring, but Konnan is waiting. Chairshot on Sabu! Steve Corino is out, and both he and New Jack get in the ring, so Konnan departs. As the two managers each check on their wrestler, Konnan makes the "I want the belt" gesture as he leaves to a chorus of boos.

Winner: Konnan

OR: 71

CR: 63

MQ: 80

Backstage, the cameras catch New Jack helping Akira Taue into the Hardcore Japanese dressing room. New Jack says that now he's pissed off at SEX after what Konnan pulled against Taue. He slaps Masato Tanaka and Ebessan on the chest as they nod without flinching. New Jack says it's time for some payback, and Ebessan and Tanaka follow him out of the dressing room.

OR: 79

The Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. Sonny Siaki & TAKA Michinoku: Masato Tanaka and Ebessan begin a vicious attack on Siaki and Michinoku, as it's soon apparent this one's not going to be a X division-style match that one would expect with TAKA, Siaki, and Ebessan involved. Both Siaki and TAKA sell their opponent's moves quite well, so the match ends up being very good. Neither Siaki nor TAKA are capable of dealing with The Hardcore Japanese in that style of match, so it's not really surprising that they get little offense in before Tanaka hits a Roaring Elbow on Siaki to pick up the win. Afterwards, B.G. James sneaks up behind them with a chair and blasts Ebessan with it. Tanaka gets hit too, but again New Jack is in the ring, so James slides out before receiving any retaliation.

Winner: The Hardcore Japanese

OR: 82

CR: 75

MQ: 89

Commissioner Mick Foley makes a surprise appearance, and the crowd goes crazy.

Foley: Thank you. First off, I'd like to say that it's good to be back in the TNA Asylum, right here in Nashville! As you may know, in two days we will be at the Thompson-Boling Arena just down the road in Knoxville for Autumn Ambush, so I thought I'd come out here and tell the fans what they're going to see this Sunday. I've already mentioned several weeks ago that A.J. Styles will be taking on TAKA Michinoku for the X title. Last week, after the show went off the air, a contract was finalized between Donovan Morgan and Curt Hennig, so they will be facing each other as well. I just got done talking with Steve Corino, and I guess Konnan's going to get his wish, because Corino demanded that Sabu gets to face Konnan for the Hardcore Title this Sunday. Now that leaves two titles that I have yet to announce a match for. Fortunately for me, the opponents have already been named. Last week, Cyrus announced that Bill Goldberg's biggest threat in TNA was Ken Shamrock, so at Autumn Ambush, Goldberg will be defending the World title against Ken Shamrock. Also, earlier today, Low-Ki reminded everyone that The Hardcore Japanese wanted a Tag Team title match, and I'd say with their impressive win a few minutes ago, they deserve a shot at those belts. So this Sunday, The Hardcore Japanese will be taking on Low-Ki and B.G. James for the Tag Team titles. Have a nice day!

OR: 95

(Mick Foley gained in over from 93 to 97.)

Low-Ki comes to the ring, looking visibly upset. He says it doesn't matter to him who commissioner Foley puts against him and B.G. James this Sunday. He tells The Hardcore Japanese that they'd better enjoy the win they got against Sports Entertainment Xtreme tonight, because they won't get another one this Sunday. He then tells A.J. Styles to get ready for consecutive ass-kickings courtesy of SEX, starting tonight.

OR: 89

A.J. Styles vs. Low-Ki: If Foley's announcement distracted Low-Ki, you couldn't tell by this match, because it was a great one. Oh, and the fans were really into it as well. This high-flying X-division match seems to favor Styles, except for some well-timed cheating by Low-Ki. The crowd really boos Low-Ki for that. Low-Ki seems ready to hit the Ki-Krusher, but Styles avoids it and hits a Spin Kick to the face. Styles Clash! The ref counts to three.

Winner: A.J. Styles

OR: 88

CR: 83

MQ: 93

The Virus is in the ring and Cyrus is at ringside, all smiles, as Ken Shamrock's music plays. He comes out with Alicia Shamrock and Jody Fleisch as the announcers continue speculating who their partner may be. Oh, Alicia has a microphone. Maybe that will get them to shut up.

Alicia: Cyrus, last week you challenged Ken to find a partner to face your team. There was one man he wanted, but he couldn't make it in time because he was at his home in the Netherlands. I want to thank Jody Fleisch for stepping in, even though this isn't his fight.

Ken takes the microphone.

Ken: But my friend is here tonight. I've fought against him, and I have a lot of respect for him. But I warn you - he's not a wrestler, he's a fighter. His name is Bas Rutten!

Rutten steps through the curtain, and Cyrus and all the members of The Virus have the same problem - their jaw is on the floor. The announcers talk about Rutten's record in Mixed Martial Arts competition and wonder how well that will translate to pro wrestling as they make their way to the ring.

OR: 74

Ken Shamrock (with Alicia Shamrock), Jody Fleisch, & Bas Rutten vs. Jun Akiyama, Scoot Andrews, and Johnny Smith (with Cyrus): Rutten answers the announcer's questions, looking very impressive against Smith at the start of the match. It's not very long before the match degenerates into a pier-six brawl. The referee has a hard time keeping track of who's legal. He spots where Ken Shamrock has the Ankle Lock applied on Jun Akiyama, who is slapping the mat, so he calls for the bell and awards the match to Shamrock, Fleisch, and Rutten. An excellent match for what it was.

Winner: Ken Shamrock, Jody Fleisch, & Bas Rutten

OR: 81

CR: 73

MQ: 90

Shamrock won't release the hold as Rutten and Fleisch continue brawling with Smith and Andrews. The referee threatens to reverse his decision and disqualify Shamrock if he won't release the hold. He starts counting, but Bill Goldberg's music plays, and that causes Shamrock to break the hold before the referee reaches five. Goldberg comes charging out and Shamrock meets him halfway. They start brawling as the announcers scream that they just may brawl all the way to Knoxville and tell us that we're out of time.

OR: 97

(Bill Goldberg gained in over from 92 to 95. Ken Shamrock gained in over from 91 to 92.)

OR: 84

Rating: 8.00

Attendance: 10036

Best segment: Bill Goldberg brawls with Ken Shamrock (97)

Worst segment: Konnan over Akira Taue (71)

Best match: A.J. Styles over Low-Ki (88)

[LoveMuscle]

Sunday, September 28, 2003

Hey, we made it through a good week with decent match ratings! Hopefully that holds up tonight. One bit of bad news out of Friday's show was TAKA Michinoku complaining about Masato Tanaka being too rough on him in their match.

A few minutes before the pay-per-view began, commissioner Mick Foley came to the ring to thank everyone in Knoxville (thumbs up, cheap pop) for coming tonight. He points out some of the celebrities in attendance at ringside. Among them is Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, NASCAR racer Sterling Marlin, and University of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt. Foley says if she was the one who had recruited Kevin Nash to play basketball at Tennessee, she would have been fired years ago. Also, Foley acknowledges the die-hard TNA fans who drove from Nashville, including super fan Coqui.

OR: 84

TNA Autumn Ambush

Hosts: Jeff Morales and Bart Snake

Morales: Hello, TNA fans, we’re live from Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, and this is Autumn Ambush! 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 Bill Goldberg defending the World title against Ken Shamrock.

Snake: Last month, Ken Shamrock was the runner-up in the Gauntlet For The Gold, and has been fighting against Cyrus' Virus ever since.

Morales: Also, TAKA Michinoku will defend the X title against A.J. Styles.

Snake: Styles has been on fire since returning to TNA, including wins over TAKA's Sports Entertainment Xtreme cohorts Low-Ki and Sonny Siaki.

Morales: SEX will be involved in two other title matches, when Konnan challenges Sabu for the Hardcore title, and Low-Ki and B.G. James will have their Tag Team titles on the line when they face The Hardcore Japanese.

Snake: In other matches, Curt Hennig will be taking on Donovan Morgan, who will be making his first appearance on pay-per-view, and as a result of the main event of XPlosion on Friday, we'll also see two members of The Virus, Johnny Smith and Scoot Andrews, in action against Jody Fleisch and shootfighter Bas Rutten.

Morales: As you can see, Cyrus and his men are already on their way to the ring.

Jody Fleisch & Bas Rutten vs. Johnny Smith & Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): While Rutten isn't a household name yet, he shows an impressive display of technical ability against Smith and Andrews, who are fine technical wrestlers themselves. When Fleisch is tagged in, the pace gets picked up. Neither member of The Virus can keep up with him, and soon Fleisch lands the Phoenix 720 DDT on Andrews to get the pin. Cyrus jumps in the ring, and Jun Akiyama comes from the locker room to make it a 4-on-2 attack. The referees and road agents break it up, and Cyrus eventually calls off his troops. Fleisch and Rutten are left laid out in the ring. An excellent match, and a good showcase of Rutten's talent.

Winner: Jody Fleisch & Bas Rutten

OR: 80

CR: 70

MQ: 90

NWA Hardcore title match: Sabu © (with Steve Corino) vs. Konnan: Konnan uses his size to get the early advantage, but Sabu uses his quickness and experience in Hardcore matches to get the advantage. Sabu has been especially violent in recent months, and if anything he's even more violent in this match. As if tables, chairs, trashcans, and street signs weren't hardcore enough, Sabu introduces a new weapon: barbed wire. All right, that does it! Why is there barbed wire under the ring? Anybody? Sabu wraps his torso in the barbed wire, as Corino looks disgusted at ringside. Sabu sets up a chair as we see a few trickles of blood starting to flow from the punctures in his abdomen and back. He bounces off the ropes, and hits a Triple Jump Moonsault! The fans chant "Holy shit" as the camera spots Corino having revulsions from that. Another cameraman zooms in for a close-up of Sabu getting off Konnan, and we can see the flesh being torn off both Sabu and Konnan as they separate. Sabu unwraps the barbed wire, causing even more bleeding, as an obviously nauseated Corino turns his back. He misses seeing Disco Inferno come into the ring and pick up a chair. Sabu gets the last of the barbed wire off, and turns around, only to be blasted by Disco. He drags Konnan over Sabu and tells the referee to count. Corino hears Disco and turns around, but he is too late to break up the count.

Winner: Konnan

OR: 77

CR: 72

MQ: 82

(The NWA Hardcore title has gained in image from 72 to 74.)

Backstage, Cyrus stands with Bill Goldberg. He says that Ken Shamrock got just a little taste of what's in store for him last Friday. He tells Shamrock to get ready for more pain and suffering. Goldberg tells Shamrock he's next.

OR: 81

NWA Tag Team title match: The Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. B.G. James & Low-Ki ©: A good match, but we were hoping for better. The crowd was involved, which is a nice consolation prize. The action goes back and forth, but when it seems like The Hardcore Japanese are about to make the pinfall, Sonny Siaki comes out to put a stop to it. The referee gets distracted, and Siaki lands the Siakalypse on Ebessan. Low-Ki makes the cover to get the win. SEX starts beating both Ebessan and Masato Tanaka until New Jack finds a crutch under the ring. Hey, why didn't they use that in the Hardcore match? New Jack gets in the ring, but SEX takes off before the crutch can be used. The fans boo, but I can't tell if they're booing SEX or if they're booing the crutch not getting used.

Winner: B.G. James & Low-Ki

OR: 80

CR: 75

MQ: 86

(The NWA Tag Team titles have gained in image from 80 to 82.)

Curt Hennig vs. Donovan Morgan: The fans want to see the veteran pick up the win here, and they cheer loudly for Hennig's introduction. The announcers bill this as a match-up of perfection vs. excellence. Unfortunately, Hennig's days of perfection are long behind him, and in fact his skills have eroded so much that Morgan has to do most of the work, but he just can't carry Hennig to a good match. Hennig can still sell Morgan's offense, so that's what he does most of the match. The end comes seemingly out of nowhere, when Hennig whips Morgan to the turnbuckle and then charges in. Morgan raises his foot, and Hennig runs right into it. Morgan quickly covers and puts both feet on the middle rope, but the referee doesn't see it and counts the pin. Morgan quickly scampers out of the ring before Hennig can get any retribution. Morgan looks into the camera and says that was excellent.

Winner: Donovan Morgan

OR: 80

CR: 81

MQ: 78

The camera crew backstage finds Ken Shamrock with Alicia. She points out that Ken has been wrestling the bottom feeders of Cyrus' group, but tonight he gets the top dog. Ken says Goldberg got him from behind last month at Gauntlet For The Gold, but tonight he's coming right at him.

OR: 85

NWA X title match: A.J. Styles vs. TAKA Michinoku ©: This one's another match that really wasn't as good as we were expecting. It's still very good, though. After nearly 18 minutes of nonstop action, TAKA Michinoku becomes the first member of SEX to get a clean pin tonight after he lands the Michinoku Driver on Styles.

Winner: TAKA Michinoku

OR: 84

CR: 80

MQ: 88

(The NWA X title has gained in image from 85 to 87.)

NWA World title match: Ken Shamrock (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Bill Goldberg © (with Cyrus): I would say something about the crowd reaction, but they're yelling so loud I doubt you'd be able to hear me. Goldberg quickly learns that Shamrock can brawl with him as well as anyone else has. However, Shamrock is able to use his superior technical wrestling ability to give him the upper hand. Cyrus cheats to help Goldberg remain in control, and all Alicia can do about it is yell at the referee. After 15 minutes, Goldberg goes for the Spear, but Shamrock moves and Goldberg hits the ringpost. While Goldberg tries to protect his arm, he leaves his legs available and Shamrock soon applies the Anke Lock. Goldberg fights it as Cyrus looks like he's about to jump in the ring to force a disqualification, but Bas Rutten comes running down to ringside, where he pulls Cyrus to the floor and delivers a punch, knocking him to the ground. Out of options, Goldberg has no choice but to tap out. The fans go crazy, and the building literally shakes because of all the noise.

Winner: Ken Shamrock

OR: 89

CR: 90

MQ: 89

(The NWA World title has gained in image from 87 to 89.)

OR: 82

Buy rate: 1.99

Attendance: 20843

Best segment: Ken Shamrock over Bill Goldberg (89)

Worst segment: Konnan over Sabu (77)

Best match: Ken Shamrock over Bill Goldberg (89)

[LoveMuscle]

Wednesday, October 1, 2003

Any time I get a pay-per-view where all four titles gain in image, I'll take it. The only complaint came from Bas Rutten, who thought Johnny Smith was working too reckless. I thought he was supposed to be a tough guy? What a wuss.

An interesting thing about the pay-per-view weekend was that, for the first time, we had a higher buy rate than World Wrestling Entertainment's pay-per-view. Many in the company fell like we are now ready to challenge them head-to-head, and they aren't alone. We received a phone call this morning from NBC executives who still hold a grudge against Vince McMahon for the XFL debacle. They had found out that we had beaten them in pay-per-view buy rates and offered us a television show late evening on Monday night. If the fans tune in, they may give us the chance to go head-to-head with WWE Raw! Obviously, we jumped at that chance. Right away, the advertising department was working on getting some advertising time on Raw, telling their fans to tune in to TNA XCitement on NBC after Raw. If we don't have WWE's attention yet, we probably will by this time next week, especially if we get a decent rating.

The downturn of the wrestling industry has claimed yet another victim, this time Border City Wrestling. However, various Internet sites report that a new promotion, Old School Dojo, has opened. Somebody please don't tell Steve Corino! No, I think he's happier here than in some Backyard promotion.

Our sponsorship deal with THQ has come to an end, but both sides agreed that it was beneficial to them, so we quickly worked out another deal. Also, we filled our final sponsorship vacancy with Sports Illustrated. They have been sponsoring Federation De Lutte Internationale, but were looking to upgrade when their deal ran out at the end of last month.

With no immediate plans for the future with Jeff Jarrett, he's only going to continue to lose morale by not having him on the shows. So we have decided to drop him down to a Midcarder. Of course, now we're going to have to put him in a bunch of meaningless matches to build his morale back up. Also, we don't have any plans for using Osamu Nishimura or Piloto Suicida this month, so we decided it would be best if we sent them back to Japan for more seasoning. Probably they'll be meeting our new arrivals from Japan at the airport. With those moves, 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 (99)

UPPER MIDCARD

Curt Hennig (85)

Road Warrior Hawk (81)

Road Warrior Animal (78)

MIDCARDERS

Jody Fleisch (92)

Ken Shamrock (92)

Jeff Jarrett (86)

Masato Tanaka (82)

Super Crazy (82)

A.J. Styles (81)

Psychosis (80) {currently injured}

Ultimo Dragon (77)

Sabu (73)

Ebessan (71)

Norman Smiley (70)

Anthony Durante (65)

Damien 666 (63)

Chris Chetti (62)

Brian Lawler (71)

Bill Goldberg (95)

Scott Hall (89)

Low-Ki (88)

TAKA Michinoku (88)

Sonny Siaki (84)

Jun Akiyama (81)

Charlie Haas (79)

Crash Holly (79)

B.G. James (78)

Konnan (78)

Donovan Morgan (77)

Johnny Smith (77)

Shane Douglas (77)

Disco Inferno (76)

Marcus Bagwell (75)

Scoot Andrews (72)

Steven Richards (68)

Gangrel (65)

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Bas Rutten (61)

Perry Saturn (60)

Akira Taue (54)

OPENERS

none

JOBBERS

none

MANAGERS

New Jack (90)

Steve Corino (89)

Alicia Shamrock (82)

Vince Russo (91)

Cyrus (90)

NON-WRESTLERS

Mick Foley (97)

TAG TEAMS {members} (experience)

Road Warriors {Road Warrior Hawk & Road Warrior Animal} (100)

The Hardcore Japanese {Ebessan & Masato Tanaka} (5)

Haas Of Pain {Charlie Haas & Crash Holly} (3)

TITLES (image) {current holder}

NWA World (89) {Ken Shamrock}

NWA X (87) {TAKA Michinoku}

NWA Tag Team (82) {B.G. James & Low-Ki}

NWA Hardcore (74) {Konnan}

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, October 3, 2003

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 will see Curt Hennig in action against Jun Akiyama of Cyrus' Virus.

Morales: Also, Sonny Siaki will face A.J. Styles in a X-division match in our main event. They faced each other a few weeks ago and it was an incredible match, so we'll see what happens tonight.

Williams: And our first match this week will feature Haas Of Pain against Chris Chetti and Damien 666.

Morales: But as you can see, the ring is decorated for a special celebration by Sports Entertainment Xtreme, who successfully defended the Tag Team and X titles last Sunday at Autumn Ambush, and also Konnan, who won the Hardcore title. That music must mean that SEX is on their way to the ring.

The six members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme make their way to the ring, led by Low-Ki. Fireworks go off and balloons fall from the ceiling as they enter the red-carpeted ring. Low-Ki tells the crowd, amidst a chorus of boos, that all of them are champions - him and B.G. James are still the Tag Team champions, TAKA Michinoku is still the X champion, and Konnan is the Hardcore champion. And to them, Disco Inferno and Sonny Siaki are champions for the way they handle themselves and help out the other members of SEX whenever they need it. He passes the microphone to Konnan and then to B.G. James, who run through their dazzling array of catchphrases. In a stunning move, the microphone gets handed to TAKA Michinoku. He looks unsure, but the others encourage him to speak. Just as he is about to, some familiar music hits.

OR: 82

TAKA drops the microphone as Vince Russo and Scott Hall step through the curtain! The fans can't decide whether to cheer their return, or boo them since they're bad guys. Russo and Hall don't look happy as they get in the ring. The other members of SEX look a little concerned about their unexpected appearance. Russo and Hall walk up and down the line, scowling at them. Finally, Russo hugs Siaki and Hall hugs James, as SEX is one big happy family again. Except for Low-Ki, who doesn't seem happy to see Russo and Hall back. Russo picks up the microphone and congratulates them on their success during his absence, and says he's seen the light and now all of TNA had better watch out for Sports Entertainment Xtreme.

OR: 74

As the ring crew gets the balloons and confetti cleaned up and the red carpet taken out of the ring, the announcers introduce a video clip of an interview from earlier today with Haas Of Pain. They tell us they deserve better competition than Damien 666 and Chris Chetti, who are their opponents tonight. They promise to make short work of them and continue climbing the tag-team ranks.

OR: 78

Chris Chetti & Damien 666 vs. Haas Of Pain: Haas Of Pain are true to their words, as they run through Damien and Chetti. This one's over in less than two minutes, when Crash Holly pins Chetti after the Haas Crasher.

Winner: Haas Of Pain

OR: 71

CR: 67

MQ: 76

Shane Douglas comes to the ring as the clueless announcers wonder what he's up to. He picks up the microphone and issues an open challenge to anyone in the back to face him. The unexpected response comes from …

OR: 84

Jeff Jarrett vs. Shane Douglas: The fans were on their feet for most of this match, despite the fact that the match wasn't nowhere near as good as others have been. Douglas gets in some offense via cheating, but Jarrett controls the action for most of the match. He finishes off Douglas with the Stroke.

Winner: Jarrett

OR: 77

CR: 81

MQ: 70

Backstage, Curt Hennig talks about his match against Jun Akiyama tonight. He says he's learned from his mistakes last Sunday, such as not overlooking his opponents. He says he's not taking Akiyama lightly.

OR: 85

Jun Akiyama and Cyrus come to the ring. Cyrus says he learned some things from Curt Hennig's match last Sunday, too. One thing was that Curt Hennig isn't perfect anymore. In fact, he learned that Hennig isn't really much of a wrestler anymore. He says there's no way Hennig could beat any member of The Virus, and he invites Hennig to try.

OR: 87

Curt Hennig vs. Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): A back-and-forth match that gets dragged down by Hennig, despite Akiyama's best efforts. Hennig sets Akiyama up for the Hennig Plex, but Cyrus gets on the apron, distracting him. He releases Akiyama to argue with Cyrus, by Akiyama recovers quickly. Blue Thunder! That shook the ring. Akiyama celebrates the win on the floor as Hennig can only hang his head.

Winner: Jun Akiyama

OR: 76

CR: 78

MQ: 74

Sonny Siaki comes to the ring with Vince Russo and a microphone. He says TAKA Michinoku proved last Sunday that Styles isn't a threat in the X division, and he's going to prove it tonight.

OR: 76

A.J. Styles vs. Sonny Siaki (with Vince Russo): This match is nowhere near as good as their last encounter, but the fans are really into it. For the most part, Russo seems content to stand at ringside and shout encouragement to Siaki. All that changes near the end, when Styles gets control and signals for the Styles Clash. Instead, he goes to bounce off the ropes, but Russo grabs his foot, tripping him up. Of course, the referee didn't see it. Styles argues with Russo as Siaki gets back to his feet. He spins Styles around and nails him with the Siakalypse. The ref makes the easy count to three.

Winner: Sonny Siaki

OR: 82

CR: 82

MQ: 83

OR: 79

Rating: 7.59

Attendance: 10012

Best segment: Interview with Cyrus and Jun Akiyama (87)

Worst segment: Haas Of Pain over Chris Chetti & Damien 666 (71)

Best match: Sonny Siaki over A.J. Styles (82)

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, October 6, 2003

Surprisingly enough, be were able to get two commercial spots on WWE Raw tonight, including one near the end of the show. We'll see how that affects the debut of our new show.

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. It's been a long time.

Kavovit: Tonight is the debut of XCitement here on NBC, and we'll be coming to you every Monday night. Tonight you will see in action Jeff Jarrett and Sting, and in our main event is a Tag Team title match.

Snake: Check out this footage from earlier tonight.

On the video screen, we see New Jack walking down a hall before suddenly stopping and kicking a door open. Inside is Vince Russo, who is shockingly alone in the Sports Entertainment Xtreme locker room.

New Jack: Eight days ago, The Hardcore Japanese were cheated out of their Tag Team titles!

Russo: I wasn't around eight days ago, remember?

New Jack grabs Russo by the shirt and lifts him a couple of inches into the air.

Russo: Put me down!

New Jack: I say tonight they get a rematch with no outside interference. What do you say?

Russo: Put me down!

New Jack: How 'bout I put your head through that wall?

Russo: No, don't do that! OK, you can have your match, just put me down!

New Jack: For the titles?

Russo: Yes, yes!

New Jack: No interference?

Russo: Right! Please, just let me go!

New Jack tosses Russo down onto the couch and stomps out of the room. Low-Ki comes in, looking down the hall at New Jack as he walks away. Russo quickly straightens up on the couch.

Russo: And stay out!

Low-Ki: What was that all about?

Russo: He was trying to say that The Hardcore Japanese were better than you and B.G. James, so we're going to have a Tag Team title match tonight to prove it, and I've arranged for nobody to interfere. Now, if you'll excuse me.

Russo leaves the room, and Low-Ki is obviously pissed off.

OR: 87

Jeff Jarrett vs. Marcus Bagwell: The "get Jeff Jarrett's morale up" series continues, this time with Bagwell. There are still a few "Jobwell" chants, but Bagwell's been off television enough that all but the most die-hard fans have forgotten about it. Those chants are mostly undeserved, as Bagwell controls for most of the middle part of the match, but Jarrett makes a big comeback at the end and finishes off Bagwell with a Stroke.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett

OR: 77

CR: 80

MQ: 71

Sting comes to the ring for his match against Steven Richards. He gets a microphone and talks to the crowd for a couple of minutes, not really saying anything of much importance, but the crowd eats up his act.

OR: 100

(Sting gained in over from 99 to 100.)

Sting vs. Steven Richards: This one is pretty much a squash. Sting dominates right from the opening bell through all four minutes of this match before locking on the Scorpion Death Lock to pick up the submission victory.

Winner: Sting

OR: 79

CR: 82

MQ: 74

NWA Tag Team title match: The Hardcore Japanese vs. B.G. James & Low-Ki ©: Both teams come to the ring without their managers, as was agreed upon earlier. It's a pretty good match, with both teams scoring near-falls throughout the contest. They finally reach a decisive turning point near the end of the match, when Low-Ki picks up Ebessan and goes for an Airplane Spin. While he was spinning around, he accidentally got too close to his own corner, causing Ebessan's feet to kick James in the head, knocking him to the floor. Low-Ki dumps Ebessan, but of course is dizzy as well. He reaches for a tag, but James is still recovering on the floor. Meanwhile, Ebessan makes the hot tag to Masato Tanaka, who is quickly able to take advantage of Low-Ki's dizziness. Less than a minute later, he connects with a Roaring Elbow and pins Low-Ki just as James recovers enough to try and break up the pin, but he isn't successful. The referee raises Tanaka's hand, and he and Ebessan grab the title belts and quickly leave as Low-Ki argues with James.

Winner: The Hardcore Japanese

OR: 79

CR: 75

MQ: 83

The camera cuts to the Hardcore Japanese locker room, where New Jack and Akira Taue celebrate Masato Tanaka and Ebessan's victory. Before long, Steve Corino and Sabu walk in.

New Jack: Hey look, it's Steve Corino and Sabu! Come on in and have some whisky.

Corino: Um, no thanks. Congratulations on your win, guys. Listen, New Jack, can I have a word with you?

New Jack: Sure. Wassup?

Corino: Look, you know more about being hardcore than I do. I'm more of an old-school kind of guy. I only brought in Sabu as a favor to commissioner Foley. But lately, Sabu's matches have really gotten out of hand, and quite frankly I don't think I'm suited to handle them.

New Jack: So, what do you want me to do about it?

Corino: I was wondering if you'd be interested in taking over managerial duties for Sabu.

New Jack: Say what? He ain't no Japanese. See, we're the Hardcore Japanese, and that just ain't him.

Corino: Yeah, but look: he's a former Hardcore champion, something that none of your guys can claim. So I'd say that he's enough Hardcore that you can overlook the fact that he's not Japanese.

New Jack: Hmm … you've got a point. All right, so what to you want for him? A Tag Team title shot for those other two guys you manage, Ultimo Dragon and Super Crazy?

Corino: No, nothing like that. He's all yours. Thanks!

Corino turns and walks away, patting Ebessan and Tanaka on the back before leaving the dressing room. Sabu and New Jack just look at each other before Sabu points up to the ceiling.

New Jack: Yeah, I know. Here, take this.

New Jack hands Sabu a bottle of whisky before rejoining his other guys as Sabu just looks at the bottle.

OR: 86

(Sabu gained in over from 73 to 74.)

OR: 84

Rating: 5.70

Attendance: 10050

Best segment: Interview with Sting (100)

Worst segment: Jeff Jarrett over Marcus Bagwell (77)

Best match: (tie) Sting over Steven Richards; The Hardcore Japanese over B.G. James & Low-Ki (79)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, October 10, 2003

In a surprising twist, Old School Dojo was bought out by Rob Black. Yes, the same Rob Black who sold me Xtreme Pro Wrestling. The wrestling industry is on the rise once again, so now he wants back in. Well, good luck with your Backyard fed, Rob! I guess that puts an end to the "old school" in Old School Dojo.

Also, Ultimo Dragon suffered a Tricep Strain while working out Thursday. He should be back sometime before the end ot the year.

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 will see Curt Hennig continue to run the gauntlet against The Virus, tonight against Scoot Andrews.

Morales: Also, Sting will face Scott Hall in our main event. But right now, let's head to the ring for our opening bout, a Hardcore match between Shane Douglas and Sabu, with his new manager, New Jack.

Hardcore match: Sabu (with New Jack) vs. Shane Douglas: The announcers review Monday's events which led to Sabu now being managed by New Jack. Even though Douglas is a former Hardcore champion, Sabu pretty much overwhelms him. New Jack hands Sabu his staple gun, but Sabu just looks at it and then clubs Douglas in the head with it. New Jack tries to give him directions on how to operate it, but Sabu doesn't understand. He does, however, understand how to use a fork, which New Jack also hands to him. It's not long afterwards that Douglas is bleeding profusely from the forehead. Unlike when Steve Corino was Sabu's manager, New Jack cheers on Sabu and encourages him to get even more violent. Finally, Sabu hits a Moonsault through a table and pins Douglas.

Winner: Sabu

OR: 73

CR: 70

MQ: 76

New Jack grabs a microphone and gets into the ring as the medics attend to Douglas.

New Jack: Konnan! Listen up and listen good. Sabu wants his rematch for the Hardcore title next week. So bring his title belt, bring all your SEX buddies, and be prepared to lose your title to the most homicidal, suicidal, genocidal ass-kicker in sports entertainment today!

OR: 83

Curt Hennig is backstage. He says he doesn't have a problem with facing members of Cyrus' group. Tonight he gets Scoot Andrews, and he thinks that is a perfect opponent to get some retribution for last week.

OR: 80

Cyrus is in The Virus' dressing room with Scoot Andrews. He says that tonight they're going to prove once again that the only thing perfect about Curt Hennig is The Virus' undefeated record against him.

OR: 85

(Scoot Andrews gained in over from 72 to 73.)

The announcers are dumbfounded when Steven Richards' music plays and he gets in the ring. They say he's not scheduled for a match tonight as he takes a microphone. He's upset at how he lost to Sting on Monday, and now he wants anyone from the back to come face him so he can show the world how good a wrestler he really is. Some familiar music hits, and the fans are already on their feet before anyone ever steps through the curtain.

OR: 69

Jeff Jarrett vs. Steven Richards: Richards doesn't fare much better tonight than he did Monday. This one's all Jarrett, who scores the pin after a Stroke in less than four minutes.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett

OR: 77

CR: 75

MQ: 79

The cameras cut to the Sports Entertainment Xtreme locker room, where Scott Hall is standing with Vince Russo in the background. He says it's been a long time, and now in his first match in several months he's starting out at the top, taking on Sting. Hall says he's got three months of pent-up aggression that's ready to get out, and he wants to show his teammates that he can be focused on the big goal.

OR: 85

In another part of the building, we find Sting preparing for his match against Scott Hall. He says that while Hall was sitting at home drinking beers, he was out wrestling every night. He says Hall will find out soon that a lot has changed while he was gone, but one thing that's the same is that Sting will beat him, just like always.

OR: 91

Curt Hennig vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): Andrews carries Hennig to a good match, which is pretty sad that Hennig has to be carried that far by anyone. Cyrus cheats to help Andrews get the advantage late in the match, and it's too much for Hennig to overcome. Andrews uses the Forces Of Nature to get the pin.

Winner: Scoot Andrews

OR: 77

CR: 75

MQ: 80

(Curt Hennig dropped in over from 85 to 84. Scoot Andrews gained in over from 73 to 75.)

Backstage, Alicia Shamrock is once again visiting the vending machine and is startled when someone calls her name. She turns around, and is relieved to find Jody Fleisch and Bas Rutten. Fleisch says that they both feel like they deserve title shots, but are having a hard time getting them without a manager. Rutten tries to say that Alicia is doing a good job of managing Ken Shamrock, but his accent is pretty heavy, so some may not have understood. Eventually they ask if she will be their manager, and she says it's fine with her, but she'll have to check with Ken first.

OR: 64

(Jody Fleisch dropped in over from 92 to 89. Alicia Shamrock dropped in over from 82 to 80.)

Sting vs. Scott Hall (with Vince Russo): Hall obviously has a lot of ring rust after three months of inactivity, but the crowd is really into this match because they love Sting, and also because Russo does a good job of getting them riled up. Hall gets the early advantage, but gets too cocky and that allows Sting to take over. He hits the Stinger Splash and signals for the Scorpion Death Lock, but B.G. James comes running in and nails Sting. The referee has no choice but to call for a disqualification. James and Hall beat down Sting for a couple of minutes before Russo gets in the ring, and the three celebrate over the fallen Sting before leaving.

Winner: Sting by disqualification

OR: 88

CR: 93

MQ: 77

OR: 80

Rating: 7.59

Attendance: 10004

Best segment: Interview with Sting (91)

Worst segment: Jody Fleisch & Bas Rutten join with Alicia Shamrock (64)

Best match: Sting over Scott Hall (88)