NWA:TNA -- Russo's Revenge!

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, October 13, 2003

The fans didn't really take well to Alicia Shamrock gaining a couple of new clients. I guess they like her more as a one-man show. Who would have guessed monogamy is so popular in Nashville?

TNA XCitement

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.

Kavovit: On Friday, B.G. James attacked Sting during his match with Scott Hall on XPlosion. So tonight, our main event will be Sting vs. B.G. James!

Snake: Also, Jeff Jarrett will be in action, but right now let's get things started with a tag team match.

Perry Saturn & Anthony Durante vs. Haas Of Pain: This one's pretty much all Haas Of Pain, who easily have more tag experience than their opponents. They cheat quite liberally to maintain their advantage, and after about six minutes they hit the Haas Crasher on Saturn. Holly covers to get the win.

Winner: Haas Of Pain

OR: 66

CR: 67

MQ: 81

Backstage, Sting talks about his upcoming match against B.G. James. He says James had no reason to interfere in his match three days ago, and now he's going to make him pay.

OR: 99

Jeff Jarrett vs. Johnny Smith (with Cyrus): Cyrus creates a distraction, which allows Smith to take the early advantage. However, Jarrett comes back to retake the advantage, much to the chagrin of Cyrus. Jarrett sets Smith on the turnbuckle and then nails a Superplex. Jarrett scores the pin as Cyrus has a temper tantrum.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett

OR: 72

CR: 76

MQ: 86

On the video screen, we see a highlight package for Super Crazy. In the video package, the fans seem to be enjoying his matches, cheering his moves and counting to ten in Spanish as he punches someone in the corner. However, the fans watching the video seem disinterested.

OR: 61

(Super Crazy dropped in over from 82 to 80.)

Sting vs. B.G. James (with Vince Russo): Sting charges right into the ring, not playing to the fans as usual. Tonight's all about payback for him, and he seems to be getting him some. Whenever James gets control, Sting quickly reverses the situation. In a night of squash matches, this one is perhaps the most surprising. Sting cinches in the Scorpion Death Lock as Russo runs back to the locker room. James doesn't last very long before he taps out.

Winner: Sting

OR: 75

CR: 88

MQ: 75

Suddenly, Vince Russo is back with the other members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme. Sting fights them off for a few moments, but the numbers are too much for him to overcome. Sting is decimated in a brief amount of time, but the attack continues for a couple of minutes. Finally, Russo decides they've made their point, and he calls SEX back to the locker room as the show ends.

OR: 85

OR: 77

Rating: 5.76

Attendance: 10011

Best segment: Interview with Sting (99)

Worst segment: Video featuring Super Crazy (61)

Best match: Sting over B.G. James (75)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, October 17, 2003

Yup, another one of those days. That sucks. And could that Super Crazy video have gone any worse? Hopefully it won't happen tonight, as we've got a big show lined up.

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.

Morales: But as of yet we don't know which member of The Virus will be his opponent yet.

Williams: Well, since he's already faced Scoot Andrews and Jun Akiyama, I would only assume it will be Johnny Smith.

Morales: Speaking of Scoot Andrews, he'll be out here in a few minutes for our opening match against Super Crazy. But we have to tell you that tonight we will see a Hardcore title match.

Williams: Earlier today, commissioner Mick Foley granted New Jack's request to give Sabu his rematch for the belt tonight. Take a look at this footage.

On the video screen, we see a clip from earlier today of New Jack in Foley's office. New Jack asks if Konnan has responded to his challenge, and Foley says he hasn't heard anything from Sports Entertainment Xtreme. However, he says he agrees with New Jack, so he orders that tonight, right here in Nashville (thumbs up, cheap pop), Konnan will defend his Hardcore title against Sabu. And that ruling is final!

OR: 83

The cameras cut live to the SEX locker room. Konnan seems worried about defending his belt against someone like Sabu. The rest of the group tries to cheer him up. Vince Russo reminds him that SEX will never let him down, and he's got all kinds of back-up plans for tonight should Konnan need any assistance in retaining the title. Konnan seems relieved, but in the background we see Low-Ki, who looks somewhat skeptical of Russo's plans.

OR: 86

Super Crazy comes to the ring with Steve Corino, who's got a microphone. Corino tells us that he feels Super Crazy should get a X title shot, since he's the only contender that hasn't had a shot at TAKA Michinoku's belt. He says if there's any doubt Super Crazy is a serious challenger for the title, just watch this match.

OR: 89

(Super Crazy gained in over from 80 to 81.)

Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): Tonight's crowd seems more receptive to Super Crazy than Monday's audience. Maybe he's just one of those wrestlers you just have to see in person, as a video doesn't show the whole picture. This great match starts off with a dazzling display of moves and counter-moves, which leads to a stalemate. The crowd appreciatively applauds the chain-wrestling sequence as the two combatants nod approvingly at each other. After that, Super Crazy steps up the pace with his aerial arsenal, and Andrews struggles to keep up. Andrews gets the advantage after Cyrus interferes, but Crazy regains control. Crazy climbs to the top rope and hits a Flying Legdrop for the surprise pin. Great match.

Winner: Super Crazy

OR: 81

CR: 71

MQ: 91

New Jack comes to the ring with Sabu, who still doesn't seem very comfortable with New Jack as his manager. New Jack says it's time for the Hardcore title to come back where it belongs - with Sabu. He smacks a surprised Sabu on his chest, who responds by threatening to punch New Jack. New Jack, however, has turned his back and is continuing to talk trash about Konnan and Vince Russo, saying even his best plans won't prevent Konnan from losing.

OR: 91

(New Jack gained in over from 90 to 93.)

NWA Hardcore title match: Sabu (with New Jack) vs. Konnan © (with Vince Russo): Konnan gets the early advantage, but the tide is turned when New Jack starts passing weapons to Sabu from under the ring. A funny moment as New Jack finds a cardboard box under the ring, which he passes to Sabu. He bashes the box over Konnan's head, and the ring is covered with little pills! A close-up of the remains of the box shows it was full of Stacker 2! Good work, camera crew - that ought to be worth some extra sponsorship money. Of course, both Konnan and Sabu slip and fall on the pills. After a while, the referee gets most of them kicked out of the ring. As the match continues, it's clear what the end result is going to be as Sabu climbs the ropes for a Moonsault. Russo waves to the back, and Disco Inferno comes to the ring. However, New Jack is waiting for him, and they brawl on the floor at ringside. Next out are the former Tag Team champions, B.G. James and Low-Ki, who hit the ring and start working over Sabu. Soon after, the current Tag Team champs, Masato Tanaka and Ebessan, come out to even the odds. Scott Hall is out, but so is Akira Taue. The ring is pretty full, and the ringside area is crowded as well. Just to add to the Battle Royal feel, Sonny Siaki and TAKA Michinoku come out, but Sabu's old manager, Steve Corino, and Super Crazy come out to brawl with them, once again evening the odds. Russo himself tries to help out, but there's just too many bodies, and every member of SEX has already tried to help. Suddenly, Marcus Bagwell comes to the ring with a steel chair. He nails Sabu with a chair, then climbs to the top rope and nails him with a Blockbuster! Just for good measure, Konnan hits the 187 and then covers, and Bagwell jumps on top of him just to make sure Sabu will stay down for the three count, which he does.

Winner: Konnan

OR: 74

CR: 71

MQ: 78

(The NWA Hardcore title has gained in image from 74 to 76.)

The referees and road agents all come out to get everyone separated, and finally it's just Marcus Bagwell and the members of SEX left at ringside. Vince Russo gets a microphone and thanks Bagwell for helping out. He asks if there's anything they can do for him, and he replies that he just wants back in Sports Entertainment Xtreme. Russo looks at the rest of the group, and then announces that as of right now, Bagwell is back in SEX! They have a big group hug - except Low-Ki, who just shakes his head and walks back to the locker room.

OR: 73

(Vince Russo dropped in over from 91 to 89.)

Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith come to the ring with Cyrus as the announcers once again debate who Curt Hennig's opponent is, noting that Scoot Andrews has already wrestled tonight. Cyrus gets a microphone and announces that on Monday Curt Hennig will face Johnny Smith, but tonight Hennig will face Bill Goldberg! The announcers are shocked, and the crowd goes wild. Cyrus says that Smith and Akiyama want some competition tonight, so he makes an open challenge to any two wrestlers to come face them. After about five seconds, the music hits and the crowd once again erupts.

OR: 88

(Johnny Smith gained in over from 77 to 78.)

Road Warriors vs. Johnny Smith & Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): Much like Scoot Andrews' match earlier, the members of The Virus are made to look like jobbers. Of course, Andrews and Akiyama have recently beaten Curt Hennig, so what does all that do to him? The Road Warriors run through all their power moves, and Akiyama and Smith sell like champions, and the match comes off looking pretty good. Hawk scores the pin on Akiyama after the Doomsday Device.

Winner: Road Warriors

OR: 81

CR: 76

MQ: 87

As Cyrus and his men slowly leave the ring, on the video screen we see clips of Hennig's matches against Akiyama and Andrews, and a bout between Bill Goldberg and Hennig from a couple of months ago. Also seen are some clips of Goldberg being pinned by Ken Shamrock at Autumn Ambush. The clips are arranged so that it gives the impression Hennig might actually be able to defeat Goldberg tonight.

OR: 80

Curt Hennig vs. Bill Goldberg (with Cyrus): Unfortunately, any impression about Hennig's chances for success goes out the door in the first minute of this match. Hennig looks more and more like the third Mulkey brother with every contest. This is pretty much a squash, like most of Goldberg's matches early in his run in WCW. Goldberg lands the Jackhammer and picks up the easy win.

Winner: Bill Goldberg

OR: 82

CR: 85

MQ: 76

OR: 82

Rating: 7.44

Attendance: 10038

Best segment: Interview with New Jack and Sabu (91)

Worst segment: Marcus Bagwell rejoins SEX (73)

Best match: Bill Goldberg over Curt Hennig (82)

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, October 20, 2003

TNA XCitement

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.

Kavovit: Tonight, Curt Hennig completes his run through Cyrus' gauntlet when he takes on Johnny Smith.

Snake: It hasn't been a very good run for Hennig, as he is 0-for-3 so far.

Kavovit: Speaking of The Virus, Scoot Andrews will be in our main event tonight against Jeff Jarrett.

Snake: But let's get things started with some X-division competition!

Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Brian Lawler: The announcers remind us of Corino's challenge to TAKA Michinoku to face Super Crazy for the X title. Crazy is certainly impressive enough to deserve a title shot in this match. Lawler stalls while playing to the crowd at the beginning, but Crazy soon gets the advantage and the pace of the match picks up. Lawler has a hard time matching Crazy, and as a result the match quality drags a little. Crazy ends the match with a Trifecta Moonsault for the pin.

Winner: Super Crazy

OR: 68

CR: 69

MQ: 84

Steve Corino gets in the ring to celebrate with Super Crazy and the announcers speculate whether Crazy will get a X title shot. But TAKA Michinoku comes out of the back with a ladder! He slides it into the ring behind Corino and Crazy and then attacks them both from behind. He gets in a couple of good shots with the ladder on each of them before finally leaving.

OR: 61

(TAKA Michinoku dropped in over from 88 to 87. Super Crazy dropped in over from 81 to 79.)

Backstage, the cameras catch Curt Hennig walking to the ring for his match. However, he is stopped by Crash Holly. He talks about how him and his cousins have always been big fans of Hennig from way back in the day. Hennig looks skeptical, but Holly says he has a gift for him. Holly pulls out a T-shirt with the words Curt Hennig: "Mr. Perfect" on the front, along with Hennig's face. Hennig seems real appreciative, and Holly insists Hennig wear the shirt during his match tonight. Holly helps him put the shirt on, and Hennig thanks him as he walks away. Holly has a sly grin on his face, and then starts laughing. The camera turns to see Hennig walking away, and we can see that the back of the shirt reads The newest member of the J.O.B. Squad.

OR: 78

Curt Hennig vs. Johnny Smith (with Cyrus): Hennig proudly shows off his new shirt to the fans, and Cyrus and Smith laugh when they see what's on the back of the shirt. Not realizing what's going on, Hennig takes advantage of the distracted Smith to start the match. But Cyrus grabs Hennig's leg, and Smith gets the upper hand. He stays on Hennig for the rest of the match, finally applying the Leglock Submission. Hennig taps out, and Cyrus gets a microphone before entering the ring to celebrate with Smith.

Cyrus: Hey Hennig, I guess by reading your shirt, you've found your calling in life. I'd say after the last few weeks, you're the "perfect" member of the J.O.B. Squad!

Cyrus and Smith laugh as they leave the ring. Hennig takes the shirt off and reads the back, and then promptly has a temper tantrum, ripping up the shirt and tossing the pieces of it into the crowd.

Winner: Johnny Smith

OR: 65

CR: 71

MQ: 76

Backstage, Alicia Shamrock is standing with Bas Rutten. She says that Rutten is ready to prove that he belongs in a wrestling ring, and he's going to start by earning a title belt. So she starts listing off the NWA titles. With Ken Shamrock holding the World title, Rutten won't be fighting his friend, so that one's out. Although he's teamed with Jody Fleisch in the past, he wants to prove he can handle things by himself, so the Tag Team titles are out. And he's not really suited for the X title. So that leaves the Hardcore title. She asks Rutten if he thinks he's ready for a Hardcore title shot. Rutten silently responds by showing he's got a chair in his hands, and then he hits himself in the head with it three times! Alicia is satisfied.

OR: 89

(Alicia Shamrock gained in over from 80 to 83.)

Jeff Jarrett vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): As the "get Jeff Jarrett's morale up" tour nears completion, there's no doubt who's going to win this match, although Andrews does put on a good show. But in the end, Jarrett hits the Stroke to get the pin.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett

OR: 74

CR: 80

MQ: 86

OR: 72

Rating: 6.14

Attendance: 10008

Best segment: Interview with Alicia Shamrock and Bas Rutten (89)

Worst segment: TAKA Michinoku attacks Super Crazy with a ladder (61)

Best match: Jeff Jarrett over Scoot Andrews (74)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, October 24, 2003

Monday was another one of those days, which totally ruined the overall rating of the matches. And how about that awesome Super Crazy-TAKA Michinoku confrontation? They are so uncharismatic I wasn't really expecting much, but it was a necessary evil in order to set things up for this Sunday's X Marks The Spot pay-per-view. Unfortunately, this looks like another month that just goes along until the end of the last show before the pay-per-view, when commissioner Foley finally announces the card for the show.

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 take on two members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, Disco Inferno and the Hardcore champion, Konnan.

Morales: Both these teams are former Tag Team champions, so that should make for a good match.

Williams: Also, Jeff Jarrett will be in action against Gangrel, and commissioner Mick Foley will be out in a little while to announce the matches for this Sunday's pay-per-view, X Marks The Spot.

Morales: But right now, making their way to the ring, Vince Russo and the newest member of SEX, Marcus Bagwell.

As Russo and Bagwell make their way to the ring, the announcers talk about how Bagwell helped save Konnan's Hardcore title last week to get back into SEX. Russo says Bagwell was like a sheep without his shepherd while he was not a member of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, but now he has found his way back home. Bagwell says he's going to prove everyone was wrong about him beginning tonight against Perry Saturn.

OR: 85

(Marcus Bagwell gained in over from 75 to 77.)

Perry Saturn vs. Marcus Bagwell (with Vince Russo): Here is your textbook SEX match: face gets the early advantage, Russo interferes, heel gets control. A bit formulaic, but the formula is sound. Bagwell finishes off Saturn with the Blockbuster.

Winner: Marcus Bagwell

OR: 71

CR: 66

MQ: 76

Next out is Jeff Jarrett to talk about his match with Gangrel. Nothing of importance is said, but the fans cheer just because it's Jeff Jarrett.

OR: 85

Jeff Jarrett vs. Gangrel: Another in the month-long series of squash matches for Jeff Jarrett. I think the fans are getting tired of it. In fact, one of the fans jumps over the railing and takes Gangrel's cup of viscous red liquid. Security quickly pounces and drags the fan backstage, and it turns out it's smeyers003! The fans are more interested in watching his antics with the cup and security than the match itself. Speaking of which, Jarrett pins Gangrel after the Stroke.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett

OR: 76

CR: 75

MQ: 78

The announcers discuss the potential matches for X Marks The Spot when Curt Hennig's music plays and he comes to the ring. The announcers tell us he's not scheduled to compete tonight as he gets a microphone and enters the ring.

Hennig: Crash Holly! I bet you think that stunt you pulled Monday was real funny, don't you? Trying to say I'm part of your cousin Bob's "J.O.B. Squad". Is that what you really think of me? Then why don't you come out and get in the ring, and I'll help get you on another squad - the "Out-of-a-job Squad"! I'll rip you to pieces, just like I did with that shirt.

The music plays, and Holly comes out with his tag-team partner.

OR: 78

Curt Hennig vs. Crash Holly (with Charlie Haas): Hennig starts out on fire, dominating Holly in the early going. Hennig whips Holly into the ropes and goes for a Dropkick, but Haas grabs Holly's leg to keep him from running into it. While the referee admonishes Haas, Holly digs into his trunks. He's got something in his hand! Hennig gets up, but Holly punches him, and coins go flying everywhere. He had a roll of quarters! The referee turns around and counts the pin, despite all the quarters scattered on the mat. Haas gets in the ring, and a two-on-one beatdown on Hennig commences. The camera zooms in, and Hennig has been busted open. The announcers speculate the money-assisted punch caused that. The fans keep looking at the curtain, waiting for someone to come make the save. Finally, here comes someone. It's A.J. Styles, and he's got a chair! He's in the ring, but both members of Haas Of Pain take off before Styles can get a shot in.

Winner: Crash Holly

OR: 75

CR: 73

MQ: 78

As the medics attend to Hennig, Styles demands a microphone. This should be interesting. He says that they had no business to treat a legend like Curt Hennig that way. Holly shrugs as Haas laughs at that idea. Styles then challenges Holly to a match at X Marks The Spot, and Holly nods in approval.

OR: 84

Disco Inferno and Konnan, along with Vince Russo, come out for the main event. Disco reminds the crowd that everyone thought the Road Warriors couldn't be beaten for the Tag Team titles, until they did it. Konnan want to speak on this (Orale! Arriba la raza!), and then says tonight lightning will strike twice.

OR: 80

Road Warriors vs. Disco Inferno & Konnan (with Vince Russo): A good power match, which displays the ability of the Road Warriors. When it looks like they've got things firmly in control, Animal is lured into the ring, which distracts the referee long enough for Vince Russo to climb onto the ring apron and nail Hawk with Konnan's Hardcore title belt. However, Hawk kicks out of Konnan's pin at two. Disco and Konnan maintain their advantage for a while, but eventually a mistake allows Hawk to make the hot tag. Animal dominates both members of SEX, and then signals for the Doomsday Device. But before they can even attempt the move, Scott Hall runs in, and the referee calls for a DQ. It's 3-on-2, and SEX looks like they're going to deliver a beatdown of their own. Then the curtain opens, and Bas Rutten comes running with a trashcan! He goes straight for Konnan and bonks him in he head with it, spreading trash all over the ring. Hey Bas - you're supposed to empty the trashcan first! Now look what our poor ring crew is going to have to clean up. The Road Warriors soon start to turn the tide on Hall and Disco, so they leave the ring. Russo pulls Konnan out too, leaving Rutten and the Road Warriors alone in the ring.

Winner: Road Warriors by disqualification

OR: 78

CR: 77

MQ: 80

As both sides point fingers at each other from a safe distance, Mick Foley's music hits and the crowd goes wild.

Foley: I can see that there are still some unfinished issues here, but I think I've got a solution for them. Bas Rutten, on Monday you thought you should get a Hardcore title shot, and after the way you were swinging that trashcan, I'm inclined to agree. So in two days, in Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, Konnan, you'll be defending your Hardcore title against Bas Rutten at X Marks The Spot. As for you, Scott Hall and Disco Inferno, you'll be facing those two men, the Road Warriors, this Sunday, and that is final! Now get out of here, all of you!

Russo: Wait a minute, Mick. If you're going to schedule these three of my men for X Marks The Spot, why don't you give me the match I want! You know what that is - B.G. James and Low-Ki's return match for the Tag Team titles!

Foley: Vince, if you would just keep your mouth shut for five seconds, I was going to get around to that. Yes, James and Low-Ki are contractually obligated to a return match for the Tag Team titles, and they will get their shot this Sunday.

Russo: Yes! Thank you, Mick. You're a wonderful commissioner. I'll go now.

Foley: Wait a minute, there's going to be another match involving a member of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, and you might want to listen to it. Since TAKA Michinoku attacked Super Crazy on Monday with a ladder, I've decided that this Sunday, on pay-per-view, TAKA will defend the X title against Super Crazy … in a Ladder match!

Russo: No, you can't do that!

Foley: Now you may leave. Go on, go.

Russo finally leaves, along with Konnan, Hall, and Disco. Rutten and the Road Warriors soon follow.

OR: 84

The ring crew starts getting the garbage out of the ring while setting up a table and chairs in the ring as Foley continues.

Foley: Now then, there's one more title left, and that's Ken Shamrock's World title. Just like the Tag Team titles, there was a return clause in last month's match between Shamrock and Bill Goldberg. So the main event at X Marks The Spot will be Ken Shamrock defending the World title against Bill Goldberg. However, I have yet to get both your signatures on the contract for the match, so if you would both come on out, I have the contract right here.

Foley gets in the ring and places the contract on the table as Ken Shamrock comes out with the title belt and Alicia Shamrock. Alicia starts looking over the contract as Cyrus comes out with Bill Goldberg. Goldberg and Ken Shamrock stare at each other as Foley encourages them to both sit down. Foley assures them it's a good contract with no surprises, and yes, there is a return clause if Ken loses. Alicia hands the contract to Ken, nodding that it's OK to sign it. Who knew - she's smart as well as beautiful! Ken signs the contract and slides it across the table to Goldberg. Cyrus reads it as well, and then tells Goldberg it's OK. He signs is, and then passes it back to Foley. He picks up the contract to make sure all the signatures are in order, but Goldberg shoves the table hard into Ken Shamrock, knocking him backwards! Alicia scrambles out of the ring as Foley collects the paperwork from the mat. Ken gets up, but Goldberg is waiting for him. Spear! Cyrus shouts an instruction at Goldberg as he picks Shamrock up and drags him back towards the table. Jackhammer on the table! The table breaks, and Foley then steps between Shamrock and Goldberg, chasing him and Cyrus away while Alicia checks on Ken.

OR: 84

OR: 80

Rating: 7.28

Attendance: 10029

Best segment: (tie) Interview with Marcus Bagwell and Vince Russo; Interview with Jeff Jarrett (85)

Worst segment: Marcus Bagwell over Perry Saturn (71)

Best match: Road Warriors over Disco Inferno & Konnan (78)

[LoveMuscle]

Sunday, October 26, 2003

TNA X Marks The Spot

Hosts: Jeff Morales and Bart Snake

Morales: Hello, TNA fans, we’re live from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, and this is X Marks The Spot! 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 challenging Ken Shamrock for the World title.

Snake: Shamrock defeated Goldberg last month at Autumn Ambush, and tonight Goldberg gets his contractually mandated return match.

Morales: Also, B.G. James and Low-Ki get their contractually mandated rematch for the Tag Team titles against The Hardcore Japanese.

Snake: Two other members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, Scott Hall and Disco Inferno, will be facing the Road Warriors in tag team action.

Morales: But those aren't the only members of SEX who we'll see tonight. Konnan will be defending the Hardcore title against Bas Rutten, and TAKA Michinoku has to defend his X title against Super Crazy in a ladder match.

Snake: That should be a really good match. Earlier today, we got these words from Steve Corino and Super Crazy.

On the video screen, we see a close-up of Super Crazy's eyes, and the camera slowly zooms out until we se both Crazy and Steve Corino. Meanwhile, Corino tells TAKA Michinoku to take a good look into Crazy's eyes. He really is crazy! Why in the world would anyone want to challenge him to a Ladder match? Corino says TAKA brought this all on himself when he attacked Crazy with a ladder. They just wanted a simple X title match, but TAKA wanted to get a ladder involved. So now it is, and TAKA's going to find out how Super Crazy earned his name.

OR: 92

(Steve Corino gained in over from 89 to 92.)

NWA Hardcore title match: Bas Rutten (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Konnan © (with Vince Russo): Fortunately for the ring crew, there is no garbage in the trashcans under the ring. I say that because Rutten pulls one from under the ring before the match ever begins. However, it's only used a couple of times before Rutten settles into a mat-wrestling contest. The announcers even point out that it doesn't look like a traditional Hardcore match. Where's Sabu and New Jack when you need them? Konnan whacks Rutten with a trashcan lid to gain the advantage and soon starts working over Rutten's leg. The announcers speculate that Konnan is trying to weaken the leg before applying the Tequila Sunrise. Konnan signals for the move, but Alicia gets a broom from under the ring and slides it in to Rutten. A couple of shots later, and Rutten has swept back into command. Russo chases Alicia around the ring, but Jody Fleisch comes out to protect her from Russo. Rutten is also distracted by the events outside the ring, but Konnan isn't able to take advantage. Sonny Siaki comes out and gets in the ring. He charges at Rutten, but he steps out of the way and Siaki crashes into Konnan. Rutten tosses Siaki to the floor, where Fleisch keeps him occupied while Rutten locks in the Guillotine Choke! Konnan doesn't last long before he taps out.

Winner: Bas Rutten

OR: 74

CR: 67

MQ: 81

(Bas Rutten gained in over from 61 to 62. The NWA Hardcore title has dropped in image from 76 to 74.)

A.J. Styles vs. Crash Holly (with Charlie Haas): The announcers detail the events that led up to this match being signed, and then state that Curt Hennig suffered some internal injuries from Haas Of Pain's attack and he'll be out of action for some time. This one's a very good match, and the crowd is into it as well. But anytime Styles strings together two or three moves in a row, Haas interferes to give his partner the upper hand. The fact that Styles kept coming back from this leads many in the crowd to conclude that Styles is better than Holly, and the only reason this match wasn't over a lot sooner was Haas' interference. Finally, Styles makes the wise decision and stays in the center of the ring when he gets an advantage. Haas goes around the ring to where the referee was standing and punches him in the back of the head! With the referee down, Haas gets in the ring to help Holly. Styles briefly holds his own, but Haas Of Pain has the numbers advantage. Soon they hit the Haas Crasher on Styles, and then Haas revives the referee from outside the ring. The referee asks him what happened, and he points to an empty beer cup and signals that a fan threw it and bonked him in the back of the head. The referee bought it! What an idiot. Meanwhile, Holly puts on a display for the referee's benefit, nailing the Crash Landing on Styles to make it look like he did it all by himself. After the pin, Haas gets back in the ring and they work over Styles for a bit before finally leaving.

Winner: Crash Holly

OR: 85

CR: 83

MQ: 88

NWA Tag Team title match: The Hardcore Japanese © (with New Jack) vs. B.G. James & Low-Ki (with Vince Russo): Russo leads James to the ring, and Low-Ki trails some distance behind with a scowl on his face. Low-Ki starts for his team, and they quickly have the advantage on Ebessan and Tanaka. Low-Ki doesn't seem to have any problems with James, as they exhibit good teamwork. However, he glares at Russo each time he tries to talk to Low-Ki. Sports Entertainment Xtreme pretty much controls, until James and Ebessan collide and bump their heads together. Ebessan tags in Tanaka, who's a house of fire and it's BONZO GONZO! Tanaka punches down both Low-Ki and James, and soon Ebessan is back up. He brawls with Low-Ki out to the floor, and Russo gets up on the apron. Tanaka grabs him and signals to the fans that he's going to punch him, but James is up. He charges at Tanaka, but he moves out of the way, and James strikes his own manager. Irony can be so cruel. James turns around, but Tanaka is waiting with the Roaring Elbow! Ebessan prevents Low-Ki from breaking up the pinfall. New Jack celebrates his team's win while Low-Ki stands alone in the ring, looking down at Russo before returning to the locker room by himself.

Winner: The Hardcore Japanese

OR: 80

CR: 76

MQ: 84

Backstage, Cyrus is standing by with Bill Goldberg. Cyrus says he sincerely hopes Ken Shamrock didn't get injured too seriously on Friday. Goldberg … smiles? What's up with that? Cyrus says he wants Shamrock to make it to the main event tonight so Goldberg can finish the job he started two days ago and bring the World title back to The Virus.

OR: 80

Ladder match for the NWA X title: Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. TAKA Michinoku © (with Vince Russo): As the two wrestlers make their way to the ring, the camera crew shows us the X title suspended over the ring, and that four eight-foot ladders have been set up outside the ring during Cyrus' interview. Early on, the match features back-and-forth high-flying action that is typical of most X-division matches. But at the five-minute mark, Crazy has enough of an advantage that he takes the opportunity to retrieve one of the ladders. He slides it between the middle and top rope, but by this time TAKA has recovered enough to dive on the end of the ladder, and the seesaw effect brings the other end of the ladder up into Crazy's face. The fans chant "Holy shit" for the first of many times in this match. Throughout the next several minutes, both wrestlers perform various ladder-based moves on each other, and two more ladders are brought into the ring by the time 21 minutes have passed. Crazy hits a sick-looking Moonsault off the fifth step of one of the ladders, but instead of trying to retrieve the belt, he gets out of the ring and looks under the apron, where he finds yet another ladder. He drags it out, and it's bigger than the others, a 15-foot ladder. He sets it up in the ring and starts to climb. However, TAKA recovers some and begins to climb up the other side. Crazy reaches the top first, but he discovers he's not directly under the belt and has to reach over towards it. When TAKA gets to the top, they slug it out, and Crazy gets turned around. TAKA maneuvers over to Crazy's side, and - oh my God! Hurracanrana off the ladder! Crazy is sent to the floor and the ladder falls over. The fans chant once again as both men slowly recover. TAKA is the first to his feet and moves two of the smaller ladders over towards one corner, and the sets up the big one in the center of the ring. He climbs up and can almost touch the belt, but by that time Corino has revived Super Crazy. He climbs to the top rope, walks across the two ladders, and Clotheslines TAKA back to the mat, and yet again the fans chant for the sacred poop. Crazy sets up the third small ladder in another corner and then climbs to the top rope. He leapfrogs over the ladder to deliver a Flying Legdrop! Russo starts to get in the ring as Crazy climbs up the ladder, but Corino drags him to the floor. Crazy grabs the title belt and nearly collapses to the floor. The crowd claps appreciatively at this great match.

Winner: Super Crazy

OR: 85

CR: 78

MQ: 92

Road Warriors vs. Scott Hall & Disco Inferno (with Vince Russo): The announcers point out that it hasn't been a good night for SEX. We're running a little short on time, so this match only lasts about seven minutes before Disco distracts the referee, which allows Hall to hit a Low Blow on Animal. Hall, in an impressive display of strength, lands the Outsider's Edge on Animal, and Disco brawls with Hawk while the ref counts to three.

Winner: Scott Hall & Disco Inferno

OR: 83

CR: 82

MQ: 84

NWA World title match: Ken Shamrock © (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Bill Goldberg (with Cyrus): This one wasn't as good as their match last month, but the fans were just as into it. Both men trade moves with one another, but eventually Shamrock gets control. At the 13-minute mark, Shamrock hits a High Angle Belly To Belly Suplex and scores the pin.

Winner: Ken Shamrock

OR: 88

CR: 90

MQ: 84

(The NWA World title gained in image from 89 to 91.)

The referee raises Shamrock's arm as Goldberg rolls to the floor, but Cyrus takes the title belt from the timekeeper's table and gets in the ring behind Shamrock. He nails him with the belt, and Shamrock staggers forward. He turns around, seemingly unaffected by the shot. Cyrus realizes he's alone in the ring with Shamrock, and starts begging off. But Shamrock blasts him with a Clothesline, and to the delight of the fans, locks in the Ankle Lock on Cyrus! But he hears a scream, and only then does everyone notice Goldberg has Alicia! Goldberg threatens to injure Alicia if Ken doesn't release Cyrus, and Ken responds by threatening to snap Cyrus' ankle if Goldberg doesn't release Alicia. The situation looks like it will be resolved when Bas Rutten and Jody Fleisch come out, but hot on their heels is Scoot Andrews, Johnny Smith, and Jun Akiyama, and all five start brawling into the crowd and backstage, leaving us back at a stalemate. The crowd erupts when a stranger walks out from the back and bumps into Goldberg. It's D'Lo Brown! He punches Goldberg and he releases Alicia. Goldberg and D’Lo brawl for a little bit, and Ken releases Cyrus to check on his wife. Finally, Goldberg picks up Cyrus and heads back to the locker room, leaving D’Lo and the Shamrocks triumphant at ringside.

OR: 82

OR: 82

Buy rate: 1.91

Attendance: 20028

Best segment: Interview with Steve Corino and Super Crazy (92)

Worst segment: Bas Rutten over Konnan (74)

Best match: Ken Shamrock over Bill Goldberg (88)

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, October 27, 2003

Last night's show came off pretty well, I think. Every match was at least 81 in quality, and that's something that not many other promotions could claim on any card. However, we failed to continue our streak of beating the WWE in pay-per-view buy rates. That signals that we still aren't quite ready to challenge them head-to-head on Monday nights.

The only complainer was B.G. James, who thought Masato Tanaka was working too stiff. Low-Ki made no such claims, although there's no question in my mind he's tougher than James, so maybe he wasn't too bothered by it.

TNA XCitement

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.

Kavovit: Tonight, A.J. Styles tries to get a measure of revenge against Charlie Haas.

Snake: Last night at X Marks The Spot, Crash Holly defeated A.J. Styles thanks to interference by Holly's partner, Charlie Haas.

Kavovit: Speaking of last night's pay-per-view, earlier today we spoke to the latest wrestler to debut here in Total Nonstop Action, D'Lo Brown. Take a look.

On the video screen we see D'Lo Brown sitting on a park bench, with a flock of birds milling around on the ground in front of him. During the interview, he would occasionally reach into a bag and toss a handful of birdseed on the ground for them. He tells us that all throughout his wrestling career he's had to play the race card. However, in TNA the only card he wants to play is the ass-kicking card. So he figured the best place to start was with a world-recognized bad ass like Bill Goldberg. He's been planning his next move for some time, but when he saw Goldberg grab Alicia Shamrock, he knew what he had to do. He states he has no ties to Alicia or anyone she manages, he just did what was right. But now that everyone knows he's here in TNA, he's ready to make his next move. He wants a match with Goldberg!

OR: 73

Norman Smiley vs. Gangrel: I gather from the crowd reaction this wasn't the match they came to see tonight. However, nobody jumps out of the crowd to grab Gangrel's cup, which, as Diamond Dallas Page would say, is a good thing. Smiley picks up the submission victory with the Norman Conquest. Afterwards, he does the Big Wiggle to the delight of a few fans.

Winner: Norman Smiley

OR: 69

CR: 66

MQ: 72

Vince Russo's music plays and he comes to the ring with the other eight members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme. Russo points out that the only match they won last night was Scott Hall and Disco Inferno against the Road Warriors. He berates Konnan for losing the Hardcore title, and then starts talking about the Tag Team title match. He talks some trash towards B.G. James, but when he walks to Low-Ki, he takes the microphone from Russo before he could say anything about him. Low-Ki says there's only one person who is responsible for SEX losing all three title matches last night. Russo, who got another microphone from the ring announcer, agrees with him. He says that the person responsible for those losses is … TAKA Michinoku! TAKA looks surprised by this announcement, as does Low-Ki. He asks if Russo has lost is mind, pointing out that TAKA had been the X champion for many months and was the anchor of the unit. Russo says that used to be true, but now that TAKA has lost everyone can see his flaws. Russo declares that, as of this moment, TAKA Michinoku is out of Sports Entertainment Xtreme. TAKA still looks shocked when Scott Hall, Marcus Bagwell, Konnan, Disco Inferno. B.J. James, and Sonny Siaki start punching him. Russo continues to direct the attack as Low-Ki just throws his hands up in the air and walks away.

OR: 73

(Vince Russo dropped in over from 89 to 87. TAKA Michinoku gained in over from 87 to 92. TAKA Michinoku's turn was completed, and he is now a face.)

Jody Fleisch (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Brian Lawler: The announcers are still shocked by the events of the previous segment, so much that they spend more time talking about it than this match. It's a pretty good match, and the fans are into it, since Alicia is at ringside. Fleisch makes quick work of Lawler, pinning him after a Phoenix 720 DDT.

Winner: Jody Fleisch

OR: 79

CR: 76

MQ: 82

A.J. Styles hits the ring and asks for a microphone. While not great on the stick, he's been handling it quite capably in the last couple of weeks when given a chance. He tells Charlie Haas he made the biggest mistake of his life last night, and now he's going to have to pay. He tells Haas to kiss is boyfriend Crash Holly goodbye and come face him alone.

OR: 80

A.J. Styles vs. Charlie Haas: Haas comes to the ring, apparently really steamed by Styles' statements about his relationship with Holly. Styles is able to take advantage of that to gain command early on. It's pretty much all Styles, until a double reverse if an Irish Whip sends Haas crashing into the corner where the referee is. Styles retrieves Haas to continue the onslaught while the referee crumples to the mat. Predictably, Crash Holly runs in with a chair and nails Styles. Holly helps the referee return to consciousness while Haas lands the Haastruction on Styles. The ref counts the pin, never realizing Holly was ever in the ring.

Winner: Charlie Haas

OR: 86

CR: 87

MQ: 87

OR: 78

Rating: 5.70

Attendance: 10015

Best segment: Charlie Haas over A.J. Styles (86)

Worst segment: Norman Smiley over Gangrel (69)

Best match: Charlie Haas over A.J. Styles (86)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, October 31, 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 take on two members of The Virus, Scoot Andrews and Johnny Smith.

Morales: Another member of The Virus, Jun Akiyama, will face Sting in our main event.

Williams: Also, TAKA Michinoku has challenged any two members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme to a tag team match tonight, and as of yet we haven't heard if SEX has accepted the challenge, and if so which two it will be.

Morales: But who is TAKA's partner in that match?

Williams: I don't know, but I can guess that Marcus Bagwell won't be one of SEX's representatives if they do accept, because he's scheduled to face Akira Taue tonight.

Morales: I'm getting word that we have a camera crew inside Sports Entertainment Xtreme's locker room. Let's go there now.

Inside the SEX locker room, Vince Russo tells his guys about TAKA's challenge, to which most chuckle. Russo looks around, and notices Low-Ki isn't there. He asks the others where he is, and they all look around until Scott Hall says he hasn't seen him all day. Russo seems a little concerned, but then they have to decide who will represent SEX against TAKA Michinoku's team. Sonny Siaki and Disco Inferno are chosen, and then Russo tells Marcus Bagwell that it's time for his match.

OR: 85

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

New Jack comes to the ring with Akira Taue. He says that the Hardcore Japanese have been wanting to get a shot at Marcus Bagwell ever since he cost Sabu his shot at the Hardcore title. Well, tonight's the night, and Taue is the lucky one who gets a shot at him. New Jack tells Bagwell to come take his ass-kicking like a man.

OR: 79

Akira Taue (with New Jack) vs. Marcus Bagwell (with Vince Russo): Taue takes the early advantage, but some well-timed cheating (behind the referee's back, of course) by Vince Russo allows Bagwell to take command. New Jack reciprocates to turn the advantage back to Taue. Russo climbs up on the apron to complain, which causes New Jack to come around the ring. Russo and New Jack argue, which distracts the referee's attention while B.G. James comes running in from the back. James hits the Dogg Pound on Taue, and then quickly exits the ring as Bagwell climbs to the top rope. He hits a Blockbuster on Taue as Russo points the ref back to the in-ring action. He makes the three count, and James gets back in to continue the 2-on-1 assault. New Jack finds a Singapore cane under the ring (what, no crutch?), and quickly jumps into the fray to end the beatdown.

Winner: Marcus Bagwell

OR: 68

CR: 62

MQ: 75

Sonny Siaki and Disco Inferno come to the ring with Vince Russo. Siaki says he's been a part of Sports Entertainment Xtreme from the very beginning, and TAKA Michinoku never fit in with everyone else in the group. Disco says the only reason they didn't get rid of him sooner was because he was holding on to the X title, and without that he was useless to SEX. Siaki says that now it's time for TAKA to bring his sushi-eating ass to the ring with whoever he's got for a partner.

OR: 87

(Disco Inferno gained in over from 77 to 78.)

TAKA Michinoku comes out alone, carefully circling the ring. Russo gets the microphone and asks where TAKA's partner was. He continues to say that nobody wants to team with him. Nobody in SEX ever wanted to team with him, and nobody in all of TNA would be his partner. TAKA points to the curtain as some generic Oriental music plays, and the fans are shocked by who TAKA got to be his partner.

OR: 73

(TAKA Michinoku dropped in over from 92 to 90.)

TAKA Michinoku & Funaki vs. Sonny Siaki & Disco Inferno (with Vince Russo): The fans warm quickly to the reunion of Kaientai, and they proceed to put on a great match, possibly the best one ever involving Disco Inferno. Funaki looks very crisp in his debut, and he and TAKA run through all their classic Kaientai moves. The fans are especially appreciative of the Camel Clutch/Dropkick to the face on Disco. In the end, Funaki wraps up his impressive performance with a Tornado DDT on Disco to pick up the pin.

Winner: Kaientai

OR: 83

CR: 77

MQ: 90

Backstage, the camera crews find Sting. He cuts his usual hyperactive interview, basically saying what he plans on doing to Jun Akiyama later tonight. Every fan in the building was on their feet and cheering the whole time Sting's interview was shown on the video screen.

OR: 100

Cyrus comes to the ring with Scoot Andrews and Johnny Smith. He says in just a few minutes they're going to kick the Road Warriors' ancient asses. But right now he has a message for D'Lo Brown. He says that nobody just walks into TNA and demands a match with Bill Goldberg. Cyrus explains that if D'Lo wants a shot at Goldberg, he'll have to go through every other member of The Virus first, starting next week with Scoot Andrews.

OR: 84

(D'Lo Brown gained in over from 71 to 73.)

Road Warriors vs. Johnny Smith & Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): It appears that Andrews was already starting to think about his match next week with D'Lo, because he certainly wasn't focused on the Road Warriors. In reality, Smith and Andrews both did a good job of selling for Hawk and Animal, and it ended up as a very good match. Hawk hits the Doomsday Device on Andrews and scores the pin.

Winner: Road Warriors

OR: 80

CR: 74

MQ: 86

A.J. Styles comes to the ring with a microphone. He says that no matter what he does, Haas Of Pain always ends up double-teaming him in the matches he's had with each of them. He says that he's come to the conclusion that he needs a tag team partner to combat them. Some spooky music starts to play, and a figure wearing a white sheet slowly walks to the ring. Styles asks if he's supposed to be some kind of ghost, and the figure nods his head. Styles then asks if he's come out to be his partner, and the ghost shakes his head no. At that time, Charlie Haas comes running in behind Styles with a pumpkin, which he smacks over Styles' head, knocking him down. The ghost pulls the sheet off, and it's Crash Holly! Haas Of Pain does a mini-beatdown on Styles before they decide to leave.

Holly: Trick or treat, bitch!

OR: 88

(Charlie Haas gained in over from 79 to 80.)

Sting vs. Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): It hasn't been a good night for The Virus. First Andrews and Smith lose to the Road Warriors, and now Akiyama is totally dominated by Sting. Sting runs through all his usual moves, then applies the Scorpion Death Lock to pick up the win by submission.

Winner: Sting

OR: 82

CR: 85

MQ: 78

OR: 82

Rating: 7.91

Attendance: 10046

Best segment: Interview with Sting (100)

Worst segment: Marcus Bagwell over Akira Taue (68)

Best match: Kaientai over Sonny Siaki & Disco Inferno (83)

[LoveMuscle]

Saturday, November 1, 2003

Curt Hennig's contract ran out today, and we bid him farewell. He helped get this company off the ground, but at the end he was living off his name and reputation, and not his in-ring ability. Age does terrible things to wrestlers, it's sad to see where he is today compared to where he was a decade ago. At least he was professional about it, trying to give the rub to members of The Virus and helping kick-start the feud between Haas Of Pain and A.J. Styles.

With the industry back on the upswing, another new promotion, Smokey Mountain Wrestling Rebirth, has opened. They are at the Regional level, putting them right in the middle of the other North American wrestling companies.

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 (100)

UPPER MIDCARD

Road Warrior Hawk (81)

Road Warrior Animal (74)

MIDCARDERS

Ken Shamrock (92)

TAKA Michinoku (90)

Jody Fleisch (89)

Jeff Jarrett (86)

Super Crazy (84)

Masato Tanaka (82)

A.J. Styles (81)

Psychosis (80)

Ultimo Dragon (77) {currently injured}

D'Lo Brown (73)

Ebessan (72)

Norman Smiley (70)

Funaki (69)

Sabu (68)

Anthony Durante (65)

Damien 666 (63)

Chris Chetti (62)

Brian Lawler (71)

Bill Goldberg (95)

Scott Hall (89)

Low-Ki (88)

Sonny Siaki (84)

B.G. James (82)

Jun Akiyama (81)

Shane Douglas (81)

Charlie Haas (80)

Scoot Andrews (80)

Crash Holly (79)

Disco Inferno (78)

Johnny Smith (78)

Konnan (78)

Donovan Morgan (77)

Marcus Bagwell (77)

Steven Richards (68)

Gangrel (65)

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Bas Rutten (63)

Perry Saturn (60)

Akira Taue (54)

OPENERS

none

JOBBERS

none

MANAGERS

New Jack (93)

Steve Corino (92)

Alicia Shamrock (83)

Cyrus (90)

Vince Russo (87)

NON-WRESTLERS

Mick Foley (95)

TAG TEAMS {members} (experience)

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

Kaientai {TAKA Michinoku & Funaki} (56)

The Hardcore Japanese {Ebessan & Masato Tanaka} (7)

Haas Of Pain {Charlie Haas & Crash Holly} (5)

TITLES (image) {current holder}

NWA World (91) {Ken Shamrock}

NWA X (87) {Super Crazy}

NWA Tag Team (82) {The Hardcore Japanese}

NWA Hardcore (74) {Bas Rutten}

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, November 3, 2003

TNA XCitement

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.

Kavovit: Tonight, Konnan tries to regain the Hardcore title from Bas Rutten.

Snake: This is a return match from X Marks The Spot, where Rutten defeated Konnan to win the title.

Kavovit: Also, Sonny Siaki will face Damien 666 in a X-division match.

Snake: That music must mean Vince Russo’s on his way out, and it looks like he has Sonny Siaki and Konnan with him.

Konnan gets a microphone and runs through his usual spiel before saying that tonight he’s going to beat Bas Rutten for the Hardcore title. Then he passes the microphone to Siaki, who says that now it’s time for the X title to come back where it has always belonged – around his waist! He’s going to start right now with Damien 666.

OR: 86

Damien 666 vs. Sonny Siaki (with Vince Russo & Konnan): The fans are expecting a squash, so they’re not too surprised when that’s exactly what they got. All throughout the match, Konnan wanders around the ringside area, looking under the ring to see what’s down there that he can use as weapons in his upcoming title match. He makes his way over to the announcers’ desk, looking to see what’s there that he can use. Meanwhile, Siaki finishes off Damien with the Siakalypse.

Winner: Sonny Siaki

OR: 77

CR: 70

MQ: 84

NWA Hardcore title match: Bas Rutten © (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Konnan (with Vince Russo): Before Rutten ever steps through the curtain, Konnan starts pulling items from under the ring. By the time Rutten gets into the ring, Konnan is waiting with a stop sign. Konnan uses it to get the early advantage. Konnan seems to be warming up to the concept of Hardcore matches. He looks very adept at the art of swinging a Singapore cane and has improved his ability to deliver a trashcan shot. Even Alicia seems to be getting into the whole Hardcore thing, as she passes one of her high-heeled shoes to Rutten. He nails Konnan right in the head, which allows him to take control. He hands the shoe back to Alicia, as we see that Konnan has been busted open by the heel of the shoe. Before before long, Rutten locks in the Guillotine Choke! Konnan struggles to get out of the hold as Russo gets in the ring behind Rutten and picks up a trashcan lid. Alicia alerts Rutten to this, and he turns around just as Russo swings. However, Rutten was still holding on to Konnan, and Russo ends up nailing Konnan. Rutten glares at Russo, who wisely gets out of the ring. The referee checks Konnan, but between Rutten’s hold and Russo’s misplaced shot, Konnan has passed out. The referee raises his arm and it falls three times, and the ref signals for the bell.

Winner: Bas Rutten

OR: 75

CR: 68

MQ: 82

(Konnan dropped in over from 78 to 76. Bas Rutten gained in over from 63 to 66.)

Low-Ki comes from the back and gets in the ring, walking past Rutten and Alicia without even acknowledging they were there. Russo is helping Konnan to the back when he notices Low-Ki. He then yells to Low-Ki, asking where he’s been. Low-Ki says he’s had all of Vince Russo that he can stand. Russo has failed to keep his promises to him and the other members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, but Russo seems to have the others fooled. He says he knows he has all the skills to make it on his own without Russo, and he says he’s going to prove it right now. He then calls out Sting! Before long, Sting’s music plays, and he comes to the ring to the delight of the crowd.

OR: 94

(Low-Ki gained in over from 88 to 90.)

Sting vs. Low-Ki: Instead of returning to the back, Vince Russo joins the announcers. He sits in a chair and props his feet up on the desk. Meanwhile, Sting and Low-Ki are having a good little match. The fans really cheer for Sting, but they’re not quite sure what to make of Low-Ki. He drew some cheers during his interview for quitting SEX, but he’s still getting booed because he’s facing Sting. Surprisingly, Low-Ki uses actual wrestling technique to get the advantage on Sting instead of cheating, like some may expect. But at the end, Sting hits the Stinger Splash and then follows that up with the Scorpion Death Drop. The referee makes the three count. Afterwards, Low-Ki pulls himself to his feet, with the help of the ropes. Sting recognizes that Low-Ki gave him a good, clean match, and extends his hand … but Low-Ki brushes him off. Sting shrugs and leaves the ring.

Winner: Sting

OR: 90

CR: 94

MQ: 81

After Sting leaves, Russo takes the house microphone from the announcers’ desk. From there, he starts bad-mouthing Low-Ki. He says that after that match he should realize how lucky he was in SEX. Without Russo and the other members of SEX, Low-Ki is nothing. Russo says that if Low-Ki wants to go out on his own, that’s just fine with him.

OR: 80

OR: 83

Rating: 5.70

Attendance: 10040

Best segment: Low-Ki leaves SEX, calls out Sting (94)

Worst segment: Bas Rutten over Konnan (75)

Best match: Sting over Low-Ki (90)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, November 7, 2003

Marcus Bagwell showed up late for Monday’s show. If I didn’t have plans for him this month, it would have been awfully easy to suspend him for a month.

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 D’Lo Brown begin to “run the gauntlet” of members of The Virus, starting with Scoot Andrews.

Morales: Also, Vince Russo has scheduled a member of Sports Entertainment Xtreme to be in a Hardcore match, but we don’t know who it will be.

Williams: We just learned minutes ago that Anthony Durante has taken up Russo’s offer, so he’ll be the opposition for whoever is chosen.

Morales: Well, we know for sure it won’t be Low-Ki, since he quit SEX on Monday.

Williams: And tonight, Low-Ki will be in singles action against Perry Saturn.

Morales: Wait a minute, I’m getting word from the back that something’s happening. Do we have a camera crew there?

We cut backstage, where A.J. Styles is walking down the corridor. He stops at a door and knocks. When the door opens, there stands Haas Of Pain!

Styles: I challenge you two to a tag match tonight! I found someone to watch my back and keep it from being a two-on-one situation.

Haas: All right, we accept your challenge.

Holly: But there’s just one thing: who’s watching your back right now?

Styles: Well, …

With that, Holly and Haas attack Styles. They’ve got another good beatdown going when Jerry Lynn appears and evens the odds. Styles soon regains his footing, and Holly and Haas retreat into their dressing room.

OR: 88

(Crash Holly gained in over from 79 to 82.)

Low-Ki comes to the ring with a microphone. He says that without Vince Russo he knows he’s all alone, so he won’t be waiting for help that may never arrive. He says he’ll be better off for that, and he’s going to prove it right now against Perry Saturn.

OR: 80

Perry Saturn vs. Low-Ki: Low-Ki knows what he’s talking about, as he quickly dismantles Saturn. As expected, he needs no help to defeat his overmatched opponent.

Winner: Low-Ki

OR: 79

CR: 72

MQ: 87

Backstage in The Virus’ locker room, Cyrus is getting Scoot Andrews ready for his match with D’Lo Brown. Cyrus reminds us that if D’Lo loses to Andrews, then he doesn’t get his match with Bill Goldberg. Cyrus tells Andrews that it’s time, and Andrews leaves the dressing room. Cyrus then tells Johnny Smith that if something goes wrong tonight, he gets D’Lo next week. Smith nods, and Cyrus takes off after Andrews.

OR: 81

D’Lo Brown is in the ring with a microphone. I guess he’s got something to say. He says that tonight he may have Scoot Andrews, but he plans on going through everyone Cyrus puts in his way just to face Bill Goldberg.

OR: 77

D’Lo Brown vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): The announcers point out that this is D’Lo Brown’s first match in TNA. D’Lo pretty much dominates, and Andrews only has control of the match whenever Cyrus helps him out. D’Lo soon learns to avoid Cyrus, and hits the Sky High to score the pin. The referee raises D’Lo’s arm, but Johnny Smith attacks from behind. He applies the Leglock Submission! D’Lo writhes in pain, tapping out several times before the referee finally gets Johnny Smith off him. Cyrus gets a microphone and tells D’Lo to get used to that, because that’s the same thing that’s going to happen next week, when D’Lo will face Smith.

Winner: D’Lo Brown

OR: 79

CR: 72

MQ: 86

Vince Russo’s music plays, and he comes to the ring alone. The announcers continue to speculate who will be in the Hardcore match against Anthony Durante. They even speculate that Russo himself will be in the match, which should be grounds for firing right there. I mean, really – Russo in a Hardcore match? Anyways, Russo gets the microphone from the ring announcer and starts out by congratulating Low-Ki on his impressive win. Russo says that it was really impressive the way he defeated Perry Saturn, who hasn’t won a match in months, if ever, since joining TNA. Russo says he’s got more important matters to worry about than Low-Ki. He says that since Konnan has already used up his return match for the Hardcore title, it’s time for another member of Sports Entertainment Xtreme to step up and challenge Bas Rutten for the Hardcore title. The curtain opens, and Scott Hall walks out. He says that he’s ready to challenge anyone in a Hardcore match, be it Bas Rutten or his opponent tonight, Anthony Durante.

OR: 85

Hardcore match: Anthony Durante vs. Scott Hall (with Vince Russo): Durante gets the early advantage, but Russo passes items he finds under the ring to Hall, and he uses them to gain the upper hand. In less than five minutes, it’s apparent that Durante can’t overcome the constant advantage Russo supplies to Hall. Instead of going for the pin, Hall continues abusing Durante, trying to make a point about being a worthy contender for the Hardcore title. Finally, he sets up Durante for the Outsider’s Edge, while Russo positions a trashcan such that Durante’s head strikes it when Hall lands the move. He finally makes the pinfall.

Winner: Scott Hall

OR: 78

CR: 76

MQ: 80

A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn make their way out to a small round of applause and “Jerry” chants. Is Springer in the house today? Styles says everyone knows he and Lynn haven’t always seen eye to eye in the past, but they’ve worked things out between them. Lynn says that he’s been sitting at home watching TNA, remembering all the good times he used to have, when Styles called him last weekend. As they talked things over, he remembered some of the best times he had was when he and Styles were tearing up the TNA Asylum every week, either as a team or as opponents. Lynn says that both men know each other’s moves, and that when Styles told him of his troubles with those two WWE rejects, Haas and Holly, that he knew then and there that he was coming back to TNA.

OR: 79

At that point, Haas Of Pain’s music plays, and they come out with another microphone. Haas says they meant it when they said it doesn’t matter who Styles got for an opponent. Holly says that Lynn must be rusty after that long layoff, and so they’re going to treat Lynn just like an old, rusty car – tonight, they’re going to crush him!

OR: 85

Styles and Lynn vs. Haas Of Pain: The crowd is into this match. They’re really hyped about Jerry Lynn’s return. About two minutes into the match, the referee totally loses control, and all four men end up in the ring, fighting each other. Lynn clotheslines Holly out of the ring, and then joins Styles to double-team Haas. Styles hits the Styles Clash on Haas, but Holly grabs Haas’ foot and pulls him out of the ring before a pin can occur. They walk away to fight another day. The ref counts them out and declares Styles and Lynn the victors. A very good little match.

Winner: Styles and Lynn by count out

OR: 85

CR: 81

MQ: 89

OR: 81

Rating: 7.59

Attendance: 10026

Best segment: Jerry Lynn saves A.J. Styles from a Haas Of Pain beatdown (88)

Worst segment: Interview with D’Lo Brown (77)

Best match: Styles and Lynn over Haas Of Pain (85)

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, November 10, 2003

With the debut of Jerry Lynn and the subsequent tag match, the Haas Of Pain vs. Styles and Lynn feud has reached 90 heat.

TNA XCitement

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.

Kavovit: Tonight, Kaientai will be facing Haas Of Pain in tag team action.

Snake: Also, Donovan Morgan will be in action against Psychosis.

Kavovit: And our main event will see Sting taking on Scoot Andrews.

Snake: But earlier today, we got these words from Haas Of Pain about Kaientai, A.J. Styles, and Jerry Lynn. Check it out.

On the video screen, Haas Of Pain tries to tell us they’re not afraid of Styles and Lynn. In fact, they issue a challenge to Styles and Lynn to face them at the NWA Anniversary pay-per-view! Holly says that they’re going to treat every one of their opponents between now and then just like they’re Styles and Lynn. Haas says the team they’re facing tonight, Kaientai, wrestles a very similar style to Styles and Lynn, so it should be a good preview of what’s going to happen at the pay-per-view.

OR: 85

Psychosis vs. Donovan Morgan: Morgan cheats to gain some early momentum, and it proves to be an advantage he’ll never relinquish. Several times throughout the match, he’ll pause after delivering a move to tell the audience the move was “excellent.” But Psychosis is unable to take advantage of Morgan’s self-indulgences, and eventually falls victim to the Double Underhook Piledriver. Good match.

Winner: Donovan Morgan

OR: 81

CR: 76

MQ: 87

Backstage, Sting runs through a promo with little enthusiasm, but the fans still cheer wildly. The gist of the interview is that Sting is facing Scoot Andrews tonight, and Sting’s going to win. Nothing earth-shattering here, despite the crowd’s reaction.

OR: 96

Kaientai vs. Haas Of Pain: Just to keep the outcome in question, the announcers tell us Styles and Lynn aren’t here tonight, and neither is Sports Entertainment Xtreme. With no obvious sources of outside interference, the fans stay focused on this very good match. Kaientai controls the first few minutes, but Haas Of Pain cheats to get the upper hand, which they maintain for most of the match. Finally, TAKA makes the hot tag to Funaki, and he seems to turn the tide in favor of Kaientai. But while the referee is getting TAKA out of the ring, Haas Of Pain double-teams Funaki. Haas rolls up Funaki as the ref returns to the action. He starts the count, and Haas puts his feet over the middle rope to help hold Funaki down, but the referee never sees it. He makes the three count, and Haas Of Pain slips away with a cheap win. Funaki and the fans on that side of the ring try to tell the referee that Haas’ feet were on the ropes, but it’s too late to affect the outcome.

Winner: Haas Of Pain

OR: 83

CR: 77

MQ: 89

The camera cuts backstage to commissioner Mick Foley’s office, where he’s busily writing something. There’s a knock at the door, and Low-Ki enters. Foley congratulates him on getting out of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, and says he’s got a present for him. Low-Ki seems skeptical, still doubting Foley’s sincerity, but Foley says he’s on the up-and-up. In honor of him quitting SEX, Low-Ki will get a shot at Ken Shamrock for the World title at the NWA Anniversary pay-per-view! Low-Ki smiles and nods his head, then leaves Foley’s office.

OR: 90

Sting vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): Surprisingly, Andrews dominates Sting for the first couple of minutes, but after that it’s all Sting. He hits the Scorpion Death Drop, but the referee has only counted to one when Jun Akiyama enters the ring, picks up Sting, and nails him with Blue Thunder. Andrews is up, and they both work over Sting for a couple of minutes before leaving him in the ring.

Winner: Sting by disqualification

OR: 84

CR: 86

MQ: 82

OR: 86

Rating: 5.95

Attendance: 10018

Best segment: Interview with Sting (96)

Worst segment: Donovan Morgan over Psychosis (81)

Best match: Sting over Scoot Andrews (84)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, November 14, 2003

Road Warrior Hawk showed up late for our house show last night. As a result, he has been suspended for the remainder of the month. He was originally scheduled to be in a tag match tonight, but I guess now plans will have to change.

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 D’Lo Brown continue to “run the gauntlet” of members of The Virus. His opponent tonight is Johnny Smith.

Morales: Two other members of The Virus, Jun Akiyama and Scoot Andrews, will be in our main event tonight, taking on the team of Styles and Lynn.

Williams: Jerry Lynn has already made quite an impact since his return to TNA last week. Hopefully we’ll see more of him tonight than in last week’s aborted match with Haas Of Pain.

Morales: Also, our opening match features Gangrel, and …

With that, the announcers are cut off as the camera switches backstage to inside commissioner Mick Foley’s office. The door suddenly burst open, and Shane Douglas storms in.

Douglas: Look, Foley, you know I don’t like you and I know you don’t like me.

Foley: What ever happened to the old days when everyone was polite, Shane? You know, you knock on the door, and then you enter when I say so, not barging on in without knocking. What if I had been naked? I know you don’t want to see that!

Douglas (looking repulsed): Look, Mick, I …

Foley: And what do you mean, I don’t like you? Where did you ever get that idea?

Douglas: Will you shut up? I’m getting to it! It’s been weeks since you’ve booked me in a match.

Foley: Say no more, my friend. You want a match tonight? I’m sure something can be arranged. In fact, earlier today someone else was in here looking for a match. So tonight, right here in the TNA Asylum, on one side of the ring it will be you, Shane Douglas. And on the other, it will be Road Warrior Animal.

Douglas: What? Wait a minute, Animal …

Foley: There, you have your match, now get out of my office! Go!

OR: 85

Nick Dinsmore vs. Gangrel: Dinsmore is already in the ring, while Gangrel makes his usual elaborate entrance. Dinsmore has no fancy ring attire, just trunks with the words “Mr. Wrestling” on the back. Since the fans aren’t familiar with Dinsmore, and given his simple ring entrance, the fans are totally expecting a squash for Gangrel to open the show, so they’re not too involved with the early going. However, Dinsmore lives up to the name on the back of his shorts, demonstrating a mastery of mat wrestling to keep the more experienced Gangrel on his heels. The fans get their squash, alright – it’s just Gangrel getting squashed by the newcomer that’s the surprise. Dinsmore finished off his impressive debut with a Crossface, and Gangrel quickly taps out.

Winner: Nick Dinsmore

OR: 72

CR: 67

MQ: 78

The announcers call Dinsmore over to their desk. They welcome him to TNA and compliment him on his victory over Gangrel. Dinsmore says he’s here to prove that the “Mr. Wrestling” moniker he carries on his trunks is something he’s earned, not like Donovan Morgan, who calls himself excellent without proving anything. He says that after he proves Morgan is full of baloney, he wants to earn a shot at the World title.

OR: 75

The cameras cut backstage to The Virus’ locker room, where all the members of The Virus, except Bill Goldberg, are hanging out. Cyrus says tonight Johnny Smith will put an end to D’Lo Brown’s quest, and Andrews and Akiyama get a shot at one of the hottest teams in TNA, Styles and Lynn. Cyrus pats Smith on the back, and says it’s time to send D’Lo packing.

OR: 94

Meanwhile, D’Lo Brown is already in the ring. He cuts a very uninspired promo for his match against Johnny Smith. I think the fans already have an idea how this one’s going to turn out before Smith and Cyrus ever step through the curtain.

OR: 71

D’Lo Brown vs. Johnny Smith (with Cyrus): D’Lo has learned from last week’s match with Scoot Andrews, and wisely avoids Cyrus’ side of the ring. Smith keeps D’Lo on the mat in the early going, but D’Lo soon powers back and looks ready to put the match away. Cyrus starts arguing with the referee, and Jun Akiyama comes charging into the ring with a chair. Smith holds D’Lo, but he ducks as Akiyama swings, and he strikes Smith instead. D’Lo knocks the chair out of his hands and catches him with a Sky High! He kicks Akiyama and the chair to the floor, and then climbs the ropes. Lo Down! D’Lo calls for the referee, who turns around and spots D’Lo covering Smith. He makes the three count, while Cyrus gets Akiyama back up. Cyrus and Akiyama get back into the ring, but D’Lo slides out. Cyrus tells D’Lo that he’ll have to face Akiyama on Monday.

Winner: D’Lo Brown

OR: 78

CR: 69

MQ: 87

Shane Douglas is out. He gets a microphone from the ring announcer before entering the ring.

Douglas: Animal, come on down and get your ass franchised!

OR: 76

Road Warrior Animal vs. Shane Douglas: Douglas cheats like a madman, but Animal is just too powerful. In a night of squashes, Animal adds on another one when he pins Douglas after a Powerbomb.

Winner: Road Warrior Animal

OR: 73

CR: 74

MQ: 74

(Road Warrior Animal gained in over from 74 to 76.)

Cyrus comes to the ring with Scoot Andrews and Jun Akiyama, who is still rubbing the back of his head after D’Lo Brown hit the Sky High on him. Cyrus says that tonight Andrews and Akiyama will bring glory to The Virus after they defeat Jerry Lynn and A.J. Styles.

OR: 89

(Scoot Andrews gained in over from 80 to 81.)

Suddenly, Sting appears on the video screen, along with the words “Live from Venice Beach, CA”. Sting calls out Cyrus, accusing him of all sorts of nefarious deeds during his match with Scoot Andrews on Monday. Sting says he wants a piece of Jun Akiyama on Monday, but Cyrus says he already has a match with D’Lo scheduled for Monday. However, he tells Sting to show up next Friday, and he’ll have an opponent for him.

OR: 93

Styles and Lynn vs. Scoot Andrews & Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): The Virus is visibly quite upset by Sting’s interruption of their pre-match interview. But they still manage to hold their own against Styles and Lynn, resulting in a great match. Lynn targets Akiyama’s already-injured head to take control for his team. Both he and Styles work over Akiyama, and eventually Lynn hits the Cradle Piledriver on Akiyama to pick up the pinfall while Styles keeps Andrews at bay. Suddenly, Haas Of Pain comes through the crowd and attack Styles and Lynn. Holly hits the Crash Bulldog on Styles, while Haas delivers Haastruction to Lynn. Haas Of Pain leaves Styles and Lynn laid out in the ring as the show ends.

Winner: Styles and Lynn

OR: 82

CR: 74

MQ: 91

OR: 80

Rating: 7.75

Attendance: 10049

Best segment: The Virus hangs out backstage (94)

Worst segment: Interview with D’Lo Brown (71)

Best match: Styles and Lynn over Scoot Andrews & Jun Akiyama (82)

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, November 17, 2003

Yesterday, Dave Republic took control of Smokey Mountain Wrestling Rebirth. Since he prefers a lot of technical wrestling, he quickly lowered their risk level to 10%. We’ll see how well that goes over with their fans.

TNA XCitement

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.

Kavovit: Tonight’s main event features The Hardcore Japanese against Haas Of Pain in tag team action.

Snake: Also, D’Lo Brown will be facing the last member of Cyrus’ gauntlet, Jun Akiyama.

Kavovit: But our first match is Steven Richards taking on Bas Rutten for the Hardcore title.

Snake: Richards is already in the ring, and here comes Rutten!

NWA Hardcore title match: Bas Rutten © (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Steven Richards: Richards takes the advantage before the bell even rings, jumping Rutten as he’s entering the ring. He uses various objects to maintain the advantage for several minutes. However, the advantage takes a quick turn when Richards charges Rutten while he’s in the corner. Rutten slumps down as Richards swings the trashcan. The trashcan hits the ropes, and bounces back into Richards’ face, putting him flat on his back as well. Alicia shouts encouragements to Rutten, who is back on his feet at the same time as Richards. But he blocks his punches, and then slams Richards through a table to take the upper hand. Before long, Rutten locks in the Guillotine Choke, and Richards taps out. Scott Hall then comes in from the back with a chair, and promptly drops Rutten!

Winner: Bas Rutten

OR: 72

CR: 63

MQ: 82

Scott Hall gets a microphone and says that was one of the least hardcore matches he’s ever seen. Hall says that if anyone wants to see what a real Hardcore match is supposed to look like, just watch him this Friday. He says after he wins that match, he wants a shot at the Hardcore title.

OR: 79

D’Lo Brown vs. Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): The crowd is expecting … I’m not sure, but they’re pretty much into this. Throughout the match, they keep watching the curtain, waiting for some outside interference, but it never comes. As for the match itself, it’s pretty good, with both Akiyama and Brown keeping command for a couple minutes at a time. Brown hits the running powerbomb as somewhere Darren Drozdov cries. Brown climbs to the top rope and hits the Lo Down! The referee counts the pin as Cyrus has a temper tantrum at ringside.

Winner: D’Lo Brown

OR: 78

CR: 71

MQ: 85

(D’Lo Brown gained in over from 73 to 74.)

D’Lo Brown takes the microphone from the ring announcer as Jun Akiyama rolls out of the ring.

Brown: All right, Cyrus, I’ve gone through everyone you’ve got to get a shot at Bill Goldberg. So I want my match!

Cyrus gets another microphone.

Cyrus: Hold on there! You’ve got one more match to win before you get your shot at Goldberg. I’ll see you at XPlosion!

OR: 82

Haas Of Pain come to the ring with microphones. Tonight they’ve got The Hardcore Japanese, but they’re not too worried about them. They already know they’re going to win that match. However, they say that Styles and Lynn haven’t answered their challenge yet for NWA Anniversary. They accuse Jerry Lynn and A.J. Styles of being cowards, using every euphemism they can think of until they are interrupted by The Hardcore Japanese’s music.

OR: 75

The Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. Haas Of Pain: Masato Tanaka and Ebessan pretty much dominate Haas Of Pain for the first couple of minutes, until some well-timed cheating gives the advantage back to the heels. The Hardcore Japanese slowly turn the tide, and the whole process repeats two more times before Disco Inferno and Konnan show up at ringside for no reason whatsoever. New Jack eyes them warily, and then tries to get the referee to remove them from ringside. But while that debate is taking place, Konnan and Disco get in the ring to make it 4-on-2 on The Hardcore Japanese. By the time the ref finally starts paying attention to the action in the ring, Disco and Konnan are back on the floor, and Holly nails Ebessan with the Crash Landing. Haas knocks Tanaka to the floor as the referee makes the three count. Disco Inferno and Konnan are back in to continue the beatdown as Haas works over New Jack on the floor. Finally, A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn come from the back and chase Haas Of Pain through the crowd to the concession area. New Jack finds a crutch under the ring, and after a couple of swings Konnan and Disco decide to take off.

Winner: Haas Of Pain

OR: 79

CR: 73

MQ: 86

OR: 77

Rating: 6.27

Attendance: 10037

Best segment: Cyrus tells D’Lo Brown he’s got one more match (82)

Worst segment: Bas Rutten over Steven Richards (72)

Best match: Haas Of Pain over The Hardcore Japanese (79)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, November 21, 2003

Monday’s show was the highest-rated episode of XCitement ever. While that wasn’t our strongest show, we advanced several storylines.

TNA XPlosion

Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams

In an unusual opening, we start out in commissioner Mick Foley’s office, where he’s working at his desk. There’s a knock at the door, and Foley invites his guest in. The door opens, and it’s Cyrus!

Cyrus: You wanted to see me, Mick?

Foley: Yeah, I do. Both D’Lo Brown and Sting were in here earlier today, wanting to know who their opponent was tonight. I thought that, since you invited them to show up tonight with the promise of a wrestling match, you would be so kind as to tell your boss what’s up.

Cyrus: You mean it isn’t obvious to you? Just how stupid are you, Mick?

Foley: Watch it, buster! You’d better tell me what’s going on.

Cyrus: It’s really simple. Sting wanted a match, so tonight he’s D’Lo Brown’s last roadblock. If D’Lo can defeat Sting, then he can have a match against Bill Goldberg this Monday. See, wasn’t that easy?

With that, Cyrus turns and leaves, and Foley looks really steamed that someone besides him booked a match for tonight.

OR: 94

(Cyrus gained in over from 90 to 92.)

Morales: Hello, everyone, welcome to XPlosion! I'm Jeff Morales, and joining me this week is Dick Williams.

Williams: Hello, Jeff. What a bombshell that was! Tonight’s main event will be D’Lo Brown against Sting!

Morales: If D’Lo wins, he’ll finally get his hands on Bill Goldberg this Monday.

Williams: Also tonight, Low-Ki will take on Nick Dinsmore. Dinsmore made an impressive debut last week, and tonight he’ll take on the No. 1 contender for the World title.

Morales: You can bet Ken Shamrock will be watching that one closely. And you can bet that Super Crazy will be watching the Sonny Siaki-Ebessan match with great interest as well.

Williams: But tonight we’ll start with the Hardcore match Scott Hall promised on Monday, as he’ll be taking on Akira Taue.

Akira Taue makes his way to the ring with New Jack, who gets the microphone from the ring announcer. He says that Scott Hall may have promised a Hardcore match for tonight, but there’s no way Hall knew just how Hardcore the match is going to get. While New Jack talks, Taue is removing everything from under the ring – tables, a ladder, some trashcans, street signs, some chairs, a hubcap, and other items – and placing them into the ring.

OR: 89

(Akira Taue gained in over from 54 to 55.)

Hardcore match: Akira Taue (with New Jack) vs. Scott Hall (with Vince Russo): Taue has much more experience in Hardcore matches than Hall, and that shows up early and often. Taue uses nearly everything he put in the ring on Hall, but the tide turns when Hall gets a hold of the ladder. As everyone knows, he has some prior experience with that instrument, and suddenly he uses that to take the upper hand. Hall tries to suplex the ladder onto Taue, but he moves, and grabs the hubcap. As Hall approaches, he whacks him in the knee with it to retake control. New Jack gets in the ring and sets up a table, as Russo complains to the referee. The ref can only remind him that since it’s a Hardcore march, it’s all legal. New Jack then chases Russo around the ring and back into the locker room area. Taue hits the Awesome Driver on Hall, putting him through the table! But before he can make the cover, B.G. James comes from the locker room and enters the ring. He picks up a No Parking sign and smashes Taue on the back. James hits the Dogg Pound on Taue, then puts Hall on top and tells the referee to count. He does, and Hall picks up the win. James and Hall start to put the boots to Taue, but Sabu comes out with a Singapore cane to chase away the members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme.

Winner: Scott Hall

OR: 75

CR: 68

MQ: 82

Sonny Siaki comes to the ring with a microphone. He once again reiterates that he wants a X title match and says Ebessan will just be a warm-up match for him.

OR: 78

Ebessan (with New Jack) vs. Sonny Siaki: A couple of minutes into the match, Vince Russo finally wanders to ringside, looking exhausted from all the running he did in the first match. Ebessan seems to have the upper hand, using more brawling tactics than Siaki would like. However, Russo trips Ebessan, and Siaki moves quickly to take advantage of the opening. New Jack once again chases Russo, this time taking a lap around the announcers’ desk before heading backstage. Back in the ring, the referee gets bumped as Ebessan regains control, and sure enough a member of SEX, this time Marcus Bagwell, comes from the back. He climbs to the top rope as Ebessan turns around … right into a Blockbuster! Siaki makes the cover as Bagwell leaves the ring and revives the ref from the floor. The referee slowly counts the pin. Bagwell looks like he’s about ready to get involved some more, but Masato Tanaka comes from the back with a chair. He chases Bagwell around the ring.

Winner: Sonny Siaki

OR: 80

CR: 75

MQ: 85

Masato Tanaka catches up with Marcus Bagwell, and another fight breaks out. Suddenly, there’s a disruption in the stands, as the cameras catch Vince Russo coming from the concession area, with New Jack hot on his heels. Russo trips coming over the rail, and New Jack is on him. Scott Hall and B.G. James are back to rescue Russo, and shortly thereafter Sabu and Akira Taue are out. Disco Inferno and Konnan soon join the fray, and the fans wonder what’s going to happen next … when Mick Foley’s music plays! Foley comes out with a microphone.

Foley: Stop it! Stop fighting! Anyone who doesn’t stop this instant will be suspended without pay for a whole year!

The fans cheer, and the fighting quickly stops. The two stables quickly sort themselves out, with the Hardcore Japanese in the ring and Sports Entertainment Xtreme outside the ring. New Jack and Vince Russo are handed microphones by the ring crew.

Foley: I have had enough of you two getting involved in the others’ matches.

New Jack: You got that right! I’m sick and tired of you all interfering in our matches!

Russo: And I’m sick of having to look at your face!

Foley: So just how much do you want to get rid of each other?

Russo: I’ll do anything to get rid of New Jack. He’s been chasing me all night for no reason, so …

New Jack: No reason? You keep sticking your nose into my business, and you have the balls to ask why I want to kick your ass so bad?

Foley: I think I have the solution to all your problems, and it’s a solution that you yourself supplied to me, Vince. If you both agree, we’ll do it right – Loser Leaves Town!

Russo: Ha ha, now you’re speaking my language! You bet I’ll agree. Any match you want to make, Foley, just give my guys a chance to get rid of his guys.

New Jack: You forget, Russo. These three had my back at Wargames, and we came out victorious. As for Sabu, well, I’ve seen what he can do. I’ll put any of my guys against any of your guys in a Loser Leaves Town match.

Foley: I say that we play for all the marbles. At NWA Anniversary in nine days, it will be the four members of the Hardcore Japanese against Disco Inferno, Marcus Bagwell, B.G. James, and Konnan in an eight-man elimination match. Anyone who’s pinned or submits not only has to leave the match, but has to leave TNA altogether! You’ll keep fighting until all four men on one team have been eliminated. What do you say?

New Jack: I’m all for it. If it gets rid of those four assholes, I’m all for it.

Russo: Wait a minute, don’t I get to pick who will represent my side?

Foley: I picked those four because Scott Hall will be in a Hardcore title match against Bas Rutten, and Sonny Siaki will be in a X title match against Super Crazy, if that’s OK with you.

Russo: Oh, that’s fine. Yeah, count me in.

Foley: That settles it, then. And just to make sure that there’s no more confrontations between you two, right now all of you have to go home! Security, come escort these men to the parking lot. Russo, you and your men will be banned from the building this Monday, and the Hardcore Japanese won’t be allowed in next Friday. The next time you’ll be in the same building will be at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday, November 30!

Security arrives and escorts the two teams out of the arena. The camera crews follow along as they all leave the building.

OR: 83

Nick Dinsmore hits the ring, once again without fancy ring attire, but now he’s got some generic music. He congratulates Mick Foley on the job he did to set that match up for NWA Anniversary, and now he wants to add another match to that card when he takes on Donovan Morgan.

OR: 76

Low-Ki’s music plays, and he comes out with a microphone. He tells Nick Dinsmore that instead of worrying about Donovan Morgan in some match in the future, he should be more concerned about his opponent tonight, namely himself. Low-Ki says Dinsmore can call himself Mr. Wrestling all he wants, it’s not going to keep him from getting his ass kicked tonight.

OR: 87

Nick Dinsmore vs. Low-Ki: The match starts out well enough, but Dinsmore hits a couple of textbook suplexes that leave Low-Ki stunned. He obviously wasn’t expecting such stiff competition tonight. Low-Ki cheats to get control, something we haven’t seen him do since he quit Sports Entertainment Xtreme. But Dinsmore uses his wrestling knowledge to counter Low-Ki’s holds, and the fans applaud the stalemate. The action continues on in like manner for a few minutes, but the referee gets bumped. Yep, you guessed it – Donovan Morgan runs in. Can’t we have one clean finish tonight? Morgan has a pair of brass knuckles, and he punches Dinsmore in the back of the head. Dinsmore falls into Low-Ki’s waiting arms, and he quickly applies the Dragon Clutch. Morgan leaves as the referee comes to. He checks Dinsmore, but he’s out, so the ref calls for the bell.

Winner: Low-Ki

OR: 83

CR: 79

MQ: 88

Sting vs. D’Lo Brown: Neither man seems happy to be facing the other tonight. They start out with a handshake, and then put on a clean bout. The crowd loves Sting, of course, but Brown’s won his share of the crowd over the past few weeks. As the match continues, it looks like D’Lo just might pull off the upset, until Bill Goldberg enters the ring! He punches both D’Lo and Sting, and the referee throws the match out. Even though Brown and Sting are worn out from their match, they still have the numbers advantage, and soon they make a couple of double-team moves on Goldberg, sending him to the floor.

Winner: no contest

OR: 78

CR: 78

MQ: 79

Cyrus comes out with a microphone. He tells D’Lo Brown that since he didn’t win the match, then he doesn’t get the shot at Bill Goldberg. Cyrus then takes Goldberg’s arm and pulls him backstage to end the show.

OR: 90

OR: 83

Rating: 7.36

Attendance: 10024

Best segment: Cyrus schedules a match between Sting and D’Lo Brown (94)

Worst segment: Scott Hall over Akira Taue (75)

Best match: Low-Ki over Nick Dinsmore (83)

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, November 24, 2003

TNA XCitement

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.

Kavovit: By order of commissioner Mick Foley, every member of Sports Entertainment Xtreme is banned from the building tonight.

Snake: A former member of SEX, Low-Ki, will be in tonight’s main event, taking on Psychosis.

Kavovit: We know the Hardcore Japanese are in the house, and our opening match tonight is Masato Tanaka taking on Shane Douglas.

Snake: Douglas is already in the ring, and here comes Tanaka!

Masato Tanaka (with New Jack) vs. Shane Douglas: Douglas cheats to gain control early on, but Tanaka brawls his way back into command later on. It’s a pretty fast-paced match, considering who’s involved. Tanaka hits the Roaring Elbow to pick up the win.

Winner: Masato Tanaka

OR: 78

CR: 75

MQ: 81

New Jack gets in the ring with a microphone.

New Jack: Finally, it’s good to have a match with a clean finish. Now, it’s time for Sabu to have a match. Who’s next?

With that question, the music plays, and it’s time for …

Sabu (with New Jack) vs. Bill Goldberg (with Cyrus): The announcers are shocked, not expecting Goldberg in this match. If Sabu was hoping for an easy match before the 8-man Elimination match this Sunday, he’s in for a surprise. Sabu hits a few high-flying moves to start, but Goldberg shrugs them off. About two minutes into the match, Goldberg hits the Spear, and then follows it up with a Jackhammer to get the pin.

Winner: Bill Goldberg

OR: 78

CR: 75

MQ: 82

Mick Foley’s music suddenly hits, and he comes out to the ringside area with a microphone.

Foley: I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news for you, Cyrus. I’ve decided that since D’Lo Brown wasn’t facing a member of The Virus last Friday, that he should get a match with Bill Goldberg, and he will get that match this Sunday at NWA Anniversary. Have a nice day!

Cyrus has a temper tantrum as Foley returns to the locker room area.

OR: 90

(D’Lo Brown gained in over from 74 to 75.)

Low-Ki comes to the ring with a microphone. He openly questions why we haven’t seen Ken Shamrock since X Marks The Spot. He suggests that ever since he was named the No. 1 contender, Shamrock has been avoiding him. Low-Ki says that in six days, Shamrock won’t be able to avoid him anymore.

OR: 85

Psychosis vs. Low-Ki: An excellent match, as both men demonstrate both their technical wrestling ability and their aerial prowess as well. After 18 minutes of action, Psychosis has the advantage. He signals for the Sky Twister Press! As he climbs to the top tope, the announcers point out that if Low-Ki loses, he won’t have any momentum heading into his World title match this Sunday. Psychosis leaps, but Low-Ki gets out of the way as Psychosis crashes to the mat. Low-Ki makes a quick cover, and he grabs a handful of tights! The referee makes the three count, never seeing Low-Ki’s cheating. Low-Ki quickly retreats to the back as Psychosis looks visibly upset.

Winner: Low-Ki

OR: 85

CR: 81

MQ: 90

The crowd gives a nice round of applause to Psychosis for the effort he gave in the match. Suddenly, the curtain opens, and out walks Steve Corino, who’s also applauding! He gets a microphone and gets in the ring with Psychosis.

Corino: That was a great match, kid. You showed every one in this arena once again what an amazing worker you are. However, there’s just something missing. What you need is an advisor, a manager, someone to watch your back. If you want, I’d be more than happy to be your manager. What do you say?

Psychosis looks around as the fans cheer.

Corino: Hey, if you have any questions, just look at what I’ve done for Super Crazy. He’s only won the X title since arriving here. You can be that good too, you know. And I can get you there.

Corino extends his hand, and Psychosis shakes it.

OR: 83

OR: 83

Rating: 6.14

Attendance: 10041

Best segment: Mick Foley books Bill Goldberg against D’Lo Brown (90)

Worst segment: (tie) Masato Tanaka over Shane Douglas; Bill Goldberg over Sabu (78)

Best match: Low-Ki over Psychosis (85)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, November 28, 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 an awful lot of SEX!

Morales: You’re talking about Sports Entertainment Xtreme. This Sunday at NWA Anniversary they’re in an 8-man Elimination match against the Hardcore Japanese.

Williams: Commissioner Mick Foley has ruled that the Hardcore Japanese are banned from the building tonight to prevent any hostilities between the two sides before Sunday.

Morales: But right now, let’s head to the ring for our opening match, Norman Smiley taking on Donovan Morgan.

Norman Smiley vs. Donovan Morgan: Smiley surprises Morgan early on, but only three minutes in he pauses to do the Big Wiggle. Morgan recovers and then takes the upper hand, hitting several nice variations of suplexes, while announcing in between that the previous one was excellent. He finally puts Smiley away with the Double Underhook Piledriver.

Winner: Donovan Morgan

OR: 76

CR: 72

MQ: 80

Morgan takes the microphone from the ring announcer.

Morgan: Nick Dinsmore, who do you think you are to challenge me to a match for this Sunday? Don’t you know who I am? I am the embodiment of excellence! And for all you stupid Nashville redneck hicks, that means that everything I do is excellent. So Dinsmore, I’ll accept your challenge. But you’d better prepare for the beating of your life!

OR: 76

All the members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme make their way to the ring. Russo talks briefly about Scott Hall’s Hardcore title match and Sonny Siaki’s X title match, but what he really wants to talk about is the Elimination match. He’s got a plan that will practically guarantee that none of the four members of SEX in that match will get pinned, which would cause them to lose their job. He tells New Jack he’d better start scouting for some more wrestlers to manage.

OR: 87

(Disco Inferno gained in over from 78 to 79.)

Suddenly, Mick Foley’s music plays, and he comes out to confront Vince Russo. Foley says that he’s been thinking some more about the Elimination match, and he’s got some more stipulations to add. Not only will everyone who’s pinned or who submits will be fired, but anyone who interferes in the match will also be fired! Russo nearly has a fit with that announcement, which obviously disrupted his plans. Foley then says just to give them practice for this Sunday, he states that any member of SEX who interferes in any match tonight will be fined $50,000 – including Vince Russo. Now Russo’s really having a fit. Foley then says everyone except Disco Inferno and Marcus Bagwell had better get out of the ring, because it’s time for their tag match.

OR: 84

Styles and Lynn vs. Disco Inferno & Marcus Bagwell (with Vince Russo): Russo stays at ringside as the other four members of SEX return to the locker room. Several times throughout the match, Russo looks tempted to help his team out, but he obviously remembers Foley’s imposed fine, so he wisely stays out of it. Without Russo’s assistance, the mix-and-match SEX team of Bagwell and Disco provide little competition for the well-oiled machine that is the team of A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn. Russo can’t take it anymore, so he orders Bagwell to get in the ring as well. That draws in Styles, and a pier six brawl breaks out. From opposite corners, SEX tries to whip Styles and Lynn into each other, but both reverse the move, and Disco and Bagwell collide. Styles clotheslines Bagwell to the floor, and Lynn hits the Cradle Piledriver to pick up the win.

Winner: Styles and Lynn

OR: 81

CR: 76

MQ: 86

Styles retrieves a microphone before getting back into the ring. He says they heard what Haas Of Pain said about them being cowards, but everyone knows who the real chickens are – the ones that ran away during their last tag match! Lynn says that if Haas Of Pain want a rematch this Sunday, that’s fine with them.

OR: 79

B.G. James comes out with Vince Russo for his match, but the announcers say that commissioner Foley haven’t told them who James will be facing, nor do they know who Konnan will be facing in the main event. James says that it doesn’t matter to him who he faces tonight. He walked around backstage tonight, checking to see who was here, and he knows there’s nobody in the back that can beat him. Suddenly, on the video screen, we see a car pull up. The door opens, and it’s Ken Shamrock! He’s already dressed in his wrestling gear. He walks straight into the building, with Alicia Shamrock running behind him, trying to catch up. James says there’s no way he’s facing Shamrock tonight, but the camera follows Shamrock all the way through the building from the parking lot to the ringside area.

OR: 70

Ken Shamrock (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. B.G. James (with Vince Russo): The announcers correctly guess that this is a non-title match. Not that it really matters, anyways – Shamrock completely dominates James, and Russo can only stand at ringside and watch. Shamrock applies the Ankle Lock, and James quickly taps out. Shamrock calls out for Low-Ki as Alicia gets in the ring and gets Ken to release the hold.

Winner: Ken Shamrock

OR: 82

CR: 83

MQ: 82

Ken demands a microphone from one of the ring crew, and he quickly complies. Shamrock starts spouting something about Low-Ki, but after a few moments Alicia takes the microphone from him and tells him to calm down. Alicia says Ken is upset at Low-Ki even suggesting that Ken was avoiding him. Everyone knows he’s been touring England, successfully defending the World title every night against the best wrestlers in all of Great Britain. Ken takes the microphone and tells Low-Ki he’d better start practicing some avoiding of his own – but it won’t matter, because he won’t avoid the Ankle Lock!

OR: 87

Konnan comes out with Vince Russo, who doesn’t look happy about the situation he’s in. His guys have already lost two matches tonight, and he has no idea who Konnan will be wrestling. Konnan seems oblivious to this as he rambles through his usual lines. Konnan, in a funny moment, asks for whoever his opponent is to come out so he knows who he’s supposed to talk trash about. What, did you forget your lines, K-Dog? Sting’s music plays, and the crowd comes alive. Konnan says he thought he’d be wrestling Sting tonight, since he could smell the paint from the moment he entered the building tonight. Sting continues to walk around the ring as Konnan continues to talk smack. Finally, Sting enters the ring, and the match is on.

OR: 80

(Sting dropped in over from 100 to 98.)

Sting vs. Konnan (with Vince Russo): For all his talk, Konnan doesn’t put up much of a fight. The announcers wonder what this means for Sports Entertainment Xtreme in the Elimination match at NWA Anniversary if all four of their participants lose tonight. Sting applies the Scorpion Death Lock! Konnan tries to fight his way out of it, but in a strange move, Russo tells him to tap out and save himself for Sunday. Konnan nods and taps out.

Winner: Sting

OR: 83

CR: 87

MQ: 75

OR: 80

Rating: 7.91

Attendance: 10009

Best segment: (tie) Interview with Sports Entertainment Xtreme; Interview with Alicia and Ken Shamrock (87)

Worst segment: Interview with B.G. James (70)

Best match: Sting over Konnan (83)

[LoveMuscle]

Sunday, November 30, 2003

We’ve made it through another month injury-free, and with relatively few occurrences of “those days” (knock on wood).

The fans are already raucous, and Nick Dinsmore gets a nice cheer when he steps through the curtain before the pay-per-view goes live. He gets in the ring, and is passed a microphone from a member of the ring crew. He tells the crowd he was in the back, preparing for his match against Donovan Morgan, and he decided that the most excellent thing the fans would see tonight wasn’t going to be one of Morgan’s moves, but seeing Dinsmore come out and whip Morgan’s butt to get things started tonight. The fans cheer that idea, but Morgan delays coming out until after the pay-per-view has started.

OR: 74

NWA Anniversary

Hosts: Jeff Morales and Bart Snake

Morales: Hello, TNA fans, we’re live from Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, and this is NWA Anniversary! 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 Low-Ki challenging Ken Shamrock for the World title.

Snake: Shamrock has spent most of the past month defending the World title in England, and Low-Ki has taken advantage of his absence to badmouth him. Tonight, Ken Shamrock gets his hands on him.

Morales: Also, Scott Hall will get a shot at the Hardcore title when he faces Bas Rutten.

Snake: Another member of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, Sonny Siaki, will be facing Super Crazy for the X title.

Morales: All the other members of SEX will be battling the Hardcore Japanese in an 8-man Elimination match. Both sides want to get rid of the other so bad, they’re all risking their careers.

Snake: That’s right, commissioner Mick Foley has mandated that everyone who’s eliminated from the match is eliminated from TNA altogether! That means that as many as seven of the eight competitors may leave here tonight without a job!

Morales: Well, for sure all four from the losing side will be going home with a pink slip. Also tonight, we have the latest chapter in the ongoing feud between Haas Of Pain and Styles and Lynn.

Snake: A.J. Styles has been fighting both Crash Holly and Charlie Haas for more than a month, but things have really gotten interesting since he brought in his old rival, Jerry Lynn.

Morales: Another match tonight is the result of a little confrontation at the end of last month’s pay-per-view, X Marks The Spot.

Snake: Yeah, D’Lo Brown has been chasing after a match with Bill Goldberg all month long, and tonight they’ll finally meet one-on-one.

Morales: But our opening match tonight shines the spotlight on the burgeoning rivalry between Donovan Morgan and a newcomer to TNA, Nick Dinsmore.

Snake: Dinsmore’s no-nonsense, shut-up-and-wrestle mentality is a total contrast to Morgan’s egomaniacal attitude, where he takes time out of his matches to admire his moves and how excellent they are.

Morales: Dinsmore is already in the ring, so let’s get down there for the action.

Nick Dinsmore vs. Donovan Morgan: As Morgan would say, this is an excellent way to start a pay-per-view. They put on a very good match, and the crowd seems ultra-hot for this match. Maybe it’s because it’s the first one of the night? Not that I’m complaining. The action is fast and furious, and Morgan rarely has time to point out the excellentness of his moves, even when he’s in command. The end comes about 10 minutes in, when Dinsmore goes for a sunset flip over the top rope, but Morgan drops down on top of Dinsmore’s shoulders. The referee makes the pinfall without ever noticing Morgan was still holding on to the middle rope for extra leverage. Morgan quickly returns to the dressing room before the ref can be alerted to his cheating.

Winner: Donovan Morgan

OR: 84

CR: 81

MQ: 87

Elimination match: Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. Sports Entertainment Xtreme (with Vince Russo): The announcers remind everyone of the rules, including the fact that anyone who interferes, including Russo and New Jack, will also be fired as well as everyone who’s eliminated from the match. The first fall comes within three minutes, when Russo distracts the referee by telling him he saw Masato Tanaka with some brass knuckles in his trunks. While the ref is checking him out, all four members of SEX work over Akira Taue in their corner. The other Hardcore Japanese try to get in the ring, but the ref keeps them in their corner while Taue gets beaten down. By the time the referee’s attention returns to the match, Taue is just getting back to his feet, and all the members of SEX are standing on the apron, except Bagwell, who’s on the top turnbuckle. Blockbuster! The ref makes the three count, and Taue is eliminated. A few minutes later, Disco is in the ring with Ebessan. He spits on Sabu, which draws him into the ring. While the referee is putting him out, SEX once again delivers a thorough beating to Ebessan. Disco hits one of the lamest moves in all of wrestling, the Village People’s Elbow, but Ebessan wasn’t in any condition to kick out of the pin. The announcers point out that SEX now has a 4-on-2 advantage, then begin to discuss what will happen with the Tag Team titles, since Ebessan was a co-holder of the belt, but now he no longer works for TNA. Tanaka enters the ring as the announcers discuss the possibility of him getting fired as well. A few minutes later, things look a little brighter for the Hardcore Japanese after Sabu lands a Moonsault on Bagwell, and the resulting pinfall cuts SEX’s advantage down to just 3-on-2. New Jack pats Sabu on the back for a job well done, but reminds him the match isn’t over yet. But it’s only a matter of time before the match is over for Disco Inferno, who gets pinned by Tanaka after a Roaring Elbow. Russo is furious that the big advantage his team had not too long ago is gone. Russo whispers a new plan to Konnan. He calls Sabu into the ring, and loudly reminds everyone that he beat Sabu for the Hardcore title. He challenges Sabu to a Hardcore match! He can’t do that, we’re still in the middle of this match. But Sabu nods his head, and they both slide under the bottom rope on opposite sides of the ring. Konnan finds a chair, while Sabu gets a trashcan. Hey, if they use those now, what will Scott Hall and Bas Rutten have to fight with? I’m sure there’s another trashcan or two under the ring. Sabu and Konnan get back in the ring, and the announcers say they can’t believe the referee is allowing them to use these weapons. The violence level picks up a bit, and that plays right into Sabu’s hands. He gets the chair that Konnan brought into the ring and nails him with an Arabian Facebuster! That’s enough to send Konnan to the showers – and the unemployment line. James makes the referee get all the weapons out of the ring before he gets in, and the camera catches Russo stretching out his face with his hands. It’s a new look for Russo; I’m sure that photo will appear soon on the TNA website. After three straight eliminations, Sabu and Tanaka are on a roll, and now for the first time the Hardcore Japanese have a numbers advantage. When Russo distracts the referee now, New Jack directs Tanaka and Sabu to double-team James, much to the delight of the fans. I guess turnabout is fair play. James is in trouble, and even Russo looks like he knows the outcome now is inevitable. Sabu hits a Triple Jump Moonsault on James to pick up the win.

Winner: Masato Tanaka & Sabu

OR: 71

CR: 70

MQ: 73

NWA Hardcore title match: Bas Rutten © (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Scott Hall (with Vince Russo): Russo comes to the ring with Hall, but he’s obviously dismayed by the result of the last match. The announcers point out that right now Sports Entertainment Xtreme is down to just three members: Russo, Hall, and Sonny Siaki. As for the match, it’s a very good technical match, with a large amount of comedy spots thrown in as well. For example, all night long there’s been an inflatable beach ball that the crowd keeps batting around the arena. During the match, it comes close to ringside, so Hall gets it and Bashes Rutten over the head with it. Hall laughs at this, but Rutten (wisely) no-sells it and continues the match. It almost seems like Hall is trying to cheer up Russo after that last match. Hall takes a beer cup from a fan in the front row and is about to smash it into Rutten’s head when he realizes what he’s holding. Instead, he quickly gulps down the beer and then throws the empty plastic cup at Rutten, which has no effect on him. Finally, Hall decides to quit messing around. He hits a Fallaway Slam on Rutten, but instead of going for the pin signals for the Outsider’s Edge. It connects, and Hall is the new Hardcore champion. Finally, Russo cracks a little smile.

Winner: Scott Hall

OR: 80

CR: 74

MQ: 87

(The NWA Hardcore title has gained in image from 74 to 76.)

A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn come to the ring for their match, and they’ve got microphones. Styles says they plan on beating Haas Of Pain so bad, they’ll wish they had been the ones who lost the Elimination match, so they wouldn’t have to show their faces here again. Lynn says that unlike that big goof Scott Hall, they take every moment of each match seriously, and tonight they’re serious about beating Haas Of Pain once and for all.

OR: 78

Styles and Lynn vs. Haas Of Pain: After the last couple of matches, the fans are back into this one, and what a great match it was. Just like every other time these four get together, the action is nonstop. Both teams are tagging crisply, and everything seems to be in place to finally blow off this feud. However, at about the 19-minute mark, Vince Russo wanders out from the back. The announcers wonder what his interest is in this match, totally forgetting Styles and Lynn’s earlier comments. Sure enough, he gets into a shouting match with Styles, totally knocking him off his game. Holly takes advantage and delivers a Crash Landing to secure the pin.

Winner: Haas Of Pain

OR: 87

CR: 83

MQ: 91

NWA X Title match: Super Crazy © (with Steve Corino) vs. Sonny Siaki (with Vince Russo): This one was another great match, but only just very good by X-division standards. The fact that it only lasts about 11 minutes maybe rendered it a little less important in the fans’ eyes, though, and they clearly were less interested than they were for the last match. Russo seems to have his second wind now, clearly re-energized by Hall’s Hardcore title win and himself successfully costing Styles and Lynn their match. As for the match, there was an awkward moment near the end when Super Crazy was going for the Trifecta Moonsault, but he slipped on the second rope and ended up crotching himself on the second turnbuckle. Russo distracted the referee as both Crazy and Siaki got back to their feet. Siaki kicks Crazy in the groin! If the ref had seen it, that would be a disqualification. Siaki then hits the Siakalypse and covers for the three count. Siaki looks ready to continue the attack on Crazy as Corino chases Russo, but Psychosis comes in, and both Russo and Siaki retreat to their dressing room with the X title.

Winner: Sonny Siaki

OR: 85

CR: 79

MQ: 92

D’Lo Brown vs. Bill Goldberg (with Cyrus): This is the match that D’Lo has been waiting for, and from the sound of things, the fans have been waiting for it too. About seven minutes into the match, Goldberg goes for the Spear, but D’Lo moves and the ref is hit instead. Goldberg tries again and is successful, but there’s no referee to count the pin. Goldberg is angry at the ref! He picks him up, but the referee just collapses back to the mat again. Goldberg then stomps him for good measure. Another referee comes in from the back as Cyrus tries to get Goldberg re-focused on D’Lo, who was recovering the whole time Goldberg was messing around with the first referee. Goldberg walks over to D’Lo … and walks right into a Sky High! D’Lo climbs to the top, and hits the Lo Down! The new referee counts the pin as Cyrus freaks out.

Winner: D’Lo Brown

OR: 83

CR: 82

MQ: 84

(Bill Goldberg dropped in over from 95 to 94. D’Lo Brown gained in over from 75 to 77.)

NWA World title match: Ken Shamrock © (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Low-Ki: I stand corrected: THIS is the match everyone’s here to see. Or at least it sounds that way. And it’s a great match as well. Low-Ki wrestles Shamrock cleanly, but Ken seems overly aggressive towards Low-Ki. The announcers say he’s still upset that Low-Ki accused Shamrock of avoiding him. With all this anger, Low-Ki uses several martial arts throws and kicks to take the upper hand. He even follows the referee’s directives, breaking a hold whenever told to. The announcers point this out, stating that maybe we’re seeing a different side of Low-Ki now that he’s no longer associated with Vince Russo. However, at the end, Low-Ki reaches into his trunks. He’s got a chain! He wraps it around his fist, and when Shamrock approaches, he punches him right in the face. Low-Ki quickly tucks the chain back into his tights and covers to get the win.

Winner: Low-Ki

OR: 89

CR: 89

MQ: 90

OR: 82

Buy rate: 1.81

Attendance: 20315

Best segment: Low-Ki over Ken Shamrock (89)

Worst segment: 8-man Elimination match (71)

Best match: Low-Ki over Ken Shamrock (89)

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, December 1, 2003

Today we said a tearful goodbye to Akira Taue, B.G. James, Disco Inferno, Ebessan, Konnan, and Marcus Bagwell. All of them, especially James, helped the company get to where it was today. Unfortunately for them, there are many workers more talented than them ready to fill their spots on the active roster. Also, referee Matty Perlman decided to retire. We have been preparing for this eventuality, and we already have a replacement for him under contract. But, in a surprising development, Federation de Lutte Internationale owner Jacques Rougeau was willing to listen to our buyout offer. Sure, it cost us several million dollars, but we got several nice wrestlers out of the deal.

As the wrestling industry continues its upswing, another new promotion, Danger And Violence Extreme, opened today. They’ve got some good financial backers, and they intend to debut at the National level. I guess we’ll see.

In other news, we reached an agreement with the USA Network for a new show on Saturday nights during prime time, which we’ll call XHilaration. Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue will serve as the announcer and color commentator, respectively, for the new program.

Since Ebessan no longer works for us, the Tag Team titles have been declared vacant. I guess I’ll have to figure out something to do with them during the next month. Perhaps with all the new additions and some key returnees, maybe they’ll figure into it in some way.

Including the new additions from FLI, 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 (98)

UPPER MIDCARD

Road Warrior Hawk (81)

Road Warrior Animal (75)

MIDCARDERS

Ken Shamrock (92)

TAKA Michinoku (90)

Jody Fleisch (89)

Jeff Jarrett (86)

Raymond Rougeau (85)

Super Crazy (84)

Jacques Rougeau Jr. (83)

Masato Tanaka (82)

A.J. Styles (81)

Big Vito (81)

Jerry Lynn (80)

Psychosis (80)

D’Lo Brown (77)

Ultimo Dragon (77)

Nick Dinsmore (72)

Jushin Liger (71)

Norman Smiley (70)

Funaki (69)

Anthony Durante (65)

Damien 666 (63)

Chris Chetti (62)

Sabu (59)

Brian Lawler (71)

Bill Goldberg (94)

Low-Ki (90)

Scott Hall (88)

Sonny Siaki (84)

Crash Holly (82)

Jun Akiyama (81)

Scoot Andrews (81)

Shane Douglas (81)

Charlie Haas (80)

Johnny Smith (78)

Donovan Morgan (77)

Michael Modest (77)

Alex Wright (75)

Vampiro (75)

Christopher Nowinski (74)

Steven Richards (68)

Gangrel (65)

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Bas Rutten (66)

Perry Saturn (60)

OPENERS

none

JOBBERS

none

MANAGERS

New Jack (93)

Steve Corino (92)

Alicia Shamrock (83)

Cyrus (92)

Vince Russo (87)

NON-WRESTLERS

Mick Foley (95)

TAG TEAMS {members} (experience)

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

Fabulous Rougeau Brothers {Jacques Rougeau Jr. & Raymond Rougeau} (95)

Kaientai {TAKA Michinoku & Funaki} (57)

Excellence Inc. {Michael Modest & Donovan Morgan} (45)

Brothers In Paint {Sting & Vampiro} (30)

Styles and Lynn {A.J. Styles & Jerry Lynn} (19)

Haas Of Pain {Charlie Haas & Crash Holly} (9)

TITLES (image) {current holder}

NWA World (91) {Low-Ki}

NWA X (87) {Sonny Siaki}

NWA Hardcore (76) {Scott Hall}

NWA Tag Team (75) {vacant}

TNA XCitement

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

Kavovit: Hello, everyone, welcome to XCitement! I'm Steven Kavovit, and my co-host is Bart Snake.

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.

Kavovit: Last night we saw new champions for all three titles that were up for grabs.

Snake: Also, one-half of the Tag Team champions, Ebessan, was pinned in the Elimination match, so who knows where that leaves us with regards to that belt?

Kavovit: But with all that action, who knows what we’re going to see tonight?

Snake: Well, I don’t know, Steven. My format for tonight’s show it blank!

Kavovit: Well, that music can only mean one thing – commissioner Mick Foley must be on his way out here. There he is!

Foley walks to the ring, with both of the Tag Team title belts over his shoulders. He receives a microphone as the applause from the fans slowly dies down.

Foley: It’s good to be back here tonight at the TNA Asylum! As Bart Snake so eloquently pointed out just moments ago, Ebessan was pinned last night in the 8-man Elimination match. So I was left with few options. I could have told New Jack to find a partner for Masato Tanaka and put the belt up for grabs tonight … but that’s not what I’m going to do. I could have made Tanaka defend the belt in Handicap matches until he lost … but that’s not what I’m going to do. The fact is, the best solution presented itself last night. A bunch of wrestlers that have been touring Canada wanted to come test themselves against the best competition in the world – they wanted to come to NWA Total Nonstop Action! So with this influx of talent coming to TNA, the best thing to do with the Tag Team titles was to have a 16-team tournament to crown a new champion at Holiday Hell. The first team to enter the tournament will be the Tag Team champions from this group, and I’m sure you’ve heard of them: The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers! Yes, Jacques and Raymond Rougeau are here in TNA, and they’ve brought several wrestlers with them, three of which you’ll see in singles matches tonight. They all made a name for themselves in WCW a few years ago: Vampiro, Big Vito, and the former Crowbar, Devon Storm! But back to the Tag Team title tournament. This event is going to be huge. So big, in fact, that we didn’t want to ruin it with a bunch of singles matches. So, in conjunction with the USA network, we have created a new show on Saturday evenings called TNA XHilaration, which will serve as the official network of all the Tag Team tournament matches before the finals. The Rougeaus are in, and the other 15 slots are available to any team that wants a shot at these belts. Have a nice day!

OR: 96

(Mick Foley gained in over from 95 to 96.)

Perry Saturn vs. Vampiro: Vampiro comes out to little crowd reaction, but it’s more than Saturn got. Vampiro controls most of the action before a missed dropkick allows Saturn to take over. In one of the most shocking events in recent TNA history, Saturn locks on the Rings of Saturn, and Vampiro taps out! That’s got to be Saturn’s first win in several months. Vampiro looks stunned as a few people in the audience applaud the upset.

Winner: Perry Saturn

OR: 67

CR: 65

MQ: 85

(Vampiro dropped in over from 75 to 74. Perry Saturn gained in over from 60 to 63.)

Styles and Lynn are backstage. Styles says they definitely want in the tournament to get a shot at the Tag Team titles. Lynn issues a challenge to Haas Of Pain to also enter the tournament, as there’s no team they’d rather beat on their way to the Tag Team titles than Charlie Haas and Crash Holly.

OR: 74

Big Vito vs. Steven Richards: The usual Steven Richards suckfest is seen here, and Vito isn’t good enough to make the match very good. Vito picks up the first win for the former FLI wrestlers after hitting the Implant DDT to get the pin.

Winner: Big Vito

OR: 65

CR: 70

MQ: 76

Backstage, New Jack is standing with the remaining members of the Hardcore Japanese, and he doesn’t look happy.

New Jack: Commissioner Foley, I understand why you’re running a tournament for the Tag Team titles. But you’ve got to understand that we want our belts back! You guys want to say anything?

Tanaka: (* speaks Japanese *)

Sabu just points to the ceiling.

New Jack: Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. But there’s something I’ve got to do. You see, the Hardcore Japanese is now down to just one Japanese person, but we’re all still as hardcore as ever. So from now on, call us the Hardcore Connection! And Foley, shine those belts up for us, ‘cause we’re coming to get our property back.

OR: 80

Sting vs. Devon Storm: Well, it’s Sting, so you know he got a large pop from the crowd for that. But it wasn’t the best match tonight in terms of quality. Actually, I’d have to say it was the worst. If the fans didn’t love Sting so much, I don’t know if I would keep him around much longer. Storm puts up little resistance to Sting, who gets the submission victory when Storm taps out to the Scorpion Death Lock.

Winner: Sting

OR: 72

CR: 84

MQ: 74

OR: 75

Rating: 5.95

Attendance: 10007

Best segment: Mick Foley announces Tag Team title tournament (96)

Worst segment: Big Vito over Steven Richards (65)

Best match: Sting over Devon Storm (72)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, December 5, 2003

Hey, at least we got past the pay-per-view before having “one of those days.” Actually, it’s quite understandable. We put on our usual post-PPV show, where we usually give the night off to those wrestlers who worked the big event. Hopefully, that won’t continue tonight.

TNA XPlosion

Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams

Before we ever get to the announcers, the Canadian national anthem plays, and the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers come out to a fairly large pop from the crowd. Jacques says that while Canada is their home, they love wrestling in America. So when they had the opportunity to come to TNA, it was an offer too good to pass up. Raymond adds that the extra incentive of the Tag Team tournament was an added bonus that made commissioner Mick Foley’s offer irresistible. So tomorrow night on TNA XHilaration, they will begin their quest to win those titles.

OR: 80

Morales: Hello, everyone, welcome to XPlosion! I'm Jeff Morales, and joining me this week is Dick Williams.

Williams: Hello, Jeff. How about those Fabulous Rougeau Brothers?

Morales: They’re certainly a serious contender for those belts. Also, two more teams who entered the tournament to fill the vacancy for the Tag Team titles on Monday: New Jack’s Hardcore Connection and Styles and Lynn, who also challenged Haas Of Pain to enter the tournament.

Williams: Well, I saw Charlie Haas and Crash Holly backstage earlier tonight, so maybe they’ll be out here later to officially enter the tournament.

Morales: Also tonight, Super Crazy will take on Scoot Andrews, Sonny Siaki defends the X title, and Jeff Jarrett will be in action in our main event.

Williams: But now, let’s get to the ring for our opening match.

Jushin Liger vs. Brian Lawler: This is Liger’s debut match in TNA after touring with FLI. Some of the fans recognize him from several years ago in WCW, but by the end most appreciate him for what he was able to accomplish with Lawler. After a few minutes of fast-paced X-division action, Lawler gets nailed with a Liger Bomb and the referee counts Liger’s pin.

Winner: Jushin Liger

OR: 72

CR: 65

MQ: 80

As Liger celebrates his victory, Steve Corino comes from the back, and is followed by Super Crazy and Psychosis. Oh, did I mention Corino has a microphone?

Corino: Very impressive, Liger. Very impressive. Allow me to be the first to welcome you back to the United States. But I can tell you didn’t just come back here for the sake of coming back. I can tell there’s something you want. You’d like to have a title of some sort right? I thought so. You see, these two men behind me, Super Crazy and Psychosis, are entered into the Tag Team title tournament. And if you join my stable of Old School wrestlers, I’d be more than glad to enter a second team in the tournament. What do you say?

Liger cocks his head to the side, apparently thinking over the offer.

Corino: Oh, I almost forgot to tell you who your partner would be. You want to know? He’s the man who’s going to beat Sonny Siaki for the X title tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present Ultimo Dragon!

Dragon comes out to a decent pop from the crowd as the announcers remind us that he’s been out of action for a few weeks with an injury. Dragon gets in the ring and receives handshakes from Crazy, Psychosis, and Corino. He walks over to Liger and extends his hand, and they shake! The other three members of Old School shake Liger’s hand and pat him on the back as the crowd cheers.

OR: 82

Backstage, the Road Warriors appear with a microphone for a rare interview. They say they want in the Tag Team title tournament. Well, at least they kept it short and got right to the point.

OR: 71

The cameras cut to inside The Virus’ dressing room, where Cyrus says that he’s entering the team of Scoot Andrews and Jun Akiyama in the tournament. Cyrus and Andrews then head to the ring for Andrews’ match.

OR: 85

Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): Apparently, Crazy and Corino have been waiting in the ring the whole time ever since they welcomed Liger into their stable, as Crazy is already in the ring when Andrews is introduced. What follows can only be described as one of the most surprising matches I’ve ever seen. But greatness comes unexpectedly sometimes, and this was a great match. Everything seemed to click between Andrews and Crazy. Too bad the fans weren’t into it as much as the wrestlers were. Crazy ends this match with a Trifecta Moonsault on Andrews to get the win.

Winner: Super Crazy

OR: 84

CR: 75

MQ: 94

Backstage, Alicia Shamrock is with Ken Shamrock and Bas Rutten. They want in the Tag Team tournament. OK, I think that can be arranged.

OR: 78

Sonny Siaki comes to the ring with a microphone and Vince Russo. Siaki says when he saw who commissioner Foley gave a title shot to tonight, he was surprised. How can someone who’s been out of action so long come right in and get a title match right away? Siaki says it doesn’t really matter to him who he faces, because he’ll beat anyone who gets in his way.

OR: 84

NWA X title match: Ultimo Dragon (with Steve Corino) vs. Sonny Siaki © (with Vince Russo): Dragon doesn’t look at all rusty in his return to action. But Russo is so confident in Siaki that he joins the announcers at their desk instead of staying at ringside to assist him. The announcers try to talk about the Elimination match from last Sunday, but Russo keeps them focused on the current match by putting over Siaki. Even though Siaki is only able to maintain an advantage by cheating, Russo says that Siaki has been working on a new finishing move and he plans on debuting it tonight. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later Siaki picks up Dragon and lands a move that could only be described as an inverted reverse suplex. Russo calls it the Sonny Side Up. After that, the pinfall is academic.

Winner: Sonny Siaki

OR: 82

CR: 75

MQ: 89

Russo joins Siaki in the ring as Corino helps Dragon to the back. Russo says that all everyone wants to talk about is the Tag Team title tournament. Everyone asks him if he’s entering a team. Of course he’s entering a team! But his team won’t include either the X champion, Sonny Siaki, or the Hardcore champion, Scott Hall. He then introduces his team – Charlie Haas and Crash Holly, Haas Of Pain! Holly says that when Vince Russo approached them about becoming the newest members of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, they couldn’t pass up the offer to join such a prestigious organization. He points out that every member of the group is carrying a title belt right now, so there’s no questioning Russo’s leadership. Haas then says he heard Styles and Lynn on Monday, and now everyone knows that Haas Of Pain is in the tournament. He then begs commissioner Foley to give then Styles and Lynn in the first round, so they can put an end to that thorn in their side.

OR: 81

Jeff Jarrett vs. Alex Wright: After the kind of competition we’ve seen tonight, especially in the X title match and that outstanding Super Crazy/Scoot Andrews match, this one is pretty much a letdown. But I must say the crowd is happy to see their hometown hero, Jeff Jarrett, and Alex Wright gets some pretty good heat during his introduction. But the match is pretty much all Jarrett. After five minutes, Jarrett hits the Stroke on Wright to send the fans home happy.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett

OR: 77

CR: 78

MQ: 78

OR: 79

Rating: 7.75

Attendance: 10029

Best segment: Cyrus enters Scoot Andrews and Jun Akiyama in the Tag Team title tournament (85)

Worst segment: Interview with the Road Warriors (71)

Best match: Super Crazy over Scoot Andrews (84)

[LoveMuscle]

Saturday, December 6, 2003

Yesterday, Bobby Rogers took control of Danger And Violence Extreme. He brought in several brawlers and raised DAVE’s risk level to 70%, one of the highest in the industry. They hired everyone who lost out of the Elimination match last Sunday, and they’re now some of the top stars in DAVE. Well, they didn’t sign Marcus Bagwell, but that’s understandable.

TNA XHilaration

Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue

Vaughn: Hi, I’m Ahmed Vaughn, and this is XHilaration! My partner this week is Emma Barbecue. How’s it going, Emma?

Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. It’s the debut of XHilaration and the first night of the tournament to crown Tag Team champions.

Vaughn: Ever since commissioner Mick Foley declared the Tag titles vacant and set up this tournament, several teams have made known their intentions to enter the tournament.

Barbecue: Tonight’s first-round action will feature Haas of Pain taking on Super Crazy and Psychosis.

Vaughn: Haas Of Pain is now part of Sports Entertainment Xtreme, as we saw last night on XPlosion. They said they wanted Styles and Lynn, but first they’ll have to deal with one of Steve Corino’s entries.

Barbecue: Also tonight we have the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers in their TNA debut, Ken Shamrock and Bas Rutten, and our opening match, the Hardcore Connection taking on the Road Warriors.

Vaughn: New Jack’s Hardcore Connection feels like they should have the inside track for the titles, since one half of the most recent champions, Masato Tanaka, and the former Hardcore champion, Sabu, make up the unit.

Barbecue: New Jack and his crew are already on their way to the ring, so let’s go there now.

New Jack comes to the ring with a microphone, and Masato Tanaka and Sabu follow a short distance behind. New Jack says he doesn’t know what commissioner Foley was thinking by putting his guys against the Road Warriors in the first round. He says the Road Warriors are a great, legendary tag team, and his guys have a lot of respect for them. But tonight’s not about respect. Tonight they’re going to do everything they can to advance in the tournament and win what is already rightfully theirs – the Tag Team titles.

OR: 82

(Sabu gained in over from 59 to 60.)

Tag Team Tournament, first round: Hardcore Connection (with New Jack) vs. Road Warriors: A surprisingly good match, given the Road Warriors’ involvement. Tanaka and Sabu sell their power moves for the first couple of minutes, but an early Roaring Elbow from Tanaka gives the Hardcore Connection control. It’s an advantage they keep throughout the rest of the match, as they isolate Hawk on their side of the ring. Sabu scores the pinfall after a Moonsault.

Winner: Hardcore Connection

OR: 79

CR: 73

MQ: 86

The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers come to the ring to talk about their match, which is coming up next. The announcers tell us that they don’t know who the Rougeaus’ opponents are tonight. Jacques says that it doesn’t matter, and that they’ve scouted all the teams in TNA, so they’re prepared for anyone. Raymond points out that they’re also familiar with everyone they’ve been with in Canada, so there’s no surprises there.

OR: 82

Suddenly, the video screen comes to life, and it fills up with dollar signs to the sound of a cash register. Some classical music plays, and we see in the distance two men dressed in tuxedos with top hats. They flash a wad of bills at the camera before tossing them in the air, and they form the words “Mucho Dinero”. We get a close-up of the men, and the announcers tell us that they’re former TNA wrestlers EZ Money and Kid Kash! Suddenly, Money and Kash walk through the curtain wearing wrestling attire that looks reminiscent of formal wear.

OR: 80

Tag Team Tournament, first round: Fabulous Rougeau Brothers vs. Mucho Dinero: With all the buildup for the Rougeau Brothers and the impressive video and debut of Mucho Dinero, the crowd is pretty into this match. Sadly, the older Rougeau Brothers can’t keep up with their younger opponents. Wisely, the match settles into a slower, mat wrestling-oriented contest, but still it seems Kash and Money maintain the upper hand. Money draws Jacques into the ring, and while the referee puts him out, Money quickly scores with a field-goal kick between Raymond’s legs! That will ruin any plans he had for the evening. Money covers, and the ref counts the three. Mucho Dinero quickly leave the ring, while Jacques tends to his fallen brother.

Winner: Mucho Dinero

OR: 81

CR: 82

MQ: 79

Alicia Shamrock is backstage with Ken Shamrock and Bas Rutten, making this the second consecutive show she’s been on without being spotted at the vending machine. What’s up with that? Alicia says they know one of their opponents tonight is Shane Douglas, so that means it doesn’t really matter who his partner is, they know they’ll advance easily to round 2.

OR: 80

Shane Douglas comes to the ring alone. He gets a microphone from the ring announcer and says that he’s found a partner for this tournament. He’s someone who’s just as confident in himself as he is, so they ought to make a great team. The Harvard University fight song plays, and Christopher Nowinski steps through the curtain. Some of the crowd boos; the rest go out for a bathroom break.

OR: 69

Tag Team Tournament, first round: Ken Shamrock & Bas Rutten (with Alicia Shamrock) vs. Shane Douglas & Christopher Nowinski: The announcers say they’ve just learned that, regardless of the outcome of this match, Bas Rutten will get a rematch with Scott Hall for the Hardcore title next Friday on XPlosion. Rutten appears to be focused on this match, though, as he and the former World champion more than hold their own. Douglas, a former Hardcore champion in his own right, seems to have taken the young Harvard graduate under his wing. However, it’s obvious that this is their first match together, as they don’t communicate very well. Douglas and Nowinski collide near the ropes, and Nowinski falls headfirst into Douglas’ crotch. Rutten swiftly moves in and locks on the Guillotine Choke, and Douglas taps out. A surprisingly good match.

Winner: Bas Rutten & Ken Shamrock

OR: 77

CR: 74

MQ: 80

Vince Russo is backstage with Haas Of Pain. Russo says they’re disappointed that they didn’t get Styles and Lynn tonight, but they’ll be more than satisfied to deliver some pain to Psychosis and Super Crazy.

OR: 75

Steve Corino comes to the ring with Super Crazy and Psychosis. He says that Foley did the right thing by putting his two teams on opposite sides of the bracket. He thinks it’s going to be great to see them battle it out for the titles at Holiday Hell. But they’re not overlooking their opponents tonight. They know Haas Of Pain will be tough, especially now that Russo is with them. But he’s still confident that they’re going to win tonight.

OR: 79

Tag Team Tournament, first round: Super Crazy & Psychosis (with Steve Corino) vs. Haas Of Pain (with Vince Russo): Corino shows why he’s confident, as his presence is enough to prevent Russo from interfering. But Haas and Holly are accustomed to having to cheat for themselves, which they still are able to do proficiently. And they need to, because Psychosis and Crazy pretty much outwrestle them when they’re not cheating. Finally, Russo can’t take it anymore, and he distracts the referee. Corino quickly flies around the ring and starts assaulting Russo. While the referee tries to get Corino sent back to his side of the ring, Sonny Siaki comes from the back and pulls Super Crazy off the apron. He runs him into the ring post! Crazy is down, and Siaki taunts him before leaving. Haas Of Pain realizes their two-on-one advantage, and they swiftly beat down Psychosis until Corino returns to his corner to check on Crazy and the ref’s attention returns to the match. Haas hits the Haascracker on Psychosis for the ref’s benefit, even though the move was really not necessary. Haas picks up the win, and he and Holly quickly retrieve Russo and drag him back to their dressing room.

Winner: Haas Of Pain

OR: 82

CR: 75

MQ: 89

OR: 79

Rating: 7.00

Attendance: 10013

Best segment: (tie) Interview with New Jack and the Hardcore Connection; Interview with the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers; Haas Of Pain over Super Crazy & Psychosis (82)

Worst segment: Shane Douglas introduces Christopher Nowinski as his partner (69)

Best match: Haas Of Pain over Super Crazy & Psychosis (82)