NWA:TNA -- Russo's Revenge!

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, February 20, 2004

TNA XPlosion

Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams

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

Williams: Hello, Jeff. Tonight’s main event features Chavo Guerrero Jr., who is undefeated since arriving in TNA, taking on one half of the Tag Team champions and former X champion TAKA Michinoku.

Morales: You don’t want to miss that one. And speaking of tag teams, tonight The Hardcore Japanese face their toughest test to date as they take on Excellence Inc.

Williams: And we’ll also hear from D’Lo Brown later on, but let’s get things started with tonight’s Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match.

Morales: Alex Wright will be facing Yuji Nagata, and the loser will be entered in the Total Elimination Battle Royal.

Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Yuji Nagata vs. Alex Wright: As usual, the fans are disinterested in this qualifying match. It’s a good match, as both men are content to actually wrestle. Wright cheats some, but Nagata’s superior skill always swings the advantage back to him. In the end, he applies the Nagata Leg Lock, and Wright taps out.

Winner: Yuji Nagata

OR: 76

CR: 70

MQ: 82

Backstage, New Jack cuts an excellent promo hyping The Hardcore Japanese and their upcoming match with Excellence Inc. He says tonight’s match will show who should get a Tag Team title shot at Total Elimination.

OR: 90

(Tomoaki Honma gained in over from 74 to 75.)

Excellence Inc. comes to the ring carrying microphones. Michael Modest lets Donovan Morgan do most of the talking, so it’s not that bad, actually. Morgan says they heard what New Jack said, and he’s right about one thing – this match will show who deserves a Tag Team title shot, and it’s not The Hardcore Japanese.

OR: 81

The Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. Excellence Inc.: Michael Modest and Donovan Morgan attack Tomoaki Honma and Masato Tanaka from behind to start, but that strategy backfires pretty quickly as Tanaka and Honma prove to be superior brawlers. Modest and Morgan head to the floor to regroup and come up with some different strategy. They slow things down with their technical wrestling expertise, getting Honma on the mat and isolated on their half of the ring. The next 10 minutes features Excellence Inc. working over Honma, systematically taking him apart as Tanaka and New Jack can only watch. But, like in all good tag matches (and this one’s a great one), the face manages to make the hot tag to his partner. Tanaka comes in and knocks down both Modest and Morgan, and Honma recovers enough to even things as it’s a pier-six brawl. The Hardcore Japanese whip Modest and Morgan towards each other, but Morgan leapfrogs Modest, who clotheslines Honma out of the ring. Excellence Inc. has the numbers advantage, and soon thereafter Morgan hits a Double Underhook Piledriver on Tanaka to score the pin.

Winner: Excellence Inc.

OR: 85

CR: 77

MQ: 94

D’Lo Brown comes to the ring with a microphone.

Brown: You know, last Monday I was watching XCitement and saw Low-Ki defend the World title against Ultimo Dragon, and I have to say I wasn’t impressed. Low-Ki, you’ve been defending that belt against people like Norman Smiley, Ultimo Dragon, and Jeff Jarrett. But right now you’re looking at the real deal. If you really want to prove something, why don’t you take me on?

OR: 80

Suddenly, Charlie Haas’ music plays, and he comes out with Vince Russo.

Russo: D’Lo, you’ve been running your mouth about how you’re the ‘real deal’ and how people need to prove themselves? Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is, D’Lo. Why don’t you wrestle Charlie Haas. If you think you’re World title material, he’ll prove you wrong.

OR: 78

D’Lo Brown vs. Charlie Haas (with Vince Russo): The match is good, but things never really seemed to click. Brown hit several power moves to start, but Haas countered with some nice amateur wrestling takedowns. However, Brown’s no slouch at mat wrestling either, he’s just not up to the level that Haas is. Haas is able to stay on top of Brown for most of the match, but Brown powers back. He runs through his moves, picking up the win after a Sky High.

Winner: D’Lo Brown

OR: 82

CR: 78

MQ: 86

The camera cuts backstage, where we see commissioner Mick Foley watching the show when Excellence Inc. walks in.

Morgan: Did you see what we did earlier tonight? We beat The Hardcore Japanese.

Modest: To us, that means we’re the No. 1 contender for the Tag Team titles. So you need to make the match for Total Elimination.

Foley: Hmm … let me think about it and get back with you later.

Morgan: What do you mean, ‘think about it’? There’s no question which team is the most excellent in TNA, and they need to be given a title shot.

Foley: Right now they need to get out of my office! And that is final!

Modest and Morgan quickly leave as Foley sits back down to watch the main event.

OR: 83

Chavo Guerrero Jr. comes to the ring and takes the microphone from the ring announcer.

Guerrero: Jody Fleisch, last Saturday you attacked me for the third time! Neither time you had any business getting involved. I was proving a point to Ken Shamrock about breaking his word, and you attacked me. You hit your Phoenix 720 DDT on me after my match with Super Crazy and after my match with Raymond Rougeau. I’m warning you, Fleisch – stay out of my match tonight, or else!

OR: 87

TAKA Michinoku vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.: Chavo cheats to gain the early advantage, but really control goes back and forth between the two. Both men are great mat technicians and great high-flyers, and the result is a great wrestling match. The tide turns when TAKA goes for a Flying Cross Body from the top rope, but Chavo pulls the referee in the way, and he gets knocked to the mat. While TAKA checks on the ref, Chavo slides out of the ring and grabs a chair. He gets back in the ring, and TAKA turns around, only to be blasted by Chavo. Chavo lines up for another shot, but Jody Fleisch comes through the curtain at top speed. He spins Chavo around and hits a couple of punches before delivering yet another Phoenix 720 DDT to Chavo. Fleisch kicks the chair out of the ring and drags TAKA on top of Chavo. Fleisch gets out of the ring and shakes the referee, which magically helps revive him. He sees TAKA covering Chavo and counts the pin, giving Chavo his first loss in TNA.

Winner: TAKA Michinoku

OR: 86

CR: 80

MQ: 93

Fleisch pulls TAKA out of the ring as Chavo recovers. He realizes what happened when the referee raises TAKA’s arm once again, and starts pointing fingers at Fleisch, which are promptly returned. Suddenly, Mick Foley’s music hits, and he comes to the ring with a microphone!

Guerrero: Did you see that? He …

Foley: Shut up, Chavo! I’ll get to you in a moment, but I’ve got a couple of announcements to make. We’re nine days away from total elimination, and as of right now we only have two matches scheduled: the Total Elimination Battle Royal and the X title match between Sonny Siaki and The Amazing Red. I’ve been sitting in the back, watching this show, and there’s several issues that need to be resolved, and Total Elimination seems like the right place. Chavo, you want Jody Fleisch?

Guerrero: Yes, I …

Foley: Jody, do you want Chavo?

Fleisch nods his head.

Foley: Then by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you to have a match at Total Elimination. Now get out of my ring!

Fleisch leaves the ringside area, as Chavo stares dumbfoundedly at Foley before eventually leaving.

Foley: Now then, there’s a couple of other matters that I’ll take care of right now. First is the Tag Team titles. There’s a lot of teams out there that are deserving of a title shot, but after reviewing the records and watching their match tonight, I’m granting Excellence Inc.’s request for a shot. So at Total Elimination, it will be Kaientai defending the Tag Team titles against Excellence Inc. And finally, Low-Ki will be making a title defense. Based on what I saw earlier tonight, as of right now I’m naming D’Lo Brown as the No. 1 contender for the World title. In nine days at Total Elimination, D’Lo Brown will face Low-Ki for the title, and that is final! Have a nice day!

OR: 84

OR: 83

Rating: 7.75

Attendance: 10029

Best segment: Interview with New Jack and The Hardcore Japanese (90)

Worst segment: Yuji Nagata over Alex Wright (76)

Best match: TAKA Michinoku over Chavo Guerrero Jr. (86)

[LoveMuscle]

Saturday, February 21, 2004

TNA XHilaration

Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue

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

Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. Tonight we have Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith taking on Styles and Lynn!

Vaughn: Tonight is Smith and Akiyama’s last chance, according to Cyrus. Last week they nearly came to blows after losing to The Hardcore Japanese.

Barbecue: Someone who’s had his share of problems with Cyrus’ Virus is Mr. Wrestling, who will be in action tonight against Bas Rutten.

Vaughn: But our opening match is another Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match. Tonight, Brian Lawler will wrestle Mr. Aguila, and the loser is entered in commissioner Mick Foley’s Total Elimination Battle Royal.

Barbecue: Let’s go to ringside and watch this match.

Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Brian Lawler vs. Mr. Aguila: Perhaps the crowd is a little late arriving this evening, as there is little interest in this match. Lawler has been off television for some time, and has been less than successful in the matches he has wrestled in recent months. Aguila hasn’t been in TNA very long, but he also doesn’t have a very impressive win-loss record. But the fans aren’t really missing anything, as the match is decent, but not great. The dull action plods on for nearly six minutes before Aguila hits a Moonsault on Lawler to get the pin.

Winner: Mr. Aguila

OR: 74

CR: 68

MQ: 81

Mr. Wrestling comes to the ring for his match. He says after he saw Bas Rutten’s Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match on Monday, he decided that Rutten needs to learn a lesson about what happens to cheaters. Mr. Wrestling says tonight Rutten will learn something he’ll never forget.

OR: 86

Mr. Wrestling vs. Bas Rutten: This one was a very good match that saw Rutten trying to cheat, but that only served to get Mr. Wrestling angry, and he ended up controlling Rutten for most of the match. He applied the Crossface to Rutten, but suddenly Bill Goldberg runs through the curtain and into the ring! Mr. Wrestling gets up, but Goldberg Spears him right back down. Goldberg picks him up and delivers a Jackhammer! The referees and road agents all come in to separate Goldberg from Mr. Wrestling.

Winner: Mr. Wrestling by disqualification

OR: 80

CR: 72

MQ: 88

Cyrus appears at the side of Bill Goldberg with a microphone.

Cyrus: Nick Dinsmore, apparently you forgot about the biggest, baddest member of The Virus! You want to call my guys a bunch of cheaters? Why don’t you try that while Bill Goldberg is around!

OR: 84

Cyrus and Bill Goldberg return to The Virus’ dressing room, where Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith are already having a heated conversation as Scoot Andrews tries to keep them calm. Cyrus quickly assumes control and tells them they’d better get focused on Styles and Lynn. He reminds them that if they can’t work together, he’s kicking them out of the Virus.

OR: 86

Ron Killings leads Styles and Lynn to the ring in preparation for their upcoming match. Killings gets on the microphone and cuts a scathing promo on Johnny Smith and Jun Akiyama.

OR: 93

Styles and Lynn (with Ron Killings) vs. Johnny Smith & Jun Akiyama (with Cyrus): Smith and Akiyama work surprisingly well together, given their differences recently. Cyrus seems as standoffish as he was during Akiyama’s match on Monday, but nods approvingly as his team dominates Jerry Lynn. But that only lasts so long, as some miscommunication between Smith and Akiyama allows Lynn to make the hot tag to A.J. Styles. Styles picks up the pace as he is able to keep both Smith and Akiyama off balance until Lynn recovers enough to take Smith out to the floor, leaving Styles alone with Akiyama. A Styles Clash is enough to get the pinfall to end this great match.

Winner: Styles and Lynn

OR: 87

CR: 80

MQ: 95

Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith start to argue, as Cyrus only stands at ringside, shaking his head. Scoot Andrews comes out and once again tries to separate them, but Cyrus pulls him away. Finally Cyrus gets a microphone.

Cyrus: OK, OK, that’s enough out of you two. You know you’re out of The Virus, so get out of the ring. Besides Bill Goldberg, there’s only one other man I can count on to get anything done, and that's this man here, Scoot Andrews. I have the utmost confidence in him, and I challenge anyone in the back to come out here and wrestle him right now!

OR: 90

Sting’s music plays, and he walks out to the ringside area.

Sting: Anyone, Cyrus? Including me? You’re on!

OR: 90

Sting vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): Andrews is very good, but I doubt anyone can do much with Sting anymore these days, since his matches are all so formulaic. You know the routine by know: Sting dominates the first couple of minutes, then we get the extended rest sequence, and finally hit the big finish. Sting hits two Stinger Splashes and signals for the Scorpion Death Lock when Cyrus jumps up on the apron. Sting grabs him and signals to the crowd like he’s going to punch him, but before the blow can land Andrews has recovered. He spins Sting around and hits the Forces Of Nature to get the pin.

Winner: Scoot Andrews

OR: 84

CR: 85

MQ: 83

(Scoot Andrews gained in over from 83 to 84.)

The fans were already starting to leave, thinking the show was over, when commissioner Mick Foley’s music hits, and he walks out to the ring.

Foley: Thank you. I have an announcement to make. After Bill Goldberg attacked Mr. Wrestling earlier tonight, I thought it would be in everyone’s best interest to add another match to Total Elimination one week from tomorrow. Next Sunday, Bill Goldberg will face Mr. Wrestling one on one at Total Elimination. Thank you, and have a nice day!

OR: 89

OR: 86

Rating: 6.04

Attendance: 10046

Best segment: Interview with Ron Killings and Styles and Lynn (93)

Worst segment: Mr. Aguila over Brian Lawler (74)

Best match: Styles and Lynn over Jun Akiyama & Johnny Smith (87)

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, February 23, 2004

TNA XCitement

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

The video screen comes alive to start the show with footage from earlier today in commissioner Mick Foley’s office. He’s working at his desk when someone new to TNA enters.

Foley: Well, if it isn’t my good friend Nova from ECW! Long time no see, pal. What’s going on?

Nova: It’s good to see you too, Mick. I was in the area and thought I’d stop by to pay you a visit.

Foley: Oh, come on, I know you better than that. You’re here to try and get a job in TNA, right?

Nova: Um, well, … yeah! And, seeing as we’re good friends and all, and you’re in charge …

Foley: Hold it right there. I take my duties seriously in the commissionary position. No matter who they are or how good of friends they are with me, you’ve got to show you belong here.

Nova: Come on, Mick, just give me a chance! You know what I can do in the ring.

Foley: Well, there is one last qualifying match for the Total Elimination Battle Royal. I’ll tell you what – you beat Christopher Nowinski tonight, and you can work here in TNA.

Nova: Nowinski? That Harvard guy who lost in Tough Enough? No problem!

OR: 83

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

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.

Kavovit: Tonight we have the last Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match, which will see Christopher Nowinski take on the debuting Nova.

Snake: Nova was a pretty impressive performer in the old Extreme Championship Wrestling, but it’s been a few years since he’s been seen in a major promotion like TNA.

Kavovit: Also tonight, Mucho Dinero will be in action against the team of Jushin Liger and Psychosis, and later on we’ll hear from Cyrus.

Snake: But right now, let’s find out who will be the last man to enter the Total Elimination Battle Royal.

Total Elimination Battle Royal qualifying match: Nova vs. Christopher Nowinski: Nova really doesn’t look too impressive in his debut, but then again working with the relatively inexperienced Nowinski doesn’t help matters much. This match is basically a showcase for Nova to hit all of his moves and to introduce fans who aren’t familiar with him to who and what he is. Nova finishes off Nowinski with the Spin Doctor.

Winner: Nova

OR: 74

CR: 70

MQ: 79

Cyrus comes to the ring with Scoot Andrews. He talks about how glad he is to be rid of those two idiots Jun Akiyama and Johnny Smith. Cyrus continues on, saying that after Andrews beat Sting last Saturday, he’s confident he can take on anyone, even a X-division wrestler. He says he wants to see just how amazing The Amazing Red can be, so he challenges him to face Andrews!

OR: 90

Red’s music plays, so we’ve got …

The Amazing Red vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): This one’s a great match, but the fans just don’t get into it too much. Andrews’ win over Sting isn’t the kind of headline news it would have been several months ago, and Red’s biggest claim to fame was winning a lackluster tournament to become the No. 1 contender for the X title. Andrews tries to keep the pace slow, but quickly finds out that Red is quite adept at mat wrestling as well. Andrews looks to be in trouble, and Cyrus hops up on the apron. That gets Red’s attention, but Red dodges Andrews’ attack, and he collides with Cyrus. Red takes advantage and quickly hits a Red Star Press to get the win. Afterwards, Cyrus hops in the ring, and he and Cyrus make short work of Red with their numbers advantage. They leave him lying in the ring, with the medics out to check on him.

Winner: The Amazing Red

OR: 84

CR: 76

MQ: 92

Mucho Dinero hit the ring to talk about their opponents tonight, Jushin Liger and Psychosis. EZ Money reminds us that Psychosis and Liger received a Tag Team title shot last month, and they think beating them will earn them the same opportunity. Kid Kash says that in fact they should be the ones to face Kaientai at Total Elimination.

OR: 89

Jushin Liger & Psychosis (with Steve Corino) vs. Mucho Dinero: Another very good match, but as we all remember Liger and Psychosis aren’t perceived as threats in the tag division. The most vocal fans are the Mucho Dinero fans, which now make up about a third of the crowd in the TNA Asylum. Mucho Dinero controls the action for most of the match, keeping Psychosis isolated in their half of the ring. Of course, it just wouldn’t be a tag match without a hot tag, but Liger can’t sustain the advantage for very long. Soon thereafter, he falls victim to the Cha-Ching, and Kash gets the pin. But here come A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn! They attack Mucho Dinero, which serves to wake the fans up, before Mucho Dinero retreat to the safety of their locker room.

Winner: Mucho Dinero

OR: 83

CR: 78

MQ: 89

OR: 83

Rating: 6.20

Attendance: 10035

Best segment: Interview with Cyrus and Scoot Andrews (90)

Worst segment: Nova over Christopher Nowinski (74)

Best match: The Amazing Red over Scoot Andrews (84)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, February 27, 2004

TNA XPlosion

Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams

Once again, the show starts off with footage from earlier today inside commissioner Mick Foley’s office. The door bursts open, and Simon Diamond walks in.

Diamond: Dammit, Foley, what the hell’s been going on around here?

Foley: What are you talking about?

Diamond: D’Lo Brown gets a fluke win over me last month, and you haven’t booked me on any show since. Meanwhile, D’Lo gets a shot at the World title? What kind of a commissioner are you?

Foley: Look, Simon, I’m glad you’re here, because I just happen to have a match for you tonight. You’ll be facing one of the biggest, toughest dudes in all of TNA. Oh, and he’s undefeated too. A win over him will really help put you over in the eyes of the fans.

Diamond: Bring him on, I’m ready! Who is it?

Foley: Oh, it’s Ricky Marvin.

Diamond: Ricky Marvin! That little pipsqueak doesn’t have any business here in TNA. He’s in way over his head and you know it.

Foley: That doesn’t matter. He’s all yours. Have a nice day!

OR: 89

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

Williams: Hello, Jeff. We just saw earlier today commissioner Mick Foley scheduling Simon Diamond to face an impressive newcomer to TNA, Ricky Marvin.

Morales: Also tonight, Mucho Dinero will take on The Hardcore Japanese.

Williams: And Jody Fleisch will take on Syxx-Pac tonight, two days before he’ll face Chavo Guerrero Jr. at Total Elimination.

Morales: Coming up later, we’ll hear from the World champion, Low-Ki. But that music must mean we’re about to hear from Simon Diamond, so let’s hear what he’s got to say.

Simon Diamond gets a microphone before entering the ring. He says he’s been off television for so long, many fans were asking him if he still worked for TNA. Simon says tonight’s match against Ricky Marvin doesn’t pose a challenge for him, so he’ll be reminding everyone just who Simon Diamond is.

OR: 89

Ricky Marvin vs. Simon Diamond: This one’s over quickly. Diamond cheats early on to gain the advantage, then hits the Problem Solver to end the match in less than a minute. So much for Marvin’s undefeated record.

Winner: Simon Diamond

OR: 76

CR: 65

MQ: 88

Low-Ki comes out to the announcers’ desk. He says he doesn’t know what D’Lo Brown has done to deserve a World title shot, but he’ll beat him anyways, just like he’s beaten everyone else. He says if D’Lo wants to prove he deserves a title shot, then tonight he should face the one man who holds an undefeated mark against D’Lo – Sting.

OR: 82

Jody Fleisch vs. Syxx-Pac: Another by-the-numbers match, as Syxx-Pac clearly isn’t a match for Fleisch, no matter how much he cheats. It’s a very good match, but like the first one the end result was never in doubt once the bell rang. Fleisch pins Syxx-Pac after a Phoenix 720 DDT. But he has little chance to celebrate before Chavo Guerrero Jr. runs through the curtain! He knocks Fleisch down and climbs to the top rope … Frog Splash! Guerrero finally has gained a measure of revenge on Fleisch.

Winner: Jody Fleisch

OR: 82

CR: 77

MQ: 88

Backstage, Mucho Dinero says Styles and Lynn aren’t in the building tonight, so they won’t have to worry about them interfering in their match tonight like they did Monday. They say that they’re focused entirely on The Hardcore Japanese tonight.

OR: 86

New Jack leads The Hardcore Japanese to the ring. He says they’re going to beat Mucho Dinero tonight. Um, OK.

OR: 87

The Hardcore Japanese (with New Jack) vs. Mucho Dinero: Perhaps the fans are tired of the formula, but good wrestlers can still get a great match out of the standard tag team formula. Mucho Dinero works over Tomoaki Honma in an extended heat sequence before Honma makes the hot tag to Masato Tanaka. Tanaka clears both EZ Money and Kid Kash from the ring, but while the referee is getting the weary Honma out of the ring, Mucho Dinero hits the Cha-Ching on Tanaka, and Money covers to score the pin.

Winner: Mucho Dinero

OR: 84

CR: 79

MQ: 90

D’Lo Brown comes to the ring. He says he heard Low-Ki’s challenge earlier tonight, and he knows Sting is in the building. So if Sting doesn’t mind, D’Lo wants a match with him.

OR: 86

Sting vs. D’Lo Brown: The fans finally wake up for this match, and I start to think that possibly Total Elimination’s main event won’t be as much of a fiasco as I fear. As for this match, it’s a little different than most Sting matches. While the formula is the same, the sides are different. Brown dominates early, but then Sting gets the advantage and uses the rest holds on D’Lo while he catches his breath. The fans make a lot of noise, and Brown comes back as the pace picks up for the finish. Brown avoids a Stinger Splash and floors Sting with a Sky High. Brown then climbs to the top rope and hits a Lo Down to score the pin. Afterwards, Brown helps Sting to his feet, and they shake hands.

Winner: D’Lo Brown

OR: 82

CR: 84

MQ: 80

(Sting dropped in over from 93 to 92. D’Lo Brown gained in over from 82 to 84.)

OR: 83

Rating: 7.75

Attendance: 10047

Best segment: (tie) Simon Diamond confronts Mick Foley; Interview with Simon Diamond (89)

Worst segment: Simon Diamond over Ricky Marvin (76)

Best match: Mucho Dinero over The Hardcore Japanese (84)

[LoveMuscle]

Saturday, February 28, 2004

TNA XHilaration

Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue

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

Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. Tonight we have Jeff Jarrett taking on Scoot Andrews!

Vaughn: Andrews has been on a pretty good run as of late, except for his surprise loss to The Amazing Red last Monday. Speaking of Red, we’ll be hearing from him later on.

Barbecue: Also tonight we’ll be seeing Joey Matthews and Super Crazy in action.

Vaughn: But our opening match features Masato Tanaka taking on CIMA. Let’s go to ringside and watch this match.

New Jack leads Masato Tanaka to the ring. He says Tanaka is going to kick CIMA’s ass. I guess that works for me.

OR: 87

Masato Tanaka (with New Jack) vs. CIMA: Nothing makes people want to buy pay-per-views like a bunch of squash matches the day before the show, and this one looks to be the first of several. Actually, it’s an excellent match, because CIMA sells Tanaka’s offense so well. CIMA does get in a few shots, but the fans aren’t buying it. Tanaka hits the Roaring Elbow and gets the pin.

Winner: Masato Tanaka

OR: 80

CR: 67

MQ: 93

Mucho Dinero makes a surprise appearance, much to the delight of their fans. They say they’ve thought about it, and they issue a challenge for Styles and Lynn! They challenge them to a match at Total Elimination. The announcers say that hopefully we’ll get a response sometime before the show is over.

OR: 81

Mike Sanders leads Joey Matthews to the ring. Sanders then starts talking trash about Yuji Nagata, sending the crowd to the concession area.

OR: 77

Yuji Nagata vs. Joey Matthews (with Mike Sanders): Clearly the fans have little interest in either of these two. Despite the lack of crowd reaction, Matthews and Nagata have a very good match. Matthews cheats, as does Sanders whenever the referee isn’t looking. Fortunately for them, cheating against Nagata is different than against Mr. Wrestling, as Nagata falls victim to it every time. In the end, Matthews hits a Swinging DDT to score the pin.

Winner: Joey Matthews

OR: 78

CR: 69

MQ: 88

The Amazing Red is standing by backstage. He reminds us that in his last match against Scoot Andrews, Andrews and his manager, Cyrus, double-teamed him after he scored the win. In his match before that, Red defeated Joey Matthews, but again was beaten up by Matthews and his manager, Mike Sanders, afterwards. He says that for tomorrow night, he’s taken out a little insurance policy just in case Vince Russo tries to attack him after he beats Sonny Siaki for the X title.

OR: 70

Steve Corino comes out with Super Crazy and points out that none of his guys are on tomorrow’s pay-per-view. Corino actually admits he’s been less than successful putting together a tag team from among the wrestlers he manages. He reminds us that Crazy is a former X champion and could win the title again any time he has the opportunity, and he’s going to show us here tonight when he beats Mr. Aguila.

OR: 83

Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Mr. Aguila: Another squash, but the fans actually care a little bit about Crazy, so it’s not all that bad. Actually, it’s a great match, and that causes the fans to come around for the finish when Crazy hits the Trifecta Moonsault to get the pin.

Winner: Super Crazy

OR: 81

CR: 72

MQ: 90

Commissioner Mick Foley’s music hits, and he comes to the ring. He says he heard Mucho Dinero out here earlier, and he’s been on the phone with Ron Killings putting together that match. So tomorrow night at Total Elimination, A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn will take on Mucho Dinero.

OR: 83

Scoot Andrews comes to the ring, accompanied by Cyrus. Cyrus takes the microphone from the ring announcer and tells us all that Monday’s match was a fluke and there’s no way The Amazing Red could beat Scoot Andrews again. He concedes that perhaps Andrews should stick to wrestlers outside the X division, and helpfully points out that his opponent tonight, Jeff Jarrett, will never be confused for someone in the X division.

OR: 91

Jeff Jarrett vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): The hometown crowd cheers Jarrett on, but also Cyrus has become a target for the fans’ boos in recent weeks with his sharp, biting interviews. Good back-and-forth action, but Andrews finally gets the upper hand when Cyrus trips up Jarrett. Andrews holds on to that advantage until the end, when the fans re-energize Jarrett. He makes the big comeback and even has Andrews ready for the Stroke, but Andrews grabs the rope and Jarrett hits the canvas alone. Andrews hits the Forces Of Nature and covers for the three.

Winner: Scoot Andrews

OR: 85

CR: 82

MQ: 88

OR: 81

Rating: 6.37

Attendance: 10012

Best segment: Interview with Cyrus and Scoot Andrews (91)

Worst segment: Interview with The Amazing Red (70)

Best match: Scoot Andrews over Jeff Jarrett (85)

[LoveMuscle]

Sunday, February 29, 2004

Once again we’ve made it through another month injury-free. That’s always a concern of mine when you start officially making matches several weeks before the show, such as The Amazing Red becoming the No. 1 contender, or entrants into the Total Elimination Battle Royal.

TNA Total Elimination

Hosts: Jeff Morales and Bart Snake

Morales: Hello, TNA fans, we’re live from the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania, and this is Total Elimination! I’m Jeff Morales, and with me tonight is Bart Snake. Bart, it’s good to see you.

Snake: I'm glad to be working with you, Jeff. I can’t wait for tonight’s show!

Morales: Our main event tonight features D’Lo Brown challenging Low-Ki for the World title.

Snake: Low-Ki has turned back all comers since winning the World title several months ago. But tonight he’s facing D’Lo Brown, who also has had an impressive run since arriving in TNA, defeating Sting, Bill Goldberg, and everyone else that’s stood in his way.

Morales: Also, The Amazing Red will get a shot at the X title when he faces Sonny Siaki.

Snake: Red won a mini-tournament a few weeks ago to become the No. 1 contender for the X title, so tonight we’ll see what he does with it.

Morales: And the Tag Team titles will be on the line when Kaientai defends the belts against Excellence Inc.

Snake: Another tag match tonight will see Styles and Lynn once again facing Mucho Dinero.

Morales: These teams have a long history with each other, and tonight they’ll meet one more time to try and settle the differences between them.

Snake: Speaking of differences, Mr. Wrestling has had his share of them with Cyrus and The Virus. Tonight he’ll face his biggest test when he wrestles Bill Goldberg.

Morales: Oh, man, that one should be a barnburner! But no more so than when Jody Fleisch and Chavo Guerrero Jr. finally square off one-on-one.

Snake: These two have been going after each other ever since Guerrero interfered in Ken Shamrock’s farewell match with is good friend Fleisch.

Morales: But tonight’s opening match has a lot more long-term implications than any other match on the card. Ten men will be in the Total Elimination Battle Royal with their jobs on the line! Only the winner will still work for TNA after tonight.

Snake: The participants are already making their way to the ring, so let’s get to the ring before the action begins!

Total Elimination Battle Royal: Mass brawling to start. It’s supposed to be every man for himself, but it’s soon apparent that the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers are working together, as they toss Vampiro over the top rope (Elimination #1). Everyone else picks up on this pretty quick, and amidst all the chaos everyone else gangs up on the Rougeaus. Raymond Rougeau (Elimination #2) is tossed my a group including Alex Wright, Big Vito, Norman Smiley, and Brian Lawler, while Jacques Rougeau Jr. (Elimination #3) is pitched out by Shane Douglas, Christopher Nowinski, and Devon Storm. With that potential problem taken care of, the teamwork quickly breaks down. The next to go is Devon Storm (Elimination #4), courtesy of Big Vito. Norman Smiley tosses Alex Wright (Elimination #5), then does a Big Wiggle. With Smiley’s attention diverted, Brian Lawler sneaks up behind him, and the next thing Smiley knows he’s over the top rope and down on the floor (Elimination #6).

Final four: Big Vito, Brian Lawler, Christopher Nowinski, and Shane Douglas. Vito brawls with Lawler as Nowinski and Douglas watch. The announcers remind us that Douglas and Nowinski are occasional tag team partners, and thus they’re content to watch the others fight. Douglas and Nowinski hatch a plan: Nowinski signals to Douglas that they should clothesline both Vito and Lawler over the top rope. Douglas nods, and they get ready. They charge Vito and Lawler, bud Douglas pulls up at the last second. Nowinski successfully clotheslines Lawler to the floor (Elimination #7). Douglas, instead of clotheslining Vito, instead gets behind Nowinski and throws him out as well (Elimination #8). Vito looks confused, but quickly realizes it’s down to him and Douglas. He chases Douglas around the ring, but Shane hops over the top rope, eliminating himself (Elimination #9) and giving the win to Big Vito. Vito looks shocked that Douglas would give up like that after making it to the final two.

Winner: Big Vito

OR: 74

CR: 73

MQ: 75

Backstage, Vince Russo walks into the Sports Entertainment Xtreme dressing room, where Sonny Siaki is getting warmed up for his match.

Russo: I can’t believe it! I can’t believe that idiot went through with it!

Siaki: So everything’s in place for tomorrow night?

Russo: Yeah, it sure is! But listen, let me worry about tomorrow night. Right now you’ve got to worry about tonight.

Siaki: Aw, I’m not worried about The Amazing Red.

Russo: But did you hear what he said last night? I don’t know what he’s got, and what I don’t know concerns me, and it should concern you.

Siaki: Hey, it’s only The Amazing Red, right? What could he possibly get that’s better than me with you in my corner? Now come on, my match is next.

Siaki leaves, but Russo just stands there, shaking his head. Siaki sticks his head back in.

Siaki: Come on! Remember, tonight we party to celebrate tomorrow night!

That brings a smile to Russo’s face, and he finally follows Siaki.

OR: 79

NWA X title match: The Amazing Red vs. Sonny Siaki © (with Vince Russo): An excellent match, truly one fitting of the X title. With all the aerial moves, we might need to change the ring ropes after this match, because they should be worn out from all that work. Siaki has a definite size advantage over Red, something rarely seen by Siaki. Siaki uses this to pound on Red at the start of the match. A brawl for the X title? No way. But one of the most amazing things about Red (pardon the pun) is his speed. He’s faster than Siaki, who’s pretty quick in his own right, and uses that to make up for Siaki’s size advantage. So here’s the key to the whole match: Siaki’s not used to having the size advantage or the speed disadvantage, while Red is used to the size disadvantage and the speed advantage. So knowing that, it’s not hard to understand that Red gets control because he’s in a much more familiar situation than the one in which Siaki finds himself. Red uses all sorts of dropkicks and springboard maneuvers to keep Siaki on the mat. But Russo pulls Siaki out of the way of a Springboard Moonsault, and Red crashes to the mat. Siaki then assumes control and runs through his offense. A Springboard Dropkick and a Tiger Suplex only get a two count on Red. A missed dropkick puts Red back on the offense. A Rolling Kick sets Siaki up for the Infrared! But Russo hops up on the apron, and Red breaks the pin to go argue with Russo. Idiot. Siaki runs at Red, but he ducks, and Siaki collides with Russo. Red hits the Red Star Press to get the pin. But before the referee can raise his arm, let alone hand him his title belt, Siaki attacks, and Russo gets in the ring to help out with the assault. Suddenly, Ron Killings comes to the ring! He floors Russo with one punch, and fights with his old adversary, Siaki. Red recovers, and a brief two-on-one on Siaki ensues until Russo grabs his ankle and pulls him to the floor, saving him from a double clothesline from Red and Killings.

Winner: The Amazing Red

OR: 87

CR: 84

MQ: 91

NWA Tag Team title match: Kaientai © vs. Excellence Inc.: Another great match, as I’ve come to expect from these two teams. This wrestling clinic features all the transitions and psychology the wrestling “experts” talk about that’s missing from wrestling matches today. Donovan Morgan and Michael Modest get TAKA Michinoku in their corner and work over his leg, which would prevent him from using a lot of his typical offense. After nearly ten minutes and two false tags, TAKA finally makes the hot tag to Funaki, who is well rested and loaded for bear. Dropkicks all around for Excellence Inc., and a lightning kick sends Morgan to the floor. Funaki hits his Tornado DDT and scores the pin on Modest.

Winner: Kaientai

OR: 86

CR: 80

MQ: 92

Styles and Lynn (with Ron Killings) vs. Mucho Dinero: The crowd is pretty much split in two – half of the arena cheers for Styles and Lynn, and the other half is solidly behind Mucho Dinero. Anyways, this is as noisy as a crowd has been in some time. They can sense that something special is about to happen, as this is a great match. The only problem is that, as a tag match, it uses the same old standard tag match formula that we just saw in the Tag Team title match (only at a quicker pace), but the fans don’t seen to mind one bit. Neither team can sustain an advantage for much more than three minutes, as all four wrestlers end up playing Ricky Morton at some point in the match. As such, there really aren’t any “hot” tags, but several “lukewarm” tags. At the end, Kid Kash is in the ring with Jerry Lynn, but Kash punches A.J. Styles, who is on the apron waiting for the tag. Styles falls to the floor, and Killings climbs up on the apron to protest Kash’s attack of Styles. With the referee distracted, EZ Money comes in, and along with Kash hits the Cha-Ching on Lynn. Money slides out of the ring as the referee turns around and counts the pin.

Winner: Mucho Dinero

OR: 94

CR: 95

MQ: 94

(A.J. Styles dropped in over from 85 to 76. Jerry Lynn dropped in over from 85 to 76. EZ Money gained in over from 86 to 92. Kid Kash gained in over from 88 to 94.)

Jody Fleisch vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.: This grudge match has the tough act of having to follow that last match, but it’s yet another great match, even though the fans aren’t quite into it as much. Hey, for all the energy they put into that last one, they deserve a break. The announcers recap their month-long series of run-in attacks on each other to establish the heat between the two. Fleisch dominates for most of the match, but Guerrero cheats to gain the upper hand. In fact, Guerrero runs through all the standard old-school heel cheating moves, like the back rake and the thumb to the eye. The referee admonishes him for these things, but you can’t change a leopard’s spots. Or something like that. Guerrero hits the Frog Splash, but instead of going for the pin locks on The Gory Guerrero Special. I guess he just wanted to hear Fleisch submit, because that’s exactly what happened.

Winner: Chavo Guerrero Jr.

OR: 88

CR: 83

MQ: 93

Mr. Wrestling vs. Bill Goldberg (with Cyrus): Well, they couldn’t all be great matches tonight, so let’s just get this one out of the way as fast as possible, OK? Actually, it was a good match, but it pales in comparison to the last four matches. Goldberg hits all his power moves, even hitting the Spear. He goes for the pin, but pulls Mr. Wrestling up at two. Cyrus still calls him Nick Dinsmore for some reason. Goldberg delivers more punishment to Mr. Wrestling, and even makes a couple of pin attempts, but pulls him up each time at Cyrus’ urging. Goldberg tosses Mr. Wrestling to the floor, and while the referee is discussing the weather with him, Cyrus starts putting the boots to Mr. Wrestling. Wait a minute, that’s cheating! Sure enough, Mr. Wrestling seems to be energized by Cyrus’ cheating. Mr. Wrestling starts channeling Hulk Hogan, as he starts “Hulking up” to the delight of the crowd. Goldberg goes outside and punches Mr. Wrestling, but he no-sells it. He really is channeling Hogan! Goldberg rolls Dinsmore back in. Uh, I mean Mr. Wrestling. Dammit, now Cyrus has me doing it too! Anyways, Mr. Wrestling catches Goldberg coming back in with a boot, and hits an impressive German Suplex on the much bigger man. Goldberg’s on the canvas, and Mr. Wrestling quickly applies the Crossface! Goldberg taps out, and Cyrus is hysterical.

Winner: Mr. Wrestling

OR: 83

CR: 84

MQ: 84

(Bill Goldberg dropped in over from 91 to 90.)

NWA World title match: D’Lo Brown vs. Low-Ki ©: Our high expectations for this match are let down early, as the fans just don’t get into it very much. It’s a very good match, but again not quite what we were hoping for. Low-Ki bumps a lot for Brown’s power moves, giving some fans hope that D’Lo just might pull off the upset. But Low-Ki comes back with a vengeance, delivering several stiff kicks to Brown. Brown comes back, though, and hits the Sky High. Low-Ki kicks out at two, but is still down. Brown climbs to the top rope and signals for the Lo Down, but Low-Ki pops up and applies a surprise Superplex to D’Lo. Low-Ki nails Brown with the Ki-Krusher to get the pin and retain the title.

Winner: Low-Ki

OR: 87

CR: 85

MQ: 89

OR: 85

Buy rate: 1.86

Attendance: 20719

Best segment: Mucho Dinero over Styles and Lynn (94)

Worst segment: Big Vito wins the Total Elimination Battle Royal (74)

Best match: Mucho Dinero over Styles and Lynn (94)

[LoveMuscle]

Monday, March 1, 2004

The losers of last night’s Total Elimination Battle Royal now find themselves unemployed. The Rougeaus’ contracts ran out, and everyone else was terminated. Another contract that ran out was Sting. He was plenty charismatic and over with the fans, but his matches weren’t up to par with most everyone else on the roster.

Chavo Guerrero retired yesterday. No, not our Chavo – his old man, Chavo Sr. However, Chavo Guerrero Jr. will be taking some time off to be with his father. For sure he’ll be gone tonight, so we’ll see how long he’s away. Also, Ricky Steamboat announced that he will be retiring at the end of this month. “The Dragon” hasn’t been an active wrestler for some time, but he’s still been making appearances at various indy shows in a non-wrestling capacity.

As the wrestling industry continues to boom, there is more interest than ever before. We received a press release today announcing the formation of Overdose Wrestling. They’ll be operating at a small level initially, but they hope of one day becoming a force in the industry. Personally, I would have gone with a different name than that, at least something that doesn’t conjure up such a negative image. If they hire someone and rename him Brian Pillman or Rick Rude, I swear I’ll buy out that thing and close its doors forever!

Here’s what our active roster looks like today (faces in blue, heels in red, tweeners in black, all followed by their current over):

MAIN EVENT

none

UPPER MIDCARD

none

MIDCARDERS

Jody Fleisch (89)

TAKA Michinoku (89)

Jeff Jarrett (86)

D'Lo Brown (84)

Mr. Wrestling (84)

Super Crazy (84)

The Amazing Red (84)

Masato Tanaka (83)

Big Vito (82)

Ultimo Dragon (82)

Psychosis (81)

A.J. Styles (76)

Jerry Lynn (76)

Funaki (75)

Tomoaki Honma (75)

Jushin Liger (74)

Nova (72)

Yuji Nagata (72)

Kid Kash (94)

EZ Money (92)

Low-Ki (92)

Bill Goldberg (90)

Scott Hall (88)

Donovan Morgan (87)

Sonny Siaki (87)

Charlie Haas (84)

Chavo Guerrero Jr. (84)

Johnny Smith (84)

Scoot Andrews (84)

Simon Diamond (84)

Michael Modest (83)

Jun Akiyama (82)

Syxx-Pac (75)

Bas Rutten (74)

Joey Matthews (74)

Mr. Aguila (70)

LOWER MIDCARDERS

CIMA (63)

OPENERS

Ricky Marvin (42)

JOBBERS

none

MANAGERS

Alicia Shamrock (93)

New Jack (93)

Ron Killings (93)

Steve Corino (92)

Cyrus (96)

Vince Russo (91)

Mike Sanders (73)

NON-WRESTLERS

Mick Foley (96)

TAG TEAMS {members} (experience)

Kaientai {TAKA Michinoku & Funaki} (66)

Excellence Inc. {Michael Modest & Donovan Morgan} (51)

Styles and Lynn {A.J. Styles & Jerry Lynn} (29)

Mucho Dinero {EZ Money & Kid Kash} (12)

The Hardcore Japanese {Masato Tanaka & Tomoaki Honma} (3)

TITLES (image) {current holder}

NWA World (91) {Low-Ki}

NWA X (87) {The Amazing Red}

NWA Tag Team (85) {Kaientai}

TNA XCitement

Hosts: Steven Kavovit and Bart Snake

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

Snake: Good to see you again, Steven.

Kavovit: Tonight’s main event features Jeff Jarrett taking on Simon Diamond.

Snake: Diamond hasn’t been very happy with commissioner Mick Foley after his inactivity for most of last month, but he’ll be here tonight to face the former World champion.

Kavovit: And Vince Russo is in the building, and he’s been all smiles all day long. I wonder what’s going on there.

Snake: Last night he kept going on about his big plans for tonight, maybe we’ll find out what he was talking about later on.

Kavovit: But now, let’s get to the ring for tonight’s opening match, Syxx-Pac taking on Super Crazy.

Steve Corino and Super Crazy walk to the ring. Corino gets a microphone and says he knows Crazy will take care of business tonight against Syxx-Pac, and hopefully commissioner Foley will see fit to giving him a X title match with The Amazing Red soon.

OR: 81

Super Crazy (with Steve Corino) vs. Syxx-Pac: Pac looks fired up tonight, as he puts on an excellent match. The fans couldn’t care less about this match if they were wrestling with starving rodents in their ring attire. The fans finally start to come around near the end, as Crazy gets Pac in the corner and starts punching him. The crowd counts along in Spanish, which is always a nice touch. Crazy hits the Trifecta Moonsault to get the pin.

Winner: Super Crazy

OR: 81

CR: 72

MQ: 90

Commissioner Mick Foley’s music plays, and he comes to the ring with a microphone.

Foley: Thank you! It’s good to be back here at the TNA Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee! We had a great pay-per-view event last night, don’t you think? Yeah! How about that Amazing Red, huh? Well, he’s the new X champion, and as commissioner part of my responsibility is to find opponents to challenge for the titles. I heard Steve Corino earlier tonight, and I’ve decided that …

Russo: Hold it right there, Mick!

Russo steps through the curtain with a document in his hand.

Russo: Foley, you are such an idiot. I can’t believe you went through with that Total Elimination Battle Royal last night! You know what the courts stated about forcing people into those kinds of matches.

Foley: Wait a minute, Vince. Everyone in that match agreed beforehand to the rules and stipulations.

Russo: Is that so? All right then – if there’s anyone in the building who lost last night’s Battle Royal, come out now!

Shane Douglas’ music plays, and he steps through the curtain!

Russo: Well, well, Mick – if it isn’t your good friend Shane Douglas! Shane, did you agree to put your career on the line in that match?

Douglas: Hell no, and nobody can produce any kind of proof that I did. I never signed anything, I never verbally committed to any kind of match like that, and I never would.

Russo: You see, Mick, you made one mistake, but it’s going to cost you! You remember what happened eleven months ago, when I was in charge of TNA? You stole the commissionership away from me! Tonight, Mick, I will have my revenge! I have here a court document that states, based on the testimony of Shane Douglas, that you violated the previous court order by forcing him into that match, and I have once again been placed in charge of TNA. So before you go making any decisions about who should fight for what title, I wanted you to know that you don’t have that option anymore! Now get the fuck out of my ring, you piece of crap!

Foley leaves, totally stunned and dejected by the surprising turn of events.

Russo: Now then, as Foley was saying, the commissioner has the right to make title matches whenever and against whoever he chooses. So I’ve decided that, right now, we’re going to have a Tag Team title match. Kaientai, get out here and bring those belts, because you’re going to lose them to my team of Charlie Haas and Scott Hall!

OR: 86

NWA Tag Team title match: Kaientai © vs. Scott Hall & Charlie Haas (with Vince Russo): Another great match, but TAKA Michinoku and Funaki are both obviously still worn out from their title defense last night. Hall and Haas work over both TAKA and Funaki, and it looks like they’re well on their way to regaining the belts. TAKA fights back, but Russo interferes to give his Sports Entertainment Xtreme team the advantage once again. The referee is suspicious, and he has a discussion with Russo. Meanwhile, Ron Killings comes through the curtain with a chair! He nails Hall and takes off before the referee ever spots anything. Funaki climbs to the top rope and hits a Missile Dropkick as TAKA cuts off Haas’ interference. The referee makes the three count as Kaientai have successfully retained their titles.

Winner: Kaientai

OR: 86

CR: 81

MQ: 91

Simon Diamond comes to the ring. He says he wants to be the first to say thank goodness Foley is gone. But now he can get back to the business at hand. Tonight he’s going to beat Jarrett once again to prove he deserves a lot better than he’s been getting, and hopefully Russo will notice him.

OR: 79

Jeff Jarrett vs. Simon Diamond: The fans are into this one, having been woke up by Foley’s dismissal and the Tag Team title match. Jarrett starts out on fire, completely controlling Diamond. But a thumb to the eye changes all of that, however. Diamond dips into Sting’s bag of tricks and pulls out the old armbar. He holds on for about four minutes before Jarrett starts making a comeback. A flurry of punches puts Jarrett firmly in control. He sets Diamond up on the top turnbuckle and signals to the crowd for a Superplex. But something happens mid-move, and they both crash down into a pile. Diamond’s on top, and the referee counts the pin. Diamond quickly takes off back to the locker room area, as the replay on the video screen shows Diamond reaching into his trunks, pulling out a chain, and punching Jarrett with it while he was attempting to execute the Superplex.

Winner: Simon Diamond

OR: 86

CR: 85

MQ: 87

OR: 83

Rating: 5.95

Attendance: 10013

Best segment: (tie) Kaientai over Charlie Haas & Scott Hall; Simon Diamond over Jeff Jarrett; Vince Russo becomes TNA commissioner once again (86)

Worst segment: Interview with Simon Diamond (79)

Best match: (tie) Kaientai over Charlie Haas & Scott Hall; Simon Diamond over Jeff Jarrett (86)

[LoveMuscle]

Friday, March 5, 2004

TNA XPlosion

Hosts: Jeff Morales and Dick Williams

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

Williams: Hello, Jeff. Last Monday we saw the shocking rise to power of Vince Russo. Mick Foley is out as commissioner after Shane Douglas convinced the courts that he was forced into the Total Elimination Battle Royal.

Morales: I still can’t believe it. And now, this is the first full show since Russo took over, and who knows what we’re going to see tonight?

Williams: For sure, we don’t know. We haven’t been given any kind of format for the show tonight. The only person who has any kind of clue what matches we’ll see tonight is Vince Russo, and he’s not telling.

Morales: Well, we do know a match that was already scheduled, as Psychosis will be taking on Bas Rutten.

Williams: I guess that’s going to be our first match this evening, as Steve Corino and Psychosis are already on their way to the ring.

Steve Corino gets a microphone when he and Psychosis get to the ring. Corino claims Mick Foley was about to award Super Crazy a X title shot just before he was forced out as the commissioner, so he hopes Vince Russo will honor that. Corino says that, in fact, all of his guys are deserving of a X title shot, and Psychosis will prove that tonight when he defeats Bas Rutten.

OR: 80

Psychosis (with Steve Corino) vs. Bas Rutten: An excellent match, but the fans don’t care because Bas Rutten is involved. They’ve never cared much about any of Rutten’s matches. While Corino may have claimed this match will be a showcase for Psychosis’ claim for a X title shot, this one’s more of a mat-based wrestling match. Rutten tries several submission-style holds, drawing a few “boring” chants from the fans. Psychosis battles back, and takes command with a series of dropkicks. He holds the advantage all the way to the end, scoring the pin after a Sky Twister Press.

Winner: Psychosis

OR: 80

CR: 71

MQ: 90

Vince Russo leads Sports Entertainment Xtreme to the ring, and Shane Douglas is out with them as well.

Russo: First of all, I need to finish up some business from Monday. Shane Douglas was wrongfully terminated from TNA by the former commissioner, Mick Foley. So I’ve decided that my first free agent signing as commissioner will be Shane Douglas. Shane, welcome back.

Douglas: Thank you, Mr. Russo. I’m glad to be back, and I’ll show you that you made the right decision.

With that, Douglas returns to the locker room area.

Russo: Now, on to more pressing matters. Ron Killings, you interfered in Scott Hall and Charlie Haas’ Tag Team title match and cost them the belts. This, only a day after you stuck your nose in my business in Sonny Siaki’s match at Total Elimination. All four of us want a piece of your ass! Now get out here now and take what’s coming to you.

OR: 88

Ron Killings comes out, but he’s not alone. He’s joined by Jerry Lynn, A.J. Styles, and the X champion, The Amazing Red.

Killings: Russo, I remember what it was like the last time you were commissioner, and I have to tell you The Truth: it sucked big time. You were always giving favors to your SEX buddies, just like you did last Monday. Everyone knows Hall and Haas don’t deserve a Tag Team title shot. Well, I’m not about to sit back and watch TNA be taken over by Sports Entertainment Xtreme. These three men represent the tradition about TNA. They’re the reason why everyone is here tonight, not you four losers in the ring.

Russo: Losers? Why don’t you send those three in the ring and let them receive a traditional ass-kicking?

OR: 89

TNA Tradition (with Ron Killings) vs. SEX (with Vince Russo): The crowd was really into this rare six-man tag match. Sonny Siaki and The Amazing Red ran through many of the same high spots they did just five days earlier at Total Elimination. A few tags later, the fans were treated to a long series of chain wrestling by A.J. Styles and Charlie Haas, showing both men’s amateur background. Not to be outdone, Scott Hall and Jerry Lynn even showed off their brawling ability, as Lynn surprisingly hung in there with the bigger man. But it didn’t last long, as Hall got the upper hand. Sports Entertainment Xtreme took turns working over Lynn, until finally he was able to make the hot tag to Red. The smallest man in the match, Red was able to use his quickness to always keep one step ahead of SEX, as eventually the match fell into a pier six brawl. One referee just isn’t enough to stay in charge of six men. Russo tries to interfere, but once again Killings levels him with just a punch. Four for the wrestlers take their fighting to the floor leaving the two legal men in the ring. Red hits the Red Star Press on Hall and gets the pin.

Winner: TNA Tradition

OR: 85

CR: 80

MQ: 91

Cyrus comes to the ring as the announcers wonder what else can happen tonight. He says he’s bringing a new wrestler to TNA, and directs our attention to the video screen. It comes to life and shows about five tough-looking men sitting in a bar drinking beer. Another guy walks in, words are exchanged, and it’s a 5-on-1 attack! But shockingly enough, the one guy just whips all five of the others in this barroom brawl. All sorts of tables, chairs, bottles, and (of course) the jukebox are all destroyed in the melee. Cyrus says this man is Harley Lewis, and he’s bringing his brand of destruction to TNA very soon.

OR: 71

Backstage, Vince Russo walks into Low-Ki’s dressing room. He says he knows they separated on less than friendly terms, but Russo reminds Low-Ki that he’s the boss now, and he’s supposed to put on an entertaining show for the fans. And what is more entertaining than a World title match? Russo tells Low-Ki that he’ll be defending the title against Masato Tanaka tonight. Low-Ki just glares at him.

OR: 79

Mr. Wrestling comes to the ring and takes the microphone.

Wrestling: Shane Douglas, last Sunday you lost the Total Elimination Battle Royal. And now, tonight, you’re once again employed in TNA? That sounds like cheating to me. As everyone knows, my goal is to eliminate cheating from TNA. I thought you already were eliminated from TNA, but I guess I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.

Shane Douglas comes out, and he already has a microphone.

Douglas: Nick Dinsmore, you call me a cheater? I’ve never had to hide myself behind a mask. If you want a piece of The Franchise, why don’t you just say so and I’ll Franchise your ass like all the others!

Wrestling: Bring it on, bitch!

OR: 79

Mr. Wrestling vs. Shane Douglas: Douglas gets the upper hand early in the match. But when Mr. Wrestling starts making the comeback, Douglas tries to take shortcuts to stay in command. But of course, that’s cheating, which only serves to energize Mr. Wrestling. The rolling Germans wear out Douglas enough that Mr. Wrestling is able to lock on the Crossface and get the submission victory.

Winner: Mr. Wrestling

OR: 79

CR: 78

MQ: 80

New Jack leads Masato Tanaka to the ring for the main event. Of course, he gets a microphone to do some talking first.

New Jack: It’s about damn time someone gave Masato Tanaka a World title match! This man has beaten everyone he’s come up against in singles competition. He’s even pinned the mighty Bill Goldberg twice! Now Low-Ki, finish polishing that belt and give it a goodbye kiss, then come on out here and prepare to lose your precious title.

OR: 84

NWA World title match: Masato Tanaka (with New Jack) vs. Low-Ki ©: An excellent hard-hitting match. Tanaka hit several power moves on Low-Ki, frequently getting a two count. But he just couldn’t hold him down for the three. Finally, after about 20 minutes, Tanaka hit the Roaring Elbow and the crowd went wild, but Low-Ki managed to get his foot on the bottom rope at two and 7/8ths. Even New Jack was already starting to celebrate that one. Tanaka stared at the referee in shock, trying to figure out what else he had to do to get the pin. With Tanaka thrown off his game, Low-Ki made the comeback and re-established control. A short time later, he hit the Ki-Krusher on Tanaka to get the pin.

Winner: Low-Ki

OR: 88

CR: 83

MQ: 93

OR: 82

Rating: 7.75

Attendance: 10004

Best segment: Interview with Ron Killings and TNA Tradition (89)

Worst segment: Cyrus introduces the Harley Lewis hype video (71)

Best match: Low-Ki over Masato Tanaka (88)

[LoveMuscle]

Saturday, March 6, 2004

TNA XHilaration

Hosts: Ahmed Vaughn and Emma Barbecue

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

Barbecue: Pretty good, Ahmed. I’m pumped for tonight’s show. Tonight we have Mucho Dinero taking on Excellence Inc.!

Vaughn: Both teams have really been impressive lately. Mucho Dinero defeated Styles and Lynn at Total Elimination just six days ago, and also Mucho Dinero came awfully close to winning the Tag Team titles from Kaientai last Sunday.

Barbecue: Also tonight we’ll be seeing Simon Diamond in action against D’Lo Brown.

Vaughn: And later on we’ll see Joey Matthews take on the winner of the Total Elimination Battle Royal, Big Vito. But our opening match tonight is Scoot Andrews versus Piloto Suicida.

Barbecue: Piloto Suicida hasn’t wrestled in TNA since September, but tonight he returns to face Cyrus’ wrestler. In fact, Cyrus and Andrews are already on their way to the ring.

Cyrus gets a microphone and tells everyone to shut up, which of course has the opposite effect. He says Piloto Suicida hasn’t been seen in nearly six months, and after Scoot Andrews is finished with him tonight it might be another six months before he’s seen again.

OR: 94

(Scoot Andrews gained in over from 84 to 85.)

Piloto Suicida vs. Scoot Andrews (with Cyrus): Suicida has improved since is first stint in TNA, but still Andrews pretty much keeps him grounded. Sure, Suicida sneaks in a few high-flying moves, but Andrews is the better man today. He gets the Forces Of Nature for the pin.

Winner: Scoot Andrews

OR: 79

CR: 70

MQ: 89

Mike Sanders comes to the ring with Joey Matthews for his match. Sanders congratulates Big Vito on winning the Total Elimination Battle Royal, but then says that after Matthews is done with him tonight he’ll wish he had been eliminated. This promo would have been better if Cyrus hadn’t done a much better job with the same theme a little earlier tonight.

OR: 75

Big Vito vs. Joey Matthews (with Mike Sanders): Vito goes on the offensive early, but Matthews is much quicker and is able to maneuver himself out of several tricky situations. Sanders interferes and Matthews jumps on the opportunity. He flies all over the ring, using a lot of his X division-style offense. Matthews hits the Swinging DDT to get the pin.

Winner: Joey Matthews

OR: 77

CR: 72

MQ: 82

(Joey Matthews gained in over from 74 to 75.)

Backstage, Simon Diamond talks trash about D’Lo Brown. He reminds us that Brown managed to beat him at Super Bowl Party ’04, and tonight he’s looking for some revenge.

OR: 79

D’Lo Brown comes to the ring. He says Simon Diamond is right – Brown did beat him the last time they faced each other. He points out that he almost beat Low-Ki for the World title, so don’t be surprised if he beats Diamond again. What those two things have to do with each other, I don’t know, but that’s what the man said.

OR: 88

D’Lo Brown vs. Simon Diamond: Diamond jumps Brown as soon as he enters the ring. But Brown quickly regains control and dominates Diamond. I guess Brown knew what he was talking about after all, as this match isn’t really even close. But that all changes when Diamond pulls the referee into the path of Brown’s charge, knocking him down. While Brown checks the referee, Diamond pulls a chain out of his trunks! He wraps it around his fist and readies himself, waiting until Brown turns around. Suddenly, Mr. Wrestling runs through the curtain! He gets in the ring and spins Diamond around. The first punch sends the chain flying, and after a couple more punches a German Suplex puts Diamond on the mat. Mr. Wrestling leaves as finally Brown turns around and the referee stirs, neither one knowing anything at all about Diamond’s chain or Mr. Wrestling’s interference. Brown climbs to the top rope and hits the Lo Down and the ref crawls over to count the pin.

Winner: D’Lo Brown

OR: 85

CR: 82

MQ: 88

Mr. Wrestling is still at ringside, and he gets a microphone as Brown leaves and Diamond recovers in the ring.

Mr. Wrestling: Simon Diamond, I saw what you did to Jeff Jarrett last Monday, even if the referee didn’t. You cheated! You pulled a chain out of your tights and nailed Jarrett, costing him the match. When you pulled out the chain once again tonight, I wasn’t going to sit by and let this kind of cheating occur. Because wherever cheating occurs, Mr. Wrestling will be there to restore truth, honesty, and fair play to the wrestling business!

OR: 88

Inside the commissioner’s office, Vince Russo is trying to watch the show on the television as Sonny Siaki, Scott Hall, and Charlie Haas are all pitching him their ideas for matches, most of them involving themselves and titles. Russo is obviously annoyed and tells them to leave so he can watch the show without interruptions. They all look stunned, but then do leave.

OR: 78

Mucho Dinero comes to the ring, and tonight the majority of the fans are cheering for them. They point out that Excellence Inc. was the No. 1 contender for the Tag Team titles last month, so they think beating them should get them a shot at Kaientai’s belts.

OR: 83

Mucho Dinero vs. Excellence Inc.: The fans are really behind Mucho Dinero in this match, and that’s the first time I can remember them ever getting that strong of a babyface reaction from the fans. Kid Kash and EZ Money obviously notice this as well, as they seem to exert even more effort than usual. Great back-and-forth match that comes to an end when Mucho Dinero hits Michael Modest with the Cha-Ching. Kash gets the pin while Money brawls with Donovan Morgan outside the ring.

Winner: Mucho Dinero

OR: 89

CR: 88

MQ: 91

OR: 83

Rating: 6.78

Attendance: 10017

Best segment: Interview with Cyrus and Scoot Andrews (94)

Worst segment: Interview with Mike Sanders and Joey Matthews (75)

Best match: Mucho Dinero over Excellence Inc. (89)

[TGC]

Closed and moved to Archives.