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USA Independant Wrestling

NWA: TNA

Prior to the live show...

Jeremy Borash opened the festivities by mentioning some of the big names that
would be appearing later. Bagwell got mostly boos. Mixed response for
Jarrett. Hall got the biggest pop. He introduced the TNA girls (Debbie,
Natalie and Doris. Yes, he said her name was Doris.)

They did two matches intended to air on June 26.

Cheeks (with Brown-Eyed Girl) beat Frank Parker in about a minute and a half
with an avalanche splash. Cheeks is the same guy who wrestled in Nashville as
Rolling Thunder. We're talking massive cellulite. Biggest pop was for two
running stink faces. Just what they need, a poor man's Rikishi. That's
probably already more than you want to know. Afterwards, Brown-Eyed Girl
slapped Cheeks on the cheeks and they danced.

The TNA girls gyrated in mock cages scattered around ringside. A brief TNA
chant broke out.

Apollo beat David Young (with Bobcat). The ropes broke so they re-taped it
later. Apollo looked good. He won it with a fireman's carry into an Ace
crusher.

Bert Prentice strongly encouraged the crowd to fill in the lower level
seating. Ringside and the lower level were full, and the upper level had a
smattering of people in a building that holds 10,000. I heard an estimate of
3000. Time to go live. The ring crew was still working furiously to tighten
the ropes as the pyro was going off to open the show.

The live portion came across quite well in the building. With all the
freebies, this was a lively but not highly sophisticated wrestling crowd.
They seemed happy with seeing good action, even if they didn't know the
players, and they got it with Flying Elvises and the midgets. Crowd popped
big for the starpower of the Jarrett-Hall-Shamrock segment. I doubt that
Keith and the NASCAR guys meant a whole to people buying a PPV at home,
except for the Southerners. However, they were perfect fit for the Huntsville
crowd. The segment where Sadler got in Krush's face got over huge. So did the
stuff between Jarrett and Keith. As far as the Gauntlet for the Gold...Rick
Steiner can still throw a good clothesline. Going by his appearance here,
that's about it. A shadow of his former self. Funny seeing Del Rios
(Spellbinder from Memphis) as a low rent Scott Steiner. For you NWA Wildside
fans, Justice stole Scottie Wrenn's Psycho slam finisher.

Hall and Jarrett had a mild pull apart and staredown after the live show went
off the air.

They did a brief intermission after the live show. Some of the non-paying
customers took the opportunity to call it a night right there. Crowd
gradually dwindled through the second half. Not sure how much of a problem it
will be on TV.

Joel Gertner opened the second half by cutting a promo on alternative
lifestyles. Gertner said Rainbow Express have better lives than the fans. He
said what Rainbow Express does back in the hotel was their business but in
the ring they were ALL business.

Chris Harris & James Storm beat Rainbow Express (Lenny & Bruce with Gertner)
in 4:50. Dupps were introduced as opponents for the Express and then Harris &
Storm were brought out as substitutes. Strange. Heat on Storm. Express kissed
each others hands instead of tagging. You can imagine how that went over in
Alabama. Harris interfered to set up the hot tag. Lenny went for a rolling
reverse cradle. Harris kicked out. Express collided and Harris got a roll up.
Lenny pouted.

Apollo beat David Young (with Bobcat) in 5:30. Apollo has the size and the
look. Young's shoulder blocks couldn't move him, so when Apollo did the
dropdown-leapfrog, Young went for a low blow and the one finger salute. Weird
seeing Young as the lowly cheating heel afte his recent work in Wildside.
Apollo hit a double arm suplex and a pescado. Bobcat ignored the ring action.
She was too busy playing to the crowd in an attempt to channel Marilyn
Monroe. Young got mad when she was giving Borash a close-up of her chest.
Young hit a Shining Wizard style enzuigiri. Apollo did a springboard DDT.
Apollo used the Hawaiian Crush for the finisher again.

The camera cut to a segment with Mike Tenay, Ed Ferrara and Don West but no
sound.

Scott Hall (with Toby Keith & Jackie Fargo) beat Jeff Jarrett in 7:02. Great
heat for this one. Decent match too. Hall did the toothpick routine. Jarrett
got real cocky when he was able to take Hall down and smack him around a bit.
Hall caught Jarrett and a crossbody attempt and hit the fallaway slam. Hall
clotheslined Jarrett over the top, where he was trapped on the floor by Keith
and Fargo. Jarrett reached in and pulled Hall down to regain the advantage.
Pair of dropkicks by Jarrett. Jarrett the thing where he hung all over the
rope and jumped on his back. That was good for a near fall. Hall was selling
big for Jarrett's punches. Hall fired back, so Jarrett locked on a sleeper.
Hall sagged to the mat before reviving for a back suplex. Both down. Hall
made the comeback with punches and lariats. Hall had Jarrett in position for
the Razor's Edge when K-Krush came out to break it up. Brian Christopher
battled to the back with Krush. Jarrett tried to go for The Stroke so Keith
interfered with a low blow. Keith and Hall teamed up for a double face slam.
Hall got the pin for a big pop.

Brian Christopher (with Sterling Marlin & Hermie Sadler) beat K-Krush in
4:50. These guys both had some star aura going for them. Krush jumped
Christopher from behind. Christopher came back with a neckbreaker and an old
style bulldog for a two count. Krush countered bulldog number two by sending
Christopher flying crotch first into the second buckle. A nice sequence of
moves by Krush ended in a spinkick for a near fall. Christopher elbowed his
way out of a rear chinlock. Krush brawled. Christopher used an enzuigiri that
left Krush face down on the mat. Krush telegraphed a backdrop and took a
stunner. Krush used a reverse atomic drop. Christopher did a jawbreaker.
Sadler and Marlin wound up on the apron for a spot where they pulled the rope
up for a shot to Krush's gonads. Looked pretty weak. Christopher put on the
goggles and hit the Hip Hop Drop.

Krush ragged on the NASCAR boys. He called them punks. "You sign a contract.
I want some of that racin' ass." Christopher ran up the ramp and surprised
Krush by throwing a drink in his face. I can understand wanting to get a
babyface pop with the NASCAR boys, but Krush got over so strong as a heel on
the live show that it made no sense to beat him so soon.

Taylor Vaughn (past role as EMT on WWE) won the Lingerie Battle Royal in 5:10
to become the first Miss TNA. This was about what you would expect from nine
women (Borash insisted there were ten) trying to pull each others pajamas
off. Horrible. The ringside males jumped up every time some lingerie was
revealed. Order of elimination was Tyler (bit of a Nidia look to her), Sasha
(pretty sure that was not Tammy Sytch), Erin (Bray who was recently in camp
with WWE), Francine, Joni (Lawler's valet), Laree, Shannon and finally
Elektra. Shannon (Daffney) and Alexis Laree appeared to be the only ones who
had a clue about wrestling. Francine had her boob exposed momentarily while
three girls teamed up to strip her down. The hard cam probably picked it up.
Crowd seemed to be pulling for Daffney. She made it down to the final three,
before Elektra and Taylor stripped her. Taylor pantsed Elektra. Francine came
back into the ring for some revenge. She stripped Taylor to her lingerie and
gave her a few licks with a belt. The guys in the ringside area ate this
match up. Sure didn't do the women any favors.

Ricky Steamboat introduced the new NWA Champion, Ken Shamrock. Shamrock
mentioned the history of the belt and said that he would defend the belt with
honor and pride. He talked about having been all over the world, but now, he
had risen to the top as NWA champion. Shamrock said he appreciated the people
being behind him...and those who weren't could kiss his ass. Out came
Minister James Mitchell. "Excuse me, I do so hate to intrude on this schmooze
party." Minister got immediate heat by referring to the crowd as "crackers."
Minister said he had a message from God. "Not your God but mine." Minister
said the Disciples of his new church would control the belt. Minister dared
Shamrock to face his disciple with the belt on the line. He brought out
Slash (Wolfie D). Shamrock asked if that was a joke. He offered to put the
belt up on the spot. Shamrock said he had someone else in mind. Malice (The
Wall with an entirely new physique) jumped Shamrock from behind and choked
the bejesus out of him. "Might is right and the meek inherit nothing." Once
Shamrock recovered, he called Malice some nasty names and threatened to break
his bones. Shamrock did a bit of that psycho rage thing.

A. J. Styles defeated Jerry Lynn, Psicosis and Low Ki to win the X division
title in a double elimination match with a total time of 25:58. It almost had
to be good with the talent involved, and this turned out to be so good that
it makes the PPV worth buying. I don't usually do stars, but it had to be
****. The double elimination concept worked for me. It was one-on-one with a
fresh opponent getting in after every fall. Much better than a four-way free
for all. The ringwork was light years beyond anything else (except Flying
Elvises match) on the show. Too bad the crowd was waning at this point. It
was one-on-one with a fresh opponent getting in after every fall.

Styles pinned Psicosis two minutes. Psicosis used a wheelbarrow facebuster.
Styles did a cartwheel into a superkick for a two count. Psicosis hit the
guillotine legdrop for a near fall. Styles Clash for the pinfall.

Styles pinned Low Ki in 2:25. This was my first opportunity to see Low Ki
live. Virtually none of the fans knew who he was (not many knew Styles either
for that matter), but those stiff strikes gave him immediate credibility. Kip
up headscissors by Styles. Ki blocked a German and hit a flying roundhouse
kick. Ki with some stiff chops. Ki countered to escape the Clash. Ki did that
deal where he does a German off the ropes and then rolls through to a
crab/dragon suplex. Crowd loved it. Ki landed a kick the gut that made a
sickening thud. Styles did the German suplex/facebuster combo for the pin.

Lynn beat Styles with cradle piledriver in 20 seconds. Lynn was fresh. Styles
was not.

Lynn eliminated Psicosis with a cradle piledriver in 3 minutes. A hot three
minutes. Lynn did a spinning headscsissors (most other pale in comparison to
his version) and then, a bulldog off the top for a near fall. Psicosis sent
Lynn to the floor with a headscissors and followed with a tope con hilo.
Psicosis got two with a spinwheel kick off the top. Lynn did an inverted DDT
for a near fall. Psicosis held the ropes and hung Lynn out to dry on a
dropkick attempt. Psicosis tried to come off the top again. This time Lynn
met him in midair with a dropkick to set up the finish.

Lynn eliminated Low Ki in 4:20. Low Ki used a Muta elbow early. Lynn rolled
through a huracanrana for a pin attempt. Ki was kicking the crap out of Lynn.
A leg feed enzuigiri by Lynn left both men down. Ki tried to counter with
headscissors but Lynn was able to hit a huge powerbomb for a good near fall.
Ki went for running fisherman buster that Lynn countered with a DDT. Short
arm clothesline...cradle piledriver...1-2-3.

Styles beat Lynn in 4:02. Lots of counter moves and near falls. Styles
countered a huracanrana with a powerbomb. Lynn used a tilt-a-whirl
backbreaker. Styles went for the chest moonsault. Lynn was able to counter
with a DDT for a two count. Styles hit a neckbreaker for a near fall. Lynn
used a Liger bomb for another near fall. Styles countered Lynn's piledriver
attempt with a backdrop. Styles Clash for the pin.

Steamboat was introduced as the referee for the final fall.

Styles beat Lynn in 9:52. Outstanding stuff. Tons of great near falls that
popped the portion of the crowd that stuck around to see it. A slew of back
and forth pin attempts lead to a double clothesline spot. Crowd was really
into counting along with Steamboat. Both up at 8. Lynn gave Styles a diamond
cutter across the top rope that sent him to the floor. Action moved to the
outside. Styles moonsaulted to his feet from the apron for an inverted DDT on
the floor. Lynn draped Styles over the ropes and did a DDT. Lynn went for an
inverted Gory Guerrero Special. Styles escaped but got dropped on his face on
a great move by Lynn. Lynn did a fireman's carry dropped into a backbreaker.
Lynn did a spinning brainbuster. Styles kept barely kicking out. Styles
shoved Lynn off the top and hit a somersault corkscrew legdrop that was a
sight to behold to win the title. Lynn congratulated Styles after the match.

Don't know how this will translate to television but it made for a very
entertaining live show...As expected, they taped vignettes and interview
segments for the June 26 show that were not seen by the live crowd...Eddie
Marlin, Brickhouse Brown and Athena were in the building.

Credit: Larry Goodman