NWA-TNA PPV #37 (March 19, 2003)

 

We start with Jim Duggan in the ring to rally America, who's troops on this exact day is invading Iraq. He leads the fans into reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and puts over the troops and vowed to carry the American flag a little longer.

Recap video of Jarrrett's issues with Watts, Lawler and Flair, and the issues between Styles and Raven. We're also reminded that Russo stepped away from his on-screen role to be with his family, and D'Lo's debut last week.

Immediately we start with SEX coming out to the ring, specifically Gilbertti, the Harris Twins and Siaki. Glen brings up their offer to D'Lo last week, but despite that, he wants to talk to D'Lo himself. D'Lo comes out with a chair and mic in hand despite Glen's assurances that they won't beat him up.
Sonny apologizes for happened last week and offers a handshake, but D'Lo won't take it. Glen introduces himself and offers his hand and D'Lo won't take it either. Glen heard his interview last week, about his chains being broken and the reaction of the fans, and the glass ceiling in WWE, and says the ceiling in TNA is made of concrete. He says it's represented by a blonde-haired, schizophrenic, egomaniacal redneck from Hendersonville named Jeff Jarrett. He asks why he thinks Jarrett helped him last weeek despite D'LO not needing it, but answers his own question saying Jarrett thinks he's smarter than everyone. When D'Lo came to TNA he was promised a World Tiktle shot, implying Jarrett helped him because D'Lo's an even match for him: they have the same style, experience, height and weight. He says D'Lo needs to open his eyes, says it's only his second week and he's already fighting Jarrett's battles. He says Jarrett took his best friend and theirs, Russo, and stabbed him in the back, ripped his heart out, and caused him to quit the business. He asks if that's the type of friend D'Lo wants, says SEX offers him true friendship, and asks him to reconsider.
Jarrett immediately comes out before D'Lo can even respond. Jarrett says that if D'Lo's gullible enough to believe that, he's gullible enough to believe Jarrett just spoke with Vince McMahin who said he's ready to make D'Lo a star. He can't believe D'Lo's wasting his time listening to them, thought he cut the head off SEX running Russo out of TNA, but now the ass has taken over. Jarrett says they have a mutual friend in Russo, but the Russo D'Lo knows and the one that was on TV a few weeks ago is not the same guy, and asks him to trust him.
D'Lo says he's been trusting people for seven years and it's gotten him nowhere, and is starting to think it's a case of keeping your friends close and enemies closer. He says the longer he listens to Glen and thinks about it, he's starting to make some sense. He asks Jarrett where his title shot is. Jarrett says he'll get one, but accuses him of just wanting a handout
Jarrett is attacked from behind by... I don't know it's an official name, but Tenay and West are calling them NWA'S Next/New Generation, that being Watts, Lawler and Flair. D'Lo comes to his aid, despite all that he just said. SEX toss Jarrett into the ring to continue the beatdown while the other three go after D'Lo. Dusty is here to help Jarrett with a Bionic Elbow for everyone, until Glen clips the knee. AMW are here now to join in only to be beaten down too. Ron Killings is back now to help fight off SEX successfully. 

Over to commentary to talk about the show. So far, Dusty, Jarrett & D'Lo will team up to face the Next Generation, plus Raven and Styles will have a rematch from last week to determine the #1 contender to Jarrett's title.

Cut to footage of earlier in the day, Raven is sat in the corner of the ring,surrounded by a few weapons. I have to say it's hard to recap the first part of his promo despite how captivating it is. He does say that Styles is interfering with his fate, with a divine confluence of events. He says he's destined to be NWA Champion and Styles is nothing but a pissant to be stepped upon on his road to glory. He says he'll use any means necessary to eliminate Styles from the picture. He says they're going to have a Ladder Match in a roundabout way to determine who faces Jarrett, and that Styles doesn't have what it takes because he's a man with destiny, a man on a mission, and won't be dictated to by someone like Styles. He says he'll put Styles through tables, hit him with trash cans, and climb the ladder, and if Styles comes between him and his destiny, he says he won't be held accountable for his actions.

NWA World Tag Team Championships: Disciples of the New Church (w/ Father James Mitchell) vs Triple X 
Skipper and Low Ki attach the Church immediately only for the Church to take control, sending them out of the floor. Daniels is sent off the ropes into a double big boot, then Slash dives out onto Skipper and Daniels. Lee clotheslines Low Ki out to the floor and then does his own dive out onto everyone. Skipper sent into the guard rail by Slash, then Low Ki sent into it by Lee. No one seems to have any idea which two members of Triple X are actually in this match at this point. Slash leaps off the steps onto Skipper with a flying clothesline while Lee sends Daniels into the apron. Slash chokes  Skipper with some cables while Low Ki is sent face first into the ring post, then the announce table before taking it to the ring, while Skipper back drops Slash onto the floor.
Sidewalk slam by Lee on Low Ki, then a drops him throat first on the top rope scoop slam style before tossing him out to the floor. Slash and Skipper come to the ring while Low Ki is sent into the guard rail by lee, and Slash delivers a knee drop coming off the ropes. Daniels trips him up allowing Skipper to attack, avoids a clothesline while Daniels is knocked off the apron, and Low Ki nails Slash with a flying kick to the back. Skipper with a back suplex, then a handstand leg drop off the top. 
Looks like Low Ki and Skipper are defending the titles as Ki tags in, and to their credit, Daniels hasn't attacked either Lee or Slash to warrant a DQ, so there's still some logical booking here. Chops and rights in the corner followed by a snapmare and a kick to the back gets two. Slash face first in the corner and Skipper is back in with stomps and chokes and face scrubbing with the boot. Slash in the adjacent corner face first, then set on the tope rope for a snapmare and a leg drop, a cover but Lee breaks it up before there's even a count. Low Ki back up, Skipper gets Slash on his shoulder and Ki comes off the top with a knee drop for two. Slash sent to the corner, nails an elbow, eats a back kick to the gut, pops Ki to the middle rope, who leaps off into a sitout powerbomb mid-chokeslam.
Lee gets the hot tag and in comes Skipper. Lee with clotheslines all around, then sent off the ropes, breaks through a double clothesline and hits one of his own. Skipper sent off the ropes into a death valley driver, cover and Low Ki saves it. Lee with a scoop slam on Ki, then Slash tags back in. Slash up top gets cut off by Skipper, while Ki fights off Lee's shoulders into a dragon sleeper, only to be thrown off into the referee. Slash is sent face first off the table while Lee tries to hit a tombstone on Ki, only for Daniels to save it coming off the top with one of the belts. Slash in with a pump kick sends Daniels to the floor, Skipper comes in to try the Play of the Day but Slash fights out.
Slash tries for an elevated elbow drop on Skipper but Ki cuts him off. Slash plants him with a spinning crucifix bomb, covers but the referee's still down. Skipper with a spin kick allows him to hit he Play of the Day onto the title belt. Skipper makes the cover, referee slides in to count, but all of a sudden Malice returns to pull the ref right back out. Skipper runs into a big boot, then Daniel eats a powerbomb. Skipper eats one too. Ki misses a big boot, Malice catches a kick and plants him with a chokeslam. The referee returns to the ring but gets dropped and chokeslammed. I can't tell if this is a DQ or a no contest, the ref never called for the bell and now the New Church are celebrating like they won something, what the fuck? And the Harris Twins are out here too for some reason now. (10:10) Glad to see Malice back and I was digging that match, but what the fuck was that finish? Why are they celebrating?

Earlier in the day, Tenay sat down with Eric Watts. Tenay wants to start with Watts telling us his background but he says we already know all that, before taking pride in chokeslamming Jarrett through a table. Tenay asks him to explain his recent association with Lawler and Flair. Watts rambles a bit about strength in numbers and that he's not going to show his hand just yet. Tenay asks who he thinks is to blame for being held back in the business. Watts mocks him and instead talks about who isn't to blame, mainly his father "Cownoy" Bill, calls him the best promoter ever, says he fired lots of people. He says those same people got in charge and to get back at his old man, they kept him down. He says the Jarretts and others have done the same thing again and again.
Tenay wants some clarification on Watt's proclamation that Jarrett will "regret what he did". Watts calls him the Barbara Walters of pro wrestling, and compares himself to Michael Jackson in terms of guests, the interview everyone's dying for. He says Tenay will know when he wants him to know. He says things escalated little by little the first two weeks, and week three will be even more. Tenay says he knew less than when the interview started. I'm very confused, did Watts not explain already his beef with Jarrett last week? 

Glen is chewing out Triple X. Sanders walks in to try and motivate them and gets smacked in the face by Glen for some reason. Glen tells him to bring his A-game tonight and promises to kick his ass if they lose tonight. Then he tells Holly Wood to get Athena to show her boobs tonight before kicking out Goldilocks.

It's time for this week's edition of The Interrogation, featuring Konnan:
- Jerry Lynn: punk-ass bitch
- Tracy McGrady or Kobe Bryant: I think he chooses Tracy?
- Eric Bischoff: punk-ass bitch
- retro jerseys or FUBU gear?: retro jerseys. Also takes a shot at Bagwell and DDP
- Max Moon: the best
- Eminem or 50 Cent?: Eminem
- Mil Mascaras or El Santo?: El Santo
- J'Lo or Christina Aguilera?: he wants a three-way with them
- Rey Mysterio: in a league by himself
- AJ Syles or Raven?: he doesn't care for either of them, compares Raven to Pee-Wee Herman and says AJ can kiss his ass
- His Luchadors' win/loss record vs the X Division: Konnan gets pissed off, rambles a bit in Spanish and storms off

Konnan & Juventud Guerrera vs Jerry Lynn & Jason Cross
Lynn and Juvie start the match off with a quick exchange of holds, then some arm drags and a pair of dropkicks ends in a standoff. Lynn backed into the corner on a lockup, and Juvie delivers a cheap knee to take control. Lynn sent across the ring, slips through the legs, Juvie avoids a tilt-a-whirl, gets a sunset flip for two, then an exchange of quick pin attempts follows. Juvie avoids a backslide and nails a superkick. Lynn sent to the corner, comes off the middle rope with a crossbody, following with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two.
Rear chinlock by Lynn. Lynn sent off the ropes, Cross tags in as Juvie is countered and hits a dropkick for two. Juvie taken to the corner for kicks and forearms, then Cross sent across the ring, tries to get a boot up, but they exchange chops. Cross off the ropes, flips over Juvie, then hits a brainbuster for two. Cross up top misses a corkscrew moonsault, while Konnan asks for a tag. Cross sent off the ropes, tries a sunset flip, Juvie rolls through and hits a dropkick. 
Konnan tags in with a dropkick to Cross, then some chops against the ropes. Cross choked over the middle rope, Lynn argues with the ref allowing Juvie to hit a cheap shot. Cross sent off the ropes, caught in a full nelson as Juvie comes off the ropes with a missile dropkick. Juvie back in sends Cross to the corner, Juvie misses a splash, then eats turnbuckle on a drop toe hold.
Lynn gets the hot tag and in comes Konnan, who throws Juvie into a clothesline for some reason. Clothesline to Juvie, then Lynn sent off the ropes, popped up into a dropkick. Juvie dropkicks Konnan by mistake. Lynn is caught midair by Konnan while Juvie tags in, springboards into a sunset flip and Cross saves it. Juvie sent off the ropes is elevated into a crossbody onto Lynn on the floor by Konnan. Cross sent to the corner, gets a boot up and hits a missile dropkick on Konnan. Cross goes up top and hits the Crossfire and pins but Juvie makes the save.
Juvie Driver connects, then goes up top with a somersault, landing ass first on Cross' ribs and makes the pin, but Lynn saves it. Lynn sets up for the Cradle Piledriver but Konnan hits the Rolling Thunder Clothesline. Facejam by Konnan only gets two. Lynn sent to the corner, floats over, tries a sunset flip, Konnan drops down and grabs the ropes for the win. (9:27) Not a bad match, could've been cut down a little. I think Konnan and Juvie were tired about 5 minutes in.

Video recap of the issues between Red, Kash and Trinity. 

Goldy is backstage with Kash and Trinity and she basically implies Kash is only champion because of Trinity. Kash says that that's just how it is, that you have to bite the bullet if you're going to hang with the champ now and then. Goldy wants Trinity's opinion on things but he insists that's not necessary, she knows it and respects it. Red butts in and says he doesn't respect Kash, asks when this is going to stop and parrots what Goldy implied earlier. He also challenges Trinity for tonight so he can eliminate her. Kash says Red has to get through him first. Red takes that to mean a three-way dance and leaves.

"Gifted" Glen Gilbertti & Mike Sanders vs "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan & ???
Glen and Mike attack Duggan on the floor to start the match before his partner's even come out. In the ring Duggan is double teamed in the corner, and suddenly Moondog Spot appears from the crowd again, I guess he's Duggan's partner? He also has a giant bone in his hand. Spot sends Sanders off the ropes while Glen talks some smack to Tenay. Glen walks out on the match, double clothesline on Sanders. Spot nails Glen in the head with the bone, Duggan hits a knee drop, Spot threatens the referee who makes a fast count for the win. (1:57) I have no words.

Commentary tell us Kash is defending against Red and Trinity tonight.

Goldilocks is backstage with the New Church. Mitchell insists she address him as "Father" and not Jim. She points out that even though they shocked the world and took out Low Ki, they didn't leave with the titles. Mitchell says it was by design, a matter of softening the champs up for the real kill. He says the fact that Triple X and the Twins work for Russo tells him they're mindless drones who revel in bad advice. He offers some bad advice of his own, tells them to show up next week, challenging them to an "S&M Match." He clarifies that it's "Sadistic Madness," an eight-man tag, and I have to assume it's anything goes. He promises to get a new recruit to decimate the SEX contingent. I'm very confused by this because last I checked, Malice had his last match in TNA months ago, so I don't know what'll happen next week.

NWA X Division Championship: Amazing Red vs Trinity vs Kid Kash (c)
Kash is trying to get Trinity to just leave, allowing Red to attack from behind, resulting in a quick exchange, ending with Red getting popped up and hitting a dropkick on Trinity, sending her out to the floor anyways. Red with a springboard elbow on Kash gets two. Kash sent off the ropes, ducks a clothesline and sends Red face first into the mat for two. Modified Boston crab by Kash, only to turn it into a powerbomb for two.
Chops by Kash in the corner, then Red sent across the ring, gets a boot up, flips over the back and sweeps the legs, followed by a shooting star press for two. Trinity gets on the apron, only to be knocked off as Kash is sent into her and Red follows with an enziguri and a cover, but Kash gets the ropes. Red with rights drives Kash into the corner, sends Kash across the ring, avoids a clothesline and nails a front kick to the face. Kash with a somersault dropkcik from one end to the other coast-to-coast style. Kash eventually covers to get a two count. Swinging neckbreaker, then a fisherman's buster across the knee gets two. 
Kash up top gets cut off, Red joins him, Kash tries a powerbomb off the top rope but Red counters with a hurricanrana. Red goes up top but eats a kick from Trinity, who goes up top with a hurricanrana of her own. Trinity off the ropes with a tornado DDT, then offf the ropes again with a tilt-a-whirl headscissor. Trinith back up, but gets crotches as Kash tackles Red from behind into a Chaos Theory to retain. (5:57) A fine match, though it may as well have just been one on one like it has been before.

Goldy is trying to get a word with Jarrett, she's outside his locker room. We can hear shouting coming from inside and we see Dusty go in, and that's all we get.

Recap video of what happened last week with the Next Generation to lead up to the tag match tonight.

Brian Lawler, David Flair & Eric Watts vs D'Lo Brown, Dusty Rhodes & Jeff Jarrett (NWA World Heavyweight Champion)
Pre-Match: Watts has come out with several lengths of rope for some reason.
D'Lo and Lawler start this match off with a quick exchange, D'Lo takes control with an atomic drop, then an inverted one, D'Lo off the ropes following with a cltohesline. Scoop slam by D'Lo and a leg drop. Lawler thumbs the eyes, then comes off the ropes only to be driven down with a spinebuster. D'Lo knocks Lawler's head with both Watts' and Flair's following up with the Lo Down for a pin, but Flair breaks it up. 
Lawler sent off the ropes, catches D'Lo with a boot and tags in Flair who walks into a series of arm drags. Flair sent off the ropes, ducks a clothesline and runs into a leg lariat. D'Lo with a flapjack and a cover for Watts to break it up. Watts tags in, runs into a drop toe hold and a wrench of the knee. D'Lo sent off the ropes, ducks a clothesline but runs into forearms, followed by a arm-trapped slam. Cheap shot to Dusty allows a double team while Jarrett and Dusty argue with the ref. Flair tags in and delivers a  suplex for two.
Lawler back in, sent to the corner, gets a boot up and hits a running clothesline. Lawler bits the fingers before Watts is back in. Watts mocks D'Lo and eats some rights for it, Watts sent off the ropes, catches D'Lo to suplex him onto the ropes but nearly drops him on his neck instead for two. Flair puts his boot up for D'Lo to go face first into and Lawler tags back in. Flair chokes D'Lo, then Lawler delivers a headbutt to the groin for two. D'Lo sent off the ropes, ducks a clothesline to hit a spinning side slam.
Jarrett gets the hot tag and in comes Flair, rights all around by Jarrett, then an enziguri to Flair. Lawler sent off the ropes into a dropkick. Lawler taken to the corner for mounted rights until Watts makes the save. Dusty comes in and he and Jarrett pingpong Watts with rights and elbows, before tossing him to the floor. Flair and Lawler send Jarrett off the ropes while Dusty sends Watts face first off the announce table, Jarrett ducks a double clothesline. D'Lo pulls Lawler out while Jarrett hits The Stroke on Flair for the win. (8:22) Surprisingly decent match, even if D'Lo and Lawler carried the bulk of it.

Truth joins Jarrett and Dusty in the ring to celebrate at first, then as Jarrett goes to the corner for more celebrating, Truth powerbombs him. Dusty gets attacked by the New Generation while Truth hits Jarrett with a Gordbuster and leaves. Watts gets his rope around Jarrett's neck before sending him face first off the announce table. Jarrett sent intot he guard rail and they head towards the SEX locker room. Watts with a trash can to the head, and apparently Dusty's bleeding though we can't see what's going on in the ring right now. Jarrett's thrown out of the building while Lawler hits the Hip Hop Drop on Dusty. Jarrett meanwhile, the other end of the rope is tied to the inside of the trunk of a limo by Watts. Watts though is just bluffing, says he's in Jarrett's head and doesn't want to go to jail. 

The New Church are out here now and barge into the SEX locker room. They get ambushed though when they find an empty locker room. Malice gets isolated for a bit.

Now Siaki takes Holly Wood to the ring while security try and restore order. Siaki calls Athena into the ring and she tackles Holly Wood for the catfight spot, a poorly done one at that. Athena wins the battle eventually. Siaki tells her to rip Holly Wood's top off because it doesn't matter to them who's boobs get shown. He sys they'd rather see hers than Athena's "floppy flapjacks" prompting Athena to slap him. Siaki hits his Pumphandle Tombstone  and now David Young rushes out of all people to chase them off.

Over to Don West to do the sales pitch for next week's show: 
- New Church and a mystery partner vs Triple X and the Harris Twins is confirmed
- Jerry Lynn and Konnan go at it one on one

Recap package for the Raven/Styles feud, culminating in the double pinfall last week that led to tonight's match.

NWA World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender's Ladder Match: Raven vs AJ Styles
AJ  comes out from the crowd and while Raven's sat in the corner, gets nailed in the head with a trash can lid. Trash can to the head of Raven multiple times, then has it thrown in his face. AJ puts a second can over his head and proceeds to hit an enziguri. The ring is littered with a few weapons, including the ladder which Styles leans agains the middle rope. Raven is laid on top of it as AJ hits a double springboard moonsault, followed by a dropkick. Styles sets a chair up in the middle as Raven is sent off the ropes, sent face first into the chair with a drop toe hold. 
AJ takes a seat and uses Raven as a foot rest, following up with a DDT into the chair. Styles sets up the ladder and starts the climb, only to have a chair thrown at him. Raven nails Styles in the head with a trash can and Raven's bleeding. Raven takes the ladder to do the Terry Funk airplane spot, nailing AJ right in the face. Rights in the corner by Raven, then drives the ladder into the ribs repeatedly. AJ set on the top rope and nailed in the head with a trash can lid. Raven lays a ladder across the middle rope in the corner, AJ's busted open now too. Raven's standing on the ladder as AJ grabs a lid from the floor while hanging over the ropes, nailing Raven in the head and dropping him to the mat.
AJ goes up top, he's supposed to jump onto the end of the ladder to catapult it into Raven's face, but looks like he slips off the ropes. Somehow the spot isn't entirely botched though. Lid to the head of Raven, and another, then one to the face. AJ sets the ladder up again and starts to climb, then catches Raven with a hurricanrana as he tries to intercept. AJ starts the climb again but gets dropped ribs first on the top rope.
Raven's grabbed a staple gun from who knows where and gets AJ right in the head with it, then a second time. Lid to the head of AJ. There's also a table set up next to the ring, I don't know when that happened. Side Russian leg sweep into the guard rail by Raven. AJ nails a superkick after Raven wastes time repositioning the table, then sends him face first off the table before laying him atop it. AJ with another lid shot to the head before he goes up top. Raven pulls the ref on top of him and AJ goes through both and the table with a leg drop. 
AJ returns to the ring to make the climb. Glen is back out, tries to push the ladder over but AJ uses the top rope to spring back and boots Glen down. AJ tries to climb again but gets powerbombed out of the ring through another table on the floor. Raven comes to covered in blood, takes the referee with him back into the ring. Raven makes the climb and pulls down the contract to win the match. (8:22) Not sure why we needed a ref bump, or why we needed Glen interfering but this was a fun, chaotic main event.

Raven just collapses in a bloody mess and that's how the show ends.

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