It’s hard to imagine that in the ever-changing landscape of professional wrestling that a company like NWA: Total Nonstop Action/TNA/Impact Wrestling has been able to survive for nearly 20 years. From absolute innovation in the industry to the constant butt of fans jokes, no other company outside of Stamford has reinvented itself and maintained a national spotlight like IMPACT. You see, folks, the numbers don’t lie. Here is the NWA-TNA PPV 5 of our NWA-TNA/IMPACT Wrestling Sunday Night RetroViews.
So, join us as we take a deep dive into the early history of this company with the NWA: TNA/Impact Sunday Night RetroView series. Tonight, we are treated with our fifth installment in their weekly PPV series aptly named NWA: TNA PPV 5 live from the Nashville Auditorium.
Our show opens tonight with a video package of the carnage caused by Jeff Jarrett over the four previous weeks. We cut to a video from earlier in the week with Goldylocks trying to get a comment from Ken Shamrock, but Shamrock is having none of it. He threatens to “kick the sh*t out of everyone here.”
The graphics roll, and the pyro goes off as Mike Tenay welcomes us and tells us about the number one contender match from the NWA title. We’re told that something is going on in the back, and we cut to backstage to find Scott Hall and Jeff Jarrett brawling in the back. After a back-and-forth, security breaks the two of them up. An NWA official starts yelling at Jarrett, telling him he forfeits his match tonight, but Jarrett is having none of it.
Mike Tenay welcomes in Don West and Ed Ferrera. They have no idea what’s going to happen now since the number one contender match was supposed to open the show.
The Disciples of the New Church’s music plays as the group hits the ring. Father James Mitchell takes the mic. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Jeff Jarrett will not be competing tonight; however, Malice is still formally extending the thorn branch to anyone in the building. The lights go out, and when they come back up, Sabu is in the ring! He goes right after Malice, and the bell rings.
NWA-TNA PPV 5
Match #1 – Ladder Match
for the Number One Contender for NWA Title
Sabu vs. Malice
Sabu stays on Malice with a few shots, hits a tornado DDT and a spinning heel kick. Malice regains the upper hand with a shot to the jaw and starts laying into Sabu.
A chair gets tossed in the ring; Malice grabs it. But before he can use it, Sabu counters and starts chucking the chair into Malice’s face. The crossbody by Sabu is countered, and Malice is back in control.
After a few heavy shots, Malice goes for something to try and send Sabu over the top rope, but he goes awkwardly over instead. After a moment of indecisiveness, Malice can’t decide whether to use the ladder or not. Finally, Malice decides to bring the ladder into the ring. Unfortunately, Sabu dropkicks the ladder and knocks Malice off his feet before he can get in the ring.
Sabu sets up the chair and hits a double springboard dive onto Malice to the outside. A few more shots, and Sabu goes under the ring to get a table. Malice is back up and cuts off Sabu. He brings him over to where a ladder is set up between the ring and the barricade and drops him onto the ladder a couple of times.
Back in the ring, and Malice whips Sabu into the ladder. Malice then picks up Sabu and the ladder and powerslams the ladder with Sabu on it. A couple more shots, but Sabu hits Malice with the ladder. Sabu finally sets up the ladder and goes for the contract, but Malice catches him with a powerbomb. Malice sets the ladder in the corner and sends Sabu into it with a belly to belly. Malice climbs the ladder now, and Sabu cuts him off with a dropkick. Sabu drops the ladder onto Malice and hits an Arabian Facebuster. Sabu goes for the contract, but Malice cuts him off again. Another back and forth, and Malice hits a spinebuster.
Malice climbs the ladder again. This time Sabu tips the ladder, and Malice falls out of the ring and through the table on the floor. Sabu goes up the ladder and secures the contract.
Winner: And Number One Contender for the NWA Heavyweight Championship – Sabu
After the match, the Disciples rush Sabu and beat him down for his troubles. Then, they set up another table outside the ring, and Malice hits Sabu with a chokeslam from the apron through the table.
We cut to outside the arena, and Jarrett is still trying to get back in. Security is now forcibly removing him from the property.
Back in the arena, and Sabu is still being helped to his feet as AJ Styles comes out to the ring and takes a mic. He calls out Jerry Lynn, and Lynn comes storming out to the ring with a mic in hand.
Lynn brings up his time in the business compared to AJ. Lynn tells AJ he hasn’t paid his dues, and he isn’t sh*t. Styles didn’t do him a favor. Lynn gave him an opportunity. Styles needs just to follow his lead.
Styles nods in agreement but attacks Jerry Lynn from behind, hits the Styles Clash, and rolls out of the ring.
Goldylocks is in the back looking for a word from Jasmine St Claire and cuts to a video package from last week rehashing Jasmine’s antics. Unfortunately, before Goldy can ask a question, Jasmine is attacked by Francine.
Back to the ring, and K-Krush hits the ring. Krush takes the mic and says he looks and sounds like a star. He even moves and smells like a star. So why isn’t he the biggest star in this business? Why is he being put in the ring with a NASCAR driver? Why did WWF or WWE or whatever the hell they’re called terminate his contract? He’s always been treated like a second-class citizen, but he’s taken what’s rightfully his from this point forward. He’s not an angry black man, he’s the truth, and the truth will not be denied. Norman Smiley hits the ring next.
Match # 2
K-Krush vs Norman Smiley
Krush jumps Smiley at the bell, but Smiley gets the upper hand eventually with a power slam. Smiley shoots Krush to the corner, but Krush goes up and over and gets a few shots in a pin for a two-count. Both men get some shots in are both laid out on the mat. But they’re up again, and Smiley has the advantage. Krush with a kick to the gut and a front face suplex and gets the 3 count.
Winner: K-Krush
After the match, Krush takes his belt off and whips Smiley with it. Then, he wraps his belt around Smiley’s neck, tosses him over the top rope, and hangs him. Norman’s wife and security come down to get Krush to release Norman.
We’re backstage with Goldylocks again, and she’s looking for an interview with Puppet, who is in a trashcan “meditating” with a rhythmic thumping from inside the can. After a promo for his upcoming match with Meatball that is better left in 2002, Goldylocks walks away and comes upon the Dupps playing spin the bottle. Stan Dupp is playing with fire and tells Goldy she’s got some pretty lips. We all know where this segment is heading.
We’re back to the ring, and the Flying Elvises are out to the ring. First, we get a video package of their post-match beatdown of Lo-Ki after last week’s main event. Then, Elix Skipper and Christopher Daniels rush the ring to go after the Elvises.
NWA-TNA PPV 5
Match #3
The Flying Elvises vs. Elix Skipper and Christopher Daniels
The action quickly dumps to the floor, and Elix Skipper with a dive on Estrada, but he’s back up and in the ring with Christopher Daniels. Estrada hits Daniels with a sit-out facebuster, and they both spill out of the ring. Siaki and Skipper are back in now. Siaki puts Skipper down and gets a two-count.
Estrada comes in to continue the attack. Siaki joins the announce table and breaths heavy into the mic, and attempts to put himself over. However, Siaki gets back in the match, lays into Skipper some more, tags Estrada back in, and heads back to the mic. Siaki continues to put himself over as the only reason for the Flying Elvises’ success while Estrada continues to lay into Elix Skipper. Skipper gets a counter, and both men are down.
Both Siaki and Daniels are reaching for the tag, and Daniels gets tagged in first and cuts Estrada off from the corner. Then, Daniels starts laying into the Flying Elvises. Both teams exchange moves, and Daniels and Estrada are left in the ring.
We go through a sequence of each team getting the fresh guy in and breaking up pin attempts until Daniels and Siaki are on the floor brawling. Referee Slick Johnson is hanging over the rope admonishing them when Skipper hits The Play of the Day but realizes Slick isn’t counting the pin. Siaki slides in and hits Skipper with the Money Clamp and gets the three count off that distraction during NWA-TNA PPV 5.
Winner: The Flying Elvises
After the match, the Dupps hit the ring with wood boards and one by one nail Estrada over the head while Siaki bails on his tag team partner.
We go to the back with Goldylocks and K-Krush, and Goldy wants to know what the point of Krush’s antics after the match. Before Krush could give a full answer, he’s assaulted by Scott Hall. Hall looks at the camera and says, “Two down, one to go.”
Back at ringside, Meatball starts to hit the ring but stops at a grocery cart filled with food next to the entrance and grabs a bag of cheese puffs. Puppet is out next.
Match #4
Meatball vs. Puppet in a Hardcore Match
The bell rings, and Puppet hits Meatball with a trashcan and then drops Meatball onto the trashcan and then kicks the trashcan into Meatball’s face. Meatball dumps Puppet out of the ring and brings the grocery cart into play, and both men assault each other with food. Puppet gets the upper hand and brings the action back towards the ring. Back into the ring, Puppet is using a steel chair now. He sets it up on Meatball and hits a splash from the middle rope for the one, two, three.
Winner: Puppet
Jasmine St Claire is out to the ring now selling the effects of the assault from Francine. She gets the mic and calls Francine out to finish what she started in the back. Francine storms the ring
Match #5
Jasmine St Claire vs. Francine
Referee Slick Johnson is here, so this is apparently official. This match is not much of a technical masterpiece, but Jasmine gets Francine’s top off, and Francine gets Jasmine’s bottoms off. Blue Meanie suddenly hits the ring and DDT’s Francine and carries Jasmine off. Francine is stretchered out of the ring during NWA-TNA PPV 5.
Winner: No Contest
Goldylocks is in the back with Low-Ki, but Lo-Ki walks away from her.
We get a video package showing Low Ki and AJ Styles’ signature moves. First, Low-Ki hits the ring, followed by AJ Styles.
NWA-TNA PPV 5
Match #6 X Division Championship
AJ Styles (C) vs Low-Ki
Both men lock up, and we get an exchange of holds and chain wrestling. Next, we get a hard exchange of kicks, and both men are back to exchanging chain wrestling. Low-Ki finally gets the upper hand and starts laying into AJ Styles.
Both men eventually end up on the apron, and Styles hits the discus lariat but missed with a springboard moonsault. Styles goes for a dive through the rope but Low-Ki counters with a kick to the face.
Both men to the apron again, and Low-Ki locks in a dragon sleeper through the ropes, breaks the hold, and goes for a pin. Only a 2 count, and Low-Ki goes back to a dragon sleeper. Styles breaks the rope and starts to get his offense in.
Styles eventually hits a running power slam and only gets a 2 count on the pin attempt. Next, Styles hits a brainbuster and again only a two count.
https://twitter.com/IMPACTWRESTLING/status/998050683398930432
Styles goes for the Spiral Tap but misses. Low-Ki has Styles up for the Key Crusher, but Styles counters. Another back and forth, and Low-Ki goes for a move off the top rope, but Styles catches him and hits the Styles Clash for the three count.
Winner: AND STILL X Division Champion AJ Styles
Styles heads up the ramp celebrating and is speared by Jerry Lynn out of nowhere. Jerry drags him back to the ring and hits Styles with a piledriver, and brings a ladder in the ring. Lynn suplexes Styles into the ladder as the refs try to break it up. Lynn drops Styles over the ladder again and continues his assault.
After a break, we’re back for the introductions for our main event. Brain Lawler is first out to the ring and gets a mic. The crowd is still chanting “Jerry’s Kid.”
Brian starts in again about his father and his sins. Lawler is interrupted by Scott Hall’s music. Brian continues to rant as Scott Hall sneaks up behind him in the ring.
After playing out the fact that Brian doesn’t know he’s behind him for an uncomfortable length of time, Brian finally turns around and is decked by Hall, and referee Slick Johnson calls for the bell to start the match.
NWA-TNA PPV 5
Match #7
Scott Hall vs. Brian Lawler
Hall continues to lay into Lawler and dumps him out of the ring. Hall gets some shots in, dragging him from the barricade to the announce table and back. Brian tries to get the hell out of dodge, but Hall catches him and leads him back to ringside.
Lawler finds a purse in the crowd and clocks Hall over the head, and is now on the attack. However, Lawler is well in control and gets back on the mic to respond again to the “Jerry’s Kid” chants. Lawler eventually goes for the hip hop drop, and Hall catches him with some shots and a fall-away slam followed by a back suplex out of the corner. Hall goes for the Outsider’s Edge, but K-Krush hits the ring and is met with a couple of shots from Hall and gets dumped back to the floor. Hall hits the Outsider’s Edge on Lawler and gets the three count.
Winner: Scott Hall
K-Krush is back in the ring, and Hall goes to hit him with the Outsider’s Edge. Lawler stops him with a low blow. K-Krush takes his belt off again, and the assault is on. K-Krush wraps the belt around Hall’s neck, and we see a repeat of what happened to Norman Smiley.
Officials break up the assault, and the paramedics are out again. As Hall is being wheeled out, one of the paramedics starts assaulting everyone with a steel chair. The paramedic is actually Jeff Jarrett! Jeff Jarrett has snuck back into the arena and beats the hell out of Hall with the steel chair while laying out any and everyone who dares to try and intervene. We go off the air with Jarrett raving mad to end NWA-TNA PPV 5.
—
There you have it, folks. Another well-rounded showcase of the best (and certainly the worst) of what NWA TNA had to offer with NWA-TNA PPV 5. From the lens of 2002, the overall themes up and down the card make sense, no matter how poorly aged they’ve become. While the focus is supposed to be on Jeff Jarrett’s fall from sanity in pursuit of the NWA world title, Jerry Lynn and AJ Styles have the most intriguing storyline going. Now with the promise of Sabu vs. Ken Shamrock for the NWA World Championship, we have some solid stuff that begs you to come back next week and find out what happens.
We’ll do exactly that on our next installment of the NWA: TNA/Impact Sunday Night RetroView series with NWA-TNA PPV 6.
_________
