On Wednesday, January 15, 2003, NWA-TNA presented NWA-TNA PPV 28. In the latest of our NWA-TNA/IMPACT Sunday Night RetroViews, A video package of Jeff Jarrett telling Vince Russo he was never with him and he will never be with you. S.E.X. attack Jarrett in the ring.
Mike Tenay had a sit-down interview with Vince Russo earlier in the day. Tenay asks Russo what his job entitles him as a wrestling writer. Russo says he has as many eyes on the product as many they can get. Russo knows that the ratings reflect back to him and tells Tenay that people aren’t going to watch two-hour matches.
Tenay asks Russo if he feels guilty about the demise of WCW. Russo mentions that he only wrote television for nine months. “If I did it, then it deserved to go out of business”. Tenay mentions the great talent in WCW, mainly Goldberg and Kevin Nash. Tenay puts over the Cruiserweights and how Russo built that division around Ed Ferrera, Madusa, and Evan Karagias.
Russo says that the people want entertainment. Tenay talks about the David Arquette WCW title win. Russo says that was all about publicity as they got in the USA Today paper. Tenay mentions that WCW’s rating hit its lowest in four and a half years. Russo doesn’t believe Tenay because he doesn’t have them in front of him.
Russo tells Tenay that no one was watching the show before S.E.X came in. Tenay mentions the November 20 show and how Russo ruined the Jeff Jarrett vs. Ron Killings match. Russo doesn’t think people care about the promos by Jarrett. Russo wants his boys to make money in this business, but that will not happen if Tenay and others were in charge.
This business won’t be around in a year. Russo doesn’t say another word tells Tenay to kiss his butt, takes his microphone off, and walks out to end the interview.
NWA-TNA opening video
Mike Tenay and Don West welcome everyone to the show but are quickly cut off by Vince Russo’s music.
Vince Russo and the rest of his S.E.X. group make their way to the ring through the fans. Russo literally has a “soap box” just for Mike Tenay. Russo says this whole situation is between himself and Jeff Jarrett and no one else. Russo makes sure to say they are not the New World Order or “street thugs”. Rather, they are here to entertain the morons (fans).
Russo gives everyone the chance to join them or forever be against them. Percy Pringle comes out and says he is ready to talk. Pringle believes he is the only one who knows the real Vince Russo, as he has known Russo the longest of anyone. Pringle mentions a story about Russo begging for a job and sneaking into the business.
Pringle has been a part of the best entertainment in this business, he says. Pringle thinks that Russo may be right and that the wrestling he knows very well could be dead. Pringle wants to shake Russo’s hand, and Russo believes Pringle wants to be a part of the “family”. Russo says Pringle is no different than Jeff Jarrett and the Undertaker as they kicked him out the door.
Russo calls Pringle a “fat piece of crap,” and Pringle is beaten down by S.E.X. BG James breaks the soap box over Pringle’s head Pringle has been busted wide open. Jorge Estrada runs down and gets beaten down by S.E.X as well. They get a table and place Estrada on it. Triple X drives Estrada through the table with a triple-team powerbomb.
Jarrett and security run down with Jarrett having a steel chair. S.E.X. bails out of the ring. Security helped Pringle get backstage.
Mike Tenay says that Amazing Red will not be able to be here and that Estrada was going to take Red’s place in the X-title match. Don West goes over what will be taking place on the show.
NWA-TNA PPV 28
NWA World Tag Team Championship Match
Divine Storm with Trinity vs. “Wildcat” Chris Harris and “Cowboy” James Storm (c)
Divine Storm attacked AMW before the bell, but AMW recover quickly. Quiet Storm is backdropped over the top to the floor onto Divine. James Storm is backdropped by his own partner onto both members of Divine Storm. Harris with several stomps on Quiet Storm before tagging in James Storm, who hits a missile dropkick on Quiet Storm.
AMW knocks Divine off the apron and nails Quiet Storm with a double running clothesline, goes for a pin-fall, and gets a two-count. Trinity distracts James and goes for a pin-fall and gets a two-count. Divine, with a running uppercut on Storm, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count.
James is sent to the floor, where Trinity leaps off the apron, which allows Quiet to deliver a clothesline, and Divine enters, taking James down with a snap suplex n taking James down with a head scissors takedown. Quiet with a tornado DDT on James and gets a two-count. Both men make tags, with Chris Harris taking out the challengers with clotheslines and a back suplex.
Harris, with a front power slam on Divine, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two-count. AMW set Quiet up for the Death Sentence, but Trinity low blows Storm, but Storm manages to kick out at two on the pin attempt. Quiet takes AMW out with a somersault dive off the top rope to the floor. Divine takes AMW out with a somersault dive as well.
Trinity takes AMW and Divine out with a moonsault off the top rope to the floor. Quiet drives James down with a middle rope ace crusher for a two-count. Divine is backdropped to the floor by James Storm. James Storm sets up Quiet Storm for the Death Sentence “Cowboy” James Storm goes for a pin-fall on Quiet Storm and gets the 1-2-3!
Winners: AND STILL NWA Tag Team champions “Wildcat” Chris Harris & “Cowboy” James Storm
A video highlighting the recent actions of AJ Styles is shown.
AJ Styles comes down to the ring and has a microphone. Styles says he is not with Mortimer Plumtree and that he is not with S.E.X. He says he is his own man and that he does whatever he wants when he wants to do it. He wants to be the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
Ron Killings cuts him off. Killings thinks that Styles has lost his mind. Killings doesn’t think Styles gets a title shot until Killings gets one or until Styles beats him, which leads to a match.
NWA-TNA PPV 28
AJ Styles vs. Ron Killings
Killings with several arm drags and dropkicks Styles to the floor. Killings with a sunset flip pin off the apron, but Styles kicks out. Styles dropkicks Killings in the groin and connects with a kip-up Hurricanrana. Styles with several forearm shots and a dropkick goes for a pin-fall gets a two count.
Killings with a reverse Stroke on Styles but AJ Styles kicks out at two. Styles with a standing spin kick goes for a pin-fall gets a two count. Styles with a delayed vertical suplex goes for a pin-fall gets a two count. Styles rakes Killings eyes in the corner to regain control of the match.
Styles with several blows to the midsection and chops in the corner. Styles with a running clothesline in the corner that drops Killings to the mat. Styles with a clothesline that spins Killings around. Styles with an Indian death lock in the middle of the ring. Killings runs into a big boot but avoids a discus clothesline by driving Styles down with a spinning-it-out slam!
Killings with a right hand and a spinning forearm shot goes for a pin-fall gets a two count. Styles stops Killings on the top rope and attempts a superplex, but Killings stops Styles and hits a top rope sit-out front slam! Mortimer Plumtree comes down to the ring, gets up on the apron, and distracts referee Scott Armstrong David Flair comes through the crowd and hits Killings with a burlap sack.
Flair pulls Styles over Killings referee Scott Armstrong turns around and counts the pin-fall 1-2-3!
Winner: AJ Styles
Backstage, Goldylocks is with Jeff Jarrett and the Road Warriors. Jarrett tells Styles that he worked a lot of years before working with World Champions. Jarrett looks at Styles as “a little punk”. Jarrett puts over Styles but says that Styles is far away from being a World Champion.
Jarrett puts over the Road Warriors. Animal has Jarrett’s back no matter what and calls Styles a chicken, a punk, and a baby for attacking them from behind. Hawk chimes in and says that S.E.X is going to be eliminated. Hawk finishes it off, “What a Rush”!
AJ Styles has a microphone and wants Mike Tenay to use his stroke to get his title shot. Styles says he isn’t going to leave until he gets a title shot. Styles grabs a steel chair and sits in the middle of the ring. Styles says they can wrestle around him for all he cares. Larry Zbyszko arrives at the top of the entrance ramp.
Larry is proud to be in NWA-TNA because it stands for tradition. Larry says that Styles is a fool. Larry says he wants to cut his wrists after listening to Vince Russo for fifteen minutes. Larry rips on Vince Russo, calling him a cancerous cell that kills everything it touches. Larry tells Styles if he sells his soul, he will never “make the grade”.
Larry says that Styles only has an image and that if he loses that he will not survive in the business. There is a sign right behind Zbyszko that reads, “The Non-Stop Action as officially STOPPED”. Larry asks Styles if he is going to sell out to Vince Russo. Styles denies that he is with Russo. Larry wants Styles to go search for his soul.
Larry says there isn’t an old school or new school but rather just the old school of hard knocks. Styles thinks that if he beats Zbyszko, he will get a title shot. Styles slaps Zbyszko’s referees, and security runs down to the ring, & separates Styles and Zbyszko before anything can happen between them.
A video highlighting Desire telling Goldylocks to stay from her boys a couple of weeks ago. Desire’s attack on Goldylocks is highlighted as well Athena’s attack on Desire.
Desire (w/ X-Division Champion Sonny Siaki) vs. April Hunter
Desire attacks Hunter before the bell with boots and right hands. Desire sends Hunter to the floor, where Athena protects Hunter from Siaki attacking Hunter. They trade chops in the ring until Hunter takes Desire down with a head scissors, and a side slam goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count.
Desire dropkicks Hunter from behind and delivers several boots. Desire, with a step-up kick to the head, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count. Hunter, with a back elbow and a clothesline followed by a snap suplex, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count. Hunter, with a bodyslam, goes to the top rope. Siaki trips Hunter up. Desire with a top rope, Hurricanrana goes for a pin-fall and gets the 1-2-3!
Winner: Desire
After the match, Athena enters the ring and has a catfight with Desire. Desire rips Athena’s shirt off and goes to take off her pants. Eventually, Desire gives up on that.
Backstage, Goldylocks sees a masked wrestler arrive at the building. Apparently, it is Mr. Wrestling IV.
Mike Tenay and Don West wonder who the hell Mr. Wrestling IV could be. A video highlighting the debut of Mike Sanders attacking Killings and Lynn last week.
Mike Sanders has a microphone and says that it seems like the fans still love him. Sanders is here for one reason, and that is to support everything Vince Russo stands for. Without Russo, there wouldn’t be a Mike Sanders. Sanders says that his job is going to be scouting talent for Russo to join S.E.X.
Sanders knows that Russo doesn’t have a problem with tradition but rather the legends in the back. Sanders says there is a difference in philosophy. Sanders says that someone is going to end up S.O.L. Jerry Lynn comes out and says this is about tradition. Lynn says there is a difference between them, and that is Sanders talks too much.
NWA-TNA PPV 28
Jerry Lynn vs. Mike Sanders
Lynn with several right hand and boots to Sanders. Lynn, with a bulldog off the middle rope, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count. Sanders with a knee to the gut but is sent to the floor by Lynn. Lynn with a baseball slide, sending Sanders to the guardrail. Lynn rams Sanders head-first into the guardrail.
Lynn, with a leg drop and a slingshot splash, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two-count. Lynn works on Sanders Don Harris distracts Lynn as he walks up the steps. Sanders drops Lynn across the top rope. Sanders, with a spinning heel kick, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count. Sanders chokes Lynn on the middle rope and plays to the crowd.
Sanders, with a pump handle, suplex, and Lynn lands on his elbow. Sanders with a kick to the chest of Lynn and a knee drop coming off the ropes. They trade a series of right hands, with Lynn getting the advantage with several running elbows, and a clothesline goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count.
Lynn goes up top and connects with a cross body, but Don Harris yanks the referee out of the ring as Lynn goes for a pin-fall. Don Harris kicks referee Rudy Charles. Lynn with a tornado DDT on Sanders, but there isn’t a referee. Sanders low blows Lynn and drives Lynn down with an arm-trapped neck breaker, goes for a pin-fall, and gets a two count.
Referee Andrew Thomas runs down to the ring. Lynn, with a sunset flip powerbomb off the middle rope, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count because Don Harris yanks Referee Andrew Thomas out of the ring. Don Harris punches him and attempts to Powerbomb Referee Andrew Thomas.
Dusty Rhodes comes down to ringside and brawls with Don Harris. In the ring, Lynn hits Sanders with the TKO. Dusty Rhodes rolls referee Rudy Charles into the ring he counts the 1-2-3!
Winner Jerry Lynn
After the match, Dusty Rhodes embraces Jerry Lynn. The crowd chants for Dusty as Dusty has a microphone. Rhodes wants to know if he is “crossed” with Vince Russo. Rhodes talks about looking at the marquee several years ago that read pro wrestling at 8 pm and not a “midget jerking off in a trash can”.
Rhodes says we can’t lose tradition. Rhodes knew that wrestling was real after looking at the NWA championship in his bag several years ago. Rhodes says that the boys have a chance to step up. BG James has come out to observe what Dusty is saying. Rhodes talks about Ricky Steamboat and Jeff Jarrett.
Rhodes asks if the fans want to choose between those two guys or a midget. Rhodes repeats that the boys in the back have the chance to step up and that the choice is theirs. Rhodes says that he needs to make Russo’s night a living nightmare. Russo proceeds to come down to ringside and standing on the announcer’s table.
Russo tells Rhodes that he never thanked him for making Dustin Rhodes a star. Russo admits that he got goosebumps last week because he idolizes Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair. Russo wanted to do two things, which were to shave Flair’s head which he did, and that is to knock the birthmark off of Rhodes’ stomach.
Rhodes wants Russo to enter the ring. Russo makes Rhodes an offer where he says that they should get involved in the six-man tag later and make it an eight-man tag team match. Rhodes says he will go talk to NWA representative “Bullet” Bob Armstrong. Russo says that if S.E.X wins that all the titles are on the line next week and that he gets to choose the challengers for the belts. Russo tells Rhodes to “ be aware, be very aware”.
Mike Tenay and Don West go over the announcement of the now eight-man tag team match.
NWA-TNA PPV 28
David Young vs. Jason Cross
Young, with a Clothesline on Cross, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count. Cross with Roll of the Dice on Young goes for a pin-fall and gets a two-count. Cross with a Standing Somersault Leg Drop on Young goes for a pin-fall and gets a two-count. Young, with a Swinging Front Slam on Cross, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count.
NWA representative “Bullet” Bob Armstrong has made his way to ringside. Cross off the top rope, Swanton Bomb on Young goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count. Young with a Spine Buster on Cross goes for a pin-fall and gets the 1-2-3! Winner David Young.
After the match, BG James confronts his father, NWA representative “Bullet” Bob Armstrong, until his brother, referee Scott Armstrong breaks it up. Konnan in the TNA Asylum? Konnan hits the ring and attacks both David Young and Jason Cross with a Kendo Stick. Bert Prentice, NWA representative “Bullet” Bob Armstrong, and Eddie Marlin to ringside, police & security escort Konnan out of the TNA Asylum.
NWA-TNA PPV 28
NWA X-Division Championship Match
Sonny Siaki (c) with Desire vs. Kid Kash with Trinity
Siaki and Desire brawl with Kash and Trinity. Kash and Trinity dropkick both Siaki and Desire to the floor. Kash with a series of arm drags that cause Siaki to bail to the floor. Siaki blocks a baseball slide and drives Kash onto the guardrail. Siaki sends Kash into the guardrail a couple of times.
Kash sends Siaki into the guardrail Kash throws a steel chair and hits Siaki in the face. Kash, with a top rope leg drop on Siaki, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count. Siaki comes back with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex sending Kash into the corner and goes for a pin-fall and gets a two-count.
Kash, with a springboard moonsault, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count. Kash drops Siaki across the knee, goes for a pin-fall, and gets a two-count. Siaki, with a pump handle into a sit-down tombstone, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count. Kash with a double springboard Hurricanrana and a tornado DDT but Desire yanks Kash out on the pin attempt.
Desire trips Kash as he comes off the ropes, and Siaki, with the Siakalypse on Kash, goes for a pin-fall and gets the 1-2-3!
Winner: AND STILL NWA X-Division Champion, Sonny Siaki.
After the match, Trinity and Desire brawl, with Trinity driving Desire down with a tornado DDT out of the corner.
Mike Tenay and Don West talk about next week’s show. Tenay says we will hear from Roddy Piper LIVE…by video. Don West tells us the matches that are scheduled for next week.
Before the main event, Russo is announced as a former WCW World Heavyweight Champion and has a hockey helmet on. Rhodes also lets Russo know that this isn’t a “hockey thing”.
Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper, Low-Ki and Vince Russo vs. Jeff Jarrett, Road Warriors and “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes
Daniels and Jarrett start the match off. Daniels attacks Jarrett and connects with a spinning leg lariat. Jarrett with a shoulder block and a short arm clothesline. Jarrett lifts Daniels up with a backdrop and drives Daniels down to the mat. Animal tags in and shoves Low-Ki to the mat. Low-Ki with a kick to Animal’s knee and a front face lock but Animal powers out by driving Low-Ki to the mat.
Skipper enters and delivers a running knee to Animal’s head. Skipper legally tags in and holds Animal to allow Low-Ki to dropkick Animal in the face. They attempt a double-team suplex, but Animal manages to take both men down with a suplex. Skipper goes to knee Hawk the midsection.
But he runs into a big boot. Hawk, with a dropkick on Skipper, goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count. Hawk with a clothesline and a gut wrench slam. Jarrett enters, and Skipper clubs away on Jarrett. Skipper with a drop-toe hold and allows Russo to get a cheap shot on Jarrett.
Jarrett comes back, leaping onto Skipper’s back as he was on the middle rope. Jarrett goes after Russo but is attacked by Daniels on the floor. Daniels sends Jarrett into the guardrail Russo chokes Jarrett with a towel. Daniels and Skipper with a Front Suplex on Jarrett Daniels goes for a pin-fall and gets a two count.
Daniels, with several boots on Jarrett in the corner and drives his knee into Jarrett’s midsection. Russo continues to choke Jarrett with the towel. Low-Ki with a few face washes, as does Skipper on Jarrett.
Low-Ki with a front face lock on Jarrett to maintain control of the match. Jarrett makes the tag, but the referee didn’t see the tag as he was distracted. Jarrett is continued to be tripled teamed in S.E.X.’s corner. Daniels enters and works on Jarrett with several clubbing blows to Jarrett’s back. Jarrett with an inside cradle, but the Road Warriors are in the ring, distracting the referee.
Low-Ki with a nice springboard kick to Jarrett’s face, who was elevated by Daniels. Daniels goes for a pin-fall on Jarrett and gets a two-count. Jarrett attempts the Stroke, but Daniels battles out, and they take each other down with attempted clotheslines. Jarrett makes his way to his corner and tags in Rhodes.
Rhodes with several biotic elbows on everyone except for on Russo. Hawk clotheslines Low-Ki to the floor. referee Rudy Charles has lost control of the match. Russo distracts Rhodes by taking of his coat as if he was going to enter the ring. Mr. Wrestling IV slides into the ring and hits Rhodes with a chain wrapped around his right hand.
Russo pulls Skipper on top of “The American Dream “ Dusty Rhodes. Referee Rudy Charles gets back into the ring and counts the 1-2-3!
Winners: Christopher Daniels, Low-Ki, Vince Russo & Elix Skipper.
After the match, Mr. Wrestling IV takes off his mask, and it is…. NIKITA KOLOFF!
NWA-TNA PPV 28 goes off the air.
