On Wednesday, February 26, 2003, NWA-TNA presented NWA-TNA PPV 34 from the TNA Asylum. This is the latest in our NWA-TNA/IMPACT Sunday Night RetroViews.
NWA-TNA PPV 34
NWA X-Division Championship Match
Jason Cross vs. (c) Kid Kash with Trinity
In case you don’t know who Cross is, he is the guy who has an amazing finisher called Crossfire, which is a shooting star press into a leg drop. It’s truly a sight to see. A fairly standard start to the match, as neither man is able to get the upper hand after a series of exchanges.
Cross hits the first high-risk move of the match when he hits a somersault dive over the top onto Kash on the floor. Kash is able to knock Cross silly by throwing a chair right in Cross’ face. Back in the ring, Kash gets a two count following a nice springboard top rope clothesline.
Cross quickly fights back with a swinging neck breaker for a two-count. Kash drives Cross across his knee with a fisherman buster for a two-count. The fans don’t seem to approve of Cross’s offense, which looks really weak if he isn’t doing some kind of high spot. Cross attempts the Crossfire, but Kash rolls out of the way and hits a double springboard Hurricanrana followed by a tornado. DDT goes for a pinfall gets the 1-2-3!
Winner: AND STILL NWA X-Division Champion, Kid Kash.
Vince Russo made his way down to the ring wearing an old ring jacket that was once worn by Dustin Rhodes. He claims that Jeff Jarrett will join Sports Entertainment Xtreme (SEX). Russo says that he had a good meeting with Jarrett’s family after the show last week. He states that at the end of the night, Jarrett will have signed a contract with SEX.
Russo proceeds to issue a open contract to the TNA locker room to join SEX. AJ Styles comes down and calls Russo an arrogant bastard, but he is right! Styles decides that he needs a change and will sign a SEX contract! Raven comes out as well and asks questions centered around himself.
Raven says he came to TNA to be Russo’s top guy, and not play second fiddle to an X-Division reject. He doesn’t believe that Styles could beat Sandman. Styles comes back by saying Raven would blow up if he wrestled an X-Division guy. So, Russo books Styles vs. Sandman and Raven vs. an X-Division wrestler.
America’s Most Wanted comes out and says that everyone has forgotten about the tag team division. Chris Harris says they aren’t going to kiss Russo’s ass, but rather they are going to kick his a**. James Storm demands a title shot against Triple X or they will take Russo out tonight!
AMW charges the ring but doesn’t get Russo, but instead beat down Raven. The Hot Shots storm the ring and attack AMW. They are wearing SEX shirts and have joined SEX!
Backstage, Goldylocks is with Dusty Rhodes and Vader. Rhodes says he is sure that Jeff Jarrett isn’t going to join SEX tonight.
NWA-TNA PPV 34
Brian Lee and Slash The New Church with Father James Mitchell vs. Johnny Swinger and Simon Diamond
Swinger and Diamond are dominated early on as the New Church, Lee, and Slash, beat on them on the floor for several moments. Diamond is able to super kick Slash back in the ring to gain the advantage and a two-count. Slash is double-teamed in the corner for a brief amount of time.
Slash fights back with a back suplex on Swinger after taking a beating from Diamond moments earlier. Lee gets the tag, but the referee didn’t see the tag. Lee doesn’t care and cleans house with scoop slams but is escorted out of the ring by the referee. Swinger nails Slash with a chair, but Diamond is unable to get a three-count on Slash.
Lee hits Diamond with a spike as the referee is distracted, and Slash drives Diamond down to the mat with a neck breaker goes for a pinfall gets the 1-2-3!
Winners: Brian Lee & Slash The New Church
Backstage, Goldylocks is with Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett talks about how his family has spent a lot of time with Russo’s family. He believes Russo is trying to save everyone’s job in TNA. Jarrett finishes off the interview saying he will show a tape of what happened during their meeting from last week. He also reveals he is wearing a SEX t-shirt.
In the ring, Mike Tenay is joined by Glenn Gilbertti and Mike Sanders. They talk about the differences between traditional wrestling and entertainment. Tenay obviously chooses traditional wrestling. Sanders and Gilbertti praise Russo and tell Tenay various facts that include Russo bringing eleven million viewers when he was writing wrestling. They debate for a few minutes over which is better.
NWA-TNA PPV 34
“Cowboy” James Storm and “Wildcat” Chris Harris America’s Most Wanted vs. Cassidy O’Reilly and Chase Stevens
AMW quickly goes on the attack on the floor to beat down the new SEX members, the Hot Shots. AMW don’t allow the Hot Shots to get any offense in early on as they dumped the Hot Shots to the floor, and Storm dove onto both Stevens and O’Reilly. Glenn Gilbertti and Mike Sanders are at ringside, rooting on the Hot Shots who have gotten the advantage.
They deliver a double dropkick to the side of Harris’s head. O’Reilly connected with a top rope moonsault on Harris, but that wasn’t good enough for the win. Harris is double-teamed by the Hot Shots for a few moments, but Harris is able to make the tag to Storm, who enters and cleans house.
Storm nearly pins O’Reilly following a kick to the side of his head. Harris tries for the Catatonic on Stevens but is met with a super kick by O’Reilly, and Stevens nearly wins the bout. Storm super kicks O’Reilly as he springboards off the middle rope but doesn’t get the three count.
Harris ends up hitting the Catatonic on Stevens, but Gilbertti leaps off the middle rope to hit Harris with a forearm drop as the referee was distracted. O’Reilly accidentally hits Gilbertti off the apron, and Storm hits the Eight-Second Ride on. O’Reilly goes for a pinfall gets the 1-2-3!
Winners: “Cowboy” James Storm & “Wildcat” Chris Harris America’s Most Wanted.
Backstage, Sonny Siaki is trying to be a leader of the SEX group, but the members don’t seem to be interested in listening to him.
NWA-TNA PPV 34
Raven vs. Julio Dinero
This is Julio Dinero’s NWA-TNA in-ring debut. Dinero wrestled in ECW during it’s last year in business. Dinero is able to avoid Raven’s offense early on and actually takes Raven over with a head scissors. Dinero gets a near fall following a super kick. That seems to be the favorite move of the day, the super kick.
Dinero misses a top rope moonsault, and Raven goes on the attack. Raven delivers a clothesline and two knee lifts which send the newcomer to the floor. Dinero is able to hit a pump handle twirling slam with Raven on his shoulders, which was nice. Dinero really got some offense in during this match but to no crowd reaction.
Raven is that popular in TNA. Dinero accidentally splashes the referee in the corner but super kicks Raven as AJ Styles comes down to ringside and trips Dinero off the top rope. Raven, with the Evenflow DDT on Dinero, goes for a pinfall and gets the 1-2-3!
Winner: Raven.
After the match, AJ Styles enters the ring and tells Raven that he owes him one.
Backstage, Konnan introduces the next luchador to wrestle Jerry Lynn, Juventud Guerrera.
NWA-TNA PPV 34
Jerry Lynn vs. Juventud Guerrera
Like most X-Division matches, they start off being unable to get a clear advantage against Gordy not one another. Guerrera had the brief advantage with kicks and Hurricanrana but Lynn came back with a Special and a tilt-a-whirl back breaker for a two count. They seem to be really off with their timing on several moves.
Guerrera hits a dropkick on a seated Lynn after rolling through a sunset flip, which the announcers act like they have never seen before. Lynn rolls to the floor after being planted with a tornado DDT. Guerrera takes Lynn out with a springboard somersault dive on the floor!
Lynn avoids a shoulder block from Guerrera on the apron and connects with a guillotine leg drop followed by a kick to Guerrera’s back for a near win. Lynn attempts a tornado DDT but Guerrera counters. Lynn counters the Juvi Driver, but Juvi manages to drive Lynn down to the mat with a sit-out reverse DDT for a two-count.
Guerrera connects with a variation of a sit out power bomb but isn’t able to get the three count on the cover. They begin to trade several rollups but neither man gets the three count. Guerrera nearly wins following a wheelbarrow bulldog. Lynn rolls up Guerrera gets the 1-2-3!
Winner: Jerry Lynn.
After the match, Konnan yelled at Guerrera in the ring.
Backstage, Siaki is still struggling to keep control of the SEX locker room. Mortimer Plumtree comes into the room but Siaki tells him, Don’t call us we’ll call you.
NWA-TNA PPV 34
No DQ Match
AJ Styles vs. The Sandman
Styles takes Sandman out with a somersault dive over the top rope as Sandman was still doing his lengthy entrance routine. Styles keeps the advantage by actually wrestling with the Hardcore Icon, but actually ends up tossing a trash can into the ring and this Sandman right in the head!
Sandman avoids a drop-toe hold and whacks Styles over the head with the trash can. Sandman gets a table and places it on the railing and apron. Styles baseball slides Sandman and places him on the table. Styles leaps off the top rope but misses Sandman and crashes through the table.
Back in the ring, Sandman misses a few kendo stick shots and is kicked by Styles. Styles tries for the Styles Clash, but Sandman uses the kendo stick to whack Styles in the head to break free. Sandman ends up catapulting Styles head-first into a chair bridged in the corner, but the referee gets hit in the face during the move.
What was the point of the referee bump? Raven enters and whacks Sandman over the back with a chair, which the referee sees in a NO DQ match anyway. Styles hits a Styles Clash off the middle rope, goes for a pinfall gets the 1-2-3!
Winner: AJ Styles.
Raven cuts a promo about how it is his destiny to be NWA World Heavyweight Champion. He is going to put his focus on Sandman for a brief moment so that next week he can beat Sandman in a Clockwork Orange House of Fun match. The loser will be tossed off the Nest through a couple of tables. We will see more of what he is talking about next week.
NWA-TNA PPV 34
Ron & Don Harris with Sonny Siaki & Desire vs. “The American” Dream” Dusty Rhodes & Vader
Vader looks to be in pretty good shape since the last time he was on television in America, which was 1998, I believe. Vader splashes Don in the corner, followed by an overhead belly-to-belly suplex and a big splash for a two-count! Ron Killings is seen standing in the crowd watching the match. Rhodes works on Ron with a few biotic elbows.
Vader gets in the ring to save Dusty from a double team but doesn’t save Rhodes from being rammed head-first into the ring steps by Don. This has caused Rhodes to be busted wide open. Rhodes is just beaten down with right hands and really nothing other than that. Eventually, Rhodes fights back with biotic elbows and tags in Vader.
Vader cleans house with several clotheslines and splashes Ron in the corner. All four men are in the ring brawling. Sonny Siaki enters the ring but runs into a biotic elbow. Vader comes off the middle rope to splash Siaki! The bell has sounded since Siaki got involved.
Winners: By DQ “The American” Dream” Dusty Rhodes & Vader.
After the match, Rhodes has Desire and spanks her with his belt. Nikita Koloff enters the ring but is quickly elbowed by Rhodes, and he rolls to the floor.
Backstage, the Sandman tries to form an alliance with Johnny Swinger and Simon Diamond. They chat about how loyal they were to ECW and how Raven ditched them to join the WWF.
To close out the show, Vince Russo called out Jarrett to sign a contract with SEX. Jarrett instead played a tape that saw Russo’s son talk about how lousy of a father Russo was. Will Russo said that he hated living in Georgia because he didn’t have any friends. Vince began to swear at his son, saying he will give him a beating when he gets home.
Jarrett removed the SEX shirt he was wearing and attacks Russo! However, David Flair, Erik Watts, and Brian Lawler attack Jarrett! Watts even choke-slams Jarrett through a table. Watts grabbed a microphone and says that Jarrett will regret what he did to them! NWA-TNA PPV 34 goes off the air.
