On Wednesday, October 8th, 2003, NWA-TNA presented NWA-TNA PPV 65 from the TNA Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the latest installment of our NWA-TNA/IMPACT Sunday Night RetroViews.
Jeff Jarrett comes to the ring, and Mike Tenay mentions it in the commentary. This was unannounced. Jarrett asks Dusty Rhodes, “The American Dream,” to come to the ring to discuss what happened last week. Rhodes comes out to the ramp.
Jarrett tells Rhodes that he is a typical icon. Jarrett says Rhodes is no different than any other icons: “Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, Macho Man, you would cut your mother’s throat to get what you want.
Jarrett said it was in his best interest to leave the building. Jarrett will get his NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship title shot in two weeks, no matter the winner of the “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes vs. AJ Styles NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship match tonight.
Backstage, NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles is worried that Vince Russo hasn’t arrived at the building yet. Sonny Siaki and Ekmo showed up and said they would handle the business.
NWA-TNA PPV 65
Kevin Northcutt & Ryan Wilson vs. Chris Vaughn & D’Lo Brown
Northcutt and Brown start the match with Brown taking Northcutt down with a dropkick. Vaughn hits a top rope axe handle and wrenches on Northcutt’s arm.
Northcutt maltreats Vaughn, sending him into the corner, but Vaughn escapes and tags in Brown, who deals with Wilson now. Brown staggers Wilson with an axe handle, and Vaughn tags in, hitting a dropkick on Wilson.
Wilson counters a hurricanrana attempt in midair, planting Vaughn with a powerbomb. Wilson pummels Vaughn with their right hand in the corner. Northcutt gets tagged, and they both deliver splashes in the corner along with Wilson.
Northcutt tosses Vaughn with an overhead suplex and a bodyslam. Northcutt mocked Brown. Vaughn boots Northcutt in the corner and attempts a tornado DDT, but Northcutt hits a Northern Lights suplex and tosses Vaughn into the corner.
Vaughn gets free and tags in Brown, but the referee is distracted by Northcutt. Brown still gets a few strikes on Northcutt and Wilson.
Brown & Wilson go to the floor following a cross body. Northcutt plants Vaughn with a double under hook piledriver, goes for a pinfall, and gets 1-2-3!
Winners: Ryan Wilson & Kevin Northcutt.
After the match, Brown gets attacked by Ryan Wilson & Kevin Northcutt. The Red Shirt Security tries to handcuff D’Lo Brown’s hands behind his back.
Erik Watts enters the ring with a steel chair and clotheslines Wilson and Northcutt. Brown gets up and clotheslines Wilson to the floor. Watts uses the steel chair on Northcutt.
Mike Tenay had a sit-down interview with “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes said that you’d have to be in the wrestling era back in 1979 to know how he felt when he won the NWA World Championship.
Rhodes says the fans make him do crazy things and believes he has one more big win in him. Outside, Jerry Lynn is shown throwing his bags into his car, frustrated Don Callis has suspended Jerry Lynn.
Chris Sabin vs. Michael Shane
They shove each other until Shane slaps Sabin, who starts begging off the bails to the floor. Sabin grabs Shane by the hair, but Shane returns to the ring, where Sabin gets a few strikes before Shane gets out of the ring to the floor again.
Sabin chases Shane on the floor before returning to the ring, where Sabin hits a head, scissors, and dropkick. Shane sends Sabin chest first into the corner and gets control with a few right hands.
Shane tosses Sabin over the top to the floor. Shane shows Sabin the trophy that will be his after the match. Shane chokes Sabin with his wrist tape. Sabin comes off the ropes, and Shane hits a snap power slam.
Shane avoids a kick and backdrops Sabin onto the apron, but Sabin punches Shane, followed by an excellent springboard spinning heel kick. Sabin drops Shane with a yakuza kick and plants Shane with a tornado DDT for a two-count.
Shane sends Sabin into the corner but can’t hit a superkick. Sabin plants Shane with a Future Shock, but Shane gets his boot on the bottom rope. Shane nails Sabin with a big boot and tries to use the ropes on a rollup, but the referee sees it.
Shane plants Sabin with a powerbomb but again only manages a two-count. Shane goes to the floor and grabs the championship, saying it will finish Sabin. The referee stops Shane from using it, and Sabin hits the Cradle Shock!
The referee turns around, but Shane kicks out before three! They trade a series of rollups Shane uses Sabin’s tights for leverage to get the 1-2-3!
Winner: AND STILL NWA X-Division Champion & now holder of the Super X trophy, Michael Shane.
Backstage, David Young confronts Glenn Gilbertti, Johnny Swinger, and Simon Diamond about getting hit with a steel chair. Gilbertti says that Young almost earned his spot in the group, and Young appears to be buying what Gilbertti is telling him.
Simon Diamond, Johnny Swinger & Glenn Gilbertti vs. Konnan, BG James & Ron Killings
Elimination Match
Diamond and Killings start the match with Diamond hammering away on Killings until a head scissors gives Killings the advantage. James gets tagged in and holds Diamond for a leaping sidekick, goes for a pinfall, and gets a two-count.
Swinger enters the ring, and the champs hit a side slam/reverse DDT combo, go for a pinfall, and get a two-count on James. Swinger misses a clothesline, and James delivers a few jabs.
Konnan drops Swinger with a rolling thunder clothesline and locks in an STF until Diamond breaks up the hold. Killings leaps off the top to leg drop Swinger on Swinger’s groin.
Konnan puts a standing figure four on Swinger, but let’s go to Plant Diamond with a facebuster. Konnan dropkicks a seated Swinger, but Swinger counters a monkey flip attempt, goes for a pinfall gets a two-count.
Konnan tries to win with a few different pin attempts but only gets a two-count. Gilbertti distracts Konnan, allowing the champs to hit a double flatliner and Swinger to get the 1-2-3 on Konnan to eliminate him from the match.
Killings enters, and power slams Swinger before tagging in James to hit a double hip toss and elbow drop on Swinger.
James knocks Gilbertti off the apron and sends Diamond to the floor. Swinger gets tripped by Konnan, which allows James’s pump-handle slam to eliminate Swinger from the match.
Gilbertti low blows James from behind to allow Diamond to beat on James with their right hand. Gilbertti tags in and drops an elbow on James after a drop-toe hold by Diamond goes for a pinfall and gets a two-count.
Diamond gets tagged back in and word over James with strikes. Diamond nails James with a super kick, and that’s good enough to eliminate James.
That leaves Killings alone to fight off Gilbertti and Diamond, which he does with dropkicks. Killings sends Gilbertti into Diamond and power slams Gilbertti. Diamond grabs Gilbertti to avoid a dropkick from Killings.
Gilbertti clotheslines Killings in the corner and taunts the fans until Killings hits a missile dropkick. Killings hits a spinning forearm shot to drop Diamond.
Killings connects with a scissors kick on Gilbertti. Killings plants Diamond with a front suplex and pins Diamond to eliminate him.
Gilbertti stomps on Killings as we see David Young sitting at ringside with a chair. Killings plants Gilbertti with a DDT, goes for a pinfall, and gets a two-count. Gilbertti sends Killings to the floor, where Killings sends Gilbertti into the guardrail.
Killings leaps off the steel chair sitting on at ringside and clotheslines Gilbertti on the ramp. Young grabs the steel chair from Killings and hits Killings over the head with it. Gilbertti rolls Killings into the ring and gets the pin.
Winners: Simon Diamond, Johnny Swinger & Glenn Gilbertti
Backstage, the New Church shows off their pain tolerance when Slash throws darts into Sinn’s back.
Frankie Kazarian vs. Christopher Daniels.
Kazarian takes Daniels over with an arm drag and a clothesline in the corner. Kazarian dropkicks Daniels in the corner and takes Daniels over with a dive over the top to take Daniels out—Kazarian plants Daniels with a slingshot DDT.
Daniels yanks Kazarian down by his hair and chokes Frankie in the corner. Daniels kicks Kazarian in the back of the head, goes for a pinfall and gets a two-count. Daniels rams Kazarian into the corner and follows up with a chop.
Daniels bodyslam Kazarian, followed by a slingshot leg, goes for a pinfall and gets a two-count. Kazarian and Daniels trade right hands, and Kazarian hits a springboard back elbow shot.
Kazarian dropkicks Daniels, delivers a slap followed by a twisting leg drop, goes for a pinfall, and gets a two-count. Daniels gets caught on the middle rope, and they trade pin attempts.
With an STO, Daniels hits the Best Moonsault Ever, goes for a pinfall, and gets a two-count. Kazarian gets out of Angels Wings to deliver a bicycle kick.
One of Daniels’ followers gets on the apron to distract Kazarian, but Daniels is sent into the follower, and Kazarian hits the Wave of the Future, goes for a pinfall, and gets a two-count.
Another follower grabs Kazarian’s leg, and Daniels hits Angels Wings and goes for a pinfall, getting the 1-2-3!
Winner: Christopher Daniels.
After the match, Daniels says it is time he calls among his brothers. Backstage, Raven says that the pain tolerance that Sinn has means nothing when you’re unconscious.
America’s Most Wanted vs. Kid Kash and Abyss.
(Special Guest Referee Terry Taylor)
Abyss and Kash go after AMW before the bell, with all four men competing in the ring. Kash is sent to the floor, and Abyss gets clotheslined over the top to the floor. Abyss drops Storm chest first across the guardrail.
Storm gets worked over by Kash in the corner. Storm works over Kash with strikes but is slapped by Kash to end his momentum. Kash slams Storm, and Abyss helps Kash hit a standing moonsault.
Abyss tosses Storm into the corner and delivers strikes to pummel Storm. Abyss slams Storm, and Kash hits a somersault leg drop followed by a splash from Abyss, who goes for a pinfall and gets a two-count.
Abyss helps Kash hit a leg drop, but Storm kicks out on two-count. Storm struggles but gets the tag to Harris. Harris goes to work on Abyss with their left hand. AMW, a double flapjack on Abyss.
Storm takes Kash out with a cross body to the floor. Harris nails Abyss with a clothesline and goes to the top rope. Abyss crotches Harris on the top rope. Kash enters the ring, clothesline Storm, and Abyss nearly gets a three count on the pinfall.
Taylor knocks Kash to the floor. Harris comes off the middle rope to spear Abyss, goes for a pinfall, and gets a two-count. Kash tries to use a steel chair, but Taylor takes it away from him.
Kash kicks Taylor to the floor, and Harris tackles Kash. Storm goes for a super kick on Abyss, but Abyss blocks it and rams Storm into the corner. Kash takes Harris out on the floor, and Storm hits the Swinging Noose.
Kash hits Storm with Smash Mouth and goes for a pinfall. Another referee comes in, but Storm kicks out. Kash kicks referee Mike Posey in the stomach, then sends him to the floor.
Kash has a steel chair tossed to Harris and gets it kicked into his face. Harris superkicks the steel chair into Kash’s face. Storm goes for a pinfall and gets the 1-2-3!
Winners: America’s Most Wanted.
After the match, Kash is annoyed with Abyss, who blames him for the loss. Abyss acts like he will choke and slam Kash, but he doesn’t do it for some reason.
Abyss returns to the ring and gets stopped by a low blow from Kash. Abyss fights back with the right hand. Abyss elevates Kash with a backdrop and sends Kash into the ropes, but Kash bails out of the ring.
Backstage, Scott Hudson says that D’Lo Brown has left the arena. Don Callis makes fun of Brown’s mannerisms and threatens to fire Hudson.
Shane Douglas says he perfected the shoot promo and will find someone outside the business to turn them into the next Franchise. Douglas is drifting away from Father James Mitchell to do things independently.
Sinn vs. Raven.
Raven goes right after Sinn with stomps and strikes in the corner to start the match. Raven has a dog collar and wraps the chain around his fist to punch Sinn several times. Well, Sinn didn’t take long to get busted wide open.
Raven chases after Father James Mitchell, but Sinn clotheslines Raven to get control of the ring. Sinn works over Raven with strikes in the corner and chokes him.
Raven drops Sinn with a discus clothesline and a clothesline after sending Sinn’s chest first into the corner. Raven plants Sinn with a running bulldog out of the corner. With a DDT on Sinn, Raven goes for a pinfall and gets the 1-2-3!
Winner: Raven.
After the match, Raven hangs Sinn across the top rope until Mitchell gets a cheap shot in, and Slash enters to hit a neckbreaker. Slash gets the chain but misses Raven. Raven with a super kick to Slash.
Vampiro runs down and saves Mitchell by hitting Raven with a DDT. Vampiro brings Raven towards the balcony, and they try to hang Raven again, as they had done.
Raven is hung again from the balcony, and Vampiro punches him a few times. CM Punk runs over and makes the save while Julio Dinero battles Slash, causing them to run away.
Mike Tenay announces NWA-TNA will present its first three-hour Sunday night Pay-Per-View Bound For Glory, Sunday, November 30, 2003; more information in the coming weeks.
Backstage, Vince Russo shows up to the arena apparently drunk and gives AJ Styles a pep talk before his title defense against “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.
Main Event
“The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes vs. NWA World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles with Trinity and Vince Russo.
Styles gets backed into a corner, but Rhodes just backs off. Styles kicks the legs of Dusty to get the advantage, but Rhodes works over Styles with strikes before hip-tossing the champ across the ring.
Rhodes knocks Styles off the apron to the floor. Rhodes chops Styles against the guardrail and sends Styles shoulder first into the guardrail. Rhodes brawls with Styles in the crowd and rams Styles face-first onto a steel chair.
Rhodes tosses a steel chair into Styles’ face. They battle back towards ringside, where Styles has control. Back in the ring, Styles knee-lifts Rhodes into the corner. Rhodes drops Styles with an elbow strike.
Rhodes falls to his knees as Styles delivers a knee strike and locks in a chin lock. Styles hits a cross body off the ropes and gets a two-count. Styles missed a springboard 450 splash as Rhodes rolled out of the way.
Rhodes wraps Styles’ leg around the ring post. Rhodes puts the figure four on Styles but can’t get a submission. Styles tosses the referee out of the ring to the floor, and Styles taps out to the figure four, but the referee isn’t there, and Rhodes thinks he won.
Russo tosses Styles the baseball bat, and Styles hits Rhodes’ knee. Styles struggles to his feet and decides against going to the top rope.
Instead, AJ Styles puts the figure four on Rhodes and uses Russo for extra leverage. Styles uses the ropes, and Rhodes begins to fade. Rhodes passes out, and Styles gets the three count.
Winner: AJ Styles
After the match, Russo wants Styles to take Rhodes out. Rhodes has a beer bottle that Russo had brought to the ringside area. Styles wants to do something other than this but begins hammering away on Rhodes.
Russo takes out security for trying to help Rhodes. Ekmo and Sonny Siaki enter the ring and attack Rhodes.
“Cowboy” James Storm and “Wildcat” Chris Harris AMW hit the ring and brawl with Siaki and Ekmo. Ekmo & Siaki sent AMW out of the ring, and they worked over Rhodes. They try to take off Rhodes’ tights, but here is Jeff Jarrett with a steel chair.
Jarrett cleans the house with chair shots, making the save for Rhodes. Russo says it is over for Jarrett, saying the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship match won’t happen in 2 weeks.
Rhodes wants a six-man tag match for next week, which is accepted. NWA-TNA PPV 65 goes off the air.
