Well this one is back in the old pre Impact days when they broadcast from "The Asylum" & still had a boring square ring. This was Vince Russo's 1st run in TNA and he got a LOT more involved in front of house back then. This review will also talk about who was with the company back then, excuse any incorrect spellings as names weren't always displayed back then.
Show opens with a flashback of Russo telling Jeff Jarrett its time to pass the torch & a few other flashbacks to matches.At this time Vince Russo was "NWA Director Of Authority". Don West & Mike Tenay were doing colour.
Kevin Northcutt vs Chris Harris (with James Storm). This is clearly back when Americas Most Wanted were still over as a tagteam. Harris got the win in this average match.
10 Man Tagteam Match - Kid Kash, Micheal Shane (aka Matt Bentley then managed by a pre-implant Traci Brooks), David Young, Johnny Swinger & Glenn Gilberti (aka The Disco Inferno) vs Sonny Siaki (who would have 2nd run in TNA a few yrs later), D-lo Brown (probably fresh from WWE), Konnan, Ron Killings (with BG James back when they were the 3 Live Kru) & Simon Diamond. Another average match, Simon Diamond got the win for his team. Shame about the Russo inspired post match beatdown. The Insane Clown Posse break things up to save 3LK & friends. I never knew they'd worked in TNA.
Frankie Kazarian (aka Kaz) vs Jerry Lynn. Kaz wasn't half bad back then, Lynn was clearly at his best at that time as well. Kaz took good bumps & took the eventual win.
Raven came down and made a long speech about people he'd run out of TNA including Sinn, Slash & Father James Mitchell (under their "disciples of the new church" gimmick), Vampiro (who would come back to haunt Raven!) & CM Punk (when did he work for TNA?). Raven is eventually jumped by The Naturals (Andy Douglas & Chase Stevens) the lights go out & Sabu (in his 1st run in TNA) saves Raven.
6 man tag match (World X Cup Match?) Team Japan (Ebisan, Nosawa & Wishanbo Comet) vs Team NWA (Sonjay Dutt, Elix SKipper & Chris Sabin who was then X Divsion Champion). Excellent match from both teams. Sabin & Dutt made the pin on Nosawa.
Flashback to a match between AJ Styles & Abyss. Johhny Fairplay had Lex Luger jump Styles midmatch.
Falls Count Anywhere Match, Abyss vs AJ Styles. Now this was a decent matches both outside & inside the ring. 3 refs got "knocked out" & due to having no clue how to end it Russo sent security (Don Harris) and some of the wrestlers out. Match was thrown out as a "No Contest".
Scott D'Amore & Team Canada (Petey Williams, Teddy Hart, Johnny Devine & Jack Evans come out to bitch on the mic. Their interupted by Team Mexico (Juventude Guerrero, Mr Aguila (aka Essa Ríos), Abismo Negro & Hector Garza & a brawl ensues which is eventually broken up by Scott D'Amore.
Jeff Jarrett comes out to bitch that he isn't getting a match tonight & starts on West & Tenay. Chris Harris (stupidly) tries to stop it and gets jumped by Shane Douglas for his trouble.
Chris Harris vs Shane Douglas. Don Harris is referee as all the other refs had been "injured" previously in the show. This match was mainly Douglas on top and Harris putting him over as a heel by selling everything he was given. Harris took the eventual win after interference from both Jarrett and James Storm.
Russo wastes the last 3 minutes of the show by boring everyone on the mic.
Wednesday, March 3, 2004
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