OAO 4/14

[cbacon 0]

Who the hell is Gabe?

 

And when will they stop with the whole "Raven gets screwed in a title shot match" and just give him the title already?

[tpww7 0]

Oh god, I was joking.

 

Gabe is the ROH booker.

[Michrome 0]

Haha.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Anyone have star ratings on these?

 

I'm guessing what it's been for the last few weeks minus the god awful X-Cup.

[JoeDirt 0]

Harris d. Raven

 

Now...discuss!

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

This was one of those shows that would have been great with a hot main event. If they'd have done AJ vs. Abyss and they'd had been given that 20 minutes...everything on the undercard (including Sabu vs. Brown...which was shockingly entertaining after their embarassingly bad match 2 weeks ago) was pretty darn solid. A hot main event would have made this show. Unfortunately...the main event was probably the least entertaining match on the show.

[Michrome 0]

Well, at least Raven's streak of terrible singles matches continued then.

[Styles 0]

So, with as little spoilage as possible, how was the show? Is it worth the replay? Any good matches? Thanks!

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

It'll leave a bad taste in your mouth in the end.

 

Kazarian/Dutt I liked a lot...but the crowd was just SILENT the entire time...which kills it.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Well, at least Raven's streak of terrible singles matches continued then.

I'm going to mostly blame Harris.

 

They worked a match that he just can't work. Not only does the guy usually not go more than 10 minutes in the ring...but they had his shoulder injury and Raven working on it...and the guy never once thought to throw punches with his OTHER HAND.

 

Raven does have a long streak going in TNA though. The last good singles match I can remember was WAY back when Styles was champion and he got the title shot.

[Styles 0]

Oh...he was joking....damnit...in sheepish voice nevermind...

That would have been big though!

Edited April 15, 2004 by Slapnuts!

[JoeDirt 0]

Raven said on WOL this weekend that first matches are usually either really good, or disasters.

 

I guess this one didn't really click.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Well...on the plus side they are still giving the matches more time.

 

Nights like this are the ones where I want to see them get TV and run monthly 3 hour shows where all of there guys will work...because I think they'd put on a really good ppv.

[Michrome 0]

Raven does have a long streak going in TNA though. The last good singles match I can remember was WAY back when Styles was champion and he got the title shot.

 

That was more like his last good match period, not just in TNA.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I had heard that his blowoff cage match with Punk was really good (or at least better than the first one). I haven't seen it, obviously...but I think that was the initial report wasnt' it?

[Guest TDinDC1112]

I thouroughly enjoyed the show until the last match. It just left me kind of flat.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I had heard that match was terrible.

[Silence 0]

I didn't like Harris vs. Raven either, not only because Harris can't work a long match with psychology in it, but also because he gets yet another pointless title shot against Jarrett next week and Raven has once again been screwed over by TNA. It is odd though that Raven hasn't had a really good singles match in a while in TNA, but he's been through so many hardcore-type matches over the years that it's just now taking a toll on him.

 

Didn't anyone else think that judging by the way Styles was used tonight that he's on his way out of TNA and back to ROH? Everything from trying to get Russo to put him in the match against Raven (with Russo refusing) to AJ's sullen look on his face in the lower left corner of the screen while watching Harris vs. Raven. I may be just speculating, but AJ has said that he prefers working ROH over TNA, so who knows what'll happen.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

"Didn't anyone else think that judging by the way Styles was used tonight that he's on his way out of TNA and back to ROH?"

 

No.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

He's got a contract...... he's not going anywhere. I also really doubt the TNA/RoH thing is going to last. Once Gabe and co. get their shit together they can probably get the TNA guys back.

[Silence 0]

"Didn't anyone else think that judging by the way Styles was used tonight that he's on his way out of TNA and back to ROH?"

 

No.

You could be right. He might not be leaving yet, anyway, because there hasn't been an update on AJ's situation with TNA lately.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

You don't need an update. He showed up to work today. That's the end of that for as long as this goes. He didn't have a choice in the matter. But I'm sure the backstage was an interesting place to be today.

 

The question I have (since I didn't even know this had happened until tonight) is when did Red sign a contract? He was out during the whole process...and I don't remember hearing anything about it.

[Silence 0]

You don't need an update. He showed up to work today. That's the end of that for as long as this goes. He didn't have a choice in the matter. But I'm sure the backstage was an interesting place to be today.

 

The question I have (since I didn't even know this had happened until tonight) is when did Red sign a contract? He was out during the whole process...and I don't remember hearing anything about it.

I was just under the impression that even though Styles, Daniels, Lynn, and Raven were under no-ROH TNA contracts that Styles would have been pissed off about the decision since he likes wrestling in ROH more than TNA, but I guess since TNA told him to distance himself from ROH, it meant that Styles had no way out of the deal like you said, which I should have known in the first place.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Harris winning = bullshit. That's all I have to say.

 

Also, the Lazarush will be up Sunday around 3 PM, as I plan on being trashed while writing it (no parents = booze = FUN LAZARUSH FOR SHOW WITH SHITTY BOOKING).

[Michrome 0]

Chris Daniels wasnt on this show?

[Silence 0]

Harris winning = bullshit. That's all I have to say.

 

Also, the Lazarush will be up Sunday around 3 PM, as I plan on being trashed while writing it (no parents = booze = FUN LAZARUSH FOR SHOW WITH SHITTY BOOKING).

Add this to your "BAKA" list: Harris vs. Jarrett: The Rematch.

[BoboBrazil 0]

This show actually had smart booking. Stupid booking would have had Raven win. Of course everyone, including me, wanted Raven to win, but he didn't.

[Guest BrokenWings]

Well, at least Raven's streak of terrible singles matches continued then.

I'm going to mostly blame Harris.

 

They worked a match that he just can't work. Not only does the guy usually not go more than 10 minutes in the ring...but they had his shoulder injury and Raven working on it...and the guy never once thought to throw punches with his OTHER HAND.

Oh god, don't get me started. I kept bitching to the people I was watching it with, because his other hand was RIGHT THERE. It wasn't like it was a desperation thing, he had Raven on the ground, and pummeled him with his left hand for no reason.

 

Harris isn't ready for the main event. Very, very spotty selling on his behalf.

 

And so help me god if they put the damn title on him.

 

Other than that, I enjoyed the show. The Monty Brown/Sabu encounter was quite fun, and quick paced. The Dutt/Kazarian match was solid as well, but could have benefitted from some crowd heat - any crowd heat.

 

All in all, I felt it was a solid show. A much better effort than last week's.

[JoeDirt 0]

Here's Meltzer's report - he liked the main event, apparently.

 

=====================================================

 

We're looking for your thoughts on tonight's show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]

 

NWA TNA PPV for 4/14

 

Xplosion results

Konnan & B.G. James & Ron Killings b Scotty Matthews & Chance Prophet & Ryan Boz

Jerry Lynn & Elix Skipper b Nate Webb & Chris Hero

Amazing Red b Seth Delay

 

This was the weirdest open. First, Goldylocks is now playing a new character wearing a wig, pretending to be French (auditioning for a role as Rene Dupree's new manager I suppose) and is the love interest of The Monster Abyss. She, in her fake accent, told people not to steal cable.

 

Then for the first few minutes as they did the video package, we got Armando Quintero and the Spanish language feed. Luckily I actually know somebody in another part of the country who watches this, called them, and they were experiencing the same problem. By this point I was worried. But, by the open of the show, they fixed the problem.

 

1. Jeff Jarrett pinned James Storm (what, you expected them to copy Shelton Benjamin this soon) in 11:38. First half of the match was brawling in the crowd. Second half was in the ring. Sloppy execution but crowd was hot for these two. Jarrett tried to use the guitar but the ref stopped him. Jarrett shoved down the ref, who sold like his eye was poked. He missed Storm having Jarrett pinned. Storm grabbed the guitar, the ref got up and grabbed it from him and Jarrett used the stroke for the pin. After the match, Jarrett hit Storm in the knee wit a chair. He used the figure four for a while until Chris Harris did a run-in. Raven then ran in and destroyed Harris' shoulder with two chair shots to the left shoulder. Vince Russo ran in for the save but Raven began choking Russo until A.J. Styles ran in and Raven bailed. Russo wanted to shake A.J.'s hand but A.J. walked out.

 

2. Frankie Kazarian pinned Sonjay Dutt in 11:56 to keep the X title. Crowd wasn't into it and it lacked psychology. There were some cool moves. Kazarian used an overhead belly to belly suplex over the top rope. Dutt did a top rope Asai moonsault. Kazarian did his flux capacitor, which is a one-man Spanish fly. Good near falls with Dutt missing a Hindu press and Kazarian putting him away with the wave of the future on his head, which is hte old downward spiral move. They noted Kazarian has now beaten three members of the TNA X team and he wants a spot on the team. He demanded Vince Russo put him on the team, but instead Abyss came out and ran Kazarian off. Dutt, having to play total idiot, thanked Abyss, turned his back on Abyss and a rack drop was next, which has nothing to do with anyone taking off their top since they've cleaned up the show. The unnamed French woman was controlling the monster.

 

3. Simon Diamond pinned Johnny Swinger in 7:57 with a schoolboy after David Young's interference backfired, as it usually does. Sonny Siaki was at ringside for Diamond and Glenn Gilberti for Swinger, and both were involved. Crowd has never taken to this feud because they don't see Diamond as a babyface. Actually, that was a big problem much of the show as there is no clean face/heel lines, and the crowd doesn't react to the moves, so only the strong personalities get reaction. The heels did the post-match beat down with Trinity joining in Gilbert, Swinger and Young. Swinger tore up what was supposedly Diamond's sentimental ring robe as it was the one he wore the first time they teamed up, and blew his nose in it. I like those kind of angles, but you have to get the object over for weeks before anyone cares when you deface it.

 

4. Monty Brown pinned Sabu in 8:35 in an Extreme rules match, which meant falls count anywhere. Sabu was really trying but doesn't work well with Brown, who is very athletic but super green as a heel. Lots of usage of chairs and bawling outside the ring but they'd seen it in match one. They ended up in a vacant locker room, which turned out to be the room Abyss was chairing with Frenchy. I don't know what Abyss did to Brown. But he came out and no-sold everything Sabu did, and power bombed Sabu through a table. Brown came out and brawled with Abyss, and then gave Sabu a flying tackle and pinned him on the floor.

 

The Franchise (Shane Douglas & Michael Shane) have problems. Basically, both are only in it for themselves. We had a weird technical deal as they switched to the ring while Monty Brown just started doing a promo with Scott Hudson.

 

5. D-Lo Brown & Apolo won the NWA tag titles from Kid Kash & Dallas via DQ in 8:24. Kash carried the match and as good as he can sometimes be, he sure wasn't tonight. Botched spots galore. Apolo has no charisma. Brown had Kash pinned when Dallas hit both Brown and Apolo with a pipe for the DQ. The ref noted that in TNA, the titles change hands via DQ. Nobody remembered that rule. The story was that Dallas wasn't aware of it and thought he was saving the title and Kash was mad at Dallas for not knowing. The people popped big for the title change finish. We still haven't established how Dallas is related to Kash. Don West surmised that maybe they were just both from the same trailer park.

 

6. Chris Harris pinned Raven to earn a title shot at Jeff Jarrett next week in 17:13. Harris' left shoulder was all wrapped up and he's a lefty. Earlier in the show, A.J. Styles asked Russo if he could get the match with Raven since Harris was hurt, but Harris said, "Over my dead body." Most of the match was Raven working the left shoulder, including using a chicken wing crossface. And yes, there was a Bob Backlund reference, to his WWF title win using the move over Bret Hart. James Storm came out and at one point distracted Raven. Russo came out and told Storm to leave. Sabu then came out and attacked Storm. Sabu was acting as the babyface when he jumped Storm which is again part of the problem. Raven worked as the heel but the people like him, but they also like Harris. By the end, the people were with it and it was a very good match with lots of near falls and submission exchanges with Harris reversing out of the chicken wing into a dragon sleeper. Raven used the crossface and Harris pushed him backwards for the obligatory ref bump. Harris then speared into a chair and Raven went of the pin and no ref. Raven used a low blow, and went for the DDT, but Harris used an inside cradle. Ref got up and counted three.

 

The only thing announced for next week was Jarrett vs. Harris for the NWA title in a cage match. They referenced that the best match in company history (arguable point but it's a solid pick) was the XXX vs. AMW cage match and Harris scored the winning fall in that match.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Holy Sh*t! The Main Event got nearly 20 minutes?! And all the other matches reach 10:00 or so each as well? Who's booking?! Sure as hell ain't Dutch "How about a 4:00 title Match" Mantell.