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Welcome to PWInsider.com's NWA Powerrr Report. I was unable to watch the episode as it was streaming live due to well, real life, but now that I'm home, here's the report, which I'm
posting live as I watch. Cory Strode will be back next week with the usual NWA report!
This was the first-ever episode broadcast live in the history of the series, from Knoxville, TN at the Knoxville Convention Center.
They opened with a Memorial graphic for Jay Briscoe.
They went into a video feature on everything that has gone down recently in the NWA.
Kyle Davis, inside the ring, welcomed everyone to the show. Odinson was in the ring. Davis said that he was asking for a "No Tables Match" against Bully Ray and asked if he was afraid of Bully putting him through a table. Odinson said he didn't need weapons and played by the rules. He was a weapon and doesn't need tables. He was here for Odin and Asgard.
They went to Joe Galli, Tim Storm and Velvet Sky at ringside. They said tonight will be a little longer than usual and they have a wedding in the main event.
Bully Ray vs. Odinson
Before the bell could ring, Odinson and Ray went nose to nose. Ray played to the fans on the ropes but Odinson nailed him with a lowblow. Since it was before the bell, there couldnt br a DQ. Ray still demanded they ring the bell. Ray schoolboyed him as he charged and scored several two counts. Odinson nailed a lariat and stomped away on Ray. Ray chopped at him but was hit with several forearms. Odinson controlled Ray, who fired back with a series of rights. Odinson nailed a forearm to the back of the neck and choked him against the ropes.
Odinson kept working over Ray and scored several two counts. He cinched in a rear chinlock. Ray came back with a back suplex but was too spent to immediately capitalize. Odinson nailed some big forearms and followed up with a uranage. He nailed the Pounce. Ray recovered and shoved Odinson, who collided with Zebra Kevin Keenan in the corner, making Odinson babyface of the year. Odinson, who had claimed he didn't need a table before the match, was now setting one up. He went to put Ray through it but Ray stopped him and chokeslammed Odinson through the table as the referee recovered.
Your winner by DQ, Odinson!
So, they advertised a tables match, then changed it, and then used the table as a DQ? OK. I hope this leads to a Best of Three Tables match or something then.
They plugged the 'Nuff Said PPV (Love the reference to Stan Lee) and the post-PPV taping in Tampa.
They ran a plug for Austin Idol's wrestling school.
Kyle Davis interviewed Thrillbilly Silas Mason and Pollo Del Mar. Mason plays a great old school Southern babyface and has a strong gift for gab. He's feels like he walked right out of Continental Wrestling in the 80s. He said Cylon and Austin Idol tried to pull a fast one on him but the NWA National belt will look great around his waist. Pollo said they were coming for the National title.
NWA United States Champions The Fixers vs. The Country Gentlemen
Jay Bradley battled back and forth with AJ Cazana, exchanging maneuvers. The Fixers tried to channel the Nasty Boys with The Pit Stop but Bradley ended up in the pits. Anthony Andrews tagged in and used Cazana as a weapon. The story early on was that the Fixers weren't on the same page. The Country Gentlemen double-teamed Bradley. He came back with an evil looking clothesline and put the boots to Cazana. The announcers put over Cazana was home here in Knoxville and his family were in the house. The Champs worked over Cazana for some time, tagging in and out. They mocked the Tennessee Vols on the mic. Legursky missed a headbutt, allowing Andrews to get the hot tag and clean house. They battled, with a few miscues until Bradley nailed a gutwrench suplex. Legursky went for an Avalanche in the corner but Cazana side-stepped him and rolled up Wrecking Ball for the pin,
Your winners and new NWA United States Champions, The Country Gentlemen!
This was OK but the crowd was really into it and LOVED the finish, which made this feel a little more special.
Next up was the NWA Championship Contract signing for the 'Nuff Said PPV. Matt Cardona was with Mike Knox. BLK Jeez was with NWA Champion Tyrus. Jeez told Cardona to just sign the contract and get his ass whipped. Cardona said this wasn't the National Talkshow Alliance, but the National Wrestling Alliance. He said he needs to be the Champion. Tyrus said it doesn't say Internet Champion. Tyrus admitted Cardona has a legitimate belief and that he's actually an disputed champion (since Cardona was stripped), so he suggested Cardona sign the deal so they can figure it out with everyone else left out of it.
Cardona refused to sign so the fans chanted for him to sign it. The announcers had said earlier that Tyrus had issues with the contract, so this is just weird. Jeez finally offered a match to determine the stips, so Cardona agreed to find a partner and it will happen next week. But, the match is on! I guess?
NWA Women's Tag Team Champion Kenzie Paige vs. Charlette Renegade
Paige disrespected Renegade early on. She reminded me of the early NXT era of Saraya in look and mannerisms. Charlotte fought back and Paige powdered to the outside. Renegade gave chose on the floor and tripped her as she returned to the ring. Renegade nailed a big clothesline and was snapped into the buckles for a two count. Renegade came back with a powerslam and went for a DVDR. Paige escaped but was hit with a flapjack for a two count. Paige caught her with a superkick but went to the floor to grab the NWA Women's Tag Team title instead. Paige teased hitting her with the title, so the referee took the belt, allowing her to throw powder in Renegade's face and scoring the pin.
Your winner, Kenzie Paige!
Kyle Davis interviewed NWA Women's Champion Kamille and Tom Lattimer. Their opponents, the debuting Psycho Love, weren't there due to travel issues with the weather. Yeah, right. Kamille questioned whether that was the truth. Lattimer said they were a pair of wimps. Well, of course, Fodder and Angelina Love attacked them and beat them down in the ring. I wonder if they decided to just do the angle because they were already 48 minutes in and the original plan was for the show to only run an hour and 20 minutes.
Team Rock n' Roll defeated Team Tyrus - CHAMPIONS SERIES FINAL
It started with La Rosa Nega, subbing for Jennacide vs. Allysin Kay. Nega forced her to submit with a triangle choke after a TKO. The story was that the winning team could pick who from the losing side entered next. Robyn Renegade entered the ring and they battled. Nosa slammed her hard and nailed a few kicks. Rosa was drilled with an elbow during a charge. At times it wasn't pretty. Renegade was kicked in the back of the head. Rosa missed a charge in the corner and was dropkicked. She nailed a missile dropkick but Rosa kicked out. Rosa went for an abdominal stretch and pulled her over for the pin but something went wrong and Rosa forced to tap in a weird sequence.
Tyrus and Robyn called for Madi to hit the ring and they battled. Madi rolled her up and hooked the tights but Robyn kicked up, Madi sent her into the corner but was kicked off several times. She nailed a nice looking scissor kick and scored the pin, taking out Renegade. Samantha Starr hit the ring and they battled with Madi hooking the tights but Starr escaping. Starr caught her with a DDT and nailed the pinfall.
This sent Taya Valkyrie into the ring and they battled back and forth. Taya was nailed with a bulldog out of the corner for a two count. Taya followed up with a knee to the chin and a clothesline. She nailed a double knee strike in the corner. Taya caught her and nailed Road to Valhalla for the pin, so Starr was gone. Taya called for the masked Carnage to face her. EC3 distracted her, so Carnage tossed her over the top and eliminated her. Wait, they can just toss each other over the top?
Carnage called in Mims. Mims, a great babyface, had some fiery moves but was quickly taken out and pinned. That was underwhelming to see. Carnage called Chris (Masters) Adonis into the ring. Adonis obliged and was worked over early on. The crowd chanted "Rock N' Roll." Masters nailed a dropkick and cinched in the Masterlock. He took out Carnage. Trevor Murdoch was next in and battled with Adonis, whipping him hard in the corner. Murdoch nailed some hard chops and took Masters down. Murdoch was caught and tossed over the top, eliminated. He wasn't happy and pulled Adonis out of the ring, where they brawled. Adonis was sent into the ring post. Murdoch slammed him on the apron. The crowd was pretty alive for this.
Adonis was tossed back in, where Thrillbilly charged and clotheslined him in the corner. He nailed a spinning Black Hole Slam and scored the pin. Live, the crowd has loved all of this. Alex Taylor took it right to Thrillbilly and they battled. There was some nice energy here. Taylor went him into the corner with a head scissors but was caught coming off the ropes and hit with the spinning Black Hole Slam.
Dak Draper is the last man standing for the Express' Team. He took the fight to Thrillbilly. He was tossed over the top but saved himself and nailed Thrillbilly. Draper fired back with right hands. He was caught and drilled to the mat but Draper kicked out at the last second. He went for the Black Hole Slam but Draper reversed it into a schoolboy and scored the pin.
It's down to Draper vs. Team Tyrus' EC3 for everything. EC3 nailed a head and arms Tazplex and drilled Draper with a kick to the jaw. Draper showed some nice fire as a babyface. EC3 tossed him over the top but Draper landed on apron and saved himself. EC3 took him down and went to the floor to jaw with Ricky Morton. Draper saved himself from over the top rope elimination again and nailed a jawbreaker and a flapjack. EC3 cut him off with a clothesline and went for a powerbomb but Draper turned it into a pinfall combination.
Your winners, Team Rock N' Roll Express!
This was all over the place but there was an energy for it live as it was very much a throwback to Southern Wrestling chaos.
The two teams faced off but were held apart by the officials.
The main event was the wedding between Aron Stevens and May Valentine.
Santino Marella was the officiant. He claimed to be Sam Temo and was not who everyone thinks he is. Uh Huh. Marella did a few jokes about Stevens being stuck with the same woman for the rest of his life, but at least he found a Brazilian. Stevens read his vows, which were some pretty awful rhymes. Just like Lou Thesz used to do, right? May said Aron made her believe in love after having her heart broken so many times. The fact he wants to be with her for the rest of her life makes her so happy.
To the shock of no one, there was someone objecting! Out came Pollo del Mar, saying Aron would just embarrass her. Chris Silvio came out and objected that Jax Dane wasn't main eventing the show. That was actually funny. Mercurio showed up and issued a third objection, OK three objections, we're out. He said Stevens feet stink and if you want to marry someone, it should be an "Italiano" Then, Natalya Markova objected. FOUR! She said that Aron was fake and clearly didn't love her. She began to become infatuated with Mercurio as she described what love should be, then pulled Mercurio away to apparently attack him.
Stevens complained to the fans he wasn't fake. Santino asked for the license and he couldn't find it but finally did. Santino said the wedding license was for two American citizens and since she's got a green card, they can't get married today. Aron claimed he's never seen him in his life and got him at 1-800-JUDGE, but said apparently they can't get married today. He began backtracking on getting married, but it's not clear exactly why or what he gets out of this.
Valentine lost it, saying she had friends and family come from Brazil to this wedding and lost it. She threw her flowers at Stevens and began smashing the table with all the gifts. Stevens was upset over losing all the free stuff apparently. She smashed the cake. She grabbed a champagne bottle and confronted Stevens. He tried to beg off and she smashed the bottle on the masked Damage's body as Stevens hid. She screamed that she hated him as they went off the air.
I don't understand what the hell happened here, so someone please feel free to email me and let me know!!
Overall, a mixed bag. I enjoyed the Champions Series finals as it was pretty frenzied and energetic, even if the rules weren't exactly clear. This felt like something that would have happened in Memphis or Texas in the territory days and by the end, Dak Draper got over as the babyface saving the day for Team Ricky Morton. The U.S. Tag Team title belt was exactly what it needed to be for a TNA audience. The Paige match was fine. The other segments were more confusing for me. The announcers said Tyrus had an issue with the contract but then it was Cardona refusing to sign. Huh? Then, the wedding was really...weird. As a comedy deal, some of the objections were funny *especially Mercurio and Silvio) but even with comedy in mind, I don't get what Aron Stevens was trying to do to May Valentine. I can buy her losing her sh** on her wedding day, but it just didn't connect with me and I was most bemused and scratching my head wondering where I was missing why this was happening more than anything else, so someone please, help me fill in the gaps.
The episode ran an hour and 34 minutes, so they were a little over on time.
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