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| June 21, 2008
For an always entertaining review of Nashville’s weekly wrestling TV shows, SAW and NWA Main Event, check out Jerkin’ the Curtain radio with Trent Van Drisse and Tommy Stewart. Deputy Commissioner Gordon was outside the Mecca with the amazing Gypsy Joe, age 74. Gordon asked Joe why he was there. “I come here because they tell me this is the best show that is going in town, and they sawing through the competition.” The bulbous head of Jack Johnson appeared out of nowhere. “Sawing through the competition. If it ain’t NWA, it ain’t wrestling.” Right to the first of many ad for Slam Jam 2008 tonight at the Fairgrounds Sports Arena. The stip for the NWA Mid-America Title match between Marc Anthony and “Atomic Dogg” Ali Stevens was revealed –a dog collar match. The Battle Royal was now listed as rumble rules. Shane “Biggie” Smalls was seated at a kitchen table with Enforcer Jeff Daniels. On the table was a Mid-America Television Title trophy commemorating Daniels’ as the longest reigning champion. It was a replica of a Greco Roman wrestling sculpture – the one that always appeared in the opening of the Memphis wrestling show. Daniels said a new TV champion would be crowned in a few short hours at Slam Jam 2008. Daniels said that title was near and dear to his heart because he was the one who retired it. Smalls said he was looking forward to winning the TV title and hoped he could defend it in a manner that would do Daniels proud. (1) Kid Nickels beat Greg King Jr. in 6:07. On commentary, Jason James and Tyler did the hard sell for Slam Jam. James said the show would not be filmed for television. Clemens couldn’t wait to find out the stipulation for Anthony/Stevens to be announced during the contract signing later in the show. Clemens said King had a win over the champion (a DQ where he got completely trashed). Nickels was getting outwrestled, so he went the rough stuff and hit an Angle Slam to start the heat. Clemens redeemed himself here. “He may not have won any gold medals but that was a heck of suplex slam.” King kicked out of a sidewalk slam. King crashed and burned on a twisting crossbody. Nickels kept grounding King with a chinlock. King broke free with a jawbreaker. King’s comeback built to a high monkey flip. King went for another one. Nickels blocked it and got the pin with his feet all over the ropes. King and Nickels each cut promos for their rematch on June 24. King said he got cheated and there would be no more fast ones. Nickels said King was crying like a baby and he didn’t care, because he would do it again. Nickels said he was not the same wholesome Kid Nickels. A kid Nickels is not. A sailor that spent too long at sea maybe. Daniels was at the table with Steve-O. Daniels reiterated his storied history with the TV title. O said Daniels was a great competitor but that was way back in the day. “Jeff Daniels, This is 2008. This isn’t back in the day. Steve O will be your new NWA Mid-America Television Champion.” O patted Daniels on the shoulder and left. “We’ll just see who you draw first round,” said Daniels. (2) White Tiger pinned Steven Green at 3:40 with the loaded mask. This was back and forth babyface vs. babyface. Green dominated. Tiger begged off. Green mounted the ropes for the 10 punches. As ref Jerry Ryman admonished Green for climbing on the ropes (?), Tiger loaded up his mask. “I don’t think that was a cold compress either,” said Clemens. Tiger headbutted Green for the pin. Tiger slipped the object back into his tights. Suffice to say Tiger is no Houdini. Damien Payne ran out to congratulate Tiger on turning to the dark side, but before he could raise Tiger’s hand, he took a classic slipped-on-banana peel fall. We saw LT Falk in the parking lot of the Fairgrounds Arena hyping the revival of the Mid-America Television Title at Slam Jam ’08. “I’m in it to win it.” (3) Steve-O beat Shank “The Freak” Barzini (with Uncle Walter Barzini). JIP with Barzini getting heat on O. The last 2:30 aired. Clemens said it had been confirmed that Ryman knew how to count to three. James said if he had to count to four they might be in trouble. Comical finish. Barzini did a leapfrog that was a hop rather than a leap. Give O credit for getting low enough to survive it. O nailed a superkick for the pin, but for the second week in a row, he landed ass first after delivering the move. Daniels was at the table with Falk. Daniels gave Falk the same lecture he gave to Smalls and O. Falk said Daniels was great back in the day, but he was going to be the new champion. Falk left. Daniels stroked his goatee. “Way back in the day?” A cocky Steve-O wanted to know who he opponent was for tonight. Daniels said the reason O didn’t know was because of his smart attitude. Daniels told O that in order to get to the finals, he was going to have to dance with the devil himself – the former champion, Dante. O said that would be a perfect test to see if he’s ready for the top. “Oh, it will be a test,” said Daniels. (4) Shane Smalls beat J. T. Lightning. JIP. James noted Daniels’ frustration with the way the TV Title situation was unfolding. James said nobody around NWA Main Event wanted to deal with a POed Daniels. James said Daniels title run was no means back in the day (the trophy said his reign ended in 2006). Lightning’s big moves were a Side Effect and a tornado DDT. There was a spot where Lightning was supposed to take a backdrop to the apron and didn’t make it, so he threw himself over the top rope. Lightning went for MVP’s Overdrive, and Smalls reversed into a spinning neckbreaker, Last Rites style, for the pin. (5) Damien Payne pinned Andy Douglas in 7:06. Crowd large for Douglas at the start. As Douglas totally dominated Payne with basic wrestling, James and Clemens joked about taking a shot at being in the Gulas Memorial battle royal themselves. They talked about being in Lebanon for the NWA World Heavyweight Title match last Saturday. Everything but the match. Payne stepped aside on Douglas’ corner splash to seize the advantage. Payne zeroed in that thrashed rib area. Payne applied a body scissors for the longest time I’ve seen since I don’t know when. Douglas caught Payne with his head down and hit a hangman neckbreaker. Douglas used a downward spiral. Did that did ever look ugly. Payne rolled a shoulder at 2 and ½. Douglas hit a sitout butterfly facebuster. Payne shocked the announcers by kicking out of it. Payne ducked Douglas’ bull rush into the corner and rolled him up with his feet on the ropes. Smalls cut a promo on Falk for tonight’s match in the semifinals of the NWA TV Title Tournament. The graphic said June 24. James interviewed Tiger and Payne. James called Tiger’s actions “apprehensible.” Payne said he was going to end Douglas’ career on June 24. Douglas called Payne’s win a fluke. Douglas said he handpicked Payne as his opponent, and Payne repaid him with disrespect. Douglas said he was pulling out his old tricks next week. Gordon, Daniels and Scott Barry were all in the ring for the contract signing. Stevens came out. Charming Charles came out but no Anthony. Charles read the contract and refused to sign. Daniels told him sign or forfeit the title. Stevens was chomping at the bit to sign once he read that it was a dog collar match. Charles finally signed under great duress. Charles shoved Stevens, who grabbed him up by the collar. Daniels stepped in and Stevens collared him. Cut to a close up of the NWA Mid-America title belt propped up on a toilet seat. A company of toy army men was spread across out across the toilet seat and two folded steel chairs. The camera pulled back to show Marc Anthony talking to his “men.” Anthony was wearing an army helmet and had a toilet plunger in his hand. Charles showed up in a panic and asked Anthony what he was doing. Anthony said he was addressing the masses. Charles informed about the dog collar match. “Gentleman, our D-Day is here. Tonight we storm the beaches of the Mecca, the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. Troops, you’re sole mission is to protect that belt. You need to make sure it comes home with my Uncle Charles.” Clutching the belt to his chest, Charles said Stevens wasn’t taking it. Anthony blew his army to smithereens with a one swift kick. “The only thing you people, and you (Charles), and everybody in the world need to worry about, Uncle Charles, is that when all is said and done tonight, that belt is going to be around your waist, and the following week I shall return.” Anthony saluted and barked into the toilet plunger. Charles did the “crazier than an outhouse rat” line. (6) Eric Wayne beat LT Falk to win the NWA Mid-America X Division Title. JIP with Wayne in control, and the announce team hyping the TV Title Tournament one last time. Wayne measured Falk and missed with a long distance middle rope legdrop. Wayne stayed down grasping at his knee. Falk was up first. Wayne bumped huge for Falk’s comeback. A Falk enzuigiri knocked Wayne loopy. Wayne recovered to hit a Harley Race high knee for a near fall. Wayne hit a MONSTER sitout powerbomb. Falk made a miraculous kick out. The announce team went nuts about Falk’s intestinal fortitude. Falk went for a slingshot sunset flip from the apron, but Wayne grabbed the ropes and sat down. Referee Jamie Ferrari kicked Wayne’s hands, and Falk rolled through for a two count. Wayne reversed and used the ropes undetected to get the three count. Cut to Gordon standing by with a pissed off Daniels. Daniels said he gave Stevens a dog collar match, and got snatched up by the collar for his troubles. Daniels said he was proud of being a former television champion, and for that, he got disrespected by Falk and Steve-O. Daniels said he was tired of the disrespect and if he had to slap people around, he would do it. “But you know what? Ha. Ha. Ha. You gotta remember one thing: If the Crippler don’t get ya, the pencil will.” Closing Thoughts: A fascinating show. They crammed a ton into one hour. It had by far the best story of any of the four Main Events episodes I’ve seen. There was nothing special about the wrestling, and some it was pretty bad. Booker Jeff Daniels did a hell of a job building interest in the TV Title tournament in one hour to where in my mind, it became more a compelling reason to attend Slam Jam than the main event. Daniels becoming a major on screen force is a huge plus in my book. His facial expressions were awesome. He’s a great talker, which is a real weakness here because the great majority of workers are so young and short on mic experience. Anthony put on another amazing performance in this week’s vignette. He is way, way out there. What kind of a mind comes up with stuff like that? I love they way Charles, a pretty nutty dude in his own right, is the saner of the two. It was criminal to beat Douglas in his first singles match since returning to Main Event. If they’re not careful, he will become just another guy. Yeah, Payne badly needed a win, but not over the only talent in the promotion that has appeared on national television. The lack of top level guys for Douglas to feud with points out the lack of depth on the heel side. The return of Dante should shore that up, as will Daniels’ impending return to the ring. They need to go into more depth about Dante’s significance. Newer viewers would have no idea. The opener between Nickels and King was the smoothest wrestling on the show. O had another average performance, and he got no help from Barzini. I haven’t seen any of O’s work prior to this string of shows, but King looked to be the more pushable of the two based on inring skill. O was such a jerk in the segment with Daniels that I was hoping he would turn heel. Green/Tiger was forgettable indietastic fare (except for Payne falling down). Ditto for Smalls/Lightning. Falk and Wayne had a good match, at least the part that aired. They had good reason to get the X Division belt off of Falk based on the direction they were headed, but making the switch with no fanfare made it seem like a secondary belt, especially in the midst of all the hoopla around the TV Title. Three singles titles is overkill in any case. The camera work was much better this week. The announcing, which is usually good, not so much. |