Chris Kelly sent this recap in:
The TNA “Cross the Line” Promo is shown then the TNA Epics logo hits then the TNA Epics opening hits and we are shown clips of superstars that have made an appearance in TNA with the likes of Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall ,The Road Warriors, Roddy Piper and Jeff Hardy all shown.
We are welcomed to the show by the Hardcore Legend Mick Foley. He asks if we are for epic TNA World title matches and as an winner of a few title matches,he suggest that parents put their kids to bed as we go to the first match of thw night.
Jeff Jarrett vs Raven, with Julio Dinero & Alexis Laree, for the the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in 2003
They locked up, and Jarrett broke clean on the ropes. Raven downed Jarrett with a shoulderblock for an early two count. Raven outwrestled Jarrett, until he slid through the ropes to the floor and Jarrett dropkicked him in the head, between the ropes. Jarrett tossed Raven into the rails.
As Jarrett got back in the ring, Julio grabbed his leg, allowing Raven to get an advantage. Alexis distracted the referee, and Julio ran in with a chair, but missed and hit Raven. Jarrett tossed Julio to the floor, and hit a pescado on Julio and Alexis. Raven, who was busted open following the chairshot, then hit Jarrett with a plancha. Raven took over on the floor, and Jarrett was soon bleeding as well. Raven went to put Jarrett through a table, but Jarrett rolled back into the ring, so Raven hit him with a forearm off the top instead. Raven hit a kneelift, and a drop toe hold into a chair for a two count. Both men were bleeding heavily. Raven used a rear chinlock to wear Jarrett down, then kneed him in the gut when Jarrett fought up. Raven went for a sleeper, and Jarrett broke it once, but Raven got it back on.
Jarrett slumped to the mat, but fought back up and broke out with a jawbreaker. Jarrett went for a stunner, but Raven shoved it off, and both men fell to the mat. They both slugged it out, and Julio and Alexis tried to get involved again, but Jarrett knocked them off the apron. Jarrett catapulted Raven into the buckles, but only got a two count. Raven hit a superkick for a two count. Raven missed a back elbow, and Jarrett hit the Stroke for a two count. Raven reversed a whip into a DDT for a two count. Jarrett hit a clothesline and both men went over the top rope to the floor. Jarrett put Raven on the table that was set up earlier and pounded him. Jarrett went to the second rope, but Julio attacked him. Jarrett elbowed Julio off him and to the floor. Jarrett jumped off the second rope and put Raven through the table on the floor with an elbow. Jarrett brought Raven back into the ring and hit a DDT, but Alexis and Julio pulled the referee from the ring. The referee ordered them away from ringside. As the referee got on the apron, Raven rammed Jarrett into him, sending the ref to the floor.
Raven hit Jarrett with a low blow, and fell to the mat. The Harris Brothers and Mike Sanders ran out, but Brian Lee, Slash, Mike Awesome and Jim Mitchell came out and stopped them, fighting back through the crowd. New Jack, Perry Saturn, Justin Credible and Sandman ran in and attacked Jarrett, handcuffing him, and beating him up including a superkick Conchairto with Credible and Saturn superkicking chairs held by Sandman and New Jack into Jarrett’s head. Team Extreme cleared out, and Raven prepared to hit the handcuffed Jarrett with a chair.
The lights went out, and when they came back on, Sabu was in the ring. Sabu threw a chair at Raven, then hit Air Sabu on him in the corner to a huge ovation. Sabu knocked members of Team Extreme off the apron to the floor, then hit a chair launch into a springboard somersault senton on members of Team Extreme on the floor. Sabu exited through the crowd, accidentally knocking down a fan on his way out. In the ring, Raven and Jarrett got back up, and Raven slugged the handcuffed Jarrett. Raven prepared to hit Jarrett with a chair, but Raven missed the chairshot and hit the ropes, with the chair bouncing back into Raven’s face. Jarrett covered Raven for a two count. The referee was given a key to the cuffs (Mike Tenay said it was a “universal” cuff key) and started to unlock them. Raven went after Jarrett, but the referee backed him up. Raven then helped take the cuffs off Jarrett, and yelled at him to get up. Raven hit a DDT, but Jarrett kicked out at two. Raven picked up Jarrett for a second DDT, but Jarrett reversed it into the Stroke and got the pin.
A few fans threw garbage into the ring. Dusty Rhodes came to the ring, shook hands with Jarrett, and raised his arm.
NWA World Heavyweight Title Match at Unbreakable 2005
Raven (C) vs. Rhino
Raven brings out a garbage can full of weapons and throws them all over the ring. He grabs a chain, and Rhino grabs a Kendo stick. Rhino goes to the outside, and Raven throws a trashcan to the outside at him. Rhino climbs back in the ring. Raven and Rhino both have Kendo Sticks. They tease dueling before they fight and dont’ really use them. Raven works over Rhino and chokes him with a crutch. Rhino rakes him in the eyes and comes back. Rhino chokes Raven on the mat. Rhino stomps away at Raven. Rhino wraps some nunchucks around the throat of Raven. Rhino with a leg drop. Raven gets a pizza cutter and grinds it into the face of Rhino. Rhino is busted open. Raven grabs 2 cooking sheets and slams them across Rhino’s head. They fight to the outside. Raven throws Rhino into a keg sitting over near the announce position. Tenay must have gotten a little thirsty. Raven goes to look under the ring for some more weapons, and Rhino comes in and attacks him from behind. Rhino grabs the keg and nails Raven with it a couple times. He goes for a third shot, but Raven moves, and it crashes into the ring post. Raven with a Singapore cane shot to the head of Rhino. They go back into the ring. Raven slams the Singapore cane across Rhino’s head and back. Near fall. Raven puts on an ankle lock.
Raven continues to synch on the ankle lock. Rhino eventually breaks it and nails a right hand to Raven. Raven goes to the outside. Rhino follows with a chair and nails it to the back of Raven. Rhino goes and grabs the garbage can and nails Raven in the head with it. West notes falls count anywhere in this match. Rhino rolls Raven back into the ring. Rhino stomps away at Raven. Raven is now busted open as well. Rhino with another garbage can shot to Raven. Raven sets up against the bottom turnbuckle on the mat, and Rhino places the garbage can over his face. Rhino then kicks the can into Raven’s face. Rhino grinds his foot into Raven’s face. Rhino charges in with a boot, but Raven dodges it and locks on an ankle lock on Rhino. Rhino grabs the trash can, and slams it over Raven’s head to break the hold. Rhino picks up a staple gun. He staples Raven in the top of the head, just above the forehead. He puts in a second staple. Rhino then grabs a chair and slams it over the back and head of Raven. Rhino sets the chair under Raven. Rhino goes up top, and comes off with a body splash, but Raven moves and Rhino lands on the chair. Both men are down.
They reach their feet and Raven gets in some shoulder blocks to the gut. Raven fights back with some left hands and a clothesline. Raven sends Rhino into the turnbuckle, then nails a clothesline as Rhino bounces out of the corner. Raven with a running knee. Raven with a bulldog. Near fall. Raven grabs the chair and sets it up. Rhino slams Raven’s face into it. Rhino goes for the cover and gets a count of 2. Cassidy Riley runs out. He distracts the ref and Raven nails the Raven Effect DDT. Raven makes the cover but Riley is still talking to the ref. Finally the ref makes the count, but Rhino kicks out. Riley screams “I’m sorry Boss!” as Raven looks at him. Rhino nails a ladder shot on Raven. The ladder lays against a chair at a 45 degree angle, and Raven powerbombs Rhino on top of it bending the ladder. Rhino rolls to the outside. Rhino uses the ladder to nail Raven with it in a teeter totter way as it layed on the rope. Near fall. Rhino goes outside and throws the shopping cart into Raven at the ropes. Rhino throws the shopping cart into the ring. Raven fights off Rhino, and then rams the shopping cart into Rhino in the corner. Rhino gets in a low blow. Rhino dodges a Gore attempt, and drop toe holds Rhino into the shopping cart. Jeff Jarrett comes out and grabs the title belt. He acts as if he is going to nail Raven with it, but Jeff Hardy runs out and grabs the belt away. Raven DDT’s Jarrett and then Rhino. Raven makes the cover and gets the pinfall.
Winner and STILL NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Raven
Mick Foley welcomes us back to TNA Epics, he puts over the last match with all the blood and gore. The next match is one he likes to watch over and over and over and over again
NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match at Hard Justice 2005
Special Guest Referee: Tito Ortiz
Jeff Jarrett (c) vs. AJ Styles
A chant for Styles breaks out right away as both Jarrett and Styles lock up, moving around the ring. Ortiz breaks it up in the corner. Jarrett pushes Styles to the corner and Ortiz breaks that up, pushing Jarrett away with some force. Jarrett gets a go-behind lock on Styles, but Styles counters that into one of his own until Jarrett trips him up. Styles starts to work on the left arm of Jarrett, gets pushed off the ropes by Jarrett, both smack shoulder first in the middle of the ring and Styles taunts at Jarrett to bring it. Styles kicks Jarrett in the leg and then follows that up with a few chops. Jarrett slides under the bottom rope and starts to walk up the ramp as Ortiz starts the count. Ortiz gets to 9 as Jarrett gets back in. Jarrett goes after Styles with a few hard rights and then nails his head off the corner. Styles slides under Jarrett and connects with a huge dropkick. Styles gives Jarrett a scoop slam, goes off the ropes and jumps in the air hitting a big knee to the head on the mat. Styles nails Jarrett’s head off the corner, irish whips him into another and then hits a jumping clothesline splash.
Jarrett then drops Styles’ knee over his and then uses the ropes for leverage to drop his body over it. Jarrett applies a submission on Styles’ knee and then Jarrett trips him up when he stands up. Jarrett lifts up Styles again and throws his knee into the corner with impact. Jarrett then sets up Styles for the Figure Four. Jarrett applies it as Ortiz looks on. Styles falls to his back and Ortiz counts the pinfall, but he gets a shoulder up each time. Styles then drags Jarrett while still in the move towards the ropes. Jarrett stops more of this from happening by dragging Styles back into the middle of the ring. Styles then starts to turn it over, countering the submission. Jarrett grabs the bottom rope and Ortiz breaks it up. Styles gets in a few elbows to Jarrett’s gut, jumps at him, Styles lands in the corner, Jarrett turns around and Styles hits a big tornado DDT. Styles then clotheslines Jarrett over the top rope and then favors his knee in the ring. Styles jumps over the top rope, lands on the ring apron, Jarrett clips him and Styles falls on the ring apron holding his leg in pain. Styles gets back on his feet and Jarrett gives him a baseball slide under the bottom rope. Ortiz starts the count. He gets to 8 when Styles gets up on the ring apron. Jarrett knocks Styles off the ring apon back to the outside.
Jarrett tries to knock off Styles again, but Ortiz holds him back and stops it from happening. Styles pulls Jarrett under the bottom rope to the outside. Styles gets in a few right hands, but Jarrett sends Styles into the ring post instead. Jarrett then grabs a guitar and Ortiz leaves the ring confronting Jarrett. Jarrett goes to swing it when Styles comes from behind and takes it away. Styles tries to hit Jarrett with it, but Ortiz stops Styles. Styles then smashes it across the ring post and on the ground a few times. Jarrett jumps in attacking Styles until Styles counters and puts Jarrett back in the ring. Styles springboards off the top rope and hits a flying forearm. Styles takes out Jarrett with a spinkick followed by a springboard off the ropes into an inverted DDT. Styles covers, but only gets a two count. Styles attempts the Styles Clash, but Jarrett counters. Styles jumps up looking to hit a huricanranna, but Jarrett counters into a powerbomb for a two count. Jarrett goes for The Stroke, but Styles counters out of it. Styles charges at Jarrett, but Jarrett hits a quick powerslam for a two count. Styles gets a backslide pin on Jarrett for a two count. Styles gets a small package on Jarrett, but yet again gets a two count. Styles then takes out Jarrett with a pele kick. Jarrett goes for The Stroke again, Styles counters, Jarrett then lifts up Styles and hits the Styles Clash on him! Jarrett rolls over for a 2.Styles kicks out! Styles blocks a sulpex and gives Jarrett The Stroke. Styles covers, but Jarrett gets a shoulder up after two. Styles goes up to the top rope, jumps, but misses a 450 splash. Monty Brown hits the ring and he takes out Jarrett with The Pounce instead! Styles covers, Ortiz is arguing with Brown, another referee comes in and counts, but Ortiz pulls the referee out saying he is in control. Styles confronts Ortiz. Jarrett gives Styles a low blow and props him up on the corner. Ortiz gets in Jarrett’s face and Jarrett pushes him away. Ortiz pulls Jarrett down. Jarrett shoves Ortiz and Ortiz knocks out Jarrett. Styles goes up to the top, hits the Spiral Tap and covers for the 3
Winner & NEW World Heavyweight Champion: AJ Styles
Epics Thoughts
Tonight’s show was a really enjoyable show to match as they offered three different types of title match in the form of a brawl based match,a hardcore match and a speical guest ref match.
The Jarrett vs Raven match & the Rhino/Raven showed that Raven can be a top card talent in TNA and with his awesome promo at their last PPV,I would expect TNA to keep him as he is what they seem to lack : Well known names that can make younger wrestlers looks good and put them over.
On a non TNA Epics note, I am schedule to be recapping ECW on Sci-Fi this Tuesday,so jump into the Wrestleview chat for an extremely fun show.
Thats it for TNA Epics this week,Love it? Hate it? Just want to talk wrestling,shoot me an email to chriskismad@hotmail.com.