NWA 70 Preview: History And Tradition Bring Us To Nashville To Celebrate Wrestling’s Most Heralded Promotion
The show started with the cold open but was plagued by audio issues.
Joe Galli introduced Tony Schiavone and Jim Cornette. Both men briefly discussed their history before Joe threw it to Jennifer Decker who was with the men in the first National Championship 4-Way. The Cabana interview couldn’t really be heard due to audio issues. However, you could hear the audience cheering for Jim and Tony. Cyrus Fees began the introductions for the opener.
NWA National Heavyweight Championship Qualifier Match A: Sammy Guevara vs. Samuel Shaw vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Colt Cabana
The action started off very quickly with action that is too quick to call. There was a lot of emphasis on Samuel Shaw. There was a brief comedy spot where everybody was slapping each other with Shaw’s glove almost as if to challenge someone to a duel. Which I’m sure Jim Cornette loved.
There was an awesome off the top shooting star dive from Sammy. Scorpio hit a senton dive of his own. Cabana went for a dive but ended up getting rolled up by Samuel Shaw which eliminated him. Quickly, Scorpio Sky hit a bicycle knee that eliminated Sammy and almost instantly Samuel Shaw eliminated Scorpio with a superkick.
Winner: Samuel Shaw
More audio issues delayed an interview between Jennifer Decker and Blue Demon Jr who challenged the winner of the main event to meet him for the NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship in Mexico.
Introductions started for the next match.
Laredo Kid vs Barrett Brown
I would love to give you a minute by minute breakdown of this match but it was absolutely frantic in its pace. Quite a few planchas to the floor by both competitors. Barrett countered a Spanish Fly into a wicked DDT. A springboard cutter happened in the middle of the match for a 2-count. I’m pretty sure that Jim Cornette was shocked by that. Laredo missed a dive and got caught with a bicycle knee by Barrett for the three count. Great match! Way too quick to keep up with as I predicted.
Winner: Barrett Brown
The audio issues persisted and you could hear Jim Cornette over a video package say “it’s like a crapshoot.”
Match B Qualifier for the NWA National Championship is next. Couldn’t tell a lot of what they were saying due to audio issues when competitors were being interviewed and the audio came up just after James Ellsworth showed up in the middle of Jay Bradley’s promo and Jen Decker said let’s send it back to Joe and Joe, referring to Joe Galli and Jim Cornette. Not off to a wonderful start so far with the audio. Ricky Starks suddenly was at the announce position and demanded his video package be played and just before it was completely over, we were sent to a ringside interview with NWA Legend Magnum TA…
NWA National Heavyweight Championship Qualifier Match B: Parrow vs. Willie Mack vs. Jay Bradley vs. Ricky Starks
Parrow was eliminated early on due to what looks like a botched count because everybody including Jim Cornette on commentary mentioned that he had his shoulder well off the ground before 3. The remaining three battled on until Starks caught Bradley in a surprise powerbomb which Willie Mack followed up with a five-star frog Splash eliminating Jay Bradley. Ricky hit a spear on Mac for a close two count but Willie Mack would eventually hit the stunner and move on to the finals.
Post-Match: Jenn Decker interviewed Willie Mack who was confronted by Samuel Shaw. Mac called him a crazy mofo and said something to the effect of you better be ready to handle this. Decker literally asked the men to have a stare-down and that’s when Jay Bradley attacked Mac from behind and James Ellsworth made the save.
A video package aired for Tim Storm versus Peter Avalon. Before the match, both men agreed that the loser would kiss the winner’s foot.
Tim Storm vs. Peter Avalon
Storm came on pretty hot with a backbreaker for a near fall and followed that up shortly after with a powerbomb for a second near fall. Avalon tried to bounce back and hit a nice crossbody for two. Ultimately, Storm got hooked by Avalon’s manager but when Avalon came charging in for a hit storm moved and his manager went flying. Tim Storm then hit a Black Hole Slam for the three count.
Winner: Tim Storm
After the match, Avalon tried to weasel out and have his manager kiss Tim’s foot which he did. Then, storm grabbed Avalon by the hair and made sure to rub his face into is exposed foot. Jim Cornette made the amazing call of “tucked into the tootsies.”
NWA Women’s Championship: Jazz (c) vs. Penelope Ford
It started out nice with some chain wrestling. Penelope Ford has a lot of gymnast like maneuvers in her arsenal, hitting a springboard into a cutter and dodging punches with Trish Stratus’s Matrix-like maneuver. Mostly though, this match was a showcase for Jazz, and it worked. Let me tell you, she is as good now as she was when she was in WWE if not better. She hit a maneuver called the Bitch Clamp (I laughed) which was really just the Glam slam without the sit out. Penelope kicked out of that. Jazz then hit a wicked Michinoku driver and Earl Hebner kind of screwed up the pin so Jazz immediately locked her into an STF and secured the victory by submission.
Winner And Still Champ: Jazz
Post-Match: Jazz said she’s tired of the men getting all the fun. She said it didn’t matter if you were a man or woman, black or white, she wanted the 10 lb of gold. Could we be seeing Jazz versus Cody one day?
Jim Cornette came into the ring and introduced Jeff Jarrett who’s carrying the new National heavyweight championship title with him. They both put each other over and the Asylum in Tennessee which is where the show is being held and we’re ready for our National Heavyweight Championship match.
NWA National Heavyweight Championship: Willie Mack vs. Samuel Shaw
Willie Mack jumped Samuel Shaw from behind as he was making his entrance. This, so far, was the best match of the night. Both men give it their all with a lot of intense power moves sprinkled with amazing athleticism. Late in the match, Shaw went for a senton bomb and missed. Willie Mack hit a stunner but Shaw kicked out of it. Shaw immediately hit a superkick and Mack got out at two. Mack would eventually hit a second Stunner which Shaw sold like the Rock and that earned him the victory and the championship.
Winner And New Champ: Willie Mack
Up next it is The War Kings vs. The Kingdom Of Jocephus….
The War Kings (w/Animal) vs. Shannon Moore and Craazzzy Steve
Josephus teased the two girls getting in the ring with the war Kings but it actually turned out that the real opponents for Shannon Moore and Craazzzy Steve. The War Kings were absolutely dominant in classic Road Warrior fashion and they would win the match with relative ease and an amazing finisher that they called Ground Zero.
Winner: The War Kings
Post-Match: Road Warrior Animal was interviewed by Jim Cornette, and he announced that the Crockett Cup Tag Tournament would be returning in 2019!
To get ready for the main event we got a brief interview with Dory Funk who looks tremendous for his age and then all six of the former world champions in attendance crowded the ring for the championship entrances.
On to the next match of the night, the main event for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship.
NWA World’s Heavyweight Championship: Cody (c) vs. Nick Aldis (2-Out-Of-3 Falls)
Aldis has a well-built woman named Kamilla with him to neutralize Brandi. The match starts with a handshake and some well-wrestled chain wrestling. Two times early on Cody has taken a powder. Aldis chose to work on the back of Cody Rhodes softening it up with a bow and arrow hold as well as a devastating superplex. Cody locked on a figure four leg lock Nick was able to get to the ropes and locked on his version of the Cloverleaf and Cody tapped out immediately
Winner Of Fall #1 – Nick Aldis
Cody popped up to his feet immediately and was ready to go but there was a minute rest. Aldis immediately powdered to the floor and Cody landed a tope suicidé and this led to a lot of broiling on the outside of the ring that went all the way up into the crowd with Jim Cornette remarking that in the old days you might have been stabbed out in the crowd. Joe Galli countered that by saying instead of holding knives the people are holding their phone and looking for the perfect Snapchat moment.
Back to the ring, Cody propped up a table in the corner. All this looked like he was about to put Cody through it when Brandi stepped into the ring, which brought in Kamilla who got in the face of both Randy and Cody. All this would eventually end up knocking over Cody who knocked into Brandi. The referee would get the table out of the ring but all this would go right to the outside and set it up in a horizontal position on the outside of the ring he would lay Cody across the table and headed to the top rope going for an elbow drop but Cody would move and all this would crash and burn through the table and onto the concrete floor.
Cody would capitalize on this and hit Crossrhodes in the middle of the ring for victory and to tie it all up.
Winner Of Fall #2: Cody
The third fall really picked up when they threw out both valets and all the former champions allowing it to really come down to the two men in the ring. Both stole each other’s finishers has the crowd chanted “this is awesome!” and “fight forever!”
The finish came when Aldis tried to go for the Cloverleaf again but Cody has loosened his boot so all Nick was able to do was pull off the boot. Just like Eddie Guerrero in the main event of WrestleMania in 2004, Cody would utilize a small package. However, they call this shifted the momentum and actually scored the pinfall victory over Cody to regain the championship. The crowd was stunned, and so we’re both competitors honestly, has the show went off the air with Nick and Camila celebrating.
Winner And New Champ: Nick Aldis