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NWA: Total Nonstop Action: Raven vs. James Storm: (4.28.04) - Before the pay-per-view begins, on the free pre-show is a pre-taped Raven promo on the "TNA Cam" (shot in black and white), which airs after a montage of footage of the Raven-Sabu tag match that didn't happen as planned and of Raven's post-no-show-match beat-down of Chris Harris...
RAVEN: "Vince Russo ... A.J. Styles ... Vince Russo -- you lied to me. You lied to me! And A.J. Styles--you took my title. You see, Fate can be a cruel mistress. And she dangles the belt in front of me, and she pulls it away... but that doesn't mean I don't have a destiny, because I do. But now, apparently, I'm taking the belt from you, A.J.. Except I'm not just going to take it from you, I'm going to beat you with it. I'm going to hurt you with it. I'm going to cripple you with it. And then I'm going to cripple Vince Russo. You two have made a mortal enemy. You have just signed your death warrants. And I promise you this: no one gets out alive. Quote the Raven, nevermore."
As the PPV came on, Mike Tenay then entered the ring with a microphone and introduced the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion of the World, The Phenomenal AJ Styles. Styles said he wanted to thank TNA and the fans that stood behind him on his way to recapturing the gold. However, Styles said that due to injuries sustained last week in the cage, he will not be able to defend the title tonight. Instead, he said that he will give Raven a shot next week because he is a fighting champion.
Later, Mike Tenay got word that Raven had grabbed a TNA cameraman into his locker room. We cut to the back, to "Raven's Lair" ... where Raven has "commandeered" a cameraman.
RAVEN: "Do it!"
CAMERAMAN: "Ahhhh, you're choking me, you're choking me..."
RAVEN: "Now get the camera on me... put this on me... I've been called a lot of things in my career... I've been called psychotic, unstable. I've been called a drug addict. I've been called an alcoholic. I've been called dysfunctional, I've been called a freak. I've been called everything except for one word -- I have never ever been called a liar. If I tell Sabu that I got his back--then I got his back. If I tell Chris Harris that he is not going to make it into the cage--then he is not going to make it into the cage. I said I'd put Vampiro out of wrestling, and I put Vampiro out of wrestling. Vince Russo, I cannot believe that you would have the temerity to lie to me. You shook my hand, Vince Russo. You shook my hand like a man, and said that I would have the match with Jeff Jarrett in the cage. I'm not going to whine about it though, Vince. Because politics is your specialty, and Fate can be a cruel mistress, so if I've got to jump through hoops to get what I need done... then that's fine Vince, except you're gonna pay. And everybody else is going to pay, Vince. Everybody along that beaten dirty rocky road is gonna be beaten--battered--bloody. They're going to be assaulted. They are going to be in so much pain, Vince, that they're going to beg you to take them off the show and put ‘em in a hospital bed. James Storm you are first. Vince Russo, you should be lucky because James Storm is taking the beating that so rightfully is yours, Vince. You understand what I'm saying? Do you hear the words coming out of my mouth? See, you put me in a position where the belt is out of my control, and guess what, Vince, now you've got a Raven that you can't possibly control. I got two words for yah, Vince: blood bath. I think you hear me knocking, and I think I'm coming in. Quote the Raven, nevermore."
Cameras then shifted to Scott Hudson who was standing by with Cowboy James Storm. Storm told Raven that he can quote himself as many times as he wants. He said that he is a good wrestler, but even a better fighter. Kid Kash then interrupted him and says that he was sorry about Chris Harris getting hurt. Kash then told Storm that he and Dallas will go down as the best tag team of all time. He was sorry Harris got hurt because he wanted to do it himself. Storm couldn't take anymore of his yapping and attacked Kash leaving him lying motionless on the concrete floor.
Raven vs. James Storm - With revenge on his mind James Storm charged to the ring to get his hands on Raven. Storm was obviously in a bad mood after what Raven had done to his tag team partner, Chris Harris, last week on TNA. The action spilled onto the outside of the ring where Storm drove Raven's skull into the guard railing several times. Then the action proceeded into the crowd where Storm tried using a chair to cripple Raven's arm like he did his partners. Raven expected that and reversed the move.
The two athletes soon may there way back into the ring where neither man was able to take control. Dallas was then seen at ringside watching on. Toward the end of the match, Storm hit his superkick on Raven, knocking him senseless. Dallas then jumped up onto the apron and got the attention of both Storm and the referee. Then, from behind, Kid Kash hit Storm in the back with the nightstick. Raven then took advantage of the situation and hit the Evenflow DDT on Storm to get the win. Dallas and Kash continued to work on Storm until D'Lo ran the tag team champions off.
WINNER: Raven via Pinfall
WIN/LOSS/DRAW Singles Record for 2004: 6/4/0
WIN/LOSS/DRAW Singles Record vs. James Storm: 1/0/0
Later, as Styles was heading back to the dressing room, Raven cut him off and delivered a beating to the champ. Is this any indication of what we will see next week! Raven vs. Styles for the NWA World Heavyweight Title!
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NWA: Total Nonstop Action: Raven & Sabu vs. Abyss & "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown (04.21.04) - Raven doesn't come out to his music, which gives Brown and Abyss the opportunity to beat Sabu down. Sabu fights back briefly but Abyss takes him down with a boot. More double-teaming but Sabu DDt's Brown and kicks Abyss' leg. Brown tells Abyss to get out of the ring and Brown gets a double under hook release suplex in. Mike Tenay tells us that Scott Hudson has been in a car accident and Jeremy Borash will be conducting the interviews tonight and Tim Welch will be the ring announcer. Abyss is in and he keeps Sabu down but Brown tags himself back in. All kicks, chops and punches. Big splash in the corner. Brown continues the attack, choking Sabu on the ropes. Sabu fights back with punches but it's not enough against the two. Another splash and Brown orders Abyss to come in. Abyss does and charges the corner, but Sabu pulls Brown in the way and Brown is splashed. Brown recovers enough to splash Abyss by mistake and Sabu is throwing a chair at both. Asai moonsault for two. Sabu with a hurricanrana on Abyss and more chair shots and a legdrop. Brown interferes with a pounce. Abyss puts Sabu in the sit-down torture rack while Brown poses for the pin.
WINNERS: Abyss & Brown via Pinfall.
Raven is shown brawling with Chris Harris in back. He throws Harris into the railing and bends his already injured arm around a post on the bleachers. Two chairs are used to sandwich and smash Harris' arm. Raven them jams a railing over Harris' arm and puts him in a top wristliock until James Storm runs in and hits Raven with a trash can. Raven goes to the ring, where he trips over the fallen Sabu. Vince Russo joins Storm in checking on Harris. Raven orders Sabu out of the ring and up the ramp while security helps Harris to the back.
Borash is later shown with Russo, asking who is going to face Jarrett in the cage. Raven walks in and Russo goes ballistic:
Borash: "Well, Mike, it certainly is the eleventh hour. Vince, it's time, we need to find out--" (Raven walks into the interview segment)
Russo: "You gotta be kidding me... Get out of here Raven, you're the last person I want to see!"
Raven: "Calm down, calm down..."
Russo: "You're the reason I'm in this predicament."
Raven: "Relax, Vince, take a seat, take a seat, relax, calm down. (Raven sits down) Vince, calm down."
Russo: "You're going to calm me down? You got something you want to say to me? You're the cause of this tonight!"
Raven: "Vince, calm down, look, you and I have common goals, Vince. We started out together a year ago, I professed my destiny to you—my fate to be NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and you and I realized that we had to get the belt off—"
Russo: "You don't understand, Raven, that was then, you're going to talk about a year ago? Let's talk about what you've done to me in the last six weeks."
Raven: "Calm down, Vince, isn't your goal to get the belt off of Jeff Jarrett?"
Russo: "That's my goal."
Raven: "The goal is to get the belt off of Jeff Jarrett. I am your last line of defense. Do you think anybody else can beat Jeff Jarrett—why do you think I put Chris Harris out?"
Russo: "Are you telling me to sit here and trust you, after what you put me through for the last five weeks? Why should I trust you?"
Raven: "Because we have common goals, and because you can't trust Jeff Jarrett. I'm the lesser of two evils, Vince. We were once friends. This is Scott talking to Vince. Give me my title shot, Vince, I'm the only one who can get the job done. I am the only man who can beat him. And if I don't beat him, if he doesn't lose the belt -- you will be a laughing stock."
Russo: "You wanna talk about a laughing stock? You become the champion -- what kind of a champion you going to be, Raven? You're gonna be on the other side? You're gonna be the thorn in my side? Is that the kind of champion?
Raven: "What kind of champion do you want me to be, Vince? All I want is the belt. Once I have the belt, hey, you want me to defend it nightly—I'll defend it nightly. I don't care, Vince, I want the belt. I want the belt, Vince! Vince, you gotta make a tough choice here, you gotta make a decision. But I'm going to say it again. I am your last line of defense. I am your only hope, Vince, because no one, and I mean No One can beat Jeff Jarrett — except for me. And you know that. So, what's it going to be, Vince? Make the decision. This is Scott talking to Vince. Give me my title shot.
Russo: "You know what -- there are a lot of people who aren't going to like this decision, but I think I've made it—I think I've made my decision."
(both Russo and Raven stand up)
Raven: "Yes. thanks, thank you. (Raven extends his hand to shake Russo's hand. Raven and Russo shake hands) You're not going to regret it...”
Later, Borash asks Jarrett is he's ever seen anything like what's happened tonight. Jarrett speaks directly to Russo. Russo had the champion fooled with talk of turning anew leaf and giving people opportunity. But a zebra never changes stripes and a leopard never changes spots. Russo and the devil have made a new deal. One year ago, it was Jarrett versus Raven - the most anticipated match in TNA history. Once again, tonight, the most anticipated match in history. Russo's hand-picked challenger couldn't do it, nor could Styles, Killings or Abyss. Tonight, Raven will get the same result as last year when Jarrett walks out the champion.
Jarrett comes to the ring. Vince Russo then comes out to announce the challenger for the NWA Title. To Chris Harris, he says he will get his shot when he is able to return. Raven is shown warming up in back. Russo says there has been alot of lobbying going on in back. James Storm is mentioned, but is not ready. Abyss is brought up, but will not get s title shot by puching people around. The crowd is chanting for Killings, but 3 Live Kru is not going to bully Russo for a spot. Does it come down to Raven? They both have had bonds with Scott Levy. There is no question in Russo's mind that Raven can defeat him, but Russo has seen the light. he will not make a deal with the devil. He's reached down into his heart and the one getting the title shot is AJ Styles. Styles eventually prevails over Jarrett and wins the NWA World Heavyweight Title as Raven is in the stands watching.
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3PW: World Heavyweight Championship: Joey Matthews vs. Raven [w/Jack Victory]: (04.17.04] - Raven faced Matthews -- a man whose path to the 3PW Title he has impeded for months now -- despite Matthews garnering wins over such names as AJ Styles & Jerry Lynn. In this climactic match-up, it was Matthews who had the day capturing a win over the wily commissioner & multiple time world champion Raven.
WINNER: Joey Matthews via Pinfall
WIN/LOSS/DRAW Singles Record for 2004: 5/4/0
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NWA: Total Nonstop Action: Raven Interference: James Storm vs. Jeff Jarrett (04.14.04) - Post-match, Jarrett kept on kicking Storm, and hit him in the knee with a chair. Jarrett put on a figure four leglock, and Chris Harris came in for the save. Raven came in and hit Harris with a chair, then gave him a drop toe hold into two chairs. Raven smashed Harris' arm with chairshots. Raven applied a crossface chickenwing. Vince Russo pulled Raven off Harris, and Raven started choking Russo. AJ Styles ran in, hit some right hands, and went to superkick Raven, but Raven ran off. Harris was clutching his arm on the mat. Russo offered a handshake to Styles, but Styles walked away.
Later, Sabu was wrecking his dressing room behind a closed door. Raven went up to Scott Hudson and said he would walk over Chris Harris tonight. Raven said Sabu would have his back tonight, and knocked on the door, yelling for Sabu watch his back tonight. Scott Hudson brought up that Raven didn't have Sabu's back earlier, but Raven glossed over it.
Raven vs. Chris Harris - Harris had his shoulder heavily taped up. We saw that Jeff Jarrett was watching the match on a monitor in the back. Harris slugged Raven at the start, and Raven went after the arm, with the bandages starting to unravel. Harris instinctively used the bad shoulder on a shoulderblock, and Raven started stomping it. Raven concentrated his attack on the shoulder, and the fight moved to the ring apron. Harris managed to tie Raven's leg in the ropes and get in some offense. Harris chopblocked Raven's leg on the floor, and slammed his leg into the ramp. Back in the ring, Harris kicked at the leg and hit another chopblock (using his bad arm). Harris went for a leglace, but Raven grabbed a juji-gatame on the bad arm. Harris went after Raven's leg, while Raven kept going for the arm. They went to the floor, and Harris rammed Raven's leg into the guardrail. Harris rammed Raven repeatedly into the announcers table. We saw that 3 Live Kru were watching the match from the balcony. In the ring, Harris went to the top rope, but Raven crotched him. Raven went for a superplex, but Harris tossed him off. Harris went for a flying bodypress, but Raven ducked and Harris crashed. We saw that AJ Styles was watching the match on a monitor in the back. Raven tossed Harris to the floor, and gave him a two Russian leg sweeps into the guardrail. Raven whipped Harris into the rails, and then slammed his arm into the steps before pulling it against the ringpost. Raven applied a crossface chickenwing in the ring, but Harris rolled over into a Dragon Sleeper. Raven used a knee to escape out of it, but Harris re-applied the move.
Raven dropped out of it, and went back to the crossface chickenwing. James Storm limped down to ringside and started cheering on Harris, who made the ropes. Jeff Jarrett was on the stage now. Harris and Raven started exchanging punches, with Harris getting the better of it. Harris hit a clothesline, and followed with a powerslam for two. Raven went for a bulldog, but Harris pushed it off and hit a bulldog of his own. Raven kneed a charging Harris and went for a cover with his feet on the ropes, but Storm told the ref not to count it. Storm hit Raven, and Harris rolled him up for two. Raven hit Harris with a superkick for two. Vince Russo came out and told Storm to leave ringside. Storm refused. Sabu ran out and started brawling with Storm, and they fought into the crowd. In the ring, Raven went for a drop toe hold into a chair, but Harris dodged it and threw the chair at Raven. Harris got a two count. Harris wedged a chair in the corner, but when he went for a spear, Raven moved and Harris smashed into the chair. Raven got a two count, then reapplied the crossface chickenwing. Harris rammed Raven into a corner to break out, knocking out the referee. Harris hit Raven with a spear, but the referee was still down. Harris went to revive the referee, and Raven hit him with a low blow. Raven went for a DDT, but Harris rolled him into a small package for the win at the seventeen minute mark.
WINNER: Chris Harris via Pinfall
WIN/LOSS/DRAW Singles Record for 2004: 5/3/0
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NWA: Total Nonstop Action: Raven Interview w/Mike Tenay: (04.07.04) - About fifteen minutes into the show, they cut away from the America’s X Cup matches to a pre-taped sit-down interview between Mike Tenay and Raven.
Tenay: “Raven, while I can’t agree with the methods that you’ve employed to gain the attention of Vince Russo, I do have to agree with the logical statements that you’ve made; that you’ve eliminated every roadblock in your path to this point, the final obstacle one week from tonight, a match against Chris Harris. And what an opportunity it’s going to be for the winner because the winner faces Jeff Jarrett for the NWA World’s Heavyweight title in a steel cage.”
Raven: “Chris Harris’s fate is sealed. You see, destiny is something you fulfill, fate is something you endure. I will fulfill my destiny and become NWA World Heavyweight Champion. He will endure his fate, and that is to go slinking back to the tag team division. Chris Harris is good, but he’s not great. And there is a reason that Jeff Jarrett is the NWA World Heavyweight Champion and there’s reason he’s held the belt as long as he has, it’s called skill. He’s a master psychologist, he’s a Ring General. Chris Harris is like a Corporal, and I -- I’m like a 4-star General. And the difference is, well the difference is going to be seen in the match next week. You saw what I did to Ron Killings, Abyss, and A.J. Styles. You saw how I maneuvered myself into position to take advantage of the situation that Vince Russo set up, that’s what I’m going to do once again.”
Tenay: “Let’s talk about Vince Russo, the NWA’s Director of Authority. I gave you props for being logical, and in my opinion since Russo was put in the power position he has made logical decisions to make wrestlers earn their positions and earn their title shots.”
Raven: “Vince Russo -- I’ve spent more time and more car rides with him, and Vince Russo will do anything that he can to achieve the goals that he wants. Obviously, since I’ve fallen out of favor -- I’ve been put on the back burner. A.J. Styles is a favorite of his, Sonny Siaki, Chris Harris -- these people are given opportunities -- opportunities that they don’t deserve. I’ve been held back and kept away from opportunities, and you know what it is, Mike? I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: look at me, I wear a skirt, I wear eye make-up, I’m slightly freaky, I’m a little dysfunctional. You know, I’m not the guy you want representing your company, especially in this day and age when Janet Jackson is blistered for having a wardrobe malfunction. Do you really think I’m the guy they want wearing the title? -- No, absolutely not, Mike. However, Terry Taylor told me something once: you can’t stop talent, and that’s what I am.”
Tenay: “The opportunity to fulfill your destiny still remains in the future. Final roadblock, one week from tonight — Chris Harris.”
Raven: “I don’t see him as a roadblock. I see him as a tune-up match for Jeff Jarrett. Look, I think Chris Harris is good, but I don’t think he’s Raven -- and Jeff Jarrett, I think you need to watch this match, you need to watch it closely. Because what I do to Chris Harris is what I’m going to do to you. And Chris Harris, I’m sorry but you’re caught in the cross-hairs, I’m going to hurt you. Do you know what I’m capable of? Do you know what a scary, demented individual I am? I hope you do, Chris Harris, and I hope you bring your “A” game. Because if you bring it, you may just survive. If you don’t, I can promise you I will put you out of wrestling if I have to just to get to Jeff Jarrett. Jeff Jarrett, I got two words for you: final run. I think you hear me knockin’ and I think I’m comin’ in. Quote the Raven, nevermore.”
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