[2002-06-19-NWA TNA] A.J. Styles vs Jerry Lynn vs Low Ki vs Psicosis

[Superstar Sleeze]

AJ Styles vs Jerry Lynn vs Low Ki vs Psicosis - NWA TNA 6/19/02

 

I thought the rules in this were pretty cool. I would make some minor tweaks, but overall a really neat way to do a fatal four-way. Basically it is a double elimination 4-person round robin. Winner of a fall stays in to meet the entrant and they cycle through until the first loser comes in. I would probably change it A vs B then C vs D then losers of the first two go head to head. But I digress. More fatal 4-ways should be done like this. See not everything in early TNA was horrible.

 

Great fucking spotfest. Because it was essentially a bunch of mini-matches it could be wrestled like a sprint. AJ Styles vs Psicosis had some gnarly chops, really great stuff. Guillotine Legdrop did not get done for Psicosis and he fell to the Styles Clash. Styles vs Low Ki was just fucking awesome. Styles started off with that rana from his back and these two just did not let up. Great strikes, throws and submissions. Loved the rolling dragon sleeper from the top by Ki. Styles wins with that German/Front suplex combo. Love Lynn taking advantage of Styles with a piledriver quickly. I thought Lynn/Psicosis was just kinda there. It was action but didn't stick with me and Lynn won with the piledriver. I thought Ki/Lynn started off well, but there seemed to be some miscommunication especially on the Ki Krusher counter. Lynn wins with the cradle piledriver. Don West going on about that this is only $9.95 was funny.

 

This leaves us with Lynn with zero losses vs AJ with one loss. So AJ has to win two in a row, but AJ has had some rest. Wicked discus clothesline by AJ Styles. AJ basically hit Spiral Tap as a springboard pretty incredible. Tornado DDT by Jerry Lynn, I liked that move as a kid, but I hope that does not come back as a move in wrestling anytime soon. RUNNING LIGER BOMB BY LYNN! STYLES CLASH!!! It is all tied up. Ricky Steamboat is the ref. Early TNA was such a strange place. Barrage of nearfalls. Wicked Double Clothesline levels playing field. Asai Moonsault into Quebrada. AJ busting but all the moves in debut. Ed Ferrara says people years later will be talking about Lynn/Styles. He is no prophet. This is getting contrived and a little too spotty. The commentary is fucking awful. So congratulatory and mutual admiration. I like Lynn using a sleeper after this barrage of highspots. Mike Tenay rattling off that this is akin to Dory Funk vs Gene Kiniski. LOL!

 

Don West losing shit over a top rope superplex is great. Hey, Bill Apter is here. SPIRAL TAP~!

 

First half of the match was unique and awesome. Lynn vs Styles was a great spotfest but then descended into that dramatic spotfest style that I don't care for that much. Usually I can tune out bad commentary but this was pretty godawful. Still a clearly great spotfest. Mike Tenay proves he is a prophet saying that AJ Styles is the future of our spot. Amen brutha, amen. ****

[Edwin]

Re-watching this and I thought it doesn't hold up that well. It's a glorified X-Division showcase which means they'll try and cram in as many spots as possible in their given timeframe without focusing on anything else. Styles and Lynn particularly got more time to get all their stuff in, while cutting Psicosis and Ki's time short as they rushed and eliminated them quickly to build towards the extensive final two falls between Styles and Lynn. Those final two falls weren't particularly mind blowing and were just endlessly over hyped by Mike Tenay and Don West. I'll rarely complain about things such as commentary, but Don West is the worst. He called this the greatest show on earth one too many times. Sure I know he wanted to get this over as much, but the dude is way out of control here. Forgettable.

[Migs]

The first section felt way to rushed. It picked up a bit with Ki-Lynn, although there were some rough patches in that. The final stretch with Styles and Lynn was pretty fun, and it felt like they ended it at the right time. Interesting moment historically for Styles, but not a highly recommended match.