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TNA History: The Begining

Filed Under: General , April 9, 2011 By

“Our show fills a void currently in the marketplace. With its fast paced storylines and Total Nonstop Action, we will give fans, as well as those who might have topped watching wrestling in the past year, a new entertainment experience.” – Jeff Jarrett, May 9, 2002 Press Release announcing NWA Total Nonstop Action.

The news hit the wire (Internet sites) on March 11, 2002 that Jeff Jarrett and his father, Jerry, were set to launch a new national wrestling promotion and had reached a deal with In Demand to air weekly pay per views (PPV) at $9.95 a show. It was a new concept in PPV television that they hoped would revolutionize the wrestling and PPV industries. The idea was based on the premise that there was a certain group of wrestling fans that were dying for an alternative to the WWE (formerly WWF) and would be willing to spend their money every week to do so. It was a very risky proposition since PPV buy rates have been down at the time, but the Jarrett’s were believers. Each weekly show was scheduled to run approximately one hour and forty-five minutes in length and air live one week and taped the next. The Jarrett’s believed that they would need roughly 50,000 buys per week in order to break even and stay in business.

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TNA History: Bound For Glory Take One, Hogan’s First TNA Venture

Filed Under: General , February 3, 2011 By

“I have unfinished business here in Japan. I want to win the IWGP title again. I also have unfinished business in the United States. The only title I’ve never won is the NWA World Heavyweight Title.” – Hulk Hogan, October 13, 2003. Post Match News Conference for New Japan Pro Wrestling.

“I was getting ready to go to TNA, was hoping of working with Jarrett and those guys, and giving Vince (McMahon) a run for his money one more time.” – Hulk Hogan, December 2006 Main Event Radio

 

As October 2003 rolled around, TNA had a plan for their first ever three hour pay per view. Jeff Jarrett was working feverishly behind the scenes to bring in the biggest name in wrestling history to TNA, Hulk Hogan. The two sides began talks in September and had come to a preliminary deal to work together on a three hour pay per view event scheduled for November 30. The show would be headlined by Jeff Jarrett defending the NWA World Heavyweight title against Hulk Hogan in a rematch of the 2000 Bash at the Beach match for WCW in which Jarrett laid down for Hogan and Hogan was then publicly fired by Vince Russo. The match had an immediate back story, immediate heat, and immediate appeal to wrestling fans.

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TNA History: Jarrett vs Killings, The Match That Changed TNA

Filed Under: General , January 19, 2011 By

November 20, 2002: Up until this point in TNA’s existence, Jeff Jarrett had kept himself busy feuding with Scott Hall, BG James and Curt Hennig.  Jarrett made sure fans knew that he was chasing the NWA World title, but he had yet to get a match for the belt.  After what many considered a failed run by Ron “The Truth” Killings as NWA champion, TNA held a short tournament to decide who would be the next challenger to face Killings for the title.  After three weeks of tournament matches, Jeff Jarrett finally became the number one contender.  Here is how he got to the finals:

October 30, 2002: Jeff Jarrett pinned Curt Hennig

November 6, 2002: Jeff Jarrett defeated Curt Hennig by Disqualification (Yes for some reason they wrestled again!)

November 13, 2002: Jeff Jarrett defeated Syxx-Pac by forfeit

November 13, 2002: Jeff Jarrett pinned BG James

As you can see, Jeff Jarrett wrestled the same guy twice, advances to the finals via a forfeit, and then defeats BG James to earn #1 Contender status and earn a shot at the NWA World title.

Something happened in the one week period from when Jarrett was named the #1 Contender and the night the match happened; Jeff Jarrett became a good guy, and Ron Killings a bad guy.  Killings’ character had slowly been turning more and more into a heel, but Jarrett had been a bad guy since the start of TNA and up to his defeat of BG James the week before.  As Jeremy Borash settled into the ring to announce the competitors and the champions music began to fill the arena, Ron Killings came out and began to rip on the fans in a rap.  This was not too big of a deal, but it immediately set the fans against “The Truth” for the rest of the match.  Jarrett’s music began to play and the fans began to cheer him; it was a bit strange for those who followed the shows week in and week out.

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