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A completely different format for this week's Epics as it revolved around the Hogan controversy from 2003. Before the shows opening video we saw the footage of Jeff Jarrett nailing Hulk Hogan with a guitar during a Hulk Hogan post-match press conference in the Tokyo Dome in Japan. Mick Foley mentioned how this was perhaps one of the most controversial moments in wrestling history which is a bit of an overstatement. We started with Mike Tenay and Don West discussing Hogan's return to Japan where he defeated Masahiro Chono including highlights of that match and then they showed the footage of Jarrett attacking Hogan in Japan again including the guitar shot.

 

After the break, we went to a Jeff Jarrett promo in the Asylum in 2003 where he talked about jumping Hogan. Tenay brought up Bash at the Beach 2000 and Jarrett told Tenay to never mention that again. Vince Russo then jumped Jarrett from behind and they brawled all over the Asylum with Russo getting in an awful lot of offence (I suppose he is a former World Champion). Jarrett turned the brawl around and nailed Russo with a chair a few times before he tied Russo to a fence and hit hit with a trash can and a chair and left Russo there.

 

We then went to footage of Jeff Jarrett in a bathroom in the Tokyo Dome, he explained that he hid there for twenty minutes before sneaking out while Hogan was doing a press conference and showed the area where he jumped him, this was a nice little feature. Back to the Asylum and Jimmy Hart was being interviewed by Mike Tenay in the ring, Hart wanted to know why Jarrett lied down for Hogan at Bash at the Beach 2000 which led to Jarrett coming out. Jarrett said to never bring it up again but Hart insisted and jarrett attacked him. Jarrett whipped Hart with a belt after he tied Hart to the ropes but AJ Styles made the save. Jimmy Hart promised that someone that he had managed before will face Jeff Jarrett next week.

 

After the ad break Jimmy Hart announced that it was Jim Duggan who would be Jarrett's opponent. Jarrett jumped Duggan in the ring but Duggan came back with three clotheslines. Duggan hit Jarrett with a pumpkin which was on the announce table. Back in the ring, Jarrett hit a series of top rope Double Ax Handle's but Duggan caught Jarrett on one and hit him with a Chokeslam followed by a corner ten punch. Duggan hit Jarrett with a running clothesline and went for his 2x4 in the corner but Don Callis grabbed it and when Duggan turned around Jarrett hit him with a guitar while referee Rudy Charles wasn't looking.

 

Jimmy Hart then introduced Jarrett's next opponent who was behind him in the ring - Rick Steiner. Steiner took it to Jarrett and hit him with a T-Bone Suplex. Steiner went up top to hit Jarrett with a Bulldog but Jarrett pulled Rudy Charles in the way. Jarrett hit Steiner with a guitar leading to a DQ. Hart announced that the next week Jeff Jarrett would face Sting.

 

After the break, Sting came out to a huge reaction from the Asylum. Jarrett spent the first few minutes avoiding Sting but when they got started Sting got the better of the opening exchanges of the match. Sting got Jarrett in the Scorpion Death Lock but Jarrett got to the ropes quickly and rolled to the outside and Sting followed him out and brawled through the crowd. . Sting hit Jarrett with a chair and a trash can in the crowd before bringing him to ringside and droping him on the security rail. After getting back in the ring Jarrett locked on a Sleeper Hold on Sting but Sting fought out. Sting hit a Stinger Splash and went for a Scorpion Death Lock but jarrett pushed him off and sandwiched Rudy Charles in the corner.

 

Jarrett got the NWA title belt off the announce table and tried to hit Sting with it but Sting ducked and hit a Scorpion Death Drop but Don Callis pulled Rudy Charles out on the two count. Rudy slapped Callis and jumped back. Jarrett hit Sting with the title while Rudy was distracted by Callis but Jimmy Hart ran in and jumped on top of Rudy before he could count three. Sting locked on the Scorpion Death Lock but the Red Shirt Security ran in. Sting fought them off but Jarrett hit him with a chair to finally cause a DQ (not the interference or weapon use earlier in the match).

 

Red Shirt Security and Jarrett beat on Sting three on one until Raven ran in to try and make the save but the numbers game brought him down, Styles ran in to make the save but he also failed and was taken down by a double team move by the Red Shirt Security. Abyss then ran in and everyone scattered but Abyss turned on Styles and hit him with a really sweet Black Hole Slam. Jarrett was going to hit Sting with his guitar but Sting broke the guitar with his bat and cleared house with the baseball bat to end the show.

 

Closing Thoughts: An interesting show this week but far too much interference in the last match. I don't think I can stomach hearing anybody talking about how they brought TNA to Hulk Hogan anymore, that's got to be the most overused line in TNA's seven year history. Next week features Raven vs. Jeff Jarrett from the Nashville Asylum on April 30, 2003, AJ Styles vs. Jeff Jarrett (with Tito Ortiz as referee) from Hard Justice 2005 and "The War Machine" Rhino vs. Raven from Unbreakable 2005. That wraps up this weeks Epics, see you next week and enjoy Slammiversary.