Impact Wrestling – May 23, 2024: TNA Gonna TNA

Impact Wrestling
Date: May 23, 2024
Location: MegaCorp Pavilion, Newport, Kentucky
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We are coming up on Against All Odds and after last week’s show, it would seem that Joe Hendry is on his way towards at least some kind of title shot. That would be quite the shot in the arm around here, but there is a good chance that we’ll have to wait for Matt Hardy to get his chance first. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

The System vs. Matt Hardy/Ryan Nemeth

Non-title and Alisha Edwards is here with the System. Hardy rolls Eddie up for a fast two before knocking him down in the corner. Nemeth comes in but gets driven into the wrong corner, allowing the tag off to Myers. The villains manage to take Nemeth down and Myers grabs a quick chinlock.

A suplex drops Nemeth for two but he’s back up with the running DDT, which is exactly like his brother’s, because…well why else would he be here? It’s back to Hardy to pick up the pace with Hardy grabbing a double underhook neck crank until Myers makes a save. The Backpack Stunner/elbow combination is broken up and a Twist of Fate drops Eddie. Nemeth’s high crossbody finishes Myers at 6:59.

Rating: C-. I don’t know where to start with this, but the Tag Team Champions just got pinned by a makeshift team featuring an ancient Matt Hardy and a guy who name might as well be “Dolph Ziggler’s Little Brother”. I’m not sure what the appeal for this was supposed to be, but I would think there would be a better way to make it happen. On top of that, the match wasn’t even very good, as it’s hard to ignore how Ryan is just cosplaying as his brother.

Post match the System jumps Hardy and Nemeth, with Moose coming in to take out Hardy. Nic Nemeth runs in for the save.

ABC isn’t happy that they’re not in the #1 contenders match for the X-Division Title but they’re totally on the same page. Well they’re mostly on the same page, but maybe they need to fight to get this out of their system.

The Nemeths and Matt Hardy come in to see Santino Marella. He thinks Matt and Ryan deserve a Tag Team Title shot but Matt doesn’t want that. Instead, Santino makes Matt the #1 contender to the World Title and gives the Nemeths a Tag Team Title shot, all at Against All Odds. Completely logical on all counts there.

Rascalz vs. Sinner & Saint

Miguel locks up with Saint to start before Sinner comes in to take Miguel into the corner. It’s back to Saint, who gets knocked down by Wentz for a standing shooting star press. Saint is back up with a spinning shot to the face, allowing Sinner and Miguel to come back in. A Stunner into a bridging German suplex gets two on Miguel but Wentz is back with a running stomp/backbreaker combination for the pin at 4:22.

Rating: C+. Sinner & Saint got in some offense here and did look good in their limited time out there. I was surprised by how much the Rascalz gave them but it was kind of nice to see something other than a total squash. The Rascalz are already dealing with Steve Maclin so giving them a win here was good.

Post match Steve Maclin comes in to lay out the Rascalz.

In the back, Maclin says he’s done with the Rascalz and wants Mike Santana. Cue Santana to say they can fight again next week.

Back from a break and Frankie Kazarian is yelling at the ring announcer before saying he is leaving the building. As he leaves, he runs into Deaner, who is coming to the ring for a chat.

Deaner doesn’t know what Kazarian’s problem was but he has his own problem right now. He calls (and receives) Jake Something to the ring, where Deaner says he deserved last week’s attack. Something did it after Deaner turned on him years ago, so we’ll chalk it up to family issues. Deaner asks the fans if he and Something should shake hands, which draws out the Good Hands to interrupt. They don’t care what the people want and no one cares about this whole thing. Skyler mocks Something’s intelligence and the fight is on, with the Good Hands being cleared out. Santino, tag match, go.

Deaner/Jake Something vs. Good Hands

The bell rings and we take a break about ten seconds in. Back with Deaner hitting Hotch in the face for two but Skyler comes in off a blind tag. Something gets drawn in, leaving Deaner to get tied in the Tree of Woe, with the Hands standing on him. A Russian legsweep gives Hotch two but Deaner gets over to Something for the house cleaning. Everything breaks down and Deaner sends Skyler to Something for Into The Void and the pin at 10:06.

Rating: C. This was almost disappointing, as the idea of the Deaners reuniting is almost hard to stomach. They weren’t a great team in the first place and having Something, who has shown a bunch of potential, teaming with Deaner again isn’t the best idea. Hopefully this is just a short term thing, but you never can tell around here

Post match Something eventually shakes his hand.

Jordynne Grace says last week’s loss isn’t on her, but now she wants a new opponent.

The System isn’t happy with they have to do at Against All Odds but Moose rallies the troops. Joe Hendry comes in for the staredown but Eddie Edwards is willing to face him next week.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Marti Belle

Belle is challenging but we pause for Ash By Elegance’s lackey to come in and say Ash isn’t here due to her injury last week. Worry not though as he brings in….a mannequin of Ash. We’re ready to go after the Big Match Intros, with Grace running her over with a shoulder. Belle manages to sweep the leg and hits a running kick to the chest for two. Grace fights out of the corner but gets dropped with a right hand for one. A Stroke drops Grace for two as the lackey is pouring champagne for the mannequin. Grace shrugs it off and hits the Juggernaut Driver to retain at 4:24.

Rating: C. Belle is a name from the company’s history but at the same time, she was just there as a brief obstacle for Grace to run through again. While it sees that Ash is the next big thing in the division, we could be waiting a long time before we get there. This was little more than a workout for Grace, who needs to face Ash already and get some fresh blood int the title picture.

Post match Allysin Kay (Belle’s partner) comes in and jumps Grace, even hitting her with the mannequin. The two of them (Kay and Belle, not the mannequin) leave Grace laying.

We look at Kushida coughing up the black goo from Jonathan Gresham.

Santino Marella calls Jonathan Gresham, saying that every referee will be wearing gloves and a mask going forward. This is treated as ominous.

Jody Threat vs. Tasha Steelz

Dani Luna and Lars Frederiksen is here with Threat and we get some grappling to start. Steelz chops her up against the ropes but gets thrown down with a suplex. Threat hits some dropkicks and a pump kick, followed by a powerbomb. Instead of covering, Threat yells a lot, allowing Steelz to send her into the post. A cutter gives Steelz the pin at 4:43.

Rating: C-. This show is falling downhill in a hurry and this was another good example. It’s another example of a team being together for about 18 seconds and then spending weeks (if not months) on their breakup and then an eventual feud. I’m sure this will continue to go on for weeks, building off the five (yes five) regular tag matches they had together. The fact that those five matches included winning and losing the Tag Team Titles tells you a lot about the division as a whole, and now one of the teams doesn’t seem to have much longer to go.

PCO shouts for Steph and holds up the black rose. Oh there is potential with this.

First Class want a title and have something specific in mind.

Mike Bailey vs. Trent Seven

For an X-Division Title shot at Against All Odds. They strike it out to start, with Bailey snapping off the bouncing kicks to send him to the apron. The springboard moonsault takes Seven out again, followed by a missile dropkick back inside. An exchange of chops, including some to the back, sets up Seven grabbing a DDT and the swinging slam for two. Bailey kicks him down and hits a running shooting star press for two.

Seven grabs a powerbomb out of the corner but misses a dive, only to get his knees up to block a shooting star press. Mustafa Ali comes out to watch as we take a break. Back with Seven missing the Seven Star Lariat and Bailey trying a poisonrana but not getting all of it. Bailey takes him up but gets brought back down with a super swinging slam. Now the Seven Star Lariat connects for two (Ali approves).

Seven knocks him outside and hits the suicide dive and they’re both down. Bailey’s running boot hits Ali by mistake, though he doesn’t seem too upset. They chop it out on the floor before diving back in, where Bailey hits a chop but staggers away anyway. Bailey kicks him down and hits the moonsault knees for two. The Tornado kick connects but Seven drops him anyway.

They go to the apron where Seven hits another Seven Star Lariat, followed by the Birminghammer. Another Seven Star Lariat gets two back inside but Bailey reverses the X Plex into a DDT. Bailey’s moonsault knees connects on the apron but Ali goes after Bailey for a distraction. Cue Champagne Singh of all people to crotch Bailey on top (commentary says Seven didn’t see it), allowing Seven to hit another Birminghammer for the pin at 20:17.

Rating: B. Easily the best match on the show, with a reason for a team to be fighting, albeit with a not so great ending. I can get why they didn’t want either of them to lose clean and the interference lets the team stay together, but Champagne Singh being back is hardly thrilling stuff. It would seem he’s with Ali, who might not want to face Bailey, but they couldn’t find someone more interesting to play that role?

Overall Rating: C. Main event aside, this was a very rough sit as the company seems to have hit a wall in a hurry. There was a lot on here that was neither good nor interesting and that made for a terribly boring show at times. Seeing Hardy and Dolph Ziggler’s Brother (he looks like Ziggler and uses the same moves so the name is accurate) as featured players, the Deaners teasing a reunion and yet another short lived team falling apart is not a good way to spend most of two hours. I hope this is just a bad funk rather than what we can expect now that Scott D’Amore is gone, but I’m not getting my hopes up.

Results
Matt Hardy/Ryan Nemeth b. The System – High crossbody to Myers
Rascalz b. Sinner & Saint – Running stomp/backbreaker combination to Saint
Deaner/Jake Something b. Good Hands – Into The Void to Skyler
Jordynne Grace b. Marti Belle – Juggernaut Driver
Tasha Steelz b. Jody Threat – Cutter
Trent Seven b. Mike Bailey – Birminghammer

 

 

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