Impact Wrestling – November 28, 2024: I’m Thankful

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 28, 2024
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt
Hosts: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s Thanksgiving night and thankfully TNA is smart enough to go with something other than a regular show. Rather than a traditional Best Of show, we’re getting some previously unreleased matches from earlier in the year. Some of those have been rather fun before so hopefully the trend can continue. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

The hosts give us a quick welcome.

From October 2024, Nashville, Tennessee.

The System vs. PCO/Sami Callihan/Joe Hendry

Alisha Edwards and Brian Myers are here with the System. Before the match, Hendry says that even though PCO is dead, the crowd is going to make the team come alive. Callihan shoulders Eddie into the corner to start and it’s PCO coming in, with an actual Honor No More reference.

Everything breaks down in a hurry and everybody heads outside, with Alisha’s distraction letting Moose boot Callihan in the face. Callihan suplexes his way out of trouble and it’s Hendry coming in to clean house. Moose breaks up the Standing Ovation but PCO plants him with a DDT. Callihan gives Eddie the Cactus driver 97 and the Standing Ovation is enough for Hendry to get the pin at 5:38.

Rating: C+. I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be in for a lot of things like this for most of the show and that isn’t a bad thing. This was a fun match and felt like something you would see on a house show, which is what a show like this should be. Hendry is of course as over as free beer in a frat house and that has been the situation for a long time now. PCO gets his own cheers and Sami…well he had good partners here.

From June 2024, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Jordynne Grace vs. Dani Luna

Grace’s Knockouts Title isn’t on the line and Jody Threat is on commentary. At least I think this is non-title but it doesn’t make the biggest difference. They fight over a lockup to start with Luna actually powering her back into the corner. Back up and Grace powers her into the corner as well, only for both of them to miss some chops.

An exchange of shoulders goes to Luna but Grace is back with a running shoulder. They go nose to nose and then forearm it out with Grace knocking her outside. Grace’s suicide dive doesn’t even knock Luna down so she plants Luna with a Jackhammer instead. Back in and a slingshot Blue Thunder Bomb gives Luna two but Grace is back with a Regal Plex. The Juggernaut Driver finishes Luna at 5:42.

Rating: B-. This didn’t have the time to get to that next level but it was starting to be a lot of fun with the two of them trading power moves. You don’t see Grace’s power advantage negated very often but it made for an interesting match. Luna is a good powerhouse in her own right and she did well enough here. Nice match and better than I was expecting.

Sami Callihan is running a poker game and PCO wins (beating aces and 8’s in the process). The Good Hands aren’t happy but Santino Marella comes in to make a tag match. Xia Brookside is called “just a girl” and food winds up in John Skyler’s face.

From June 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Leon Slater vs. Trent Seven vs. Mustafa Ali

Slater starts fast with a big flip flip dive onto Ali and the Secret Service, leaving Seven to hit the Seven Star Lariat for two on Ali. Slater breaks up the Birminghammer with a high crossbody before chopping it out with Seven. Ali knocks both of them off the top for a crash to the floor, followed by the rolling neckbreaker for two on Seven. Ali and Seven go up top with Seven’s super slam getting two as Slater dives in for a save.

They all chop it out from their knees and Ali is backdropped out to the floor. Seven slams Slater for two before heading outside, where he chops the post instead of Ali. Slater busts out an insane running flip dive over the post to take both of them down (that was great). Back in and the Swanton 450 hits Seven, only for Ali to steal the pin at 5:38.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have much time so they packed in as much as they could in about five and a half minutes. Slater got in his array of crazy athletic stuff and Seven was good as the biggest guy in the match. That left Ali to steal the win and it made for a nice formula, but Slater’s stuff was rather impressive.

From October 2024, Nashville, Tennessee.

Mike Bailey vs. Jake Something

Hammerstone is here with Something. Bailey kicks (shocking I know) away in the corner but Something runs him over to cut that off. A big toss to the floor has Bailey down and his kicks to the face don’t have much effect. Instead Bailey sweeps the leg to send Something outside for a change but Hammerstone gets in a cheap shot. Back in and Bailey strikes away but has to roll his way out of a chokeslam attempt for two. A kick to the face staggers Something but he hits the ropes and blasts Bailey in the back of the head.

Something gets smart by stepping on Bailey’s foot to cut off the kicks and drops him with a big right hand. Bailey is back up and heads to the top, where Something catches him with a super sitout powerbomb (OUCH) and a near fall. Something tackles him out to the floor but Hammerstone’s interference doesn’t work. Instead Bailey hits a Canadian Destroyer into a superkick, only to have the Tornado Kick broken up with a running forearm…for the pin at 8:14.

Rating: B-. They must have known that Bailey was on the way out here as it’s hard to imagine one of the bigger stars in the company losing to someone like Something otherwise. That being said, it’s nice to see Something pick up a win, which doesn’t happen very often. I’m not sure why as he has potential, but we’ll call that the second benefit to Bailey leaving.

From November 2024, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Rhino/Joe Hendry vs. First Class

Before the match, Hendry accuses AJ Francis of complaining to HR about Hendry being too man on the microphone. Therefore, please don’t chant AJ SUCKS, because you can believe in the Gore and Joe Hendry. Navarro starts for the team and gets shoved down, meaning it’s time to dance. Hendry shows off the power game with a delayed suplex and it’s off to Rhino, who gets to trade shoulders with Francis.

A Navarro distraction lets Francis take over and a running shot in the corner gets two on Rhino. Francis cuts off the tag attempt and Navarro adds a backsplash. The second tag attempt works though and it’s Hendry coming in to clean house. The fall away slam sends Navarro flying and Rhino Gores Francis. That leaves Hendry to hit the Standing Ovation to finish Navarro at 6:44.

Rating: C. Perfectly nice match here with Hendry getting to pop the fans and beat up an annoying heel team. Rhino is always going to get some nice reactions, with his recent Hall Of Fame induction making it even better. The fans responded as they should have and, like everything else, they didn’t overstay their welcome.

From July 2024, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

PCO vs. Moose

Casket match and the System is here with Moose. The bell rings and PCO drops Moose, only to get jumped by the System. Everyone hits a finisher on PCO and the casket is loaded up (with DO NOT ENTER painted on the bottom of the lid), only for Joe Hendry to run in for the save. PCO is back up and Moose accidentally spears Alisha Edwards. Moose is knocked down for the PCOsault and PCO wins at 3:46.

Rating: C+. This was barely a match as the big heel beatdown and then the interference started almost immediately. That being said, it continued the trend of the night being all about the fun, as PCO got a nice win in his hometown without Moose having to get pinned. Hendry gets another appearance, as this has more or less been his show so far, which isn’t a bad idea.

From September, San Antonio, Texas.

Nic Nemeth vs. Sami Callihan

Nemeth is the only person on the show to get to wear his belt. Callihan starts fast and hits a sitout powerbomb for an early two. The Cactus Driver 97 is blocked though and Nemeth hits a superkick as we take a break. Back with Callihan staggering around the ring but raking the eyes to take over. Callihan chops the post by mistake but he’s fine enough to bend the finger and hit Nemeth in the back of the head for two.

The chinlock doesn’t last long so Callihan elbows him in the face. A nerve hold is broken up and it’s a double clothesline to leave them both down. Callihan wants Nemeth to slug away but Nemeth goes with a Fameasser instead. The ten elbows into the Shot To The Heart gets two but Callihan is back with a cutter for the same. Callihan tunes up the band, which of course takes too long and allows Nemeth to hit his own superkick. The Danger Zone finishes for Nemeth at 9:07.

Rating: C. Not a match you really need to see, but it’s a fresh matchup and the World Champion gets to beat someone who has a bit of status. It’s not something I would want to see on a regular show, but it was a fine way to go to wrap up a show like this. Nemeth wasn’t on the show much, though it makes sense for the World Champion to be the only title featured.

A quick Turning Point rundown and a farewell from the hosts wrap us up.

Overall Rating: B-. This was fun! They didn’t do anything long (with the longest match being about eight minutes), the matches were mainly about the good guys winning to make the fans happy, and it didn’t do anything serious on a show a lot of people aren’t going to see. It’s not an important show in the slightest as it’s basically just a collection of dark matches, but it breezed by and I had a good time. Nice job here and exactly what a holiday special should be.

Results
Joe Hendry/Sami Callihan/PCO b. The System – Standing Ovation to Edwards
Jordynne Grace b. Dani Luna – Juggernaut Driver
Mustafa Ali b. Leon Slater and Trent Seven – Swanton 450 to Seven
Jake Something b. Mike Bailey – Running forearm
Joe Hendry/Rhino b. First Class – Standing Ovation to Navarro
PCO b. Moose – PCO shut Moose in the casket
Nic Nemeth b. Sami Callihan – Danger Zone

 

 

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