Impact Wrestling
Date: May 29, 2025
Location: CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re done with Under Siege and there wasn’t much to talk about on the show. However, there was also an NXT show over the weekend, where NXT’s Trick Williams won the TNA World Title. That’s going to set the stage for Against All Odds, which is already taking place next weekend. Let’s get to it.

Here is Under Siege if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Trick Williams winning the NXT Title at Battleground. Commentary welcomes us to the show and you would think someone died.

Opening sequence.

Rascalz vs. First Class vs. Aztec Warriors vs. The System

For the Tag Team Title shot at Against All Odds and Laredo Kid is on his own after the System attacked Octagon Jr. earlier today. The System bails to the floor to start so Miguel and Kid flip around to a standoff. We hit the rapid fire tags until Kid clears the ring. Alisha Edwards offers a distraction but gets ejected for her efforts. The Rascalz take everyone else out with a bunch of dives and we take a break.

Back with Myers grabbing a chinlock on Kid before Francis comes in with a hard clothesline. First Class starts taking turns on Kid, with Francis adding a running knee in the corner. Navarro accidentally tags Kid, meaning he has to face Francis. That doesn’t present a problem, as Navarro drops down and gets covered, with everyone else running in for the save. Why they did that rather than shaking hands and having Navarro suddenly give up isn’t clear.

Wentz comes back in to clean house until Francis has to make a save. Everything breaks down and Miguel hits a running flip dive onto the System. Kid is up to dive onto just about everyone else but Francis plants him with a chokeslam off the top. Miguel Meteoras Francis though, allowing him to steal the pin on Kid at 12:44.

Rating: B-. This was a match that had to happen as they only had so much time to get challengers ready for Against All Odds. The move makes as much sense as anything else as the Rascalz are an established team and won a fast paced match to get the title shot. As usual, it’s a good choice for an opener and it went well.

The Nemeths are ready for the Rascalz.

During the break, First Class had an argument and Mike Santana jumped AJ Francis.

We meet new signees Myla Grace and Harley Hudson, who are ready to prove themselves and have some attitude. They had a match on Xplosion and the fans seemed to like it so it’s time to keep fighting. The Personal Concierge pops in to ask where Santino Marella is, with Xia Brookside (watching the interview) and the newcomers laughing at him. I’ve seen worse ways to introduce someone.

Raj Singh vs. Mustafa Ali

The rest of Order 4 is here with Ali, who jumps him in the corner to start fast. Back up and a running dropkick puts Singh down again, followed by a neckbreaker to make it worse. Singh gets in a clothesline and hammers away but the Great Hands offer a distraction. Ali drops the 450 for the pin at 2:49. Hopefully that’s it for Singh, as he and Ali don’t need to do this long term.

Post match Ali yells at the rest of Order 4 until the Great Hands lay out Singh again.

Arianna Grace is worried about the mixed tag match but Santino Marella says it’ll be great for them to team together. And Jimmy Korderas is going to be the guest referee!

Ash By Elegance vs. Lei Ying Li

Ash wastes no time in bailing to the floor at the threat of a spinning kick. Back in and a running knee and a running dropkick have Ash in more trouble but she gets smart by kicking at the leg. An arm/leg crank doesn’t last long for Ash as Li is up to strike away in the corner. A running knee gives Li two and she yells a lot, setting up a spinning torture rack neckbreaker for the pin on Ash at 5:57.

Rating: C. This was a way to give Li a quick win and that’s all it needed to be. She might be in line for a title shot sooner than later, perhaps as soon as Against All Odds, so giving her a fast win makes sense. Li is mainly there to do her kicks, but she does them rather convincingly most of the time.

Post match Masha Slamovich comes in and says she’ll see Li at Against All Odds.

We look at Trick Williams winning the World Title, plus the fallout.

We look at Mike Santana winning his NXT debut and then challenging Trick Williams for an NXT Title shot next week.

Williams doesn’t like Brampton so he’s not there. Instead, he’ll beat Santana to keep the title.

Mance Warner vs. Bryce Hansen

Steph de Lander is here with Warner, who jumps Hansen in the corner to start. We pause for a crawl over to de Lander for a kiss before a clothesline drops Hansen again. A running knee and an implant DDT give Warner the pin at 2:40. Warner looked good here, and he did it without barbed wire.

Post match de Lander says Warner wants the International Title.

We look at Xia Brookside snapping and attacking Rosemary at Under Siege.

Rosemary is happy that Brookside has finally seen the dark. She wants Brookside to fill her soul with darkness.

Santino Marella/Arianna Grace vs. Robert Stone/Tessa Blanchard

Well hold on as Blanchard is injured so Victoria Crawford is taking her place. We have some special rules too: the match cannot go over ten minutes, Alisha Edwards will be the guest enforcer referee, and the Cobra is BANNED.

Santino Marella/Arianna Grace vs. Robert Stone/Victoria Crawford

Jimmy Korderas is guest referee. Stone runs away from Rivera to start and it’s quickly off to Grace. Blanchard trips her down and gets ejected, meaning Crawford gets the chance to come in instead. Crawford gets in a knockdown and grabs a chinlock. Stone teases coming in so Marella chases him off, meaning it’s time for a front facelock instead.

That’s broken up and it’s off to Marella as everything breaks down. Grace comes back in with a high crossbody but Stone pulls Korderas out. Said Korderas is sent into Marella, who is sent into the barricade. Crawford ax kicks Grace, allowing Stone to get the pin, as counted by Alisha Edwards, at 6:32.

Rating: C. The match was kind of a mess with so much going on, but that is probably a lot better than having them work a straight match. At the same time, this is still one of the worst stories going today as the battling bosses is only so good on its best day. When you have it with these guys, it’s leaving quite a bit to be desired.

We look at members of the local government helping Eric Young pin Moose at Under Siege.

Young, with the Northern Armory, wants the X-Division Title. Moose comes in and will talk to Santino Marella about it.

Heather By Elegance, with the Personal Concierge, introduces M By Elegance (Maggie Lee) after her makeover. Cue Myla Grace and Harley Hudson to interrupt, saying they want to earn some respect. Then they throw champagne on Lee, who panics and leaves with By Elegance.

Against All Odds rundown, with Elijah getting a World Title shot.

International Title: Matt Cardona vs. Steve Maclin

Maclin is defending and gets a pep talk from Tommy Dreamer in the back. Maclin starts fast and hammers away in the corner to knock Cardona outside. An elbow off the apron connects and a backdrop puts Cardona on the ramp as we take a break. Back with Cardona hitting a neckbreaker and then a neckbreaker for two. The neck crank goes on to keep Maclin in trouble, at least until the comeback is triggered.

Maclin fights up and we get a double knockdown, followed by the clothesline comeback. Cardona gets in a knockdown of his own for two and goes up, where he is superplexed back down. Back up and some running boots in the corner rock Maclin, who is right back with a running knee. The Jar Headbutt gets two, as does Cardona’s Unprettier. Radio Silence gets two more but Maclin ties him in the Tree of Woe for the running shoulder. KIA retains the title at 15:51.

Rating: B-. They got going a bit near the end here, which is a good addition to a match which seemed designed to give Maclin a nice win. Cardona is a name with some value and it worked with a one off match. Good stuff for a main event here, though we’ll get to Maclin’s next real challenger soon enough.

Mike Santana is ready to win the World Title.

Overall Rating: B-. This was an interesting show, as they barely touched Under Siege (makes sense), instead focusing on building Against All Odds. That’s what they had to do given the short turnaround time and we already have some title matches set up. If nothing else, the show is already looking better than Under Siege, though that’s only covering so much ground in the first place.

Results
Rascalz b. First Class, Aztec Warriors and The System – Top rope chokeslam to Kid
Mustafa Ali b. Raj Singh – 450
Lei Ying Li b. Ash By Elegance – Torture rack neckbreaker
Mance Warner b. Bryce Hansen – Implant DDT
Robert Stone/Victoria Crawford b. Santino Marella/Arianna Grace – Ax kick to Grace
Steve Maclin b. Matt Cardona – KIA

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Impact Wrestling
Date: May 22, 2025
Location: Bren Events Center, Irvine, California
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

It’s the last show before Under Siege and that could be the start of a rather eventful weekend. While TNA has its own show this weekend, its World Title is going to be on the line at Sunday’s NXT Battleground event. This is the go home show to set everything in stone and that can be a tricky way to go. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Mustafa Ali vs. Ace Austin

Ali, with a very banged up arm, has his cabinet with him. They start fast with Ali taking him down to little avail so he tries for the leg, earning himself a kick to the face from Austin. A tilt-a-whirl slam gives Austin two and he kicks Ali outside but Austin’s bad knee starts acting up. Ali is smart enough to go after that knee by pulling him out of the corner and then wrapping it around the post.

Back up and Ali ties him in the Tree of Woe, only to miss a baseball slide into the post for the painful landing. Austin misses something off the top though and gets Sharpshootered, sending him over to the ropes. Ali’s hard clothesline gets two but the 450 misses. Austin suplexes him into the corner so Ali pulls Tasha Steelz in front of him. That’s enough of a distraction for Ali to take the knee out again, setting up a kneebar for the tap at 6:59.

Rating: C+. This is a match that could have been better with more time, but they did some good stuff while they could. Ali going insane after his loss to Mike Santana is an interesting story, though I’m not sure where it’s going. Austin is someone who always felt like he could be a big deal but that doesn’t seem to likely be happening.

The System is ready to win at Under Siege and tonight.

Rosemary thinks she knows how to push Xia Brookside over the edge and has attacked Lei Ying Lee.

Northern Armory vs. Aztec Warriors

Eric Young is here with the Armory. Laredo and Williams spin around each other to no avail to start so Laredo takes him down to increase the frustration. Octagon comes in to headscissor Icarus into the corner, followed by a double faceplant and superkick. Williams offers a distraction though and Icarus goes after the eyes to take over. Young and Williams argue with the crowd though, allowing Octagon to come back in with some springboards. Reality sets back in for Williams but Octagon dives onto both of them. Back in and Laredo plants Icarus, setting up the moonsault for the pin at 5:56.

Rating: C. Not much to this one as neither team is exactly on fire at the moment. The Warriors are about as forgettable of a team as you have on the roster at this point and the Armory are even lower level lackeys than the Great Hands. That doesn’t make for a thrilling match and while the action was fine, it didn’t feel important at all.

Xia Brookside is ready to fight Rosemary at Under Siege.

Eddie Edwards vs. Jake Painter

Alisha Edwards is here and Cody Deaner is on commentary. Eddie jumps him to start and hammers away before throwing Painter outside. A Blue Thunder Bomb on the apron lets Eddie get in Deaner’s face but Painter grabs a small package for two. Painter hits a Backstabber for two more but he dives into a knee to the ribs. The Boston Knee Party finishes at 3:36.

Rating: C. I’ve said this since the beginning and it’s still true: it’s really hard to care about a story involving Cody Deaner’s future because there isn’t much of a reason to want to see him around. Even if he beats a star like Edwards on a fluke, I don’t want to see him around any longer. The match was there to show how dangerous Edwards is, even though we already know that, because Deaner can’t win a match before Under Siege. Hence the problem with the whole thing.

Video on Mance Warner and Steph de Lander. They like violence.

First Class vs. Sami Callihan/Mike Santana

O’Shea Jackson Jr. is on commentary. Francis runs Santana over to start but gets enziguried for some staggering. Navarro comes in and gets chopped down, followed by Callihan hitting a pop up powerbomb. Callihan tosses Navarro over the top, with Francis having to catch him. Back in and Navarro gets beaten down again, allowing the tag off to Santana. A Death Valley Driver plants Navarro and Francis gets clotheslined to the floor. Francis cuts off the Cactus Driver 97 though and a quick Blessing In Disguise gives Navarro the pin at 6:22.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure what is going on with Santana but it very well may be just waiting around and having him fill in time before he moves into the main event scene. Odds are he beats Francis at Under Siege and then we get to see where things go from here. For now though, Callihan taking the fall is fine as it’s not like he has anything better to do.

We look at Trick Williams and Joe Hendry performing music live on NXT, leading to a brawl.

Gia Miller is hosting a debate between Santino Marella (with Arianna Grace) and Robert Stone (with Victoria Crawford). Marella talks about how he came here just over two years ago and no one in his family has ever had political power before. Then Stone showed up and started messing with his business, which should not be happening. Stone says Marella has not made this a better place and Marella doesn’t belong in wrestling.

When Stone takes over, he’s going to fire the losers and make a lot of money. Marella calls him stupid and says he does what the people want. Cue Tessa Blanchard to go after Grace but Masha Slamovich runs in for the save. Blanchard is powerbomb onto (not through) the table (THUD) with Grace helping, followed by a running Death Valley Driver onto (again not through) the table in the corner for a nasty crash. This is a simple story, but why is Stone possibly able to take over in the first place?

Matt Cardona reveals that Steve Maclin isn’t medically cleared for Under Siege so he should be named champion. Santino Marella comes in to say Maclin will be cleared for next week so the title match is on for then instead. I’ll take that over a last second change the night of the show.

Spitfire is ready to put their careers on the line at Under Siege. It worked before so it’ll work again.

Spitfire vs. Vipress/Mazzerati

Luna takes Mazzerati down by the arm to start and hands it off to Threat for a running corner clothesline. Mazzerati is able to send them into each other though and Vipress comes in for a running kick to the chest. It’s back to Mazzerati for a cravate but Threat fights up and hands it back to Luna. Everything breaks down and a quick Pressure Drop finishes Vipress at 5:13.

Rating: C. This weekend is going to be the second time that Under Siege’s future as a team is on the line and I have the same “well, ok” response. Spitfire has yet to be an interesting team and while they have been successful, I have pretty much no reason to care about them. Having their future as a team built up doesn’t make me want to see them win more, as this match has been done more than enough times already.

Matt Hardy explains team chemistry to Leon Slater and thinks they could gel well together.

Under Siege rundown.

Elijah/Joe Hendry vs. The System

NXT’s Trick Williams is on commentary. Elijah headlocks Myers to start and grinds away a bit before dropping Myers with a running clothesline. Moose comes in to take over on a test of strength with Hendry and the villains take over for a bit. Hendry muscles Moose up for a suplex and it’s back to Elijah for an Old School tornado DDT. Moose drops Elijah though and we’re already in the chinlock as we take a break.

Back with Elijah still in trouble but Moose chops the post by mistake. Elijah kicks his way to freedom but the tag is cut off again. JDC gets in some choking from the floor and Myers grabs another quickly broken chinlock. The release Rock Bottom gives Moose two and it’s back to Myers, who gets caught with a jumping knee. That’s enough for the tag back to Hendry so house can be quickly cleaned. Hendry and Moose knock each other down so it’s back to Elijah for the Highwayman’s Farewell and the pin on Myers at 14:24.

Rating: C. They are in such a tough spot with this Hendry vs. Williams deal, as they have to get through the Under Siege tag match, which doesn’t feel important, because it’s just a big preview of Sunday’s title match. That leaves a bunch of standing around waiting and this match did not feel important in the slightest as a result. It wasn’t the wrestlers’ fault, but just the entire situation is a mess.

Post match Frankie Kazarian runs in to jump the winners but Elijah comes back with a guitar shot. Trick Williams is not pleased to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This show was stuck in a weird place and it showed badly. There is only so much you can do with the situation they’re in, as Under Siege could not feel much less important. That makes for a very weak go home show, even if the wrestlers were obviously trying. Not much to see this week, and hopefully they can find a way to make Under Siege feel more important.

Results
Mustafa Ali b. Ace Austin – Kneebar
Aztec Warriors b. Northern Armory – Moonsault to Icarus
Eddie Edwards b. Cody Deaner – Boston Knee Party
First Class b. Sami Callihan/Mike Santana – Blessing In Disguise to Callihan
Spitfire b. Vipress/Mazzerati – Pressure Drop to Vipress
Elijah/Joe Hendry b. The System – Highwayman’s Farewell to Myers

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Impact Wrestling
Date: May 15, 2025
Location: Bren Events Center, Irvine, California
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re just over a week away from Under Siege and the cards has mostly come together. The company has quite a few things going on at the moment, including World Champion Joe Hendry defending the title against NXT’s Trick Williams later this month at NXT Battleground. That should make for a good match on that show, but they both need something to do at Under Siege. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Sabu.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Tessa Blanchard/Victoria Crawford vs. Masha Slamovich/Nikkita Lyons

Lyons misses a kick to Blanchard to start but is able to send her into the corner for some hip drops. Slamovich comes in and hair mares Crawford a few times, followed by a kick to the chest for two. It’s back to Blanchard to knock Slamovich down and hand it back to Crawford. Slamovich fights up but Blanchard is right there to pull Lyons off the apron. Blanchard slides Crawford a chair but Slamovich takes it away and nails Crawford for the DQ at 4:14.

Rating: C. This was a weird one as Crawford isn’t bad but feels WAY over her head compared to Blanchard and Slamovich. Lyons isn’t much better, as she seems to be there for whatever star power she allegedly has. Other than that, this was more about Crawford and company getting under Slamovich’s skin, but I’m still not buying Crawford as having a chance at Under Siege.

Post match Slamovich takes out Blanchard as well but Santino Marella comes out to restart the match…but Robert Stone says no and the winners are Blanchard and Crawford. As in the TNA wrestlers rather than the team with an NXT wrestler, because this storyline doesn’t need to exist.

Cody Deaner is nervous about getting to wrestle in such a big match so close to his hometown. His family means the world to them and they will get to be there. His lack of a singles win in over a year is brought up but apparently he does a lot of things backstage and helps with the younger wrestlers. A loss can’t happen. Sweet goodness it’s CODY DEANER. TNA has treated him like nothing for the better part of ever now but suddenly I’m suppose to feel bad that he might be leaving?

Great Hands vs. Rascalz

Skyler gets punched in the face to start and sent to the floor, followed by some rapid fire kicks back inside. Hotch low bridges Miguel to the floor though and Skyler gets to take over. Miguel comes back with a pretty awesome Sling Blade backbreaker and everything breaks down. The Rascalz hit a string of running elbows in the corner but cue Mustafa Ali for a distraction. The Favor finishes Miguel at 4:18.

Rating: C. Another acceptable enough match here with Ali’s continued issues causing troubles for various people. The Great Hands aren’t exactly a top level team either but they’re good enough as lackeys. The match again didn’t have much time, and that’s not doing it many favors.

Post match Ali runs in to hammer on Miguel but Ace Austin runs in for the save.

During the break, the Great Hands jumped Austin, who is scheduled for a four way match.

Matt Cardona vs. Elijah vs. Ace Austin vs. Mance Warner

For a future International Title shot, Steph de Lander is here with Warner and Austin has a bad leg. Austin sends Cardona outside and takes Warner down but hurts his leg again trying a nip up. Back in and Cardona gets backdropped out to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Warner going after Austin’s leg and sending Cardona shoulder first into the post. Warner’s superplex to Austin is turned into a Tower Of Doom and Elijah knees Cardona out of the air.

Cardona grabs a chair but Warner takes it away and uses it for a springboard DDT. Elijah gives Warner the Highwayman’s Farewell onto the open chair but Cardona breaks it up. Austin is back in and can’t hit his springboard kick due to the leg, allowing Cardona to grab a rollup for two. The Fold attempt doesn’t work either and Cardona hits Radio Silence to pin Austin at 11:11.

Rating: B-. Austin’s leg was the story here and it went fairly well, as that is going to give him a reason to want some revenge on Mustafa Ali. Cardona is a good next challenger for the title, as he’s an established name and offers something fresh. The other two were just kind of there, but that’s often going to happen in a four way match.

Tessa Blanchard yells at Ariana Grace, who argues back. That earns Grace one heck of a slap.

It’s time for the First Class Penthouse with First Class bragging about their celebrity connections and mock the city. They bring out their guest O’Shea Jackson Jr., who didn’t like the Los Angeles insult. Jackson says AJ Francis looks like Uncle Phil so Francis threatens to treat him like Jazz. Cue Mike Santana to chase First Class off.

Indi Hartwell vs. Kelsey Heather

Heather doesn’t want anything to do with a handshake and grabs a headlock instead. As commentary runs down Hartwell’s career resume, she fights out and drives Heather into the corner, followed by a big boot. A spinning full nelson faceplant finishes for Hartwell at 2:29.

Post break Hartwell is talking about her win but Mustafa Ali’s Cabinet takes over the camera to talk about how unfair things have been to Ali. Hartwell isn’t happy but the Cabinet doesn’t care.

Rosemary vs. Xia Brookside

Rosemary bails to the floor to start and gives Brookside a mischievous look before snapping Brookside’s throat across the rope. Back in and Rosemary chokes on the rope, only to offer Brookside some brass knuckles. That doesn’t make Brookside go evil so Rosemary grabs a quickly broken crossface. Brookside fights up and hits the Broken Wings for two before she picks up the knuckles. A headbutt drops Rosemary again and she wants Brookside to use the knuckles. When that doesn’t work, Rosemary loads up the mist, only for Brookside to hit her in the throat. Brookside snaps a bit and the referee is shoved for the DQ at 5:30.

Rating: C+. Another storyline advancing match here as Brookside continues to show aggression, even if it comes after she is being pushed by Rosemary. In theory this is what Rosemary wants, but I really don’t need another “and now this person is evil” story. I’m sure we’ll get more of this, and I’m a bit curious about where it is going to go.

Post match the brawl stays on and Lei Ying Lee runs in to break it up, with Rosemary bailing.

We look at Trick Williams and Joe Hendry’s contract signing on NXT.

Ariana Grace asks Santino Marella to make a match with Tessa Blanchard at Under Siege. Robert Stone comes in to say it’s a great idea.

Here is Frankie Kazarian for a chat. He hates this town and complains about things going badly at Rebellion. Kazarian hates Joe Hendry and her fans, but there is one person who gets what he means. That would be his tag partner at Under Siege, Trick Williams. Cue Williams, who says they don’t like each other but they’re here to be respected. Williams mentions Hendry so here he is. Cue Elijah to help Hendry clear the ring. Cue Santino Marella to say let’s do the match tonight but Robert Stone runs out to say we’re not doing this here, as this story needed to be done multiple times in the same show.

We look at Sabu vs. Rob Van Dam from Hardcore Justice 2010.

Jeff Hardy vs. Nic Nemeth

Matt Hardy and Ryan Nemeth are here too. Jeff hits a quick dropkick to start but walks into the running DDT. That’s fine with Jeff, who sends him to the floor for a big dive. We take a break and come back with Jeff sending him into the corner and dropping a splash for two. A neckbreaker gets Nic out of trouble and he starts in on Jeff’s knee. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by the Shot to the Heart for two. The chinlock goes on again and we take a break.

Back with Jeff avoiding a charge into the post and hitting the basement dropkick. Jeff hits the Whisper In The Wind for two but misses a charge of his own. Nic hits the Fameasser for two but Jeff is back with the Twisting Stunner. The Swanton is blocked though and Nic hits a superkick for two. The Danger Zone is blocked as well and it’s a Twist Of Fate into the Swanton to give Jeff the pin at 10:59.

Rating: B-. This is the kind of match where you know it’s going to work just based on who is involved. That’s not a bad thing at all and they made it work well. Having Jeff beat one of the champions when he won’t be involved at Under Siege is kind of a strange choice though, as you would normally want the Nemeths to be presented in a stronger way.

Post match Ryan jumps the Hardys but Leon Slater (Matt’s partner at Under Siege) makes the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a nice push towards Under Siege, but my goodness the Stone vs. Marella stuff is killing the show. I have no idea why I’m supposed to like Marella in the first place when Stone is being proven right about everything he does. At the same time, I have no interest in seeing a battle of the bosses, especially from these two. The rest of the show was the usual building towards the pay per view, but dang that one big story is hurting things.

Results
Tessa Blanchard/Victoria Crawford b. Masha Slamovich/Nikkita Lyons via DQ when Slamovich used a chair
Great Hands b. Rascalz – Favor to Miguel
Matt Cardona b. Ace Austin, Elijah and Mance Warner – Radio Silence to Austin
Indi Hartwell b. Kelsey Heather – Spinning full nelson faceplant
Rosemary b. Xia Brookside via DQ when Brookside shoved the referee
Jeff Hardy b. Nic Nemeth – Swanton

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Impact Wrestling
Date: May 8, 2025
Location: Bren Events Center, Irvine, California
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re getting closer to Under Siege and that means we should be in for a card being set up sooner rather than later. One of the bigger matches is likely going to involve NXT’s Trick Williams, who has been going after TNA World Champion Joe Hendry. Other than that, there are a lot of holes to fill in so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Trick Williams, the #1 contender to the TNA World Title at NXT Battleground on May 25, to get things going. After bragging about his attractiveness, Williams brings up taking out Joe Hendry last week. He isn’t bothered by the booing and yells at a fan, before saying that Hendry wants to be liked while Williams wants to be respected. Williams is ready to take everything from Hendry, who comes to the ring for the brawl. Security breaks it up so Hendry beats up a guard to blow off some steam (that’s a bit out of character for him).

Robert Stone complains to Victoria Crawford about tonight’s card, because Santino Marella is bad at his job.

Rosemary vs. Lei Ying Lee

Xia Brookside is on commentary. Lee starts fast with a running crossbody for two but Rosemary takes her down and hammers away. A fall away slam gives Rosemary two and she bites the hand to cut off some chops. The Upside Down makes it worse for Lee, with Brookside thinking Rosemary is doing this to prove a point. Lee fights back and hammers away in the corner (Brookside approves) so Rosemary tries some brass knuckles. Brookside takes them away though and Thunderstruck gives Lee the pin at 4:29.

Rating: C+. They only had so much time here and Brookside continuing to stay on the good side, much to Rosemary’s chagrin, continues to set up their eventual showdown. That opens up a nice possibility, as Brookside has been needing something interesting for a long time now. It would be nice to see that go somewhere, and Lee is getting a bit of a rub of her own on the way.

Trick Williams and Mike Santana cross paths backstage. After a staredown, Santana moves on to Sami Callihan and a guy in a goblin mask. Santana appreciated the barbed wire massacre a few weeks ago, which gets a handshake from Callihan. First Class comes in and says they’re here to talk to Callihan. They want him in First Class but he leaves with the goblin instead. Santana doesn’t seem impressed.

By Elegance gives Maggie Lee a makeover. Full results coming later I’m assuming.

Great Hands vs. Aztec Warriors

Before the match, the Great Hands say Mustafa Ali has changed since Rebellion. They’re sorry for what happens next. Kid and Hotch run the ropes to start until Kid slaps him in the back of the head. Octagon comes in for a spinning high crossbody and a rather springboardy wristdrag.

Skyler gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and a neckbreaker gets two on Octagon. That doesn’t last long as Octagon rolls over and gets the tag off to Kid to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and the Warriors hit some dives to the floor. Back in and a driver puts Hotch down, setting up a handstand springboard moonsault to give Octagon the pin at 4:16.

Rating: B-. Good stuff here, with the Warriors being the local lucha team. That is something which is going to work no matter what and that was the case here. At the same time, the Great Hands are a team who can make anyone look good, which suits their name rather well. I can’t imagine the Warriors get to go very far, but at least they’re doing something in the short term.

Post match Mustafa Ali runs in to jump the Warriors but the Rascalz make the save.

Trey Miguel vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali forearms away to start and rolls over into a powerbomb to plant Miguel. An uppercut drops Miguel again but he sends Ali to the floor. The baseball slide is countered into a hanging DDT onto the floor though and they head back inside. A standing corkscrew moonsault gives Ali two and a bridging suplex gets the same. The rolling neckbreaker is cut off with a cutter though and Miguel gets to strike away.

The top rope Meteora gives Miguel two but Ali knocks him outside. That lets the seconds get in a brawl, with Wentz hitting a moonsault onto the Great Hands. Ali posts Wentz to take him out but the distraction lets Miguel come back with a diving tornado DDT. Tasha Steelz offers a distraction though and the Great Hands cut Miguel off. Ali’s swinging Downward Spiral is good for the pin at 7:19.

Rating: B. As usual, TNA knows how to use its talented wrestlers to put something good together. That’s what we got here, as Ali is one of the best talents on the roster and Miguel can hang with anyone. I could have gone with a bit less in the way of shenanigans, but it’s rather easy to watch these two in the ring together.

We look at Mustafa Ali successfully defending the X-Division Title against Ace Austin at Under Siege 2024. A little over half of the match, which ran 16 minutes in full, is shown.

Steve Maclin is ready to face Eric Young in a dog collar match for the International Title. It’s time to finish this.

Indi Hartwell talks about everything she has done to get here, including how much she loved TNA Wrestling. She doesn’t want to be a Knockout, because she wants to be THE Knockout. Not a bad line. I can go with giving Hartwell a try, as she never really got one on the main WWE roster.

Here are the Hardys for a chat. They lost the Tag Team Titles to the Nemeths and it makes them feel like they let the fans down. That doesn’t work for them, but now it’s time to fight, scratch and claw their way back to the titles. They are on the Hardy Soul Train and it’s time to DELETE the new champs’ title reign.

Cue the Nemeths to say they are going to make this fast because they have a plane to catch. They think the Hardys are legends but sometimes legends fall. The rematch can take place at Under Siege and they can make it a ladder match…but never mind because Jeff can’t go to Canada. This brings out Santino Marella to make Jeff vs. Nic next week and Matt/a partner of his choice vs. the Nemeths for the titles at Under Siege. If nothing else, I’ll take this over another Jeff beatdown just before the Canadian excursion.

We look at Nic and Jeff in a hardcore match years ago on Raw. Next week is their first regular singles match.

Victoria Crawford vs. Brittnie Brooks

Robert Stone is on commentary. Crawford knocks her into the corner to start and hits her always good bridging northern lights suplex for two. A headscissors out of the corner sets up the ax kick to give Crawford the pin at 1:27. Keeping this short might have been a good idea.

Post match Masha Slamovich comes out to brawl with Crawford but Tessa Blanchard comes in to drop Slamovich. Santino Marella comes out to make a tag match for next week but Stone is going to pick Slamovich’s partner: Nikkita Lyons from NXT. Uh, yay.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Arianna Grace tries to calm things down between Robert Stone and Santino Marella. Tessa Blanchard comes in to yell at her about the proper way to build on your family’s legacy.

International Title: Steve Maclin vs. Eric Young

Young, with the Northern Armory, is challenging in a dog collar match and Matt Cardona is on commentary. They pull each other closer with the chain and Young gets the better of a brawl. Maclin is already busted open and Young chokes away in the corner as Elijah is watching backstage. The blood is GUSHING and the Armory rubs it on their white shirts as Young chokes with the chain on the post. Young hammers away and throws Maclin back inside, where Maclin cuts them all off with a dive.

Back up and Young uses the chain to pull him throat first into the post and we take a break. We come back with Young choking away on the incredibly bloody Maclin as Ace Austin is now watching with Elijah. Maclin fights up with the clothesline comeback and whips Young with the chain. An Angle Slam gives Maclin two and a running knee drops Young again. Mance Warner and Steph de Lander are watching from the stage as the fight heads outside.

Maclin has to fight off the Armory again though and Young pulls him off the apron for a crash. Back in and Maclin catches Young on top and beats up the Armory. The distraction lets Young (either also bleeding or covered in Maclin’s blood) hit a piledriver for two but Maclin uses the chain to pull him off the top. KIA retains the title at 14:26.

Rating: B-. Your taste in blood may vary here, but it was more about violence than insanity like the Barbed Wire Massacre a few weeks back. Hopefully this lets Maclin move on to someone else, because there are a lot of possible challengers out there. Maclin looked good in surviving here, even with all of the blood, which was excessive even by TNA standards.

Maclin celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. For a show that had a lot going on and a lot to set up, almost everything was working here. The action was good, with the main event looking and feeling very important. Other than that, you had some things set up for Under Siege, which could use the boost given how much has been blown off recently. Solid show here, which is something TNA has been needing.

Results
Lei Ying Lee b. Rosemary – Thunderstruck
Aztec Warriors b. Great Hands – Handstand springboard moonsault to Hotch
Mustafa Ali b. Trey Miguel – Swinging Downward Spiral
Victoria Crawford b. Brittnie Brooks – Ax kick
Steve Maclin b. Eric Young – KIA

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Impact Wrestling
Date: May 1, 2025
Location: Bren Events Center, Irvine, California
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re done with Rebellion and the show only had so much going on. Joe Hendry is still the World Champion but it seems that he has a Trick Williams (from NXT) sized problem. That could make for something going forward in the coming weeks and it may start with this week’s show. Let’s get to it.

Here is Rebellion if you need a recap.

We open with a long Rebellion recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Joe Hendry, who is happy to still be the World Champion, but first the fans give him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY chant. After thanking the fans, Hendry recaps his recent escapades and calls out Trick Williams, who pops up…on the video screen. Williams isn’t going to come out here, which is fine for Hendry, who is ready for his six man tag main event.

The Rascalz are ready for Zachary Wentz to win the X-Division Title tonight.

Sami Callihan comes up to Santino Marella but Mance Warner and Steph de Lander interrupt. Callihan and Warner had a violent match and they aggressively shake hands to wrap up their feud. Callihan: “For now.”

Mike Santana vs. Isaiah Moore

Moore strikes away to start but charges into a shot in the corner. A Liger Bomb finishes for Santana at 1:01.

Post match Santana says he finished Mustafa Ali and now he wants Joe Hendry and the World Title.

We look at Steve Maclin beating Eric Young but getting beaten down by the Northern Armory after the match.

Here is Maclin for a chat but the Northern Armory jumps him from behind. Maclin gets hung with the chain again.

Post match Santino Marella yells at the Northern Armory when Steve Maclin comes in to yell too. Marella makes Maclin vs. Eric Young for next week.

X-Division Title: Zachary Wentz vs. Moose

Wentz, with Trey Miguel, is challenging while Moose has Alisha Edwards with him. Moose powers him into the corner to start but Wentz takes out the leg and sends things to the floor. A dive takes Moose out again and we take a break. Back with Wentz striking away to knock Moose outside, setting up a moonsault to drop him again. They get back in where Moose hits a heck of a pop up powerbomb into a high crossbody of all things. Another powerbomb is countered into a Code Red for a very near fall, followed by an X Factor to drop Moose again. The Spiral Tap gets two but Moore is back with a spear to retain at 6:32.

Rating: C+. The ending of that Ultimate X match at Rebellion makes it seem like Leon Slater is very likely going to be the person to take the title off of Moose. That means we need to wait to get to that match, and that’s where boosting Moose up here makes sense. Beating another former champion is a good thing and it worked well enough here, even in a short match.

We get a new injury report from Rebellion, with only Tasha Steelz out of action.

A disheveled Mustafa Ali has nothing to say but the Great Hands seem ok with everything.

Here is Cody Deaner for a chat. His contract expires very soon and he isn’t getting a new deal because he hasn’t won a match in over a year. He grew up in a tiny town and now he can say that he has had a 25 year career. Now he can say he is a proud husband and father to four children. Only one company gave him a chance though and because of the fans, no matter what, he feels like a winner.

Cue Santino Marella, who is willing to give Deaner an extension until Under Siege, and if he can get a win over Eddie Edwards, it might be enough for a new contract. Cue NXT’s Robert Stone (formerly Robbie E) and Victoria Crawford (formerly Alicia Fox), with Stone saying that Marella is officially under review. This company needs a new boss with a new vision, so Stone is going to be supervising him. The Deputy Director of Authority, Crawford will be assisting him in the process, as well as getting a Knockouts Title shot at Under Siege. Oh sweet goodness not battling authority figures. And also, it’s still just Deaner.

Post break, Marella and Stone argue, with Tessa Blanchard coming in to throw her support behind Stone.

Maggie Lee vs. Jody Threat

Dani Luna is here with Threat. They go with the grappling to start until Threat runs her over with a shoulder. A top rope seated senton gives Threat two but Lee kicks her in the ribs. Lee pulls her down by the hair for two and we hit the double arm crank. A bow and arrow keeps Threat in trouble but she fights up and fires off some chops. Lee catches her on top though and hits a Tower Of London for two but Threat is back with corner clotheslines. Pop Shove It finishes Lee at 5:20.

Rating: C. This Knockouts tag division stuff still isn’t clicking for me and Spitfire isn’t doing much. Threat and Luna have been together for a good while now but they haven’t done much that draws me in. Having them feud with By Elegance and their friend Lee going forward is still not going to fix it, but that’s been an issue for the division for years now.

By Elegance yells at Maggie Lee after her loss. The solution? MAKEOVER!

Here is Indi Hartwell for her Impact debut. Hartwell talks about her history watching TNA in Australia and now she is ready to be THE Knockout.

Under Siege rundown.

KC Navarro vs. Leon Slater

AJ Francis is here with Navarro. They run the ropes to start and Navarro jumps over him for some posing. That doesn’t go well as they’re quickly on the floor, where Slater hits a 619 on the apron. Francis gets caught interfering though and gets ejected, allowing Navarro to grab a tornado DDT. Slater is quickly out of a chinlock and hits a suplex neckbreaker for two. Navarro rolls outside so Slater tries the running flip dive, only to stick the landing when Navarro moves. Slater knocks him back again though and the Swanton 450 finishes Navarro off at 4:21.

Rating: C+. These guys having an entertaining match isn’t a big surprise at all as they’re both rather good. As was the case earlier in the show, it seems like we are going to be seeing Slater getting the next big shot at Moose. Therefore he needs some wins, and that’s what he got here, with the cool finishing move being included.

Masha Slamovich is ready to prove why Victoria Crawford is in over her head.

We look at Darkstate attacking Joe Hendry on NXT, setting up a six man tag for next week.

Ryan Nemeth/Nic Nemeth/Frankie Kazarian vs. Hardys/Joe Hendry

The good guys have a customized theme saying I BELIEVE IN JEFF HARDY. It’s a brawl at the bell to start and the good guys clear the ring as we take an early break. Back with Matt in trouble in the corner as the villains get to take turns beating him up. Kazarian grabs a cravate but Matt fights out and brings Jeff in to clean house.

The Twist Of Fate is countered into a rollup to give Nic two and everything breaks down. Hendry snaps off the fall away slams and we hit the parade of finishes. Cue Trick Williams to send Hendry into the steps though, allowing Ryan to break up the Swanton. The Danger Zone finishes Jeff at 6:48.

Rating: C+. This was mainly about Williams coming in at the end and that’s a fine way to wrap up the show. It wouldn’t shock me to see Williams getting a title shot at Battleground or whatever the next big NXT show happens to be. Other than that, the Nemeths vs. the Hardys gets to continue, though I’m not sure I can imagine that going on for a long time.

Post match Williams lays Hendry out again to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Not their most thrilling show here, but the ending did help things a good bit. You can see some of the bigger matches coming and I’m rather curious about Mike Santana jumping into the main event scene. If TNA wants to push someone who feels like a mostly homegrown star, he’s a great choice and that very well may be where they’re going. Other than that, it was only a good enough show, but they often take a bit of a breather after a major pay per view.

Results
Mike Santana b. Isaiah Moore – Liger Bomb
Moose b. Zachary Wentz – Spear
Jody Threat b. Maggie Lee – Pop Shove It
Leon Slater b. KC Navarro – Swanton 450
Ryan Nemeth/Nic Nemeth/Frankie Kazarian b. Hardys/Joe Hendry – Danger Zone to Jeff

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Impact Wrestling
Date: April 24, 2025
Location: St. Joseph Civic Center, St. Joseph, Missouri
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re done with Unbreakable and that means it is time to get ready for Rebellion, which is taking place this weekend. That means we have quite the balancing act this week, with a mixture of fallout from Unbreakable, the final push to Rebellion and having a good show as well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Unbreakable if you need a recap.

In Memory Of Steve McMichael.

Unbreakable recap, including the Nemeth’s being invited to the Hardy Compound to be DELETED. Oh geez I was hoping that had been a bad dream.

Opening sequence.

Trey Miguel/Ace Austin vs. The System

JDC pulls Miguel into a very early chinlock but gets reversed into a quick hammerlock. Miguel dropkicks him into the corner and Austin comes in for a double hiptoss. Some stereo kicks drop JDC again but Alisha Edwards offers a distraction so Miguel can get posted as we take a break.

Back with JDC staying on the bad arm but Miguel gets out of Moose’s powerbomb attempt. The tag brings in Austin to pick up the pace, including a springboard kick to the face for two. Poetry In Motion is broken up though as Moose powerbombs Miguel onto Austin, setting up Down And Dirty for two. Alisha offers another distraction and cue Brian Myers for a cheap shot. An assisted Air Raid Crash finishes Miguel at 12:06.

Rating: C+. Simple, to the point match here with the big heel stable getting a win on the way to Moose’s title defense in the match where he could lose the title without taking a fall. The match is going to be such a huge mess and this is an interesting way to get there, along with the System getting involved and likely annoying Austin and Miguel. They might want some revenge on Myers, which is a fine way to go.

Video on Masha Slamovich vs. Tessa Blanchard, with Slamovich wondering if this is all worth it. Tommy Dreamer comes in to say that Slamovich needs to defend the title for herself and that he’s proud.

Mike Santana is at his Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and talks about how everyone woke up this morning to make choices. He sees Mustafa Ali as someone weak and the real addict. Ali is addicted to Santana and now it’s time to become a monster to fight the monster. Ali won’t have the choice because he can’t run and Santana is going to fight for everyone, including the people who haven’t made it to this room yet. This was good, emotional stuff from Santana.

Maggie Lee and Heather By Elegance call Ash By Elegance, who rants about the four way Knockouts Tag Team Title match (and explains the rules).

Jacy Jayne vs. Rosemary

The rest of Fatal Influence is here with Jayne, who jumps Rosemary in the corner. The threat of some mist has Jayne backing up in a hurry but the rest of Fatal Influence offers a distraction. That doesn’t work as Rosemary grabs the Upside Down, only to get kneed in the face by Jayne. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Rosemary is up with a bite to the face and an elbow out of the corner gets two. A reverse DDT gives Rosemary two so Jazmyn Nyx gets on the apron. That earns her a knockdown but Jayne hits a discus right hand for the win at 3:42.

Rating: C. It’s not a bad match but the NXT stars coming in are just kind of there these days. Having Jayne win is fine and you can guess on the idea of who Rosemary will get to help her fight Fatal Influence. Not much to the match, but it should set up something a bit bigger later on.

Post match Lei Ying Lee and Xia Brookside run in for the save. Fatal Influence goes to leave but Santino Marella comes out to make a six woman tag for Rebellion.

The Nemeth’s go to the Hardy Compound and see Willow (with umbrella) waiting for them. Back from a break (because this needs to go longer), the Nemeth’s are in the compound and Willow starts dancing. Then a light flashes and Willow disappears, leaving his umbrella behind. Jeff Hardy jumps Nic and sends him into a tree before beating on him with an umbrella.

They fight into the back of a truck and Jeff is backdropped off the top of said truck and through some well placed tables. Nic goes into the truck and finds a suitcase, with one of the title belts inside. In a case of what is likely breaking and entering, Nic goes into the house and we cut to Ryan getting jumped by Matt Hardy. As Nic wanders through the arcade, he finds a collection of titles and steals the other TNA tag team title, replacing it with a weight.

Matt has a pre-mo-neetion and spears Ryan into a pool. Then Ryan shows up in the arcade, where Senor Benjamin gives him a ticket. Ryan walks in, where Matt’s kids are sitting in chairs and eating popcorn. Benjamin sits down in one of the chairs next to Ryan and we see a silent movie about Maxel (Matt’s son) beating Ryan.

Then Ryan wakes up on a psychiatrist’s couch, with Maxel taking notes. Ryan talks about the issues that came with Nic’s suspension and all of the pressure on him. Then Ryan walks up to Reby playing the piano with her daughter by her side. Ryan and the daughter argue over the Nemeth’s wanting the Tag Team Titles. Then a bird appears and Ryan is now a goth and doing standup with one of Matt’s other sons.

The son asks if Ryan wants to hear a joke. Ryan: “Sure.” Matt’s son: “Your career.” Then Matt pulls Ryan out of the pool but stops to chase Nic, with the Tag Team Titles. One of Matt’s sons grabs Nic and gets shoved down, triggering a fight with Matt. Broken Jeff appears as the Nemeth’s escape with the titles. Counting a commercial, this was about twenty minutes. Because TNA hates us.

Ace Austin and Trey Miguel are annoyed at their loss. They want to face the System and call Sean Waltman for help.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Missa Kate

Blanchard wrestles her down to start but gets chopped hard. That doesn’t work for Blanchard, who hits some clotheslines into a Saito suplex. Blanchard hits a cutter into Magnum into the buzzsaw DDT for the pin at 4:18.

Rating: C. What are you expecting here? This was Blanchard squashing someone on the way to her major showdown with the seemingly unstoppable Knockouts Champion. It’s a simple story and Blanchard looked like a killer out there. Blanchard vs. Masha Slamovich should be a heck of a fight and one of the biggest matches at Rebellion and the build has been pretty good.

Post match Masha Slamovich runs in to take out Blanchard and goes after her arm.

We look at Steve Maclin becoming the International Champion at Unbreakable.

Eric Young interrupts Maclin’s journaling and they drink a toast. Maclin leaves and Young burns the journal.

We look at Joe Hendry appearing at Wrestlemania and losing to Randy Orton. Then Hendry showed up on NXT and got in a staredown with NXT Champion Oba Femi.

Rebellion rundown.

Elijah/Joe Hendry vs. Ethan Page/Frankie Kazarian

Elijah and Kazarian start things off with Elijah working on a wristlock. A rollup gives Kazarian a fast two but Old School drops Kazarian and a clothesline puts him on the floor. We take a break and come back with Kazarian getting elbowed down. It’s off to Page vs. Hendry (still with a banged up shoulder) with Hendry scoring off a running shoulder and hiptoss.

Elijah comes back in with a running shot to the face but gets caught with one of his own. Kazarian comes in to hammer away, only to walk into a jumping knee to the face. Page gets knocked down as well and it’s Hendry coming in to clean house. A sunset flip gets two on Kazarian but he goes after the shoulder.

Page comes in off a blind tag and gets two off a powerslam. A double superplex puts Hendry down with Elijah making a save. Hendry’s shoulder gives out on the Standing Ovation attempt so it’s back to Elijah. Page drops to the floor, leaving Kazarian to walk into the Highwayman’s Farewell for the pin at 17:51.

Rating: C+. They had a nice enough match here and it gives us a bit of drama for the World Title match on Sunday. Hendry’s shoulder could be a problem at Rebellion and Page walking out on Kazarian is completely on point for him. While it’s hard to imagine a title change, there is always the chance of a curve ball and Hendry’s shoulder could play a big role in getting us there.

Overall Rating: C. This show was trying to do a very tricky thing with all of the stuff they had to do, but then there’s this huge side trip into the wacky minds of the Hardys. That didn’t help much of anything but it let the Hardys do whatever they wanted and that’s what seems to matter the most. I’m over the Hardys’ weird stuff and it was on full display here, which didn’t help the rest of the Rebellion build. The rest of the show wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t much in the way of good action and I’m only interested in some of the Rebellion card. Just stop with the Hardys stuff already and let the rest of the show be better.

Results
The System b. Trey Miguel/Ace Austin – Assisted Air Raid Crash to Miguel
Jacy Jayne b. Rosemary – Discus punch
Tessa Blanchard b. Missa Kate – Buzzsaw DDT
Elijah/Joe Hendry b. Frankie Kazarian/Ethan Page – Highwayman’s Farewell to Kazarian

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Impact Wrestling
Date: April 17, 2025
Location: St. Joseph Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s a special night for the company as not only do we have the usual Impact Wrestling, but the show will be followed by Unbreakable. That means tonight is a big preview for that show, but it is also one of the last shows before Rebellion. In other words, it’s going to be a packed night and TNA has a lot to cover. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Laredo vs. Jason Hotch

Tasha Steelz is here with Hotch and Laredo is no longer a kid. A wristdrag takes Hotch down but Steelz offers a distraction, allowing Hotch to get in a shot from the floor. Back in and Hotch strikes away but gets sent into the corner. A neckbreaker and missile dropkick have Hotch down on the floor and of course Laredo hits a dive. Laredo nails a twisting senton but gets caught with a Mustafa Ali rolling neckbreaker for two. They go up, where Laredo hits a super powerslam for two more, only to walk into a swinging backbreaker. Hotch goes up again but gets caught in a super Spanish Fly for the pin at 6:06.

Rating: C+. Laredo is a good choice to open the show as he wrestles a nice, fast paced style that works well with anyone. Hotch is talented as well and you could put him in there with Laredo for a fine outing. That’s what we got here, as TNA has a good record of starting off shows well.

Leon Slater is ready for Brian Myers tonight but he still wants to become the youngest X-Division Title.

Cody Deaner is trying to get Santino Marella to extend his contract so he gets an Ultimate X qualifying match.

Jazmyn Nyx vs. Xia Brookside

The rest of Fatal Influence is here with Nyx and Brookside has Lei Ying Lee. Nyx takes her down with a headscissors to start but gets rolled up for some near falls. A running dropkick rocks Nyx again but she kicks Brookside in the chest for two. Brookside gets bulldogged into the corner for one and we hit the chinlock.

Back up and they trade kicks to the head for a double down, followed by a slugout. Nyx hits a leg lariat for two but Brookside is back with a middle rope crossbody for the same. The seconds get into it so here is Rosemary to mist Jacy Jayne. Brookside is confused but manages to small package Nyx for the pin at 7:48.

Rating: C+. Brookside continues to be someone who could do something if she was given the chance, but right now it seems like she might be destined to team with Rosemary and go after the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. That’s not exactly a career breakthrough, but it’s better than sitting around in the midcard loop forever. Fatal Influence are still useful around here as they are NXT stars TNA wrestlers can beat and it’s working well enough.

Ultimate X Qualifying Match: KC Navarro vs. Cody Deaner

Deaner says he has to win to keep his job but Navarro doesn’t want to hear it. He offers Deaner a chance to leave but the people tell Deaner to wrestle. Deaner punches him in the face and they start fast with some right hands in the corner leaving Navarro in trouble. A shot to the face gives Navarro two and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and Deaner grabs an airplane spin into a TKO for two. With nothing else working, Navarro whips out a chain and knocks Deaner cold for the pin at 3:56.

Rating: C. For the life of me I do not get the appeal of Deaner. The people’s choice deal is fine enough for someone but could they use it on someone a bit more interesting? Navarro is in a better place at the moment and he’ll be fine in Ultimate X, but right now his bigger appeal is that he’s not Cody Deaner.

Post break Navarro is very fired up about his win and is ready to be X-Division Champion.

We look at Maggie Lee beating Savannah Evans on Xplosion, albeit with some help from the Personal Concierge.

Lee thinks there is a lot going on at the moment but she isn’t changing for anyone.

The Personal Concierge is here with Maggie Lee, who is an official project of Elegance. Therefore, tonight she has a special partner.

Maggie Lee/Heather By Elegance vs. Gigi Dolin/Tatum Paxley

Dolin rolls Lee up to start and gets dropkicked against the ropes for two. Lee fights back but Heather isn’t interested in a tag. Some double teaming has Lee in trouble so the Concierge offers a distraction, allowing an assisted hot shot to drop Dolin for two. A few running shots in the corner get two and Heather chokes away for another near fall. Dolin fights up and brings Paxley back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and the Cemetery Driver finishes Heather at 4:42.

Rating: C. As usual, the Knockouts Title division is rather good but the Knockouts tag division just comes and goes without getting much of anywhere. That’s what we had here as neither the action nor the story are very interesting. The division hasn’t been very interesting in a long time now and this was another example of a match where nothing really changed.

Post break Heather is panicking so here are Meta Four, Spitfire and Gigi Dolin/Tatum Paxley. They all want a title shot, so Heather snaps and says yes to all of them.

We get a special look at the Unbreakable triple threat from 2005. To be fair, it’s so fondly remembered for a reason. We see the last few minutes of the match as well.

AJ Francis is ready to win the International Title.

Joe Hendry and Masha Slamovich are ready for Unbreakable.

Dani Luna vs. Jakara Jackson

Jody Threat and Lash Legend are here too. They fight over a lockup to start with Luna powering out of a headlock and shouldering her down. Legend gets in a cheap shot and that’s good for a quick ejection. Back in and Jackson’s chinlock doesn’t last long as Luna powers her down, setting up the clothesline comeback. A Blue Thunder Bomb gives Luna two and Jackson’s tornado DDT gets the same. Luna grabs a quick Luna Landing for the pin at 7:05.

Rating: C. Another match without much to see here and that’s part of the problem with Spitfire. There’s nothing to them that really makes them feel interesting and that has been the case for a long time now. They just don’t do anything that makes them stand out and having them beat guest stars from NXT isn’t changing that reality.

Here is Elijah for a song. Elijah sings about how we walk this way in TNA and how he wants some barbecue after the show. Then he switches to talking and issues an open challenge for Rebellion. My goodness I am sick of open challenges.

Unbreakable rundown.

Ethan page is ready to win the TNA Title at Rebellion because Joe Hendry is banged up and he’s better than Frankie Kazarian.

Leon Slater vs. Brian Myers

Slater starts fast but gets punched in the face to knock him into the corner. A bouncing kick to the face knocks Myers to the floor but it’s too early for the big dive over the post. Instead Myers sends him into the post and we take a break. Back with Myers taking him down again and grabbing a chinlock.

That’s broken up in a hurry and Slater hits a running boot to the face, followed by the Crossover for two. Myers charges into another boot to the face of two but he’s right back with an implant DDT. Slater is back up to send Myers outside for the big running flip dive. That’s too much for Myers so he loads up the System ring, which is taken away, allowing him to hit Slater low. The Roster Cut gives Myers the pin at 11:38.

Rating: C+. Slater continues to be in that weird place where he needs to win something already or all of his athleticism and skills won’t matter very much. If he can’t beat Myers, whose job is pretty much to boost up bigger names, who is he supposed to beat? I’m not sure I get this one as it’s not like anything was on the line, so why not let Slater get a win?

One more Unbreakable rundown wraps us up.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was ok enough and did a decent job of hyping up Unbreakable, but nothing right now is really grabbing me. Maybe that’s because Rebellion is just over a week away and that’s the really big show, but there is something missing from the last few weeks in TNA. They’re going to need to fix that for their big events, as this was just slightly above a middle of the road show.

Results
Laredo b. Jason Hotch – Super Spanish Fly
Xia Brookside b. Jazmyn Nyx – Small package
KC Navarro b. Cody Deaner – Chain to the head
Gigi Dolin/Tatum Paxley b. Maggie Lee/Heather By Elegance – Cemetery Driver to Heather
Dani Luna b. Jakara Jackson – Luna Landing
Brian Myers b. Leon Slater – Roster Cut

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Impact Wrestling
Date: April 10, 2025
Location: St. Joseph Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We are a week away from Unbreakable and that means it is time to start getting ready to set up the International Title match. That means some triple threat matches, but other than that, we need some more matches set up. That’s on top of setting up Rebellion, which is coming up next month. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Ethan Page to get things going. He is surprised to be back but doesn’t care about the hillbillies here in the crowd. At Rebellion, it is time for him to FINALLY become the World Champion. He’s already beaten Joe Hendry and he’ll do it again. Cue Frankie Kazarian to interrupt but the fans tell them that they BOTH suck. Kazarian finds him arrogant and self centered and that’s something he can’t stand. The reality is that Kazarian earned his shot while Page just sucked up to Santino Marella. Cue Santino to say Hendry will be out here to address his status for Rebellion later tonight. That needed an announcement?

Steve Maclin is ready to deal with the System on the way to the International Title. Eric Young and the Northern Armory comes in to say they’ve got Maclin’s back but he wants nothing to do with them.

Mustafa Ali vs. Ace Austin

The Great Hands and Tasha Steelz are here with Ali. An early distraction lets Ali get in an early cheap shot, setting up the rolling neckbreaker for two. Austin is back up with a faceplant for two and Ali is sent outside, where a big dive takes out all of the villains. Ali isn’t having this and chairs him down for the DQ at 3:41.

Rating: C. They didn’t have time to do anything here as this was more about Ali snapping and getting violent than the match. Ali and Mike Santana are on their way to a big showdown sooner than later and that should be a heck of a fight. Austin doesn’t lose anything by getting taken down here so this could have been a lot worse.

Post match Ali loads up the chair but Mike Santana makes the save.

Post break Ali and company get to the car, where Santana is behind the wheel. Everyone but John Skyler get out as Santana drives away.

Moose vs. Cody Deaner

Non-title and JDC and Brian Myers are here with Moose. Hold on though as JDC offers Deaner a spot as a young boy in the System. It’s not like he’s winning matches so his children could probably use the security. Deaner puts it up to the people, who want him to fight. The other option is to him to win the X-Division Title, so Moose makes him an offer: if Deaner can last two minutes with Moose, he can have a title shot. We get a two minute clock and we’re on, with Moose planting him down. A Last Ride gets two, with Moose pulling him up. The spear misses though and Deaner runs away, setting up a dropkick to send Moose outside as time expires at 2:00.

The title match is now.

X-Division Title: Moose vs. Cody Deaner

Moose is defending and hits a spear to retain at 28 seconds.

Post match the beatdown is on but the Rascalz run in for the save.

Rascalz vs. The System

The Rascalz send Myers outside and stomp JDC down in the corner, setting up a Bronco Buster. Myers comes in to take over on Miguel and we hit the chinlock. JDC hits a hard clothesline for two and the front facelock keeps Miguel in trouble. That doesn’t last long and it’s back to Wentz to clean house. A cartwheel kick hits Myers and a dive takes him out on the floor. Everything breaks down and Myers gets suplexes back in, only for JDC to sweep/hold the leg to give Myers the pin at 6:07.

Rating: C. This was a fast enough paced match with the System getting to cheat to win in the end. That is what they are best known for doing and having them steal a win is a good way to go. The Rascalz can get some revenge later, as they aren’t likely to be happy with losing like this.

International Title Tournament First Round: AJ Francis vs. Mance Warner vs. Sami Callihan

Callihan busts out a turnbuckle hook and threatens Warner to start but Francis takes both of them down. The Down Payment is broken up though and an unpleasant alliance sends Francis outside. Callihan uses a poster to cut Warner’s hand but Francis won’t let him do it to Warner’s eye. Francis is taken down as well so Warner grabs a chair, only to lose a duel. Steph de Lander grabs Callihan’s foot, allowing Warner to chair him down. Callihan goes for Warner’s eye but Francis spears him down for the pin at 7:52.

Rating: C+. Francis winning is a good way to go, as Callihan vs. Warner can likely be a big grudge match, either at Unbreakable or Rebellion. If nothing else, Francis getting to brag about even getting close to another title is a good thing to see and suits him well. Francis is getting better at being the big monster wrestler and it’s working well.

Post break Callihan wants a Barbed Wire Massacre with Warner and the match is set for Rebellion.

Leon Slater vs. Ryan Nemeth

Slater chops away to start and knocks him to the floor but Nemeth gets in a cheap shot on the way back in. Nemeth stomps away and mocks the Hardys’ middle rope elbow. A Twist Of Fate attempt is broken up and Slater hits a handspring back elbow for two. Slater hits a 619 on the floor, followed by a slingshot dive. Nemeth grabs a chair but the Hardys come in to take it away. Slater is back with a kick to the face into a Twist Of Fate, setting up the Swanton 450 for the pin at 5:54.

Rating: C. Even though it’s over Nemeth, it’s nice to see Slater getting a win for a change. He puts over just about everyone he faces so having him win something is a necessary move. I’m not sure if this is going to lead somewhere else for him, but it’s certainly better than yet another loss.

We take a look at the Unbreakable three way from 2005 with AJ Styles beating Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe in still possibly the best match in company history.

Mike Santana has kidnapped John Skyler and threatens him with violence while suggesting that Mustafa Ali will leave him. Santana teases hitting him with a shovel but pulls up.

Eddie Edwards vs. Steve Maclin

Maclin starts fast and fires off clotheslines in the corner. They head outside where Maclin keeps up the beating but Alisha Edwards offers a distraction. Back in and Eddie hammers away as we take an early break. We come back with Maclin fighting out of a chinlock and being put in an armbar.

That’s broken up and so is the Backpack Stunner, with Maclin hitting an Angle Slam for two. Alisha offers another distraction though and Eddie runs Maclin over. Maclin catches him on top though and a super Angle Slam connects. Cue the System so Eric Young and the Northern Armory come down to cancel them out. The distraction lets Eddie get in a shot with the System ring and the Boston Knee Party finishes at 8:04.

Rating: C+. This was basically a preview of their match in the Unbreakable tournament which doesn’t do either of them a ton of favors. The System gets to continue their hot streak tonight and that’s about the extent of the whole thing. Maclin and Young might need each other, meaning their story gets to continue for reasons I do not quite fathom.

Here is Joe Hendry who says he has a bad rotator cuff injury. If you can’t defend the title, you shouldn’t be champion so…..he’s defending the title at Rebellion. Cue Frankie Kazarian to say he’ll win the title because Hendry is stupid enough to care about what the fans think. He could beat Hendry right now, which is fine with Hendry, because there will be a tag match at Rebellion: Kazarian/Tessa Blanchard vs. Hendry/Masha Slamovich.

Overall Rating: C. This was a show designed to build up next week’s Unbreakable as fast as possible. That worked in theory, but Unbreakable isn’t looking like the most thrilling show. It’s nice to have a card together though,, even if it’s just a big preview for Rebellion. Overall, not their strongest show as the wrestling was just ok for the most part and Unbreakable isn’t looking like that great of a show.

Results
Ace Austin b. Mustafa Ali via DQ when Ali used a chair
Moose vs. Cody Deaner went to a time limit draw
Moose b. Cody Deaner – Spear
The System b. Rascalz – Splash to Wentz
AJ Francis b. Sami Callihan and Mance Warner – Spear to Callihan
Eddie Edwards b. Steve Maclin – Boston Knee Party

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Impact Wrestling
Date: April 3, 2025
Location: St. Joseph Civic Auditorium, St. Joseph, Missouri
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re less than two weeks away from Unbreakable and the show is going to need a card. There are a few matches you can probably guess from here but there isn’t much that is actually ready for the show. Hopefully we get some build towards the event this week because there is work to do. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Elijah

Joe Hendry is on commentary. Kazarian slugs away to start but Elijah is right back up with a quick Old School. Elijah takes it to the floor where he gets sent into the post, allowing Kazarian to go after Hendry. That results in an accidental collision with Elijah and Kazarian rolls him up for the pin at 2:16.

Post match Hendry and Kazarian get in a brawl with security breaking it up. Hendry comes up favoring his shoulder.

Post break, Hendry’s shoulder is examined and it’s not clear how bad things are right now.

We see a digital exclusive of Eddie Edwards yelling at and walking out on the System.

Here is Edwards for a chat but the fans don’t want him to talk. Last week, he gave the System an ultimatum: either you’re on board with his vision or you’re out of the team. Cue the System to interrupt, with JDC saying he’s in with Eddie. Brian Myers and Alisha Edwards are in too (one of them kisses Eddie) and that leaves Moose.

Eddie asks if he’s in or out….but Cody Deaner interrupts. Deaner was waiting to see someone fired from the System and didn’t hear an answer from Moose. Deaner thinks Moose should listen to the people, who think he should leave. Moose says the people are right and decks Deaner before reaffirming his allegiance to the team. Normally I would ask what the point of that segment was but anything involving Deaner taking a beating works for me.

Masha Slamovich, Xia Brookside and Lei Ying Lee are ready for their six woman tag later. They find it interesting that Tessa Blanchard couldn’t find any friends in TNA and had to go to NXT. Tonight, they’ll send her new friends back where they belong.

Santino Marella comes up to the System in the back and announces that Moose’s first competitor in Ultimate X at Rebellion will be Leon Slater. Matt Cardona is announced in the graphic for the match and Marella says the System will all have matches next week.

Spitfire vs. Meta Four

Arianna Grace is on commentary and Luna starts with Jakara Jackson. They fight over wrist control to start until Jackson grabs a wristdrag out of the corner. Threat comes in for a basement clothesline and it’s off to Lash Legend (the tall powerhouse) vs. Luna. Legend runs into a boot but manages to faceplant Luna and Threat at the same time in a nice display.

Threat’s middle rope crossbody gets two but it’s back to Jackson, who is quickly taken into the wrong corner. That’s broken up and Legend comes in to ram Luna’s head into the mat, setting up a drop toehold into the corner. Luna kicks her way to freedom though and it’s back to Threat for some corner clotheslines.

Everything breaks down and Threat hits a delayed Jackhammer for two on Jackson. Legend breaks it up and helps Jackson take Luna out with a dive to the floor. Threat fights both of them off and Legend decks Jackson by mistake. That doesn’t last long though as Jackson is back up for a cutter to go with Legend’s wheelbarrow faceplant (MKO) to pin Threat at 9:31.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure how they’ll get there but Meta Four is being built up for a Knockouts Tag Team Title shot. That is something that could go a long way for them, as the team needs to win something sooner or later. At the same time, Spitfire seems to be on the down swing, which is not the biggest surprise as I never quite got their appeal in the first place.

Mike Santana arrives with a friend named Derek, who he leaves with Santino Marella. There is no way this will end well.

Here are the Hardys for a chat. They talk about how they have seen the real Nic Nemeth, who left a scar on Matt’s nose. That scare means Matt is still BROKEN and it is time to DELETE the Nemeths. Jeff has heard that the Nemeths are comedians and their greatest joke ever is that they are going to take the Tag Team Titles. Cue the Great Hands to say it’s not 1999 anymore because it is 2025 and the Hardys aren’t so good anymore. The Hands want the titles so here is Santino Marella to make the match, albeit non-title.

Hardys vs. Great Hands

Non-title and Tasha Steelz is on commentary as Matt shoves Hotch down to start. Some cranking on the arm has Hotch in more trouble and it’s already off to Jeff. A basement dropkick to the back and the legdrop between the legs has Hotch in more trouble as it’s back to Matt.

Some double teaming doesn’t last long and Jeff comes back in, only to get crotched on top to break up the Whisper In The Wind. The chinlock goes on but Jeff fights up and hits a Whisper In The Wind to both Hands. It’s back to Matt to clean house and Poetry In Motion sets up the Side Effect for two on Skyler. The Plot Twist into the Swanton finishes Skyler at 6:16.

Rating: C. This was short and to the point with the Hardys getting a win over a team with a bit of a name. It’s not a bad way to go as the Hands aren’t worth much but it let the fans see the Hardys in action. Like them or not, they’re some of the biggest names TNA has to offer so letting them win a quick match makes sense.

Leon Slater and Ryan Nemeth get in a fight in the back.

Joe Hendry has a rotator cuff sprain and it isn’t clear how long he might be out.

Here are Steph de Lander and Mance Warner for a chat. They brag about their success and promise that no one is tougher or meaner than them. Kissing ensues but Santino Marella interrupts. Marella says they aren’t the Digital Media Champion anymore, so the title is retired. Therefore, at Unbreakable, there will be a tournament for the TNA International Title. In a tribute to the famous three way at the original Unbreakable, every match in this tournament will be a three way. Cue Sami Callihan to jump Warner and throw him off the stage. Makes sense and gets the title away from de Lander.

Mustafa Ali’s cabinet kidnaps Mike Santana’s friend Derek and throw him in the trunk of a car (where a camera is waiting). Later, Derek is sat in a chair for a face to face meeting with Mustafa Ali. He congratulates Derek on his sobriety but brings up Derek causing an accident that injured a young girl. Ali has him taken away. That intensified quickly.

The Personal Concierge says Ash By Elegance is on a needed vacation but the team has their eye on someone named Maggie Lee. She needs some guidance though, like say from Heather By Elegance.

Santino Marella (he’s busy tonight) draws the first names for the International Title tournament: Eddie Edwards, Ace Austin and Steve Maclin

El Hijo del Vikingo is back at Rebellion in Ultimate X.

Tessa Blanchard/Fatal Influence vs. Lei Ying Lee/Masha Slamovich/Xia Brookside

Fallon Henley is here with the villains. Slamovich takes Blanchard down to start and hammers away before knocking her outside. Everything breaks down and the dives connect to drop the villains as we take a break. Back with Ying working on Jacy Jayne’s arm before raining down some right hands in the corner. Jayne slips out of a fireman’s carry though and sends Ying into the corner to start choking away.

Ying breaks away and hands it off to Brookside, who headscissors Jazmyn Nyx without much trouble. Rosemary is watching from the crowd as Brookside hits Broken Wings and a DDT for two on Nyx. Back up and Nyx sends her to the floor for a cheap shot from Jayne, who comes in for a Cannonball in the corner. The chinlock is quickly reversed into a monkey flip and Slamovich comes in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Slamovich’s piledriver is broken up, allowing Blanchard to give her the Buzzsaw DDT for the pin at 12:06.

Rating: B-. This was another win for Blanchard as she continues to set up the big showdown with Slamovich down the line. That very well could headline Rebellion, which would be a risky yet logical way to go. The other women were just kind of there, but I do like bringing in the women from NXT, if nothing else for the sake of keeping things a bit different.

Santino Marella draws another tournament match: Sami Callihan vs. Eric Young vs. JDC.

Mike Santana finds Derek and wants revenge.

One more tournament match: Zachary Wentz vs. Mance Warner vs. AJ Francis. Sami Callihan comes in and says he wants Warner so Santino Marella makes it happen.

Here is Frankie Kazarian for a chat. Kazarian brings up Joe Hendry’s injury and is sorry…that it didn’t happen sooner. However, he has a better announcement: he is cashing in his title shot at Rebellion. The lights go out though and NXT’s Ethan Page makes a surprise return.

Page: “This place has changed a lot since I was here. There are actually people in the building!” Page likes the idea of Kazarian cashing in on an injured Hendry, but brings up an idea he threw to Santino Marella. The thing is Page is already getting a World Title shot at Rebellion, so Kazarian charges…right into a kick to the head. Page poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t the most thrilling show but they did a nice job setting up their upcoming big events. The announcement of the new championship was fun and they set up either a singles match or a triple threat for the Rebellion main event. That’s something TNA needed to do, though I could have gone with some better action on the way there.

Results
Frankie Kazarian b. Elijah – Rollup
Meta Four b. Spitfire – MKO to Threat
Hardys b. Great Hands – Swanton to Skyler
Tessa Blanchard/Fatal Influence b. Lei Ying Lee/Masha Slamovich/Xia Brookside – Buzzsaw DDT to Slamovich

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Impact Wrestling
Date: March 27, 2025
Location: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We are coming up on Unbreakable and that show has some open spots on the card. World Champion Joe Hendry doesn’t seem to have an obvious challenger for the title, with Elijah being one of the only people in his orbit at the moment. Other than that, we seem to be on the way to a Hardys vs. Nemeths showdown. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Tatum Paxley/Gigi Dolin vs. Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance

Non-title and the Personal Concierge is here with By Elegance. Dolin takes Ash down without much trouble to start and it’s Paxley coming in for something like a Dream Sequence. Meta Four is watching from behind as Paxley gets the reverse surfboard on Heather. The Concierge breaks up a dropkick though and Ash stomps away, both on the ropes and in the corner. That’s broken up and Paxley comes back in to clean house. The Concierge shoves Paxley off the top though and Rarefied Air finishes at 4:58.

Rating: C. This didn’t have much time to go anywhere and it didn’t exactly make Paxley and Dolin feel like the biggest team. By Elegance did need a win though as they aren’t the most established team in the world. Meta Four might be the ones to get the titles from them, as some titles have to cross over to another promotion at some point.

Post match, By Elegance’s cake is brought out but a double noggin knocker lets Dolin and Paxley send Ash into it.

Leon Slater promises a fight with Nic Nemeth tonight.

Ash By Elegance panics over the cake.

First Class/Frankie Kazarian vs. Aztec Warriors/Chavo Guerrero

Chavo and Kazarian start things off with Chavo grabbing a headscissors. Navarro comes in and gets dropkicked down before it’s off to Laredo Kid for an even harder dropkick. We take a break and come back with Octagon Jr. kicking Navarro down, only to be sent outside. Navarro’s big running flip dive connects and it’s Francis coming in for a change.

Octagon’s forearms don’t do much good as Francis crushes him in the corner and bends the neck around the rope. Francis plants both Warriors with the World’s Strongest Wasteland and it’s Navarro coming back in for a chinlock on Octagon. That’s broken up as well and it’s back to Laredo to pick up the pace. The real hot tag brings in Chavo to clean house and we get Four Amigos before Francis gets the traditional Three. The Warriors hit nice dives to the floor and Chavo adds a Gory Bomb into the frog splash to pin Navarro at 15:08.

Rating: B-. Chavo looked a good bit better than I was expecting here and he more than held his own rather than just being there as the hometown star. The Warriors are the latest lucha tag team and that’s not a bad way for them to be used. I’m not sure what kind of a future it has, but this was a good showing from everyone. That being said, Kazarian being in there was kind of a weird call as he should be near the World Title sooner than later.

Rosemary is all evil and wants Xia Brookside to be evil too. I think.

Santino Marella has a sitdown with Mance Warner, with Steph de Lander, and Sami Callihan. They argue over their recent issues, with Callihan saying Marella is going to have to fire one of them. Callihan insults Steph, who throws a drink in his face, which is a bit more impactful than you might expect.

Jacy Jayne vs. Masha Slamovich

Non-title. They fight over a lockup and go against the ropes to start until Jayne pulls her down by the hair. Back up and Slamovich sends her to the floor for a corkscrew dive. They get back in but Jayne is smart enough to roll away from something off the top. Jayne knocks her down back inside and hammers away in the corner, setting up a running shot for two.

A knee to the face and some right hands have Slamovich down again and we hit the reverse chinlock. That’s broken up and Slamovich hits a rolling kick to the head but Jayne knees her down for two more. More kicks to the head send Slamovich outside, where she drops Jayne face first onto the apron. Back in and Jayne superkicks her into a running neckbreaker, only for Slamovich to grab the Snowplow for the pin at 8:43.

Rating: B-. Jayne was trying here and those kicks got her further along than I was expecting. Slamovich certainly didn’t squash her, but there wasn’t much doubt about this one. Tessa Blanchard is waiting for Slamovich and that is going to be a heck of a showdown for the title when we get there.

Post match Tessa Blanchard runs in and beats Slamovich down. Xia Brookside and Lei Ying Lee make the save.

Video on Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali, with Ali cheating to escape multiple times.

Eric Young vs. Ace Austin

The Northern Armory is here with Young. An early arm crank has Austin down so Young turns his back and the Armory comes in. That’s broken up so Austin takes Young down and kicks him in the head. They strike it out until Young grabs a spinebuster for two. The neck crank goes on but Austin fights up and hits a Russian legsweep.

A springboard spinning kick to the face gives Austin two but Young knocks him off the top. The top rope elbow gives Young two but Austin is right back up. The Fold is loaded up, only for Austin to have to go after the Armory. Young uses the distraction to grab a piledriver for the pin at 7:12.

Rating: C+. Nice enough match here with Austin getting in some offense before the numbers game got the best of him. Austin is going to need some help if the feud continues and the Rascalz would seem to be a good choice for the spot. Young winning again isn’t a surprise, but hopefully he doesn’t go much further up the card.

Here is Joe Hendry for a chat. Hendry is glad to be back in Texas and now he’s willing to defend the title against anyone from any company. Cue Elijah, who makes it clear that he is not the next challenger. Actually he’s here for a song, which is about how the two of them are friends. Cue Frankie Kazarian with his own (bass) guitar, saying it’s time for his own concert. We get a few notes but the fans think he sucks. Kazarian’s song is about how much he hates El Paso so Hendry issues some threats of violence. That’s enough for Kazarian to leave, complete with the Goodbye Song.

Nic Nemeth vs. Leon Slater

Ryan Nemeth is here with his brother. Nic wastes no time in wrestling him down and getting in a little hip gyration. Back up and Slater knocks him down, which earns an eye rake over the ropes. A handspring elbow sends Nic outside, setting up the big running flip dive as we take a break. Back with Nic raking the eyes and grabbing a chinlock. That’s broken up and Slater hits a running boot to the face into a suplex for two.

Back up and Slater slams him down for two but the Fameasser gives Nic the same. Nic’s sleeper is broken up so he takes Slater up top. Slater knocks him away but gets crotched, setting up a superplex to bring Slater crashing down. A quick Twist Of Slate looks to set up the Swanton 450 but Nic blocks it and gets two off a rollup. The Danger Zone is blocked as well but Ryan grabs Slater’s foot. A superkick into the Danger Zone finishes Slater at 15:06.

Rating: B-. Another solid performance from Slater here as he is getting more and more established in the main event scene. He’s not all the way ready for that kind of a spot yet, but he’s also managing to hang in there against bigger and more experienced opponents. Losing to Nic isn’t a big shot against him and they had a good match on the way there.

Post match the Nemeths go after Slater but the Hardys return for the save. Matt issues the challenge for Rebellion to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure what to think of this one, but it did keep me invested for the most part. You can see things coming together for Unbreakable and probably even Rebellion, so at least the things are going in the right direction. Other than that, we had some nice enough matches, with Slater again doing well for himself in a big spot.

Results
Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance b. Gigi Dolin/Tatum Paxley – Rarefied Air to Paxley
Aztec Warriors/Chavo Guerrero b. First Class/Frankie Kazarian – Frog splash to Navarro
Masha Slamovich b. Jacy Jayne – Snowplow
Eric Young b. Ace Austin – Piledriver
Nic Nemeth b. Leon Slater – Danger Zone

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6