Impact Wrestling
Date: November 27, 2025
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Gia Miller, Matthew Rehwoldt
Host: Tom Hannifan

It’s Thanksgiving and that means we’re likely in for the annual Turkey Suit match, which is one of those harmless gimmicks that you see in wrestling. In addition to the annual comedy affair, we get to see…well probably not much, though we are just a bit over a week away from Final Resolution. That should be enough to get us through the holidays so let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Eric Young vs. Trey Miguel vs. Mance Warner vs. Home Town Man vs. Ryan Nemeth vs. Brian Myers

The winner gets money, the person who takes the fall wears the turkey suit. Nemeth gets sent outside to start, where he sends Myers into the steps to knock him silly. We take an early break and come back with Young poking Man in the eye. Warner and Young double team Miguel but Myers is back in for the save. Miguel is back up to turn it into a mini tag match, with the bad guys being dispatched in a hurry. Nemeth tries to steal the pin on Myers but gets caught with the Roster Cut to give Myers the pin at 5:23.

Rating: C. Ok being realistic, you could pretty much guess the loser as soon as Nemeth was introduced. He’s there to get stuck in one stupid situation after another and this is about as far as that goes in TNA. Myers winning doesn’t mean much as it’s all about Nemeth, so this was all in good fun.

Post match the good guys force Nemeth into the suit and humiliation ensues.

The Elegance Brand is still looking for Mr. Elegance. They want someone attractive, tough and talented. Resumes being accepted.

From September 2025 in Minneapolis.

Leon Slater/Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali/Trick Williams

The rest of Order 4 is here with Williams and Ali. It’s a big brawl to start fast with Santana and Williams (the World Champion at the time) brawling out to the floor. That leaves Slater to hammer on Ali and hit a high crossbody as we take an early break. We come back with Ali’s rolling neckbreaker connecting for two and Order 4 getting in a cheap shot from the floor. That’s broken up and it’s already off to Santana to clean house. The Rolling Buck Fifty drops Williams but Order 4 comes in for the DQ at 4:46.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to go anywhere and was likely just a dark match at the end of the show. I’d expect something to happen so the good guys can stand tall here momentarily, which isn’t the worst way to go. Santana vs. Williams was the big deal as Bound For Glory was approaching, so this was little more than a quick preview for their showdown.

Post match the beatdown is on but Slater fights back. Order 4 saves Ali from going through a table and one of the agents goes through it instead.

Apparently Ryan Nemeth is annoyed at being in the turkey suit and wants to…fight Christmas?

Ryan Nemeth vs. Krampus

Before the match, Nemeth mocks Christmas and insists that he NOT be called a turkey. Krampus (thank goodness a Christmas themed wrestler was here) sends him into the corner to start but gets caught with a neckbreaker for two. Nemeth’s chinlock doesn’t last long as Krampus bulldogs him into the corner and hits a quick spear for two more. A running DDT gives Nemeth two so he pokes Krampus in the eye and rolls him up (with trunks) for the pin at 3:40.

Rating: C. Kind of a weird way to go here but at least it’s something of a theme for the night. That’s about all you can do here, even if it seemed like they were all but guaranteed that Nemeth would lose for a second time here. Krampus was nothing of note and it’s not like they had much time to do anything here.

We look at Lei Ying Lee winning the Knockouts Title this week on NXT.

Lee is rather pleased with herself and can’t hold back her tears.

From July 2025.

Here is Joe Hendry for a concert. He does an acoustic version of his theme song and the fans seem to approve, but Hendry has a surprise. Hendry brings out Jeff Hardy as we’re in for a double concert for a special moment. Hendry praises the Hardys for doing everything they can to make things better for the fans and the locker room. They sing a song that sounds like it’s called Modest (which I believe used to be Hardy’s theme song).

Then they sing My Sacrifice by Creed (which was used in the Sacrifice videos from the WWF around 2001). Cue the Nemeths to interrupt, saying they come in peace. Ryan wants to sing a song for Nic, which is a version of the Pina Colada Song. Hendry and Hardy quickly clean house. This was great for the live fans but it wasn’t exactly good television as they just sang.

We go back to 2007 for the Thanksgiving feast at the Angle house, featuring some amazing cameos, food being thrown, and general insanity that you knew was coming. Oh and pies to the face, because of course. Jay Lethal declared the food fight on and OH YEAH it was.

Apparently Santino Marella isn’t happy with Ryan Nemeth so he’s going to be in a third match.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Final Resolution rundown.

Ryan Nemeth/Jake Something/First Class vs. The System/Leon Slater

Moose and Francis start things off and shove each other around. They get down in three point stances and collide before it’s off to Swann. A poke to Edwards’ eye has Swann in control and we take a break. We come back with Edwards chopping Swann onto the top but Swann sends him into the corner.

Francis is back in with a big boot to Myers, allowing Nemeth (in the suit) to come in and hammer away. Myers spears Something down for a break and Slater gets to clean house. A high crossbody gets two on Nemeth as everything breaks down. The Swanton 450 finishes Nemeth at 8:56.

Rating: C+. Much like the rest of the night, you can call this one harmless fun, with Slater getting to hit his big amazing finisher to beat the comedy goof. The System and Slater weren’t about to lose to a makeshift heel team, especially in these circumstances. It’s a short, to the point match and that’s all it needed to be.

Hannifan wraps us up.

Overall Rating: C. This was the definition of a show designed to be pure fun and that’s exactly what we got. They didn’t bother doing anything too complicated and the theme of Nemeth getting beaten up over and over worked well. I had a good time with a holiday tradition and that is perfectly fine for a show that has no impact on anything going forward. Oh and you got some Creed to make it even better.

Results
Brian Myers b. Trey Miguel, Mance Warner, Home Town Man, Eric Young and Ryan Nemeth – Roster Cut to Nemeth
Leon Slater/Mike Santana b. Mustafa Ali/Trick Williams via DQ when Order 4 interfered
Ryan Nemeth b. Krampus – Rollup with trunks
The System/Leon Slater b. Ryan Nemeth/Jake Something/First Class – Swanton 450 to Nemeth

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: September 18, 2025
Location: The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re coming up on Victory Road, which is going to have its work cut out for it with Bound For Glory coming up just a month later. That show is going to get the big focus so Victory Road is only going to mean so much. The big story this week will be focusing on the Tag Team Titles as the Nemeths are getting a shot at the Hardys. Let’s get to it.

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

We get another promotion for the Minnesota charity shirt. Still nothing wrong with that.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Mustafa Ali vs. Brian Myers

The rest of Order 4 and the System are both here. Myers slugs away to start and quickly knocks him out to the floor. We get the big staredown between the teams on the floor and Ali hits a big suicide dive. Back in and Myers hits his implant DDT but John Skyler offers a distraction, meaning the top rope elbow misses. Ali gets a rollup for the pin at 2:35.

Post match the teams get in a brawl and we get the big Moose vs. Agent Zero showdown. Zero drops him with a headbutt but Moose pops back up and they have to be held out. Santino Marella comes out to make a Hardcore War at Bound For Glory.

The Nemeths are ready to get the Tag Team Titles back because it’s not a ladder match.

The Personal Concierge suggests to Dani Luna that she could get a Bound For Glory title shot if she just takes out Indi Hartwell tonight. Luna thinks about it.

We look at the set up of Oba Femi vs. Trick Williams for the NXT and TNA World Title.

ODB is here.

Judas Icarus vs. Eric Young

Travis Williams is here with Icarus, who jumps Young to start fast. Icarus runs him over but Young hits an elbow to the face (with the lights seeming to dim) and is back with a gutwrench powerbomb. The piledriver is blocked though and Icarus makes the comeback, with a frog splash connecting for two. Something like a Blue Thunder Bomb gets two and they go up, with Young biting the face to knock him down. Young drops a top rope elbow for two and loads up the piledriver but here is Joe Hendry for a distraction. Icarus grabs a rollup for the pin at 5:11.

Rating: C. This was a big win for Icarus but it’s the kind of win that is more credited to Hendry than anything else. This feels like it might be one of the last big feuds for Hendry around here and that’s not exactly the best feeling. At least Young hasn’t been doing the Cleanse or whatever he was threatening us with before as I don’t think I could take another thing like that.

Post match Young knocks out the referee.

Victoria Crawford is back with her talk show, Mentor U, with guest Jody Threat. Crawford brings up Gia Miller, who interrupts and threatens Tessa Blanchard again. That doesn’t work for Crawford, who doesn’t like the profanity.

The Rascalz are happy with Myron Reed for going after the X-Division Title and let off some steam. And smoke. Santino Marella pops in and…has a cookie?

IInspiration/Masha Slamovich vs. Elegance Brand

Slamovich and Heather start things off, though Heather needs a quick spank to get her into the ring. Everything breaks down and the Brand is kicked down and sent out to the floor as we take an early break. We come back with the Brand getting to take turns on McKay in the corner, with Heather getting to stomp away.

The running corner dropkick gets two and Heather grabs the chinlock. McKay kicks her way out and brings in Slamovich to clean house, including an assisted DDT to make Heather DDT M. Lee goes after M but Ash throws…something in Lee’s eyes so M can get a rollup for the pin at 9:31.

Rating: C+. The match was a nice back and forth effort, with Slamovich being protected before she gets a title shot against Ash By Elegance. The other four are just doing their usual things and that’s not the most exciting stuff. It feels like the Brand could be a big deal for a long time to come, as they certainly seem to be in the right place at the moment.

Here is Frankie Kazarian for the King’s Speech and now it’s time to make this city focus on a King rather than a Prince. His guest this week is…himself, as he is ready to become the next International Champion. That’s not all though as he has another guest in the form of Mr. Anderson of all people. Anderson calls this home and he is happy to be back in a TNA ring for the first time in nine years.

Kazarian brings up Anderson’s military career but thinks Anderson seems like a coward. He asks what branch Kazarian served in but Kazarian brings up Anderson’s family being here. Would Anderson’s mother and kids be ok with seeing Kazarian give Anderson a beating? Kazarian keeps talking trash until Anderson goes after him, with Jake Something running in to take Anderson down. Steve Maclin makes the save. This is a good way to use a company legend and it was a nice surprise.

Dani Luna vs. Indi Hartwell

Hartwell jumps her to start fast and sends Luna out to the floor. Back in and Hartwell tries to send her to the floor but gets hit in the face. A suplex sends Hartwell down again and Luna adds another to keep Hartwell in trouble. Hartwell fires back with some elbows but gets dropped with a clothesline. Hartwell is up for the real comeback and knocks Luna outside, where Luna comes up with a chair to the ribs for the DQ at 5:31.

Rating: C. This only got so much time and the ending was more about Luna getting to hurt Hartwell rather than beat her. At the same time, I really don’t get the appeal of Hartwell, who feels like a rather generic star. She’s in for a huge title match at Bound For Glory and that could be the start of a rather uninspiring title reign.

Post match Luna wrecks her with the chair.

Lei Ying Lee and Xia Brookside talk about being great friends and dub themselves the Angel Warriors.

Mike Santana vs. AJZ

AJZ runs his mouth on the way to the ring and Santana Spins The Block for the pin at 31 seconds.

Santana calls out Trick Williams before their match at Bound For Glory but NXT’s Ridge Holland runs in to lay him out.

Tag Team Titles: Nemeths vs. Hardys

The Hardys are defending and Matt Cardona is on commentary. The Nemeths start fast and get sent outside with an early double clothesline. We take an early break and come back with Nic cutting Jeff off as Ryan grabbing Jeff’s leg. Jeff misses the Whisper In The Wind and Ryan comes in to pound on Jeff a bit. Nic’s chinlock doesn’t last long so he fires off the elbows, including the big jumping version.

Jeff finally fights up and hits a Whisper In The Wind to take them both out for a breather. The diving tag brings in Matt to clean house, including the powerbomb out of the corner for two on Nic. The middle rope elbow to the back of the neck drops Nic again but he’s right back with a Fameasser for two. Ryan’s DDT into Nick’s top rope elbow gets two more so Ryan tries to grab the belt. Cardona cuts that off and the Twist Of Fate into the Swanton retains the titles at 11:56.

Rating: B. This was a good match between the teams who work well together, though we’re coming up on the Hardys vs. the Dudleys one more time. That’s going to be a rather different kind of match and the nostalgia is going to have to carry them a long way. I’m not sure what is next for the Nemeths, as they seem to be ready to go after Cardona, who is going to need a partner.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t a great show, though the main event did help it a lot. It doesn’t help that TNA seems to be building towards Bound For Glory more than Victory Road, which really feels like a nothing stop. Thankfully we’ll be done with that next week and ready to move on to the big show, but it isn’t making these shows much easier.

Results
Mustafa Ali b. Brian Myers – Rollup
Judas Icarus b. Eric Young – Rollup
Elegance Brand b. IInspiration/Masha Slamovich – Rollup to Lee
Indi Hartwell b. Dani Luna via DQ when Luna used a chair
Mike Santana b. AJZ – Spin The Block
Hardys b. Nemeths – Swanton to Ryan

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: June 19, 2025
Location: Mullett Arena, Tempe, Arizona
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

Slammiversary is coming up in about a month and the card is at least coming together. The big story continues to be the roster wanting to get its World Title back from that evil outsider, NXT’s Trick Williams, and someone is going to need to step up. That process could start this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Sami Callihan vs. Eric Young

The rest of the Northern Armory is here with Young. Callihan jumps them all to start fast and grabs a chair, which Young takes away. Young’s chair shot only hits the steps though and hurts his own hands, allowing Callihan to hit a clothesline. They gets inside for the opening bell, with Young getting two off a belly to belly suplex. Callihan headbutts away but gets dropped for two more. Young knocks him to the floor where the Armory gets in their cheap shots, meaning Callihan has to beat the count.

Back in and Callihan crotches him on top, where Young gets in a bite to the head. They both go for the eyes until Callihan grabs a Downward Spiral. Callihan charges into a boot in the corner, allowing Young to drop the top rope elbow for two. Back up and Callihan grabs him low, setting up a Stunner for a rather near fall. Somehow the Armory is able to get in with a chair shot without the referee noticing, allowing Young to grab a piledriver for the pin at 7:18.

Rating: C. This felt like a way to set things up for later, as we could be seeing a rematch, likely with some more violence included, down the line. Callihan doesn’t have much to do and neither does Young, so this should be about as good for both of them as anything else. Just don’t go too hardcore with the thing.

The non-champions are ready for the Champions Challenge tonight.

Here is Order 4 for a summit. Mustafa Ali starts by yelling at Tasha Steelz, accusing her of doing a terrible job. Ali also accuses her of calling “him”, even checking her phone and finding out that she did call “him” today. Steelz is thrown out, meaning it’s time for Jason Hotch. He’s not happy with Ali, who thinks Ali is wrong. Ali brings up that Hotch lives with his wife and family in a house that Ali pays for every month. Therefore, Ali wants an apology, which Hotch gives him.

That brings up John Skyler, who brings up every bad thing Ali has been doing lately. Ali is a great leader, but lately it has been up Order 1. Ali isn’t going to have that and orders Skyler to apologize, even from his hands and knees. That isn’t going to happen, with Ali bailing instead of fighting. The cracks continue to show, though I’m not sure who is going to be the one to take out Ali, because Skyler isn’t it.

Killer Kelly talks about the MK Ultra days with Masha Slamovich. Now it’s time for Kelly to take the title.

By Elegance vs. Lei Ying Lee/Masha Slamovich

The Personal Concierge handles By Elegance’s entrance and M By Elegance is here too. The dancing Ash backs away from Lee but Heather does the same, leaving By Elegance not being sure what to do. Slamovich comes in instead so Ash grabs her phone…which earns her a beating. Everything breaks down and Slamovich hits a running dive to take the villains out.

We take a break and come back with Ying hammering away in the corner, sending Ash right back to the floor. Ash gets in a cheap shot this time and takes over on Ying back inside, where some forearms in the corner keep her in trouble. Ying fights up and hits a running knee to the face but Ash hits a Meteora for the same. Heather’s stomps don’t do much good as it’s back to Slamovich to clean house. A catapult into a Codebreaker cuts Slamovich off for two but Rarefied Air is broken up. Cue Killer Kelly for a distraction, allowing Ash to hit Rarefied Air for the pin at 11:16.

Rating: C+. This was a way to set up the Knockouts Title match and that’s not a bad way to go. Kelly isn’t someone who is going to go after Slamovich hand to hand but rather trying to get inside her head. That’s an interesting change of pace and I could go with seeing how it goes. If nothing else it’s someone fresh and that’s a good thing to see.

The IInspiration wants the Knockouts Tag Team Titles back.

Here is Santino Marella for a chat. Next week, Mike Santana will be back and facing AJ Francis in a street fight. Marella brings out Tommy Dreamer, who got in a fight with Mance Warner last week. He’s willing to let Dreamer face Warner anytime, but here are Warner and Steph de Lander to interrupt. Steph says that the Innovator Of Violence thing was impressive in 1996, but she wasn’t even born yet. Dreamer agrees that it isn’t his time, though there is something they should know. Cue Jake Something to clear the villains out. Cool. Now do something important with him already. And give him a better name.

Tessa Blanchard and Indi Hartwell argue about last week and Blanchard brings up helping Hartwell when her career was starting. Hartwell says that Blanchard is proving everyone right.

We look at some TNA wrestlers at AAA TripleMania.

The System vs. Matt Cardona/???

Cardona needs a partner and brings out….the Home Town Man. Thankfully commentary flat out says “this is Cody Deaner” as Cardona and JDC start things off. JDC wants and receives Home Town, who takes over on JDC without much trouble. Cardona sends JDC outside for a running flip dive but Alisha Edwards offers a distraction so Eddie can take over. A neckbreaker gets Cardona out of trouble and it’s back to Home Town for Sliced Bread on JDC. Eddie goes for the mask but gets rolled up for the pin at 3:57.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here and that’s a nice thing to see given Home Town. I do like that they’re leaning into the joke instead of trying to make me care about Cody Deaner again, as that was a horrible failure. It’s nothing I want to see full time, but for a one off “fun” moment, it could have been far worse.

Post match Brian Myers comes in for the beatdown but Matt Cardona makes the save. The System beats him down as well.

We look at the six man tag from NXT, with Yoshiki Inamura pinning Trick Williams to earn a title shot…for Josh Briggs.

Rascalz/Elijah/Joe Hendry/Leon Slater vs. Moose/Steve Maclin/Trick Williams/Nemeths

Frankie Kazarian is on commentary. Nic and Elijah start things off with Nic out wrestling him without much trouble. Back up and Nic hits a dropkick, only for Elijah to grab the wrist for the Old School Meteora. Wentz comes in to flip out of Maclin’s wristlock, giving us a Maclin vs. Rascalz standoff. Ryan gets dragged in and double dropkicked before Williams and Moose get knocked to the floor.

The Rascalz hit stereo moonsaults but Moose is back in with the spear to Miguel. Everything breaks down and we take a break. Back with the champions taking turns choking Miguel on the ropes, though Maclin doesn’t seem to approve. Nic puts on a bow and arrow hold before it’s back to Williams for a cravate. A belly to back suplex is broken up though and it’s off to Slater to pick up the pace.

Maclin won’t tag in so Nic drops Slater to take over again. Slater suplexes Moose and brings Hendry back in…but the referee didn’t see the tag. Moose plants Slater but the spear is countered. The powerbomb is reversed into a DDT and the hot tag brings in Hendry to clean house.

The turning pose is cut off by Williams for the big staredown so Hendry clotheslines the Nemeths instead. Everything breaks down again and the Rascalz drop Moose, only to get knocked outside by the Nemeths. Ryan tries to bring in a title belt but Maclin takes it away. The Standing Ovation into the Highwayman’s Farewell finishes Ryan at 20:04.

Rating: B-. This is the kind of thing that happens every so often and for a rare treat, it works well. The ending lets someone get a potential title match set up in the near future but if nothing else, we have the already established feuds. They’re teasing the heck out of Hendry vs. Williams II and Moose vs. Slater is already set. That’s not a bad way to go and this was a fine way to set up some things which are likely to happen at Slammiversary.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event was the big deal on the show and while it worked, it made the rest of the show a bit tricky. You can only get so much out of the show when so many big names are tied up in the main event. It’s not bad and they did seem to boost up Slammiversary a bit, which is going to need to be the focus for the next few weeks.

Results
Eric Young b. Sami Callihan – Piledriver
By Elegance b. Lei Ying Lee/Masha Slamovich – Rarefied Air to Slamovich
Matt Cardona/Home Town Man b. The System – Rollup to Edwards
Rascalz/Elijah/Joe Hendry/Leon Slater b. Nemeths/Moose/Steve Maclin/Trick Williams – Highwayman’s Farewell to Ryan

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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Sacrifice 2025
Date: March 14, 2025
Location: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s time for another of the big shows between the really big shows and this one happens to be pretty stacked. We have both a ladder match and Lethal Lockdown, the TNA equivalent of WarGames. There are also some stars from NXT here as a bonus, which should help things out a lot. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Aztec Warriors vs. First Class

The Warriors are Laredo Kid and Octagon Jr. After First Class insults the fans, Octagon takes Navarro down with a hurricanrana and hands it off to Laredo. That means it’s a low bridge from Francis though and Kid is sent outside for a big dive. Back in and Francis gets to choke away on the ropes, setting up a running knee in the corner.

First Class spends too much time posing though and it’s a tag to bring Kid back in to pick up the pace. Kid’s moonsault and Octagon’s handstand moonsault hit Navarro with Francis having to make the save. Francis gets in a chokeslam on Octagon and Navarro goes after Kid’s mask. A running Sliced Bread gives Navarro the pin at 6:44.

Rating: C. The Warriors didn’t get to showcase much of their high flying stuff and it didn’t give the fans much to get behind. Throw in the good guys losing and it wasn’t exactly an exciting way to get things going. It’s a weird way to go, as while First Class getting a win makes sense, it might not have been the right way here.

The regular Kickoff Show stuff takes place but Sami Callihan and Mance Warner, who are scheduled to face off tonight in a street fight, brawl in the back. They come to the ring, where Callihan throws in a bunch of weapons, including a chair which hits Warner for a nasty shot. They get inside and we’ll ring the bell.

Sami Callihan vs. Mance Warner

Street fight and Steph de Lander is here with Warner. Callihan hits him with a trashcan but gets sent into one in the corner as a cameraman gets taken out. Warner chokes with a chain but gets powerbombed through a table…as we go to the official show. Thankfully we come back without missing anything (fair enough) and Callihan uses a poster to cut Warner’s fingers and mouth.

Warner’s hand is fine enough to hit a chokeslam onto the trashcan but neither can hit a suplex onto a chair. Instead they both grab a staple gun and trade, uh, stapling, with Callihan going low. Warner gets stapled to the turnbuckle pad before being Death Valley Drivered onto the chair for two. Callihan has to block a screwdriver to the head before hitting a Stunner for two more. De Lander throws powder in Callihan’s eyes though and Warner hits a running knee for the win at 10:57.

Rating: C+. Well at least they didn’t have glass and thumbtacks. This was the run of the mill brawling with the table and trashcans, which makes the ending a bit weak. After everything they did, it was a simple bit of powder and a running knee. That’s a weird way to go, but odds are this is going to keep going anyway.

We get the opening video, which looks at the main matches. That’s at least a fresh way to go over the standard way of doing things.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Lei Ying Lee

Local rapper Krystall Poppin sings Blanchard to the ring. Blanchard sends Lee into the corner to start but the big slap is blocked. A suplex sends Blanchard into the corner and another brings her back out of it (well at least Lee kept it even). They go outside where Blanchard takes over and sends her back inside, only to take it right back to the floor.

Back in and a dropkick gets two, setting up the chinlock. Lee fights up and strikes away, before grabbing a spinning torture rack slam. Blanchard shrugs that off and hits a slingshot splash for two but has to bail to the ropes to escape a leglock. They go up top, where Lee hits a twisting brainbuster (geez) for two more. Blanchard grabs a cutter though and Magnum connects for the pin at 11:15.

Rating: B-. I’m not sure if there was much doubt about the winner here as Blanchard is not only a bigger name but she is also likely getting ready for a title shot at Masha Slamovich. The good thing is Lee got in a lot of offense and gave Blanchard a run for her money, but this was the right decision. Blanchard is ready to get back into the bigger spots and this was a step in that direction.

Jeff Hardy and Joe Hendry’s team are ready to win their rather violent matches tonight. With everyone gone, Ryan Nemeth comes in to say “everything they said”. Gia Miller clearly mouths “what the f***?”

Wes Lee/Tyson DuPont/Tyriek Igwe vs. Ace Austin/Rascalz

Lucha rules. Lee bails to the floor to start but comes back in to send Austin to the floor. Igwe comes in and gets hurricanranaed to the floor, with DuPont following. Triple dives are mostly cut off though, leaving Austin as the only part of his team standing. Back in and a full nelson slam plants Austin for two, followed by Lee’s basement dropkick between the shoulders.

Igwe kicks Austin in the head for two and we hit the abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and Lee gets over for the Rascalz to come in and clean house. Everything breaks down and DuPont’s stomp to Miguel’s head gets two. Austin and Wentz kick away at Lee from the apron, allowing Miguel to hit a sliding DDT. Back in and Lee is left all alone so he yells a lot, only to get taken down with a Lightning Spiral/Fold combination. Wentz hits a Spiral Tap for the pin on Lee at 9:53.

Rating: B-. The lucha rules kind of hurt things here, as it was little more than just having people running in and doing things. It did feel like the end of the feud though, with Wentz getting his revenge on Lee. It was a fun match, which tends to be the case with Austin and the Rascalz.

Steve Maclin is ready to take out Frankie Kazarian.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Steve Maclin

Eric Young is on commentary. Maclin takes Kazarian into the corner to start and hits some clotheslines to the back but gets knocked down in a hurry. Kazarian hits a springboard spinning legdrop and grabs a suplex for two. After a quick Shawn Michaels pose from Kazarian, Maclin is back up with some more clotheslines and an Angle Slam. The running shoulder in the corner has Kazarian in more trouble so he snaps the throat over the top rope to get out of said trouble.

Kazarian pulls on something like a cross armbreaker but can’t hit the Fade To Black. The chickenwing is broken up and Maclin’s running knee gets two. Now the chickenwing goes on, even with Kazarian falling out to the floor without letting go (that’s a heck of a trick). Since submissions don’t count on the floor, Kazarian lets go, allowing Young to sneak in a brass knuckles shot. Maclin, who didn’t see it, grabs a quick KIA for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: C+. This was something that could have been on any given Impact, as it was more about the Young involvement than anything else. The ending should be a way to see if Maclin wants to join him in what is likely the dark side, though that’s only so interesting. It would also be nice to have Kazarian lose the stupid trophy title shot already, but we could still be months away.

Spitfire is ready to get rid of By Elegance for good.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance/Personal Concierge vs. Spitfire

Spitfire is defending in a handicap match and they get the Personal Concierge if they win. The Concierge introduces By Elegance and then disrobes, which has commentary, uh, unhappy. Luna takes Ash down into an armbar to start but Heather comes in to crank on the arm for a change. The Concierge goes to the…bottom rope for an ax handle before handing it back to Heather, who is quickly put down. Threat comes in for a basement crossbody, followed by a suplex/clothesline combination for two.

Ash offers a distraction though and Heather takes over inside. The Concierge adds some stomps, then stops to dance, meaning Ash has to come in for a save. A catapult into a Codebreaker gets two and we hit the chinlock on Threat. As usual, that’s broken up and the tag brings in Luna to clean house. By Elegance is sent outside for a big dive, leaving Heather to get caught with a helicopter bomb, with the Concierge having to make the save. The Pressure Drop hits the Concierge but Threat gets caught in an assisted top rope double stomp for the titles at 9:12.

Rating: C+. By Elegance had to win the titles at some point if they wanted to have any kind of a future. At the end of the day, Ash has been here for a bit but hadn’t won anything of note coming in. You can present has as a star all you want, but it doesn’t matter without getting some kind of a prize. That is what she pulled off here and it was fairly long overdue. The feud needs to end already, but it’s not like there are many other teams to come after the belts.

Post match the lights go out and NXT’s Meta Four show up for your next crossover title feud.

We recap Mustafa Ali vs. Mike Santana, which is built around the idea of Ali wanting to make TNA better, which means a lack of Santana, who is a recovering addict. Santana wants to prove himself, while Ali wants to prove that Santana can’t handle the pressure. In other words, it’s JBL vs. Eddie Guerrero, which has made a good story, albeit a familiar one.

Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali has his cabinet with him and a local sportscaster introduces Santana. Just in case you didn’t get the story they were redoing, Santana drives a car into the arena. Santana scares Ali to the floor to start before catching him with a powerslam. Two Amigos connect but Santana cuts off the third with a small package.

Back up and Santana hits another suplex to send Ali outside for a needed breather. Ali fights up and goes after the arm, including a 450 from the top onto the arm, with Santana standing, on the floor. Back in and a rollup, with feet on the ropes, gets two and the referee is not pleased. The rolling neckbreaker gets two more and Ali stays on the arm with a crossface.

That’s broken up and Ali sends him to the floor, where Santana cuts off a dive with a cutter. Back in again and Ali lifts him up for a German suplex and a tornado DDT, only to miss the 450. Santana’s rolling cutter gets two and the frog splash gets the same (with a BIG reaction from the crowd). Spin The block connects but the arm gives out, allowing Ali to go up. Santana pulls him out of the air with a powerbomb but the Good Hands get up for a distraction. Ali rolls him up and grabs the rope for the pin at 13:12.

Rating: B. this was the match I was looking forward to the most coming in and they didn’t disappoint, with both guys working hard and telling a story. Ali is the more polished wrestler of the two and better with the technical side of things, while Santana is more about powering through and hitting his big moves. That allowed Ali to pick him apart but then when he couldn’t handle Santana, he cheated in the end, which will allow him to brag about his amazing skill. Heck of a story told and a very good match at the same time.

Post match Ali leaves a drink for Santana.

We recap Masha Slamovich defending the Knockouts Title against Cora Jade from NXT. Jade showed up and decided she wanted a title so she went after Slamovich, setting up the title match.

Knockouts Title: Masha Slamovich vs. Cora Jade

Jade is challenging and Arianna Grace is on commentary. Jade jumps her to start and is quickly clotheslined down for a kick to the chest. The chase doesn’t go well for Jade but she gets in a cheap shot for a needed breather. A quick stomp to the back gives Jade two and she pulls Slamovich down by the hair for the same.

Back up and Slamovich hits a rolling kick to the face for two of her own but Jade is back up with a knee to the face. A Canadian Destroyer on the apron connects but Slamovich is down on the floor. Back in and Jaded connects for two, leaving Jade rather frustrated. Jade strikes away but walks into a kick to the face. The Requiem retains the title at 9:24.

Rating: C+. As was the case with Blanchard vs. Lee, there was only so much drama to be had here. Slamovich is the monster champion who can smash through just about anyone in front of her. Jade has gotten better, but she isn’t on Slamovich’s level and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. Jade got in some stuff here, but Slamovich wasn’t in much danger.

We look at Oba Femi defeating Moose to retain the NXT Title this week on NXT.

We recap Moose facing Jeff Hardy for the X-Division Title in a ladder match. Hardy has pinned Moose a few times in tag matches so now we’re doing the ladder match thing.

X-Division Title: Jeff Hardy vs. Moose

Moose, with Alisha Edwards, is defending in a ladder match. They stare each other down to start before going straight to the floor to grab the ladders. Hardy knocks him to the floor and hits a clothesline off the apron but the Twist Of Fate is shoved into the steps. Moose bridges a ladder between a chair and the apron but Hardy fights up and pulls out the painted ladder.

The climb takes too long though and Moose hits a powerbomb before bridging a ladder into the bigger one. Hardy gets powerbombed onto the bridge ladder, landing so hard that a rung on the bigger ladder is broken. Back up and Moose grabs a table, only to get pulled onto the bridged ladder for a Twist Of Fate down to the mat. Moose is able to get up and throws the ladders out (with one hitting a camera) before hitting a heck of a spear.

Hardy is fine enough to hit a backdrop onto the bridged ladder at ringside before grabbing another table. The Swanton sends Moose through that table so Alisha has to make a save. That earns her a Twisting Stunner but Moose spears Hardy through a table. That’s enough for Moose to retain the title at 16:54.

Rating: B-. Commentary summed up the issues at the beginning of this match: Moose was in his first ever ladder match while Jeff was in his thirty ninth. That kind of takes away the impact, as Jeff has literally done this dozens of times. What we got was indeed good as they beat each other up, though I never quite bought that Jeff was going to win. I get why they had the match though and it did feel interesting, at least most of the time.

Mike Santana rants to Santino Marella about what happened and gets a rematch on Impact.

Earlier this week, the city declared it TNA Wrestling Day in El Paso. That’s cool.

The cage is being set up (the arena isn’t big enough to have it hanging) so here is First Class for their Penthouse. They’re introducing their First Class Records label and consider allowing the fans to audition but then mock the idea of the fans having talent. The Aztec Warriors come out to protest and the brawl is nearly on but referees break it up.

We recap the main event. The System and the Colons have been annoying the resident good guys so it’s time to do this in a cage.

JDC/Brian Myers/Eddie Edwards/Orlando Colon/Eddie Colon vs. Joe Hendry/Matt Hardy/Nic Nemeth/Elijah/Leon Slater

This is unofficially Lethal Lockdown, meaning two competitors start for two minutes. Then a member of the villains (who won the advantage on Impact) gets a 2-1 advantage for two minutes. The good guys then get to even it up and after that, the entry intervals drop down to one minute. When everyone is in, first pin or submission wins. Edwards and Elijah start things off, with the latter coming in on a horse because reasons.

After a song mocking the System and the Colons, Elijah gets inside and we’re ready to go. Elijah starts fast and works on the arm, setting up an Old School. A big boot drops Edwards again and he gets sent into the cage as Myers is in for the advantage. The System Overload connects but Nic Nemeth is in to even things up. Nemeth hits a neckbreaker/DDT combination and it’s already Orlando Colon coming in to go up 3-2.

The rapid fire entrances continue with Leon Slater coming in as these intervals are too long to really work. Slater stomps away until Eddie Colon is in to cut him off as well. Matt Hardy is in as well for the Side Effect and rams Orlando into the buckle. JDC gives the villains their final advantage and some chairs are thrown in to keep up the beating. Joe Hendry is in last to complete the field and the bell rings, which I hope isn’t considered the official start to the match.

Hendry starts firing off fall away slams, including a super version to Myers. Back up and Myers hits Hendry low to cut him off and Edwards’ Blue Thunder Bomb gets two on Nemeth. Slater is sat on top of the cage but crotches JDC and Myers, meaning it’s a Swanton 450 from the top of the cage onto a pile. Cue Ryan Nemeth as we hit the parade of finishers. Hendry grabs one of the chairs and a Twist Of Fate with the chair around JDC’s neck lets Hardy gets the pin at 17:05.

Rating: C. Yeah this didn’t really work, as it felt like they were scrambling to get the match in as fast as they could. That only got them so far, as the short entrances completely destroyed the intrigue of the match. Someone would get in, hit one or two things and then someone else would come in to reset the whole deal. It didn’t make for a good main event, as this needed way more time, and probably two less people, to really work.

Post match most of the team leaves but Ryan gets in and locks the door. That’s enough for Nic to jump Hardy (the camera mostly misses it) and the beating is on. The rest of the team is held off with a chair and Hardy is busted open. The beating continues to end the show. The Nemeths vs. the Hardys is certainly a choice for a title feud.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a back and forth show, as there were some good things on here that had me interested in what they were doing, but then they did some things that simply weren’t very interesting. The top two matches were only so good and the ending was more of an “eh, ok I guess” than anything else. Things should get to pick up a bit with a fresh top heel, but they need something else for Hendry to do already, as he’s just kind of floating around despite being World Champion.

Results
First Class b. Aztec Warriors – Running Sliced Bread to Kid
Mance Warner b. Sami Callihan – Running knee
Tessa Blanchard b. Lei Ying Lee – Magnum
Ace Austin/Rascalz b. Wes Lee/Tyson DuPont/Tyriek Igwe – Spiral Tap to Lee
Steve Maclin b. Frankie Kazarian – KIA
Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance/Personal Concierge b. Spitfire – Assisted top rope double stomp to Threat
Mustafa Ali b. Mike Santana – Rollup while grabbing the rope
Masha Slamovich b. Cora Jade – Requiem
Moose b. Jeff Hardy – Moose pulled down the title
Joe Hendry/Elijah/Matt Hardy/Leon Slater/Nic Nemeth b. Orlando Colon/Eddie Colon/Brian Myers/JDC/Eddie Edwards – Twist Of Fate with a chair to JDC

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: March 6, 2025
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re coming up on Sacrifice and perhaps the biggest story is the invasion/crossover from NXT. There are a variety of stars coming in from the other promotion and getting involved in some high profile stories around here. That should make for some interesting situations and more of them can take place this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap, including some clips of TNA stars in NXT.

Elijah vs. Brian Myers

Alisha Edwards is here with Myers. Elijah jumps him to start and they go to the floor in a hurry. Some rams into the apron have Myers in more trouble and a running hip attack makes it even worse. Alisha’s distraction lets Myers grab a belly to back suplex though and she gets in a neck snap across the middle rope too. The chinlock is broken up rather quickly and Elijah hits a running knee. The implant DDT gives Myers two more so here is Eddie Edwards for a distraction. Elijah sends them together though and grabs the Highwayman’s Farewell (Tombstone) for the pin at 5:46.

Rating: C+. Myers is a great choice for someone to make Elijah look good since Elijah is still new around here. That is what we had here, as Elijah is already looking like a player. I’m not sure how far he is going to go, but at least he is off to a nice start by surviving three members of the System at once.

Post match the System comes in for the beatdown but Joe Hendry makes the save with his guitar.

Ace Austin and the Rascalz are ready for the Northern Armory tonight. They might not have the best history but their future is looking good.

It’s time for the First Class Penthouse and they have a special guest in the prizefighter: KO! As in KC Navarro! Cue Steve Maclin to tell them to shut up, with AJ Francis saying they can fight in thirty minutes.

Savannah Evans vs. Xia Brookside

Brookside strikes away to start and gets nowhere, instead getting smart by kicking out the leg. Rosemary is watching from the rafters as Evans takes over. Brookside gets sent hard into the corner and the chinlock goes on. Back up and Brookside sends her into the corner, setting up a high crossbody for two. Evans misses a charge into the corner and bangs up her knee, which has Brookside talking to the referee. The distraction lets Evans hit a hard clothesline to the back of the head for the pin at 5:15.

Rating: C. Evans is a powerhouse but she’s not a particularly interesting powerhouse. She’s just kind of there and there isn’t much for her to do at the moment so soon after losing to Masha Slamovich. Brookside is rather perky and can do some nice things in the ring, but it isn’t going to matter if she keeps losing like this.

Spitfire has given By Elegance a makeover, which isn’t to their liking. Don’t worry though as Spitfire has the perfect travel meals for them, which doesn’t sit well with By Elegance. The Personal Concierge watching from the distance in tears is a great touch.

John Skyler vs. Mike Santana

Jason Hotch is here with Skyler, who says he is here on behalf of Mustafa Ali. Skyler hammers away to start but is quickly caught in Three Amigos. A Cannonball into a sitout powerbomb finishes for Santana at 1:31.

Post match Hotch tries to come in but gets caught with Spin The Block. Mustafa Ali pops up on screen and says that Santana has been randomly selected for a urine test. I think you know where this one is going.

AJ Francis vs. Steve Maclin

KC Navarro is here with Francis. Maclin wastes no time by hammering away in the corner but Francis is too big for the Angle Slam. Instead Maclin goes up but Navarro’s distraction lets Francis slam him off the top. A running knee in the corner rocks Maclin again, only for him to tie Francis in the Tree Of Woe. The running spear gets two, as does Francis’ spear. Cue the Northern Armory as Maclin sends him outside for a Scud. Back in and Navarro offers another distraction, allowing Francis to hit a rather big Down Payment for the win at 4:13.

Rating: C. Well they certainly didn’t have Maclin go down easily as it took four people to put him away. That’s what it should be with Maclin against someone on Francis’ level and it made for a good enough story. I’m not sure what First Class is doing, but Eric Young and company against Maclin is only so interesting.

Earlier this week, Ryan Nemeth said he was going to be on Joe Hendry’s team at Sacrifice but Matt Hardy called Nic Nemeth to say not so fast. Ryan got annoyed and left.

Steve Maclin yells at Eric Young, who says they’re doing this for Maclin. Good grief enough of this Eric Young philosophical stuff. Maclin storms off and runs into Frankie Kazarian, who is enjoying what is happening to Maclin lately.

We look at the Hardys vs. Fraxiom being set up on NXT for NXT.

Also on NXT, Moose said his match with Oba Femi next week at NXT will be the biggest match of his career.

Here is NXT Champion Oba Femi for a face to face chat with Moose, with the System and a bunch of security. Femi wants to know what is up with the security, but he also wonders why Moose waited so long to come see him. Moose says he was just waiting for the right time to cross the line. Femi praises Moose, who agrees with what Femi says. Femi is ready to fight so JDC tells the security that the first person to jump Femi is in the System. The entire team jumps him at once so Femi clears them out, only to get speared by Moose. This is going to be two big men hitting each other really hard and it should be a great time.

Fraxiom is ready to prove themselves to the Hardys.

Northern Armory vs. Ace Austin/Rascalz

Austin takes Icarus down to start and hits a quick spinning middle rope crossbody for an early two. Williams comes in as commentary recaps how the Northern Armory got here. Miguel comes in and the Rascalz hit stereo suicide dives but Icarus grabs Wentz’s leg, allowing Young to get in a cheap shot. Wentz fights up but his partners are pulled to the floor to keep him in trouble.

As you might have expected, the comeback doesn’t take long and it’s back to Austin to pick up the pace. Young slams Austin down but misses a moonsault (because Eric Young can now do moonsaults), allowing Miguel to come in and clean house. The Rascalz start using some Motor City Machine Guns double teaming until Young manages a Death Valley Driver. Cue Wes Lee and company for a distraction though, allowing Young to hit a piledriver on Wentz for the pin at 9:46.

Rating: B-. Perfectly fine six man tag here with the Northern Armory getting built up a bit with Young vs. Steve Maclin likely on the horizon. The match was mostly action based and the interference at the end made sense and protected the good guys in the loss. That’s a nice way to go and it’s nice to see a perfectly well put together match like this one.

Mike Santana yells at Santino Marella about having to take a urine test. At the same time, Tasha Steelz yells about Mustafa Ali’s coffee not being right. The payoff here is so obvious that Santana smiles at the camera.

Spitfire tortures By Elegance in a training session but the Personal Concierge, disguised as a janitor, makes the save.

Here is Masha Slamovich for a chat. She’s ready to go to war with Cora Jade at Sacrifice so cue Jade to say she’ll win. Slamovich mocks her but here is Tessa Blanchard to jump Slamovich from behind. Lei Ying Lee makes the save.

Mustafa Ali is told that Mike Santana passed his drug test….but his coffee is terrible. Comedy ensues.

Ryan Nemeth says that Nic Nemeth will still be back at Sacrifice.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Hardys vs. Colons

Non-title. Matt backs Orlando into the corner to start and works on the arm before it’s already off to Jeff. We take an early break and come back with Matt missing a charge into the corner. Orlando comes back in and drops Matt for two, setting up a legsweep for two. Eddie works on the arm but gets sent into the corner, allowing the tag off to Jeff. Everything breaks down and the Plot Twist connects…but the System runs in to jump the Hardys for the DQ at 4:49.

Rating: C. There wasn’t much to this one as it was more about the angle at the end rather than the match. That’s a fine way to go, as the ten man tag very well might be headlining Sacrifice at this rate. At the same time, the Colons are the latest definition of “I guess they’re here too”, which isn’t exactly glowing praise. There isn’t much for them to do other than put over better teams, but it’s also not exactly fun to see them show up.

Post match the beatdown is on but Elijah, Joe Hendry and Leon Slater make the save. Santino Marella comes out to make the ten man tag match a cage match as well. That’s going to be crowded.

Overall Rating: C+. This felt like a bit of a step back from recent weeks without much worth seeing. The best match was just pretty good and the Santana/Ali angle felt like bad comedy with a payoff so obvious that they were practically winking at the camera. They did add some stuff to the pay per view and built things up a bit, but it’s not a show you need to see in the slightest.

Results
Elijah b. Brian Myers – Highwayman’s Farewell
Savannah Evans b. Xia Brookside – Clothesline to the back of the head
Mike Santana b. John Skyler – Sitout powerbomb
AJ Francis b. Steve Maclin – Down Payment
Northern Armory b. Ace Austin/Rascalz – Piledriver to Wentz
Hardys b. Colons via DQ when the System interfered

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: January 30, 2025
Location: Boeing Center At Tech Port, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Mathews Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re back to taped this week after a pretty strong showing on last week’s live show. Hopefully they can continue the momentum on the way to whatever the next big show happens to be. Joe Hendry is still World Champion so now we get to hear from former champion Nic Nemeth. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Nic Nemeth to get things going. Nemeth talks about how important Genesis was for the company and now he has to start things over. Before he can get very far though, here is Ryan Nemeth to say that HIS BROTHER is not happy with what happened. Joe Hendry is a flash in the pan but Nic isn’t having that. It’s going to be the Nemeth Brothers’ year so here is First Class to interrupt. They’re here for the titles because it means money, and they are sick of the old people taking up all of the top spots. Arguing ensues so here is Santino Marella to make the tag match for tonight.

Arianna Grace is happy to see what is going on around here and runs into Tessa Blanchard. Tessa isn’t interested and doesn’t like Grace. She chases Gia Miller off too, which is a threat to everyone.

NXT’s Cora Jade ran into Xia Brookside in the back and they argued like wrestlers running into each other in the back.

Cora Jade vs. Hyan

Hyan flips out of a wristlock to start but is quickly clotheslined down. Back up and Jade chokes on the rope, setting up a running dropkick in those ropes. Hyan is sent hard into the corner and Jaded (double arm DDT) finishes for Jade at 2:57.

Post match Jade keeps up the beating but Xia Brookside runs in…and gets beaten down as well. Masha Slamovich makes the real save.

NXT’s Wes Lee/Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont are ready for Ace Austin and Fraxiom. Lee wants gold of any kind.

The Personal Concierge yells at Santino Marella about how By Elegance should be the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. Next week there is a battle royal for a title shot, but it sounds like the singles version. Spitfire comes in to glare.

Brian Myers vs. Leon Slater

Myers, with the System, shoulders him down to start but Slater does it as well, meaning it’s time to dance. A bouncing kick to the face and elbow to the face give Slater two but he gets sent face first into the middle buckle. Myers sends him hard into the corner and then does it again, chest first this time, for two.

We hit the reverse chinlock but Slater is back up with a springboard crossbody. Slater kicks him in the head but walks into an implant DDT for two. The Roster Cut is countered into a small package for two and Slater sends him outside for a big dive. Alisha Edwards gives Myers a ring though and a shot to Slater’s face sets up the Roster Cut for the pin at 9:51.

Rating: C+. Slater losing to someone like Myers might not be the best idea but what mattered the most is that Slater got to have another nice match. He continues to look good almost every time he’s out there and it is nice to see him building up a bit of status. Now just get a few wins going and he might actually go somewhere.

Sami Callihan goes after Mance Warner and Steph de Lander.

Leon Slater still isn’t interested in working with Frankie Kazarian but the System interrupts. Maybe he could be the team’s secretary! The Hardys show up and a six man is set for next week.

Sami Callihan and Mance Warner brawl into the arena but Steph de Lander runs in for the distraction. Warner takes Callihan down and hits a running knee to leave him laying.

Steve Maclin isn’t having anything to do with Eric Young working with Josh Alexander.

Laredo Kid vs. Mustafa Ali

Kid starts fast by running the corner for an armdrag but Ali is right back with some uppercuts in the corner. Back up and Kid gets dropkicked out of the air for two and we hit the seated abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and they trade rollups for two each and they go outside, where Ali hits a hanging DDT. The 450 gives Ali the pin at 5:41.

Rating: C+. Ali is still as smooth in the ring as you can see and that is great to see. It is interesting to see what Ali can do when he is given the chance and not doing as much of the over the top campaigning stuff. That can work well, but he has the in-ring work to back it up and that works very well.

Post break Ali is rather happy with his win but Mike Santana comes in to challenge him. Ali would love to do that….uh, some day.

Eric Young/Josh Alexander vs. Northern Armory

Alexander throws Icarus into the corner to start and headlocks Williams to keep up the control. A missed charge sends Alexander to the floor though and a kick to the chest drops him again. The Armory hit some running kicks in the corner but Alexander suplexes his way out of trouble. The tag brings in Young and….he turns on Alexander. That means the Armory goes after Alexander as well and the match is thrown out at around 4:30.

Rating: C. So yeah this was little more than an angle and there is nothing wrong with that. I’m curious to see if this is pretty much it for Alexander, as he will probably have a match with Young and then ride off into the sunset. Other than that, it’s Young as a heel again and, uh, I guess that’s something we get to see for reasons of TNA not liking us.

Post match the big beatdown is on and Alexander is left laying.

Wes Lee vs. Ace Austin

Austin takes him down by the arm to start but Lee flips up and grabs an anklescissors. Back up and Lee flips over Austin before kicking him into the ropes. Lee hits a nice suicide dive, followed by a basement dropkick to the back for two. Another, and harder, kick gets two on Austin and it’s time to crank on the arm.

Austin fights up and hits a quick Russian legsweep, followed by some running clotheslines in the corner. A gutwrench powerbomb connects but here are Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont for a distraction. Austin dives…kind of in their general vicinity to take them down, only to get Cardiac Kicked (kick to the head) for the pin at 9:38.

Rating: B-. Take two good high fliers and let them do their thing for a bit, though that dive wasn’t exactly the best looking. Other than that though, it was nice to see Austin out there again as he can work well with anyone. Lee continues to need something a bit better to do, though maybe a change over to TNA is a smart move.

Post match the beatdown is on but the Rascalz make the save.

Joe Hendry is ready to entertain, so next week it’s a concert.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth vs. First Class

Francis shoves Ryan into the corner and demands/receives Nic. Navarro comes in and gets hiptossed into a dropkick, setting up double dropkick to Francis. We take a break and come back with Ryan in trouble (I for one am shocked). Something close to a 619 sets up a leg lariat for two on Ryan and it’s back to Francis for the chinlock. Ryan manages to get in a knockdown and the tag brings in Nic to clean house. Everything breaks down and Ryan dives onto Francis on the floor. The Fameasser and Danger Zone hit Navarro but Ryan tags himself in to steal the pin at 12:50.

Rating: C+. Ryan is starting to turn himself into something interesting with this goofiness and having him steal the win is a nice touch for him. That being said, I don’t want to see the two of them face each other, but for now, we are at least having something with Ryan as the annoying brother. Francis and company losing is always a plus as well so this could have been a lot worse.

Overall Rating: C+. The NXT stars being around is a nice way to go and I’m curious to see where all of that goes. At the same time, you had some good matches and enough things being moved forward, though I’m more than a bit hesitant about a renewed Eric Young heel run. The show wasn’t great, but it does give you a good idea of where some things are going in the next few weeks.

Results
Cora Jade b. Hyan – Jaded
Brian Myers b. Leon Slater – Roster Cut
Mustafa Ali b. Laredo Kid – 450
Eric Young/Josh Alexander vs. Northern Armory went to a no contest
Wes Lee b. Ace Austin – Cardiac Kick
Ryan Nemeth/Nic Nemeth b. First Class – Danger Zone to Navarro

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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AND

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Turning Point 2024
Date: November 29, 2024
Location: Benton Convention Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the Thanksgiving week special, though the card is only so good. They’re coming off the biggest show of the year with Bound for Glory so this is going to be something of a downgrade. The main event will see Nic Nemeth defending the World Title against Eddie Edwards, plus we have the annual turkey suit match because tradition. Let’s get to it.

This show is taking place as part of WrestleCade, a wrestling fan convention, though the venue is rather dim and doesn’t look very big.

Countdown Show: Rosemary vs. Savannah Evans vs. Xia Brookside

They circle each other to start until Rosemary hits Evans in the face. Rosemary’s quick rollup on Brookside annoys Evans but they get together to clothesline Brookside. The alliance is as short lived as you would imagine and Rosemary is sent outside, leaving Brookside to drop Evans. Brookside’s dive is pulled out of the air and Evans drops a leg, with Rosemary making the save.

Evans clotheslines Rosemary and grabs a fisherman’s suplex for two, with Brookside making the save. Back up and Rosemary slugs away at Evans but Brookside is back in to hit some running shots in the corners. Evans kicks Rosemary in the face and gets Codebreakered by Brookside. The Brooksey Bomb takes Evans down but Rosemary spears Brookside for the pin at 9:14.

Rating: C+. They were doing a nice job of keeping things moving here and Rosemary stealing the win is a good way to go. Rosemary needs to win a few matches to rebuild herself up and this was a fine start. Evans felt like a monster and Brookside was keeping things moving, making this a nice choice for an opener. If nothing else, they were in and out in less than ten minutes, which is as long as a pre-show match needs to go. Get in, let the fans have some fun, get out.

The opening video is a quick montage of what is coming on the show.

Mike Santana vs. Frankie Kazarian

Kazarian armdrags him down to start so Santana comes back with a wristlock. An exchange of armdrags sets up a springboard moonsault to drop Kazarian and they go to the floor for a breather. Santana scores with a superkick but Kazarian gets in the Fameasser over the middle rope.

Back in and Kazarian grabs a short armscissors but Santana grabs a belly to back suplex. They go to the apron, where Kazarian hits a slingshot DDT to knock him silly. Back in again and the springboard spinning legdrop gives Kazarian two but it’s too early for the chickenwing. Santana catches him on top though and grabs a belly to belly superplex to leave both of them down.

A rolling cutter gives Santana two and something like a Death Valley Driver gets the same. Santana grabs a hanging twisting neckbreaker for two more but Kazarian is back with a slingshot cutter for two more. Kazarian goes for the leg, only to walk into Spin The Block for the pin at 12:29.

Rating: B-. Nice opening match here with Santana continuing his rise up the company. At this rate it wouldn’t surprise me to see him in the World Title scene sooner than later, as there are only so many things left for him to do. That being said, Kazarian seems destined to try to steal the title sooner or later, and that could delay Santana that much more.

We run down the card.

The System promises a big night.

Joe Hendry vs. Eric Young vs. Hammerstone vs. Rhino vs. Brian Myers vs. John Skyler

This is the Turkey Bowl match, meaning whoever takes the fall has to wear a turkey suit, and yes this is the best they have for Hendry at the moment. The brawl starts fast until Skyler and Hendry are left alone in the ring. Hendry takes over without much effort and gets two off the delayed suplex.

Rhino and Myers take their place but it’s quickly off to Young to work on Hammerstone’s leg. Skyler and Myers take over on Young and Hammerstone joins in, only for Rhino to hit a Tower Of Doom to leave everyone down. Henry cleans house with clotheslines, followed by a fall away slam to Hammerstone. The parade of finishers is capped off by Myers charging into the Standing Ovation to give Hendry the pin at 8:20.

Rating: C+. I’m still trying to get my mind around the idea that there was nothing else for Hendry to do on this show. This was little more than a goofy match designed for the post match comedy spot and I was expecting a bit more for the most popular star in the company. But why push the popular star when you can, you know, not? Other than that, this was what you would expect from six people fighting for eight minutes with no tags, as no one really got to stand out.

Post match Myers doesn’t want to put on the suit so the good guys beat him up and half put it on him.

Rosemary is happy with her win but wants more. Like the Knockouts Title.

X-Division Title: Laredo Kid vs. Moose

Moose is defending and has Alisha Edwards with him. Kid strikes away to start but his springboard is shoved to the floor for a big crash. Moose sends him into the barricade and goes traditionally evil by going after the mask back inside. Kid gets tied in the Tree of Woe for some choking but it’s too early for the spear.

A hurricanrana just annoys Moose, who plants him with a release Rock Bottom. Moose charges into a boot in the corner though and a missile dropkick sends him outside. There’s the big dive, setting up the super Spanish Fly for two back inside. The 450 hits knees though and a pair of spears retains Moose’s title at 8:23.

Rating: C+. There were a few nice spots here but for the most part, this was Moose shrugging off anything Kid threw at him and winning with raw power. There is a good chance that we’ll be seeing that in Moose’s title defenses for a long time to come and it’s not a bad idea. Moose mauling the division until someone is built up to take the title isn’t a bad idea, though it might take some time to really get going.

We recap Josh Alexander vs. Steve Maclin. Alexander has driven Maclin crazy for over a year now and has since turned evil, even zip tying Maclin during their match at Bound For Glory. Tonight it’s No DQ, with Maclin going a bit nuts in his quest for revenge.

Steve Maclin vs. Josh Alexander

They slug it out to start with Maclin clotheslining him to the floor, setting up the Scud to drop him again. Alexander gets sent into various things on the floor and it’s already time for a table. They fight on the apron but neither can go through the table so Alexander rolls the German suplexes back inside. Maclin grabs one of his own, only to be sent hard into the post.

The fight heads back to the floor, where Maclin grabs a quick Death Valley Driver through a table leaned against the apron. More weapons are thrown in, with some trashcan lid shots staggering Alexander. Back in and Alexander grabs the ankle lock but Maclin breaks it up with more trashcan lid shots.

Alexander hits him with the rest of the trashcan but takes too long loading up a door. Maclin dropkicks the door into his face and hits a Cactus Elbow off the apron to crush the door onto Alexander. Alexander is right back up and goes after the leg before grabbing some chairs. The piledriver through the chairs is blocked and Maclin hits an Alabama Slam through the chairs instead. The KIA is blocked so Maclin settles for a running knee into a chair into Alexander’s head.

Back up and Alexander torture rack bombs him over the top and through the table at ringside for a huge crash. Maclin rolls out of the ankle lock and puts Alexander in the Tree of Woe for three straight spears. The KIA connects…but Maclin pulls him up at two. Instead Maclin throws in a bag of shell cases, earning himself a low blow to cut him off. A super C4 Spike is broken up and Maclin hits a super KIA onto the casings for the win at 23:44.

Rating: B+. These guys beat each other up pretty badly and if Alexander had sold some of the big shots a bit more, this would have been even better. What mattered here was the match feeling like a battle between two people who couldn’t stand each other. Maclin was obsessed with winning and pushed his way forward until Alexander couldn’t survive any longer. Best match on the show by a good while so far.

Video on Chris Bey.

Ace Austin/Hardys vs. Zachary Wentz/Kushida/???

Wentz and Kushida were supposed to team with Trey Miguel, who isn’t here due to travel issues. Therefore the replacement is….Matt Riddle, making his TNA debut. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll refer to Matt Hardy as “Matt” and Matt Riddle as “Riddle”. Wentz and Austin start things off and go to the mat to limited success, meaning it’s an exchange of armdrags.

Jeff comes in but Matt follows him off a blind tag to take over on Wentz. That’s broken up as Wentz goes after the arm, allowing Kushida to come in for a surfboard. Matt gets out and hands it off to Austin to work on Kushida’s arm for a change. Riddle comes in to roll some gutwrench suplexes before it’s quickly back to Wentz, who gets dropkicked in the back.

Everything breaks down and Riddle gets to clean house, with a knee to the face getting two on Austin. Back up and Austin hands it off to Jeff to pick up the pace, including the Whisper In The Wind. Everything breaks down again and we get the Jeff vs. Riddle slugout. A Canadian Destroyer drops Riddle and it’s the Plot Twist into the Swanton to finish Kushida at 16:00.

Rating: B-. The match was fast paced and entertaining, though this was mainly about getting Riddle in a TNA ring. I’m guessing he was there as part of WrestleCade and was brought in as a result, though if TNA can get him around more often, the star power would help. For now though, it was a nice one off match, with the action keeping the interest going.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Masha Slamovich

Slamovich is defending in a 2/3 falls match after they’ve traded wins. Feeling out process to start with some armdrags not getting either of them anywhere. Grace’s spinebuster gets two but Slamovich drops her throat first onto the ropes. Some hair mares send Grace outside and they go to the apron to slug it out. Grace is right back with a package piledriver on the apron and Slamovich needs a breather on the floor.

They fight over a piledriver on the floor, with Grace getting dropped on her head…but Slamovich breaks up the count. Back in and Slamovich gets two (yeah still way too soon after being dropped on padless concrete) so Grace slugs away but can’t get the MuscleBuster. Instead they trade rollups, with Grace getting the first fall at 11:14.

Slamovich is right back up to strike away before cranking on both arms to put Grace in trouble. That’s reversed into a full nelson and they fight over a Vertebreaker. Slamovich gets a rear naked choke, which is reversed into the Vertebreaker for two. A springboard DDT into a guillotine choke has Grace in trouble but she World’s Strongest Slams her way to freedom.

The Vader Bomb connects but Slamovich grabs a small package to tie it up at 17:40 total. The brawl is on as Rosemary comes out to watch. Slamovich gets the better of the strike off and hits a running knee into a piledriver into a package piledriver to finally retain the title at 19:41.

Rating: B. Much like the No DQ match, this was rather good but could have been better without some of the fairly ridiculous selling issues. Again, if someone is piledriven on the exposed concrete, they shouldn’t be up and winning a fall just a few minutes later. That kind of stuff drives me nuts but thankfully it didn’t ruin the match, which felt like a major struggle between two of the biggest stars in the division. Rosemary is waiting on Slamovich and that takes things into a different direction, but it’s going to be difficult to top this.

We recap Nic Nemeth defending the World Title against Eddie Edwards, who pinned him in a tag match to set this up.

TNA World Title: Nic Nemeth vs. Eddie Edwards

Edwards, with Alisha Edwards, is challenging. They lock up against the ropes to start and that’s an early standoff. Nemeth’s rollup sends Edwards out to the floor as things reset a bit. Back in and Nemeth grabs a headlock but gets sent face first into the buckle. Alisha gets in some choking from the floor, with Edwards adding a chop that has Nemeth slapping the mat.

Nemeth kicks him down and drops the rapid fire elbows but Alisha offers a distraction, allowing Edwards to send things outside. That’s broken up as well and Nemeth drops a top rope elbow for two back inside. A backbreaker cuts Nemeth down and Edwards starts in on the back, with the near fall offering some frustration.

They run the ropes and a double clothesline leaves both of them down for a breather. Nemeth slugs away so Alisha grabs the boot, only to get caught and ejected. Back up and Nemeth gets in a Thesz press and hammers away but Edwards’ Blue Thunder Bomb gets two. The Backpack Stunner connects for two more but Nemeth is back with a Fameasser. Alisha is back (total disrespect for the referee) and Edwards gets in a belt shot for two.

The Boston Knee Party gets two more but the Diehard Driver is countered into the Danger Zone for another near fall. Back up and a Cactus Clothesline sends both of them outside, so here is Brian Myers, in turkey suit, and loads up a ring on his finger (with the referee watching all of this). Cue John Layfield for the Clothesline From JBL to Myers, leaving Nemeth to hit a superkick into the Danger Zone to retain at 22:03.

Rating: B. I’m not sure this was designed to feel like a major threat to Nemeth as Edwards isn’t someone who is going to give him much of a run for his money. The interference helped a bit but the JBL stuff is weird. It doesn’t feel so much like any kind of a turn as he was evening the odds, but at the same time, you don’t bring in JBL as some kind of a guardian angel. Anyway, good enough main event, though Nemeth is going to need a top challenger sooner than later.

Overall Rating: B. The show was entertaining and had a nice string of matches, which makes up for it feeling like a pretty low level show. The Hendry stuff continues to be annoying, as he almost has to be getting back into the World Title picture around Genesis at the latest. Other than that, Maclin vs. Alexander was good and the Knockouts Title match was very hard hitting, which was enough to make this worth a look. It might not be an instant classic, but it’s a nice addition to a holiday weekend.

Results
Rosemary b. Xia Brookside and Savannah Evans – Spear to Brookside
Mike Santana b. Frankie Kazarian – Spin The Block
Joe Hendry b. Eric Young, Hammerstone, Rhino, Brian Myers and John Skyler – Standing Ovation to Myers
Moose b. Brian Myers – Spear
Steve Maclin b. Josh Alexander – Super KIA
Hardys/Ace Austin b. Matt Riddle/Zachary Wentz/Kushida – Swanton to Kushida
Masha Slamovich b. Jordynne Grace 2-1
Nic Nemeth b. Eddie Edwards – 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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 14, 2024
Location: Crown Arena, Fayetteville, North Carolina
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re about two weeks away from Turning Point and thankfully we’re off to some fresh tapings, meaning the wrestlers have been able to move on a bit from the Chris Bey/Hijo del Vikingo injuries. That had to shake things up a lot and maybe now we can get a bit more back to normal. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Mike Santana vs. KC Navarro

AJ Francis is here with Navarro, who runs the ropes to start but can’t hit much of anything. Instead, Santana sends him outside and for a hard knockdown before easily blocking a rollup back inside. Francis offers a distraction though and Navarro scores with a dive to take over. A double stomp gets two on Santana and a high crossbody gets the same. Santana counters a hurricanrana into a powerbomb for two, followed by Spin The Block for the pin at 6:25.

Rating: C. Sometimes you need to let an up and coming star have an easy win and that’s what we got here. Santana is fresh off beating Moose at Bound For Glory and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get into the World Title picture soon into the new year. Give him a nice win over Navarro in a relatively short time and everything works out fine.

Ryan Nemeth is ready for Joe Hendry tonight and Nic Nemeth is ready for Eddie Edwards at Turning Point.

We look at Trent Seven turning on Mike Bailey last week.

Seven interrupts the Hardys and Ace Austin, who aren’t impressed with him. Jake Something and Hammerstone run in to beat down the good guys.

Jake Crist/Alan Angels vs. Rascalz

Wentz works on Angels’ wrist to start and gets in a basement dropkick, setting up a quick tribute to Chris Bey. Crist is back up with a rolling fisherman’s suplex for two before Angels comes in with a double elbow. Miguel suplexes Angels for a breather though and it’s off to Wentz to pick up the pace. A running shooting star press gets two on Crist but Angels crotches Wentz on top. Angels’ top rope splash gets two but Miguel is back with a superkick. The backbreaker/double stomp combination finishes Angels at 6:17.

Rating: C. Not much to this one but it was similar to the opener, with Crist and Angels getting in some offense before getting caught by the better team. The Rascalz need something to do so giving them a short win is better than nothing until they get some kind of a feud going. It wasn’t a bad match, but it did feel like it was there to fill in time.

Spitfire is ready for Ash/Heather By Elegance.

Northern Armory vs. Eric Young/Jonathan Gresham/Steve Maclin

Maclin drops the lackeys to start and wants Alexander but settles for handing it off to Gresham instead. A German suplex drops Williams but Alexander gets in a cheap shot from the apron to take over on Maclin. Alexander grabs a northern lights suplex for two and we take a break.

Back with Williams striking away on Maclin, who kicks him in the face for a breather. Young comes in with his wheelbarrow neckbreaker for two on Alexander as everything breaks down. Gresham kicks away at Icarus, who grabs a swinging butterfly suplex for two. Alexander can’t hit the C4 Spike as Gresham kicks the leg out and goes up.

That’s broken up as well though and the Armory hits a C4 Spike/dropkick combination with Maclin making the save. Young hits the Death Valley Driver on Alexander but Maclin hammers away, meaning the top rope elbow can’t be dropped. Gresham breaks up their argument and hits a dive but Alexander hits the C4 Spike to pin Maclin at 12:49.

Rating: B. This took its time to get going but I was digging it by the end. They had a fast paced match here and there were a few near falls which served as some nice false finishes. The argument between Maclin and Young makes sense as Alexander continues to drive everyone nuts, making this a good bit better match than I was expecting.

Frankie Kazarian doesn’t like a clip of Rhino Goring him airing last week. Rhino comes in to threaten violence but Kazarian gets on him for swearing. I knew I liked him for a reason.

Steve Maclin wants Santino Marella to do something about Josh Alexander. Then he yells at Eric Young, with Jonathan Gresham coming in to say he’s letting them argue.

Ryan Nemeth vs. Joe Hendry

The fans are still way behind Hendry. Before the match, Hendry has a director’s cut of Nemeth’s career highlight package. It’s the same as last week and we even see it again. Nemeth jumps him from behind to start and drops the big elbow for an early two. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by the chinlock to mix things up a bit. Nemeth goes up but Hendry slams him down, setting up the fall away slam. The Standing Ovation finishes for Nemeth at 4:35.

Rating: C. That’s all it needed to be, as Hendry is a big star and Nemeth is….well he’s Nic’s brother, the end. There’s nothing else to him and there isn’t much that can be done to hide that. Hendry needs to move on to something more important, like getting back into the title picture (assuming he isn’t still there) and a short win over the less famous Nemeth is a fine enough way to start (or maybe continue) that process.

Rosemary vs. Jada Stone

They chop it out to start until Rosemary easily takes her down. Stone jawbreaks her way to freedom and gets in a kick to the face, only to walk into As Above So Below to give Rosemary the pin at 3:49.

Rating: C. This was just a step above a squash with Rosemary getting the win to continue…whatever it is that she’s doing. If nothing else, it’s better than having Wendy Choo drag her down again. Rosemary is one of the better stars in the division but she needs something to do and it needs to be better than whatever she’s been doing.

Earlier today, the System had a celebration for themselves and showed off their matching rings.

Here is Alisha Edwards to brag about the System and promise a win in the main event. She also claims that she carried Masha Slamovich, who interrupts and offers Edwards a title match next week. Tasha Steelz comes out to glare but Jordynne Grace says she’s waiting on the winner at Turning Point.

Preview for next week’s show.

Ryan Nemeth has been attacked and Nic Nemeth is concerned, but Frankie Kazarian teases cashing in to distract him further.

Brian Myers vs. Nic Nemeth

Non-title and the Edwards’s are here with Myers. And here’s Joe Hendry to join commentary. The threat of a superkick sens Myers bailing to the floor but he comes back in with a quick shot to take over. Nemeth slips out of a slam though and hits a dropkick but the neckbreaker is countered into a backslide for two. Eddie gets caught interfering though and that’s enough for an ejection, only for Myers’ charge to miss and he crashes out to the floor. Myers is fine enough to send Nemeth shoulder first into the steps and we take a break.

Back with Myers choking on the ropes and grabbing the chinlock. Nemeth fights up with a clothesline into the Shot To The Heart for two. Myers is back with an implant DDT for two but the Roster Cut is countered into a jumping DDT. Nemeth hits a Fameasser for two of his own so Alisha gets in a kendo stick shot. Myers’ spear connects for two more so Hendry carries Alisha to the back. The superkick and Danger Zone finish for Nemeth at 14:20.

Rating: B-. Myers is a valuable thing to have on the roster as he can work well with anyone and make them look good without ever really losing any status. That’s a good hand to have and Myers was doing his thing again here. Other than that, it continues Hendry’s association with Nemeth, which should set something up or Genesis or so at the latest.

Post match Eddie Edwards runs in for the beatdown but Hendry makes the save with a kendo stick. Nemeth isn’t sure who Hendry is swinging for though and an uneasy stare ends the show.

Well maybe not as we see Steve Maclin getting into his car and driving somewhere. To Be Continued.

Overall Rating: C+. This was the show that started the build towards Turning Point and that means we should be in for the better episodes coming up. Nemeth has a few people coming after him and there are enough midcard feuds going on to make the rest of the show work. The six man s a nice surprise and the rest of the matches were good enough to keep the show going. Turning Point still needs a lot of work, but they were focusing on the main event stuff here, as they should have.

Results
Mike Santana b. KC Navarro – Spin The Block
Rascalz b. Jake Crist/Alan Angels – Backbreaker/double stomp combination to Angels
Northern Armory b. Steve Maclin/Jonathan Gresham/Eric Young – C4 Spike to Gresham
Joe Hendry b. Ryan Nemeth – Standing Ovation
Rosemary b. Jada Stone – As Above So Below
Nic Nemeth b. Brian Myers – 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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Impact Wrestling
Date: August 29, 2024
Location: Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the show before Emergence and the pay per view card is looking rather good. Since the show is mostly set, this week could be in a weird place as I’m not sure what more they need to do for tomorrow’s card. Odds are we get the final push in a lot of ways this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

X-Division Title: Rich Swann vs. Mike Bailey

Bailey is defending and AJ Francis is on commentary. They fight over wrist control to start as we look at the Rascalz watching, which gives us an NXT No Mercy plug, which is still so strange to see. Swann gets sent to the floor for a running hurricanrana through the ropes but a Francis distraction lets Swann take him down. Back in and Swann takes the leg down with the dragon screw legwhip before grabbing a spinning toehold. That sounds like working on the leg, which is the call for Bailey to fight up with his series of kicks.

Bailey misses a standing moonsault and they both block kicks to the head before kicking each other down for a double breather. Swann sends him outside for a cutter on the floor, setting up a frog splash for two. Bailey kicks him down and hits the moonsault knees for two of his own, only for Trent Seven and Francis to get into it on the floor. The distraction lets Swann avoid the Ultimate Weapon, meaning a Lethal Injection gives Swann two. Bailey is right back up with a running Spanish Fly to retain at 9:30.

Rating: C+. Bailey continues to be one of the most frustrating wrestlers around. He obviously has natural talent and can do some impressive things, but again, what in the world is the point of a wrestler working on his leg if it just makes Bailey do more flips and kicks? It’s incredibly annoying and takes me out of his matches every single time.

Jordynne Grace doesn’t care what a Match By Elegance is because she’s going to win anyway.

Brian Myers vs. Joe Hendry

Eddie and Alisha Edwards are here with Myers. Before the match, Hendry references his “Edge’s B****” song about Myers, who the fans don’t believe in anyway. Myers jumps him to start but gets caught with a jumping knee, setting up a delayed suplex to give Hendry two. They go outside where Alisha’s interference is cut off, meaning both she and Eddie are tossed.

The distraction lets Myers ram Hendry into a few things though and we take a break. Back with Myers dropping and elbow and grabbing a chinlock. A kick to the face gives Myers two and we hit the double arm crank. That’s broken up and Hendry hits the fall away slam and the Standing Ovation finishes Myers off at 6:37.

Rating: C. This was the next step in Hendry working his way up through the System, likely to an eventual match with Moose. That being said, it wouldn’t shock me to see the team cost Hendry the NXT Title on Sunday at No Mercy. It would give him a more personal feud around here, though I’m not sure how much longer Hendry can be kept out of the World Title picture.

Post match Eddie runs back in for the beatdown but Mike Santana makes the save. And now let’s do this (as scheduled).

Mike Santana vs. Eddie Edwards

Santana starts fast and elbows him in the face before firing off right hands in the corner. A backdrop puts Eddie on the floor but cue Alisha Edwards for a distraction, allowing Eddie to send Santana into the apron. We take a break and come back with Santana hitting a flapjack for a needed breather. Santana’s frog splash gets two but Eddie’s tiger bomb gets the same. Back up and Santana spits at him but avoids the Boston Knee Party. Instead Santana is back up with a quick Spin The Block for the pin at 12:04.

Rating: B-. Santana continues his rise up throughout the System, though he seems most likely to have the big match with Moose, likely at Bound For Glory. That should make for a good showdown when we get there, though there are still some names for Santana to get through first. What matters is that the road has started, with Santana getting a lot out of it so far.

Matt Cardona says he isn’t cleared to face PCO at Emergence but he’ll have a mystery monster in his place. Santino Marella is not pleased.

Hammerstone vs. Eric Young

Steve Maclin is on commentary. Hammerstone wins an exchange of shoulders to start and fires off some shoulders to the ribs in the corner. Young is back up with a spinning middle rope crossbody but Hammerstone takes him to the floor for a whip into Maclin. Back in and Young scores with some right hands into the Death Valley Driver for two but Hammerstone’s powerslam gets the same.

A sitout powerbomb gives Hammerstone two more, only for Young to avoid a big boot and punch Hammerstone down. Young makes the mistake of going after Maclin though and gets kicked in the face, setting up the Nightmare Pendulum to give Hammerstone the pin at 6:39.

Rating: C. These two just aren’t that interesting together, though at least Hammerstone won here. Hammerstone continues to feel like an absolute beast who could be a big deal if he is given the chance, which isn’t what I would call feuding with Eric Young for so long. Young vs. Maclin is just kind of there as well, though this didn’t make me want to see them fight.

ABC vs. Cody Deaner/Jake Something

Non-title. Before the match Deaner does his usual talking to the people, but Something says this is about getting a place in the tag division. Something shoulders Austin into the corner to start and then powerbombs him into another corner for the tag off to Deaner. The armbar goes on to put Austin in early trouble but he’s easily off to Bey for the tag. House is quickly cleaned but Something knocks the heck out of Bey. A double clothesline puts ABC down until Something and Austin go to the apron. With Something being sent into the apron, the 1-2-Sweet can finish Deaner at 4:45.

Rating: C+. Sometimes you need to just give the champs a quick win over a middle of the road team to remind you that they can still beat just about anyone. Deaner and Something aren’t much of a team but at least they looked good in defeat here. ABC need a fresh team to challenge them so this was more about keeping them warm on the way there.

Post match First Class runs in to take out the ABC.

Ash By Elegance’s personal concierge is talking to Alisha Edwards and Masha Slamovich but we can’t hear what is being said.

We look at Rosemary going to NXT earlier this week.

Emergence rundown.

Knockouts Title: Ash By Elegance vs. Jordynne Grace

Grace is defending in a By Elegance match, meaning hardcore with themed (meaning pink) weapons. Elegance jumps her from behind to start and hits a bulldog onto a chair for an early two. Grace gets in a shot on top though and hits her with a trashcan, setting up a slam for two of her own. They head outside where Elegance gets in a pink trashcan lid shot before putting Grace in a chair for some shots to the face.

We take a break and come back with Grace pulling a high crossbody out of the air and planting Ash for two. Grace pours out a bag of diamonds but gets hit in the head with a champagne bottle for two more. The personal concierge loads up some shoes but cue Rosemary to chase him off. A package piledriver gives Ash two but here are Alisha Edwards and Masha Slamovich to go after Grace. Spitfire cuts them off though and it’s a MuscleBuster from the apron through a table to retain at 11:39.

Rating: C+. So that’s it for these two right? While it felt like Ash was ready to move up to the next level and possibly even win the title, there is only so much more she can do when she has lost both a regular match and her “signature” match to Grace. We’re going to need a new challenger for Grace and while there are a few options, including Gisele Shaw, no one is really standing out with about two months to go before Bound For Glory.

We get a sitdown interview between Nic Nemeth and Josh Alexander with Matthew Rehwoldt moderating. Alexander says everything is on his time now but Nemeth says he thrives on this kind of pressure. Sure Alexander is a great wrestler but Nemeth isn’t going to lose the title. Why is Alexander so great yet not so well known? Alexander wanted a shot and all he had to do was ask. Alexander insists he’s still the best and points out the records he has as champion.

Nemeth stands up and talks about how Alexander never changes but being champion is about what you have done lately. Nemeth says this is his match but Alexander says the next “lately” thing he’ll do is take the title That has them going face to face, with Nemeth saying Alexander used to be the best, which is why Nemeth is the champion. This got intense near the end, but going from a thirty minute draw to an Iron Man match feels like something of a leap.

Overall Rating: C+. The ending segment was the best thing on the show, but this only did so much to make me more interested in Emergence. That is always going to be a tricky thing to pull off when the show is already set, so this could have been worse, but it didn’t really change much. Emergence still has a lot of potential though and I was jazzed for the show coming in, meaning this was pretty much playing with the house’s money in the first place.

Results
Mike Bailey b. Rich Swann – Spanish Fly
Joe Hendry b. Brian Myers – Standing Ovation
Mike Santana b. Eddie Edwards – Spin The Block
Hammerstone b. Eric Young – Nightmare Pendulum
ABC b. Cody Deaner/Jake Something – 1-2-Sweet to Deaner

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