Impact Wrestling
Date: February 29, 2024
Location: Alario Center, Westwego, Louisiana
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re officially out of the Scott D’Amore era as the show he set up, No Surrender, has come and gone. That means we are on the way to Sacrifice and we should be in for a big showdown with Moose defending the World Title against Eric Young. Other than that, Mustafa Ali is the new X-Division Champion after beating Chris Sabin. The rest of the card will need to be built so let’s get to it.

Here is No Surrender if you need a recap.

In Memory of Ole Anderson and Mike Jones (Virgil).

No Surrender recap.

Opening sequence.

Mike Bailey vs. Steve Maclin

Trent Seven and the Rascalz are here too. Bailey firs off the bouncing kicks to start and they’re already on the floor for a strike off. Both of them have to dive back in to beat the count, where Maclin hits a clothesline to the floor. The Rascalz get in a chop block to put Bailey down and it’s Maclin working on the leg back inside. The spear in the corner only hits post though and Bailey kicks him in the face.

A springboard flip dive drops Maclin on the floor and shows you what Bailey thinks about selling a banged up leg. They strike it out on the apron until Bailey’s moonsault knees only hit said apron. Maclin spears him down to the floor and Mayhem For All gets two on Bailey. Seven offers a distraction of his own, allowing Bailey to fire off some kicks. The tornado kick is blocked though and Maclin hits a buckle bomb. Bailey shrugs that off and hits a poisonrana but misses the Ultimate Weapon. KIA gives Maclin the pin at 7:34.

Rating: C+. And that is the kind of Bailey match that drives me nuts. He had his leg worked on for a good bit and then started jumping around and doing all of his flips and kicks. It takes me out of the match every single time and that was certainly the case again here. The action was good but I didn’t enjoy it, with the blame being pretty firmly on Bailey.

Post match Maclin calls out Nic Nemeth, who pops up on screen to show off his new IWGP Global Title. The match is made for Sacrifice.

We look at Eric Young becoming #1 contender to the World Title by beating Frankie Kazarian at No Surrender. Then Kazarian beat the fire out of an official.

Earlier today, Frankie Kazarian was told he was suspended and couldn’t come in. This led to a threat to Santino Marella.

Laredo Kid vs. Jake Something

Something gets caught with an early headscissors to put him outside, where Kid’s dive is countered into a sitout powerbomb. Back in and Into The Void is blocked, allowing Kid to hit a missile dropkick. A running flipping DDT gives Kid one and a middle rope moonsault gets two. Back up and Into The Void plants Kid for the pin at 3:07.

Rating: C+. It was a fast paced match and Something continues to feel like someone who should be a big deal if he was given the chance. For some reason that doesn’t ever actually take place but it’s nice to have another tease. At the same time, Kid is one of the better hands around and he made Something look rather good here.

Alan Angels is late to this week’s Sound Check, with special guest Kon. There is extra security around here but Kon isn’t impressed by Angels trying to be his friend. Kon isn’t scared of PCO, who shows up to wreck Angels and glaring at Kon, who isn’t scared. They both pull back punches and the camera cuts.

AJ Francis/Deaner vs. Joe Hendry/Rich Swann

Before the match, Hendry talks about how this is Francis’ in-ring debut and he won’t want to flop. We want this to be a good start, so Hendry doesn’t want anyone to chant AJ SUCKS. He knows the fans want to chant WE BELIEVE though and we’re ready to go. Francis knocks Hendry off the apron to start and we take a break less than a minute in.

Back with Hendry coming in for a double elbow to Deaner, followed by some rhythmic chops. Deaner knocks him into the corner though and Francis comes in to plant him hard. Hendry manages to get Francis onto his shoulders but can’t hold him up, instead settling for a DDT. Everything breaks down and Swann takes out Francis, leaving Hendry to hit Deaner with the Standing Ovation for the pin at 9:21.

Rating: C. The break didn’t help things here but there is only so much you’re going to get out of a team with Deaner and Francis. The good thing is TNA isn’t treating Francis as anything serious and at least he is losing when he gets in the ring. Hendry still needs something better to do, but I’ll take he and Swann getting on the show.

Decay are in New Orleans to get the Knockouts Tag Team Titles back.

Hammerstone has officially signed with TNA. Cool.

Josh Alexander is ready for his rematch with Hammerstone at Sacrifice. Dirty Dango and company interrupt to plug his wrestling academy, so Alexander says he’ll get the match made.

Here are the Good Hands to introduce Mustafa Ali (while thinking we’re in Mississippi) for his X-Division Championship celebration. Ali says the people have accepted change and made the X-Division great again. Cue Chris Sabin to interrupt, with Ali giving him the floor. Sabin talks about how they are both champions and that’s where the similarities end.

To Sabin, change is about making things better but for Ali, change is about himself. Ali says the Good Hands are here to support change, but at No Surrender, no one supported Sabin. That’s fine with Sabin, who is here to fight. The brawl is on, with Kevin Knight and Kushida running in to even things out and clear the ring.

Here is Ash By Elegance with a huge announcement: next week she is having her SECOND MATCH! You’re welcome.

Mustafa Ali is livid about what happened and promises consequences.

Tasha Steelz vs. Xia Brookside

For a Knockouts Title shot at Sacrifice. Steelz takes her into the corner to start as Jordynne Grace is watching from the back. A headbutt puts Brookside down for two and Steelz stomps down in the corner. The chinlock goes on as they’re not wasting time here. Brookside fights up and makes the clothesline comeback, including Broken Wings in the corner. The Brooksie Bomb is blocked though, with Brookside settling with sending her outside. A running neckbreaker hits Steelz on the floor but they brawl for the double countout at 5:18.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to go very far and odds are the ending sets up the triple threat at Sacrifice. The problem here was they billed it as a rubber match which is true, but it’s only so interesting when I don’t think the three matches added up to twenty minutes. That doesn’t make for the most interesting series and we didn’t even have a winner. Not exactly inspiring stuff.

Post match Grace comes out to say she’ll fight them both at Sacrifice.

Rhino promises to Gore Gore Gore Crazzy Steve.

Sacrifice rundown.

ABC/Eric Young vs. The System

Moose bails from Young to start so Young bites Myers’ arm. ABC comes in for a double armdrag for two on Myers, followed by Bey armdragging Edwards into an armbar. Edwards gets stuck in the corner for a series of running elbows to the face and a near fall but he manages to drop Bey. Now Moose is willing to come in and the villains start taking turns on Bey. Back up and Bey flips out of a suplex, allowing Austin to come back in for a dropkick. Moose cuts Austin off on the apron though and we take a break.

We come back with Moose coming in to stomp away before knocking the System off the apron. Austin gets over for the tag to Bey but the referee doesn’t see it (always works) so the beating continues. A front facelock doesn’t last long for Myers so Austin kicks him in the face, allowing the tag off to Young.

Everything breaks down and Bey gets to kick Moose out to the floor. Bey’s big running flip dive is pulled out of the air for a powerbomb but Young is right there with the suicide dive. Back in and ABC kick away at Moose, with the 1-2-Sweet connecting and Edwards making the save. Austin kicks Myers to the floor but Moose cuts him off. The Backpack Stunner hits Bey and Myers’ top rope elbow connects to finish Bey at 17:13.

Rating: B. This was a good example of having two feuds put together at once, assuming Myers/Edwards get the Tag Team Title shot at Sacrifice. That’s the kind of match that makes sense and does a lot of good, especially with such a quick turnaround between the big shows. The action worked well here too and they can still do more to set up Young vs. Moose next week.

Overall Rating: B-. They were walking quite the fine line here as they had this and one more show to set up Sacrifice. The show isn’t quite a sequel to No Surrender but it’s the next step in a lot of things. That didn’t leave them much time to get things ready, but thankfully a lot of the setup was already done. That left us with a pretty good show, with the main event as the highlight, as it often is. If you can get Bailey to sell his injuries a bit more, the show could be that much better, but this did what was needed.

Results
Steve Maclin b. Mike Bailey – KIA
Jake Something b. Laredo Kid – Into The Void
Joe Hendry/Rich Swann b. AJ Francis/Deaner – Standing Ovation to Deaner
Tasha Steelz vs. Xia Brookside went to a double countout
The System b. Eric Young/ABC – Top rope elbow to Young

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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Impact Wrestling
Date: February 22, 2024
Location: Osceola Heritage Center, Kissimmee, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the go home show for tomorrow’s No Surrender and as usual, the card is mostly set. There are still some matches and stories that could use an extra boost though and that is likely to be the focus this week. This is also the last TV show under the command of Scott D’Amore, so get ready to say goodbye to an era. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Chris Sabin vs. Jason Hotch

John Skyler is here with Hotch, who gets taken down to start and claims a hair pull. Sabin snaps him down with an armdrag before grabbing a middle rope sunset flip for two. A Russian legsweep into another cradle gets two and Hotch needs a breather on the apron. That lets him snap Sabin’s throat across the top rope but a chop hits post to give Sabin a breather. Back in and Hotch gets in a knee to the back of the neck for two as we slow down a bit.

Hotch uses the bad arm to chop some more, which really doesn’t seem to be the best idea. A rolling neckbreaker (ala Mustafa Ali) gives Hotch two more and we hit the neck crank. Sabin armdrags his way to freedom and hits a leg lariat, followed by a middle rope tornado DDT for another near fall. Cradle Shock is broken up though and Hotch grabs Rolling Chaos Theory for two of his own. They trade rollups for two each until Sabin is tossed outside. Hotch’s dive hits Skyler though and Sabin scores with a missile dropkick back inside. Cradle Shock finishes Hotch at 9:37.

Rating: B-. The Good Hands moniker does really suit Hotch and Skyler as they can be put in the ring with anyone and get at least something decent. It helps when you have Sabin on the other side, as he can do just about anything out there. Good opener here and a nice boost for Sabin before his title defense at No Surrender.

Mustafa Ali talks about how Chris Sabin has led the X-Division into an uncertain time and now it is time for new leadership. He approves this message.

The System is ready for tonight’s six man tag. Moose is ready for his No DQ match against Alex Shelley, but Santino Marella comes in to say both the System and Shelley’s friends are banned from ringside. Moose isn’t pleased.

Chris Sabin is ready for Mustafa Ali.

Simon Gotch vs. Jack Price

Josh Alexander comes out for commentary. Gotch easily takes Price down to start and the beating heads to the floor without much effort. Back in and Gotch hits some shots to the neck setting up a middle rope DDT and a Gotch Style piledriver. Gotch chokes him out for the win at 2:24.

Post match Gotch won’t let go so Alexander comes in for the staredown, though they’re not allowed to touch each other tonight.

The Grizzled Young Veterans want the Tag Team Titles because they are the best team in the world. The ABC has never been in water this deep and at No Surrender, they are going even deeper.

Video on PCO vs. Kon.

Steve Maclin vs. Trent Seven

The Rascalz are here with Maclin and Mike Bailey is here with Seven. They start fast with Seven hitting a crossbody into a legdrop for two before chopping away in the corner. Maclin clotheslines his way out of trouble and stomps Seven down with some rather basic (yet effective) offense. A hard right hand puts Seven down and we take a break.

Back with Seven firing off some chops in the corner but getting dropped with another clothesline. Maclin grabs a backbreaker and goes up, where Seven catches him with a superplex to put them both down. Seven grabs a DDT and clothesline Maclin outside, where Bailey has to take out the Rascalz. A top rope dive takes out everyone but Bailey and the Seven Star Lariat gets two back inside. Seven clubs away at the back and loads up what looks to be an abdominal stretch, only to have the people outside get into it again. Maclin knees Seven down and hits the KIA for the pin at 14:26.

Rating: C+. Good stuff here as Maclin gets a hard fought win on his way to a likely showdown with Nic Nemeth in the near future. Seven is another one in the good hands category as he is known enough to be a threat while not being likely to win any big matches. This was a nice match and boosted Maclin up, which he could use after a not so great last few months.

Gisele Shaw is ready to win the Knockouts Title but here is Gail Kim to interrupt. Kim likes that Shaw got rid of her friends but thinks Shaw could have done it with some more dignity. Shaw blows her off.

Mike Bailey and Trent Seven are ready for the Rascalz at No Surrender.

Eric Young vs. Frankie Kazarian

Well maybe not as Kazarian is here in street clothes with a chair. He’s not going to let Young call the shots here and brings out a ghost from Young’s past.

Eric Young vs. Big Damo

Damo was better known as Killian Dain in WWE as part of Sanity with Young. They start fast with Damo running him over and hitting a slingshot hilo for two. We’re already in the chinlock as Kazarian is watching from the stage. Damo grabs something like a seated abdominal stretch before missing a charge into the corner. The Death Valley Driver gives Young two, followed by a superplex to put Damo down. Young grabs the piledriver for the pin at 4:44.

Rating: C. This felt like your standard “you have to beat this guy to get to me” match and as usual, it worked well. Young vs. Kazarian has been a good choice for the veterans feud and the likely No Surrender match should be a nice addition to the card. This was a fine enough setup as TNA does their usual simple yet effective build.

Post match Young issues the challenge for No Surrender.

Tasha Steelz is down for a rubber match with Xia Brookside. As tends to be the case with these things, it’s not like the first two matches were that memorable in the first place.

Jody Threat and Dani Luna want the next Knockouts Tag Team Title shot.

Ash By Elegance vs. Savannah Thorne

Ash’s handler does the big intro and has Thorne go outside. Ash offers a hand to kiss and then blasts Thorne with a clothesline. Choking on the ropes, with trash talk, ensues and a handstand splash hits Thorne as well. Thorne dares to throw a right hand and gets choked in the corner, setting up Rarefied Air (Swanton) to give Ash the pin at 2:32. Ash was the “I’m beautiful and better than you” villain here, complete with some nice gymnastics. I’m not sure how far that will take her, but it’s better than the generic stuff she did as Dana Brooke.

Post break, Ash By Elegance has left the building. I hope she got in a shower first.

System vs. Kushida/Alex Shelley/Kevin Knight

Alisha Edwards is here with the System. Moose backs Shelley into the corner to start but Shelley grabs the arm to escape. Knight comes in to work on Eddie’s arm and all three good guys get in a crank of their own. A crossbody into a backsplash keeps Eddie down and Knight adds a regular splash for two. It’s back to Moose, who knocks Kushida out to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Kushida avoiding a charge to send Eddie and Myers outside but they cut off a tag attempt. Alisha gets in some choking before Moose misses a charge in the corner. Kushida knocks him down and brings Shelley back in to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and Shelley gets Myers and Eddie in a hold at the same time, with Moose having to make the save.

Myers gets caught in a neckbreaker/moonsault combination for two with Moose making another save. Knight hurricanranas Moose off the top for one and then sends him outside. Another hurricanrana drops Moose on the floor and the step up dive puts the System down as the fans are rather pleased. Back in and Knight’s Code Red gets two on Moose and something like the Dream Sequence hits Myers. Alisha offers a distraction though and Moose spears Knight for the pin at 17:51.

Rating: B. Fast paced, action packed main event here with Knight getting quite the showcase. He feels like someone who could turn into a star if he is given the chance and that was on display here. What mattered was Moose getting to look strong before going into the title match, though he’s going to have to do it on his own at No Surrender. Heck of a fun match here and a good main event.

Post match the beatdown is on but Shelley pulls Moose into the Border City Stretch with the rest of the System making the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was the Impact that I’ve enjoyed for a long time now, as they had good matches combined with building things up for the important show. No Surrender is looking like a strong card and they did a lot of work for it here. I’m scared to know what the future holds around here, but at least they are ending their current era on a hot streak.

Results
Chris Sabin b. Jason Hotch – Cradle Shock
Simon Gotch b. Jack Price – Choke
Steve Maclin b. Trent Seven – KIA
Eric Young b. Big Damo – Piledriver
Ash By Elegance b. Savannah Thorne – Rarefied Air
System b. Kushida/Alex Shelley/Kevin Knight – Spear to Knight

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

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

No Surrender 2024
Date: February 23, 2024
Location: Alario Center, Westwego, Louisiana
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

It’s a special event her and the last which will have been set up under Scott D’Amore’s watch. That means we should be in for a good night, with a main event of Moose defending the World Title against Alex Shelley in a No Surrender match. In addition, Mustafa Ali is making his in-ring debut to challenge Chris Sabin for the X-Division Title. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Trent Seven/Mike Bailey vs. Rascalz

They don’t waste time in getting started as everyone goes out to the floor with Seven and Bailey taking over. The stereo dives take the Rascalz down again as commentary runs down the pay per view card. We settle down to Wentz going after Bailey’s leg inside and it’s Miguel coming in for some alternating kicks to the chest. A double stomp to the back gives Wentz two but Bailey is able to get over to Seven. House is quickly cleaned, with Miguel being suplexed onto Wentz, followed by a spinning slam for two.

Wentz breaks up a superplex attempt but Bailey breaks up the breakup, meaning the superplex can go through. A picture perfect shooting star press gives Bailey two, followed by the Seven Star Lariat for the same. The Rascalz are back up with the top rope stomp into a backbreaker for two but Seven makes the save. Bailey kicks Miguel down but it bangs up his knee, allowing Steve Maclin to come in with a chop block. A kneebar makes Bailey tap at 8:31.

Rating: C+. Perfectly nice opener here with Bailey and Seven becoming something more than a makeshift team but not being good enough to take out a longtime established team like the Rascalz. The knee work, including Maclin’s interference, was a story throughout and that’s always nice to see. Throw in that gorgeous shooting star press and this was a good start to the night.

Pre-Show: System vs. Kushida/Kevin Knight

It’s a brawl to start with the villains being cleared out with dropkicks. Myers gets in a shot on Knight though and hands it off to Edwards, who is quickly armbarred for his efforts. Kushida comes in and gets taken out to the floor to start the beating. Back in and we hit the chinlock from Myers, followed by one from Eddie to continue the villains’ balanced offense.

Edwards lets go to drop Knight, meaning there is no one for an escaping Kushida to tag. The tag goes through a few seconds later though and Knight dives in to pick up the pace. A middle rope hurricanrana gets two on Myers as everything breaks down. Myers hits the implant DDT but Knight is back up to clean house. The backpack Stunner into a top rope elbow gets two on Knight but Kushida comes back in. Kushida takes the Roster Cut for Knight, leaving the Boston Knee Party to finish Knight at 8:47.

Rating: C+. This isn’t the best start to the night for the heroes and hopefully it gets better for them. They had another nice match here, with Knight being a crazy high flier who can make those things look so effortless. Kushida can work well with anyone and that makes for a good combination to give the System a boost. The team just kind of showed up one day so they need to do something like this to establish themselves.

The opening video talks about the importance of tonight and how the roster can overcome anything.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Eric Young

For the World Title shot at Sacrifice. The bell rings but we pause because Kazarian wants to be acknowledged as the King Of TNA. They go with the grappling to start, with Kazarian grabbing a front facelock. Back up and Young elbows him in the face before a double clothesline lets them go nose to nose. Kazarian is back with a shot to the face and a running Russian legsweep of all things for two.

A suplex sets up a slam but Kazarian misses the springboard spinning legdrop. Young hits some clotheslines into a Death Valley Driver for two but Kazarian catches him up top. The Flux Capacitor is blocked so Young drops the top rope elbow for two more and they need a breather. Kazarian hits his Fameasser over the ropes but it’s still too early for the chickenwing. A nice cutter gives Kazarian two and a Backstabber into Fade To Black gets two more. Kazarian goes to yell at the referee…and gets crucifixed for the pin at 9:28.

Rating: B-. I was surprised this was the opener as the #1 contenders match between two long established veterans isn’t what I would have expected to start the show. That being said, Young getting a title match is a fine way to go as he is a former multiple time World Champion, meaning there is always the chance that he could pull off an upset. At the same time though, the match was only so good as it was mainly Kazarian beating Young up until Young got a fluke rollup. That’s not great, but at least the match felt important.

Post match Kazarian yells at the referee and beats the fire out of him, with no one approving.

We run down the card, in case you forgot what you’re watching.

The Grizzled Young Veterans promise to beat ABC to win the Tag Team Titles.

Tag Team Titles; Grizzled Young Veterans vs. ABC

ABC is defending in the third match of a best of three series. Gibson and Austin start things off and we get a nice staredown. They go with the grappling until Austin gets him into the corner for some stomping. Everything quickly breaks down and ABC hits their rapid fire double kicks and Click Click Boom gets two. We settle down to Bey getting dropped onto the top, allowing Gibson to catapult him throat first into the rope.

Drake adds a top rope ax handle to the back as the pace stays slow early on. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Gibson comes in for a distraction, allowing Drake to choke away with the scarf. Gibson comes in for some trash talk and his own chinlock but Bey fights up for the hot tag. Austin gets to come in and clean house, including a heck of a big dive to the floor. Everything breaks down and the Veterans get stereo holds until Bey backflips into one of his own.

The Veterans are right back with a diving Doomsday Device to drop Austin. Bey tells the Veterans to bring it and hits a brainbuster on Gibson but the Art of Finesse is broken up. The Veterans quickly take over and it’s a hanging DDT in the corner, with Drake diving in with a missile dropkick to break everything up. Austin shoves Drake off the top though and chokes Gibson with the scarf for a bonus. A double Art Of Finesse sets up the Fold for the 1-2-Sweet to finish Drake and retain at 17:38.

Rating: B. I’ve liked this series since it started and this was another good reason why. These guys had a heck of a match and they continue to work well together. They had a match that could have gone either way and that is always going to make things more interesting. ABC retaining the titles means they are going to need new challengers and it wouldn’t surprise me to see it being the System. Then you have the Veterans, who could go in a few ways from here, which means it should be interesting to see where they go.

We look back at Steve Maclin costing Trent Seven and Mike Bailey a match on the pre-show.

Maclin and the Rascalz are happy with the win and say Nic Nemeth is done. Cue Bailey and Seven to yell at them a lot.

Kon vs. PCO

The fight starts in the aisle with PCO getting the better of things as the bell rings. Kon knocks PCO down but PCO is right back up to knock him to the floor. The big flip dive is knocked away though and PCO is sent into various things. PCO gets in a shot of his own back inside but a Cactus Clothesline leaves them back on the floor. The Deanimator misses though as PCO crashes down onto the apron. Kon grabs a chair and blasts him for the DQ at 4:00.

Rating: C. They didn’t waste time here and that is the right way to go. With a match that is designed to be little more than two monsters hitting each other over and over, there is no need to have it go long. Let them do their thing and set up something for later, as Kon’s unlikely push continues.

Post match Kon stays on him with chair shots before wrenching PCO’s neck on the stage.

We recap MK Ultra challenging Decay for the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Decay won the belts at Hart To Kill in an impromptu match and now we have something more scheduled.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Decay vs. MK Ultra

MK Ultra is challenging and the fight starts fast with Havok taking over on Slamovich in the corner. Some splashes set up an exploder suplex to give Rosemary two but some biting gets Slamovich out of trouble. Kelly comes in to hammer on Rosemary before slamming Slamovich onto her. Rosemary clotheslines her way to freedom and crawls onto Kelly, who shoves her back and screams in her face for a change.

They slug it out until Slamovich makes a save and a high/low puts Rosemary down. The kick to the chest gives Slamovich two but the Snow Plow is countered into something close to an Edge-O-Matic. Havok comes in to clean house, including a hip attack on both challengers. A Death Valley Driver gives Havok two and the chokebomb/hair slam connects. Slamovich makes the save and gets the tag though, allowing her to cut off Rosemary’s spear. Now the Snow Plow can connect to get the titles back at 7:21.

Rating: C+. It’s nice to have a title change to make an event seem important, even if it’s the least important title on the show. They’re at least setting something up with some more regular teams fighting over the belts though, with Dani Luna and Jody Threat making the save. Not a great match or anything, but the title change was a welcome addition.

Post match MK Ultra goes for the beating but Dani Luna and Jody Threat make the save.

The System gives Moose a pep talk before the main event. Moose seems ready.

We recap Josh Alexander vs. Simon Gotch. Alexander was on a roll when Gotch jumped the barricade and took him out. Gotch wanted revenge for Alexander getting a run to the top while Gotch was forgotten.

Simon Gotch vs. Josh Alexander

Gotch takes him to the mat to start before working away on the arm. Alexander reverses into a headlock takeover but Gotch rolls out of a headscissors. That doesn’t last long as Alexander pulls him right back into the chinlock. The threat of an ankle lock sends Gotch straight over to the ropes and it’s time to strike it out. Gotch gets the better of things and takes Alexander outside to drop him again.

Back in and Alexander manages to roll some German suplexes to really rock Gotch. A grab of the ropes gets Gotch a breather though and he kicks Alexander in the head. Gotch drops a backsplash but does not like Alexander rolling him up for two. They trade some rather hard shots until Alexander scores with a middle rope dropkick.

The slugout heads to the apron, where Alexander drops him with a big boot, only to have Gotch kick him in the leg. Gotch misses another backsplash and gets caught with the running crossbody to the back to leave them both on the floor. Both of them have to dive back in to beat the count and the slugout is on again. Alexander gets the better of things with time, including a running big boot.

An exploder suplex gives Alexander two but he can’t get the C4 Spike. Gotch tries to pull him into the bulldog choke and goes creative by using the headgear to get it locked in. That’s reversed into the ankle lock with Gotch needing some time before he rolls through. Alexander hits a backbreaker though and the C4 Spike finishes Gotch at 16:41.

Rating: B. Alexander continues to be one of those dependable hands that feels like a big deal and doesn’t need the title. He held the thing for so long that another reign is pretty unnecessary given his past success. Gotch did well here, even if it is going to be rather difficult to take him seriously given his previous style in WWE.

AJ Francis says even though he and Rich Swann are fighting on Impact, they can work together before then.

We recap Moose defending the World Title against Alex Shelley. Moose won the title at Hard To Kill but hasn’t been done with Shelley. This is the rematch and can only end when your corner man throws in the towel.

TNA World Title: Moose vs. Alex Shelley

Shelley (with Kushida/Kevin Knight) is challenging Moose (Eddie Edwards/Brian Myers) and you can only win when one of your seconds throws in the designated towel. It’s also No DQ, but interference from a corner man will end the match. Shelley goes right after him to start and the brawl starts fast with Shelley working on the arm. The Fujiwara armbar goes on but Moose manages to block a cross armbreaker.

They head outside where Moose hits a big boot and an apron powerbomb and Shelley is in trouble. He’s good enough to slip off of Moose’s shoulders though and a chop block takes Moose down. Shelley posts the shoulder for a bonus before tying Moose’s fingers in the turnbuckle. That’s not enough either though as Shelley whips out a wrench and REALLY cranks on the fingers.

Moose slips out and ties Shelley’s hand in the buckle instead, setting up some rather hard chair shots. Back in and Shelley grabs a dragon screw legwhip over the ropes before doing it again for a bonus. It’s time for some kendo stick shots to Moose’s bad leg and we hit the half crab, complete with said stick. Edwards pulls the stick out (doesn’t count as direct contact) and Moose manages a release Rock Bottom.

It’s time for a trashcan to keep Shelley down, but let’s put in a table as well. The System throws in some brass knuckles but Moose throws them away….and misses a spear through the table. Shelley whips out a chain and uses it for the Border City Stretch. Alisha Edwards offers a distraction to break it up though and Moose scores with a spear. Shelley is barely up so Moose wraps the chain around his shoulder and hits another spear. Kushida is ready to throw in the towel to save Shelley, who says don’t do it. Moose teases another spear with the chain and Kushida throws in the towel for Shelley’s protection at 20:01.

Rating: B. Good stuff here with Moose getting his second win over Shelley, who already had a big title reign. The stipulation was a good way to protect Shelley and he might not be happy with Kushida for throwing in the towel. I’m a bit surprised this wasn’t higher on the card but TNA doesn’t always follow the norm with this kind of thing. Hard hitting, violent match here and it was a nice change of pace with a unique stipulation.

Post match Moose spears him instead.

We recap Gisele Shaw challenging Jordynne Grace for the Knockouts Title. Shaw is cashing in her Ultimate X win and is fighting without her friends because it’s time for her to win. Grace is on a roll though and Shaw has had trouble winning the big one.

Ash By Elegance, with a full entrance, comes out to watch from ringside.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Gisele Shaw

Shaw is challenging and runs away to start but Grace catches up with her for a hard toss. They get inside, where Shaw pulls the referee into the corner to prevent a splash and then starts in on Grace. Shaw gets caught in the corner though and some slams have her in trouble. Some shots to the face keep Grace staggered and they fight out to the apron. A powerbomb to the floor is countered though and Grace hits a backsplash on the apron for a big crash.

The Juggernaut Driver off the apron is blocked though and Shaw grabs a Spanish Fly onto the floor to leave them both laying. They barely beat the count back inside, where Grace reverses a running knee into a spinebuster for two. Back up and now Shawn’s knee can connect, with Grace having to grab a rope to escape. They trade rollups for two each until Grace slugs away and hits the Juggernaut Driver to retain at 10:34.

Rating: B-. I was thinking they were going to change the title here as Shaw needs to win something at some point. At the same time, Grace has already been such a dominant champion with that Royal Rumble appearance making her that much bigger. Then again that might make TNA want to keep the title on her, which does make sense. The match could have been better with some more time though and that made them rush a big as a result.

Post match Ash storms off.

We recap Mustafa Ali challenging Chris Sabin for the X-Division Title. Ali has been teasing taking the division in a new direction and Sabin is not taking it well.

X-Division Title: Chris Sabin vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali, with security, is challenging and they take their time to start. A test of strength goes to Ali, who uses his feet to take him down but Sabin rolls into a stalemate. Ali’s running shoulder doesn’t work and stereo dropkicks give us another standoff. Sabin seems frustrated that he can’t figure Ali out so he grabs a headlock takeover.

With that broken up, Sabin pulls him into a surfboard but Ali flips out of that as well, this time kicking some dirt onto Sabin. That’s not cool with the champ, who hammers away at Ali’s jaw and takes him to the apron. There’s the running headscissors to take Ali down again and we hit the chinlock. The fans are behind Ali, who jawbreaks his way to freedom. Ali goes up top and hits a 450 onto the arm to put Sabin in real trouble.

An STF and Border City Stretch stay on the arm and Ali cranks back on both. Sabin back and gets in a kick to the head, only to have Ali hit a similar kick and leave them both down. Sabin goes up top and, after shoving Ali down, hits a middle rope DDT for two and they both need a breather. Ali tries a crucifix but gets pulled into a crossface for his forts. The rope is finally grabbed but Sabin isn’t letting go immediately.

Sabin’s springboard is broken up and he falls outside, where Ali sends him back inside. The 450 misses but Ali takes a NASTY whip into the buckle and they’re both down. Back up and Sabin sends him to the floor, where the high crossbody hits the security instead. Sabin grabs Cradle Shock for two and the kickout has him stunned. A basement superkick lets Sabin take him up top but a super Cradle Shock is blocked. Instead Ali hits a sunset flip bomb into the 450 for the pin and the title at 20:28.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was really good and they nailed the big moment at the end. Ali has been built up as a huge deal and now he has FINALLY won something to make it feel validated. It helps that he beat the best X-Division Champion ever and the fans were behind Ali for most of the match. Rather awesome main event here with a feel good moment to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This started off a little weak and then got way better as it went along, with the main event being a highlight as Ali gets the clean title win. Nothing on here was bad, save for maybe PCO vs. Kon, which felt like it was there to set up something down the line. TNA is doing rather well with these In Your House style shows and this was no exception, though now we have to see what the new regime brings.

Results
Rascalz b. Trent Seven/Mike Bailey – Kneebar to Bailey
System b. Kevin Knight/Kushida – Boston Knee Party to Knight
Eric Young b. Frankie Kazarian – Crucifix
ABC b. Grizzled Young Veterans – 1-2-Sweet to Drake
PCO b. Kon via DQ when Kon used a chair
MK Ultra b. Decay – Snow Plow to Rosemary
Josh Alexander b. Simon Gotch – C4 Spike
Moose b. Alex Shelley when Kushida threw in the towel
Jordynne Grace b. Gisele Shaw – Juggernaut Driver
Mustafa Ali b. Chris Sabin – 450

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: February 15, 2024
Location: Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, Florida
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We have just over a week to go before No Surrender and the card seems to be all set up. In this case that means we should be focusing on building towards everything that is already set up. There are still some spots that could be filled on the No Surrender card though so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Jake Something

Kazarian strikes away to start but Something hits a jumping body block to send Kazarian outside. Back in and a running clothesline puts Kazarian right back on the floor but he’s able to snap the throat across the top rope. A neckbreaker gets two on Something and Kazarian feels the need to slap him in the face a few times. The chickenwing is blocked with a ram in the corner though and something hits a heck of a running forearm.

Something’s powerbomb is countered with a shot to the face so he grabs a Michinoku Driver for two. Kazarian blocks Into the Void and grabs a slingshot DDT for a rather near fall. Back up and Something’s charge hits post as we see Eric Young watching. Something blocks the super Flux Capacitor but Kazarian pulls him off the ropes with a crash. A rollup while grabbing the rope finishes for Kazarian at 9:16.

Rating: C+. Kazarian is on the rise around here and is becoming one of the bigger heels in the company. The big showdown with Eric Young (based on their team which lasted….maybe a week) is on the horizon and that should make for a good match at Rebellion. As for Something, he still feels like someone who could have a nice breakout run, but he has to win a few big matches to get there.

Post break Young wants Kazarian to meet him in the ring to settle this like men.

Jordynne Grace vs. Savannah Evans

Non-title. Evans drives her straight into the corner to start and snaps off a suplex as Grace can’t get anything going to start. A running shoulder connects for Evans but a second hits Grace’s raised boot. The running Vader Bomb gives Grace one but the MuscleBuster finishes for Grace at 2:38.

Post match Gisele Shaw runs in with the big red X to the face, followed by a running knee to leave Grace laying.

Ash By Elegance’s handler gets rid of Gia Miller and introduces Ash, who says she’ll be making her in-ring debut next week. The handler is pleased but the returning Gia isn’t sure what to think.

It’s time for Alan Angels’ Sound Check with Simon Gotch, who debuted last week to attack Josh Alexander. Gotch talks about Alexander’s path to TNA but now it’s not the same Alexander. Gotch says he helped bring Alexander here but his name is edited out. We see a clip of Alexander beating Gotch (then known as Simon Grimm), though now Gotch is back from the dead. Alexander storms in but they’re kept apart.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. ABC

This is both a title match and a non-title match, as it’s the second match in a best of three series. If the Veterans win, they are the new champions but if ABC wins, we go to a third match. Bey and Gibson get things going with Bey dodging a bit before hitting a Thesz press with right hands. Austin (with his injured shoulder) comes in for some rapid fire stomping in the corner before it’s back to Bey to hammer on Drake.

We go back to Austin, who gets caught in the wrong corner for a running dropkick to the back arm to put the Veterans in control. Back from a break with an assisted shoulder breaker getting two on Austin as the Veterans have a target. Austin manages to duck a clothesline though and the hot tag brings Bey back in.

Bey cleans house, including a dive to Gibson and a double kick to his head. The bad arm gives out before the 1-2-Sweet though and it’s a Doomsday Device for two on Bey, leading to much frustration. Bey manages a kick off the ropes and the one armed Austin comes in to start the comeback. Drake gets smart by going after the bad arm but Bey breaks up grit Your Teeth. That leaves Austin to roll Drake up for the pin to tie the series at 13:44.

Rating: B. Like I said when the series started, there was almost no way that this wasn’t going to work. You have two talented teams and they have shown more than enough chemistry together to put on a heck of a series. The first two matches have been good but the third has the potential to be a classic, especially if the champs are fighting from beneath due to the bad arm.

Dirty Dango mocks the idea of star ratings or PWI rankings being important and says they’re looking for tag teams to beat up.

Mustafa Ali talks about how the X-Division has been going through a bunch of changes. Does it have the right leadership to work though? Ali approves this message.

The Good Hands seem to offer Ali (not here) their services when Chris Sabin comes in and loses it a bit.

Digital Media Title: Crazzy Steve vs. Rhino

Steve is defending and Rhino runs him over hard to start. They go outside so Rhino can get an early table but Steve slides it back under the ring. Rhino drops him back first onto the apron and adds a suplex on the ramp as commentary points out the lack of a DQ. Back in and Steve tries to bring in the title but gets it taken away, allowing Rhino to hit a clothesline for two. The Gore is loaded up but Steve knees him in the face. Steve pulls out the fork for a distraction, allowing him to get in a belt shot for the pin to retain at 4:41.

Rating: C-. They got in there, they did some stuff, Steve cheated to win. This isn’t quite the same monster that Steve had been before but I’ll take him adding another win. Steve could do this for a good while and someone getting to take the title from him should be a good moment. That wasn’t going to be Rhino, though beating him means a bit for Steve.

PCO wants Kon.

Deaner vs. Joe Hendry

Hold on though as AJ Francis interrupts with a rap about Hendry and dubs himself TNA J Francis. Hendry says this has him off guard because he usually does this to people. And never mind as he has a new music video for Francis, talking about how Francis can’t dive and set to AJ Styles’ Get Ready To Fly in a brilliant addition. Deaner jumps Hendry and Francis comes in for the chokeslam. Rich Swann makes the save and there’s no match.

We look at Steve Maclin attacking Nick Nemeth in Puerto Rico.

Maclin and the Rascalz are happy with what happened but Mike Bailey and Trent Seven interrupt. Trent vs. Maclin is set for next week.

Killer Kelly vs. Dani Luna

Masha Slamovich and Jody Threat are here too. Kelly takes Luna down to start and hits a running kick to the chest, followed by some trapping headbutts. The Angel’s Wings are blocked though and Luna runs Kelly over. Slamovich tries to cheat but Threat cuts her off, allowing Luna to grab the rollup pin at 2:47.

Post match the brawl is on until Decay comes in to stare at everyone.

No Surrender rundown.

Moose vs. Kushida

Non-title and everyone is banned from ringside. Moose starts fast by powering him into the corner but a low bridge sends Moose outside. The slingshot dive is pulled out of the air though and Kushida is dropped onto the apron as we take a break. Back with Moose hitting a dropkick and they head outside, where Kushida gets slammed on the floor.

The apron bomb is broken up and Kushida grabs the cross armbreaker on the apron. With that broken up, Kushida’s moonsault press gets two back inside. The Hoverboard Lock sends Moose bailing to the ropes so Kushida goes with a Code Red for two. Kushida loads up the handspring elbow but walks into a spear to give Moose the pin at 9:51.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have time here but it’s another case where you know these two are going to have a solid match based on the talent alone. That was the case here, as Moose is feeling it as the athletic monster and Kushida is…well Kushida, meaning he is going to work well with anyone. Good main event here and I could go for a longer version.

Post match the System comes in to beat Kushida down until Alex Shelley and Kevin Knight run in for the big brawl. The System is cleared out to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. As you might have expected, they didn’t cover a bunch of new stuff here, save for maybe the second match of the series. As you also might have expected, they made the whole thing work with the show being rather efficient throughout. I kind of want to see No Surrender, but I’m almost scared to see what happens with Scott D’Amore gone soon.

Results
Frankie Kazarian b. Jake Something – Rollup while grabbing the rope
Jordynne Grace b. Savannah Evans – MuscleBuster
ABC b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Rollup to Drake
Crazzy Steve b. Rhino – Belt shot
Dani Luna b. Killer Kelly – Rollup
Moose b. Kushida – Spear

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: January 18, 2024
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s a regular show for the first time in a good while and in this case that means it’s the first weekly show back under the TNA name. We have some new champions, with Moose as the new World Champion and Jordynne Grace as the new Knockouts Champion. That should be more than enough to carry things for a few weeks, but we also have Josh Alexander vs. Will Ospreay II. Let’s get to it.

Here is Hard To Kill if you need a recap.

We open with a long Hard To Kill recap, capped off by the debut of Nic Nemeth.

Kushida vs. Jake Something vs. Trey Miguel vs. Laredo Kid vs. Mike Bailey vs. El Hijo del Vikingo

One fall to a finish. Kushida gets the idea of a bunch of people going after Something but Miguel gets tossed instead. Triple dives take down the villains on the floor before Miguel hits the Lightning Spiral on Kushida. Something is back in to shrug off chops from Vikingo, who is powerbombed over the top onto a bunch of people. Kushida cartwheels into a basement dropkick to Miguel but Vikingo is back in to break up the Hoverboard Lock. Not that it matters as Something comes back in with Into The Void to finish Kid at 5:34.

Rating: C+. This would have been better off as a four way or a triple threat for the sake of giving the match some more space to breathe. They were going for the idea of “total nonstop action” here and that’s a fun way to start. It’s something Impact had been doing for months now and it worked here too. Something continues to look and feel like a force, but having him win something that matters would be nice.

Will Ospreay is ready to beat Josh Alexander again and talks about how TNA made him a wrestler. This was a talk into the camera promo and Ospreay had some fire.

Video on Ash By Elegance, which looks like a perfume commercial.

We look at Gisele Shaw winning Ultimate X at Hard To Kill.

Shaw did what she said she would do and now Jordynne Grace needs to keep her eyes open. Gail Kim comes in to say this is what Shaw can do on her own, but Shaw walks away.

Tasha Steelz vs. Xia Brookside

Brookside rolls out of a wristlock to start and snaps off a hurricanrana. Steelz is back up with a poke to the eye and a headbutt for two. The chinlock goes on before Steelz grabs Three Amigos, which thankfully doesn’t include an Eddie dance. Brookside is back up with a headscissors and a running neckbreaker for one. Steelz’s Codebreaker gets two but Brookside catches her on top with an Iconoclasm into a bridging pin (the Brooksie Bomb) at 5:06.

Rating: C. Nothing exactly great here but it was a way to get Brookside a win to establish herself a little bit here. Brookside is someone who did well during her time in NXT UK but that doesn’t exactly make her a household name. Let her get her feet wet here and she should be off to a nice start.

We look at Joe Hendry’s music video about AJ Francis, which earned him a beating thanks to a laptop shot to the back from DJ Who Kid.

Hendry isn’t happy with the beatdown but again brings up Francis being the Cheez-It Champion, which is the point of the music video. We’ll call it all even, as he even has a new laptop….and has apparently taken out Who Kid.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Frankie Kazarian/Eric Young

Young goes right after Gibson to start but Drake comes in to work on his arm instead. Kazarian comes in and gets pulled to the floor, where a dive takes him out. We take a break and come back with Kazarian getting pulled back into the corner to cut off a tag attempt. Kazarian suplexes his way out of trouble but Drake pulls Young off the apron in a smart move. Some running shots in the corner rock Kazarian but he ducks an elbow and gets over to Young for the fast tag. Everything breaks down and Grit Your Teeth (double Codebreaker) finishes Young at 9:44.

Rating: C. Much like Brookside, this was a nice way to have the newcomers get a win over some established names. The Veterans are a good team but they’re brand new around here and need to show what they can do. Beating some former World Champions, even if they’re not a regular team, should accomplish that just fine.

Post match a frustrated Kazarian turns on Young, ending their partnership after…five days. Kazarian yells at him a good bit, saying this was supposed to be Kazarian’s year and nailing a Fade To Black.

The System celebrated Moose’s World Title win in Las Vegas. It’s a new beginning for all of them and Moose is only going to be known as World Champion.

Here is Nic Nemeth for a chat. Hard To Kill was a special moment and TNA is back. After the required chant (Nemeth: “I love that.”), Nemeth talks about how he’s intimidated, scared and excited. He picked his time and place and wound up face to face with the TNA World Champion.

Now he’s going to win the TNA World Title and celebrate with everyone in this crowd. He’s gotten to the top before and now he’s going to do it again st Nic Nemeth. Cue Steve Maclin to interrupt, saying it’s his turn to talk. This is his area of operations and all people are going to ask is what happened to Dolph Ziggler. The fight is on and Nemeth drops him in a hurry. That sets up his first big match and gave him a nice intro promo.

Jordynne Grace is happy with her win over Trinity, who interrupts her. Trinity is taking her rematch next week.

Here is Jai Vidal to say he hates this place and no one here can beat him up.

PCO vs. Jai Vidal

PCO knocks him into the corner to start, followed by the chokeslam and PCOsault for the pin at 1:25.

The Motor City Machine Guns talk about knowing Kazuchika Okada, who they want to face the System next week. Okada pops in to say he’s back.

Josh Alexander vs. Will Ospreay

Ospreay flips out of a wristlock to start and takes him down, which is good for an early standoff. Alexander’s running shoulder just makes Ospreay nip up, where he can chop Alexander down and hit a standing shooting star press for two. A backbreaker gives Ospreay two but Alexander breaks up a springboard. The running crossbody on the apron sends Ospreay out to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Alexander winning a fight over a suplex and hitting a powerbomb onto the knee for two. A regular backbreaker sends Ospreay to the apron, meaning it’s time to fight over a drive through the table (because there’s a table at ringside). Ospreay hits a tiger driver through said table and we pause for the medics to check on both of them. The referee says we’re continuing but Alexander has to beat the count….where Ospreay hits a springboard missile dropkick to the ribs.

The Oscutter gets two but the Hidden Blade misses. We take another break and come back with Alexander hitting a Tombstone on the ramp. They get back in with Alexander getting two off a super Regal Roll, setting up the ankle lock. Ospreay rolls it into the corner, setting up the Cheeky Nandos Kick.

A super poisonrana sets up the Hidden Blade to give Ospreay two and they both need a breather. Another Hidden Blade sets up the Storm Driver 93 for two more and another breather. A third Hidden Blade is cut off and Alexander runs through him with a clothesline. The C4 Spike is countered but so is Ospreay’s Styles Clash, with Alexander hitting one of his own for two. Now the C4 Spike can finish Ospreay at 22:45.

Rating: A-. This was a heck of a match and it gave Alexander the big win that he has been needing. Ospreay is one of the best in the world at the moment and it means a lot for someone to get that kind of a win over him. Alexander hung in there with him the entire way and then dropped Ospreay on his head for the pin. Great match here and worth a look.

Post match Scott D’Amore comes out and talks about his love for wrestling and how this place was declared dead. Now there is blood pumping through its veins and it has inspired people like Will Ospreay and Trey Miguel and Tasha Steelz. TNA is back and it’s never going away. The old Cross The Line theme plays us out.

Overall Rating: B. This is a show where the main event is going to be the big focal point and not much else is going to matter. The main event more than stole the show and I had a good enough time with the rest of the night. It was a good follow up to Hard To Kill as they were pushing the idea that TNA is back, but it really just felt like the same Impact with a different color scheme. If they can keep that going then they’ll be in a good place, and it started with this show being pretty awesome.

Results
Jake Something b. Kushida, Trey Miguel, Laredo Kid, Mike Bailey and El Hijo del Vikingo – Into The Void to Kid
Xia Brookside b. Tasha Steelz – Brooksie Bomb
Grizzled Young Veterans b. Eric Young/Frankie Kazarian – Grit Your Teeth to Young
PCO b. Jai Vidal – PCOsault
Josh Alexander b. Will Ospreay – C4 Spike

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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Hard To Kill 2024
Date: January 13, 2024
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Paradise, Nevada
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

Somehow, the big story here is the name of the promotion, as Impact Wrestling is gone and TNA Wrestling is back. Other than that, we have a pretty stacked card with a variety of title matches, plus the promise of a major name debuting. That could be multiple people, which opens up some interesting doors. Let’s get to it.

There is a new set, with the old school tunnel entrances coming diagonally down to the ramp.

Pre-Show: Rich Swann vs. Steve Maclin

Feeling out process to start and Swann, in what looks to be Flash Funk tribute gear, shakes his knees. Swann sends him to the floor for an early dive, followed by a middle rope crossbody for two back inside. Maclin gets in a hard forearm though and a backbreaker makes it worse.

Back up and Swann charges into a release Rock Bottom out of the corner for two more. Swann manages to strike away and kicks him in the head for two. Maclin is able to catch him in the corner though and something close to a Twist of Fate gets two more. That doesn’t slow Swann down as he’s right back with a kick of his own, setting up the 450 for another near fall.

Maclin is right back up to knock him off the top and it’s a top rope headbutt for two. There’s another backbreaker to plant Swann and we hit the Boston crab. The rope is grabbed for the break so Swann comes back with a Lethal Injection into a Trouble In Paradise for a rather near fall. The Phoenix splash misses though and Maclin grabs the KIA for the pin at 10:13.

Rating: B-. I can always go for a match that might not reinvent the wheel but is done well. That’s what we had here with two talented wrestlers who got the chance to do a few things and showcase their abilities. Maclin getting reheated isn’t a bad idea and we might be seeing just that in the new TNA.

Here is DJ Who Kid to bring out AJ Francis (formerly known as Top Dolla in WWE). He insults some fans for being broke and then introduces his new music video…which is interrupted by Joe Hendry. We get some introductions but Hendry has a video for Francis! The video focuses on Francis losing quite a bit, falling over the top rope, and absolutely loving Cheez-Its. Back in the arena and Who hits Hendry with a laptop, meaning the double teaming is on. This show hasn’t been the friendliest to the good guys so far.

Pre-Show: The System vs. Eric Young/Frankie Kazarian

The System would be Brian Myers/Eddie Edwards with Alisha Edwards (their stable mates Moose and DeAngelo Williams (former NFL player) aren’t here). Kazarian and Myers start things off but it’s almost immediately off to Young. They grapple into the corner before we get another Kazarian vs. Edwards slugout. Everything breaks down and the System is sent outside but Myers grabs Young’s boot from the floor so the beating can be on back inside.

Young fights out of the backpack Stunner and a double knockdown allow the double tag. Kazarian gets to clean house, including a Backstabber to Edwards and a slingshot cutter to Myers. Edwards is back up with the backpack Stunner into a running elbow for two as everything breaks down. An Unprettier hits Myers and Young adds a top rope elbow for two. Young gets backdropped to the floor, meaning it’s the Roster Cut into the Boston Knee Party for the pin on Young at 8:05.

Rating: C+. The match was ok but having the heel stable just suddenly being a thing is kind of weird. It felt like I missed the team being formed and that makes for kind of a strange situation. At the same time, the people involved are more than talented enough to make this work and what we got went well. Young and Kazarian are more than fine enough to slot in here as a makeshift team to get the System over, but I’m going to need more of an introduction.

Pre-Show: Digital Media Title: Crazzy Steve vs. Tommy Dreamer

Dreamer is defending in a No DQ match. Steve punches him in the face but Dreamer is back with a clothesline out of the corner. A running knee sends Steve outside and there’s a suplex on the floor. Dreamer chokes with a towel and it’s time for some chairs inside. Steve gets in a chair shot to the back and then does it again for good measure. Some choking with the chair ensues and we hit the neck crank.

It’s time for the fork but Dreamer blocks the stabbing and slugs away. That doesn’t last long as Steve cutters him into a chair to take over again. Dreamer is back with a non-chair cutter of his own and some kind of a reverse suplex gets two. That’s not going to work for Steve though as he sends Dreamer face first into a trashcan in the corner. With Dreamer down, Steve tapes his hands together and whips out another fork…..and then a bunch of forks, which he puts under Dreamer’s shirt. The Cannonball crushes Dreamer again and Belladonna’s Kiss gives Steve the title at 11:10.

Rating: C+. The only thing that mattered here was getting the title off of Dreamer and onto Steve. He’s been ready to win something for months now and they pulled the trigger here. Dreamer never once felt like a long term champion and they didn’t bother doing anything crazy. Not exactly a great match, but it got the result they needed and that’s what mattered.

The show proper looks at the rebirth of TNA, with Eric Young narrating a walk through Las Vegas. Young comes into the arena and says this means everything to us, which is why they’re risking it all. With the roster gathered on the stage, he says WE ARE TNA WRESTLING and they are HARD TO KILL.

Tasha Steelz vs. Alisha Edwards vs. Gisele Shaw vs. Dani Luna vs. Jody Threat vs. Xia Brookside

Ultimate X or a future Knockouts Title shot and Brookside is a surprise entrant. Some people go for the corner to start and are quickly cut off by everyone else, as tends to be the case in these matches. Brookside, Threat and Luna are left in the ring but Steelz is back in to take over. Brookside fires off some clotheslines but Shaw kicks her in the face as it’s still way too early for anyone to get much momentum.

Threat beats up Edwards and Luna at the same time until the latter is back with a fall away slam. More suplexes abound and there’s a dive to take out Shaw on the floor. Threat climbs the structure and dives onto a bunch of people before going up again….this time with Alisha on her back. Alisha falls off and Threat does as well, leaving everyone to get a breather.

Back in and Luna and Threat hit some powerbombs to bring people down again. Brookside gets to the wires but gets pulled down in a crash, leaving Alisha to get in a crawl of her own. That’s broken up so Alisha grabs a DDT for a breather. Alisha whips out a kendo stick to start beating on people but Threat plants Brookside and Alisha at the same time. That’s enough for Threat to go up, only to have Shaw jump off of Luna for a spear and the big knockout. Luna Steelz and Shaw all go up at once, with Shaw knocking the other two down and winning at 12:01.

Rating: B-. These matches are basically TNA’s version of the ladder match, meaning there is very little in the way of telling a story or anything more than people going nuts with spots until someone wins. Shaw going over makes sense, as she has been around the title picture for a long time now. At some point she needs to win the thing though, and that might be where we are heading now.

We run down the rest of the card.

We look at the Joe Hendry/AJ Francis/DJ Who Kid segment from the pre-show.

Francis and DJ Who Kid are happy with what they did.

PCO vs. Dirty Dango

Dango has Oleg Prudius and Alpha Bravo with him. After Dango says he hates TNA Wrestling, some orderlies wheel PCO into the arena and electrify him back to life. As you do. Dango hammers away to start but PCO sends him outside for the running flip dive. Back in and the PCOsault is loaded up but Bravo comes in for the DQ at 1:26.

Post match the beatdown is on but Rhino comes in for the save. Cue Santino Marella (because they had to keep HIM) to make it a six man tag with one more addition.

PCO/Rhino/Jake Something vs. Alpha Bravo/Dirty Dango/Oleg Prudius

The brawl is on to start and the ring is quickly cleared, with PCO moonsaulting onto a bunch of people. The DeAnimator hits Dango and we settle down to Something coming in to beat up Dango even further. A hard clothesline puts Dango down again and it’s Rhino coming in to a nice reaction. Prudius gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and Bravo gets to come in and choke away.

The villains start taking turns on Rhino in the corner, which doesn’t last long as he gets back up and makes it over to Something. House is quickly cleaned and PCO is back in for the middle rope legdrop. Rhino and Prudius slug it out but Dango breaks up the Gore attempt. Bravo gets Gores anyway and Something powerbombs Dango onto him to make it worse. PCOsault finishes Bravo at 7:25.

Rating: C. This felt like an Impact match and not much more, but in theory this is relaunch for the brand so it’s time to get as many people on the show as possible. On the good hand, one of them is Something but on the other hand, Santino is still there. Not a bad match at all, and I could always go for more PCO insanity.

Earlier today, an unseen woman arrived.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: MK Ultra vs. Decay

This is a bonus match with the returning Decay challenging. Havok sends Slamovich into the corner to start and Rosemary comes in with a clothesline. Rosemary’s German suplex gets two but Slamovich manages a knockdown of her own. Slamovich slams Kelly onto Rosemary for two and a PK gets the same.

A kick to the face lets Kelly crawl onto Rosemary, who snaps and hammers away on her instead. Havok gets to come back in and clean house but gets caught with a kick to the head. The Snow Plow gives Slamovich one and she can’t believe the kickout. Havok hits a double chokeslam and it’s a chokebomb/running hair plant to pin Kelly for the titles at 6:18.

Rating: C. The match was fine enough, but it runs into the same problem that these titles have always had: there is little story here, as the titles are so often just thrown into random matches like this one. Why are Rosemary and Havok back to their old selves? Eh who cares, but they’re the champs again. That’s the problem with these titles most of the time and that was on display again here.

TNA is working with the NFL Alumni Association for a health program.

We look at Steve Maclin beating Rich Swann on the pre-show.

Maclin says that was the first of many.

Here are TNA executive Scott D’Amore and AAA President Dorian Roldan. The two companies are going to be working together and they’re both rather happy. A highlight reel ensues and they sign the deal.

X-Division Title: El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Kushida vs. Chris Sabin

Sabin (and only Sabin) is defending. The triple lockup doesn’t go anywhere to start so they snap of armdrags instead, leaving us with a standoff. Kushida sends them both down and then out to the floor, setting up a dive to take out Sabin. Back in and Vikingo hits a springboard hurricanrana, followed by the top rope inverted hurricanrana to take Kushida out of the corner.

Sabin is back up with some German suplexes and we get the triple submission, with Sabin letting go to kick Kushida down. Back up and Kushida ties up Vikingo’s arm and suplexes Sabin at the same time. That’s all broken up and Vikingo gets to clear the ring, setting up a moonsault out to the floor to take both of them down.

Back in and a triple clothesline leaves everyone down, with Vikingo getting up first. He stomps down onto Sabin’s ribs but Kushida is back in with the Hoverboard Lock. That’s broken up but Vikingo has to break up one to Sabin as well. Sabin and Vikingo slug it out until Vikingo is sent to the ramp for a springboard Canadian Destroyer. Back in and Sabin German superplexes Kushida down and grabs Cradle Shock to retain at 13:04.

Rating: B+. This was all action as they went nuts for about thirteen minutes straight. There were some very fun spots in there with people flying all over the place until Sabin retained. Kushida being a regular around here made a title change feel possible and that made things more interesting. Best match of the night by far here and rather good stuff.

Newcomer Alex Hammerstone has issued an open challenge and Josh Alexander has accepted.

Josh Alexander vs. Alex Hammerstone

Alexander goes after the powerhouse Hammerstone’s leg to start but the ankle lock is kicked out to the floor. That means Hammerstone can take Alexander out with a slingshot dive but Alexander is right back with another shot to the leg. A dragon screw legwhip takes Hammerstone down but the ankle lock is broken up again. Some chops in the corner make Hammerstone mad and he sends Alexander flying. He right back with a Regal Roll into a middle rope knee to the back of the head, but the ankle lock is broken up again.

Some boots to the face just annoy Hammerstone and he gorilla presses Alexander into a swinging release Rock Bottom. The tweaked knee is still fine enough to powerslam Alexander but he snaps on the ankle lock again. This time a grapevine goes on as well but Hammerstone gets to the rope. Alexander is back up with a quick Nightmare Pendulum (a suplex dropped forward into a Rock Bottom, his usual finisher) for two.

Alexander is smart enough to get over to the rope to avoid the cover so Hammerstone Death Valley Drivers him on the apron. A missile dropkick gives Hammerstone two as the fans certainly approve. Alexander’s discus forearm is shrugged off and Hammerstone powerbombs him for two. Alexander is back with a small package into the C4 Spike for the quick pin at 14:46.

Rating: B. This was the hard hitting fight that you might have expected if you’re familiar with Hammerstone. On the other hand, those who aren’t so familiar with him got a heck of an introduction, as he took one of TNA’s best to a great fight. This was the showcase match for Alexander and it worked very well. Good stuff here and Hammerstone looked like a star.

Video on the four way for the Tag Team Titles, with a new team getting a shot.

Tag Team Titles: ABC vs. Rascalz vs. Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Laredo Kid/Mike Bailey

ABC is defending and Kid is replacing Trent Seven who had travel issues. Austin and Gibson start things off with neither being able to get very far. Drake comes in and gets double armdragged by the champs, with Bailey and Kid coming in to take over on Miguel. Everything breaks down and all our get in for the major staredown.

We settle down to Bailey’s bouncing kicks having Gibson in trouble but Drake’s cheap shot lets the Veterans take over. Bailey gets elbowed in the face for two and we hit the chinlock. The Rascalz and the Veterans get in an argument, allowing Bailey to kick his way to freedom. Kid comes back in and gets to clean house, including a super Michinoku Driver for two on Wentz.

ABC gets to come in and fire off a series of kicks, including a kick to the head/torture rack neckbreaker for two on Wentz. The Veterans are back in with a double kick for two more on Wentz, followed by a Doomsday Device. The cover is broken up as commentary says they can’t remember who is legal. Bailey is back in with a super poisonrana to Drake and the Ultimate Weapon connects, with the Rascalz making the save. A superkick/double stomp combination gives Wentz two and we get the ABC vs. Rascalz slugout. The 1-2-Sweet finishes Miguel to retain the titles at 14:16.

Rating: B-. They had another almost all action match here but this time there were so many people out there that it was hard to keep track of everything. At the end of the day, this was all about the Rascalz vs. ABC and that’s how it wound up, but that didn’t make the other teams seem that important. I’ll take more of the ABC as the champions though, as they really are one of the best teams going today.

We recap the Knockouts Title match, with Trinity defending against Call Your Shot winner Jordynne Grace. That’s pretty much the whole story.

Ash By Excellence (Dana Brooke) is in the front row as the mystery woman from earlier.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Trinity

Trinity is defending and they shake hands to start. Grace easily powers her up against the ropes to start but the threat of a kick Grace backing up. For some reason Trinity tries a test of strength but she does show some intelligence with a mule kick. Grace picks her up and plants her back down for two, followed by a World’s Strongest Slam for the same. It’s too early for the Juggernaut Driver so Trinity is back with a crossbody.

Grace knees her in the face and hits an Alley Oop for two more. Trinity needs a breather but Grace runs her over with a suicide dive into a Jackhammer on the floor for a nasty crash. Trinity manages a shot of her own and they head back inside for a strike off. Grace gets dropped so Trinity hits a split legged moonsault for two more. A full nelson puts Trinity back down but she makes the rope for the break.

With the holds not working, Grace grabs a MuscleBuster for two more. The Rear View puts Grace down for two and they head to the apron for something like a Heatseeker Pedigree from Trinity. A sitout powerbomb into Starstruck has Grace in more trouble…until she muscles Trinity up into a German suplex. The Juggernaut Driver gives Grace the title at 14:34.

Rating: B-. Grace getting the title back is a nice moment and the good thing is she has all kinds of challengers waiting for her. I know Grace has held the title before, but she feels like she has come more than a few feet since her most recent title reign. Trinity has held the title for a good while now and has only been so interesting. There is a good chance that she is back in WWE sooner than later and at least she had a decent one to go out on.

We recap Moose challenging Alex Shelley for the World Title. Much like the previous match, this is a Call Your Show cash in so there is only so much of a story.

TNA World Title: Alex Shelley vs. Moose

Shelley is defending. Moose’s offer of a handshake goes nowhere so Shelley sends him into the corner. A missed charge sends Moose into the post and we hit the logical armbar. Moose isn’t having that and hits a hard dropkick out to the floor to take over. Shelley gets rammed into the barricade and chopped against the ropes but he strikes away anyway. Moose’s arm gets stomped on the apron and the bad arm gets snapped back inside.

The good arm is enough to knock Shelley down though and Moose starts in on Shelley’s arm for a change. Some hard chops connect, with Shelley telling Moose to do it harder. Moose’s powerbomb is countered into a DDT and a dropkick sends him into the corner. A missed charge sends Moose outside and there’s a baseball slide into the barricade. Sliced Bread on the floor doesn’t work but Moose gets rammed into the post. Shelley drops him again with Shell Shock but can’t follow up, meaning we get a nine count.

Back in and Shelley forearms away, setting up a quickly broken Border City Stretch. The arm is good enough for Moose to hit a powerbomb for two and a needed breather. A quick Sliced Bread gives Shelley two and here is the System to interrupt. Chris Sabin and Kushida make the save but DeAngelo Williams stays at ringside.

They fight to the ramp where Shelley plants Moose down by the arm, meaning it’s time to go back inside and stay on the arm even longer. Moose’s headbutt doesn’t get him very far as Shelley blasts him with a clothesline. Shell Shock is loaded up but Moose shoves him off and hits the spear for the pin and the title at 21:29.

Rating: B. There is something classic about power vs. speed and in this case we had the bonus of Shelley wisely picking at the arm throughout. It’s a classic story that worked well again here, with a title change to cap off the show. Moose can be a heck of a juggernaut when he is given the chance and that is more or less what he did here. It might not be a classic, but it felt like a big deal and that is the most important part.

Post match Nic Nemeth sneaks in and superkicks Moose, setting up what used to be called the Zig Zag. Nemeth rips off his shirt to reveal a TNA shirt as the crowd approves to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show was about the rebirth of TNA and for the most part, it went pretty well. I would assume they were treating this as a jump on point for fans, hence having so many people on the show. That worked in that there was some very good action, but there was a good bit that could have been cut to make the show flow a bit better.

Other than that, you have quite a few title changes to go with the solid wrestling, which made the show an entertaining effort. Things will be interesting on Thursday, but for now at least, TNA is starting well with everything they have going on. The good thing is they aren’t starting from scratch and Impact was doing well, but it’s still pretty new for almost everything going on. That’s a weird setup, though they’re off to a good start.

Results
Steve Maclin b. Rich Swann – KIA
The System b. Eric Young/Frankie Kazarian – Boston Knee Party to Young
Crazzy Steve b. Tommy Dreamer – Belladonna’s Kiss
Gisele Shaw won Ultimate X
PCO b. Dirty Dango via DQ when Alpha Bravo interfered
PCO/Rhino/Jake Something b. Alpha Bravo/Dirty Dango/
Decay b. MK Ultra – Sitout chokebomb/running hair plant combination to Kelly
Chris Sabin b. Kushida and El Hijo del Vikingo – Cradle Shock to Sabin
Josh Alexander b. Alex Hammerstone – C4 Spike
ABC b. Rascalz, Grizzled Young Veterans and Laredo Kid/Mike Bailey – 1-2-Sweet to Miguel
Jordynne Grace b. Trinity – Juggernaut Driver
Moose b. Alex Shelley – Spear

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Impact Wrestling
Date: January 4, 2024
Hosts: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

With the relaunch of TNA Wrestling taking place next week at Hard To Kill, it’s time to look back at some of the best moments of TNA. As a result, this week is called the Best Of TNA, meaning it is likely to feature matches from a good many years ago with wrestlers who aren’t around here anymore. But at least the crowd chants will work. Let’s get to it.

The hosts welcome us to the show.

From June 19, 2002, the first match in company history.

AJ Styles/Jerry Lynn/Low Ki vs. Flying Elvises

The Elvises jump them to start but get taken down for a series of dives. We settle down to Yang kneeing Styles in the face for two but Styles splashes down onto him for a breather. It’s off to Lynn for a tornado DDT, only to have Yang send him into the corner for a kick to the chest. Siaki comes in for a shot to Lynn’s face but Lynn is over to Ki without much effort.

Siaki is fine enough to hit an over the shoulder backbreaker and Estrada adds a running shooting star for two. Ki suplexes his way to freedom but Estrada kicks the legal Styles’ head off for two more. Lynn comes back in for a cradle piledriver and we hit the parade of knockdowns. Yang Time (phoenix splash) finishes Styles at 6:23.

Rating: B-. They were right about the total nonstop action part as this was a pure sprint from the start to the finish. Styles got to show off his athleticism while the Elvises, as goofy as they might be, did get to showcase what they were able to do. Seeing Styles take the first loss ever in the promotion is certainly interesting, but what makes it more confusing is the fact that the three loses would be competing for the inaugural X-Division Title the following week. How TNA of TNA.

We look at Christian Cage’s debut at Genesis 2005. That was a big, big deal.

We look at Kurt Angle’s debut at No Surrender 2006. This set up his feud with Samoa Joe, which felt like it could have been that much bigger if they had waited a bit longer. The bloody Joe popping up to take out Angle was a great visual though.

From June 25, 2003.

Chris Sabin vs. Frankie Kazarian

This was dubbed the Battle Of The Futures and they’re both still with the company today. Joined in progress with Kazarian grabbing a suplex and kicking him in the face. A DDT gives Sabin two and Kazarian bails to the floor for the big flip dive. Back in and Sabin gets two off a dropkick and we hit the chinlock.

Back up and they trade rollups for two each until Sabin kicks him in the back of the head for two. Kazarian gets in a shot of his own and goes up, only to have Sabin run the corner and slam him back down for two. Sabin is back up and avoids a springboard dropkick, setting up a backbreaker for two on Kazarian. A tiger suplex gives Sabin two but Kazarian catches him on top with the Flux Capacitor for the pin at 10:33 shown of 11:55.

Rating: B-. Given what these two would go on to become, it should be shock that the two of them had a good match when they were up and comers. It’s a good example of what happens when talent is given a chance to showcase themselves and these two had a good one. Solid match here and a nice hidden gem.

Eric Young joins us in the studio and goes through some of various personae over the years, which really is rather impressive when you look at how much he has done.

From Turning Point 2007.

Knockouts Title: Gail Kim vs. Awesome Kong

Kim is defending and we’re joined in progress with Kong missing a charge into the post. They get inside for the opening bell and Kim goes after the arm, only to get swung down with straight power. Kong misses a charge into the corner but she powers Kim down again and grabs a camel clutch.

With that broken up, Kong hits a chokebomb and a running splash in the corner to make it worse. Back up and Kim ducks the spinning backfist before firing off some dropkicks. A top rope backsplash gives Kim two but Kong hits her in the face. The choking is on but Kong shoves the referee down for the DQ at 8:40.

Rating: C+. First off, points for going with the rematch instead of the initial title win. Other than that, you had Kong as the unstoppable force and Kim fighting to hang on, which is as classic of a story as you can get in wrestling. These two always had perfect chemistry together and it’s this feud that made Kim a legend in women’s wrestling. Not a great match here, but you got the idea instantly and that is the sign of something working.

Post match Kong powerbombs the referee.

From Wrestle Kingdom III.

Kevin Nash/Kurt Angle/Masahiro Chono/Riki Choshu vs. Giant Bernard/Karl Anderson/Takashi Iizuka/Tomohiro Ishii

Bernard (better known as Albert/A-Train) runs into Nash to start but can’t get very far. Nash takes him into the corner for the boot choke so it’s off to Iizuka, who gets kicked in the face by Chono. Ishii comes in (looking YOUNG) and gets taken into the corner so the beatdown can be on. That’s broken up so it’s Choshu coming in to work on Anderson’s leg. Angle (big reaction) comes in and gets two off a suplex It’s already back to Choshu, who is driven into the corner so Bernard can get in some shoulders to the ribs. Everything breaks down and Angle ankle locks Anderson for the tap at 7:04.

Rating: C+. There was only so much you could do with eight people and about seven minutes of action so this went as well as it could have gone. Having Angle and Nash there made for a special feeling, but the legends were the showcase here, as tends to be the case. It wasn’t a great match, but it was a nice way to get a bunch of names in the ring.

From Victory Road 2010.

Tag Team Titles: Motor City Machine Guns vs. Beer Money

The titles are vacant coming in and we’re joined in progress with Roode being sent face first into the middle buckle. Standing Sliced Bread gets two with Storm making the save. A hurricanrana puts Storm down but Roode is right back in to roll Shelley up for two. Storm is knocked outside again and this time Sabin hits a springboard crossbody to take him down again.

Storm’s beer accidentally goes into the referee’s eyes so Earl Hebner has to run in and count two off Skull And Bones. Roode rolls through a high crossbody for two more and they trade strikes. Storm and Sabin grab stereo covers and it’s a double pin at 5:37 shown. That doesn’t work for Earl so restart the thing. Beer Money chokes away and Skull and Bones gives Shelley the pin at 7:52 shown of 15:50. I won’t rate about half of the match but the full thing is rather good.

There’s only one way to wrap this up. From Unbreakable 2005.

X-Division Title: Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

Daniels is defending and gets double teamed to start. He gets back up and yells so some double kicks put him right back down. Joe pulls Styles into a Rings of Saturn but Daniels makes the save. Daniels strikes away at both of them and gets two on Styles. Joe is back up and slugs away before hitting a release Rock Bottom on Daniels. The running boot in the corner is broken up though and Daniels hits a dive through the ropes to take Joe out again. Styles takes both of them down with a big dive and we take a break.

Back with Styles dropkicking Joe for two before Daniels monkey flips Styles…who hurricanranas Joe down. For some reason Daniels decides to slap away at Joe, who chokes him as a result. Styles breaks that up with the Spiral Tap and gets two each as a result. Daniels is back up but the Best Moonsault Ever is cut off, with Joe sending Styles into Daniels in the Tree of Woe.

Joe’s backsplash gets two on Styles but Daniels hits him with a Death Valley Driver to leave everyone down. Daniels and Styles both go to the floor and miss dives, only to have Joe take them both out. We take another break and come back with Joe superplexing both of them at once to leave them all down again. Joe Musclebusts Daniels and takes out Styles, only to go for the title. That allows Daniels to hit an enziguri to the belt to Joe’s head, followed by a Blue Thunder Bomb for two on Styles.

The Best Moonsault Ever gets two more, with Joe making the save this time. Styles is back up with the moonsault reverse DDT for two more but Daniels plants Styles off the top for two. Joe is back up with the powerbomb into the STF on Daniels, who makes the rope. Styles’ torture rack powerbomb hits Joe for two before he rolls into the Styles Clash with Joe making another save. Joe misses a charge out to the floor, leaving Styles to reverse the Angel’s Wings into a backdrop rollup for the pin and the title at 21:45 shown of 22:50.

Rating: A. What else is there to say about this one? It’s probably the best match TNA has ever had and it has its reputation for a reason. If they wanted to show what they can do, there isn’t much of a better choice. It showcased the X-Division, three of the biggest stars the company has ever had and gave us a new champion. This is one of those matches where there is pretty much nothing wrong and the amazing action and pace carry it to an insanely high level.

The hosts wrap it up.

Overall Rating: B. The important thing here was the show focused on the wrestling and almost every division around. In other words, they stayed away from the storylines and angles that dragged everything down for years. Go with what makes things more interesting and focus on the good rather than the bad. There are only so many of these names left, but the flashbacks, with some actual hidden gems in there, made this a rather entertaining show.

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Impact Wrestling
Date: November 23, 2023
Hosts: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

This is another special show, in this case because of Thanksgiving. Impact has a history of looking back at some, ahem, classic Thanksgiving moments of the years and that is likely going to involve a bunch of Turkey Suit matches. There are worse traditions out there and it’s just goofy fun. Let’s get to it.

The hosts welcome us to the show and we are indeed looking at great Thanksgiving moments over the years.

From 2008.

Sheik Abdul Bashir vs. Rhino vs. Alex Shelley

Bashir is X-Division Champion and helps Shelley for a double team on Rhino. That goes nowhere as Rhyno easily slugs both of them away and scores with a belly to belly for two on Bashir. Clipped to Rhino getting double teamed again but the others keep getting in an argument over scoring the pin (and a $25,000 prize). Bashir rolls Shelley up for two but gets caught in a super atomic drop. Rhino uses the distraction to Gore Shelley for the pin at 2:48 shown.

Post match, Mick Foley tells Shelley he has to put the suit on but Shelley doesn’t want to. See, the women won’t be happy and that would hurt the ratings. That’s cool with Foley, but Shelley is fired if he doesn’t do it. Shelley finally puts it on and Foley makes gibblet jokes. Foley: “Is that a gizzard in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” The suit goes on and more jokes are made. If this is the case, I can go with it more than holding a regular show on Thanksgiving.

We do have some 2023 material as well.

Good Hands/Champagne Singh/Jai Vidal vs. PCO/Johnny Swinger/Jake Something/Mike Bailey

Gravy Train Turkey Trot, meaning whomever loses the fall has to wear the turkey suit. Skyler shoulders Bailey down to start before handing it off to Hotch, who gets kicked in the head over and over. Swinger comes in but gets cheap shotted by Skyler, who gets rolled up for a fast two. It’s off to Singh to beat on Swinger as the villains keep tagging out to avoid the threat of the turkey suit.

Something comes in so Vidal….maybe flirts with him, earning a right hand to the face. Something cleans house and powerbombs Vidal over the top onto a pile on the floor. The big Something dive drops them again but the Good Hands and Singh manage to knock PCO down. That lasts all of two seconds as it’s a chokeslam into the PCOsault to finish Vidal at 5:14.

Rating: C. The match was nothing of note of course but this is one of the few traditions that Impact has which does feel like a fun idea. It’s completely goofy fun and they don’t present it as anything else. Vidal can play a fine enough post match goof and he got pinned by a monster like PCO. Nothing wrong with this and it’s once a year.

Post match Vidal won’t do it so Gisele Shaw and Savannah Evans force him to wear the suit for the sake of keeping the team together.

From 2016.

Grado vs. Robbie E.

They slug it out to start with Grado getting the better of it off the snap jabs. A double clothesline puts both guys down as this is a little less funny than I was expecting. Robbie grabs a rollup for the pin at 2:39.

Aiden O’Shea comes out to make Grado put on the suit and dancing ensues.

From 2013.

Here are all of the winners of the matches tonight plus Velvet who is with Sabin. Roode points this out and Sabin throws Velvet out. Bobby asks everyone what they’re thankful for. Bad Influence is thankful for their intelligence and large endowment. Kaz is thankful that Park isn’t here to drink the gravy or fornicate with the pumpkin pie. Gail is thankful for being the prettiest and most dominant Knockout in the history of the company. Oh and her family too.

Sabin is thankful for his hair, being the best X-Division Champion ever and Velvet Sky. The Bro Mans are thankful for Mr. O Phil Heath, Zema Ion (officially part of the team) and for being the best team ever. Bad Influence: “I’m not sure about that.” Roode says the real Thanksgiving was last month in Canada and the fans will be thankful when he becomes the next champion.

It’s time to eat but here’s Angle to interrupt. He sees a ring full of turkeys, which are fighting words for the people in there. Roode challenges him to a fight which Angle accepts, and here’s his backup. Fernum and Barnes are still in the turkey suits. You can fill in the blanks yourself here: bad guys are destroyed, food is everywhere, Spud panics, turkeys fly. The good guys, Velvet and ODB celebrate to end the show.

From 2017.

Team Edwards vs. Team Adonis

Eddie Edwards, Garza Jr., Allie, Fallah Bahh, Richard Justice
Chris Adonis, Caleb Konley, Laurel Van Ness, KM, El Hijo Del Fantasma

The loser of the fall wears a turkey suit and there’s food at ringside, along with Eli Drake. We’re not ready yet though as the teams sit down at the food tables as Drake insists that everyone has to put on the suit if they lose. He has a statement for JB to read, which pretty much just says everyone play nice.

Justice sticks his finger in Konley’s mouth to start and gets two off a rollup. Laurel comes in and jumps on Justice’s back so it’s off to the women for a change. KM and Bahh are up next with some shots to Bahh’s head taking us to a break. Back with Bahh crossbodying KM and bringing in Garza….WHO TAKES OFF HIS PANTS! I’m rather thankful.

Garza gets punched down though and it’s time for the heel beatdown. Adonis comes in for two off a legdrop and it’s time for a bearhug (on a guy with a bad shoulder). That goes nowhere and the hot tag brings in Eddie to clean house. Everything breaks down in a hurry and KM gets crushed between Justice and Bahh.

We get the big crash to the floor and Justice falls off the apron, only to be caught without much effort. Allie dives onto everyone to break up the pile and everyone is down. Back in and Adonis can’t grab the Adonis Lock, allowing Eddie to roll him up for the pin at 16:04, meaning Adonis gets to wear the suit.

Rating: C-. Oh what were you expecting here? This was all in good fun and nothing more than a comedy match. The match was just there for the sake of having a one off match for a holiday special and as a result, it’s really hard to be harsh on it. Adonis having to wear the suit is fine and it continues a (rather goofy) tradition. It wasn’t anything good, but it’s perfectly harmless.

Post break, Adonis refuses to wear the suit. Security actually stops him as the referee holds up the suit like an executioner’s ax. After a lot of persuading and a GOBBLE GOBBLE (One of us?) chant, Adonis finally puts it on and walks around a bit. Adonis isn’t cool with the chants though and the required food fight, with Adonis hitting Drake in the face with a pie, ends the show. This was actually entertaining as they just went with the simple comedy and it worked perfectly well.

From 2007.

Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Chris Sabin

This is the finals of the Turkey Bowl, with the winner getting $25,000 and the loser wearing the turkey suit. Joe and Sabin double team Styles to start and knock him to the floor. That leaves Sabin to take Joe down but a kick misses, giving us a staredown. Styles gets knocked to the floor again and we take a break.

Back with Sabin charging into a hot shot but Joe comes back in to punch Styles in the face. Styles breaks up the suicide elbow to Sabin though, meaning Joe punches him in the face some more. The drop down into a dropkick hits Joe and we take a break. Back again with Joe countering the springboard moonsault into an Air Raid Crash with Sabin having to make a save.

We take another break and come back again with Sabin hitting a springboard DDT to drop Joe. That earns Sabin a trip to the floor but Styles Peles Joe. The charge into the corner only hits kick to the face though, allowing Joe to hit the Muscle Buster for the pin at 9:33 shown (of the nearly thirty minute match).

Rating: B-. Well it seemed to be a good match, at least from what we saw of the thing. Joe was on another planet at this point and Styles was in his weird phase as Angle’s wacky goon, but it isn’t like he was going to be awful in the ring. Throw in a very talented Sabin and of course this was going to work, even if we missed almost twenty minutes.

Post match we cut to a livid Kurt Angle (AJ’s boss), storming out of his own Thanksgiving dinner. Back in the arena, AJ won’t put the suit on so here is Jim Cornette to order him to do it. After some coaxing, Styles (very slowly) puts the suit on so Tomko and Kurt come out to yell. Samoa Joe and the Outsiders come out to laugh at Angle and pals, meaning the brawl is on. The bad guys are cleared out, with Eric Young coming in to add a turkey leg to Angle to wrap things up. Then Hall got fired and Joe was given a live mic at the pay per view where he went on an all time rant against a lot of people.

Overall Rating: D+. Normally I have a good time with this show, as it’s the definition of goofy harmless fun. Then I went to pull some of the matches from previous reviews and realized that three out of the five matches on this show were on last year’s show, including the exact same main event and post match segment to end the show. They’ve been doing this for over fifteen years and they had to recycle that much in a year? Come on already and put in some more effort than that.

Results
PCO/Johnny Swinger/Jake Something/Mike Bailey b. Good Hands/Jai Vidal/Champagne Singh – PCOsault to Vidal

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Impact Wrestling
Date: November 9, 2023
Location: Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re finally back to the regular shows after two weeks of one offs. That means we can get the first week of fallout from Bound For Glory as we start the long road towards Hard To Kill. That also means the road towards the return of TNA Wrestling, which will likely get a lot of talk this week. Let’s get to it.

We open with a Turning Point recap.

Tasha Steelz vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Fallout from their tag team falling apart. They shake hands to start and fight over a lockup with neither being able to get anywhere. Some grappling goes nowhere either so it’s a test of strength instead. A quick pinfall reversal sequence gets two each and they’re back up for the standoff. Steelz snaps off a running hurricanrana and we pause for some dancing. Purrazzo is fine enough to tie her up for a running dropkick, setting up some dancing of her own.

Steelz’ Black Out is broken up and we get another standoff. They fight over more rollups for two each until a double knockdown gives us a breather. Purrazzo pulls her into the Fujiwara armbar but Steelz reverses into her own Venus de Milo. That’s broken up as well so Purrazzo goes for the Fujiwara armbar again, with Steelz raking the eyes to escape. Steelz snaps off a cutter and a second finishes Purrazzo at 9:25.

Rating: C+. I’m not wild on the whole mirroring each other but they made it work well enough here. Assuming you ignore that they were only a team for a few weeks, this was a pretty good fight between two of the better stars in the division. At the worst, it’s nice to see Steelz getting elevated a bit, especially since Purrazzo can’t challenge for the Knockouts Title anymore.

Alex Shelley is ready to give Jonathan Gresham a World Title shot tonight. May the best man win.

We look at the ABC getting the Tag Team Titles back at Bound For Glory.

ABC are ready to be the first TNA Tag Team Champions of this generation. Santino Marella comes in to praise them but here are Kenny King and Sheldon Jean to complain about the lack of Digital Media Title shot. The villains mock the ABC and get a Tag Team Title shot next week.

Digital Media Title: Tommy Dreamer vs. Crazzy Steve

Dreamer is defending. They lock up to start and fight out to the floor before Steve takes it back inside for some chopping. A neckbreaker and knee lift get Dreamer out of trouble but Steve knocks him right back down and sings him a lullaby. Dreamer shrugs off some ripping at the face and slugs away.

A reverse DDT gives Dreamer two but the Dreamer Driver is broken up. Steve hits a Cannonball and goes for the fork but Dreamer bites the arm. Dreamer hits a cutter and stabs him with the fork instead. More stabbing has Steve running away and cackling as the match just kind of ends at about 7:15. I’d assume it was a DQ but I didn’t actually hear a bell.

Rating: C. Well, at least Dreamer didn’t win. I would hope that we are going to be seeing a rematch where Steve wins the title as there is no reason for Dreamer to be a long term champion. Dreamer going violent to even things up is fine, but he needs to drop the title to Steve, who is doing some good stuff right now.

Post match Steve crawls away and laughs some more.

Jonathan Gresham is ready to show that honor rises above the chaos.

Joe Hendry vs. Brian Myers

Before the match, Hendry talks about how a rebranding is coming, but we’ll start it tonight. For years, Myers has been known as Edge’s b****, but now he’s Adam’s b****! Hendry slugs away but an elbow to the face cuts him off. We’re already in the chinlock for a bit before Hendry avoids the Roster Cut.

Myers is sent crashing out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Hendry working on the arm and getting two off a suplex. A swinging slam puts Myers down but he’s right back up with a Russian legsweep for two. Hendry is back with a Trust Fall and we go to another break with Myers in trouble.

We come back again with Hendry slamming him down for two more, only to have Myers post him hard. The chinlock goes on again, until Hendry fights up for the clothesline comeback. Three straight fall away slams give Hendry two but Myers’ implant DDT gets the same. Hendry hits a pop up powerbomb for two, only to have Myers go to the eyes. The Roster Cut finishes for Myers at 17:01.

Rating: B-. These two were getting going at the end and it was working out when they went to the eye rake. Hendry losing again isn’t great to see but what matters is getting him in the ring for a good while. That being said, putting Myers over Hendry is a little weird to see, as Hendry has long since felt like a potential breakout star.

Video on Josh Alexander vs. Will Ospreay.

Ospreay brags about his success and knows what he’s coming up against in Alexander. We’ll see if Alexander has what it takes to beat the best.

Eddie Edwards vs. Eric Young

Alisha Edwards is here with Eddie. They fight over a lockup to start and neither can get very far. Young scores with a dropkick before sliding between the legs. The sunset flip is blocked though and Eddie hits an atomic drop to take over. Alisha even adds some choking before Eddie puts on the chinlock.

A slam puts Young down again but he’s fine enough to avoid a moonsault. Alisha’s distraction doesn’t really work though as Young drops the top rope elbow for two. The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Eddie two so Alisha slides in a chair. The referee takes that away so Alisha grabs a kendo stick, which hits Eddie by mistake. Young hits a piledriver for the win at 6:42.

Rating: C+. This didn’t have nearly enough time for it to go anywhere, which is a bit annoying as these two are big enough stars to be able to do something. At the same time, Alisha screwing up isn’t going to go well and we might be in for a little something there. For now though, Young getting a win isn’t a surprise, even if it’s been done to death.

Brian Myers runs into Moose and they argue over loyalty. Heath comes in and is willing to fight both of them.

Sonny Kiss is excited to be here and wants a Knockouts Title shot. Trinity comes in and says she’ll try to make it happen next week.

Dirty Dango/Oleg Prudius vs. Nick Diamond/Storm Grayson

Alpha Bravo is here with Dango and Prudius, the latter of whom is having his first match in over twelve years. Prudius wrecks Diamond as Dango goes to join commentary. Grayson comes in and gets knocked out of the air, allowing Dango to come in for the reverse layout DDT and the pin at 2:38.

Jordynne Grace is ready to win the Knockouts Title at Hard To Kill when Bully Ray comes in. Ray mocks her and offers a handshake but KiLynn King comes in to say Grace got lucky to win. Ray, King’s trainer, tells her to take it down a notch. Steve Maclin comes in to call Ray soft but Ray says Maclin is standing there because Ray lets him.

The Rascalz introduces their third member: Myron Reed.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Jonathan Gresham vs. Alex Shelley

Shelley is defending. Gresham gives him a handshake to start but gets taken into the corner as we go to an early break. Back with Shelley running him over, setting up the chop off. Gresham goes to take off his wrist tape and the distraction lets him get in a low blow. A running dropkick to the knee takes Shelley out and we hit the Figure Four. With that broken up, Gresham grabs at the nose as Hannifan is all over Gresham’s lack of integrity. Back up and they lock hands for a strike off but Gresham hits a shinbreaker.

Gresham stays on the leg with more shots as he mixes things up a bit. Wrist tape choking ensues but Shelley slips out and cranks on the arm. A modified Backstabber puts Gresham down but he’s right back with a dragon screw legwhip. We get a dueling OLD CHAMP/NEW CHAMP chant until Gresham takes out the leg again. Gresham is sent outside though and Shelley hits a slingshot dive (Huh?).

A whip towards the barricade leaves Shelley collapsing to the ground and a running forearm gives Gresham two back inside. Shelley Downward Spirals Gresham into the middle buckle, setting up a tornado DDT. The Border City Stretch goes on, but Gresham crawls over the referee to make the rope. Gresham is back on the knee and a rolling cradle gets two.

They slug it out until Shelley snaps the bad arm. Shelley’s knee gives out as well though and Gresham hits a springboard moonsault. They go into a rather intense pinfall reversal sequence for two each until Gresham gets the Figure Four again. The rope is grabbed again and Shelley superkicks him into the Shell Shock to retain at 24:46.

Rating: B. Heck of a TV main event here as they had a good story going with the arm vs. leg battle. Gresham is someone who can wrestle with anyone and knows how to pick apart a limb. At the same time you have Shelley, who is on an absolute roll right now, giving us an awesome match between two of the better stars Impact has to offer today.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event was rather good and the rest of the show backed it up well enough. While they didn’t do a lot for Hard To Kill, the two main singles title matches are already set so things could be a good bit worse. They set up a few things for next week though and I’ll take some small development over none at all. Good show here, with the main event being by far the best thing.

Results
Tasha Steelz b. Deonna Purrazzo – Cutter
Tommy Dreamer vs. Crazzy Steve went to a no contest
Brian Myers b. Joe Hendry – Roster Cut
Eric Young b. Eddie Edwards – Piledriver
Dirty Dango/Oleg Prudius b. Nick Diamond/Storm Grayson – Reverse layout DDT to Grayson
Alex Shelley b. Jonathan Gresham – Shell Shock

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: November 2, 2023
Location: 02 Academy, Glasgow, Scotland
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re done with Bound For Glory and ready for a different kind of show after last week’s abridged version of the pay per view. This week’s show is also from the European tour, which should give us a bit of a different feeling. It’s also the go home show for Turning Point, which takes place tomorrow night. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Matthew Rehwoldt and Tom Hannifan welcome us to the show and apparently this is going to be clips of matches from the UK tour rather than a regular show.

Glasgow Cup: Joe Hendry vs. Frankie Kazarian

This is the finals of a one night four man tournament. Hendry (who beat Rich Swann in the first round as opposed to Leon Slater for Kazarian) says his future is bright but he needs to win this match to prove that he belongs. Feeling out process to start with Hendry grabbing a headlock and getting absolutely nowhere.

Kazarian takes him down into a front facelock but Hendry powers it into the corner for the break. Back up and Kazarian grabs a headlock takeover until Hendry powers up again without much effort. Hendry takes his time going up though and gets shoved out to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Kazarian hitting the springboard spinning legdrop for two, setting up another front facelock. Kazarian cradles him for two and hits a clothesline but it’s too early for the chickenwing. That’s reversed into another suplex, followed by Hendry’s fall away slam. Hendry faceplants him into a cutter for two. Kazarian grabs Fade To Black for two of his own and they trade rollups until Hendry gets the pin at 12:57.

Rating: B-. This did what it was supposed to do: give the UK fans a moment as their star wins a meaningless prize and give Hendry one of the bigger singles wins of his career. They covered the wrestling portion of the show rather well as Kazarian continues to show that he is one of the best hands in all of Impact. Nice opener here and they covered a good bit with one match.

Scott D’Amore comes out to award Hendry the cup.

Deonna Purrazzo, Brian Myers and Moose are ready to take out Subculture.

Joe Hendry is happy with his win and wants more.

Subculture vs. Moose/Brian Myers/Deonna Purrazzo

Webster and Myers start things off and spend a good while posing at each other. Myers runs him over with a shoulder but gets armdragged down for his efforts. Everything breaks down and Luna flips both of them into moonsaults onto Myers for two. Purrazzo comes in and is promptly suplexed, allowing the tag off to Moose. Luna can’t quite power him around so it’s off to Andrews as we take a break.

Back with Moose crotching Andrews on top and Purrazzo comes in for a hard clothesline. Stomping ensues in the corner as Rehwoldt is NOT happy with the fans yelling at Myers. Purrazzo breaks up a tag attempt and Myers grabs a chinlock. Andrews finally fights his way to freedom and it’s Luna coming back in to pick up the pace.

Everything breaks down and a triple bomb out of the corner gets a collective two on Moose. Purrazzo Fujiwara armbars Luna until Andrews makes a delayed save. We hit the parade of strikes to the face and everyone is left laying. Andrews Stundog Millionaires Moose and the women crash out to the floor. That leaves Moose to spear Andrews for the pin at 15:43.

Rating: C+. Subculture has done a lot more than I would have expected after they left NXT UK. At the very least, the fact that they are still together and have found some success in Impact is impressive enough. While I can see how the fans might not be pleased at the UK team losing here, Moose and Purrazzo have title shots coming so other than pinning Myers, there wasn’t much of a way out here for Subculture.

Josh Alexander and Eric Young don’t get along but they’re ready for tonight’s main event.

Grado vs. Trey Miguel

Grado avoids a charge to start and dances around as the fans seem to approve. An early chinlock doesn’t get Grado very far so he shoulders Miguel over and steps on his back. Miguel sends him into the corner where Grado flips upside down and mocks him a little bit. This time Miguel sends him outside but Grado grabs an armbar and lets the fans get in some slaps.

Back in and Miguel hits an elbow to the face but Grado nails a Bionic Elbow. A superkick and moonsault give Miguel two, only to have Grado run him over again. The Wee Boot is blocked so Grado grabs a small package for two, followed by the boot connecting for the pin at 8:41.

Rating: C. Yeah sure. Grado is a big deal in the UK and while I’m not a big fan, it completely makes sense to put him here against someone who won’t be hurt by the loss. It’s another example of giving the fans something to cheer about as they’re going to like just about anything Grado does. This won’t hurt Miguel either so it was about as appropriate as you could get.

Eddie Edwards is ready for Will Ospreay at Turning Point.

Trinity vs. Emersyn Jayne

Non-title. Jayne is billed as the Mother Teresa of Workrate but Trinity kicks her down and drops a leg for two. Trinity’s sliding slap is blocked so she kicks Jayne in the head instead. Jayne is back up with the sliding German suplex to take over and a snap suplex gets two. A northern lights suplex gives Jayne two more but Trinity shrugs it off and hits the bulldog onto the middle buckle. The Rear View gets another near fall but Jayne plants her down for the same. That’s enough for Trinity, who kicks her in the head and grabs a Bubba Bomb into a rollup for the pin at 7:09.

Rating: C+. Jayne certainly had some charisma and will probably get noticed after this kind of a match. Trinity is at the top of the division and likely will be until at least Hard To Kill for the match with Jordynne Grace. Other than that though, this was a match where Trinity wasn’t in a ton of danger to lose. It was a nice way to get the champ on the show though and that is what mattered most.

We look at the whole UK tour.

Trinity is ready to beat Deonna Purrazzo for the last time at Turning Point.

Motor City Machine Guns vs. Josh Alexander/Eric Young

Shelley and Alexander start things off and we get a quick handshake. They fight over wrist control with neither being able to get very far. Shelley’s arm crank sends Alexander to the rope but the C4 Spike and Border City Stretch are both broken up. Shelley bails out to the floor so it’s off to Young and Sabin. More wrist battling doesn’t get either of them anywhere but it gets us to a break.

Back with the Guns knocking them to the floor but Alexander comes in to kick Shelley in the face. The front facelock goes on though Shelley is right back out. Alexander can’t get the ankle lock either so Shelley snaps off a dragon screw legwhip. The Guns take over on Alexander’s leg in the corner and another dragon screw legwhip gives Sabin two. We take another break and come back with Sabin still on the leg and the fans cheering for Young.

Stereo Figure Fours have the Canadians in trouble but both of them are broken up. Alexander gets a quick fisherman’s buster and the tag brings Young in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Alexander rolls some German suplexes but the C4 Spike is countered with a hurricanrana.

A running kick to the face gets two as Young makes a save. The missile dropkick/Downward Spiral combination hits Alexander for two but he’s back with a Sharpshooter on Sabin. The rope is grabbed so Sabin Cradle Shocks Alexander. Young is back in with the top rope elbow to Sabin but the lack of Young being legal lets Sabin kick out. Sabin is back with another Cradle Shock to Young for the pin at 20:23.

Rating: B. This felt like exactly what it was: a big time house show match that got a bunch of former World Champions in the ring in a match that you won’t see on a regular Impact. Young was there for no reason other than to take the pin and that is a fine role for him at this point in his career. The Guns can still go with just about anyone and they did well with the makeshift Canadians here.

Overall Rating: B-. It was a good show, but it’s just a house show that they taped and aired here. I get that they’re on tour and can’t do a usual TV, but we’re now two shows past Bound For Glory and don’t have anything resembling fallout. It’s not a problem yet, though if this kind of thing keeps happening, that will change in a hurry. The matches here were all at least decent, but it is absolutely not a show you need to watch in any way.

Results
Joe Hendry b. Frankie Kazarian – Cradle
Moose/Brian Myers/Deonna Purrazzo b. Subculture – Spear to Andrews
Grado b. Trey Miguel – Wee Boot
Trinity b. Emersyn Jayne – Rollup
Motor City Machine Guns b. Eric Young/Josh Alexander – Cradle Shock to Young

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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