Impact Wrestling
Date: October 24, 2024
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re two days away from Bound For Glory and the show is pretty much set. There are still some matches that could use a final push towards the show though and that is what we will be seeing here. Other than that, there is still the chance that we could be seeing something added to the show at the last minute so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Jake Something vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. AJ Francis vs. Sami Callihan vs. Laredo Kid vs. Jason Hotch

One fall to a finish, the winner is #20 in the Call Your Shot gauntlet match and the person who loses the fall is #1. Kazarian wants his special introduction but gets dropkicked outside for his efforts. Kid and Hotch are left in the ring with Kid flipping him around. Something comes back in but Francis knocks him down to take over.

Francis teases the dive but stops instead, only for Callihan to take him out. Kid breaks up Callihan’s dive so Callihan throws him onto the pile and a triplebomb puts Francis down for two back inside. Hotch hits a tornado DDT on Something but Kazarian is back in with the slingshot cutter for two. Callihan Stunners Something and hits the Cactus Driver 97 on Kazarian…but Francis steals the pin on Kazarian at 6:57.

Rating: C+. What do you want from something like this? It’s supposed to be a random scramble match with one person stealing the pin. That’s exactly what we got here with the people getting in their stuff until Francis stole the pin. Francis makes sense, though Kazarian being there at the beginning and already having a spot at the end of the pay per view in the World Title match is scary.

Jonathan Gresham is ready to prove he’s the best in the world and he’ll start against Josh Alexander.

Mike Santana is walking through his childhood neighborhood and talks about how tough they made him. He’s ready for Moose.

It’s time for a launch party, with Ash By Elegance and the Personal Concierge coming out around a champagne and punch table. We meet the new Heather Reckless, who looks quite a bit like Ash. Fans: “BASIC WHITE GIRL!” The women toast the champagne but here is Xia Brookside to say the excitement is almost as fake as the two of them. She doesn’t like what they did to Brinley Reece so here is Reece to help send the women into the beverages.

Josh Alexander vs. Jonathan Gresham

The Northern Armory is here with Alexander. They take their time to start before grappling to a standoff. Alexander works on the arm and Gresham can’t quite flip his way to freedom. An armdrag to the floor works a bit better and Gresham posts him for a bonus as we take an early break.

Back with Alexander getting in some cocky kicks to the head but Gresham scores with an enziguri. A springboard armdrag sends Alexander outside, setting up four straight dives, followed by a middle rope moonsault. Back in and Gresham slips on a springboard, setting up an exchange of rollups for two each. The C4 Spike is blocked so Alexander settles for an ankle lock. That’s broken up as well so Alexander grabs something from his headgear and knocks Gresham silly. The C4 Spike finishes Gresham off at 12:48.

Rating: B-. This was the kind of match that boosts Alexander up on his way to a big showdown at Bound For Glory. Gresham has enough status left over from his time in Ring Of Honor and he’s not going to be hurt by losing to a multiple time World Champion. The action was good enough too and that’s all it should have been.

Post match the beatdown is on so Steve Maclin runs in with a chair for the save, only to get beaten down. The villains zip tie him to the ropes but some wrestlers run in to cut off a big chair shot to the head.

Mike Santana is still in New York and still from the streets. He was on the way to jail or the morgue but he got in the ring instead. These vignettes have been great.

Wendy Choo vs. Jody Threat

Rosemary is here with Choo. They go with some grappling to start before heading out to the floor. Choo gets in a posting to take over and Threat is slammed off the top back inside to make it worse. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Threat comes up for the double clothesline. Threat’s German suplex and clothesline get two but Rosemary gets on the apron for a distraction. The half nelson slam finishes for Choo at 7:04.

Rating: C. Rather to the point here as we have a match that helps set up a less than interesting showdown on Saturday. Choo and Rosemary as the creepy team is better than nothing as challengers for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles but it’s still only so good. Thankfully they didn’t waste time here and got to the point, even with Dani Luna not here for some reason.

The System is ready to win their matches at Bound For Glory.

Bound For Glory rundown.

The System vs. Hardys/ABC

ABC clears Moose out to start and the rest of the System is sent outside as we take a break. Back with Jeff slugging away at JDC and suplexing Edwards. Myers comes in for a cheap shot though and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and it’s Matt coming in to clean quite a bit of house.

It’s of to Bey, who gets distracted by Alisha Edwards, meaning a four way stomping can ensue on the floor as we take another break. Back again with Myers suplexing Bey for two but the Roster Cut is blocked. Austin comes back in to pick up the pace and we hit the parade of finishers. The 1-2-Sweet finishes JDC at 12:09.

Rating: C+. This was a way to get everyone in the ring before the three way tag match on Saturday, with JDC being the designated jobber. I’m still expecting the Hardys to take the titles in the “feel good” moment at Bound For Glory, but ABC getting the titles back is certainly not out of the question. For now though, a nice preview and that’s all it needed to be.

Post match the villains take out the winners, with Mike Santana’s save attempt not exactly working.

Santino Marella is here to moderate the contract signings for the Knockouts and World Title matches. After all four come to the ring, Slamovich says she’s said everything there is to say and promises to win the title. Slamovich signs and Grace says we know how this will go. Nothing will change from their first match and she signs.

That leaves Hendry, who talks about playing a lawyer the first night he saw Nemeth. That night, no one knew his name but everything has changed, because now they are chanting his name. On Saturday, they will be chanting WE BELIEVE and he signs. Nemeth wants Hendry focused on Bound For Glory, because he doesn’t plan on losing. He signs as well, leaving Marella stunned that this worked, but cue Frankie Kazarian to interrupt.

Kazarian went to the Earl Hebner Referee Academy and went over Marella’s head to get the referee spot. Marella means nothing at Bound for Glory because he is the law. Nemeth drops Kazarian and it’s a Cobra to put him down again. Everyone but Santino puts him through the table, setting up the four way staredown to end the show. Kazarian is going to be a factor, but him being in the Call Your Shot and still being there in the end needs to be a red herring, as another cash in title change to end the show would be terrible.

Overall Rating: C+. This was one of those shows that is always hard to pull off, as the show was all but set and they only had to put on the finishing touches. The good thing is they did a nice job of reinforcing what was already set up and didn’t make me lose any interest in the pay per view. Saturday is what matters the most though and now we should be ready for the big show.

Results
AJ Francis b. Jake Something, Frankie Kazarian, Sami Callihan, Laredo Kid and Jason Hotch – Cactus 97 Driver to Kazarian
Josh Alexander b. Jonathan Gresham – C4 Spike
Wendy Choo b. Jody Threat – Half nelson slam
ABC/Hardys b. The System – 1-2-Sweet to JDC

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: October 17, 2024
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re coming up on Bound For Glory and the card has started to take shape. The main event will see Nic Nemeth defending the World Title against Joe Hendry but we’ll also be seeing a ladder match for the Tag Team Titles. You know, because we have to do that at some point in every promotion. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Joe Koff, former Ring Of Honor executive.

Opening recap.

Digital Media Title/International Heavyweight Title: PCO vs. Rhino

PCO is defending both titles. They slug it out to start until Rhino sends him outside and grabs a chair, as this is apparently No DQ. Some cookie sheets to the head rock PCO and it’s time for the trashcan. That takes too long though and PCO chokeslams Rhino onto it for the big crash. Rhino goes back out to the floor but grabs the trashcan to cut off a big dive. The table is brought in but Rhino Gores it by mistake. The PCOsault retains the titles at 8:02.

Rating: C. I’m not sure why this was a hardcore match but it was as run of the mill of one as you could have gotten. They used all of the regular hardcore tropes and there was nothing that went outside of the norm. PCO gets a nice win, but Matt Cardona is the real opponent for him in the near future so this was only going to go so far.

Nic Nemeth is ready to face anyone as a fighting champion so tonight he’s facing Matt Cardona. He wants to see the special Cardona rather than whatever he’s been lately.

Here is Arianna Grace to introduce this week’s NXT guest star.

Brinley Reece vs. Ash By Elegance

Ash’s kick to the ribs off a handshake is broken up and Reece takes her down for a wipe of the lipstick. We pause for some fresh makeup before Reece starts cranking on the arm. A pose off goes to Reece so Ash does some pushups, only for her running shoulder to have no impact. Reece knocks her down and does her own pushups but gets kicked out to the floor for her efforts. Back in and Ash hammers away before grabbing the quickly broken chinlock. Reece’s flipping clothesline gets two but the Personal Concierge offers a distraction, allowing Ash to drop her. Rarefied Air finishes Reece at 5:17.

Rating: C. This is the kind of NXT cameo that offers very little as Reece doesn’t mean much over there in the first place. It isn’t that Ash beat someone important but rather someone from another promotion, which only has so much value. Ash is likely going to get into a bigger story soon, so call this a glorified warmup for whatever is next.

Post match we’re going to be seeing a makeover, but for now it’s just some fresh makeup to Reece. Xia Brookside makes the save.

Rosemary and Wendy Choo torment/stalk Spitfire.

X-Division Title: Mike Bailey vs. Leon Slater

Bailey is defending. They both miss dropkicks to start and it’s an early standoff with Bailey doing his martial arts stance. Slater knocks him to the floor but his dive is knocked out of the air and Bailey gets in a posting as we take a break. Back with Slater’s arm giving out on a handspring attempt so Bailey kicks him down, only to miss a running shooting star press. Slater kicks him right back down as the fans want them to fight forever.

Bailey goes back to the arm but Slater snaps off a flying mare to the floor. The big dive is cut off though and Bailey’s moonsault knees have Slater down again. Slater sends him to the apron, only to miss a dive and get caught with an Asai moonsault. Back in and the tornado kick is cut off by a leg lariat, with Slater sending him outside for the big dive. Bailey goes after the arm again but gets planted off the top. The Swanton 450 misses though and Bailey grabs a chickenwing suplex. The Ultimate Weapon into the Flamingo Driver retains at 15:03.

Rating: B-. Maybe it’s just been seeing him with the title for what feels like ever but I am completely sick of Bailey in almost anything he does. He has a certain style to him that might be impressive but it’s feels so much like a performance rather than trying to win a match. It doesn’t help that he’s also rather active, which makes what he does feel all the more repetitive. Just not my guy and it becomes less interesting every time he’s out there.

Respect is shown post match.

El Hijo del Vikingo will be at Bound For Glory and Bailey seems interested.

Video on the three way match for the Tag Tam Titles at Bound For Glory. Ladders ahoy.

ABC praises the Hardys for being an inspiration but neither of them like the System. An eight man tag is set for next week, but the Hardys promise to win the Tag Team Titles at Bound For Glory.

Here is Steve Maclin, who wants Josh Alexander out here right now. Cue Alexander, flanked by Sinner & Saint, now known as the Northern Armory. Alexander doesn’t know where this change of attitude comes from because he knows what it takes to try and make these fans cheer you. He is the longest reigning World Champion of all time, so why would they believe in a failure like Maclin.

That doesn’t work for Maclin, because Alexander was the first guy to take him under his wing. Maclin thought they could be a team but they’re nothing alike. The Armory comes in and Maclin gets beaten down, with his arms being zip tied behind his back. A C4 Spike leaves Maclin laying.

Santino Marella and Arianna Grace are getting ready for the Call Your Shot gauntlet when an annoyed Frankie Kazarian comes in to draw his number.

Mike Santana vs. Brian Myers

The rest of the System is here too and Santana knocks Myers cold with a chain before the bell. Spin The Block with the chain drops Myers again and Santana calls out Moose. That doesn’t happen so the hunt is afoot. No match.

Post break Santana goes after Moose, who hits him with something made of metal to leave Santana laying.

We get a sitdown interview between Masha Slamovich and Jordynne Grace. Slamovich has been a good friend and doesn’t know why Grace hasn’t helped her up. Grace talks about how hard she has worked to get here and the same thing that happened at Bound for Glory two years ago is happening again this year. Slamovich doesn’t think so.

Matt Cardona vs. Nic Nemeth

Non-title, Frankie Kazarian is on commentary and Cardona has security here to protect him from PCO. Cardona takes him into the corner to start but Nemeth fights out and drops the ten elbows for two. Back up and Cardona hammers away before sending Nemeth shoulder first into the post. They head outside where Cardona’s piledriver attempt is blocked, only for him to send Nemeth into the steps.

We take a break and come back with Nemeth breaking up a superplex attempt. Cardona hits the running boot in the corner for two but Radio Silence is countered into a DDT to give Nemeth two. An implant DDT hits Nemeth for two but he’s right back with a superkick for two more. The Fameasser hits Cardona for another near fall, only for Cardona to sneak in a low blow. Cue PCO to break through security, which is enough of a distraction for the Danger Zone to finish for Nemeth at 12:57.

Rating: B-. Cardona has had a total career renaissance since leaving WWE and in that whole change, his in-ring abilities have been kind of forgotten. For so long he was known as little more than a comedy guy but he can wrestle a completely fine match, which is what we saw here. Cardona was hanging with an established star like Nemeth and never felt like he was out of place or trying to keep up. That’s a side of him that is overlooked and it’s kind of a shame.

PCO drags Cardona away so Kazarian jumps Nemeth, with Joe Hendry coming in for the save. Kazarian grabs a referee shirt and says he’s the guest referee for the title match at Bound For Glory to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. We’re at the point where everything at Bound For Glory is either set or all but set and that means the shows can have a tough go. There is only so much let for TNA to do before going to Detroit and they had to make it work here. What we got did hype up the show a bit more and I want to see most of what they’re offering, though the Tag Team Title stuff still isn’t doing it for me. Other than that though, they’re set up well and we should be in for a good biggest show of the year.

Results
PCO b. Rhino – PCOsault
Ash By Elegance b. Brinley Reece – Rarefied Air
Mike Bailey b. Leon Slater – Flamingo Driver
Nic Nemeth b. Matt Cardona – Danger Zone

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: October 3, 2024
Host Tom Hannifan

This is a special show as Hurricane Helene knocked out the planned television tapings, meaning we are in for a Best Of Show. In this case it’s the Best Of Bound For Glory, which is appropriate as we are just over three weeks away from this year’s edition. We might get some quick promos to go with that though so let’s get to it.

Note that I’ll be posting the full versions of the matches, omitting any edits on this week’s broadcast.

Host Tom Hannifan introduces us to our first match.

From 2022.

X-Division Title: Frankie Kazarian vs. Mike Bailey

Bailey is defending and after a quick handshake, we’re ready to go. They trade some early rollups for two each before Bailey has to bail to the ropes to avoid the chickenwing. A dropkick sets up another failed chickenwing attempt so Bailey sends him outside for the moonsault to the floor. Back in and Kazarian knocks him off the top for a crash to the floor as the pace slows. Kazarian starts in on the leg, which never works on Bailey.

Bailey fights up and hits a kick to the chest, setting up the bouncing kicks into the running corkscrew shooting star press. Kazarian gets up this time and hits Back To The Future (electric chair bridged back into a rollup) for two before they knock each other down for a breather. Back up and Bailey kicks him in the face, setting up the standing moonsault knees. The Ultimate Weapon gets two and Bailey is stunned. The Flamingo Driver is countered into the chickenwing, which is broken up just as fast.

Kazarian misses a charge and falls to the floor, where Bailey is waiting on him with the top rope Asai moonsault. That’s shrugged off though as Kazarian comes back in with a slingshot cutter for his own near fall. The Flux Capacitor (super Spanish Fly) gives Kazarian two but another Back To The Future is countered into a poisonrana. Bailey goes up for another Ultimate Weapon but gets pulled into another cutter. The chickenwing gives Kazarian the title back at 12:34.

Rating: B-. This is what you want to go with in an opener as they were flying around the ring until one of them got caught. Thankfully Kazarian didn’t waste too long working on the knee before Bailey got up for his flips and dives, meaning the frustration levels weren’t as high here. Kazarian winning is a surprise as Bailey has been on a roll lately, but it is certainly a twist at the end of a fast paced match.

From 2021.

Call Your Shot Gauntlet Match

There are 20 entrants, with two minute intervals in a battle royal format until the final two have a singles match, with the winner getting a shot at any title any time they choose. Chris Sabin is in at #1 (due to being the last person eliminated from a battle royal) and Rocky Romero (a surprise) is in at #2. They go technical to start with neither being able to get any kind of an advantage. An exchange of armdrags gives us a standoff as Madman Fulton is in at #3, giving Sabin and Romero a joint target.

The clock speeds WAY up and it’s Rohit Raju in at #4 to go after the non-monsters. The mini tag match breaks out until Tasha Steelz is in at #5 as a bit of a wild card. Steelz joins in with the villains to get rid of Romero and it’s Rachael Ellering in at #6 to go after Steelz in a hurry. A bunch of people get rid of Fulton and it’s Savannah Evans in at #7. Sabin and Raju pair off as Ellering goes after Evans and Steelz. Johnny Swinger is in at #8 as Ellering and Evans eliminate each other. That leaves Swinger to hit on Steelz, who takes him down and hammers away instead.

Melina is in at #9 (another surprise) so Swinger shows her the guns. It actually works for a change, as Swinger is ready for her drop down into the splits and sends her face first into the mat. The Demon (as in WCW’s KISS Demon) in is at #10 so Swinger gets a quick autograph, followed by a quick elimination. Brian Myers is in at #11 as these intervals are all over the place. Matt Cardona is in at #12 and goes right at Myers due to the laws of the wrestling world.

More brawling against the ropes ensues and it’s Laredo Kid in at #13. A handspring DDT hits Raju as Myers dumps Melina and Steelz to clear the ring a bit. The ring is filled up a bit more though as Sam Beale is in at #14 and goes after Cardona (on Myers’ orders of course). Rich Swann is in at #15 and strikes away at Myers and Beale. Myers gets in a shot of his own but Beale tosses him out to a pretty big reaction. Ace Austin is in at #16 and kicks the Demon in the face, setting up the elimination, because the Demon was still in the match for some reason.

Moose is in at #17 and powerbombs Beale out in a huge crash. Eddie Edwards is in at #18 and there goes Kid. Moose gets kicked outside without an elimination, where he pulls Eddie out, also without an elimination. Alisha Edwards is in at #19 and it’s a family kendo stick beatdown on Moose. W. Morrissey is in at #20 (meaning we had 18 entrants in less than 20 minutes), giving us Sabin, Raju, Cardona, Swann, Austin, Moose, Eddie Edwards, Alisha Edwards and Morrissey as the final grouping.

Morrissey tosses out Alisha and then kicks Eddie out, meaning it’s time for the alliance with Moose. Raju wants to join them but joins the Edwards on the floor instead. Sabin dumps Ace Austin so here is Madman Fulton to attack Sabin, allowing Moose and Morrissey to get rid of him too. We’re down to Moose, Morrissey, Cardona and Swann so everyone takes a corner. Morrissey goes to get rid of Swann but Moose dumps both of them, leaving us with Cardona vs. Moose in a regular singles match. Cardona swings away and hits the Future Endeavored, only to miss Radio Silence. Moose spears him down for the pin at 29:38.

Rating: C-. They were flying through this one and your mileage may vary on that part. The bigger issue here was how fast people were coming in, as there wasn’t time to do much in between. It does help that there were multiple possible winners and they didn’t waste time once it was down to one on one. This could have been shortened a good bit though and the longer time is what holds it back a lot.

From 2022.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Masha Slamovich

Grace is defending. They start very fast with Grace hammering her down in the corner and out to the floor, setting up a running kick through the ropes. Slamovich gets in a kick to the head on the apron and a belly to back piledriver on said apron knocks Grace a bit loopy. Back in and we hit the reverse chinlock to stay on Grace’s neck but Grace fights out without much effort.

A spinebuster out of the corner plants Slamovich again and they chop it out. Stereo spinning backfists put both of them down and the fans seem to approve. Back up and a Michinoku Driver gives Grace two more but the Vader Bomb misses. Grace hits a Jackhammer for another two but Slamovich slips out of the MuscleBuster for a sleeper.

That’s shifted into a bulldog choke until Grave powers up and grabs the rope. Another driver drops Slamovich again and Grace slaps her in the face a few times. The Grace Driver gets two and Grace is stunned. She’s so stunned that Slamovich is able to hit an Air Raid Crash into the corner, setting up the Snow Plow for two more, as Grace gets a foot under the ropes. They go up top where Grace gets in a shot to the ribs, setting up something close to a super Grace Driver to retain at 15:57.

Rating: B. I’d call that quite the surprise, as Slamovich seemed primed to take the title here. Grave is a fine champion but it isn’t like she was on some legendary run. Unless this is setting up a rather eventual James vs. Grace showdown, I don’t know if I get this. They had a heck of a hoss fight, but this should have been Slamovich’s big moment instead of Grace retaining.

From 2023.

Moose vs. PCO vs. Steve Maclin vs. Rhino

Anything goes and they do the whole “they’ve been locked up for twenty four hours” deal. It’s a brawl before the bell and Moose beats people up with the briefcase. As the spear is loaded up, here is PCO to brawl with Moose instead. Moose backdrops PCO over the top and through a ladder but the other two get back in to keep up the brawling. Maclin Death Valley Drivers Moose into a trashcan in the corner and hits PCO in the back with a chair.

Back in and PCO chokeslams Maclin and hits a suicide dive on Rhino. A middle rope legdrop hits Maclin and the Deanimator makes it even worse. Moose is back in with some release Rock Bottoms to PCO, who keeps popping right back up. With that not working, Moose plants CO onto some cinder blocks covers with thumbtacks (because that’s a thing).

Rhino is back up and wants tables, which the fans seem to like. Naturally it’s a barbed wire table but Maclin posts Rhino to cut him off. Cue Bully Ray to shove Maclin off the top and through the barbed wire table for the huge crash. Back in and PCO DDTs Moose, who catches him on top with some chair shots. Rhino Gores the chair that Moose is holding but it’s enough to put Moose down so that the PCOsault can finish him off at 11:11.

Rating: B-. This was exactly as advertised and that is not a bad thing. Sometimes you need to just let some big people go out there and hit each other really hard which is what we got here. PCO winning is a bit of a surprise but it does make sense given how much this match would suit him. Fun stuff here and they did what they needed to.

From 2022.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Josh Alexander vs. Eddie Edwards

Alexander is defending and Edwards sends Honor No More to the back. Both of their families are at ringside to make it more personal. They fight over a lockup to start as commentary breaks down the difference in the color of their gear. Edwards hits a chop, which is enough to make Alexander double leg him down and hammer away. Alexander knocks him outside for a breather before they switch places.

A slingshot dive drops Alexander for a change but he’s right back up with the crossbody to the back to send them both outside again. Back in and Edwards snaps off an overhead belly to belly before sending him right back to the floor. One might think they are filling in time here. The floor mats are pulled back, which takes long enough for Alexander to fight back. A German suplex from the apron to the floor is blocked so Edwards hits a Diehard Driver on the exposed floor.

Back in and Alexander seems to be favoring his leg and the Backpack Stunner takes him down. The half crab goes on but Alexander makes the rope. Back up and Alexander starts rolling some German suplexes, even going through the ropes and hitting another on the apron. That’s still not enough to break it up and they go outside with two more German suplexes, setting up another one on the ramp.

They head back inside with Alexander hitting a powerbomb onto the knee for two, only to have Eddie come back with Deep Six for two of his own. The Boston Knee Party is blocked and Alexander goes old school with a Styles Clash. Alexander puts on an ankle lock, which is broken without much trouble.

Edwards enziguris him off the top but the referee gets bumped. Cue Kenny King for a low blow before he is taken out by security, allowing a second referee to come in. The Boston Knee Party gets two on Alexander and a tiger driver gets the same, leaving both of them down. Alexander’s nose is busted but he comes up slugging, only to get rolled up for two. Another Boston Knee Party is blocked and the C4 Spike retains the title at 28:04.

Rating: B. Definitely a good match but this never hit that next level as it was bouncing pretty hard off the ceiling above it. Edwards is a strong challenger to Alexander and just like in the previous match, it felt like he should have won here instead of coming up short. What’s the point of Honor No More if Edwards loses in the biggest match the team has had? Anyway, solid main event, but I’m not sure if it was worthy of the final spot on the biggest show of the year.

A quick Nic Nemeth vs. Joe Hendry video wraps us up.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a good example of “what else where they supposed to do” and it went well enough. They gave us a few matches from the last few years and the once chosen made for a nice two hours. We can get back to the important stuff next week but for now, this was as good as they could have done given the circumstances.

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.

Impact Wrestling
Date: September 26, 2024
Location: Boeing Center At Tech Point, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We are about a month away from Bound For Glory and this week will see the announcement of the show’s main event. Frankie Kazarian and Joe Hendry will face off in a #1 contenders match for the pay per view title shot against Nic Nemeth. Other than that, we’ll need to find out what else is happening at the show and the build should start here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Jordynne Grace/??? vs. Wendy Choo/Rosemary

The mystery partner is….NXT’s Sol Ruca, a surfer with an insane finisher. It’s a brawl before the bell to start and the villains are sent into each other, setting up a pair of dives to the floor. Back in and Rosemary takes Ruca down to choke away on the ropes before stomping away in the corner.

Ruca reverses a double suplex into a double neckbreaker though and it’s Grace coming in to clean house. Everything breaks down and the Sol Snatcher (Ruca runs the corner and does an inverted flip into a cutter. You kind of have to see it to see how impressive it is.) sets up the Juggernaut Driver but Tasha Steelz runs in to jump Grace for the DQ at 4:20.

Rating: C. The match was pretty much nothing but a way to get Ruca in the ring and show the fans her awesome finisher. Other than that, it would seem that Steelz is the next challenger to Grace, which is better than nothing as Grace is so far ahead of almost everyone else in the division. There wasn’t much time for action here but it did check two boxes in that short of a match.

Post match the beatdown stays on but Masha Slamovich runs in for the save.

Frankie Kazarian is ready for Joe Hendry tonight.

Laredo Kid vs. Jonathan Gresham

Gresham powers him into the corner to start and armdrags him back out of the corner. Another armdrag into a rollup gets two before they flip up into a standoff. Gresham actually goes for the mask but gets knocked outside for an anklescissors. Kid takes him down again and hits a running forearm in the corner back inside.

The middle rope moonsault hits raised knees though and Gresham grabs a Boston crab. For some reason Gresham switches that to a half crab but Kid makes the rope for a break. Kid’s back is good enough for Two Amigos into a brainbuster but Gresham is back up with a springboard moonsault. Gresham stomps on the leg and drives it into the mat until Kid taps at 6:58.

Rating: C+. In recent weeks, Gresham has been getting some wins in surprise ways and that’s a good way to go. It sets up the idea that Gresham can win with something other than a signature move and that makes things all the more interesting. As usual, Kid looked good in defeat, which is about all you can expect from him at this point.

Mike Santana storms the System’s locker room and noise is heard.

ABC/Zachary Wentz vs. Kushida/Leon Slater/Mike Bailey

Bailey and Wentz start things off but everything breaks down and we get the big six way staredown. We take a break and come back with Slater fighting out of a chinlock, allowing the tag to Kushida. The double tag brings in Bailey and Wentz for the face to face staredown. Wentz hits a dropkick and everything breaks down again with all six brawling. Slater hits a high crossbody to take out the ABC, setting up the big lip dive over the corner. Back in and the Swanton 450 misses, allowing Wentz to hit the UFO to pin Slater at 8:29.

Rating: B-. The more I see from Bailey, the less I understand why he is the champion again. Wentz was at least something fresh in the title picture but he just lost it back to Bailey a few weeks later. Odds are we get some kind of a showdown for the title at Bound For Glory, but it’s kind of hard to take Wentz seriously as a challenger when he lost clean in his first major title defense.

Cody Deaner interrupts Jake Something’s workout and tells him to not listen to Hammerstone, who is here too. Hammerstone offers to shut Deaner up.

Mike Santana wants Moose.

Lei Ying Lee vs. Hyan

Lee is better known as Xia Li. Hyan gets knocked down to start but rolls outside before Lee can dive off the top. Back in and Hyan fires off some kicks but Lee isn’t pleased. A spinning torture rack faceplant sets up a running spinning kick (Thunderstruck) to finish Hyan at 4:04.

Rating: C. This was your get to know you match for Lee, who looked fine enough in her debut. The striking and the kicking will always be worth at least a look as she knows how to do them, with the big spinning kick working fine as a finisher. Another short match, but it did what it needed to do.

Leon Slater apologizes to Mike Bailey for the loss but Bailey gives him a pep talk.

ABC wants the Tag Team Titles back. The Hardys come in and say they want the titles as well. Finger gestures and noises ensue.

Here is Josh Alexander for a chat. Alexander admits he deserves to be booed but now he believes in Joe Hendry. Alexander gave him the toughest fight he could and then went out on his shield. When Alexander was saying some stupid things, Eric Young tried to talk some sense into him so he would like Young to come out here right now.

Cue Young to say this is the real Walking Weapon, which Young seems to appreciate. Young is glad to have the real one back and he is glad that Alexander can admit that Hendry was the better man. Everything seems ok…and then Alexander suplexes him. Steve Maclin runs in for the save but Sinner & Saint helps beat the good guys down.

Santino Marella talks to Steph de Lander when Matt Cardona interrupts. Santino doesn’t care for this and puts Cardona in a Monster’s Ball match against PCO at Bound For Glory.

Heather Reckless vs. Xia Brookside

Brookside has a cowgirl theme this week. Reckless starts fast and chokes on the ropes as here is Ash By Elegance, also in cowgirl attire, to watch. Brookside fights out of a double arm crank and makes the clothesline comeback for two. The running knees connect in the corner so Reckless bails out to the floor. A snap suplex on the floor has Reckless in more trouble and they head back inside, where Reckless gets in a neck snap over the ropes. Rarefied Air finishes Brookside at 6:02.

Rating: C+. Reckless is someone who is becoming a bigger deal in a hurry and that is a good thing for the division. She is still relatively brand new and is already feeling like someone who could wind up becoming something. At the same time, Brookside losing again isn’t a great sign, as she hasn’t felt important in a good while.

Post break Reckless comes in to see Ash, whose concierge wants to give Reckless elegance.

Joe Hendry vs. Frankie Kazarian

For the Bound For Glory shot against Nic Nemeth, who is on commentary. Before the match, Hendry says Kazarian looks like the dad from Spy Kids and the brawl is on. Hendry fights out of the early beating and we take an early break. Back with Hendry slamming him down, setting up a springboard spinning legdrop for two.

Kazarian grabs a mic and shouts about how he DOES NOT believe in Joe Hendry while stomping away. Hendry is right back up with the fall away slam but the Standing Ovation is blocked. Kazarian’s chickenwing is broken up so Hendry grabs the ankle lock. That’s broken up as well, with Kazarian’s Fade To Black not working either. Hendry goes to the ankle lock, with Kazarian making the rope.

Back up and Kazarian hits the slingshot DDT, only to be sent outside in a heap. A suplex on the floor hits Kazarian but he gets in a cheap shot with…something for the quick pin at 9:50. Hold on though as Nemeth protests and Santino Marella comes out to say restart it. Kazarian knocks him down again but walks into a quick Standing Ovation to give Hendry the pin and the title shot at 12:43.

Rating: B-. Despite the fact that Kazarian has been pushed, it was hard to believe that Hendry was in any real danger of losing here, even when he did. Hendry has been the hottest thing in TNA for a long time now and it makes all the sense in the world for him to get the World Title shot. That’s the money match and this wasn’t so much about would he get here, but rather how he got there.

Nemeth applauds Hendry to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was all about setting up the main event of Bound For Glory and it worked out well enough. The rest of the show was perfectly acceptable but there was almost nothing that you needed to see. It was a rather run of the mill show, but what matters is setting things up for next month and this show took care of the biggest piece of that puzzle.

Results
Jordynne Grace/Sol Ruca b. Rosemary/Wendy Choo via DQ when Tasha Steelz interfered
Jonathan Gresham b. Laredo Kid – Gresham rammed Kid’s knee into the mat
ABC/Zachary Wentz b. Kushida/Leon Slater/Mike Bailey – UFO to Slater
Lei Ying Lee b. Hyan – Thunderstruck
Heather Reckless b. Xia Brookside – Rarefied Air
Joe Hendry b. Frankie Kazarian – Standing Ovation

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: September 19, 2024
Location: Boeing Center At Tech Port, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re done with Victory Road and the big story is Nic Nemeth is still the World Champion as we are on the road to Bound For Glory. He is going to need a new challenger and it almost has to be Joe Hendry. Other than that, multiple titles changed hands so it’s time to move in a new direction. Let’s get to it.

Here is Victory Road if you need a recap.

Victory Road recap.

Here is Alisha Edwards to blame Masha Slamovich for her no longer being a champion. Cue Slamovich to threaten Alisha in English (which apparently she can speak), with Alisha bringing up that Slamovich can’t do anything because Alisha is still under concussion protocol. Cue Tasha Steelz to jump Slamovich but Jordynne Grace runs in for the save. The System runs in but the Hardys even things out. Cue Santino Marella to make a six person tag. Cue Arianna Grace to say Grace will team up with one of Grace’s best friends to face Wendy Choo and Rosemary next week. Santino likes how she thinks.

Eric Young talks to Josh Alexander about respect and wants him to be serious.

Jordynne Grace and Masha Slamovich respect each other but think they’ll meet down the line. They go to talk to the Hardys and Slamovich has a photo of herself meeting them as a kid. Matt Hardy is ready for the main event.

First Class vs. Sinner & Saint

Navarro flips over Sinner (who is apparently named Travis Williams) to start so it’s off to Saint (Judas Icarus) for a dropkick. Francis comes in to throw people around and Navarro adds some running knees. Icarus DDTs his way to freedom and it’s back to Williams to clean house. A double underhook powerbomb gives Icarus two but Francis is in with the Down Payment. Navarro’s frog splash pins Icarus at 4:26.

Rating: C. This was a nice way to reheat First Class after their recent losses. They need a bit of a boost, but they are also going to need a feud of some kind, perhaps one they can even do well in. Sinner & Saint, despite their odd names, have been around here before and are a decent enough tag team.

Mike Santana is ready to hurt JDC.

Mike Bailey is glad to be X Division Champion again and is ready to have a six man tag tonight.

Steph de Lander has to calm PCO down.

Rhino vs. Matt Cardona

Cardona bails to the floor to start before Rhino hammers away. The threat of a Gore sens Cardona outside, where Rhino suplexes him onto the ramp. Back in and Cardona hammers away but Rhino grabs a chair. Cardona takes it away and hits him in the ribs for the DQ at 2:54.

Post match Cardona beats him down but PCO runs in for the save…and beats up the chair, treating it as PCO.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Spitfire vs. Carlee Bright/Kendal Grey

Bright and Grey, from NXT, are challenging. Threat wrestles Grey to the mat without much trouble to start before sending her into the corner. Luna sends Grey flying with a fall away slam before the champs get two off a double suplex. Grey kicks her way out of the corner though and it’s off to Bright for a middle rope hurricanrana. A standing moonsault gets two but Threat comes back in for the toss powerbomb (Pressure Drop) to retain at 4:24.

Rating: C. We’re kind of at the point where the NXT crossovers aren’t meaning as much. There is only so much you can get out of some lower card women challenging for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles and it didn’t feel important. If you want this to work, someone is going to have to win another promotion’s title and that isn’t feeling likely.

Ash By Elegance and Heather Reckless get to know each other. Reckless is even interested in a makeover.

Mike Santana vs. JDC

Texas Deathmatch, meaning Last Man Standing but you have to get a pin or submission before the count starts.. Santana comes through the crowd and hammers away, with JDC being knocked out to the floor. Back in and some chairs are set up but JDC sends Santana into them. A trashcan is put over Santana’s head for Down And Dirty and Santana is busted open. Santana comes back with a barbed wire 2×4 to take over and we take an early break.

Back with Santana hitting a piledriver on the stage for two but JDC (who is GUSHING blood) is back with a tornado DDT. Santana sends a charging JDC into the barricade and then crushes him with an anvil case. JDC is put on a table and a frog splash off a ladder knocks him through for the pin, and then the ten count, to give Santana the pin at 12:15.

Rating: C+. Nice enough brawl, with JDC’s cut being downright gruesome, but this could have easily been a street fight or something to the same result. The Texas Deathmatch stipulation wasn’t exactly needed but what matters the most here is Santana continues his rise. Odds are he gets a big match with Moose at Bound For Glory, and this was a good win on the way there.

Post match Moose runs in and chairs Santana down.

Josh Alexander sees something in Sinner & Saint.

Lei Ying Lee (Xia Li) is coming.

Here is Joe Hendry for a chat. Hendry talks about what he did at Victory Road and how much of a statement it was for him to beat Josh Alexander. The people lifted him up and now he is ready for them to lift him to the World Title. Cue Frankie Kazarian to laugh off the idea of Hendry going to the World Title, because Nic Nemeth should give Kazarian the title shot instead. Cue Nemeth to say that Kazarian calls himself the King Of TNA but this is the real crown. Santino Marella comes out to make Kazarian vs. Hendry next week for the #1 contendership. That was simple and to the point.

System/Tasha Steelz vs. Masha Slamovich/Hardys

Alisha Edwards is here with the villains. Slamovich sends Steelz into the ropes to start and hits a running shot to the face. Matt and Eddie come in with Matt choking on the rope and hitting a running crotch attack to the back of the neck. Jeff comes in for Poetry In Motion and Slamovich sends Steelz into the corner for her own Poetry In Motion. Slamovich hits a big dive to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Slamovich in trouble and Myers coming in to calmly kick her in the corner. It’s a bit too calm as Slamovich slips away and hands it back to Jeff to clean house. Myers cuts that off with a Russian legsweep for two and some elbows up against the ropes. Jeff suplexes Eddie down and the Whisper In The Wind drops the System again. Matt comes in off the tag to start the real comeback but Alisha breaks up the Twist of Fate. That’s enough for an ejection, with the ABC coming in to get rid of her. That leaves Myers to take the Twist Of Fate into the Swanton to give Jeff the pin at 16:12.

Rating: B-. Nice enough main event here, but dang I do not care to see the Hardys going into Bound For Glory and getting the Tag Team Titles in some special moment. Throw in ABC and they have all the makings of a ladder match for the belts, which just…no. Other than that, Slamovich looked like a star here and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her getting the Knockouts Title shot at Bound For Glory.

Overall Rating: C+. Not exactly a can’t miss show here and there was nothing worth going out of your way to see, but what matters the most here is that you can see a lot of Bound For Glory from here. It’s a good sign when the card is starting to come into focus over a month out and now we could be in for a solid build there. This wasn’t a red hot start, but at least they put some more pieces together.

Results
First Class b. Sinner & Saint – Frog splash to Icarus
Rhino b. Matt Cardona via DQ when Cardona used a chair
Spitfire b. Carlee Bright/Kendal Grey – Pressure Drop to Bright
Mike Santana b. JDC – Splash from a ladder through a table
Hardys/Masha Slamovich b. System/Tasha Steelz – Swanton Bomb to Myers

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

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Victory Road 2024
Date: September 13, 2024
Location: Boeing Center At Tech Point, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

It’s the last big stop before Bound For Glory and the big main event is a rematch from earlier this year as Nic Nemeth faces Moose, this time with Nemeth defending. Other than that, Jordynne Grace defends the Knockouts Title against NXT’s Wendy Choo as the crossover continues. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Kushida vs. Leon Slater

The fans are behind Kushida as he goes behind Slater to start. With that going nowhere, Kushida takes him down and goes after the leg before both of them miss a kick and we go to a standoff. Slater’s headlock doesn’t get him anywhere so he kicks Kushida in the head to take over. Another shot sends Kushida outside but it’s too early for the dive, allowing Kushida to hit a running handspring kick in the corner. The big flip dive to the floor drops Slater and it’s time to go after the leg back inside.

With that not working, Kushida switches over to the leg, which tends to be his custom. Kushida dropkicks him into the corner but misses a clothesline, allowing Slater to hit a dropkick of his own. A slugout goes to Slater but Kushida pulls him into the Hoverboard Lock, which is broken up just as fast. Slater knocks him outside for a big running flip dive, with Slater sticking the landing. Back in and Kushida grabs the Hoverboard Lock for the really sudden tap at 7:54.

Rating: B-. Kushida is a great choice to open the show, as he can go out there and pop the crowd by being so smooth at everything he does. That is more than most wrestlers around here, or anywhere for that matter, can do and it is going to keep him around for a long time. Nice opener here, with Slater looking good in defeat.

Kickoff Show: Hammerstone/Jake Something vs. Eric Young/Steve Maclin

It’s a brawl before the bell with the villains hitting stereo clotheslines to take over. We get the official start with Hammerstone dropping Maclin, who sends the villains into each other to fight back. Maclin sends them into the same corner and fires off some clotheslines before tying Hammerstone in the Tree Of Woe. The running shoulder misses though and Something runs Maclin over on the floor as the fans want Eric.

Back in and Maclin gets in a shot for a breather, allowing the tag to Young to pick up the pace. A sitout powerbomb gets two on Something and it’s back to Hammerstone to take Young into the wrong corner. Young gets away rather easily though and Maclin’s running shoulder in the corner sets up Young’s top rope elbow for two. Everything breaks down and Something hits Into The Void to pin Young at 7:45.

Rating: C. Well, at least the villains finally won. Something and Hammerstone both feel like they should be much bigger deals but for some reason they’re lucky to win a match like this. Hopefully this is the start of something good for them, though it is hard to believe that given their track record. For now though, I’ll take a single win.

The show proper opens with a look at the main matches, including a bunch of titles on the line.

Hardys vs. First Class

Jeff and Navarro start things off with Navarro mocking Matt and quickly being knocked down. That means Jeff gets to dance, as is his custom, before it’s off to Matt to work on the arm. Francis gets knocked to the floor but he grabs Matt’s leg for a distraction, allowing Navarro to get in a cheap shot to take over.

Francis comes in for a big boot and a running knee in the corner, followed by a side slam for two. For some reason Francis tries a Swanton, which goes as well as expected. The tag brings Jeff back in to clean house, including a rollup for two. Francis comes back in and gets double DDT’ed, leaving Navarro to take the twist of Fate into the Swanton for the pin at 9:39.

Rating: C+. The Hardys are one of those things that will always work in wrestling, even when they’re in their late 40s and nowhere near what they were before. There is a good chance that this leads them back into the Tag Team Title picture though and it wouldn’t shock me to see them getting the Bound For Glory shot. That isn’t exactly appealing, but you know what you’re getting with the Hardys.

We run down the card.

X-Division Title: Mike Bailey vs. Zachary Wentz

Wentz is defending after winning the title in Ultimate X last month. They trade takedowns to start and neither gets anywhere so it’s an early standoff. Wentz lets Bailey slap him in the face and then takes it outside as commentary talks about the history of the title. Back in and Bailey knocks him to the floor this time, setting up an early dive as the fans find this awesome.

Wentz sweeps the leg but Bailey is back up with the rapid fire kicks to cut him off. A quick snapmare sets up a running kick to Bailey’s chest but they both miss running shooting star presses and kick the other in the head for a double knockdown. They get back up again, with Bailey letting Wentz hit him this time. The slugout sees both of them knocked to the floor, where Bailey does his head fake into the Asai moonsault. A springboard flip dive lets Wentz drop Bailey for a change but of course he’s right back with the moonsault knees on the apron.

Wentz hits a DDT but Bailey gets his knees up to block the Swanton. The Flamingo Driver is broken up and Wentz grabs a middle rope cutter for two. Bailey powerbombs him out of the corner and hits a great looking shooting star press for two of his own. Wentz grabs a running flipping DDT for two, only for Bailey to hit a poisonrana. The UFO is blocked and Bailey hits the Flamingo Driver to get the title back at 17:41.

Rating: B. Well, that Wentz reign was a big waste of time. He won the title in something close to a ladder match and then loses it back in a clean match two weeks later. Bailey getting the title back is as uninspiring of a decision as you can get as it feels like he’s had the thing for the better part of ever. Good match, but dang can we let someone look good over Bailey for a bit?

The System is ready to reboot tonight.

Rhino/PCO vs. Matt Cardona/Steph de Lander

Steph is in a Property Of Matt Cardona shirt. Hang on though as she talks about the roller coaster her career has had…and now she needs neck surgery. Matt is still her best friend and she thanks him for everything, and she is so happy with her husband. Now though, she needs them to figure this out without her. This is not a retirement and she’ll see you later and she loves us. PCO and Steph leave together and Cardona hits Rhino with Radio Silence. No match.

Nic Nemeth is ready to get his win back against Moose.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Masha Slamovich/Tasha Steelz vs. Spitfire

Spitfire is challenging and will split up if they lose, while Steelz is replacing an injured Alisha Edwards (here with the champs). Luna shoves Steelz down to start so Steelz takes her down for some glaring. Slamovich comes in to work on Threat’s arm but a slam puts Slamovich down. Luna slams Threat onto her, only to have Slamovich come back with a suplex.

It’s back to Steelz who fires off some chops in the corner before cranking on the arm some more. Slamovich gets two off Three Amigos and Steelz puts on the camel clutch. With that broken up, Threat tornado DDTs her way to freedom and Luna is back in with a powerbomb for two on Slamovich. Everything breaks down and Luna breaks up Steelz’s Sliced Bread attempt. Slamovich gets tossed into a sitout powerbomb to give Spitfire the titles back at 11:12.

Rating: C+. These titles still do not feel important and having Spitfire put their career as a team on the line against a makeshift team (not TNA’s fault) didn’t help things. Neither team, including the Alisha version felt like a special pairing, but that is going to happen when they have barely been together. This was about as good as it could have been, which isn’t saying much.

Post match Alisha yells at Slamovich and Steelz has to make a save.

Jake Something and Hammerstone say their win on the Kickoff Show was just a start.

We look at Josh Alexander turning evil at Slammiversary, which doesn’t work for Joe Hendry. Alexander is jealous of Hendry’s success and Hendry is ready to prove himself.

Joe Hendry vs. Josh Alexander

Alexander powers him into the corner to start and Hendry isn’t sure what to do with that. A headlock takeover works a bit better for Hendry but he’s right back out for a staredown. Hendry’s running shoulder puts Alexander on the floor so he comes back in, where Hendry is waiting with a rather delayed running suplex for two. This time Alexander wants to go outside, where he gets in a shot on Hendry to set up the running crossbody on the apron.

Back in and Alexander goes after the Ankle lock before snapping off a German suplex. The chinlock goes on before Alexander switches to a front facelock. That’s reversed as well as Hendry muscles him up with a suplex and there’s the fall away slam. Alexander bails to the floor again so Hendry gives him a trust fall on the floor. Back in and Alexander hits a quick backbreaker for two but Hendry crotches him on top.

The super fall away slam gives Hendry two and they slug it out. Alexander picks the ankle for the ankle lock though, with Hendry being believed over to the ropes. Hendry hiptosses him into the arm and stomps away but the referee gets bumped. The C4 Spike is countered and Hendry gets his own ankle lock, with Alexander tapping. Alexander uses the delay to go low…and Hendry is wearing a cup, having learned at Slammiversary. The Standing Ovation into an ankle lock makes Alexander tap at 16:54.

Rating: B. That might be Hendry’s best match in TNA so far and he beat a former multiple time World Champion clean. At the end of the day, Hendry needs some big wins like this one on what should be his path to the World Title. Hendry getting smart with the cup was a nice feature as well and it came after a good match, with Hendry getting some credibility to go with his natural star power.

We recap the System using their rematch to get another shot at the Tag Team Titles they lost earlier this year.

Tag Team Titles: System vs. ABC

ABC is defending and Alisha Edwards is here with the System. Bey and Myers lock it up to start with Myers kicking him in the ribs, only to get dropped with a dropkick. Austin comes in to work on the arm, with la majistral getting two. The champs hit a double basement dropkick for two but Eddie low bridges Austin to the floor. Alisha offers a distraction and Myers spears Austin out to the floor.

Back in and Bey gets sent hard into the corner, where his ribs are banged up early on. Myers is smart enough to grab a waistlock to stay on the ribs, followed by a nasty backbreaker from Eddie. Bey tries to fight out of the corner but gets chopped back down, with a dropkick to the ribs into a Backstabber getting two. Bey gets in a quick hurricanrana though and it’s back to Austin to clean house.

The springboard kick to the head and a running double stomp gets two on Eddie as everything breaks down. A double Art Of Finesse gets two on Myers but the 1-2-Sweet is countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb to give Eddie two of his own. Myers is back up with the Roster Cut to Austin and the Boston Knee Party gives the System the titles back at 15:41.

Rating: B. The System getting the titles back is a bit of a surprise as they already held the for so long, but we’ve kind of done the whole ABC as champions thing. The division needs some fresh blood and hopefully that doesn’t mean the Hardys. For now though, I can go with a good match and something of a surprise title change.

We recap Jordynne Grace defending the Knockouts Title against NXT’s Wendy Choo. Grace’s title defense was interrupted by Choo, meaning it’s time for her own title shot.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Wendy Choo

Grace is challenging and gets a big home state reaction. They start fast with Grace running her over and taking things outside where Choo gets in a cheap shot to take over. The loaded pillow (because Choo uses a loaded pillow) is broken up by Grace’s mom (in the front row) so they head inside, where Choo chokes in the corner. Grace gets tied in the Tree Of Woe for a running dropkick but Choo has to block a superplex attempt. The Million Dollar Dream goes on in the corner but Grace powers out with a big crash back down.

Grace slams her a few times and hits a DDT for two more. It’s too early for the Juggernaut Driver so Grace grabs a Vertebreaker for two instead. Grace blocks a sunset bomb but gets superplexed instead, setting up a brainbuster to give Choo two. Another Million Dollar Dream is broken up so Choo full nelson slams her for two more. Grace has had it with this and hits a powerbomb, setting up the Juggernaut Driver to retain at 11:10.

Rating: C+. This is where the problem with the whole crossover things comes from. While the matches are good enough and it’s fun to see who shows up where, at some point it stops mattering if nothing really happens in the whole thing. It’s more along the lines of “hey this is kind of interesting” rather than “wow that happened”, which is going to have a limited shelf life. Grace continues to smash people but she is going to need a bigger challenger sooner than later.

Post match Rosemary runs in to jump Grace and the villains leave her laying.

Arianna Grace runs into Santino Marella and they agree to keep everything professional. Wink wink.

We recap Nic Nemeth defending the World Title against Moose. Nemeth failed to beat Moose earlier this year so now he’s out to prove that he really is the best.

TNA World Title: Moose vs. Nic Nemeth

Nemeth is defending and Frankie Kazarian is on commentary. Moose wastes no time in powering him into the corner but Nemeth is back with a dropkick. Some right hands in the corner are broken up with a hard shove though and Moose stomps away. A Sky High out of the corner gives Moose two and Nemeth’s missed charge sends him shoulder first into the post.

Moose mixes it up with an abdominal stretch but Nemeth bites the hand to escape. They go outside, with Moose getting backdropped onto the ramp for a breather. The chinlock wakes Nemeth up, as chinlocks tend to do, so Moose takes him outside, where Nemeth gets powerbombed onto the apron. Back in and Nemeth manages a Cactus Clothesline to the floor and a posting has Moose in more trouble. The Fameasser is loaded up but Moose powerbombs him through a table for the big crash.

Nemeth is fine enough to hit a Fameasser for two back inside so here is the System for a distraction. That’s fine with Nemeth, who grabs a sleeper. Moose breaks that up and hits the spear for two so Alisha Edwards throws in the title. Cue Mike Santana to take it away from Moose so JDC and Santana fight to the back. Danger Zone gives Nemeth two so he goes up, only to get superplexed back down.

Moose floats over into a powerbomb, which is countered into a Fameasser in a pretty slick sequence. Cue the System AGAIN to pull the referee out, but Nemeth begs for the match to continue. Cue JBL to take out the System, leaving Moose to hit another spear for another two. They strike it out until Nemeth hits some superkicks and the Danger Zone to retain at 19:43.

Rating: B-. Nemeth is John Cena at this point, as the amount of stuff that he survives, and occasionally just shrugs off, can be downright ridiculous. That was the case here as he took two spears and got up, only for JBL of all people to even the odds. I’m still not sure what is going on there, but at least they’re being consistent with the confusion. For now, a good enough main event, but I have no idea how you beat Nemeth when he’s basically a superhero.

Nemeth celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show benefits from having very low expectations, as it’s pretty much just the bonus show you get before Bound For Glory next month. That being said, there isn’t anything truly bad on here and three title changes is nothing to sneer at. It might not have been some classic, but for a show you get as part of TNA+ for the month, there are far worse ways to spend a Friday night.

Results
Kushida b. Leon Slater – Hoverboard Lock
Jake Something/Hammerstone b. Eric Young/Steve Maclin – Into The Void to Young
Hardys b. First Class – Swanton to Navarro
Mike Bailey b. Zachary Wentz – Flamingo Driver
Spitfire b. Masha Slamovich/Tasha Steelz – Toss sitout powerbomb to Slamovich
Joe Hendry b. Josh Alexander – Ankle lock
Jordynne Grace b. Wendy Choo – Juggernaut Driver
The System b. ABC – Boston Knee Party to Austin
Jordynne Grace b. Wendy Choo – Juggernaut Driver
Nic Nemeth b. Moose – Danger Zone

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

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

AND

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

Emergence 2024
Date: August 30, 2024
Location: Old Forester’s Paristown Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re back on TNA+ with another special and in this case we have a stacked card. Granted it’s not stacked that high as there are only about five matches on the main show, mainly due to the main event being a sixty minute Iron Man match as Nic Nemeth defends the World Title against Josh Alexander. Other than that, Ultimate X is back for the X-Division Title. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Frankie Kazarian vs. Kushida

Kazarian begs off to start and yes we have to pause for his official introduction as the King Of TNA. Kushida doesn’t care for that and sends him outside, setting up the knee off the apron. A Shotei palm strike gets two on Kazarian and Kushida starts in on his arm. Back up and Kazarian elbows him in the face, allowing him to do his own Time Splitters post. A powerslam into the springboard spinning legdrop gives Kazarian two more and he sends Kushida into the buckle to cut off the comeback attempt.

The chinlock goes on but Kushida fights up and sends him into the buckle buckle to even things up. The basement dropkick staggers Kazarian again but Kushida has to slip out of a chickenwing attempt. Back up and the handspring elbow is pulled into the chickenwing, which is broken up again. Kushida hits him in the face and a flipping kick to the head connects on top. A dive to the floor sets up a cross armbreaker on Kazarian but the referee breaks it up because of the whole outside deal. That lets Kazarian kick the rope for a low blow on the way back in though and Fade To Black finishes Kushida off at 9:56.

Rating: B-. There is a very simple concept of “let talented wrestlers have a match” and that’s what they did here. Neither of these two feel like they are going to be in the World Title picture anytime soon, but they are both more than capable of doing something like this. Good stuff here and a fine choice to warm the crowd up.

Kickoff Show: Digital Media Title/International Heavyweight Wrestling Title: Shera vs. PCO

PCO, with Steph de Lander, is defending and Shera is replacing an injured Matt Cardona. They start fast with PCO beating him up around ringside but Shera gets in a shot of his own. Shera yells at de Lander and they go inside where Shera hits a spinning spinebuster for two. More yelling at de Lander just fires PCO up though and he hits a DDT out of the corner. Shera rolls outside so there’s the big dive to take him down again. The DeAnimator connects as commentary tries to figure out what kind of strange things PCO and de Lander do together. The PCOsault retains the titles at 6:02.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here but this wasn’t the match advertised anyway. Cardona not being here took away any heat that it might have had and thankfully they didn’t treat Shera as anything more than a glorified workout for PCO. The big story will be the Cardona vs. PCO match, likely at Bound For Glory, so this was just a quick stop on the way there.

And now, the show proper.

The opening video looks at the major matches and talks about how it isn’t about where you start, but where you emerge, while looking at the show’s major matches.

X-Division Title: Riley Osborne vs. Zachary Wentz vs. Laredo Kid vs. Jason Hotch vs. Hammerstone vs. Mike Bailey

Ultimate X, meaning you win by pulling down the title and with your feet hitting the mat while holding the belt (meaning shenanigans can ensue after the title comes down) and Bailey is defending. For those unfamiliar, Osborne is from NXT. Hotch makes an early climb attempt and gets nowhere, leaving Hammerstone to wreck some people. Kid is tossed at Hammerstone for a hurricanrana to the floor as commentary points out how hard it is to get the title. Hotch hits a big dive to the floor and the fans are impressed to start.

Back in and Bailey kicks away at Hammerstone, who runs him over without much effort. Hammerstone cuts off a dive to the floor, leaving Kid and Hotch to slug it out on the apron. Something like a Tower Of Doom onto Hammerstone leaves just about everyone down. Back in and Wentz hits a super cutter on Osborn and everyone is down again. A bunch of people go up the structure but Bailey moonsaults off onto a bunch of people. Wentz makes the first serious attempt at the belt but is joined by everyone but Bailey.

Hammerstone kicks the rest of them down, only to be pulled off the cables just in time. We hit the parade of strikes to the face until Kid goes up, with Hammerstone gorilla pressing him down onto the pile at ringside. Hotch cuts Hammerstone off with a torture rack bomb but gets taken down by Kid. Osborne goes up and shooting stars down onto a bunch of people before they can pull him down. Bailey hits the Ultimate Weapon to Osborne before going up on the cables with Wentz. They kick it out and Wentz actually kicks him down to win the title at 10:25.

Rating: B. Points for a surprise finish there as I would not have bet on a title change here. There is a good chance that this sets up Wentz’s match with Wes Lee at No Mercy as a title match and that could go in a variety of directions. For now though, heck of a match here with some big time spots and Hammerstone looking like a monster despite not winning. You kind of know what you’re getting with this match and that’s ok, as it wound up being a pretty cool spectacle, as usual.

Josh Alexander says he is the standard of the main event and the Iron Man match is his thing. He’s going to show Nic Nemeth that he doesn’t belong here because the title is all he needs. Tonight, he has Nemeth for sixty minutes and after this, Nemeth will be lucky to be alive. Rather fired up promo here.

Eric Young vs. Steve Maclin

They stare at each other to start and fight over a lockup, which goes nowhere. After some more staring, Young starts slugging away in the corner until Maclin reverses into an Angle Slam. Young does his slide between the legs into a sunset flip for two though before knocking Maclin down. The moonsault is broken up and Young winds up in the Tree of Woe, meaning the running shoulder to the ribs can connect for two. It works so well that Maclin does it again for two before hammering away.

Back up and they hit stereo crossbodies for the double knockdown. Young sticks out his chin so Maclin can hit him…which is exactly what Maclin does. That just makes Young happy and he punches the chin that Maclin sticks out at him. Maclin knees him outside but the Scud only hits floor. Back in and Young’s top rope elbow gets two, followed by a piledriver (after a struggle) for the same. Another piledriver is loaded up but Maclin reverses into a rollup for the pin at 9:54. Even commentary points out how sudden it was.

Rating: B-. Neither of these two have much going on but Maclin has more of an upside out of the two. Maclin needed a nice win to boost himself up a bit and beating a former multiple time World Champion is a good way to go. Much like the opener, this wasn’t going to steal the show but there are far worse things that could be added to a card.

Post match Young offers and receives a handshake.

Nic Nemeth knows what Josh Alexander can do and Alexander has had the only sixty minute Iron Man match in TNA. He knows what Alexander can do but Nemeth can get up and kick him in the mouth to come out on top, like he always does.

Jordynne Grace/Spitfire vs. Alisha Edwards/Masha Slamovich/Ash By Elegance

It’s a brawl to start and Threat hits a big flip dive to the floor to take out the villains. Luna hits a dive of her own and Grace teases one…but we pause because Alisha is apparently banged up. Grace takes Ash inside for a cover but the referee is with Alisha. Tommy Dreamer and medics check on Alisha who is still down as Threat clotheslines Ash in the corner and hits an exploder suplex for two. Dreamer carries Alisha to the back (for some nice applause) and an assisted powerbomb gets two on Ash.

Luna gets caught in the wrong corner but suplexes her way to freedom, allowing the tag off to Grace to clean house. Threat hits a running crotch attack to the back of Slamovich in the ropes but Ash cuts her off again. Rarefied Air misses though and Pop Shove It gives Threat the pin on Ash at 7:54. Alisha did not appear again after being taken out.

Rating: C+. This is on a completely sliding scale as they were likely having to make a lot of that up on the fly. There was only so much that could be done if that was a legitimate injury and doing a match 3-2 in favor of the heroes is only going to get so far in the first place. They did what they could here and hopefully Alisha is ok.

Tag Team Titles: ABC vs. First Class

First Class (AJ Francis and KC Navarro, the latter of whom is replacing a suspended Rich Swann) is challenging. The much taller Francis offers Austin a test of strength to start, earning himself a slap to the face. Bey comes in and kicks Francis in the head but has to escape the Down Payment. Navarro gets in a cheap shot from behind though and Francis scores with a big boot to take over. A trip sends Bey throat first into the ropes but he grabs a heck of a back breaker and a hecker of a clothesline for two.

Austin comes in for a chop in the corner as Rehwoldt gets on the fans for only knowing ABC instead of the rest of the alphabet. A quick distraction lets Navarro take Austin down though and another kick puts Bey down so the villains can take over. Francis comes in for a YOU CAN’T WRESTLE chant, which has Rehwoldt going on about the Kentucky public education system (as a product of that system, I would say Rehwoldt can keep talking). Bey kicks his way to freedom and it’s off to Austin to pick up the pace on Navarro.

A brainbuster drops Navarro but a fireman’s carry to Francis is just a bad idea. The second attempt works a bit better as Francis is planted with an AA, leaving Austin to drop Navarro for two of his own. A belly to back suplex/top rope clothesline combination connects on Navarro but Francis is back in with a double suplex. The Down Payment connects on Bey but Francis isn’t legal so there is no count. Austin grabs the Fold and a small package to Navarro gives Bey the pin at 11:41.

Rating: B-. For a match that was thrown together on the show earlier in the night, this could have been a lot worse and I had a good time with what we got. ABC doesn’t really have a top team coming for the titles right now and since the regular First Class was unavailable, this was about as good as it could have gone. Nice match here and another good addition to the card.

We recap the System vs. the Hardys/Mike Santana/Joe Hendry, which is the top heel stable vs. the plucky team of opponents, all of whom are sick of the villains.

The System/JDC vs. Joe Hendry/Mike Santana/Hardys

Hendry’s special entrance talks about how he believes in the Hardys, which leads to Hendry doing the DELETE pose. Santana and Moose start things off but Moose hands it off to JDC instead. That’s fine with Santana, who knocks JDC into the corner and then into the buckle. Santana drops him again and asks who wants the Hardys. Matt comes in for a running corner clothesline and lets Santana play Jeff for Poetry In Motion.

The real Jeff gets to play Jeff as well but JDC gets in a shot to Matt and Eddie comes in to hammer away in the corner. That’s broken up and it’s back to Jeff as everything breaks down, meaning it’s a big group suplex to take the System down. The Hardys and Hendry all do Hendry’s pose and the fans start to sing. We settle down to Santana in the wrong corner but avoiding Moose’s charge, allowing Santana to hit a middle rope double dropkick.

JDC gets tossed over the top and onto the pile, setting up Santana’s big dive. All eight get inside to brawl at once but Matt’s Twist of Fate is broken up. Not that it matters as it’s already back to Jeff as everything breaks down again. Jeff hits the Twist of Fate on Myers but JDC breaks up the Swanton. That lets Eddie come in and hammer away before Moose grabs a chinlock. JDC’s hard whip into the corner gets two on Jeff, with the fans singing about how THEY BELIEVE IN JEFF HARDY.

Moose gets caught in the Twisting Stunner though and that’s enough for the tag off to Hendry. Eddie’s middle rope crossbody misses (almost Samoa Joe style) and Myers spears JDC by mistake. Moose tries a top rope cutter but Hendry walks away instead, setting off more singing. A pop up powerbomb gets two on Myers but Eddie and Hendry clothesline each other. Santana hits Spin The Block on Moose, setting off the parade of finishers. Moose pulls Matt off the cover from the Twist of Fate, earning himself one on the floor. Eddie kicks Matt low back inside and the Boston Knee Party finishes at 19:17.

Rating: B-. This was one of the bigger matches of the night and it wound up going well enough. That matters here is the System gets a little momentum back and now it’s time to get them into their big matches at Bound For Glory. Odds are you’ll be seeing Santana vs. Moose and Eddie/Myers vs. the Hardys, but I have no idea how you could put Hendry in anything but a main event spot. There is still time for that though, and this match helped set up a few things for the future.

Impact preview.

We recap Nic Nemeth defending the World Title against Josh Alexander in a sixty minute Iron Man match. They went to a time limit draw in a thirty minute match so let’s do it again here, with sudden death an option if necessary.

TNA World Title: Nic Nemeth vs. Josh Alexander

Nemeth is defending in a sixty minute Iron Man match. They go with the grappling to start with Nemeth grabbing something like an abdominal stretch. That’s reversed into a front facelock, with Nemeth going straight to the ropes. They go to the mat for more grappling with Alexander having to bail into the corner.

Alexander throws him down so Nemeth reverses into a cradle for two before Alexander grabs a headlock. With that going nowhere, they get up again and the grappling continues with Alexander getting a standing armbar. Alexander takes him to the mat in a hammerlock, with Nemeth reversing into a cradle for two.

With that broken up, Alexander grabs a headlock as the fans are split here. Back up and Nemeth tries a dropkick, which is countered into the ankle lock to send Nemeth straight to the ropes. The headlock goes on again so the fans entertain themselves with an I BELIEVE IN NIC NEMETH chant. Back up and Alexander tries the ankle lock but Nemeth reverses into a cradle for the pin at 12:21.

Nemeth – 1
Alexander – 0

Alexander knocks him down again as they’re certainly not in a hurry here. A whip into the buckle makes it even worse for Nemeth and there’s a German suplex to send him flying, with a turnbuckle pad coming off at the same time. The chinlock with a knee in the back keeps Nemeth down before Alexander sends him chest first into the corner. A rather delayed vertical suplex drops Nemeth again but he grabs a rollup for two and a breather.

They go outside with Alexander slowly slugging away, though being smart enough to break the count at the same time. Nemeth sends him shoulder first into the steps, followed by the right hands in the corner. A top rope elbow connects but Alexander rolls him up for two. The C4 Spike is blocked and they trade rollups for two each until Nemeth hits a Fameasser for two more. The Danger Zone is loaded up but Alexander slips out, only to get Danger Zoned for the pin at 24:30.

Nemeth – 2
Alexander – 0

Nemeth sends him into the corner and slowly stomps away, setting up the jumping elbow for two. The armbar is countered into Alexander’s ankle lock but Nemeth breaks out rather quickly. Nemeth knocks him to the apron as they finally put the clock back up, because a countdown clock is too much to ask for in a match based on time. The clock goes away again with about 30:00 to go and Alexander cranks on the leg.

Alexander rolls some German suplexes, getting all the way into double digits, before slowing down to mock the fans. Nemeth uses the breather and rolls some German suplexes of his own before letting go, allowing Alexander to grab his own German suplex. A double knockdown leaves them both laying and some more time gets burned off. They get up at nine and Nemeth headbutts him so hard the headgear comes off. Alexander gets the ankle lock for a good while and adds the grapevine but Nemeth crawls over to the rope.

Alexander slowly kicks at the ankle and cranks on it some more as this is dragging horribly. Back up and Nemeth tries the running DDT but gets shoved into the referee with 20:00 to go. Alexander drops the referee and it’s time to load up a table. The C4 Spike onto the apron is countered with a scary looking backdrop to the floor but Alexander is back with a spinning Tombstone for two. Alexander grabs a chair but the referee takes it away, allowing Alexander to break off a piece of his knee brace to knock Nemeth cold. The C4 Spike finishes Nemeth at 43:52.

Nemeth – 2
Alexander – 1

Another C4 Spike ties it at 44:35.

Nemeth – 2
Alexander – 2

Alexander covers what’s left of Nemeth for two as we have less than 15:00 to go. Nemeth is back up with a sleeper and jumps on Alexander’s back, with the two of them falling out to the floor for a crash. They both get back in and then fall outside again, with Alexander hitting a toss powerbomb to knock Nemeth silly again. Nemeth beats the count back in and counters a C4 Spike with a backdrop over the top and through the table (which Nemeth didn’t know was there).

Alexander is down on the floor as we have 10:00 left. He count is beaten and Alexander hits a quick C4 Spike for….two, as Nemeth gets his foot on the rope. They strike it out on the floor until Nemeth grabs the running DDT back inside for two. They go up top with Alexander knocking him back down as we have 6:00 left. Nemeth’s top rope superplex sends both of them crashing down and a very delayed cover gets two on Alexander as we have five minutes left. Fans: “FIVE MORE MINUTES!”

Nemeth hits a superkick for two more and Alexander’s straps are down. A release German suplex sends Nemeth flying as we have 3:00 left. Alexander lawn darts him into the exposed buckle and grabs what is supposed to be Danger Zone for two, because Nemeth is freaking Superman in this thing. Another C4 Spike is escaped with 1:00 left and Nemeth hits the Danger Zone. Nemeth is back up with his own C4 Spike for the lead at 59:39.

Nemeth – 3
Alexander – 2

And time expires as Nemeth retains at 60:00.

Rating: C-. Oh sweet goodness what was that? This wasn’t a bad match but rather all kinds of boring save for a few nice spots here and there. I never once felt like Nemeth was in any danger of losing the title (he never even trailed) and some of the kickouts and near falls were just ridiculous.

It’s ok to give up a fall to a multiple time World Champion in an Iron Man match, as Nemeth was only really giving anything up for about five minutes out of the hour. I was losing interest about twenty minutes in and it just kept going. This absolutely should have been thirty minutes max, but instead we got this mess. Really dull stuff and a big disappointment.

And then John Bradshaw Layfield shows up. He whispers something to Nemeth, who nods, as JBL leaves. Nemeth celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Shows with a huge main event like this are always going to be weird because one match takes up so much of the match time. Unfortunately in this case that one match was not exactly great, but the rest of the show was more than good enough to balance a lot of it out. It’s not a show that lived up to its hype, but as a show included with TNA+, it could have been worse. Just fix the main event and the show leaps up in quality, but that was a really lame way to spend a third of the show.

Results
Frankie Kazarian b. Kushida – Fade To Black
PCO b. Shera – PCOsault
Zachary Wentz won Ultimate X
Steve Maclin b. Eric Young – Piledriver
Jordynne Grace/Spitfire b. Alisha Edwards/Masha Slamovich/Ash By Elegance – Pop Shove It to Ash
ABC b. First Class – Small package to Navarro
The System/JDC b. Hardys/Joe Henry/Mike Santana – Boston Knee Party to Matt
Nic Nemeth b. Josh Alexander 3-2

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Impact Wrestling
Date: August 22, 2024
Location: Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matt Rehwoldt

We’re a little over a week away from Emergence and with most of the card set, there is only so much more that needs to be one. One of the biggest parts would be the final members of the Ultimate X match, meaning we have more qualifying matches. Other than that, we’re likely to be in for more of a build towards the show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Hammerstone vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Kushida

Ultimate X Qualifying Match. Hammerstone powers Kushida into the corner for the shoulders to start but gets sent outside, leaving the other two to trade rollups for two each. They trade standing switches until Hammerstone dropkicks them both down. A suplex sends Kushida flying and Kazarian makes the mistake of jumping Hammerstone.

Kushida gets in a double knockdown but gets dropped by Kazarian for two. Hammerstone is back in but Kushida catches him in a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up by Kazarian, who can’t quite hit Fade To Black on Hammerstone. Instead Kushida knocks Kazarian outside, only to get caught in the torture rack. Hammerstone’s Nightmare Pendulum is enough to end Kushida at 6:08.

Rating: B-. The action here was good (as good as it could be in such a short match) but what helped here was you could see any of them winning. Kushida is a former champion and Kushida is a legend, while Hammerstone is the kind of hoss who could do some interesting things in Ultimate X. This was a good choice for an opener and I had a good time while I was wondering who would win.

Post match Hammerstone leaves so Kazarian hammers on Kushida, including Fade To Black.

Eric Young is ready for Hammerstone. Steve Maclin comes in to say he’ll be watching.

Santana knows he has to be an animal around here and wants to cut the head off the snake that is the System.

Alisha Edwards vs. Rosemary

Masha Slamovich is here with Edwards, who makes the mistake of poking Rosemary in the chest to start. Rosemary knocks her into the ropes and grabs the Upside Down, only to get kicked down for two. The Figure Four necklock mat slams has Rosemary in more trouble and a splash gives Edwards two more. Rosemary is back up with the spear for two of her own but Slamovich offers a distraction. That’s enough for Edwards to hit a Downward Spiral but Spitfire comes out to cut Slamovich off, meaning the referee is distracted. Rosemary is right back up with As Above, So Below for the pin at 4:46.

Rating: C. Rosemary continues to be in a weird place as she’s a big star in the division but can only go so far because of how complicated and intricate of a backstory she has. You could easily put her into the Knockouts Title picture and that still might be where they are going with this win. I’d rather she do that than have another weird partner, as that has kind of been covered.

Post match Rosemary gives the out cold Alisha a black rose.

Ash By Elegance agrees to face Jordynne Grace in a match…by Elegance.

Xia Brookside/Rhino/PCO vs. Steph de Lander/Kon/Madman Fulton

Matt Cardona was supposed to be on the de Lander team but isn’t medically cleared to compete. PCO and Kon start things off, with PCO chasing Cardona at the bell as we take an early break. Back with Rhino brawling with Fulton out to the floor with Fulton getting the better of things and choking on the rope.

Kon does the same and Cardona gets in a cheap shot, with de Lander not being pleased. Fulton’s splash gets two and we hit the chinlock for a breather. Rhino fights up and hits a quick Gore, allowing the tag off to PCO to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and Brookside manages a Brookside Bomb on Fulton. The Gore sets up the PCOsault to finish Fulton at 8:28.

Rating: C+. This was a fun match, even if de Lander didn’t do much. While it’s hard to imagine that de Lander and Cardona don’t reunite later, there is something different with the de Lander/PCO stuff for the time being. Kon and Fulton are fine muscle/monsters, and that’s all it seems they’re being presented as here.

Video on Nic Nemeth vs. Josh Alexander in an Iron Man match at Emergence.

Jordynne Grace is down for Ash By Elegance’s challenge.

Laredo Kid vs. Bhupinder Gujjar vs. Jai Vidal

Ultimate X Qualifying Match and Vidal is quickly sent outside. The other two slug it out until Vidal sends Kid outside, only to get caught in a hurricanrana from Gujjar. Kid is back in and chops away on Vidal in the corner but gets low bridged to the floor. Gujjar hits a big dive to take both of them out on the floor but Kid does just the same. Back in and a pair of moonsaults gives Kid two on Vidal with Gujjar making the save. Vidal stomps Gujjar in the corner but gets planted by Kid, who hits a 450 for the pin at 6:41.

Rating: B-. More action packed and perfectly good stuff which didn’t have the chance to do much due to the time situation. Kid hasn’t been around much lately but he is more than good enough to warrant a spot in a match like this. It isn’t like Gujjar and Vidal have been doing anything anyway so the loss isn’t hurting them.

First Class yells about how Rich Swann should have been in Ultimate X. Mike Bailey comes in to offer him a title shot to make up for it. That’s quite the reward.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Jonathan Gresham

They fight over wrist control to start as commentary just says Gresham “forgot” about the whole black ink thing. The technical off goes to the mat with Gresham getting the better of things and working on the arm to limited avail. Dempsey reveres into a leglock and bridges back into a neck crank at the same time (think a reverse STF) for a nasty visual.

Back up and Gresham hits a running shoulder before they fight over a test of strength. They keep their hands lock as they go to the mat, with some near falls each as both have to bridge up. Gresham ties the legs up and tries to pin the arms down…..which actually gets the pin at 9:07!

Rating: B-. This was a very different kind of match as it was all technical and grappling. The ending was downright stunning too as that has been a nothing spot in a match for years. Instead though, it makes sense that someone would get a fluke pin on it at some point, even if I never actually expected to see it happen. I was genuinely surprised by the finish and I often like that feeling so well done.

Post match Dempsey swings at Gresham, who punches him to the floor without much effort.

We look at Joe Hendry becoming #1 contender to the NXT Title and Zachary Wentz jumping Wes Lee on NXT.

Moose/JDC vs. Hardys

Jeff chases JDC around with a chair before the bell and is quickly knocked down by Moose, all before the opening bell. They get in for said bell and Jeff sends Moose into the corner for the tag off to Matt. Moose cuts that off and hands it off to JDC for a clothesline, meaning it’s time to choke in the corner. Matt Russian legsweeps his way out of trouble and hits the Twist of Fate but Jeff’s Swanton is broken up.

We take a break and come back with Matt hitting a middle rope elbow for two. Everything breaks down and JDC stomps on Matt on the floor, allowing Moose to hammer away back inside. JDC grabs a rather aggressive chinlock before handing it back to Moose for some choking. Matt manages a quick suplex and it’s back to Jeff to clean house. It’s quickly back to Matt for the Side Effect on Moose and they slug it out. Moose goes up top but dives into a cutter, with JDC having to hit Down And Dirty for the save. JDC goes up again but gets crotched down, meaning it’s the Twist Of Fate into the Swanton for the pin at 14:36.

Rating: C+. The Hardys aren’t anything close to what they were before but it was nice to see them getting to turn back the clock a bit here. They are still capable of having a good enough tag match, especially against a team with someone like JDC, who is there to take the fall. If nothing else, the match felt big because the Hardys made it feel more important. Just don’t do it too often.

Post match the beatdown is on so Mike Santana runs in, only to get taken out as well. Joe Hendry comes in for the real save and the good guys stand tall to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I was digging this show and it is making me want to watch Emergence, which is quite the good sign. The Ultimate X qualifying matches were both entertaining and the more times I hear the explanation of “yeah the black ink thing was stupid and we just dropped it”, the happier I’ll be. Emergence could be a heck of a show if the good building continues, and this was another nice step on the way there.

Results
Hammerstone b. Kushida and Frankie Kazarian – Nightmare Pendulum to Kushida
Rosemary b. Alisha Edwards – As Above So Below
PCO/Xia Brookside/Rhino b. Steph de Lander/Kon/Madman Fulton – PCOsault to Fulton
Laredo Kid b. Bhupinder Gujjar and Jai Vidal – 450 to Vidal
Jonathan Gresham b. Charlie Dempsey – Arm pin
Hardys b. Moose/JDC – Swanton Bomb to JDC

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: August 15, 2024
Location: Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re getting closer and closer to Emergence but we have a pretty major title match this week. In the main event this time around, Nic Nemeth defends the World Title against Josh Alexander in another title match that feels like it should have been built up as a bigger deal. Other than that, PCO is going to want revenge on Matt Cardona for ruining his honeymoon last week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Chris Bey vs. Riley Osborne vs. John Skyler

Ultimate X Qualifying Match and Osborne is a British high flier from NXT. Hold on though as Frankie Kazarian comes out to join commentary. Skyler drops to the floor to start so Bey is right there to drop him with a dive. Back in and Osborne grabs a running hurricanrana on Bey but gets jumped by the returning Skyler.

A Boston crab has Osborne in trouble so Bey makes the save this time around. Bey is sent outside, leaving Osborne to Falcon Arrow Skyler for two. Back in and the Art of Finesse takes Osborne down but Skyler sends Bey into the post, only to get crucifixed to give Osborne two more. Osborne is right back up with a shooting star press to finish Skyler at 5:59.

Rating: B-. This was pretty much the definition of “it was fun while it lasted” but how much can you get out of a match that only runs about six minutes? It’s nice to see someone from NXT getting into a match like Ultimate X as you can throw him in there without needing him to take a loss to avoid making him champion. Nice match and as usual, the X-Division makes for a good opener.

Nic Nemeth arrived earlier today and promised to leave as World Champion.

Here is Santino Marella, who calls out Matt Cardona for a chat. Marella calls Cardona a wedding crasher but Cardona says Marella has no authority because Cardona doesn’t work here. Marella offers him a contract and threatens to prosecute him for attacking PCO last week. Cardona takes the contract and says he’ll look into it, which Marella calls a win.

Eric Young interrupts Frankie Kazarian and tells him he’ll never forget what Kazarian did. Steve Maclin comes in and yells at both of them, with Kazarian leaving.

Post break, Maclin (elsewhere from where he was before the break), says Young is his first step back to the World Title.

Tasha Steelz vs. Gisele Shaw

Shaw charges into an uppercut in the corner to start and gets sent outside for another shot to the face. Steelz grabs what looked like a wrench, which is taken away, leaving her to run Shaw over for two instead. Shaw is back with a spinebuster and Shock and Awe connects for two. The running knee is countered with a superkick and Steelz’s Codebreaker gets two more. A rollup with feet on the ropes gets caught though, allowing Shaw to hit the running knee for the pin at 4:45.

Rating: C. They were rushing through things here due to the lack of time but Shaw getting a win to even the score helps her a lot. It still seems like Shaw vs. Gail Kim is a possibility for Bound For Glory, but at some point it needs to be Shaw winning a title. She has been around long enough that she needs to win something and that has gotten so close so many times now it has to happen.

Mike Santana has been attacked, with the System and the System standing over him.

We look at Joe Hendry getting put into a #1 contenders match for the NXT Title.

Here are the System and JDC for a chat. Alisha Edwards says Mike Santana is out of his match with Moose tonight….but here is a banged up Santana in the crowd. Santana decks some of the team and gets inside, saying ring the bell.

Mike Santana vs. Moose

The rest of the System and JDC are here too. Moose jumps him to start but Santana forearms his way out of trouble. A hard whip into the corner drops Santana again and Moose fires off some elbows. The release Rock Bottom onto the apron puts Santana down again and we take a break. Back with Santana down on the floor following a posting but he manages to beat the count. Moose whips him into the corner again and stops for some posing, only for Santana to tell say bring it.

Santana fights up and hits a middle rope dropkick but Moose kicks him in the face to cut off the comeback. A rolling cutter drops Moose and a Cannonball in the corner gives Santana two. Spin The Block connects but Santana can’t cover due to his banged up shoulder (from the posting earlier), allowing Moose to roll outside. Moose goes after the arm again and hits the spear for the pin at 11:26.

Rating: B-. There is a good chance that Santana is going to need some help to fight back against the System, as he feels like a bit enough name to go after the team but there is only so much he can do on his own. I’m not sure I would have had Santana lose again but at least he had the arm injury and the numbers game to hold him off. For now though, Santana looked good in defeat, though that shouldn’t be happening too often.

Post match the System goes after Santana but Joe Hendry runs in with a chair for the save. Hendry announces that next week, it’s Moose/JDC vs. the Hardys.

Spitfire wants another shot at the Knockouts Tag Team Titles.

We look back at Ash By Elegance ruining Jordynne Grace vs. Rosemary last week.

Grace expected Ash to take her loss and move on, which was a mistake. If Ash wants another fight, she can get one.

Ace Austin vs. Rich Swann vs. Jason Hotch

Ultimate X Qualifying Match and Top Dolla is on commentary. They trade headscissors to start until Hotch is sent outside. That leaves Swann to stomp on Austin until Hotch is back in for the save. Back up and Swann kicks Hotch in the back for two, leaving Austin to make the save for a change. Austin’s sunset flip makes Hotch German suplex Swann, who flips out to stick the landing but gets rolled up for two more.

Austin superkicks Hotch into a German suplex before planting Swann for another near fall. They go outside where Swann is sent into Doll, who drops Austin onto the apron. Cue Chris Bey to take out Dolla, leaving Austin to kick Hotch down. Cue John Skyler for a distraction though, allowing Hotch to grab a rollup for the pin on Austin at 6:05.

Rating: B-. Like the opener, they didn’t have much time to make this work, especially with so much going on other than the action itself. There were two people getting involved in a three person match, which is quite a bit in a match that was only about six minutes. I do like the surprise ending, as it would have seemed Hotch was there to take the fall, but they went the other way instead. Nice stuff, especially given the situation.

Matt Cardona agrees to sign the contract but wants a six person tag with two mystery partners vs. PCO/Rhino/Xia Brookside. Works for Marella, as long as Cardona faces PCO one on one at Emergence. Cardona signs.

TNA World Champion: Nic Nemeth vs. Josh Alexander

Nemeth is defending. Alexander wrestles him down to start and tells Nemeth to bring it. That’s fine with Nemeth, who takes him to the mat and works on the arm. Alexander bails out to the floor and we take an early break. Back with Nemeth getting two off a rollup but getting riven back into the corner. Some forearms to the back have Nemeth down again and Alexander offers some applause.

Nemeth gets forearmed in the face as the fans chant USA, only to have the American dropped with a clothesline. Alexander takes too long to set up a moonsault, allowing Nemeth to pull him down. Nemeth’s running DDT is blocked though and Alexander sends him outside as we take another break.

Back again with Nemeth fighting out of the chinlock and grabbing a German suplex for two. The superkick is countered into an ankle lock though, with Nemeth quickly escaping and hitting a Fameasser. Alexander is back with a Regal Roll into a middle rope knee to the back for two of his own. The ankle lock goes on again but Nemeth quickly reverses into a sleeper as we take another break.

Back again with Alexander hitting a powerbomb backbreaker for two and putting Nemeth on top. The belly to back superplex is countered into a crossbody to give Nemeth two, setting up the Danger Zone for no cover. Instead the running DDT plants Alexander for two more but he sends Nemeth shoulder first into the post. The C4 Spike is reversed into the Danger Zone…but we’re out of time at 30:00.

Rating: B. They were getting going near the end there and it was a good, back and forth match, even if the ending feels like a way to set up a rematch at Emergence. You’re only going to get so much out of seeing them fight for thirty minutes and then wanting to see them do it again on a major show, but Nemeth needs such an opponent. Solid main event here, especially if you accept that Alexander can be a bit dry.

Post match Nemeth wants five more minutes but gets kicked low instead. Alexander holds up the title before walking off to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was definitely the wrestling focused show, with two Ultimate X qualifiers, a big match in the middle, and the World Title main event. That is more than you get on the average week and it made for a good show here. The Cardona stuff is interesting as well as he really does feel like a big star. It was a good week around here and Emergence has the potential to be a pretty big show as well. Nice work.

Results
Riley Osborne b. John Skyler and Chris Bey – Shooting star press to Skyler
Gisele Shaw b. Tasha Steelz – Running knee
Moose b. Mike Santana – Spear
Jason Hotch b. Ace Austin and Rich Swann – Rollup to Austin
Nic Nemeth vs. Josh Alexander went to a time limit draw

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: August 1, 2024
Location: Verdun Auditorium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re still in Montreal and in this case we have a pretty stacked show. First up, the World Title is on the line as Nic Nemeth is defending against Mustafa Ali in a match that feels like it could use more than a week of build. We also have a wedding, as PCO and Steph de Lander are having a rapid fire wedding, which feels ripe for interruption. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Rascalz vs. Mike Bailey/Kushida/Trent Seven

Kushida wristlocks Miguel to start and takes him down with a wristdrag. That doesn’t work for the Rascalz, who start the fast paced comeback, only for Bailey to come in for the bouncing kicks. It’s off to Seven for the step up flipping backsplash and a near fall as the fast start continues. Lee sends Seven into the corner and it’s Wentz coming in with a rather extended Bronco Buster.

Seven chops Miguel out of the air though and hits a DDT for a double breather. Kushida comes back in for the basement dropkick into the Hoverboard Lock, with Wentz having to make the save. Lee is back up with the Cardiac Kick but Seven pulls him down from the top with the swinging slam for two. The Seven Star Lariat looks to set up the Ultimate Weapon to Miguel but Wentz makes the save. Miguel takes out Bailey and Kushida, leaving Hot Fire Flame to finish Seven at 8:13.

Rating: B-. This was billed as a tribute to the first match in TNA history and…I guess? It was a fast paced six man tag and that’s about it, which is didn’t exactly feel like some kind of an homage. Not a bad match at all, but it wasn’t exactly some great showcase or anything we haven’t seen done multiple times.

Jordynne Grace doesn’t think much of Ash By Elegance and issues an open challenge for next week.

Campaign Singh is on the phone with Mustafa Ali, who questions his loyalty. Singh will figure out a way to prove it.

Rosemary vs. Kristara

Rosemary has a butcher knife before powering Kristara into the corner to start. The Upside down has Kristara in more trouble but she’s back up with a fisherman’s suplex for two. Not that it matters as Rosemary grabs As Above So Below for the pin at 2:10.

Post match Rosemary puts a black rose on her chest.

The System says they’ll be back after a terrible night.

Mike Santana doesn’t want the System to forget their unfinished business. Campaign Singh is ready to prove his loyalty by facing Santana tonight. Santana will go make it happen.

Josh Alexander is introduced but we go to him in the back, where he says he doesn’t owe anyone an expectation. He is the greatest Canadian wrestler today and he opened doors so Joe Hendry could walk through them and so you could believe in Nic Nemeth. He’s done caring about the people.

Ryan Nemeth vs. Frankie Kazarian

The bell rings and Kazarian goes to the ring announcer to insists that he is introduced as the King Of TNA. Somehow Nemeth is knocked down anyway but starts working on the arm to take over. A dropkick puts Kazarian down but he’s back up with suplex into the corner as we take a break. Back with Nemeth firing off right hands and hitting some clotheslines, setting up a neckbreaker for two. Kazarian is right back with a shot of his own but Fade To Black doesn’t work. The slingshot cutter does though and Nemeth is done at 8:20.

Rating: C+. This was the right way to go as there was no reason for Nemeth to be a major threat to an established veteran like Kazarian. Sometimes you just need to give a star a nice win and that’s what Kazarian got here. There is a good chance that Kazarian will get the shot at Emergence and I’ve heard worse ideas.

Post match here is Josh Alexander to give Nemeth a C4 Spike.

Ultimate X is back at Emergence.

Masha Slamovich vs. Jody Threat

Alisha Edwards and Dani Luna are here too and this is a rematch from Bloodsport, where Slamovich won. Luna runs her over to start and hits a quick shoulder for two. Edwards grabs the leg though and Slamovich pulls Luna down by the hair to take over. The chinlock is broken up and Luna sends her into the ropes for some running knees to the back. Slamovich is right back with a sitout powerbomb for two so Alisha puts a title around the turnbuckle, ala at Slammiversary. As expected, Slamovich goes into it instead and Shove It finishes for Luna at 4:50.

Rating: C. I’m guessing this is the way to set up another Knockouts Tag Team Title match because that’s how almost all of the title matches are set around here. They set this up at Slammiversary and it makes Luna look good to catch Slamovich with the same thing that cost her at the pay per view. Not much of a match, but they made it work in the limited time they had.

Video on Joe Hendry’s rise.

Mike Santana vs. Campaign Singh

Singh jumps him to start but gets knocked into the corner for a dropkick to the back of the head. Santana puts him down again and hits Spin The Block for the pin at 1:52. That’s about the only way this should have gone.

Post match Santana promises to win the World Title, but he’ll start with Moose.

TNA World Title: Nic Nemeth vs. Mustafa Ali

Nemeth is defending and grabs a headlock to start. They trade shoulders until Nemeth dropkicks him out to the floor without much trouble. Back in and they run the ropes until Nemeth hits a hard clothesline before hammering away in the corner. Ali sends him chest first into the corner to take over, only to have Nemeth send him face first into the buckle. They go outside where Ali hits a quick electric chair drop and we take a break.

Back with Ali fighting out of a chinlock and getting two off a backslide. A neckbreaker puts Ali down again and the ten elbows keep him in trouble. Nemeth’s top rope DDT connects but Ali kicks him down to block the superkick. Nemeth backdrops him out to the floor and there’s a slingshot into the post. Cue the Secret Service for a distraction, allowing Ali to grab a Sharpshooter. That’s broken up and Nemeth hits a superkick into the Danger Zone to retain at 14:28.

Rating: B-. What we got was good, but I was expecting more from these two. Ali was presented as a major deal in the X-Division for a long time and feels like one of the bigger names in the company. Then their title match was set up on a week’s notice and doesn’t even get fifteen minutes. This felt like it could have headlined a monthly special but instead it’s just here. Certainly not bad at all, but it could have been a lot more.

Post match Josh Alexander comes out for a staredown.

It’s time for the wedding of PCO and Steph de Lander with Santino Marella officiating. Rhino (wearing a tie over his gear in a funny visual) is the best man and Xia Brookside is the maid of honor (in black of course). Naturally de Lander has the Bride of Frankenstein hairdo and they have a rather odd set of vows, including never complaining when the electricity bill is too high. Marella calls the groom Pico, with PCO screaming instead of saying any vows. They exchange rings (one of them still has a finger) but cue First Class to interrupt.

Or never mind as they say get your freak on. They kiss….and Matt Cardona is back, complete with a gift. That would be…part of a brick, which he uses to knock out PCO. Cardona says the Digital Media Title is his and tells de Lander to come with him…but she screams at Cardona instead. PCO gets up and Cardona leaves on his own, shouting about how it’s not supposed to be this way. De Lander cries to end the show. Points for a good double surprise there, but I can’t imagine this ends with anything but Cardona and de Lander together.

Overall Rating: B. This was a good mixture of action and a big moment at the end, with Cardona’s return being timed rather well. Throw in a World Title match that felt big and they had a solid show here. It could have been better with a bit more, but what matters most is that I’m curious to see where some of these stories go. That’s a good sign going into Emergence and beyond, with Bound For Glory looming way off in the distance.

Results
Rascalz b. Trent Seven/Kushida/Mike Bailey – Hot Fire Flame to Seven
Rosemary b. Kristara – As Above So Below
Frankie Kazarian b. Ryan Nemeth – Slingshot cutter
Dani Luna b. Masha Slamovich – Shove It
Mike Santana b. Campaign Singh – Spin The Block
Nic Nemeth b. Mustafa Ali – Danger Zone

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

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

AND

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