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

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

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Mike Santana vs. KC Navarro

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

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

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

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

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

Jake Crist/Alan Angels vs. Rascalz

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

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

Spitfire is ready for Ash/Heather By Elegance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ryan Nemeth vs. Joe Hendry

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

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

Rosemary vs. Jada Stone

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

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

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

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

Preview for next week’s show.

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

Brian Myers vs. Nic Nemeth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: November 7, 2024
Location: Wayne State Fieldhouse, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re still in the aftermath of Bound For Glory and unfortunately still in the aftermath of Chris Bey’s neck injury. That match was scheduled to take place this week and as a result, this week’s show might be a bit weird. We’re also on the way to Turning Point and a lot of people are coming after Nic Nemeth’s World Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Tasha Steelz/Alisha Edwards vs. Masha Slamovich/Jordynne Grace

Grace and Slamovich start things off with Grace grabbing a headlock as we get some graphics for what is coming throughout the show (nice touch). Slamovich comes in and strikes away before running Steelz over with a shot to the face. A World’s Strongest Slam looks to set up Grace’s Vader Bomb but Edwards cuts it off.

Edwards realizes that hitting Grace in the face is a bad idea but it’s back to Steelz, whose dancing earns her a quick spank. Grace plants Steelz down and hands it back to Slamovich, who drops Steelz with a running boot for two. It’s already back to Grace, who gets caught in a quick crucifix bomb for two more. That’s enough for Slamovich, who gets the tag and chokes Edwards out for the win at 7:16.

Rating: C. This was about as to the point as it should have been, with Grace and Slamovich being a pair of monsters who aren’t going to have much trouble against Edwards and Steelz. Thankfully they didn’t mess around here and it made the match work out well. I’m not sure if we’re getting a Grace vs. Slamovich III, but there are worse ideas out there.

We look back at Savannah Evans attacking Lei Ying Lee last week.

Evans says she’s the big deal and she’s taking over.

Wendy Choo vs. Rosemary

No DQ. Choo jumps her to start but Rosemary fights back and tries the Upside Down. That’s broken up and Choo hits a running dropkick. They fight over to the announcers’ table with Rosemary choking away with a camera cord. Back in and they fight over a cane until a double knockdown lets them both do the situp. Choo beats her up with the loaded pillow and drops a middle rope elbow with said pillow for two. Rosemary gets in a cane shot though and hits As Above So Below for the pin at 6:01.

Rating: C-. Forgive me for not being able to get into the idea of someone whose big deal is a pillow that she uses to beat on people. It hasn’t exactly worked in NXT and it isn’t working here. At the same time, this whole crossover is losing its steam rather quickly, as there is little to get behind when the home promotion star wins pretty much every time.

Post match Rosemary seems to lick Choo’s head.

And now, from the vault, on June 15, 2024, likely as a replacement for the Hardys vs. ABC match.

X-Division Title: Mustafa Ali vs. Mike Santana

Ali, with Champaign Sing, is defending. Santana knocks him down to start and shrugs off a chop. Some right hands in the corner and a clothesline have Ali in more trouble but Singh gets in a cheap shot for the DQ a 2:35.

Cue Santino Marella to make a tag match.

Mustafa Ali/Champaign Singh vs. Mike Santana/Joe Hendry

Hendry cleans house to start and hands it back to Santana to drop Singh. Ali pulls Hendry off the apron though and Singh gets in a shot to Hendry to take over. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Santana fights up and rolls over to bring in Hendry for the house cleaning. It’s already back to Santana, who elbows Singh down, leaving Hendry to GTS Ali, setting up Spin The Block to finish Singh at 6:29.

Rating: C. This whole thing could have been at any house show, with the cool pairing defeating the villains. Ali was a pretty big deal at this point, while Singh was there to take the fall. That’s all it needed to be and the fans were certainly into Hendry, which was the big point of the whole thing.

Post match Steve Maclin runs in for the beatdown but Rhino makes the save, including a Gore.

Maclin says no one, including Josh Alexander, can beat him.

The Rascalz are anxious, so they go to the tree house and talk about Space Jam. Lightening up ensues.

We look at Ryan Nemeth and Joe Hendry yelling at each other after last week’s main event.

Here is Hendry for a chat. Hendry has a special video about Ryan Nemeth’s entire career. Beginning of the video, “He’s Nic Nemeth’s brother. The end.”, end of the video. Hendry wants to face Ryan next week.

Mike Santana runs into First Class, who likes him and offers him a spot on the team. Santana isn’t impressed.

Jody Threat vs. Heather By Elegance

Their partners are here too. Heather jumps her to start but Threat gets in some clotheslines in the corner, followed by a suplex right back out of it. A tornado DDT gives Heather two and she stomps away in the corner, where Ash can get in some hair pulling. The neck crank goes on but Threat suplexes her way to freedom. Ash’s distraction lets Heather pull Threat into the corner, but Threat is fine enough to catch a high crossbody. Pop Shove It finishes Heather at 5:02.

Rating: C. Well I’ll take it over another tag champion losing a singles match to set up a Tag Team Title match. It’s still not good, but at least the champions don’t look like losers for a change. There still isn’t much in the way of a division, but at least they’re doing something with a fresh team.

X-Division Title: Mike Bailey vs. Moose

Moose is challenging and is quickly hurricanranaed out to the floor. A pump kick just annoys Moose so he takes Bailey outside, where a chop hits the post. Bailey accidentally kicks the steps though and Moose drops him onto the apron as we take a break. Back with Moose stomping away in the corner but getting caught with another hurricanrana. A release Rock Bottom drops Bailey again though and a kick to the head makes it worse. Bailey is back up with the moonsault knees for two and we take another break.

We come back again with Bailey hitting a top rope dive, followed by a shooting star press for two. They strike it out until the tornado kick is blocked, leaving Moose to hit a discus lariat. Bailey is right back with a Code Red for two and the Ultimate Weapon is loaded up, only for Moose to dropkick him out to the floor.

Back in and a super poisonrana puts Moose down and the Ultimate Weapon connects for two more. Another tornado kick is cut off with a spear to send Bailey outside, followed by an even bigger spear. They go back inside where two more spears give Moose the pin and the title at 17:24.

Rating: B-. That’s something of a relief, as Bailey getting away from the title makes things more interesting. I can only take so many tornado kicks and Ultimate Weapons, though thankfully Bailey only ignored a few moments of leg work this time. Moose winning the title is a new way to go, and I could go for a bunch of people coming after the monster champion.

Post match Moose leaves so Trent Seven comes out, hugs Bailey, and then hits him low. The Seven Star Lariat drops Bailey to end the show. If it keeps Bailey away from the title, I approve.

Overall Rating: C+. These tapings are nearly cursed by injuries as there is only so much you can get with two matches being stopped due to injuries. Putting in the previously unreleased match wasn’t exactly interesting but they had limited options here. Other than the title change at the end, there wasn’t much to be seen here, but there is still more than enough time before Turning Point to get things going. Just make things a bit more interesting on the way there, as this show was only ok for the most part.

Results
Masha Slamovich/Jordynne Grace b. Tasha Steelz/Alisha Edwards – Rear naked choke to Edwards
Rosemary b. Wendy Choo – As Above So Below
Jody Threat b. Heather By Elegance – Pop Shove It
Moose b. Mike Bailey – Spear

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: October 31, 2024
Location: Wayne State Fieldhouse, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We’re done with Bound For Glory and the big story is that Nic Nemeth retained the World Title against Joe Hendry with help from JBL. Other than that, the Hardys are the Tag Team Champions against after a not so thrilling main event. We’re on the way to Turning Point next week, which could go in a few different ways. Let’s get to it.

Here is Bound For Glory if you need a recap.

The show opens with a graphic showing a statement from Chris Bey, thanking fans and the medical staff helping him with his recovery. He knows it will be a long and challenging recovery process. The voiceover talks about the GoFundMe and asks for donations to help him. That does not sound good in the slightest but at least he’s here to make such a statement.

Bound For Glory recap.

PCO wishes us a Happy Halloween.

Opening sequence.

Here is Frankie Kazarian, in a heck of a Joe Hendry cosplay, for an even better Hendry impression, to mock everything about Hendry. This includes the clapping, but here in the real thing to chase him off. Hendry calls this the first entertaining thing Kazarian has done in 47 years, but the reality is that Kazarian took something away from Hendry and the people.

What matters is that there was a conspiracy against him, with Kazarian, John Layfield and Nic Nemeth all being in on it. Cue Nemeth to say he didn’t know what Layfield did and Hendry deserves a rematch. Nemeth wanted to give Hendry a rematch tonight but Santino Marella said no. Cue the System, with Nemeth insulting them and a tag match seemingly being set up for tonight.

Post break Alisha Edwards and Tasha Steelz are still in the ring to say Masha Slamovich’s Knockouts Title reign is on borrowed time. Cue Slamovich to mock Alisha’s catchphrase and say she’s looking for a fight tonight. The double teaming is on so here is Jordynne Grace for the save. Cue Santino Marella to make a tag match between the women for next week, as well as Nemeth/Hendry vs. JDC/Eddie Edwards.

First Class vs. Rascalz

Miguel and Navarro start things off and a wristdrag has Navarro down, meaning Wentz can come in for a rolling snapmare out of the corner. AJ Francis low bridges Wentz outside though and adds a running knee in the corner back inside. Navarro’s double stomp gets two, followed by a big boot to give Francis the same. A backsplash misses though and it’s back to Miguel to pick up the pace. That means a series of quick strikes into a Swanton for two before Wentz and Navarro crash out to the floor. Navarro is fine enough to get in a cheap shot though and the Down Payment finishes Miguel at 7:03.

Rating: C. First Class getting a win to put them back on track is nice to see, as Francis’ bragging is still good enough. Other than that, not much to this one as they only had so much time, though the Rascalz are dropping quite a bit after their big feud with Wes Lee over in NXT. I’m not sure what they can do, but it might be a bit before it gets better.

Josh Alexander/Good Hands vs. Eric Young/Jonathan Gresham/Steve Maclin

The Good Hands are here because the Northern Armory had visa issues. We’re joined in progress with Gresham getting triple stomped in the corner and Skyler dropping a leg for two. Gresham fights up and gets in a shot to the arm, followed by a dropkick for the tag off to Young. Alexander goes after the knee though and it’s Maclin coming in to chase Alexander outside. That’s enough for Alexander to leave and the spear in the Tree of Woe into KIA finishes Skyler at 7:12.

Rating: C+. Well yeah, of course the villains lost here. You had Alexander and two guys literally described as being there as helpers against two former World Champions and a former Ring Of Honor World Champion. This would have been the same thing if the Armory had been involved so at least it wasn’t shaken up very badly by something out of their control.

We look at the last few minutes of Mike Bailey vs. El Hijo del Vikingo at Bound for Glory. I’m assuming this was going to be the Vikingo match where he got hurt.

Mike Bailey gives Trent Seven a pep talk after losing the Call Your Shot gauntlet but Seven isn’t happy. The System interrupts, with Moose saying he might just take the X-Division Title. Works for Bailey.

Dani Luna vs. Ash By Elegance

Jody Threat, Heather By Elegance and the Personal Concierge are here too. An exchange of shoulders goes to Luna but a Heather distraction lets Ash send her into the steps to take over. Back in and Ash grabs a chinlock, with Luna fighting up without much effort. A Blue Thunder Bomb gives Luna two but the Concierge offers a distraction, allowing Heather to get in a broom (witch’s costume) shot. Rarefied Air finishes Luna at 6:02.

Rating: C. Giving Ash an entourage of people to help her steal some wins is a fine idea, as it would stun me if she isn’t at least a serious challenger for the Knockouts Title sooner than later. She’s too good to leave in the middle of the pack for that much longer and has been treated as a big deal. For now though, it looks like By Elegance is coming for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles, as this was the required “beat a champion in a singles match”.

Lei Ying Lee vs. Maggie Moore

Moore works on a wristlock to start but Lee headscissors her down and gets in a stomp. A pump kick staggers Lee but she hits a crossbody out of the corner. Thunderstruck finishes Moore at 2:51. That was certainly a Lee match.

Post match Savannah Evans returns and lays Lee out.

Mike Santana is proud of his win over Moose and says the World Title is a matter of when.

Nic Nemeth/Joe Hendry vs. The System

Frankie Kazarian is on commentary. Hendry takes Edwards down in a hurry to start and we take an early break. Back with Nemeth being knocked outside thanks to an Alisha Edwards distraction and JDC hitting a slingshot elbow for two. The chinlock goes on for a bit before JDC heads up, only to miss a flipping legdrop. Hendry comes back in to clean house and a double clothesline puts the System down. Everything breaks down, leaving Hendry to accidentally hit Nemeth. The Boston Knee Party finishes Nemeth at 10:02.

Rating: C+. This didn’t have time to go very far and was mainly about the arguing among the good guys. The System gets another boost and there is a chance that we’ll be seeing Eddie get a shot at Nemeth in there somewhere. Throw in Kazarian lurking around and Hendry needing a rematch and Nemeth has his plate full for the time being.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was tasked with getting things going in the new direction after the biggest show of the year, but the Chris Bey stuff was hard to get around. Between the opening announcement and constantly mentioning him all night (and of course there is nothing wrong with that), it was hard to get focused on the show, as it’s hard to not think about how bad things might be for him. All that aside, the main event felt like it was setting up more stuff in the World Title picture, but a lot of the rest felt like it was just continuing from Bound For Glory. There was no big new moment, but that’s not something required.

Results
First Class b. Rascalz – Down Payment to Miguel
Eric Young/Jonathan Gresham/Steve Maclin b. Josh Alexander/Good Hands – KIA to Skyler
Ash By Elegance b. Dani Luna – Rarefied Air
Lei Ying Lee b. Maggie Moore – Thunderstruck
The System b. Nic Nemeth/Joe Hendry – Boston Knee Party to Nemeth

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 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

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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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: October 10, 2024
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We are just over two weeks to go before we get to Bound For Glory and, after a week off due to Hurricane Helene, it is time to start the final push towards the show. Joe Hendry is the #1 contender to Nic Nemeth and the World Title so odds are the talking will be on this week. Other than that, the Hardys are facing the ABC so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Wendy Choo/Rosemary/Tasha Steelz vs. Masha Slamovich/Sol Ruca/Jordynne Grace

Grace slugs Choo down to start and hits an early Vader Bomb for two. Ruca comes in to clean house and gets two off an X Factor to Rosemary. Alisha Edwards offers a distraction though and Ruca gets knocked outside for a cheap shot from Steelz. The Upside Down has Ruca in more trouble as the villains start the alternating beating. Ruca fights out of Steelz’s camel clutch and, after a double neckbreaker, hits the Sol Snatcher (springboard inverted flipping cutter), hands it off to Slamovich. Everything breaks down and the Juggernaut Driver finishes Steelz at 6:57.

Rating: C+. This was what it needed to be, as Grace continues to clear out the rest of the division and is likely heading towards a title showdown with Masha Slamovich. That’s about all that is left for Slamovich, as the NXT stars haven’t meant much in recent weeks and Steelz was quickly dispatched. It’s another match about Grace and that’s all it should have been.

Josh Alexander welcomes Sinner & Saint into the fold and is ready to wreck Eric Young on the way to Steve Maclin.

Here is Nic Nemeth for a chat. He’s ready for Joe Hendry at Bound for Glory so here is Hendry to interrupt. Hendry has worked hard to get here and he is ready to take the final step by becoming the World Champion. Nemeth talks about how everyone believes in Hendry, even Shawn Michaels. Hendry asks about John Layfield believing in Nemeth, but here is First Class to interrupt.

They’re going to be in the main event of Bound For Glory and AJ Francis takes credit for making Hendry a thing. Hendry can’t remember which song he sang about Francis but samples a few of them, which doesn’t sit well with Francis. Nemeth gets to the point and issues the tag match challenge, with Santino Marella coming out to make the match. Note that Santino was on screen for about thirty seconds here, which is all he needs for such an announcement. On the other hand, I could go for not seeing “future opponents teaming together” for a long, long time.

Ash By Elegance and the Personal Concierge are working hard on Heather Reckless’ makeover.

Josh Alexander vs. Eric Young

They fight over a lockup to start and strike it out until Young knocks him out to the floor. Back in and Young’s sunset flip slide through the legs is blocked, allowing Alexander to hit his running crossbody to knock Young outside again. We take a break and come back with Alexander working on the arm. Young grabs a northern lights suplex for two but Alexander puts him down again and slaps on a chinlock.

That’s broken up as well and Young hits a powerslam, only for Alexander to roll some German suplexes. Young hits a Death Valley Driver for two, setting up the top rope elbow drop for the same. Cue Sinner & Saint for a distraction, including a dropkick to Young so Alexander can grab a jackknife rollup for the pin at 10:04.

Rating: B-. Good action here as Alexander is on his way to a much bigger match down the line. Young isn’t likely to be a top star around here anytime soon but he’s a fine gatekeeper around this level. The fans still react to him and he’s certainly not bad in the ring, but you kind of know what you’re getting with him. That was the situation here and it was what you would have expected.

Post match Young goes after the goons but gets triple teamed. Young’s ankle gets Pillmanized.

Jordynne Grace is looking for Masha Slamovich and finds a shrine to herself, with her picture crossed out. Oh dear.

Here is Mike Santana for a chat. He wants Moose out here right now because it’s time to settle this face to face. Cue Moose, with security, to say he isn’t scared of Santana. That doesn’t work for Santana, who talks about how they’ve both come up the hard way. Moose talks about how he’s become a three time World Champion…and the System comes in to jump Santana from behind. The ABC and the Hardys (scheduled for a match) run in for the save. Santino Marella comes out to make Moose vs. Santana for Bound For Glory. That’s been set up for months now and it’s nice to see it made official.

ABC vs. Hardys

Bey headlocks Matt down to no avail to start so it’s quickly off to Austin vs. Jeff. La majistral gets two on Jeff and they trade some arm cranking. Jeff takes him into the corner for Poetry In Motion and a neckbreaker gets two. Austin slides between the legs and kicks Jeff away though, allowing Austin to come back in.

It’s back to Matt as well, but he is quickly taken into the corner for stereo kicks to the head. That doesn’t last long either as it’s right back to Jeff for the house cleaning. Everything breaks down and Jeff hits the Twisting Stunner into a neckbreaker from Matt…and the System runs in for the double DQ at 8:19.

Rating: C+. Just make the triple threat match for the titles at Bound For Glory already, likely with a ladder involved. That’s the only way it could wind up going as the Hardys being involved make it all but guaranteed. At least the Hardys didn’t get a pin over ABC here, as that wouldn’t have helped much of anyone.

Post match Santino Marella comes out to make the triple threat match and….yeah it’s Full Metal Mayhem. Like it could have been anything else.

Laredo Kid vs. Leon Slater vs. Jason Hotch

For a shot at Mike Bailey, on commentary, and the X-Division Title. They start fast and trade near falls until Kid sends the other two outside. That means the big flip dive can connect before Slater and Hotch both hit kicks to the head back inside. With Kid on the floor, Slater hits the Swanton 450 for the pin at 3:42.

Rating: C+. What can you get out of three people going that fast for less than four minutes? Slater getting the title shot is certainly a surprise, though I can’t imagine there isn’t a much bigger name waiting for bailey at Bound For Glory. He isn’t overly interesting but he’s a big star and has dominated the division for a long time, so it’s time for him to face someone big.

Here is Jordynne Grace to calls out Masha Slamovich. Cue Slamovich, with Grace asking what was up with the shrine. Slamovich says Grace knew she spoke English but kept it to herself so she wouldn’t lose the spotlight. At Bound For Glory, Slamovich is coming for the title. Again: it’s the only way to go.

Nic Nemeth/Joe Hendry vs. First Class

First Class jumps Hendry before Nemeth comes in so cue Nemeth for the save as we take a break before the bell. Back with Nemeth fighting out of Francis’ chickenwing but getting whipped hard into the corner. Another whip into the corner is countered into a DDT and it’s back to Hendry to clean house. Everything breaks down and Henry gives Francis an AA for two. Nemeth tags himself back in and superkicks Francis into the corner, allowing Navarro to tag himself in for a missile dropkick. Not that it matters as a Fameasser finishes Navarro at 7:18.

Rating: C+. Short and to the point here as Nemeth was looking to one up Hendry a bit at the end. There’s no tension between the two going into their title shot and now they need to build at least a little something on the way to Bound For Glory. Not much to the match, but First Class taking a loss always has some value.

Nemeth and Hendry seem to get along to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The phrase that I would use for TNA is “user friendly”. You could see a lot of the matches being set up for the last few weeks/months and now they’re set up. It’s a show where you can jump in at almost any time and get the idea, which is so nice compared to other promotions. Good stuff here and Bound For Glory is starting to look rather good at the right time.

Results
Jordynne Grace/Masha Slamovich/Sol Ruca b. Rosemary/Wendy Choo/Tasha Steelz – Juggernaut Driver to Steelz
Josh Alexander b. Eric Young – Jackknife rollup
Hardys vs. ABC went to a double DQ when the System interfered
Leon Slater b. Laredo Kid and Jason Hotch – Swanton 450 to Hotch
Nic Nemeth/Joe Hendry b. First Class – Fameasser to Navarro

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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

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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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AND

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Impact Wrestling
Date: September 12, 2024
Location: Old Forester’s Paristown Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

It’s the night before Victory Road and the hastily build card is mostly set. With this out of the way, there will not be much more before we get to Bound For Glory, which is taking place in about a month and a half. That should make for a bunch of big shows coming up soon, hopefully starting with this one. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Steve Maclin vs. Hammerstone

They fight over a lockup to start and run the ropes until Maclin hits a running elbow. Back up and Hammerstone powers him into some corners for shots to the ribs, setting up a belly to back suplex for two. The abdominal stretch stays on the ribs but Maclin cuts off a torture rack attempt. Maclin ties him in the Tree of Woe for a running shoulder to the ribs. Hammerstone is sent outside for the Scud but is fine enough to hit a dropkick back inside. The Nightmare Pendulum is loaded up but Maclin slips out and grabs a rollup for the pin at 7:03.

Rating: C. That ending felt a bit flat and while it’s a bit better for it to be Maclin, seeing Hammerstone lose again is kind of hard to take. I’m not sure why he has such a bad record around here but this was another clean loss. Other than that, not much to see in the opener, though Maclin’s return to prominent continues.

Post match Hammerstone beats him down again until Eric Young makes the save. Jake Something comes out to stand next to Hammerstone.

The System is ready for their reboot and it starts tonight with beating up the Hardys.

Eric Young and Steve Maclin want Hammerstone and Jake Something at Victory Road.

Gisele Shaw vs. Heather Reckless

This is Reckless’ first official match as part of the roster. Shaw grabs a headlock to start but gets rolled up for some near falls. Back up and Reckless spins around to grab a headscissors, only to get press slammed down for her efforts. Shaw’s running uppercuts set up a chinlock but Reckless fights up with a tornado DDT.

Cue Ash By Elegance with her personal concierge as Reckless hits a running crossbody. Shaw catches her in the corner but gets caught with a slingshot Canadian Destroyer for a rather near fall. Shaw’s spinebuster into a backbreaker gets two more so she goes up, only for Ash to slap her in the face. A super Spanish Fly (Wrecked) finishes for Reckless at 7:04.

Rating: B-. That was a big upset but commentary didn’t exactly seem to treat it like one. Shaw had been on something of a hot streak in recent weeks but that went cold here, albeit by putting someone new over. They had a nice back and forth match though and Reckless could be something around here.

Xia Zhou, formerly known as Xia Li, is coming.

Here is Matt Cardona, with the less than enthusiastic Steph de Lander, for a chat. Cardona says Santino Marella has it out of him and that includes his return to the ring at Victory Road. He gets to pick his partner in a tag match and his pick is…Steph de Lander! Cue PCO, one of Cardona’s opponents, to wreck Cardona in short order.

Spitfire is worried about putting their team on the line, but the titles are worth it.

First Class vs. ABC

Non-title tornado tag. First Class is sent outside to start and Austin dropkicks them down as we take an early break. Back with ABC in trouble and Francis hitting a running knee in the corner. Bey gets posted, kicked in the head, and then posted again as the villains are in control. Another running knee puts Bey on the floor again but he dives back in to take Navarro down. A brainbuster gives Bey two on Navarro and a double suplex gets the same on Francis. Back up and Francis’ chokeslam is countered into a cutter and the Fold finishes him off at 9:40.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure why this needed to be tornado rules but at least it was something different compared to their match at Emergence. ABC gets another nice win and beating up a big guy like Francis is a bit of a change from what they usually do. The System is waiting for ABC at Victory Road and that’s the big one for the champs, who had a nice warmup here.

Video on Jonathan Gresham, who is still battling the evil inside of him. Please tell me we aren’t going to see this nonsense again. Cutting it of once was more than enough.

Here is Joe Hendry for a chat. He lives by the phrases “say his name and he appears” and he wants Josh Alexander to appear right now. Cue Alexander, and yes Hendry has a song about him, which is about how Alexander never smiles and is the Wish version of Kurt Angle.

Back in the arena, Alexander rants about how he should have Hendry’s spot because Hendry only got this spot by going viral. Alexander will smile after he wrecks Hendry at Victory Road but Hendry points out a WALKING WIENER sign. They compare their world travels, with Hendry getting serious to promise he’ll win tomorrow. You don’t get that side of Hendry very often and it worked.

We look at Wendy Choo attacking Jordynne Grace on NXT.

Grace tells Arianna Grace that she’s wrecking Choo.

Mike Santana wants the World Title and hopes Moose wins it so he can take it from him.

Xia Brookside vs. Ash By Elegance

Brookside knocks her down to start and gets in some shoves to the face. A crossbody puts Ash down again but the Concierge trips Brookside down to give Ash a needed breather. Ash’s snap suplex gets two and we hit the quickly broken chinlock. Brookside’s Russian legsweep gets two and she hits some running knees in the corner. The Concierge offers a distraction though and Brookside misses the knees in the corner. Cue Heather Reckless to post Brookside, allowing Ash to get the pin at 5:19.

Rating: C. Not much to here as the big deal was the interference at the end. Reckless has already made quite the debut this week with a pair of moments. Ash getting what might be a partner or a lackey could be interesting, but it isn’t going to matter if she doesn’t win the Knockouts Title at some point.

Nic Nemeth is ready for Moose at Victory Road.

Ash By Elegance is interested in Heather Reckless helping her.

Victory Road rundown.

Hardys vs. The System

Matt takes Myers into the corner to start and then works over the arm. Jeff comes in to stay on said arm and the invading Edwards is knocked down. It’s off to Edwards legally but this time he gets elbowed in the face. Poetry In Motion connects on both villains and they get knocked outside for a dive from Jeff. Back in and Myers gets in a cheap shot to hammer on Jeff as we take a break.

We come back with Jeff getting hammered down in the corner but jawbreaking his way to freedom. Matt comes back in to start the comeback but Eddie hides behind Alisha Edwards and Myers gets in a baseball slide to take over. The front facelock keeps Matt in trouble again but he fights out of Myers’ comeback and hits the Ricochet. The big tag brings Jeff back in to clean house, including the Whisper In The Wind to Myers. Matt breaks up the System Overload and it’s the Twist Of Fate into the Swanton to finish Eddie at 17:08.

Rating: B-. I was wondering how they would go around the idea of the System having a title shot tomorrow and losing to the Hardys here and the solution was to just have the #1 contenders lose. That’s certainly a way to go and if the System gets the titles back tomorrow, there is a good chance that it will lead to the Hardys getting a big title shot, possibly at Bound For Glory. That does not exactly bode well, and it might be off to a scary start here.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was all about the hard sell to Victory Road and it went well enough, save for that kind of strange ending. Other than that, I am slightly more interested in seeing Victory Road than I was coming in. The wrestling was just ok here and there were some odd choices, but the show accomplished its goal.

Results
Steve Maclin b. Hammerstone – Rollup
Heather Reckless b. Gisele Shaw – Wrecked
ABC b. First Class – Fold to Francis
Ash By Elegance b. Xia Brookside – Ram into the post
Hardys b. The System – Swanton to Edwards

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.