Impact Wrestling
Date: September 25, 2025
Location: The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the night before Victory Road, which isn’t exactly looking like the most important show. There is only so much that can be done as we are on the way to Bound For Glory, making Victory Road little more than a glorified pit stop. Hopefully they find a way to spice it up a bit so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap, looking at the System vs. Order 4.

Opening sequence.

Rascalz vs. Leon Slater/Cedric Alexander

Myron Reed is on commentary. Alexander gets taken into the corner to start and a Dream Sequence has him in more trouble. The four way brawl is on as everything breaks down, though we settle into Miguel slugging it out with Alexander. A suplex puts Miguel down and Slater comes in to start on the arm. Miguel slips out of a suplex though and it’s off to Wentz, who gets caught in the wrong corner. A high crossbody gives Slater two but Wentz knees him down to take over.

Miguel’s double stomp gets two and some rapid fire kicks set up the chinlock. Slater is back up with a running cutter and it’s back to Alexander to clean house. The Michinoku Driver gets two but everything breaks down, with Slater hitting a slingshot dive to the floor. Reed offers a distraction though and Wentz Swantons a hanging Slater for two. Alexander is back in to send Wentz outside for a heck of a suicide dive. Slater is able to hit the Swanton 450 for the pin on Miguel at 10:26.

Rating: B-. As usual, TNA knows how to open a show in the right way, as this kind of high flying, fast paced match is always going to be a fun starter. Slater is on his way to a medium title defense tomorrow night and then we get on to whatever his big story is going to be at Bound For Glory. For now, at least we got to see his awesome finisher, which works every time.

Jake Something and Frankie Kazarian are ready to face Steve Maclin and Mr. Anderson tonight. Kazarian is going to take the International Title at Bound For Glory and he mocks Anderson’s catchphrase.

We look at NXT invading NXT on Tuesday.

Earlier today, Eric Young demanded that Santino Marella put him in a match with Joe Hendry. Sure.

Victoria Crawford vs. Jody Threat

Threat grabs a headlock to start, followed by some rapid fire clotheslines in the corner. Crawford is able to send her throat first into the bottom rope and pound away at the back, only to miss a big boot. Threat’s boot sets up a release German suplex…but Tessa Blanchard is back for a distraction. Crawford scores with an ax kick for the win at 4:09.

Rating: C. The match was just a backdrop for Blanchard’s return and a distraction, which is fine as Blanchard is a big deal. Crawford’s return has been good enough and a nice little addition to the division, as she’s far from a top star but at least she’s getting to do something. I’m not sure what’s next in all of this, but I would hope Blanchard gets to do something other than face Gia Miller.

Joe Hendry is ready to face Eric Young, who was his mentor back in the day. Then things changed and now Young wants to get rid of him. Young is the one who has changed and Hendry will teach him a lesson at Victory Road.

The System is ready for the Hardcore War with Order 4 but Moose wants Mustafa Ali at Victory Road, one on one.

Battle Royal

Mara Sade, Matt Cardona, Home Town Man, Mance Warner, Xia Brookside, Lei Ying Lee, AJ Francis, Rosemary, Ryan Nemeth, Killer Kelly

The winner enters the Call Your Shot Gauntlet last and the final one eliminated enters it first. Francis runs his mouth before the bell and threatens Rosemary, who mists him. Everyone else jumps Francis and he’s out first. Nemeth goes to the floor (not out) for some choking and Sade is eliminated. Kelly is out as well and Warner chokes on the Man in the corner. Rosemary gets tossed and Warner clotheslines Lee and Brookside.

The Man loses his Twins jersey but reveals a Timberwolves jersey in a nice touch. Cardona helps him go after Warner, who sends them both to the apron, where Nemeth eliminates them both. Nemeth isn’t done as he tosses Brookside but gets low bridged by Lee. We’re down to Lee vs. Warner, with Lee busting out the martial arts. Warner sends her to the apron though and kicks her out for the win at 6:16.

Rating: C. It’s nice that they kept this quick and Warner as a threat to win the whole thing is a nice way to go. He’s the kind of villain who could do a lot of evil with the contract, though him winning is probably a long shot. This was hardly a good battle royal, but at least they kept it from taking up too much of the show for the sake of two people moving on to another battle royal.

Mickie James and the Beautiful People are going into the Hall Of Fame. Yeah that’s fair.

We get a rather jumpy video on Mike Santana’s road to Bound For Glory. He has never given up and this is everything to him. We hear from what appears to be his daughter, who wants him to win.

Here is Santino Marella to introduce the Hardys and Team 3D for the Final Negotiation. In a show of respect, Team 3D lets the Hardys go first. Matt talks about how these might be the best teams ever and we get an exchange of praises. If the Hardys want to be the best ever though, they need to beat Team 3D. We get a quick TLC flashback, with D-Von saying he and Jeff are never hanging from a ladder again “you crazy son of a b****.”

Jeff references Edge and Christian and Bully brings up the Dudley Boyz before saying the Hardys need Team 3D. That’s fine with Matt, who wants the losers to shake the winners’ hands and say they’re the best of all time. The Hardys are even willing to put up the title, with Santino Marella making it official…but Bully says no. The fans want tables so Bully talks about losing in a tables match at the 2000 Royal Rumble. That has always bothered them so we’ll do it again in a tables match. The contract is ripped up as all we need is a handshake. Well good, as that contract wouldn’t have had any of the details they just established.

Mustafa Ali, with Order 4, is tired of the System and the team is ready for both Victory Road and Bound For Glory. Ali recaps the rules of a Hardcore War and suggests that the match at Victory Road determines who has the advantage in Hardcore War. The System comes in for the staredown.

Victory Road rundown.

Frankie Kazarian/Jake Something vs. Mr. Anderson/Steve Maclin

Anderson doesn’t have a mic dropping in from the ceiling so Maclin gets a chair and lowers one to him for his introduction (I chuckled). Maclin and Kazarian start things off but Kazarian hands it off to Something instead. A shoulder and forearm to the back of the head have Maclin down and now it’s off to Kazarian, who gets to face Anderson for a nice reaction. Some forearms and a backdrop have Kazarian down so Maclin comes back in to take care of Something. The villains take a breather on the floor until Maclin pulls Kazarian back inside.

We take a break and come back with Anderson fighting his way out of trouble so Maclin can come back in. The spear misses Something in the corner though and Kazarian takes Maclin down on the floor. Back in and Something chinlocks Kazarian but he’s back up with a clothesline for the breather. Anderson comes in to clean house, including a Green Bay Plunge for two on Kazarian.

The Mic Check is blocked but Fade To Black is reversed into the Mic Check, with Something making the save. Kazarian gives Anderson a Backstabber into the Flux Capacitor for two, with the fans getting way into the kickout. Maclin is back in to clear out the villains as everything breaks down. Another Mic Check drops Something and KIA pins Kazarian at 16:41.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t expecting much here and it wound up being a pretty nice main event. The fans were into what Anderson was doing and having him back for a one off match is a fine idea. He’s a legend around here so it was a nice short term return. Kazarian feels very likely to win the title at Bound For Glory too, so at least the story is getting some attention, even with Kazarian losing here.

Overall Rating: C+. This did what it could to make Victory Road look more important, but the show is little more than a preview for Bound For Glory. The action here was ok, but it was mainly just filler as the two major shows were set up. That only makes for a somewhat interesting episode, though at least it did accomplish its main goals.

Results
Leon Slater/Cedric Alexander b. Rascalz – Swanton 450 to Miguel
Victoria Crawford b. Jody Threat – Ax kick
Mance Warner won a battle royal last eliminating Lei Ying Lee
Mr. Anderson/Steve Maclin b. Jake Something/Frankie Kazarian – KIA to Kazarian

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: September 11, 2025
Location: The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re back to the taped format here as Victory Road is coming up pretty soon. That show is going to be tricky enough as it is little more than a pit stop on the way to Bound For Glory next month. It’s going to be difficult to get some interest going, but maybe they can have a good idea or two. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a September 11th graphic.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Moose vs. AJ Francis

Hold on though as here is Order 4, with Mustafa Ali to watch. Ali shakes Francis’ hand and sits in on commentary and Moose is up with a dropkick to start fast. They go outside with Francis getting in a shot of his own and sending Moose into the apron. We take a break and come back with Moose grabbing a suplex and they go outside.

Francis cuts off a charge with an apron bomb for two, followed by a running knee in the corner. Moose uses the power of fist pumps to come back and a spinning high crossbody drops Francis. The spear misses for Moose though and Francis hits one of his own for a near fall. The Secret Service’s distraction doesn’t make much of a difference, as Moose is right back with a spear for the win at 9:27.

Rating: C+. This was about having two big guys beat each other up, with Francis rapidly turning into a decent power guy. He’s figured out a lot in recent months and that’s nice to see. Moose is probably on his way to something with Mustafa Ali, or Order 4 as a whole though, and that’s an intriguing prospect.

Post match Moose challenges Ali to a match but doesn’t get an answer.

The System is ready to take out the Nemeths.

The Rascalz are back together in the Tree House and they want to win some titles. Then the smoke starts up and they can’t figure out Jake Something’s name.

Joe Hendry vs. Eric Young

Young comes to the ring with the Northern Armory and makes his usual threats, allowing Travis Williams to jump Hendry. We get the opening bell, which apparently signals false advertising as Young isn’t in the match.

Joe Hendry vs. Travis Williams

Hendry fights back and hits a suplex but Young offers a distraction. Williams’ running knee gets two but a springboard tornado DDT is blocked. The fall away slam sends Williams flying and an AA into the Standing Ovation finishes for Hendry at 3:16.

Rating: C-. I’m really not big on the false advertising like that but it’s something that happens in wrestling. Odds are Hendry vs. Young takes place at Victory Road, which I’ll take over having to hear about The Cleanse or whatever it is this time. I’m sure we’ll see more about it sooner than later, but for now at least Hendry got to show off a bit.

Post match Hendry bails from Young and Judas Icarus. Young yells at the Armory and drops them with two piledrivers apiece.

We look back at Frankie Kazarian beating Matt Cardona last week, thanks to Ryan Nemeth.

Cardona tells Ryan to put his nose in Cardona’s business again.

Here is Victoria Crawford, who has her own podcast. Her first guest is Gia Miller, with Crawford yelling at her over getting Tessa Blanchard suspended. Miller blames Blanchard for her own actions and Crawford made it worse, with threats of violence ensuing. Jody Threat runs in to break it up, with Crawford bailing to leave Miller fuming.

Jake Something vs. Zachary Wentz vs. Trey Miguel vs. Myron Reed

The inner gets an X-Division Title shot against Leon Slater, on commentary, at Victory Road. The Rascalz all bail outside to start before coming back in for a triple dropkick. Something shrugs that off and takes them all down. The Rascalz send him outside for a dive before we get a three way rollup exchange. Miguel punches Wentz down but Something is back in to run through everyone.

Wentz is powerbombed onto Reed for two but the Rascalz are back with a triplebomb out of the corner. The Rascalz slug it out until Something is back with Into The Void for two on Miguel. Wentz is back up with the UFO Cutter to Something but Miguel pulls him out. That leaves Reed to 450 Something for the pin at 8:08. Reed’s shocked face is great.

Rating: B-. I can go for the idea of mixing things up here as they didn’t go with the idea of the one different person wins. While Reed doesn’t seem to have much of a chance at winning the title, it’s very nice to see someone fresh getting a shot. That’s a smart thing to do and hopefully they can make the match part of it work in a few weeks.

Jake Something is in the back when he runs into Frankie Kazarian. Despite the loss, Kazarian offers him a spot by his side as Kazarian wins the International Title. Does he want to finally be…..something?

Heather By Elegance vs. Jessie McKay

Their partners are here too. Heather stomps away in the corner for two to start and we’re already in a chinlock. McKay fights up and sends her into the corner for some running knees, followed by a big boot. The Press Release (Gory Special) is loaded up but the Personal Concierge offers a distraction. Heather grabs a rollup and M grabs her feet for the pin at 3:10.

Rating: C-. There is only so much you can do with this kind of time but at least they did a smart finish by having the Elegance Brand cheat. That’s where everything tends to go with them so everything made sense. The IInspiration isn’t exactly inspiring lately, but it’s not like they have much else to do around here.

Post match Cassie Lee gets in to check on McKay and gets jumped. Cue Santino Marella to make the match.

Cassie Lee vs. M By Elegance

M tries to run but gets thrown back inside for the opening bell. A running big boot in the corner drops Lee for two and M’s snap suplex gets two more. Another big boot gets another near fall and we hit the double arm crank. That’s broken up so Lee can make the clothesline comeback into a Codebreaker for two. Heather gets in a cheap shot but McKay takes her out, leaving Lee to hit a swinging suplex for the pin at 5:07.

Rating: C. Slightly better match here, partially because they had a little bit more time to put it together. I’m not wild on having the two teams split like this but at least the ending could set the IInspiration up for something. It’s a basic way of going, though if you want the IInspiration to look strong, just have them sweep the night.

Steve Maclin talks about standing side by side in the Marines and now Frankie Kazarian is coming after him. That’s fine with Maclin, who isn’t getting through.

The Elegance Brand complains to Santino Marella about the upcoming title match against Masha Slamovich. Marella agrees and makes it No DQ with Indi Hartwell as guest referee. Oh and the IInspiration gets a Knockouts Tag Team Title match at Victory Road.

We recap the recent TNA issues on NXT.

Mike Santana is coming through the crowd for a match but Trick Williams jumps him from behind. Security breaks it up.

Nemeths vs. System

Nic and Myers start things off and go to the mat, with Nic getting two off a quick rollup. A dropkick sends Nic out to the apron and it’s Edwards coming in to send him into the corner. Everything breaks down and the System clears the ring as we take a break. We come back with Edwards fighting out of trouble and handing it back to Myers.

Ryan actually drops him so Nick can hit a top rope elbow, with Edwards making the save. The chinlock doesn’t last long and it’s back to Edwards to pick up the pace. A quick Fameasser gives Nic two and they’re both down. The Danger Zone is blocked and Edwards grabs a Blue Thunder Bomb with Ryan making the save. Cue Order 4 for a distraction, allowing Nic to hit a superkick into the Danger Zone for the pin at 12:44.

Rating: B-. If you want the Nemeths to be built up for their title rematch, this is the kind of win that they need to get. It wasn’t exactly a classic, but the Nemeths got to capitalize on the Order 4’s interference which should give us more between Order 4 and the System. Nice job of setting up two stories at once here.

Post match the Nemeths say they’re getting the title rematch next week so here are the Hardys to chase them off to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The show did a nice job of setting things up for Victory Road, though the action itself was only so good. The main event worked well enough but the rest was a good deal of quick stuff to keep the show moving. Victory Road is coming together well enough and that’s what matters the most, with the show in just a few weeks.

Results
Moose b. AJ Francis – Spear
Joe Hendry b. Travis Williams – Standing Ovation
Myron Reed b. Zachary Wentz, Trey Miguel and Jack Something – 450 to Something
Cassie Lee b. M By Elegance – Spinning suplex
Nemeths b. The System – Danger Zone 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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Impact Wrestling
Date: September 4, 2025
Location: The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re coming up on victory Road and the show is not likely to include Trick Williams defending the World Title. Williams is instead doing one of those things about this not being a safe working environment, which went about as well as you could expect. The show is in just over three weeks and Mike Santana is going to need something to do there. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a nice moment as some of the bigger names on the roster are on the stage, with a moment of silence for the victims of a recent shooting in Minneapolis. TNA is releasing a special shirt with 100% of the proceeds going to the school where the shooting took place. That’s very cool to see.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Santino Marella to get things going. He calls Trick Williams a liar and gets to finish last week’s announcement: Mike Santana is challenging Williams for the World Title at Bound For Glory. This brings out a rather happy Santana, who promises to bring the title back to TNA. Williams can hide behind his fancy words and contracts, but Santana can just come see him in NXT.

Mara Sade and the Hardys aren’t happy with Order 4 and are ready to take them out tonight.

Moose says Mike Santana is the man to bring the World Title back to TNA. Santana appreciates it but AJ Francis shows up, mocks Moose, and gets challenged to a match next week. Francis mocks Santana about Trick Williams’ lawyers and leaves.

Here is Ryan Nemeth for a chat. HIS BIG BROTHER is back tonight but here is Matt Cardona to interrupt. No one cares about Nemeth’s big brother, because he sucks. That’s enough for Ryan to get annoyed and then run off.

Matt Cardona vs. Frankie Kazarian

Cardona starts fast with the flapjack to send Kazarian outside, which sets up the dropkick through the ropes. Ryan Nemeth gets in a cheap shot from the floor and we take a break. We come back with Kazarian grabbing a chinlock but Cardona pops up for some running clotheslines.

Cardona knocks him into the corner but Kazarian gets outside before the Reboot. Nemeth offers a distraction though and Kazarian grabs the slingshot cutter for two. Cardona’s spinebuster gets two more but he has to hit Radio Silence on Nemeth. That’s enough for Kazarian to grab Fade To Black for the pin at 10:56.

Rating: C+. This was more about Nemeth getting on Cardona’s nerves and costing him the match, which is a fine way to go. Nemeth is at his best when he’s out there annoying people, as he’s only good for so many things. Kazarian continues to get built up for Bound For Glory season and it might be time for him to win the International Title.

Post match Kazarian talks about how he wants the World Title and on the way there, he might try to win the International Title. That kind of a title shouldn’t be held by a jarhead like Steve Maclin, but rather someone like him.

The IInspiration are very interested in tonight’s Knockouts Tag Team Title match.

Here is the Elegance Brand to welcome Ash By Elegance, the new Knockouts Champion. The rest of the team has some gifts for them: a commissioned portrait, bottles of champagne with her face on them and…well that’s it apparently. Ash says she is the Knockouts savior and doesn’t think Masha Slamovich could do this. Cue Slamovich, who really doesn’t seem to agree. Slamovich comes in for the brawl but gets beaten down, with Lei Ying Lee and Xia Brookside running in for the failed save attempt. The IInspiration makes the real save. Slamovich gets to wreck the portrait. Fine way to advance two stories.

Mustafa Ali promises to go after anyone who tries to stop Order 4, including the System.

Dani Luna vs. Indi Hartwell vs. Jody Threat

Luna is knocked to the floor to start, leaving Threat to clothesline Hartwell. Back in and Luna is sent outside again but comes back in to knock Hartwell off the top. Luna plants Threat and drops Hartwell again, only to get in a slugout with Threat. Hartwell is back up for the clothesline comeback and drops an elbow for two on Luna. Threat is back up with a driver for two on Luna before going to the apron for a slugout with Hartwell. Luna is kicked out to the floor and Threat trades rollups with Hartwell, only for Hartwell to get the pin at 7:13.

Rating: C+. The Hartwell push is upon us and that’s going to get her to Bound For Glory. Other than that, you have the continuing issues between the former Spitfire and…yeah it’s still hard to get interested in them. The team was only so interesting in the first place and it’s not getting much better to see them feuding. Luna going evil is at least something though.

Post match Luna lays both of them out.

We look back at Eric Young laying out Joe Hendry last week.

Here is Hendry for a chat. Hendry says he can be here anywhere in the world but he’s right here in Minneapolis and seems to pay a bit of tribute to the school shooting victims. After that, he moves on to Eric Young, who he needs to deal with right now. Cue Young and the Northern Armory, with Young saying there is a state of emergency in wrestling. Hendry needs to be cleansed so he challenges Young to a match right now. Young says we’ll do it next week, which is where the cleanse begins. Yeah sure. Just don’t let Young talk. Or be around here.

Leon Slater hears about the Rascalz being cleared. He wants to remind people what the X-Division Title is all about and Santino Marella seems to approve.

Here’s what’s coming at Victory Road and Bound For Glory.

Trick Williams says he doesn’t owe TNA anything and isn’t showing up anytime soon.

Order 4 vs. Mara Sade/The Hardys

Matt takes Hotch down into the corner for a legdrop from Jeff (in all….kind of pink). Everything breaks down and Matt and Sade hit a double DDT to the three villains. Sade stays in to beat up Steelz before Jeff elbows Hotch. A distraction lets Agent Zero grab Jeff for a distraction but gets ejected. That’s enough for Hotch to get in a cheap shot though and some elbows have Jeff in trouble as we take a break.

We come back with Jeff coming in to clean house, with Matt grabbing the Side Effect on Skyler. A Whisper In The Wind takes out the Hands but a slingshot spear drops Matt. Sade gives Steelz Finish Her and hits a moonsault (with Lita pose, which is at least a bit awkward with Matt there) to Skyler. Jeff adds the Swanton for the pin at 10:01.

Rating: C+. The Hardys aren’t going to have trouble against the Great Hands, but Sade has gone from pretty much nothing to a nice hand in the span of a few weeks. That’s not bad at all and I could go for seeing what she can do. The match was nothing out of the ordinary, though the Litasault was a nice little tribute, even if Sade isn’t quite that kind of a star.

Post match the Nemeths are back to take out the Hardys and Nic superkicks Sade. Well that’s a heel move.

Overall Rating: B-. Nice enough show here, with the tribute at the beginning being a very sweet moment. What mattered the most was starting the push towards the two upcoming big shows. I’m curious to see where things go for both of them, and now at least the cards are coming together. There wasn’t much in the way of wrestling here, but what we got was certainly passable. Maybe it was a bit odd for them as a live edition, but things should be back to normal next week.

Results
Frankie Kazarian b. Matt Cardona – Fade To Black
Indi Hartwell b. Jody Threat and Dani Luna – Rollup to Threat
Mara Sade/The Hardys b. Order 4 – Swanton Bomb to Skyler

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 14, 2025
Location: Thomas M. Ryan Center, Kingston, Rhode Island
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the night before Emergence so this week is likely going to be about setting things up for the pay per view. The big story coming out of this week’s NXT saw Trick Williams turn his back on his partners, including #1 contender Moose, allowing Darkstate to win an eight man tag. That is likely going to require some revenge so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Moose has been attacked in the back and the System hits the ring. They call out Trick Williams and First Class so it’s six man tag time.

First Class/Trick Williams vs. The System

The brawl is on in the aisle with the System getting the better of things. We settle down to Edwards crushing Swann in the corner and handing it off to JDC. Swann gets taken down but he kicks JDC out to the floor to take over for the first time. Francis’ chinlock doesn’t last long so it’s Williams coming in for a flapjack. Another chinlock goes on, followed by a bearhug from Francis. JDC suplexes his way out of trouble though and it’s off to Myers for an implant DDT to Swann. Everything breaks down and Swann gets a rollup with feet on the ropes to pin Myers at 6:12.

Rating: C+. That’s what this needed to be, with the System still finding their footing as good guys and Swann getting to steal a win to reestablish himself. Swann is a former World Champion but he’s been gone for so long that some people might have forgotten that he can hang at this level. Myers and JDC exist to lose for the System so this was hardly some big upset either.

We run down the rest of the card.

Myla Grace/Harley Hudson vs. Dani Luna/Indi Hartwell

Hudson can’t take Luna over with a headlock to start but Luna can easily power her down. A choke doesn’t work for Hudson either so she sends Luna into the corner for some running knees to the face. Luna powers them away again though and it’s off to Hartwell to clean house. The Hurts Donut finishes Grace at 3:40.

Rating: C-. Not much to this one, though Grace and Hudson are at least getting a chance to establish themselves as something. They still have a long way to go, but they have a bit of an identity as the rookies. Eventually they’ll need to win something, but we’re a long way off before they’re anything close to a failure.

Respect is shown post match but Rosemary pops out of the crowd to mist Hartwell.

We look at Order 4 costing Joe Hendry a match against Mustafa Ali last week.

John Skyler vs. Matt Cardona

Order 4 is here with Skyler. Cardona takes him into the corner to start but a distraction from the floor lets Skyler drop Cardona outside. Back in and the chinlock doesn’t last long but Tasha Steelz blocks the Reboot. Instead Cardona hits Radio Silence for the win at 2:19.

Post match Order 4 jumps Cardona and Mustafa Ali comes out to send Agent Zero out for the big beatdown.

Jody Threat and Dani Luna check on Indi Hartwell but get in an argument.

Matt Cardona is looking for Mustafa Ali and seems ready to face him at Emergence.

We look at a three way being set up for the Knockouts Title, with Jacy Jayne defending against Masha Slamovich and Ash By Elegance.

Here is Santino Marella for a Knockouts tag team summit. This brings out the Elegance Brand, Lei Ying Lee/Xia Brookside, IInspiration and Fatal Influence, with the Brand bragging about their abilities. Brookside promises a beating for everyone and Fatal Influence promises to show NXT’s superiority. Tension is teased and the brawl breaks out in a hurry, with dives taking out security. Pretty basic stuff here.

Rosemary isn’t happy with Indi Hartwell strolling in here so she made Hartwell as blind as Hartwell seems to be.

Steph de Lander and Mance Warner are annoyed at being suspended for having some personal time in Santino Marella’s locker room last week. Nothing is keeping him out of TNA.

Eric Young vs. Mike Santana

The Northern Armory is here with Young. Santana gets jumped from behind to start and gets sent outside. The Armory gets in some cheap shots so Young can hammer away in the corner, followed by a hard whip for two. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Santana fights back and hits an enziguri, followed by the rolling Buck Fifty for two of his own. Young shoves him off the top though and hits a top rope elbow for two. Young misses a clothesline off the top though and Spin The Block finishes for Santana at 5:31.

Rating: B-. Short and to the point match here, which is the best way to go as Santana can get a win over a name. They didn’t need to let this go long as Santana got everything he needed out of it by overcoming the odds to win. Now just get Santana where he belongs on the pay back to the World Title.

Post match the Armory jumps Santana but Sami Callihan makes the save.

We look at the TNA action on NXT, including Joe Hendry getting a win and Trick Williams costing his partners the eight man tag against Darkstate.

Here is Frankie Kazarian for the King’s Speech. Kazarian brings out Jake Something and Steve Maclin (facing each other at Emergence) as his guests and this isn’t likely to go well. They go face to face but Kazarian keeps telling them to keep from fighting, which has Maclin telling him to shut up. Maclin goes after Kazarian but walks into Into The Void. I’m not sure if he will, but I could go for Something winning the title.

Emergence rundown.

Sami Callihan says he’s done if he doesn’t win at Emergence. Eddie Edwards comes in to say he wants the real Callihan to come out one more time.

Rascalz/Cedric Alexander vs. Leon Slater/Hardys

Alexander wrestles Slater down to start before Reed comes in for a Fameasser in the ropes. Slater kicks him in the head though and brings Matt in to take over on Reed’s arm. Jeff gets in a few shots of his own, allowing Slater to hit a clothesline for two. The ten rams into the corner have Reed in more trouble but he gets over to Wentz. Slater gets taken down again, with Wentz firing off some elbows to the chest for two. Jeff comes in for a quick Poetry In Motion and grabs a chinlock on Wentz as we take a break.

We come back with Matt getting taken into the corner so Wentz can grab a front facelock. That’s switched into a regular chinlock but Matt fights out without much trouble. A superplex drops Wentz and Jeff comes back in to take over on Alexander. Whisper In The Wind (though not a clean one) gets two and it’s Slater coming back in to plant Reed. We hit the parade of knockdowns and the good guys grab a string of Twist of Fates (or Twisting Stunner from Jeff because he’s weird).

It’s too early for the Swanton so instead Alexander gets splashed by Jeff. Slater’s crossover splash gets two with the Rascalz making the save. The Rascalz hit dives on the floor and Salter nails a big dive over the corner. Back in and Alexander avoids the Swanton 450 and grabs the Lumbar Check for the pin at 17:28.

Rating: B. I can always go for the “take two matches and put them into a six man” style and they did well with it here. Alexander is a good first challenger for Slater as he’s going to be completely fine in the ring and help make Slater look good. At the same time, the Hardys are getting ready for their big match against Team 3D, meaning the titles might actually be in jeopardy as they have bigger things going on.

The double staredown ends the show.

Overall Rating: B-. While Emergence only feels so important between Slammiversary and Bound For Glory, this show did a good job of building it up. Oddly save for the World Title match, which was mainly touched on earlier in the week on NXT, the card got a solid boost here. Emergence could be a good show, and this week had a lot to do with making that work.

Results
First Class/Trick Williams b. The System – Rollup with feet on the ropes to Myers
Dani Luna/Indi Hartwell b. Myla Grace/Harley Hudson – Hurts Donut to Grace
Matt Cardona b. John Skyler – Radio Silence
Mike Santana b. Eric Young – Spin The Block
Cedric Alexander/Rascalz b. Hardys/Leon Slater – Lumbar Check to Slater

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: July 31, 2025
Location: Thomas M. Ryan Center, Kingston, Rhode Island
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re continuing to see the rise of Mike Santana, who beat Joe Hendry last week in probably the biggest win of his career. Other than that, we’re getting ready for Emergence, which is one of the last stops on the way to Bound For Glory. The shows are going to need some work and we might find out some of those developments this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

X-Division Title: Cedric Alexander vs. Jason Hotch vs. Leon Slater

Slater is defending and Hotch has Order 4 with him. Alexander wrestles them both down at the same time (that’s impressive) but Slater kicks him in the head. Back up and Alexander drops both of them, including a running kick to Hotch’s head. A Falcon Arrow gets two on Slater but Hotch German suplexes both of them. Hotch drops both of them with a middle rope moonsault to the floor, only for Slater to come back with a hanging Twist Of Fate. The Swanton 450 finishes Hotch at 4:05.

Rating: C+. Good, fast paced opener here with Slater getting to show what he can do in a more traditional X-Division match. Slater got his big moment and Slammiversary and it’s probably going to be a big before he had a next major challenger. This was a nice filler on the way to whatever that happens to be.

Post match Alexander and Slater have a staredown.

Masha Slamovich is ready to get the Knockouts Title back.

Cedric Alexander comes up to Leon Slater and a singles match is teased.

Indi Hartwell/Dani Luna vs. Arianna Grace/Jody Threat

Grace and Luna start things off with Grace spinning around and posing. That means a headlock takeover from Luna as Victoria Crawford, who apparently put the match together, comes out to watch. Grace fights up and brings Luna into the corner for the tag to Threat. A running crossbody puts Luna down and she misses a charge out to the floor. Back in and Grace stomps Luna down but the tag brings in Hartwell to stomp away. It’s quickly back to Threat, who walks into the Lunar Landing to give Luna the pin at 6:24.

Rating: C. While I hope that Hartwell and Luna aren’t slotted into a team, I’m not sure what any of these four have going on at the moment. Hartwell is coming off a big win at Slammiversary, but I can’t quite picture her as anything more than a challenger of the month for the Knockouts Title. The other three are just kind of there, which isn’t the brightest sign for their futures.

Jake Something wants the International Title. Steve Maclin comes in for the staredown.

Rascalz vs. Nemeths

The Nemeths try to jump them from behind but get cut off and sent to the floor. We settle down to the Nemeths taking over on Reed with Ryan elbowing him down for two. Nic’s chinlock doesn’t last long so he grabs a neckbreaker instead. Reed manages a Stundog Millionaire to escape and it’s off to Wentz to pick up the pace. Nic sneaks in a superkick from the floor to give Ryan two but Reed’s running diving cutter takes him down. Wentz Spiral Taps Ryan for the pin at 6:15.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have time to do much here but the Rascalz getting into the title picture isn’t a bad idea. The Hardys need someone to come after the belts before they face Team 3D at Bound For Glory (because that’s a thing) and the Rascalz could work well. It’s not like the Nemeths felt like they were a long term option as a top team anyway.

Post match the Nemeths say they didn’t get pinned to lose the titles so they want their rematch. Ryan mocks Rhode Island and that brings out the Home Town Man, who says these people are beautiful. The Nemeths try to say he’s really….and Home Town Man turns it into his theme song. The brawl is on and the mask is ripped off, but security covers his face with a towel. Eventually the Rascalz make the save.

Frankie Kazarian is tired of the lack of respect around here and wants to talk to company president Carlos Silva.

Here is Mike Santana for a chat. Standing in the crowd, Santana says that with everyone watching, he lost at Slammiversary. He has lost before and it makes him fight even harder. Santana walks to the ring and talks about seeing his daughter crying after his loss. As upset as he was, he had to be a dad and tell her it would be ok. Mark his words: he will be World Champion. Dang this is working and he needs to win the title.

Knockouts Title: Jacy Jayne vs. Masha Slamovich

Jayne, with Fatal Influence, is defending. They trade some fast rollups for two each to start and it goes so well that they keep going until Slamovich hits a running clothesline. Fatal Influence gets in a cheap shot though and Jayne adds a running knee from the apron. A running neckbreaker gives Jayne two and she grabs a chinlock. Slamovich fights up….and here is Ash By Elegance to jump her from behind for the DQ at 3:30.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have time to do anything but the point was to get rid of the contractually obligated rematch and set up something new for the future. As usual, Jayne doesn’t really have much of a chance in a one on one fight, but that’s the point of her run. It’s going to make her eventual loss feel that much more important and it could happen anytime she is in the ring, which is a nice twist.

The rest of the Elegance Brand gets in to argue with Fatal Influence. Lei Ying Lee and Xia Brookside run in to clear the ring.

KC Navarro is still injured and AJ Francis is NOT happy with him.

Ash By Elegance and Masha Slamovich have to be held apart. Santino Marella gives Ash a Knockouts Title shot next week, with the winner defending against Slamovich. Marella says these women drive him crazy.

Video on Mara Sade, who has an athletic background and wants to mix it up with looking fabulous. This is more individual attention than she got in her time in NXT.

Here is Order 4 for their victory rally. Mustafa Ali complains about the outsiders coming here to take their titles and now it is time to change. He introduces the new monster security guard as Agent Zero but the fans do not want to see Ali as the World Champion. Ali makes the mistake of insulting Joe Hendry, who is immediately there to interrupt.

Hendry mentions Ali having a secret service, but there are no secrets around here. This includes some footage of John Skyler, whose face is shown on a Wrestling Buddy. “Skyler” ate pizza, bought a Joe Hendry shirt, and used a Mustafa Ali shirt to clean himself off. Ali vs. Hendry is set for next week. I can absolutely go with Ali getting a bigger, more prominent role.

Earlier this week, Sami Callihan was asked about his future. Moose was right when he said Callihan wasn’t the same man he once was. Callihan needs to prove himself, so he wants a match with Mike Santana. If he can’t win there, he might be done for good.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

The System vs. Trick Williams/AJ Francis

Alisha Edwards and the still injured KC Navarro are here too. Francis kicks at Edwards to start but Moose comes in to send Williams and Francis to the floor. We take a break and come back with Francis hitting Moose with a running knee. Moose suplexes his way out of trouble though and it’s off to Edwards for a hard suicide dive.

Williams takes over on the floor though and Edwards gets taken into the wrong corner. The chinlock doesn’t last long and Edwards fights out of the corner, setting up a Blue Thunder Bomb to Francis. Moose comes back in to clean house as everything breaks down. Navarro crutches Williams by mistake and Moose spears Williams for the pin at 9:30.

Rating: C+. That’s a nice way to set up the title match at Emergence, despite it being strange to see the System as good guys for a change. I’m not sure if they’re full on heroes yet, but Moose going after the title for the sake of TNA isn’t a bad way to go. I can’t imagine it’s the title change, but it works as a stepping stone from Emergence until Bound For Glory.

Overall Rating: C+. This show started getting things ready for Emergence and now we have a few weeks left to fill in the rest of the gaps. The action was good enough for some nice matches, though that wasn’t exactly the point this week. While we have a long way to go before Bound For Glory, this was a good step on the way there.

Results
Leon Slater b. Jason Hotch and Cedric Alexander – Swanton 450 to Hotch
Indi Hartwell/Dani Luna b. Arianna Grace/Jody Threat – Lunar Landing to Threat
Rascalz b. Nemeths – Spiral Tap to Ryan
Masha Slamovich b. Jacy Jayne via DQ when Ash By Elegance interfered
The System b. AJ Francis/Trick Williams – Spear to Williams

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: June 26, 2025
Location: UMPC Events Center, Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re just under a month away from Slammiversary and the company is taking its time setting things up. That’s perfectly fine as they still have a few weeks, though the main event is officially set. Joe Hendry will get his chance to regain the TNA World Title from Trick Williams and bring the belt back from NXT. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Joe Hendry to get things going and….wow some of those camera shots show hundreds of empty seats. Get the tarp out already people. Anyway Hendry thanks the people for having his back and giving him such a great life. At the same time, he has to acknowledge that he lost the World Title to Trick Williams.

That kills him and he could walk out and go home but hearing these people cheering his name makes it all worth it. He was in the Royal Rumble and at Wrestlemania as TNA Champion and he owes the fans something as a thank you. Now he wants the fans to be part of his redemption and he will bring the title back to TNA at Slammiversary. We’re getting to the point where he has to win the title and while that’s a strong possibility, I wouldn’t say it’s a guarantee.

Killer Kelly doesn’t like Masha Slamovich forgetting their past together and teases a chain match. As for tonight, she’s becoming the new #1 contender in a battle royal.

Ryan Nemeth vs. Zachary Wentz

Their respective partners are here too because these teams (and the Hardys and First Class) are in a four way for the Tag Team Titles at Slammiversary. And say it with me: it’s a ladder match. Ryan works on a wristlock to start but Wentz flips out and wristdrags him to the rope. Nic cuts off a handspring though and Ryan sends Wentz outside for two.

We’re already in the chinlock but Wentz it out rather quickly, earning himself a whip into the corner. A neckbreaker takes too long and Wentz gets in a backslide for two, followed by a kick to the chest. The running shooting star press gives Wentz two but Ryan’s DDT gets the same, leaving his eyes bugging out of his head. Ryan tries to bring in a belt but gets kneed down, setting up the Spiral Tap to give Wentz the pin at 4:25.

Rating: C. They didn’t have time to do much and as usual, it’s one of the one off matches that has no impact on a ladder match. I like the idea of a four way title match but hearing the stipulation being added kills the interest. Wentz getting a win is nice to see, but it is only going to mean so much when it comes to climbing ladders. Did I mention I’m sick of ladder matches? Just wanted to make that clear.

We look at Joe Hendry showing up in NXT, setting up his match next week with Wes Lee.

Trick Williams is ready to beat Hendry at Slammiversary and he’s ready for AJ Francis to kick Mike Santana back to the block tonight.

Masha Slamovich is ready for the battle royal to crown a new #1 contender. As for Killer Kelly, they can have a chain match next week. Arianna grace runs in to say she has a surprise for Slamovich, but we can’t find out what that is yet.

Battle Royal

Lei Ying Lee, Ash By Elegance, Alisha Edwards, Cassie Lee, Dani Luna, Harley Hudson, Indi Hartwell, Jada Stone, Jessie McKay, Jody Threat, Katie Arquette, Mila Moore, Myla Grace, Rosemary, Tasha Steelz, Tessa Blanchard, Victoria Crawford, Xia Brookside

For a future Knockouts Title shot. By Elegance stops to pose early on, earning a beatdown from the IInspiration. Everyone else gets involved and the five of them are all dumped, leaving the others to brawl. Arquette (yes she’s related to David) is tossed out rather quickly and Stone follows her. There goes Luna as well and we take a break.

We come back with Moore and Hudson tossing Rosemary but getting eliminated just as fast. Steelz dumps Edwards and Crawford follows her out. Brookside, Steelz and Lee are out in a hurry and we’re down to Blanchard vs. Hartwell. They both fight over the top and out to the apron…but Ash By Elegance comes out from underneath the ring and throws them both out to win at 11:26. A replay shows that Elegance went underneath the ropes before being tossed out earlier (fair play as I didn’t catch it).

Rating: C. Usually I can’t stand these “oh wait someone is still in” finishes but they did a nice job of surprising me this time so points for a bonus. Ash getting the shot is interesting as she’s a big enough star to be a threat to take the title. The rest of the match was a standard battle royal, but at least they didn’t do anything too bad.

Post match Masha Slamovich comes out for the staredown but here is NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne as well. And there’s the surprise.

We look at Tommy Dreamer bringing Jake Something back last week to deal with Mance Warner.

Something is glad he’s back and he’s ready to fight Warner next week. Then he wants the International Title. Maclin comes in to welcome Something back.

Mustafa Ali vs. John Skyler

This is a Call To Arms match, where both of them start with one arm tied to the ropes. You untie yourself and then have a regular match, won by pinfall or submission. That’s quite the odd choice for a stipulation. The rest of Order 4 is here too. Ali gets smart by whipping out some scissors to cut himself free and kicks Skyler in the face.

Skyler fights back and manages a backdrop to the floor. Jason Hotch gets the scissors away and gives them to Skyler, which removes the ropes as a factor less than two minutes into the match. Skyler hits a rolling neckbreaker for two but gets sent into the post. Ali hits a quick 450 for the pin at 3:36.

Rating: D. I have no idea what the point of this thing was, as the arm deal was basically not a factor. In theory the idea was to have Ali get annoyed at Hotch for helping Skyler as Order 4 continues to fall apart. That being said, at some point Ali is going to need a serious challenger to come after him and Hotch and Skyler aren’t big enough.

Post match Ali beats up Hotch for helping Skyler but Tasha Steelz blocks a chair shot. Cedric Alexander, and a former rival of Ali’s, debuts and the rest of Order 4 gets behind him. Ali leaves on his own, despite Alexander trying to reason with him. That might not be the big name, but it’s a step in the right direction.

We recap the System beating down Matt Cardona and the Home Town Man last week.

The System is ready for Leon Slater at Slammiversary but Cardona interrupts and wants a fight. The team just leaves instead.

Hardys vs. Northern Armory

Eric Young is here with the Armory. Jeff takes over on Williams’ arm to start and it’s off to Matt to do more of the same. Young pulls Matt out to the floor for a cheap shot though and Icarus takes over in the corner. Young gets caught interfering again though and that’s good for an early ejection. Matt is able to bring Jeff back in to clean house and the Plot Twist sets up the Swanton to pin Icarus at 4:13.

Rating: C+. The Armory was only able to do so much without Young here and that isn’t a big surprise. The Hardys get a win here and get ready for their next title shot in their signature match. I’ll spare myself yet another rant about the ladder stipulation and go with saying it’s nice to see the Hardys looking a lot better in the ring than they did in recent years. They seem to be all together for once and that is great to see.

Post match the Hardys invite Leon Slater to the ring because they’re ready to see him win the X-Division Title at Slammiversary. Slater say that endorsement means so much to him and he promises to win the title for himself and his family and the fans. He’s ready for Moose and will be at ringside during Moose’s match.

Moose vs. Shane Sabre vs. Jake Painter

Non-title and Slater is on commentary. Moose wanted this to be a three way so he could show Slater what is coming for him at Slammiversary. Moose boots both of them in the face to start and hits a double clothesline. Sabre is sent outside and the spear finishes Painter at 2:03.

Post match Slater gets in the ring for the staredown but Moose bails.

Video on First Class helping Trick Williams, including against Mike Santana.

Mike Santana vs. AJ Francis

Street fight and KC Navarro is here with Francis. They go straight to the slugout to start with Santana knocking him to the floor. It’s already time for a table and Santana hits a running boot to send Francis over the barricade. Francis is sent into the barricade but manages to send him into the same barricade as we take a break.

Back with Francis choking with a chair, which he then sits in to talk trash. Santana slugs back but gets slammed onto the chair to cut him off. That doesn’t last long as Santana sends him outside for a flip dive and it’s time to set up the tables. An Asai moonsault cuts Francis down again and the rolling Buck Fifty gets two back inside.

Santana AA’s him through two chairs for two and then does it again through the tables. Cue Trick Williams but Joe Hendry runs out for the save, leaving Santana to hit a frog splash for two. Francis pulls him out of the air for a Styles Clash of all things though and it’s time to bring in the champagne bottle. Santana takes it away though and smashes it over Francis’ head. Spin The Block gives Santana the pin at 15:44.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a fight and I got far more into it than I was expecting. It’s a good example of a match that is made better by the crowd, as they wanted to see Santana beat this guy up. I had a great time with the whole thing and Santana looked like a star. He’s going to be in the World Title picture sooner than later and if TNA doesn’t pull the trigger on him eventually, I have no idea what they’re missing.

Post match Santana thanks the fans and says he wants in the main event for the World Title at Slammiversary to end the show. Well that would be a game changer to the match.

Overall Rating: B-. That main event pulled this one way up and that’s nice to see. Santana continues his incredible rise and very well might be added to the World Title match at Slammiversary. The rest of the show only did so much for me, but Santana vs. Francis was more than enough to boost things up.

Results
Zachary Wentz b. Ryan Nemeth – Spiral Tap
Ash By Elegance won a battle royal last eliminating Tessa Blanchard and Indi Hartwell
Mustafa Ali b. John Skyler – 450
Hardys b. Northern Armory – Swanton to Icarus
Moose b. Shane Sabre and Jake Painter – Spear to Painter
Mike Santana b. AJ Francis – Spin The Block

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: June 12, 2025
Location: Mullett Arena, Tempe, Arizona
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

Against All Odds has come and gone and not much happened, with the biggest story possibly being the return of the IInspiration. We’re still on the road to Slammiversary and that could go in a few different directions. For one thing, we need some new contenders to the titles, including the one mostly likely to take the title from Trick Williams. We have a little over a month to go before the pay per view and that means it is time to get ready for the show. Let’s get to it.

Here is Against All Odds if you need a recap.

Against All Odds recap.

Earlier today, Santino Marella wouldn’t let Mike Santana in the building, saying he could be back in two weeks. Marella also had security throw Robert Stone out of the building.

Opening sequence.

Here is Santino Marella to get things going. He’s happy to be done with Robert Stone but he has business to cover. First up, Moose will officially be defending the X-Division Title against Leon Slater at Slammiversary. Second, next week it’s the Champions Challenge, with the champions teaming up against an all-star team. As for tonight, it’s the 8-4-1 match, with eight Knockouts in a four on four tag. The winning team then has a four way with the winner receiving a Knockouts Title shot. The next few weeks will be inspirational, so that brings out some returning stars.

IInspiration vs. Missa Kate/Brittnie Brooks

McKay won’t shake Kate’s hand to start but will run her over with a shoulder. It’s off to Lee to take Brooks down and some double kicks to the back have her in more trouble. IInspiration does their double pose but Kate gets in a cheap shot from the apron. Brooks takes over but it’s back to Lee to clean house. A fisherman’s suplex gets two on Kate with Brooks making the save, followed by the Idolizer to finish Kate at 4:38.

Rating: C. The IInspiration has never exactly been known for their in-ring work so this was all about getting them back out there for an official match. They beat up these two without much effort and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them getting a title shot rather soon. It’s not like there are many teams to beat to get there.

The Hardys are ready to get back to the Tag Team Titles and that starts tonight by beating First Class.

We look at First Class appearing this week on NXT, setting up a six man between First Class/Trick Williams vs. Elijah/Josh Briggs/Yoshiki Inamura.

It’s time for the First Class Penthouse and it’s looking like a first class summer. AJ Francis is looking to give away some money and has a kid come on stage to do his best MONEY MONEY MONEY. And that’s not good enough for Francis, who tells the kid to get lost. Therefore it’s time to bring out the guest, Trick Williams. He likes First Class, with Francis thinking they need their own gold. Once they beat the Hardys tonight, it’s time to get a Tag Team Title shot. And that’s it.

We look at Jason Hotch coming close to beating Mustafa Ali at Against All Odds. Several minutes of the match are aired.

The System comes up to Hotch in the back and says if he takes out Leon Slater tonight, there might be a spot on the team for him. Order 4 comes in and Mustafa Ali isn’t impressed. The System moves on to Matt Cardona, telling him to find a partner for a tag match next week.

Leon Slater vs. Jason Hotch

John Skyler is here with Hotch while Slater talks about coming after the X-Division Title at Slammiversary. Slater takes him down to start but gets flipped over into the corner, setting up a slingshot backbreaker for two. The seated abdominal stretch goes on twice in a row but Slater gets up for a suplex neckbreaker. A handspring elbow gives Slater two so Hotch hits a Mustafa Ali rolling neckbreaker for the same. Back up and Slater hits a quick Blue Thunder Bomb and a jumping knee sets up the Swanton 450 for the pin on Hotch at 7:40.

Rating: B-. Slater is already locked in for the title shot at Slammiversary so now it is time to hammer home the fact that he is ready for Moose. There was no need for this to get a lot of time and while Hotch isn’t a top level opponent, he’s not going to slow Slater down. Nice stuff here and it did what it was supposed to do.

Tessa Blanchard doesn’t care what kind of a match she’s in because the end result is her winning. And she doesn’t like Gia Miller very much.

Rosemary/Dani Luna/Tessa Blanchard/Xia Brookside vs. Jody Threat/Tasha Steelz/Killer Kelly/Indi Hartwell

The winning team moves on to a four way. Steelz quickly hands it off to Threat, who has to face her former partner Luna. They trade some rollups for two each and it’s off to Steelz vs. Brookside. A hurricanrana out of the corner and a crossbody put Steelz down and Rosemary comes in. Rosemary goes after Brookside, whom she still doesn’t like, and gets into a slugout with Kelly as the two bounce back and forth.

Blanchard comes in and sends Kelly to the apron to stomp away before getting in a cheap shot on Hartwell. It’s back to Rosemary, who misses a charge into the corner, allowing the tag off to Hartwell. Everything breaks down and it’s the parade of finishers, with Hartwell hitting the Hurts Donut for the pin on Rosemary at 7:43.

Rating: C+. This was a tricky match to put together as the teams were basically drawn at random. You had some moments like Luna vs. Threat, but the majority was stuff taking place without much in the way of a backstory. The title is the big thing, but when half of the people are going to be gone in the #1 contenders match, it’s kind of hard to make the whole thing work.

Jody Threat vs. Tasha Steelz vs. Killer Kelly vs. Indi Hartwell

For a future Knockouts Title shot. Kelly and Hartwell knock the other two outside, leaving Kelly to get two off a northern lights suplex. Threat is sent into the steps and it’s Steelz coming back in to go after Hartwell. Kelly headbutts Steelz down and a faceplant gives Kelly two. Threat comes in with a high crossbody but gets clotheslined down by Hartwell. Steelz’s springboard bulldog is broken up and Hartwell hits the Hurts Donut on Steelz….but Kelly steals the pin at 5:22.

Rating: C. I’m not sure if it was due to having back to back matches or what, but this was rather disappointing. You would expect a #1 contenders match to get a bit of time but here they were, wrapping this up in just over five minutes. Kelly getting the shot makes sense given her history with Slamovich, but that doesn’t feel like a Slammiversary title match. Granted they never said when the title match will take place, but hopefully it takes place elsewhere.

Masha Slamovich is ready for Killer Kelly because this is where it would always go. She’ll put Kelly in her place.

We look at Steve Maclin retaining the International Title over Mance Warner at Against All Odds.

Maclin praises Warner for hitting him hard, but now it’s on to the Champions Challenge. He’s ready to take out Trick Williams, but if anyone wants to come at him, know what you’re doing.

Here are Mance Warner and Steph de Lander, with the latter claiming that Warner was cheated. Warner has to be held back from attacking a production assistant and takes his aggression out on Tommy Dreamer.

Sami Callihan isn’t happy that an outsider has the TNA World Title so here are Eric Young and the Northern Armory. They aren’t happy about it either and an alliance is teased, but Young decks Callihan instead.

First Class vs. Hardys

Francis tries a cheap shot to start fast but gets knocked outside, leaving Navarro and Jeff to officially get things going. Matt comes in to go after the arm and it’s Francis coming back in, only to get knocked right back out. We take a break and come back with a double suplex getting two on Navarro, followed by a catapult into a legdrop. Rehwoldt: “Egad!”

Jeff armbars Navarro but Francis grabs the hair. The distraction lets Navarro take Jeff down and it’s time for Francis to finally take over. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Jeff fights up and hits the Twisting Stunner. Another Twisting Stunner allows the tag off to Matt to pick up the pace in a hurry. A Side Effect gets two on Francis but Trick Williams runs in for the DQ at 7:32.

Rating: C+. The ending was designed to set up something else later on and that’s not a bad way to go. The Hardys are a team who can be put into a title match at the drop of a hat with no questions asked and First Class is in the biggest story they’ve ever had. Let them stay strong here, with a six man being likely.

Post match the beatdown is on but Joe Hendry and Elijah run in for the save. Cue the System and Leon Slater as well but the good guys clear the ring. Slater hits his big running flip dive onto the pile on the floor to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this one all that much, as they did a few things, but a good bit of the show was spent setting up the Knockouts Title match. Other than that. Slater was all but guaranteed the title shot at Slammiversary so there wasn’t much to be done there. It’s not an awful show or even bad, but it felt like they weren’t putting a ton of content into this one. Maybe that’s due to the taping schedule, but this was only ok at best.

Results
IInspiration b. Missa Kate/Brittnie Brooks – Idolizer to Kate
Leon Slater b. Jason Hotch – Swanton 450
Jody Threat/Tasha Steelz/Killer Kelly/Indi Hartwell b. Rosemary/Dani Luna/Tessa Blanchard/Xia Brookside – Hurts Donut to Rosemary
Killer Kelly b. Jody Threat, Tasha Steelz and Indi Hartwell – Hurts Donut to Steelz
Hardys b. First Class via DQ when Trick Williams interfered

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Border Brawl 2025
Date: May 25, 2025
Location: Niagara Falls Convention Center, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

So this is a Canada vs. the USA show and…yeah that’s about it. TNA advertised it a few times but didn’t go into detail about what to expect. I’m not sure what that is going to mean but it’s one of those concepts that should work no matter what. It’s on a weekend that is chock full of wrestling but maybe something here stands out. Let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at the concept and talks about wanting to be the best. Not much to see here.

We look at Niagara Falls, Canada, which is a beautiful scene.

We look at Niagara Falls, USA, which is full of trash. The bias is strong with this one.

We get both National Anthems.

We meet Team USA: Tommy Dreamer, Nic Nemeth, Matt Hardy, The System, Tessa Blanchard, Victoria Crawford, Sami Callihan and coach….Barbie Blank, better known as Kelly Kelly.

We meet Team Canada: Channing Decker, Jacques Rougeau, Courtney Rush, Cody Deaner, Champagne Singh, Northern Armory, Personal Concierge, Santino Marella, William Trudeau, Jody Threat and coach Allie. Note that these do not seem to be the full teams, or at least not everyone who comes to the ring is listed.

The unnamed host brings the coaches in to introduce the captains: Jacques Rougeau (Canada) and…no one for the Americans. Allie promises to make a statement and Blank mocks Canadian cuisine. Rougeau, and yes he is dressed as the Mountie, promises that Canada will get their man.

Since “the team with the most wins” wins is too simple, we have a points system:

Standard Victory (pin/submission/countout/DQ) – 1 point
Quick Victory (less than five minutes) – 2 points
Lightning Victory (less than 1 minute) – 3 points
Double DQ/Double Countout/Draw – 0 points

We run down the card.

The Personal Concierge, apparently Canadian, mocks America for its treatment of the elderly and praises Canadian’s use of maple syrup. We hear about the greatness of Justin Trudeau and meet his “nephew”, William Trudeau!

William Trudeau (Canada) vs. Sami Callihan (USA)

Trudeau (who looks like a slightly smaller Big Bill) jumps Callihan to start but he grabs the paper. The Concierge offers a distraction and Callihan gets to cut Trudeau’s fingers. Callihan goes after the Concierge’s fingers as well but gets cut off, leaving the Concierge to work on Callihan’s arm. It works so well that he does it again (without looking, and I think you know where this is going) but tries a third time, allowing Callihan to reverse. The Concierge attacks Trudeau’s arm by mistake and gets yelled at, allowing Callihan to hit a Stunner for the win at 3:04.

Rating: C-. They didn’t have time to do much here but that’s kind of the point of the scoring system. Callihan gets a win and starts things off fast, while Trudeau is likely a local guy who has a good look and an easy gimmick. It’s not much of an opener, but hopefully things can pick up a bit.

USA – 1
Canada – 0

Wait what? I have no idea why that isn’t higher due to the Quick Victory but that’s the official score.

Post match the Concierge gets the Stunner as well.

Commentary talks about the difference between American and Canadian alcohol. And how much difference does it make that the USA is OLDER? Is it me, or do they have absolutely nothing to talk about here and they’re just filling time?

Barbie Blank mocks Allie and Rougeau, the latter of whom tells Blank to not fall out of her shoes. Blank promises American dominance.

Callihan’s victory is descried as Standard, with no explanation of why it wasn’t a Quick Victory despite the under five minute time limit.

Victoria Crawford (USA) vs. Courtney Rush (Canada)

Allie is on commentary. They talk a lot of trash at each other to start and Rush wants a dance off. Rush dances and then Crawford dances, with Crawford knocking her down to take over. The northern lights suplex gives Crawford two but Rush hits a spear for the pin at 2:18.

USA – 1
Canada – 2

Was something clipped from the opener? Or am I going nuts here? I even went back and checked the scoring that they put up, plus the time of the opener, and it doesn’t make sense.

Channing Decker and Jesse Bieber are ready to take out the System for Canada. The System comes in, with JDC promising to make them pay some tariffs.

The System (USA) vs. Channing Decker/Jesse Bieber (Canada)

Barbie Blank is on commentary. JDC works on Decker’s arm to start but Decker flips away out of the corner. A spinning legdrop grazes JDC’s hands and it’s off to Bieber, with Blank being rather energetic on commentary. Bieber dances and elbows JDC in the head before the System gets tied in the Trees of Woe.

The Canadians sing O CANADA ala Petey Williams but Moose fights up and takes over. Moose chokes with his shirt and Decker gets taken down into the wrong corner. JDC grabs the chinlock for a bit before putting Decker in the Tree Of Woe. Moore gets on the mic and the System gives the Pledge of Allegiance, allowing Decker to high crossbody both of them down.

Bieber comes back in with a slingshot double spear but a dive is cut off. JDC goes up top and gets brought back down with a Tower Of Doom. Moose misses the spear and gets taken down but JDC hits an Air Raid Crash. Back up and Moose hits a spear for the pin on Decker at 10:39.

Rating: C. Well at least it got some time. The System are about as good of a choice as you have for a heel spot like this as they can go out there and be put in almost any combination for the same result. Moose is still one of the biggest and most dominant stars in TNA today and having him smash through Decker for the win was a fine way to go.

USA – 2
Canada – 2

Brutus Beefcake of all people talks about bleeding red, white and blue. What in the world is this show?

Champagne Singh (Canada) vs. Tommy Dreamer (USA)

Hardcore. Dreamer does a quick tribute to Sabu but Singh isn’t interested. Singh tries to slug away and gets hiptossed out to the floor for his efforts. Dreamer follows and spits beer in Singh’s face, then knocks beer out of Singh’s mouth in a nice sequence. It’s time to bring in some weapons, including a trashcan lid to the head.

Dreamer busts out some bagged milk but can’t hit a piledriver, as Singh backdrops his way to freedom. Some choking with a chain keeps Dreamer in trouble and it’s time for a chair. Dreamer is sent face first into said chair Singh starts getting rather cocky, allowing Dreamer to move the chair so Singh crotches himself.

Dreamer brings in a hockey stick and gets in a shot of his own, setting up a cutter for two. An STO onto a chair gives Singh two and Dreamer’s DDT gets the same. Dreamer pours the milk over himself and calls over….some either actors or musicians, who help load up a table. Said table is loaded up in the corner and a Death Valley Driver puts Singh through it for the pin at 11:07.

Rating: C. This feels like a match that Dreamer has done about 3,485 times over the course of his career so it was almost muscle memory at this point. It doesn’t help that Singh returned at Under Siege as Raj Singh rather than Champagne, suggesting that this show was taped in advance. Or they just didn’t pay a bit of attention to what they were doing with him.

USA – 3
Canada – 2

Frankie Kazarian (USA) vs. Cody Deaner (Canada)

Before the match, Kazarian insults most of the Canadians he knows how horrible they are. Kazarian is not a normal person, because he is a king. This year alone, he has already claimed 50 kingdoms, and tonight he claims his 51st kingdom over someone who is recently unemployed. Deaner comes out to talk about his love of Canadians and most Americans, but there is one American he doesn’t like. That would be the hoser known as Kazarian. Rather than gaining his 51st kingdom, he could punch Kazarian in the face fifty one times!

The bell rings and Kazarian bails from the threat of a right hand as Rehwoldt annexes the Great Lakes. Back in and Kazarian hammers away but Deaner takes him into the corner for some right hands of his own (with the fans counting along to keep up the bit). More right hands keep up the counting, with Deaner getting all the way to 31.

Kazarian fights back and hits a springboard spinning legdrop for two. Deaner is back up to hammer away some more but Kazarian knees him in the ribs. The cravate goes on but Deaner fights up and hits even more right hands. That gets him to fifty total but Deaner tries a big fifty first, allowing Kazarian to roll him up for the quick pin at 4:49.

Rating: C-. And this is a good example of what is wrong with this whole show: this entire match was built around the “Canada could be the 51st state” deal and that gets old fast. It’s one of several “Haha America is better than Canada” bits throughout the show and it feels like it was written with the least effort possible. The match itself wasn’t much better, but that’s not much of a surprise with Deaner involved.

USA – 4
Canada – 2

Post match Deaner does get in that 51st right hand.

Matt Hardy has been attacked in the back.

The System (USA) vs. Northern Armory

Before the match, Alisha Edwards insults Canada and then Eddie and Brian Myers get to do the same. In other words, even more stalling as they try to fill in time. The Northern Armory doesn’t like the besmirchment and promise to raise their elbows and break the System. The fight is on fast with the System getting tied in the ropes for some quick chops. Williams chokes Myers but he fights out and grabs an armbar. Myers tries to hand the arm off to Eddie, who doesn’t notice the reversal and works on Myers’ arm by mistake (twice in about an hour if you’re keeping track).

Icarus comes in and the Armory take the System out with stereo dives. Alisha offers a distraction and Myers’ superkick gets two on Williams. The chinlock goes on but Williams fights up and brings Icarus back in. Everything breaks down and Myers hits a spear for two, followed by a double butterfly powerbomb. The System Overload only gets two so the System loads up another. This time Williams breaks it up and Icarus gets a rollup for the pin on Eddie at 7:37.

Rating: C. Kind of weird to see back to back matches end with a rollup but oh well. As was the case earlier, you can throw any combination of the System out there for a match like this and get about the same result so there was only so much bad to be found. The Armory winning for Canada was a good way to go and the fans approved, which is even more impressive as Eddie and Myers have been a successful team.

USA – 4
Canada – 3

Post match the beatdown is on but Eric Young runs in with a chair to make the save.

Tessa Blanchard (USA) vs. Jody Threat (Canada)

Vipress and Victoria Crawford are here with Blanchard…who can’t wrestle due to an injury. Instead, Vipress will be taking her place, with the fans seeming rather happy with Blanchard being hurt.

Vipress (USA) vs. Jody Threat (Canada)

Threat grabs a headlock takeover to start before taking her into the corner for some rapid fire clotheslines. Some forearms put Vipress in the ropes and a running dropkick sends her to the floor in a big crash. Blanchard offers a distraction though and Vipress snaps Threat throat first across the middle rope. They seem to have a bit of miscommunication so Threat faceplants her, only to get caught in something like a reverse powerbomb for two.

The chinlock goes on to slow things down (and possibly get back on the same page) but Threat is right back up. Threat makes the clothesline comeback but charges into a boot against the ropes. Threat’s spinebuster gets two so Blanchard offers a distraction. Crawford gets in a kick to the head and Vipress rolls her up (with tights) for the pin at 7:36.

Rating: C-. Hey look, another rollup. Vipress means nothing around here so it’s an upset pin, though it doesn’t seem likely that Blanchard would have had a different result. There wasn’t much to this one, which isn’t a surprise as this hasn’t exactly been a show focused on what is happening in the ring. I have never seen much out of Threat and that was on full display again here.

USA – 5
Canada – 3

Santino Marella has been attacked as well.

Eric Young (Canada) vs. Matt Hardy (USA)

Hardy seems perfectly fine after being attacked earlier and the Northern Armory is here too. A headlock doesn’t get Hardy very far as Young bails to the floor, followed by an exchange of wristlocks back inside. Hardy puts him down but comes up favoring his knee, which I guess counts as fallout from the attack. Young goes after the knee and the Armory gets in a few cheap shots of their own from the floor.

Back in and Young stays on the leg but Hardy fights up and rams him into the buckle over and over. A neckbreaker gives Young two but he misses a moonsault. The Twist of Fate…doesn’t exactly work so the Armory offers a distraction. Young rolls him up with feet on the ropes for the pin at 7:31.

Rating: C. Oh come on already. You can’t have Young, a multiple time World Champion, hit a finisher to beat Hardy? It’s not like they’re on totally different levels around here or anything, but we needed a fourth straight rollup for the pin. Nothing special in the ring, but that shouldn’t be much of a surprise at this point in the show.

USA – 5
Canada – 4

Hardy looks like he’s about to cry.

Allie and Barbie Blank argue.

Santino Marella doesn’t know who jumped him but Canada is a place where people can come to fulfill their dreams. It is about opportunity and a quality of life and it’s time for him to stand up for his country. He Can-a-da. Marella: “Get it?”

Commentary recaps the night and what Marella needs to do to win. Basically…he needs to win for a tie but if he wins really fast, Canada wins the whole thing.

Santino Marella (Canada) vs. Nic Nemeth (USA)

Flag, as in capture the, match and Nemeth, with Barbie Blank, doesn’t even wear his Tag Team Title. Marella on the other hand has Jacques Rougeau and Allie to even (I guess?) things out. Commentary goes over Marella’s rather complicated nationality history and we officially hit a minute, so the Lightning Victory is off the table. Nemeth takes him down as commentary promises a victory and a salute to gun racks.

Marella knocks him to the floor as the slow pace continues. The test of strength goes on, with commentary making it clear that this is NOT the same as a Five knuckle Shuffle. Nemeth rakes the eyes over the top and knocks him down, which should allow him to get the flag but instead he poses. The first attempt for the flag doesn’t work for Nemeth as we cross five minutes, meaning Marella can only tie with a win.

Marella tries a sunset flip and Nemeth finally goes down, meaning they can realize that a sunset flip means nothing in this match. Nemeth sends him outside, where Marella goes over to the celebrities from earlier. The celebrities get in an argument of their own, allowing Marella to go for the flag.

That doesn’t work either so Nemeth poses a lot and crotches himself in the corner. Hannifan: “His Ryan Nemeths just got scrambled.” Marella loads up the Cobra but walks into a superkick. Nemeth goes for the flag but Rougeau gives Marella the shock stick to cut him off. The Cobra hits Nemeth (Rehwoldt: “COBRAS ARE NOT EVEN NATIVE TO CANADA’S ECOSYSTEM!”) and Marella gets the flag to win at 9:46.

Rating: D+. If nothing else, points for the line about cobras at the end but my goodness they could only do so much with this one. You need to have Marella win to tie things up here and the gimmick let him beat Nemeth without beating Nemeth. Other than that though, another lame match where it felt like they forgot the rules a few times in between.

USA – 5
Canada – 5

That means it’s a tie so this match will continue under sudden death rules. How in the world do you have a SUDDEN DEATH FLAG match? As we ponder that, cue the System, complete with people in Donald Trump and Mark Carney masks/costumes. Anyway the System says they were behind the attacks because they hate America and Canada. They jump Trump/Carney so here are Matt Hardy, Tommy Dreamer, Jody Threat and Cody Deaner for the save. Hardy says it’s time for the countries to unite to take out the System. Well of course it is.

The System vs. Matt Hardy/Cody Deaner/Santino Marella/Tommy Dreamer/Jody Threat

It’s a brawl on the floor to start with Deaner beating on JDC as we officially get going. Moose cuts that off but gets sent into the corner to crush JDC. Deaner works on Moose’s arm and it’s off to Hardy for the same. Marella comes off the top…er, middle, rope to hit Moose’s arm, followed by Threat doing the same. Dreamer goes up top (weight jokes abound) for an ax handle to said arm as Rehwoldt wants a Rocky to Moose’s Bullwinkle for all of the things that are being Dudley Do-Wronged.

Moose finally goes to the eye to escape and brings Myers in so the villains can start taking turns on Deaner. Even Alisha gets in a chop, which just wakes Deaner up. The comeback is quickly cut off and Moose rakes Deaner’s back to bring up the pain. That’s broken up and it’s back to Hardy to ram Eddie into the corner over and over. Moose and Alisha get the same treatment as everything breaks down again. JDC is left alone for the shots to the head, setting up the Cobra and a Twist Of Fate for the pin at 8:44.

Rating: C-. And that’s how it ends, with some big deal about coming together to fight a common enemy. That’s a fine way to go, but it’s kind of cut off when commentary spent the entire show mocking Canada. As usual, beating the System is fine and mocking Dreamer’s weight is a tried and true method of operations in wrestling, but sweet goodness this was a lame way to wrap it up.

A bunch of wrestlers come out to celebrate but hang on because this show will not end. A big brawl breaks out including a masked man apparently named Captain Canada is in the middle of everything. The fighting just continues to end the show, with Hannifan promising that the Border Brawl will continue FOREVER.

Overall Rating: D. Where do I even begin? This was something out of the old One Night Only shows where it felt like they needed some random gimmick to tie the show together and put all of no thought into it. In this case though, you had the lack of anything resembling an overly good match, a draw in the whole contest, a big brawl that undermined the entire point of the main event to end the show. And that’s before you get to the most random BRUTUS BEEFCAKE cameo I can imagine.

Terribly weird show here, and I wonder how much TNA had to do with putting it together. TNA is better than this and I would hope this is a one off, because it was more boring than insane and that is not a good thing. Maybe it was something of a cross promotional deal where TNA just handled the talent, because otherwise, I’m somewhat scared for the future of the promotion.

Results
Sami Callihan b. William Trudeau – Stunner
Courtney Rush b. Victoria Crawford – Spear
The System b. Channing Decker/Jessie Bieber – Spear to Decker
Tommy Dreamer b. Champagne Singh – Death Valley Driver through a table
Frankie Kazarian b. Cody Deaner – Rollup
Northern Armory b. The System – Rollup to Edwards
Vipress b. Jody Threat – Rollup with trunks
Eric Young b. Matt Hardy – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Santino Marella b. Nic Nemeth – Marella grabbed the flag
Matt Hardy/Cody Deaner/Santino Marella/Tommy Dreamer/Jody Threat b. The System – Twist of Fate to JDC

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

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

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

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

Here is Rebellion if you need a recap.

We open with a long Rebellion recap.

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

Mike Santana vs. Isaiah Moore

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

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

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

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

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

X-Division Title: Zachary Wentz vs. Moose

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maggie Lee vs. Jody Threat

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

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

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

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

Under Siege rundown.

KC Navarro vs. Leon Slater

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Laredo vs. Jason Hotch

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

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

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

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

Jazmyn Nyx vs. Xia Brookside

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

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

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

Ultimate X Qualifying Match: KC Navarro vs. Cody Deaner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AJ Francis is ready to win the International Title.

Joe Hendry and Masha Slamovich are ready for Unbreakable.

Dani Luna vs. Jakara Jackson

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

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

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

Unbreakable rundown.

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

Leon Slater vs. Brian Myers

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

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

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

One more Unbreakable rundown wraps us up.

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

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

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