Impact Wrestling
Date: March 20, 2025
Location: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re done with Sacrifice and on the way to Unbreakable, with the biggest story coming out of last week seeing Nic Nemeth turning evil and attacking Matt Hardy. That should be enough to get the Nemeths a Tag Team Title shot, but Joe Hendry is going to need a new #1 contender for his World Title as well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Sacrifice if you need a recap.

Long Sacrifice recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Masha Slamovich to say Cora Jade gave her a good fight but she retained the title at Sacrifice. Now she is here to prove that she is the best champion in all of wrestling so she issues a challenge…and here is Tessa Blanchard. Beating Jade doesn’t mean anything and now it’s time for Blanchard to get her title back. Cue NXT’s Jacy Jayne to attack Slamovich from behind. Santino Marella comes in and makes Jayne vs. Slamovich for next week, with Blanchard banned from ringside.

Post break, Marella yells at Arianna Grace for letting that happened. There is another surprise planned for later.

Northern Armory vs. Rascalz

Eric Young is here with the Armory and joins commentary. Wentz starts fast by crossbodying Icarus for two but Williams comes in for a cheap shot to take over. The Armory takes turns working on the arm but Wentz is back up with a springboard knee to the face. Everything breaks down and Icarus pulls Wentz to the floor. Back in and a superkick sets up Feed Them To The Lions for the pin on Williams at 4:51.

Rating: C. Short and to the point here with the Rascalz continuing their rise back up the ranks. At the same time, the Armory stuff doesn’t feel overly important. The team shouldn’t be winning everything, but it feels like they almost never win and that’s going to be a problem if they’re supposed to be anything more than the lowest of lackeys.

Post match Young comes in but Ace Austin runs in with a chair for the save.

Xia Brookside’s eyes are ok after being misted last week but she’s tired of fighting fairly and getting attacked. Rosemary pops up on screen and taunts her for being held back by her morals. She’ll have a surprise for Brookside tonight, with a tag match being teased. Please tell me that this isn’t going to turn into Brookside going evil because of the mist. Anything but that.

It’s time for the First Class Penthouse with First Class mocking the city, only to be interrupted by their guest, and hometown boy, Chavo Guerrero Jr. They threaten Chavo for being disrespectful and say if they wanted the second best Guerrero, they would have called Dominik. Chavo suggests that Dominik might not be an actual Guerrero but here is Frankie Kazarian to interrupt. Kazarian hasn’t forgiven Chavo for costing him the Tag Team Titles (in 2012) but here are the Aztec Warriors so a six man tag can be made next week. Yeah it’s Chavo but the fans went nuts for him so it makes enough sense.

Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali

The Cabinet is barred from ringside. Santana wastes no time in jumping Ali and sending him outside for a dive. Ali is sent over the timekeeper’s table and the beating continues on the floor. They go inside for the opening bell and Ali goes after Santana’s banged up arm. The rolling neckbreaker gives Ali two and we hit the armbar. Back up and Santana is fine enough to hit the rolling cutter but the threat of a frog splash sends Ali outside…and he takes the countout at 4:09.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t the big ending in the story but rather the next step as we get closer to a blowoff. That should make for a good moment as they are setting things up for the showdown, likely at Unbreakable. They’re making the fans want to see Santana give Ali what is coming to him and that should be a nice moment, assuming that is where they go.

Post break, Ali says he didn’t run from Santana but rather conquered him. This is done and Ali and the Cabinet drive off.

Here is Ryan Nemeth to explain his brother’s actions at Sacrifice. Ryan says HIS BIG BROTHER finally did the right thing at Sacrifice by sacrificing all of their love for the love of his own brother. Cue Nic, who says the Hardys aren’t coming. Nic takes credit for TNA’s momentum over the last year, but then the Hardys tried to come in and take the credit for themselves.

They are the greatest brothers in wrestling history but here is Leon Slater to say he isn’t going to listen to this bollocks (Nic: “I don’t know what that means.”). Slater says Nic can’t steal the show because Slater has already stolen it. Ryan issues the challenge for next week but Slater gets in now, only to be superkicked down. I’m assuming this is to set up a title match at Unbreakable and….that’s only going to be so interesting.

Rosemary/Savannah Evans vs. Xia Brookside/Lei Ying Lee

Rosemary sticks out her jaw to Brookside to start but hands it off to Evans before anything can happen. That’s fine with Brookside, who knocks her into the corner before getting to beat up Rosemary for a change. Broken Wings connect but it’s already back to Evans for a chokebomb on Lee. The Samoan drop gets two on Lee, who kicks Rosemary down and makes the tag without much trouble. Everything breaks down and Rosemary mists Evans by mistake. Lee is back in for something like a TKO into Thunderstruck to pin Evans at 6:02.

Rating: C. Rosemary continues to get in trouble with the mist, which hopefully doesn’t have any special powers attached. There wasn’t much to the match but somehow it’s the longest of the show thus far. Brookside is still someone who feels like she is just floating around without much to do, though she also hasn’t shown that she is ready for some big step up either.

The Personal Concierge, in a neck brace to make it even better, brings out a cake for the champions’ celebration. By Elegance comes out, seemingly rather pleased with their title win. Apparently the cake costs $5000 and Ash needs a chance to make her wish. Cue NXT’s Meta Four to say they want the titles but here is Spitfire to say they have a guaranteed rematch.

Cue NXT’s Gigi Dolin and Tatum Paxley to say they want the titles and the brawl is on. This brings out Santino Marella to make Paxley/Dolin vs. By Elegance next week, with the other teams banned from ringside. Meta Four beats up some security and Marella is scared of Lash Legend. Arianna Grace comes in to say Meta Four is indeed banned next week. That was quite the unnecessary cameo.

Mance Warner vs. Magno

Warner runs him over and finishes with the running knee at 1:01.

Steve Maclin insists that he wants no part of Eric Young’s Northern Armory.

System vs. Elijah/Joe Hendry

Alisha Edwards is here with the System. Hendry hammers Myers to start and grabs a powerslam. Elijah comes in to work on the arm and everything breaks down with the System quickly being cleared out. We take a break and come back with Eddie being knocked to the floor, where he sends Elijah hard into the steps.

Myers’ chinlock doesn’t last long but Alisha is right there to pull Elijah’s beard to keep him down. Elijah neckbreakers his way to freedom though and it’s back to Hendry to clean house. Everything breaks down and Elijah is knocked to the floor but Hendry cuts off the Backpack Stunner. Elijah cuts off Eddie and the Standing Ovation plants Myers for the pin at 11:08.

Rating: C. This was little more than a match to get the World Champion on the show and it worked well enough. Hendry doesn’t have a clear opponent at the moment and at least they didn’t waste time in having him face someone in a big match here. Elijah might be the next challenger and that’s only going to be so interesting, assuming they even go in that direction.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this show for the most part, as it was rather light on the in-ring action and never felt like much happened. Maybe they needed a breather after Sacrifice, but there is only so much time to get ready for Unbreakable. You can see some of the card from here, but this show didn’t exactly have me interested after Sacrifice.

Results
Rascalz b. Northern Armory – Feed Them To The Lions to Williams
Mike Santana b. Mustafa Ali via countout
Rosemary/Savannah Evans b. Xia Brookside/Lei Ying Lee – Thunderstruck to Evans
Mance Warner b. Magno – Running knee
Elijah/Joe Hendry b. The System – Standing Ovation to Myers

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

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

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

Kickoff Show: Aztec Warriors vs. First Class

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

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

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

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

Sami Callihan vs. Mance Warner

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

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

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

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

Tessa Blanchard vs. Lei Ying Lee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steve Maclin is ready to take out Frankie Kazarian.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Steve Maclin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali

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

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

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

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

Post match Ali leaves a drink for Santana.

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

Knockouts Title: Masha Slamovich vs. Cora Jade

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

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

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

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

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

X-Division Title: Jeff Hardy vs. Moose

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elijah vs. Brian Myers

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

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

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

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

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

Savannah Evans vs. Xia Brookside

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

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

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

John Skyler vs. Mike Santana

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

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

AJ Francis vs. Steve Maclin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fraxiom is ready to prove themselves to the Hardys.

Northern Armory vs. Ace Austin/Rascalz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Hardys vs. Colons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: February 27, 2025
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

After not doing much to get ready for Sacrifice, things have gotten rather interesting in a hurry, with multiple matches being set up at once. That’s on top of the upcoming NXT vs. TNA matches at NXT Roadblock next month. We could be in for some big stuff in a hurry here so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is the System to get things going. They brag about their success last week, with JDC bragging about running over Leon Slater. The fans tell Moose that Oba Femi is going to run him over so Moose wants Femi to get in this ring tonight. At the same time, Moose has been pinned by Jeff Hardy twice in a row now, so Moose is ready to take him out. Brian Myers thinks the Colons might be System material so here are said Colons to interrupt. They respect the System and think fighting on their side is a good idea. Fist bumping ensues.

Spitfire is ready to beat By Elegance and turn then into their personal concierges.

The System has to be separated from Leon Slater/the Hardys.

Mike Santana vs. Oro Mensah

Mensah is something of a high flier from NXT. They fight over wrist control to start until Santana takes over in a slugout. Mensah is back with a tornado DDT over the top rope into a springboard kick to the chest. Santana hits some running chops into a backflip into a cutter for two but Mensah rolls a kick to the head for the same. Mensah tries it again but gets reversed into a buckle bomb. Spin The Block finishes for Santana at 5:01.

Rating: C. This was a nice showcase for Santana, who is gearing up for his big match with Mustafa Ali. That is probably going to be a heck of a showdown when it happens and TNA has done a very good job of making him feel like a star. What matters the most is keeping these new names strong and Santana is doing rather well.

Post match a video plays from Mustafa Ali and his cabinet, talking about how Santana (who has been sober for two years) is off the wagon. Santana does not care for this.

Post break Santana goes looking for Ali but can only find the cabinet.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Kelsey Heather

Tessa strikes away in the corner to start and hits a quick basement dropkick. A running slap annoys Heather to the point where she grabs some rollups for a near fall each. Tessa shrugs that off and grabs a cutter, setting up the Buzzsaw DDT for the win at 2:33. As usual, Tessa has very few issues between the bells.

Cora Jade jumps Masha Slamovich in the back.

Elijah and Joe Hendry had a good time last week but Hendry is expecting Elijah to turn on him. That calms down a bit but here is the System to interrupt. Then they leave without doing much.

KC Navarro vs. Steve Maclin

AJ Francis is here too. Maclin wastes no time in countering a hurricanrana into a powerbomb, followed by a basement clothesline for two. Navarro sends him outside where Francis gets in a cheap shot, setting up a running double stomp for two more. We hit the chinlock but Maclin isn’t having that and strikes away as the Northern Armory is out to watch. Navarro uses the distraction to hit something like a 619, only to miss a frog splash. Maclin plants him face first, setting up KIA for the pin at 6:39.

Rating: C+. This was just a step above the opener in a very similar vein, as Maclin is on his way to a big match against Eric Young. Navarro is a bit better competition for him and Maclin looked good in his victory. I’m still not sold on Young as some big villain but TNA seems to love it for reasons I do not grasp.

Tessa Blanchard argues with Lei Ying Lee in the back, with Santino Marella coming in to make the match official for Sacrifice.

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

Spitfire is defending and the losers are the winner’s Personal Concierges for a day. Ash and Jody lock up to start and exchange muscle flexes. Jody takes her to the mat and hits some corner clotheslines before handing it off to Luna. A slam puts Jody onto Ash for two but the Concierge offers a distraction, allowing the villains to take over on the corner.

That’s broken up and Luna comes back in for a powerbomb to Heather but she’s taken into the corner as well. A Backstabber/top rope double stomp combination gets two on Luna but she easily gets over for the tag to Jody. Something like a powerbomb gets two on Heather and it’s the Pressure Drop to retain the titles at 8:11.

Rating: C+. Good stuff here with the right result. The whole point is to have the stuck up villains get what is coming to them, which is what Spitfire will be doing. The match was acceptable as well, as tends to be the case when these teams are together. Just find something else for them to do once this is over though, as this should be the blowoff or close to it.

Post break, Spitfire is already having By Elegance do their laundry. The Personal Concierge is crushed.

Sami Callihan vs. Mance Warner

Callihan Stunners him to the floor and uses a chair for the DQ at 29 seconds.

Post match the brawl is on but security breaks it up. Santino Marella comes out to make a street fight at Sacrifice. Makes as much sense as anything.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Ace Austin

NXT’s Wes Lee, with Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont, is on commentary. Austin grabs a quick rollup to start and hits a dropkick to send Kazarian into the corner. Back up and Kazarian sends him to the apron for the slingshot Fameasser to take over. The springboard spinning legdrop gets two and they fight over some backslides. Austin kicks him out to the floor but gets caught with a shot to the face. Lee offers a distraction and the slingshot cutter gives Kazarian the pin at 5:56.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have much time here and it was more about the interference than anything else, but what matters the most is having a solid match between two good wrestlers. That’s what we had here, which shouldn’t be a surprise given who was out there. Kazarian needs to cash the trophy in already, but that has to be dragged out for months instead.

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

Spitfire torments By Elegance with some dogs. I get the feeling I’ve missed something but Ash and Heather freaking out is funny.

Ryan Nemeth brags about his big brother returning at Sacrifice.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

We look at Moose beating Lexis King and the Hardys beating the No Quarter Catch Crew on NXT.

System vs. Oba Femi/Hardys

Femi and Moose start things off but we’ll go with Edwards instead. Femi runs both of them over and the villains are cleared out as we take a break. Back with Poetry In Motion hitting Edwards but Alisha offers a distraction so Moose can get in a cheap shot. Jeff fights out of trouble and brings Matt back in as everything breaks down.

The Side Effect hits Moose for two and the Plot Twist gets the same on Edwards. Everything breaks down and the referee gets bumped. Femi shrugs off Moose’s pump kick and hits a spinebuster but cue the Colons for a distraction. Myers gets in a shot with a System ring though and Moose spears Matt for the pin at 10:20.

Rating: C+. Pretty wild match here with Moose getting a win to move himself back into a better place after some recent losses. There is almost no way this whole thing is over though as this is a mixture of some of the bigger stories in TNA. Throw in Joe Hendry and it could get even bigger.

Post match Joe Hendry and Elijah come in to cut off a beatdown. Santino Marella makes Jeff Hardy vs. Moose in a ladder match for the X-Division Title, and a ten man tag with Hendry/Matt/Elijah/Leon Slater/??? vs. the System. The first is a pretty big match to just throw out there like that.

Overall Rating: B-. Nice show here as they advanced a bunch of stories on their way to Sacrifice in a few weeks. Sacrifice is turning into a big enough show despite the bigger sows coming up in the following weeks. The second round of the NXT crossovers have been far better and Femi alone has made the show feel more important. Good effort this week, with the bigger stuff getting closer.

Results
Mike Santana b. Oro Mensah – Spin The Block
Tessa Blanchard b. Kelsey Heather – Buzzsaw DDT
Steve Maclin b. KC Navarro – KIA
Spitfire b. Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance – Pressure Drop to Heather
Mance Warner b. Sami Callihan when Callihan used a chair
Frankie Kazarian b. Ace Austin – Slingshot cutter
The System b. Oba Femi/Hardys – Spear to Matt

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: February 20, 2025
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re closing in on Sacrifice and the card needs to start coming together. The big story coming out of last week was the last match for Josh Alexander, but it seems like we are going to be seeing some stars from NXT showing up around here. Throw in Tessa Blanchard wrestling this week and things should be interesting enough as we are live this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is World Champion Joe Hendry in the ring for his concert. His first song is about being in the Royal Rumble and seeing various WWE Superstars and if you don’t watch Impact, you can’t see him. Cue the Colons (Eddie and Orlando, formerly known as Epico and Primo) of all people to interrupt in their debut to suggest violence.

They go towards the ring but here is Elijah (formerly Elias) with his own guitar to say he’s joining TNA as well. The fans deem this awesome and Elijah says this place could use a colon cleanse. Cue Santino Marella to make the tag match main event. Works for Elijah, but he wants a concert right now. Elijah and Hendry sing a little ditty and promise to raise some h*** tonight. They’re not major stars, but bringing in that much fresh blood in a single segment is a good thing.

Leon Slater is ready for JDC in a no DQ match tonight.

The Colons say they targeted Joe Hendry because this place needs them.

Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont vs. Radicalz

Wes Lee (from NXT) and Ace Austin (not from NXT) are here too. The Rascalz clear the ring at the bell and hit dives before sending DuPont outside again. Igwe manages to send both Rascalz to the floor to take over but Miguel kicks his way to freedom. Wentz comes back in to clean house as everything breaks down. A belly to back suplex/leg lariat combination hits Austin for two with Miguel making a save. Miguel hits a top rope Meteora to Igwe, setting up the Swanton for the pin at 4:04.

Rating: C+. Power vs. speed here and as usual, it worked rather well. It’s also nice to see an NXT team actually lose, as TNA does not have the best record. Igwe and DuPont could turn into something one day, but they have a lot of experience to gain on the way there. Nice, fast paced way to start things off here though and that’s a good choice.

Post match Lee issues the challenge for a six man tag at Sacrifice and it seems to be on.

Here is First Class for the debut episode of the First Class Penthouse. We meet various wrestling podcasters and a successful music producer and a rapper. With that out of the way, we meet Noelle Foley and Frank The Clown, with KC Navarro going live on some social media platform. AJ Francis rants about how great he is and now he has his own Piper’s Pit. He teases AJ Styles as his first guest but then introduces…himself. And that’s that. This was a lot of talking in a short amount of time.

Unbreakable is back on April 17.

Rosemary vs. Lei Ying Lee

Rosemary wastes no time in grabbing the Upside Down but Lee kicks her away. Lee strikes away and hammers down right hands in the corner. An airplane spinning slam gets two and Thunderstruck connects to give Lee the pin at 4:10. That’s a surprise.

Rating: C. Well ok then. Rosemary losing a lot isn’t the biggest surprise but seeing her lose to Lee is quite the shocker. Lee hasn’t felt like a big deal in her time around the company and I’m not exactly seeing this change her status. What matters is that TNA is trying, though I’m not sure how well it will go. They have to try though and this is certainly a way to do just that.

Post match Rosemary mists her to send Lee crawling away.

Sami Callihan promises to find Mance Warner and Steph de Lander. Then he finds the two of them and the brawl is on.

Lei Ying Lee is getting checked on but Tessa Blanchard is annoyed at not getting the medic’s attention.

Here is the Northern Armory, with Eric Young promising to bring his cronies to the next level. Young is the lifeblood and foundation of this company because no one has done what he has done around here. Steve Maclin should be out here with him but he doesn’t show up. Young gets it because Maclin doesn’t trust him, but we’ll work on that. Young is going to get a World Title feud out of this isn’t he?

Mike Santana is at a group therapy session but Mustafa Ali, with his Secret Service, comes in to give the group a pep talk. Santana is not impressed.

We look at Moose interrupting NXT Champion Oba Femi and challenging him on NXT. Later, Moose agreed to face Lexis King for the NXT Heritage Cup next week.

JDC vs. Leon Slater

No DQ. Slater slugs away to start and kicks a chair out of his hands. The chair is slammed onto JDC’s fingers and it’s already time for a table. Slater hits a big running flip dive over the corner to take him out again but JDC gets in a whip through a chair. We take a break and come back with JDC unloading with a kendo stick.

Slater takes it away from him and slugs away as the fans approve. Another table is loaded up on the floor but JDC knocks him back inside. Slater puts him onto the table and hits the Swanton 450 (that looked great) but here is the System to put Slater through able table. JDC gets the pin at 11:30.

Rating: B-. Slater continues to showcase himself rather well most of the time and that was the case here. They certainly protected him in the end with the interference leading to his loss so a rematch isn’t out of the cards. That Swanton 450 is still great as you almost forget that he’s going to flip until the last possible second. Good brawl here, as they kept something of a limit on the weapons use instead of just going nuts with them.

Post match the beatdown is on but the Hardys and NXT Champion Oba Femi (a monster who might be bigger than Moose) make the save.

Post break Santino Marella makes the System vs. the Hardys/Oba Femi for next week.

Here is Tessa Blanchard for her first match on Impact in four years but she’s not in wrestling gear. Blanchard says she’s not wrestling tonight because she wasn’t given the proper medical attention. Cue Santino Marella to call this unprofessional and if she doesn’t wrestle next week, she’s fired. Here is Masha Slamovich to say she wants to see Blanchard wrestle next week (Fans: “PLEASE DON’T WRESTLE!”) but for tonight, she’ll take Blanchard’s place. Keeping Blanchard as a special attraction makes sense, though the fans do not seem overly thrilled with seeing her.

Masha Slamovich vs. Mila Moore

Non-title. Moore jumps her to start but gets piledriven for the pin at 29 seconds.

Post match NXT’s Cora Jade runs in and jumps Slamovich. Jade and Blanchard glare at each other.

Post break, Ariana Grace and Santino Marella make Cora Jade vs. Masha Slamovich for the Knockouts Title at Sacrifice. The Personal Concierge comes in to say he wants By Elegance to get a Knockouts Tag Team Title shot at Sacrifice. Marella seems to agree, but if Spitfire wins, they get the Concierge. That has to be illegal.

Ryan Nemeth talks about how his brother Nic will be back at Sacrifice.

Joe Hendry/Elijah vs. Colons

Eddie gets double elbowed out to the corner to start and we take a rather early break. Back with Hendry hitting a delayed vertical suplex on Orlando, followed by the fall away slam from Eddie. A cheap shot cuts Hendry down though and we hit the chinlock. Orlando’s Russian legsweep gets two and he chokes with a knee.

A legsweep gets two more and the guillotine choke goes on. To keep Hendry down even longer. That’s broken up and the tag brings in Elijah to clean house as everything breaks down. Hendry and Orlando brawl out to the floor, leaving Elijah to Tombstone Eddie for the win at 13:07.

Rating: C+. This was a way to bring in the new stars in the span of one match and that’s a nice way to go. I’m not sure I can imagine Hendry vs. Elijah going forward in a title program, but it could work as a one off match at a show on Sacrifice’s level. Other than that, the Colons showing up and losing in their first match is a bit of a stretch, but maybe they’re not going to be the biggest deal around here.

Overall Rating: B-. The best thing I can say about this one is that it wasn’t dull. TNA has a history of not exactly delivering on its bigger shows but they have made back to back live Impacts work pretty well. There might not have been some blow away match, but three known names debuted and there was enough set up for the future. Good enough show here as TNA continues to be the best thing they can be at the moment: steady.

Results
Rascalz b. Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont – Swanton to Igwe
Lei Ying Lee b. Rosemary – Thunderstruck
JDC b. Leon Slater – Double spinebuster through a table
Masha Slamovich b. Mila Moore – Piledriver
Joe Hendry/Elijah b. Colons – Tombstone to Eddie

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: February 13, 2025
Location: Boeing Center At Tech Point, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re still in Texas and on the long road to Sacrifice. The big story at the moment is Joe Hendry needing a challenger, which could come in a few different forms. Other than that, we have NXT stars running around, with Cora Jade seemingly eyeing the Knockouts Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

TNA World Title: Jake Something vs. Joe Hendry

Hendry is defending. They fight over arm control to start with Hendry flipping him down and offering a stare. Hendry actually runs him over with some shoulders and manages a delayed vertical suplex. We take a break and come back with Hendry getting some near falls but a clothesline gives Something a quick two.

A hard whip into the corner puts Hendry down again and we hit the neck crank. Hendry isn’t having that and comes back with some clotheslines and a swinging slam, followed by another clothesline to put Something on the floor. Back in and a super fall away slam sets up the Standing Ovation to retain the title at 14:42.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t so much about a high drama title defense but rather getting Hendry in the ring with the title on the line. Hendry is still looking for a big challenger and while Something wasn’t that, he was fine as a midcard villain to come after the title. Nice opener here, which mainly served to have Hendry in the ring in a singles match.

Post match Ryan Nemeth comes out to yell at Hendry but Santino Marella interrupts. Cue Nic Nemeth to go after Something but a superkick hits Marella by mistake.

Post break Nic apologizes to Santino, who suspends him without pay. Nic leaves, likely to be back after missing a TV taping.

Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance vs. King Bees

One of the Bees is sent into the corner for a handspring elbow and a running dropkick for two as the beating is on fast. A basement dropkick gives Ash two but the Bee fights up and fires off some chops against the ropes. The tag brings in the bigger Bee to fire off some forearms and a spinebuster gets two on Heather. They go up top though and a super Spanish Fly plants the second Bee for the pin at 4:32.

Rating: C. The road to yet another By Elegance vs. Spitfire title match continues and it’s still not a very interesting feud. There isn’t much of a reason for them to be fighting other than they’re both Knockouts tag teams and that isn’t much to go on. At least Heather got to win something here, as she hasn’t exactly been the most successful recently.

Post match the Bees get beaten down and have L lipsticked on their foreheads. Spitfire makes the save as this feud continues.

We look back at the Hardys and Leon Slater beating the System last week.

The Hardys thank Slater for being there last week and Slater thanks them for being his inspiration.

Earlier today, Mustafa Ali held a town hall where he introduced his cabinet: the Great Hands (formerly known as the Good Hands) and his secretary, Tasha Steelz. Ali declares himself the #1 contender to the World Title but Tommy Dreamer comes in to say not so fast. And we’re done.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Sami Callihan

Mance Warner, with Steph de Lander, jumps Callihan before the bell and beats him down. Callihan gets in anyway and hits a Stunner for two but can’t hit the Cactus Driver. Instead Kazarian pulls him into the chickenwing for the tap at 46 seconds.

Post match Callihan wants to fight Warner some more and the brawl is on, with security not being able to do much.

Josh Alexander knows Eric Young doesn’t like him, but he’ll respect him.

We look at Lexis King beating JDC to retain the NXT Heritage Cup.

JDC calls Leon Slater “kid” and tells him that the Hardys are just using him. A brawl is quickly broken up.

Xia Brookside vs. Cora Jade

Jade chills on the top rope to start so Brookside snaps off a hurricanrana into a monkey flip. Back up and Jade fakes an ankle injury to drop Brookside for two more. Jade’s choking in the corner doesn’t get her very far so she knocks her down for a quick two. The double arm crank is on but Brookside is up with the clothesline comeback. Broken Wings and a Russian legsweep give Brookside two but Jade knocks her away without much effort. Jaded finished Brookside at 7:34.

Rating: C. Jade’s road to the Knockouts Title shot continues and they’re doing it in a perfectly logical way by having her win some matches. That should be enough to set her up for something bigger down the line and a pay per view showdown with Masha Slamovich would make sense. Not much of a match here, but Brookside can make people look pretty good.

Arianna Grace talks to Tessa Blanchard, who yells at her in response. Santino Marella breaks it up and gives Blanchard a match next week.

Here are the Rascalz for a chat. They aren’t happy with Wes Lee and company interfering but they have Ace Austin to even things up a bit. Cue Lee and company, who are ready for a fight. Austin even things up but some low blows put the good guys down.

We look at Savanna Evans becoming the #1 contender to the Knockouts Title last week.

First Class think it’s time for an upgrade.

Knockouts Title: Savanna Evans vs. Masha Slamovich

Slamovich is defending and gets tossed away a few times to start. A hard shot to the face knocks Slamovich off the top and Evans slams her on the floor for a bonus. Back in and a swinging belly to back suplex gives Evans two as Tessa Blanchard is watching in the back. Slamovich fights up and hits a middle rope dropkick for a needed breather. Some strikes to the face, including a rolling kick, give Slamovich two but Evans sits on her chest for the same. Something like a TKO gives Evans two but Slamovich gabs a quick Texas piledriver for the pin to retain at 7:43.

Rating: C+. They were trying here but there was only so much to get excited about. Not only is Cora Jade lurking around the title picture, but Slamovich isn’t about to lose the title so soon. Also, Evans continues to be fairly dull other than having some nice power stuff. Not a thrilling match or anything, but they did what they could in the situation they were in.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Josh Alexander vs. Eric Young

Young has the Northern Armory with him and this is Alexander’s last TNA match. They slug it out to start and Alexander rains down right hands in the corner. Young goes evil by raking the eyes as we hear about Young’s various incarnations over the years. The sunset flip slide is broken up though and Alexander hits the crossbody to the back to put him on the floor. Back in and Young gets in a cheap shot to take over as we take a break.

We come back with Young hammering away and the Armory choking away on the floor. Young drops him again and grabs a chinlock but Alexander fights up for a dropkick. A Regal Roll and middle rope knee to the head set up a quickly broken ankle lock as Young makes the rope. Young knocks him down for the top rope elbow as Alexander has lost the headgear. A Styles Clash gives Alexander two and he grabs the ankle lock again. An Armory distraction breaks it up though and Young gets in a shot with the hockey mask. The piledriver ends Alexander’s TNA run at 14:45.

Rating: B-. Well that was a bit of a weak ending as Young just cheated to win. That’s not the best way to go, but it gives Young a win on the way to a likely World Title feud with Joe Hendry. Alexander is one of the biggest stars TNA has ever had and even though his time didn’t come at the apex of the company, it is going to be a big loss for the company to have him gone. Nice main event to go out on here, though I was hoping for a bigger ending.

Overall Rating: C+. With Alexander out of the way, there is going to be a hole to be filled in the upper midcard and it should be interesting to see who takes that spot. Other than that, there are a few stories which have my attention around here, though I’m not sure what we’re going to be seeing at Sacrifice. As usual, the show covered enough ground to stay interesting without having a big story and I’ll take that for a week.

Results
Joe Hendry b. Jake Something – Standing Ovation
Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance b. King Boos – Super Spanish Fly
Frankie Kazarian b. Sami Callihan – Chickenwing
Cora Jade b. Xia Brookside – Jaded
Masha Slamovich b. Savanna Evans – Texas piledriver
Eric Young b. Josh Alexander – Piledriver

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Impact Wrestling
Date: February 6, 2025
Location: Boeing Center At Tech Port, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

The road to Sacrifice continues and we really don’t have much for the card yet. Then again, TNA has a history of waiting for the last minute to set up some of their shows and that might be the case again here. The big draw this week is the Nemeth Brothers getting a shot at Fraxiom and the NXT Tag Team Titles. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

We look at Joe Hendry in the Royal Rumble. It wasn’t much of a surprise but it’s still hard to fathom.

Here is Joe Hendry to get things going and it is time for a concert. Hendry sings about how terrible the world is but it doesn’t matter because he won the belt. Cue Jake Something to interrupt, saying he’s taking Hendry up on his title match anytime offer next week. Hendry, naturally in song, accepts.

Masha Slamovich is ready for Cora Jade.

Tyson DuPont vs. Ace Austin

DuPont has Wes Lee and Tyriek Igwe with him. The rather large DuPont powers him into the corner to start but Austin starts rolling around. Austin kicks away at the legs for a breather as commentary talks about what is coming tonight. A pop up powerslam gives DuPont two and we hit the full nelson. Austin fights out and hits a dropkick for a needed breather. DuPont misses a splash and gets caught with the Fol for the fast pin at 5:30.

Rating: C. This was more about having Austin fight against a rather large monster and show off what he can do. That is always going to work and it is nice to see a TNA star get a win here. Not a great match, but it was a simple story that helped Austin look like a winner after his recent loss to Moose. Nice work, though not much of a match.

Post match the brawl is teased but the Rascalz make the save.

Tessa Blanchard isn’t going to be in the battle royal tonight because she knows everyone is coming for her.

Steph de Lander and Mance Warner are happy together with the Digital Media Title.

Battle Royal

Rosemary, Ash By Elegance, Heather By Elegance, Savannah Evans, Jazz, Dani Luna, Jody Threat, Alisha Edwards, Tasha Steelz, Xia Brookside

The winner gets a Knockouts Title shot next week and NXT’s Cora Jade is on commentary. Jazz is here as a surprise and wastes no time Jazz Stingering Edwards. The big brawl is on with people pairing off and Edwards tosses Steelz. Spitfire gets together to eliminate Edwards and both By Elegances attempt to hide underneath the ring, only to be pulled out.

Speaking of out, Heather and Luna both are, followed by Threat to get us down to five. Jazz isn’t interested in the potential alliances and gets eliminated by Rosemary shortly thereafter. Rosemary and Ash are out too, leaving us with Brookside vs. Evans. Brookside sends her to the apron but Jade offers a distraction. That means a headbutt can eliminate Brookside to give Evans the win at 8:45.

Rating: C-. This was short and to the point, which is what you need in a match like this. The ending helps set up Jade vs. Brookside if that is where things are going, as Jade feels like someone who is going to be a top challenger sooner than later. For now though, Evans is getting the title shot, despite not being the biggest star in the division.

Here are Eric Young and the Northern Armory for a chat. Young says they run this company, which has been dominated by Canadians for years. He has wrestled here more than anyone else and that puts him ahead of everyone. His first act was to take out Josh Alexander but here is Steve Maclin to interrupt. Maclin does not accept this as he Young is the only person he has ever trusted around here. If the two of them are with Young, Maclin isn’t with him. As Maclin leaves, Josh Alexander interrupts and he gets one final wish: his last match in TNA, next week against Young.

Sami Callihan is looking for Mance Warner and blows off Frankie Kazarian. Santino Marella comes in and doesn’t like Kazarian either.

Hardys/Leon Slater vs. The System

JDC headlocks Slater to start but it’s quickly off to Edwards, who gets stomped down in the corner. Everything breaks down and the Hardys hit Poetry In Motion as we take a break. Back with Alisha Edwards cutting off Slater’s big dive, allowing Moose to hit a powerbomb on the apron.

The camel clutch goes on and the Hardys are taken down, allowing a parade of finishers to get two with the Hardys making the save. Slater gets over to Jeff for the tag as everything breaks down again. Slater’s big dive connects and the Plot Twist to Moose sets up Slater’s Swanton 450. Jeff adds the regular Swanton for the pin at 10:45.

Rating: B-. It seems like they are setting up Slater as the next challenger for the title and I’ve heard worse ideas. Slater is not someone who is reinventing anything, but he does well with what he is doing. Let him go out there and fly around and give Moose a challenge. At the same time, I’m not sure I need to see the Hardys vs. the System again, but odds are we’re going back in that direction.

Mustafa Ali breaks up an argument between the Good Hands. With them gone, Ali gives Tasha Steelz a pep talk.

Matt Cardona vs. Mike Santana

Cardona gets knocked outside to start, allowing commentary to talk about upcoming events. Cardona manages some rams into various things as commentary previews the rest of the show. A neckbreaker gives Cardona two but Santana fights up without much trouble. Spin The Block is blocked but a Death Valley Driver leaves Cardona down for a second. Back up and the Reboot into a tiger bomb gets two but Radio Silence is broken up. A Death Valley Driver sets up Spin The Block to give Santana the pin at 8:20.

Rating: C+. For someone who is quite the big star, Cardona tends to lose a lot. It helps when he is going to be in and out of a bunch of promotions so he is going to be able to put a bunch of people over. That is a good thing to see with Santana, who is on his way to something big in TNA.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

NXT Tag Team Titles: Fraxiom vs. Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth

Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer/Axiom) are defending and Arianna Grace are on commentary. Axiom and Nic wrestle each other down to start with Axiom getting a headlock. Frazer comes in to work on the armbar but Ryan comes in as well for a double elbow. Everything breaks down and Frazer’s dive is cut off, with Nic sending Axiom’s kick into Frazer’s face.

We take a break and come back with Ryan being sent into the corner for some kicks to the face. It’s back to Nic for the elbow to Axiom and Ryan grabs a front facelock. The chinlock goes on and Axiom gets kicked down again, only for him to fight up. Frazer comes back in to clean house but Nic plants him with the jumping DDT.

Everything breaks down and stereo Danger Zones give Ryan two on Frazer. The Golden Radio/brainbuster combination gets two with Ryan making the last second save. Ryan tries to bring in a chair due to reasons of being stupid, allowing Axiom to get in a shot on Nic. A missile dropkick/Russian legsweep combination to Ryan retains the titles at 13:38.

Rating: B. That’s a perfect way to go as they had a good title match going and then the ending was Ryan doing something like a moron. It made sense for everyone and gave them a way out, as the titles weren’t changing hands here and Nic wasn’t getting pinned. Best match on the show, which shouldn’t be surprising given that Fraxiom can have a good match with anyone.

Overall Rating: B. This took some time to get going and it made for a good night, even though Sacrifice wasn’t really mentioned. You can see some matches coming up in the next few weeks but nothing seems to be ready for the next big show. Hendry vs. Something should be fine for a quick title defense and Santana and Slater are on the way up, so the future is rather interesting. I liked the show, even though the battle royal wasn’t much to see.

Results
Ace Austin b. Tyson DuPont – The Fold
Savannah Evans won a battle royal last eliminating Xia Brookside
Hardys/Leon Slater b. The System – Swanton to Moose
Mike Santana b. Matt Cardona – Spin The Block
Fraxiom b. Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth – Missile dropkick/Russian legsweep combination to Ryan

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

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

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

Cora Jade vs. Hyan

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

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

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

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

Brian Myers vs. Leon Slater

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

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

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

Sami Callihan goes after Mance Warner and Steph de Lander.

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

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

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

Laredo Kid vs. Mustafa Ali

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

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

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

Eric Young/Josh Alexander vs. Northern Armory

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

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

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

Wes Lee vs. Ace Austin

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth vs. First Class

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

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

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

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: December 26, 2024
Host: Tom Hannifan
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the second half of the Best Of 2024 and that should make for a good show. There was some nice stuff throughout the year and last week saw some of it get some attention. In addition, we have some more awards left to give out and that means we should be in for some interesting options. Let’s get to it.

Note that I’ll be posting the full versions of the matches rather than the versions on the broadcast with any potential edits.

Opening sequence.

Hannifan welcomes us to the show and runs down a bunch of upcoming events.

From Emergence.

TNA World Title: Nic Nemeth vs. Josh Alexander

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

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

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

Nemeth – 1
Alexander – 0

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

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

Nemeth – 2
Alexander – 0

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

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

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

Nemeth – 2
Alexander – 1

Another C4 Spike ties it at 44:35.

Nemeth – 2
Alexander – 2

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

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

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

Nemeth – 3
Alexander – 2

And time expires as Nemeth retains at 60:00.

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

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

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

Mustafa Ali is the X-Division Star Of The Year and he might win the title one more time.

From No Surrender.

X-Division Title: Chris Sabin vs. Mustafa Ali

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

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

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

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

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

Spitfire is the Knockouts Tag Team Of The Year and are rather happy.

From Victory Road.

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

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

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

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

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

Joe Hendry is Male Wrestler Of The Year. It might feel more appropriate if he had actually won the World Title but he’s certainly the most popular.

From Impact, May 30.

Eddie Edwards vs. Joe Hendry

Alisha Edwards and Brian Myers are here with Eddie. Before the match, Hendry says the only system he is worried about his his digestive system, because Eddie’s hair is so stupid. Cue the Nemeths to even things out (or actually uneven them) and we’re ready to go. Hendry starts fast with a running elbow and hits a rather delayed suplex for an early two.

We take a break and come back with Hendry fighting up until a chop takes him down again. Another chop is blocked and Hendry makes the clothesline comeback, setting up the fall away slam. Hendry slowly hammers away but gets elbowed to cut him right back down. Eddie tries to go up but gets super fall away slammed back down. Hendry goes up this time, only to get caught in a top rope superplex, followed by a tiger driver for two. Eddie kicks him down and loads up the Boston Knee Party but runs into the Standing Ovation for the pin at 12:01.

Rating: B-. The more I see of this ind of thing, the more it seems like we are going to be seeing Hendry getting a major title shot somewhere in the near future. Giving Hendry the title is far from the worst idea and I could go for seeing whatever he could do as the champion. If nothing else he would be a fresh direction for the company and that is definitely something they need.

And now, the Match Of The Year, from Bound For Glory.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Masha Slamovich

Grace is defending. Feeling out process to start with Grace winning the battle over a lockup. Slamovich gets in some shots of her own but Grace ties her in the ropes for a kick to the leg. They head outside where Grace hits a rolling Death Valley Driver for a near fall back inside. Grace starts kicking away at the leg but it’s too early for the Juggernaut Driver. Slamovich fires off some kicks but the leg is too banged up for the full impact. A guillotine keeps Grace in trouble but she powers up into a Jackhammer for two.

They go up top where Slamovich plants her back down, setting up the Snowplow for a fast near fall. Slamovich knees her down and hits a running spinwheel kick, only for Grace to knock her down again. They fight back up and Grace runs her over, setting up the Juggernaut Driver for two. A leglock immediately goes on but Slamovich bails to the ropes. They go up again, and this time it’s a super Snow Plow to bring Grace down. A package piledriver gives Slamovich the pin and the title at 12:42.

Rating: B. Take two powerhouses, let the beat on each other until one of them can’t get up anymore. That’s all you had here and it worked rather well, with Slamovich FINALLY getting the big title win that she’s been needing. It was a good powerhouse match too, and now we’ll have to see who is coming after the title next. I’m not sure how much longer Grace has on her deal around here, but odds are she’ll be in WWE sooner than later, so this isn’t much of a setback.

Hannifan wraps us up to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This wasn’t so much a Best Of show as much as it was a bunch of featured stars getting included on the last show of the year. That’s perfectly fine and it was a nice way to wrap things up. For now, what matters is the show ending the year on a high note and they did well enough here. Hopefully next year can do as well, as this was a nice look back at a pretty strong year for the company.

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

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AND

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 28, 2024
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt
Hosts: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s Thanksgiving night and thankfully TNA is smart enough to go with something other than a regular show. Rather than a traditional Best Of show, we’re getting some previously unreleased matches from earlier in the year. Some of those have been rather fun before so hopefully the trend can continue. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

The hosts give us a quick welcome.

From October 2024, Nashville, Tennessee.

The System vs. PCO/Sami Callihan/Joe Hendry

Alisha Edwards and Brian Myers are here with the System. Before the match, Hendry says that even though PCO is dead, the crowd is going to make the team come alive. Callihan shoulders Eddie into the corner to start and it’s PCO coming in, with an actual Honor No More reference.

Everything breaks down in a hurry and everybody heads outside, with Alisha’s distraction letting Moose boot Callihan in the face. Callihan suplexes his way out of trouble and it’s Hendry coming in to clean house. Moose breaks up the Standing Ovation but PCO plants him with a DDT. Callihan gives Eddie the Cactus driver 97 and the Standing Ovation is enough for Hendry to get the pin at 5:38.

Rating: C+. I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be in for a lot of things like this for most of the show and that isn’t a bad thing. This was a fun match and felt like something you would see on a house show, which is what a show like this should be. Hendry is of course as over as free beer in a frat house and that has been the situation for a long time now. PCO gets his own cheers and Sami…well he had good partners here.

From June 2024, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Jordynne Grace vs. Dani Luna

Grace’s Knockouts Title isn’t on the line and Jody Threat is on commentary. At least I think this is non-title but it doesn’t make the biggest difference. They fight over a lockup to start with Luna actually powering her back into the corner. Back up and Grace powers her into the corner as well, only for both of them to miss some chops.

An exchange of shoulders goes to Luna but Grace is back with a running shoulder. They go nose to nose and then forearm it out with Grace knocking her outside. Grace’s suicide dive doesn’t even knock Luna down so she plants Luna with a Jackhammer instead. Back in and a slingshot Blue Thunder Bomb gives Luna two but Grace is back with a Regal Plex. The Juggernaut Driver finishes Luna at 5:42.

Rating: B-. This didn’t have the time to get to that next level but it was starting to be a lot of fun with the two of them trading power moves. You don’t see Grace’s power advantage negated very often but it made for an interesting match. Luna is a good powerhouse in her own right and she did well enough here. Nice match and better than I was expecting.

Sami Callihan is running a poker game and PCO wins (beating aces and 8’s in the process). The Good Hands aren’t happy but Santino Marella comes in to make a tag match. Xia Brookside is called “just a girl” and food winds up in John Skyler’s face.

From June 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Leon Slater vs. Trent Seven vs. Mustafa Ali

Slater starts fast with a big flip flip dive onto Ali and the Secret Service, leaving Seven to hit the Seven Star Lariat for two on Ali. Slater breaks up the Birminghammer with a high crossbody before chopping it out with Seven. Ali knocks both of them off the top for a crash to the floor, followed by the rolling neckbreaker for two on Seven. Ali and Seven go up top with Seven’s super slam getting two as Slater dives in for a save.

They all chop it out from their knees and Ali is backdropped out to the floor. Seven slams Slater for two before heading outside, where he chops the post instead of Ali. Slater busts out an insane running flip dive over the post to take both of them down (that was great). Back in and the Swanton 450 hits Seven, only for Ali to steal the pin at 5:38.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have much time so they packed in as much as they could in about five and a half minutes. Slater got in his array of crazy athletic stuff and Seven was good as the biggest guy in the match. That left Ali to steal the win and it made for a nice formula, but Slater’s stuff was rather impressive.

From October 2024, Nashville, Tennessee.

Mike Bailey vs. Jake Something

Hammerstone is here with Something. Bailey kicks (shocking I know) away in the corner but Something runs him over to cut that off. A big toss to the floor has Bailey down and his kicks to the face don’t have much effect. Instead Bailey sweeps the leg to send Something outside for a change but Hammerstone gets in a cheap shot. Back in and Bailey strikes away but has to roll his way out of a chokeslam attempt for two. A kick to the face staggers Something but he hits the ropes and blasts Bailey in the back of the head.

Something gets smart by stepping on Bailey’s foot to cut off the kicks and drops him with a big right hand. Bailey is back up and heads to the top, where Something catches him with a super sitout powerbomb (OUCH) and a near fall. Something tackles him out to the floor but Hammerstone’s interference doesn’t work. Instead Bailey hits a Canadian Destroyer into a superkick, only to have the Tornado Kick broken up with a running forearm…for the pin at 8:14.

Rating: B-. They must have known that Bailey was on the way out here as it’s hard to imagine one of the bigger stars in the company losing to someone like Something otherwise. That being said, it’s nice to see Something pick up a win, which doesn’t happen very often. I’m not sure why as he has potential, but we’ll call that the second benefit to Bailey leaving.

From November 2024, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Rhino/Joe Hendry vs. First Class

Before the match, Hendry accuses AJ Francis of complaining to HR about Hendry being too man on the microphone. Therefore, please don’t chant AJ SUCKS, because you can believe in the Gore and Joe Hendry. Navarro starts for the team and gets shoved down, meaning it’s time to dance. Hendry shows off the power game with a delayed suplex and it’s off to Rhino, who gets to trade shoulders with Francis.

A Navarro distraction lets Francis take over and a running shot in the corner gets two on Rhino. Francis cuts off the tag attempt and Navarro adds a backsplash. The second tag attempt works though and it’s Hendry coming in to clean house. The fall away slam sends Navarro flying and Rhino Gores Francis. That leaves Hendry to hit the Standing Ovation to finish Navarro at 6:44.

Rating: C. Perfectly nice match here with Hendry getting to pop the fans and beat up an annoying heel team. Rhino is always going to get some nice reactions, with his recent Hall Of Fame induction making it even better. The fans responded as they should have and, like everything else, they didn’t overstay their welcome.

From July 2024, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

PCO vs. Moose

Casket match and the System is here with Moose. The bell rings and PCO drops Moose, only to get jumped by the System. Everyone hits a finisher on PCO and the casket is loaded up (with DO NOT ENTER painted on the bottom of the lid), only for Joe Hendry to run in for the save. PCO is back up and Moose accidentally spears Alisha Edwards. Moose is knocked down for the PCOsault and PCO wins at 3:46.

Rating: C+. This was barely a match as the big heel beatdown and then the interference started almost immediately. That being said, it continued the trend of the night being all about the fun, as PCO got a nice win in his hometown without Moose having to get pinned. Hendry gets another appearance, as this has more or less been his show so far, which isn’t a bad idea.

From September, San Antonio, Texas.

Nic Nemeth vs. Sami Callihan

Nemeth is the only person on the show to get to wear his belt. Callihan starts fast and hits a sitout powerbomb for an early two. The Cactus Driver 97 is blocked though and Nemeth hits a superkick as we take a break. Back with Callihan staggering around the ring but raking the eyes to take over. Callihan chops the post by mistake but he’s fine enough to bend the finger and hit Nemeth in the back of the head for two.

The chinlock doesn’t last long so Callihan elbows him in the face. A nerve hold is broken up and it’s a double clothesline to leave them both down. Callihan wants Nemeth to slug away but Nemeth goes with a Fameasser instead. The ten elbows into the Shot To The Heart gets two but Callihan is back with a cutter for the same. Callihan tunes up the band, which of course takes too long and allows Nemeth to hit his own superkick. The Danger Zone finishes for Nemeth at 9:07.

Rating: C. Not a match you really need to see, but it’s a fresh matchup and the World Champion gets to beat someone who has a bit of status. It’s not something I would want to see on a regular show, but it was a fine way to go to wrap up a show like this. Nemeth wasn’t on the show much, though it makes sense for the World Champion to be the only title featured.

A quick Turning Point rundown and a farewell from the hosts wrap us up.

Overall Rating: B-. This was fun! They didn’t do anything long (with the longest match being about eight minutes), the matches were mainly about the good guys winning to make the fans happy, and it didn’t do anything serious on a show a lot of people aren’t going to see. It’s not an important show in the slightest as it’s basically just a collection of dark matches, but it breezed by and I had a good time. Nice job here and exactly what a holiday special should be.

Results
Joe Hendry/Sami Callihan/PCO b. The System – Standing Ovation to Edwards
Jordynne Grace b. Dani Luna – Juggernaut Driver
Mustafa Ali b. Leon Slater and Trent Seven – Swanton 450 to Seven
Jake Something b. Mike Bailey – Running forearm
Joe Hendry/Rhino b. First Class – Standing Ovation to Navarro
PCO b. Moose – PCO shut Moose in the casket
Nic Nemeth b. Sami Callihan – Danger Zone

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