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

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

Here is Against All Odds if you need a recap.

Against All Odds recap.

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

Opening sequence.

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

IInspiration vs. Missa Kate/Brittnie Brooks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leon Slater vs. Jason Hotch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First Class vs. Hardys

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

Against All Odds 2025
Date: June 6, 2025
Location: Mullett Arena, Tempe, Arizona
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re back on the big shows here and in this case it means someone else is trying to bring the TNA World Title back to TNA. Trick Williams is here from NXT to defend the title against Elijah in the likely main event. Other than that, Santino Marella is trying to keep his authority against Robert Stone from NXT. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: The Elegance Brand vs. Xia Brookside/Harley Hudson/Myla Grace

Grace strikes away at M to start and it’s Hudson coming in for a double suplex. Heather gets in a cheap shot though, setting up a running backsplash to a draped Hudson. Back in and M’s facebuster gets two but Hudson manages a suplex for a breather. Brookside comes in to clean house, including that always stupid looking spot where she sends two partners into each other and hits a neckbreaker which makes someone DDT her own partner.

Grace hits a kind of double underhook spinning slam for two and everything breaks down. The Personal Concierge gets in a shot with his trident (like every amazing person should have, along with a nice top hat to go with it) on Grace, setting up Rarefied Air for the pin on Grace at 5:17.

Rating: C. And this is what this kind of a match should be. They got in, they did their thing, Brookside got to clean house after her big win last night and one of the rookies got the pin. They need to bring in some fresh blood to the division and Grace/Hudson could be just that. Maybe not anytime soon, but the two of them coming together to win the titles has some potential.

Post match the Personal Concierge praises the team but the IInspiration is back. They want the titles and that’s it.

The opening video looks at the importance of the World Title and how Elijah is going to fight to win it back.

International Title: Steve Maclin vs. Mance Warner

Warner, with Steph de Lander, is challenging. Maclin chops and forearms away to start and knocks Warner outside for the suicide dive. A running elbow drop off the apron connects as well so Maclin does it again. Steph offers a distraction though and Warner pulls him into the corner to take over. A spinebuster gives Warner two but Maclin is back with a Thesz press and Angle Slam for two.

The Crosshairs miss though and another Steph distraction lets Warner take over again. They go to the apron where Maclin grabs a Death Valley Driver but Warner pops back up with a top rope superplex for a delayed two. The ensuing slugout goes to Maclin and he gets Warner in the Crosshairs. That’s enough to set up the KIA to retain the title at 9:40.

Rating: C+. Yeah this was fine, as Maclin continues to establish the title as something worth having. Maclin is already a former World Champion so he brings some status to the title and having him beat various stars is a good way to go. This was a good choice for an opener, as the talented champion beats a tough challenger.

We run down the remaining card.

The System vs. Leon Slater/Hardys/???

It’s a mystery partner in the form of….The Home Town Man, who is clearly Cody Deaner under a mask. Well of course it is. Slater and JDC start things off with Slater bouncing around a lot and jumping over a legsweep for a standoff. Matt comes in to work on JDC’s arm and it’s off to Jeff, who the fans rather like. Man comes in and wins a slugout with Edwards before hammering away in the corner.

Everything breaks down and the System is cleared out, with the fans encouraging the Man nonsense. Moose kicks Man in the face and it’s off to Edwards, who knocks Jeff down to put him in trouble for a change. Myers grabs the front facelock for a bit before Moose simplifies things with some choking. Jeff fights up and hits a Whisper In The Wind to Myers and JDC, allowing Matt to come in and clean house.

The Side Effect into Slater’s Crossover gets two on Moose and everything breaks down. The Man gets to clean house and we get a triple Twist Of Fate inside. A regular Twist Of Fate into the Swanton looks to set up the Swanton 450 but the rest of the villains make the save. That leaves Slater to flip dive onto them before he counters Moose’s spear into a small package for the pin at 12:38.

Rating: B-. And there’s your next big step towards Slater taking the title from Moose. That’s something that has seemed to be in the cards for awhile now and it’s a good story to tell. Slater has another reason to get a title shot now and Moose is going to have a reason to be worried. That’s basic, well done storytelling and the rest of the people were just there, which is fine.

We recap Mustafa Ali vs. Jason Hotch. Ali has snapped and doesn’t mind abusing his subordinates and Hotch stood up to him, setting up this match.

Mustafa Ali vs. Jason Hotch

The rest of Order 4 is here with Ali, with John Skyler joining commentary. They fight over wrist control to start and then trade near falls, with Ali bridging out and looking smug about it. Hotch rolls him up for some near falls and an exchange of armdrags gives us another standoff. Back up and a chop off doesn’t go to either of them so Hotch sends him to the apron. A dive is countered into a German suplex onto the apron though and Hotch is in trouble.

Back in and the rolling neckbreaker gives Ali two but Hotch snaps the fingers. A tornado DDT to the floor plants Ali and a high crossbody gives Hotch two. Hotch’s Spanish Fly gets two more but Ali sends him into the ropes…where Tasha Steelz won’t hit the cheap shot. They get back up and Hotch powerbombs him for two and a clothesline drops Ali again.

Hotch hits a running double stomp for two but Ali is back with the always awesome tornado DDT. The equally awesome 450 gets…two, as Ali pulls him up. Skyler comes over as Ali goes up, but another 450 hits knees. Ali is back up with a NASTY overhead belly to belly into the corner and now the 450 can connect for the pin on Hotch at 13:44.

Rating: B-. Hotch was trying here but there was no reason to believe that he was going to win. Ali is going to be in for something big going forward and it is likely involving someone important stepping up to fight him. I’m not sure who that is, but this was another step forward as Ali continues to lose his grip on reality.

Post match Ali won’t shake Hotch’s hand and walks away on his own.

The IInspiration is glad to be back because they are here to INSPIRE.

We look at Trick Williams beating Mike Santana to retain the World Title on NXT, albeit with First Class offering an assist.

It’s time for the First Class Penthouse, with the team yelling at the fans for saying rather unpleasant things. Their appearance on NXT was very popular and the attack on Mike Santana makes sense, as he has annoyed them a few times lately. They tease bringing Santana out but say he isn’t here tonight….and of course here he is. Security proves worthless so Francis throws Navarro to Santana, who puts him through a table. Francis hits him in the back of the head with a champagne bottle though and Santana is left laying.

Knockouts Title: Lei Ying Li vs. Masha Slamovich

Slamovich is defending after saying she wanted Li to have a title shot and Indi Hartwell is on commentary. They go with the grappling to start until Li’s dropkick sends her into the corner. Slamovich fights out of that without much trouble and sends her outside for a dive off the apron.

Li is back up with an over the shoulder backbreaker and walks Slamovich up the steps before throwing her down. Back in and Slamovich tosses her to the apron for a superkick. That earns Slamovich a legsweep and a hanging DDT onto the floor for two back inside. They slug it out from their knees until Li kicks her down to take over again.

Li goes up and gets hurricanranaed right back down, allowing Slamovich to fire off the running strikes. Li suplexes her down and hits a running kick for two and they trade some near falls. Slamovich catches her on top with a Death Valley Driver and the running knee gets two. The package piledriver is countered into a rollup to give Li two, but Slamovich rolls back through into the package piledriver to retain at 12:48.

Rating: C+. Li felt like a short form challenger and that’s something you need every so often. Slamovich hand picked her and those kicks are dangerous enough to be a threat to the title. Slamovich had to work here and then retains the title, which is a fine enough way to do this kind of a match. She’ll need someone bigger, and we’ll see who that is soon enough.

Post match Killer Kelly returns for the staredown with Slamovich. Eh not a huge challenger but at least they have a history together.

We look at last month’s Border Brawl, a rather bizarre show.

Mike Santana is looking for First Class.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Joe Hendry

This is Hendry’s first match since losing the TNA World Title. Hendry tackles him down and hammers away to start before tossing Kazarian out to the floor. Back in and Kazarian charges into a fall away slam as it’s all Hendry thus far. They head to the apron, where Kazarian has to escape a Standing Ovation.

That lets him go after Hendry’s leg, which is smashed into the steps, tied up and dropped down onto onto for bad measure. Kazarian grabs a half crab for a bit before tying up the leg again. A Backstabber sets up the missed springboard spinning legdrop and Hendry fights up with the clotheslines. The fall away slam (not bad on one leg) and a slightly delayed vertical suplex have Kazarian in trouble but he manages a slingshot DDT.

The ankle lock is countered and Hendry grabs an Angle Slam for two. Hendry can’t hit the Standing Ovation but Kazarian can’t hit Fade To Black, instead settling for the chickenwing. That’s good for two arm drops before Hendry fights up. They go into the corner, where Kazarian grabs a rollup with his feet on the ropes for the win at 12:44.

Rating: B. This feels like a story where Hendry is losing almost everything he has so he can be built back up later. Or his time in TNA is coming to an end and he’s going to WWE so he’s putting people over on his way out. For now at least, Kazarian gets a rare big win, even if it isn’t likely to get him very far.

Post match Kazarian brags about his win until the limping Hendry chases him off.

Robert Stone hires Matt Cardona to be the referee for his match against Santino Marella.

Tag Team Titles: Rascalz vs. Nemeths

The Nemeths are defending. Ryan wrestles Wentz down to start and hands it off to Nic for some double elbows (back/jumping varieties). Wentz gets back up and hands it off to Miguel for a Dream Sequence and two of their own as the pace quickens a bit. It’s back to Ryan to work on Wentz’s arm but due to it being Ryan, this doesn’t go well and Wentz hits a middle rope crossbody.

Wentz is knocked outside for a cheap shot from Nic and it’s the big jumping elbow back inside. The front facelock goes on so Wentz goes over to Miguel, who is pulled off the apron by Ryan (hey he did something right). Back up and Wentz manages a spinning kick to the face, which is enough for the tag off to Miguel. Everything breaks down and the Rascalz hit stereo dives.

Back in and a top rope Meteora sets up a Swanton for two on Ryan. A Blockbuster/double DDT combination (which didn’t look like cooperation whatsoever) leaves everyone down. Ryan’s running DDT gets two on Miguel but Wentz is back in for the save. The middle rope Meteora is loaded up but Nic breaks it up. The Danger Zone into the jumping Downward Spiral finishes Miguel at 12:41.

Rating: B-. The Rascalz might not have felt like a major threat to take the titles but they were a perfectly acceptable set of challengers. They’re an established team who can give the Nemeths problems and that’s an acceptable spot for a match like this one. I’m wondering who will be going for the titles next, but hopefully it isn’t the recently free Good Brothers.

Eric Young breaks in backstage but is cut off by Sami Callihan. They argue over how annoying it is that an outsider is the World Champion but security gets rid of Young (who isn’t allowed here after attacking a fan on Impact).

We recap Robert Stone vs. Santino Marella. Stone is from NXT and doesn’t like how Marella has been running things. Therefore, it’s time for a showdown, winner has authority.

Santino Marella vs. Robert Stone

Matt Cardona is guest referee, Stone has Tessa Blanchard/Victoria Crawford with him and Marella has Arianna Grace with him. Cardona does a weapons check…and actually finds some brass knuckles on Stone. The bell rings and Stone drops straight to the floor. Back in and Marella wrestles him down without much trouble so Stone bails out to the floor again.

They go out into the crowd, where Marella crotches him onto the barricade but Blanchard gets in a cheap shot at ringside. Cardona yells a bit as Stone sends Marella into the buckle a few times, setting up the chinlock. That’s broken up with a belly to back suplex, but Blanchard steals the Cobra. The chase is on, leaving Stone to grab a rollup with feet on the ropes. Cardona catches him and won’t count, setting up an argument with Stone.

Cardona shoves him into a rollup for two so Stone gets his badge, which Cardona blocks as well. The distraction lets Crawford hit an ax kick for two and Marella gets fired up. The women offer another distraction though and Stone hits him low for two. Grace offers a distraction of her own and Marella hits a superkick…but he doesn’t have a Cobra. Grace has one of her own though and Stone is done at 9:44.

Rating: C-. As usual, there is a big disconnect between Marella trying to be serious and still doing his goofy stuff. He’s supposed to be this shooter or grappling expert but he couldn’t do his finisher because he didn’t have a sock on his hand? It’s trying to do two things at once and it hurt what we had here, which was only so good in the first place.

Post match Marella thanks the fans for their support and promises to do his best job.

We recap Elijah challenging Trick Williams for the World Title. Williams beat Joe Hendry for the title and now everyone is panicking over an outsider being champion. Elijah is the next one to come after the belt.

TNA World Title: Elijah vs. Trick Williams

Williams is defending and they lock up to start. A wristlock doesn’t get Williams very far as Elijah headlocks him over. Back up and Williams hits him in the face a few times but gets sent to the floor. Elijah’s running knee on the apron connects, followed by the Old School knee for two. The Trick Kick (exactly what you think it is) gives Williams two of his own and he grabs a cravate.

That’s broken up so Williams takes a turnbuckle pad off (the referee doesn’t seem to mind). Elijah fights up and hits a suplex neckbreaker, followed by a rolling cutter for two. A Book End gives Williams two and they strike it out, until Elijah hits a Dalton Castle Bang A Rang for two of his own.

Elijah gets sent outside where he grabs a hanging swing neckbreaker. Back in and the top rope elbow gets two so here is AJ Francis to ringside. That’s a bit too nerve racking for Elijah so he takes Francis out with a dive and grabs the guitar. Believe it or not, the referee doesn’t like that and takes it away, allowing Williams to hit him with a belt shot for two. The Trick Shot misses so Williams sends him into the exposed buckle, setting up the Trick Shot to retain at 16:15.

Rating: C+. As has been the case with a bunch of matches on this show, there was only so much of a reason to believe that the title was changing hands here. Elijah felt like a fill in challenger and that’s all he was supposed to be. There isn’t much else to be said about this one, which was kind of the problem coming into this match: it never felt like Elijah was a threat to the title but it was hardly bad.

Overall Rating: B-. This show didn’t have the highest expectations coming in and it wound up being a completely watchable event. It’s nothing that you need to see but if you watched it, you would not have had a bad time. The bigger issue is that it felt like a show that we had to get through to get to the big night with Slammiversary. I’ll take an acceptable show with little going on as these things have felt far less important than this before.

Results
Steve Maclin b. Mance Warner – KIA
Hardys/Leon Slater/Home Town Man b. The System – Small package to Moose
Mustafa Ali b. Jason Hotch – 450 splash
Masha Slamovich b. Lei Ying Li – Package piledriver
Frankie Kazarian b. Joe Hendry – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Nemeths b. Rascalz – Jumping Downward Spiral to Miguel
Santino Marella b. Robert Stone – Cobra
Trick Williams b. Elijah – Trick Shot

 

 

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: May 29, 2025
Location: CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re done with Under Siege and there wasn’t much to talk about on the show. However, there was also an NXT show over the weekend, where NXT’s Trick Williams won the TNA World Title. That’s going to set the stage for Against All Odds, which is already taking place next weekend. Let’s get to it.

Here is Under Siege if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Trick Williams winning the NXT Title at Battleground. Commentary welcomes us to the show and you would think someone died.

Opening sequence.

Rascalz vs. First Class vs. Aztec Warriors vs. The System

For the Tag Team Title shot at Against All Odds and Laredo Kid is on his own after the System attacked Octagon Jr. earlier today. The System bails to the floor to start so Miguel and Kid flip around to a standoff. We hit the rapid fire tags until Kid clears the ring. Alisha Edwards offers a distraction but gets ejected for her efforts. The Rascalz take everyone else out with a bunch of dives and we take a break.

Back with Myers grabbing a chinlock on Kid before Francis comes in with a hard clothesline. First Class starts taking turns on Kid, with Francis adding a running knee in the corner. Navarro accidentally tags Kid, meaning he has to face Francis. That doesn’t present a problem, as Navarro drops down and gets covered, with everyone else running in for the save. Why they did that rather than shaking hands and having Navarro suddenly give up isn’t clear.

Wentz comes back in to clean house until Francis has to make a save. Everything breaks down and Miguel hits a running flip dive onto the System. Kid is up to dive onto just about everyone else but Francis plants him with a chokeslam off the top. Miguel Meteoras Francis though, allowing him to steal the pin on Kid at 12:44.

Rating: B-. This was a match that had to happen as they only had so much time to get challengers ready for Against All Odds. The move makes as much sense as anything else as the Rascalz are an established team and won a fast paced match to get the title shot. As usual, it’s a good choice for an opener and it went well.

The Nemeths are ready for the Rascalz.

During the break, First Class had an argument and Mike Santana jumped AJ Francis.

We meet new signees Myla Grace and Harley Hudson, who are ready to prove themselves and have some attitude. They had a match on Xplosion and the fans seemed to like it so it’s time to keep fighting. The Personal Concierge pops in to ask where Santino Marella is, with Xia Brookside (watching the interview) and the newcomers laughing at him. I’ve seen worse ways to introduce someone.

Raj Singh vs. Mustafa Ali

The rest of Order 4 is here with Ali, who jumps him in the corner to start fast. Back up and a running dropkick puts Singh down again, followed by a neckbreaker to make it worse. Singh gets in a clothesline and hammers away but the Great Hands offer a distraction. Ali drops the 450 for the pin at 2:49. Hopefully that’s it for Singh, as he and Ali don’t need to do this long term.

Post match Ali yells at the rest of Order 4 until the Great Hands lay out Singh again.

Arianna Grace is worried about the mixed tag match but Santino Marella says it’ll be great for them to team together. And Jimmy Korderas is going to be the guest referee!

Ash By Elegance vs. Lei Ying Li

Ash wastes no time in bailing to the floor at the threat of a spinning kick. Back in and a running knee and a running dropkick have Ash in more trouble but she gets smart by kicking at the leg. An arm/leg crank doesn’t last long for Ash as Li is up to strike away in the corner. A running knee gives Li two and she yells a lot, setting up a spinning torture rack neckbreaker for the pin on Ash at 5:57.

Rating: C. This was a way to give Li a quick win and that’s all it needed to be. She might be in line for a title shot sooner than later, perhaps as soon as Against All Odds, so giving her a fast win makes sense. Li is mainly there to do her kicks, but she does them rather convincingly most of the time.

Post match Masha Slamovich comes in and says she’ll see Li at Against All Odds.

We look at Trick Williams winning the World Title, plus the fallout.

We look at Mike Santana winning his NXT debut and then challenging Trick Williams for an NXT Title shot next week.

Williams doesn’t like Brampton so he’s not there. Instead, he’ll beat Santana to keep the title.

Mance Warner vs. Bryce Hansen

Steph de Lander is here with Warner, who jumps Hansen in the corner to start. We pause for a crawl over to de Lander for a kiss before a clothesline drops Hansen again. A running knee and an implant DDT give Warner the pin at 2:40. Warner looked good here, and he did it without barbed wire.

Post match de Lander says Warner wants the International Title.

We look at Xia Brookside snapping and attacking Rosemary at Under Siege.

Rosemary is happy that Brookside has finally seen the dark. She wants Brookside to fill her soul with darkness.

Santino Marella/Arianna Grace vs. Robert Stone/Tessa Blanchard

Well hold on as Blanchard is injured so Victoria Crawford is taking her place. We have some special rules too: the match cannot go over ten minutes, Alisha Edwards will be the guest enforcer referee, and the Cobra is BANNED.

Santino Marella/Arianna Grace vs. Robert Stone/Victoria Crawford

Jimmy Korderas is guest referee. Stone runs away from Rivera to start and it’s quickly off to Grace. Blanchard trips her down and gets ejected, meaning Crawford gets the chance to come in instead. Crawford gets in a knockdown and grabs a chinlock. Stone teases coming in so Marella chases him off, meaning it’s time for a front facelock instead.

That’s broken up and it’s off to Marella as everything breaks down. Grace comes back in with a high crossbody but Stone pulls Korderas out. Said Korderas is sent into Marella, who is sent into the barricade. Crawford ax kicks Grace, allowing Stone to get the pin, as counted by Alisha Edwards, at 6:32.

Rating: C. The match was kind of a mess with so much going on, but that is probably a lot better than having them work a straight match. At the same time, this is still one of the worst stories going today as the battling bosses is only so good on its best day. When you have it with these guys, it’s leaving quite a bit to be desired.

We look at members of the local government helping Eric Young pin Moose at Under Siege.

Young, with the Northern Armory, wants the X-Division Title. Moose comes in and will talk to Santino Marella about it.

Heather By Elegance, with the Personal Concierge, introduces M By Elegance (Maggie Lee) after her makeover. Cue Myla Grace and Harley Hudson to interrupt, saying they want to earn some respect. Then they throw champagne on Lee, who panics and leaves with By Elegance.

Against All Odds rundown, with Elijah getting a World Title shot.

International Title: Matt Cardona vs. Steve Maclin

Maclin is defending and gets a pep talk from Tommy Dreamer in the back. Maclin starts fast and hammers away in the corner to knock Cardona outside. An elbow off the apron connects and a backdrop puts Cardona on the ramp as we take a break. Back with Cardona hitting a neckbreaker and then a neckbreaker for two. The neck crank goes on to keep Maclin in trouble, at least until the comeback is triggered.

Maclin fights up and we get a double knockdown, followed by the clothesline comeback. Cardona gets in a knockdown of his own for two and goes up, where he is superplexed back down. Back up and some running boots in the corner rock Maclin, who is right back with a running knee. The Jar Headbutt gets two, as does Cardona’s Unprettier. Radio Silence gets two more but Maclin ties him in the Tree of Woe for the running shoulder. KIA retains the title at 15:51.

Rating: B-. They got going a bit near the end here, which is a good addition to a match which seemed designed to give Maclin a nice win. Cardona is a name with some value and it worked with a one off match. Good stuff for a main event here, though we’ll get to Maclin’s next real challenger soon enough.

Mike Santana is ready to win the World Title.

Overall Rating: B-. This was an interesting show, as they barely touched Under Siege (makes sense), instead focusing on building Against All Odds. That’s what they had to do given the short turnaround time and we already have some title matches set up. If nothing else, the show is already looking better than Under Siege, though that’s only covering so much ground in the first place.

Results
Rascalz b. First Class, Aztec Warriors and The System – Top rope chokeslam to Kid
Mustafa Ali b. Raj Singh – 450
Lei Ying Li b. Ash By Elegance – Torture rack neckbreaker
Mance Warner b. Bryce Hansen – Implant DDT
Robert Stone/Victoria Crawford b. Santino Marella/Arianna Grace – Ax kick to Grace
Steve Maclin b. Matt Cardona – KIA

 

 

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

Under Siege 2025
Date: May 23, 2025
Location: CAA Centre, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s another special and this card is lacking a bit to put it mildly. There isn’t much on the card as the big TNA match of the weekend is taking place on Sunday at the NXT Battleground event. This show will also see the some odd title matches and Cody Deaner’s future decided. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Rosemary vs. Xia Brookside

Rosemary has been trying to push Brookside to the evil side and jumps her in the corner to start. A stomp to the apron cuts Rosemary off and she rolls outside to yell at commentary. That’s enough of a distraction for Brookside to hit a dive off the top but Rosemary posts her to take over. Back in and a t-bone suplex gives Rosemary a delayed two and it’s time to choke on the ropes a bit.

The Upside Down is countered into a Samoan drop though and Brookside makes the clothesline comeback. Three straight Broken Wings hit Rosemary, who is right back with a spear for the double down. As Above So Below is broken up so Rosemary hits a second spear. Therefore, it’s time for a staple gun. The referee takes that away so Rosemary whips out a belt but Brookside hits a DDT. Brookside grabs the belt and whips Rosemary for the DQ at 8:39.

Rating: C. This was a storyline advancing match more than anything else, with Brookside finally being pushed over to violence. Hopefully the two of them don’t wind up teaming together or something, but it is nice to see Brookside getting a chance to do something new. That has been missing for a good while now and maybe this is where she moves upward after a long wait.

Post match Brookside goes nuts, even whipping the security for trying to break it up. The fans certainly seem to approve and even want more, which they receive.

The opening video looks at the show’s main matches, including stars such as Cody Deaner, the absent Jeff Hardy and NXT’s Trick Williams.

Mike Santana vs. AJ Francis

Hold on though as Francis comes out on a crutch and says he has a severe case of turf toe. After mocking the Toronto Maple Leafs, Francis announces that KC Navarro will be taking his place.

Mike Santana vs. KC Navarro

Santana is fine with this and pulls Navarro in before planting him down for an early two. Three Amigos get two more and we hit the required Eddie Dance. Some hard chops have Navarro in trouble so Francis offers a cheap shot. Navarro gets in a spinning headscissors but Santana is right back with some running shots in the corner.

The rolling Buck Fifty gets two but Spin The Block is blocked. Navarro kicks him down and gets two off a splash but Santana gives him a buckle bomb. The Cannonball gets two so Navarro collapses before Spin The Block can launch. Santana isn’t having this and hits Spin The Block for the pin at 9:49.

Rating: C+. I don’t think it’s the biggest secret that Santana is going to be in the World Title scene sooner rather than later. It’s what he has been talking about and even teased a few times now and going after the X-Division Title would feel out of place. Therefore, giving him a pretty simple win like this to start the show is a good way to prop him up a bit, which is what you need in his spot.

Post match respect is teased but Francis gets in to take out Santana. Navarro eventually helps.

We run down the rest of the card.

Some Brampton government officials, and a mascot, are here. One of them is more popular than others.

We recap Cody Deaner vs. Eddie Edwards. Deaner has not won a match in over a year and his contract is not going to be renewed. Therefore, he’s fighting for his job.

Eric Young gives Deaner a pep talk.

Cody Deaner vs. Eddie Edwards

Alisha Edwards is here with Eddie. They argue to start and Deaner fires off some right hands. A Steve Austin elbow gets two but Eddie fights up. Alisha gets caught cheating but is only warned rather than being ejected. Eddie takes him down into an early chinlock so Deaner fights up and hits a clothesline. A dive cuts Eddie off but he’s right back with a Blue Thunder Bomb onto the apron.

Back in and Deaner shrugs off some chops and grabs a bulldog. Deaner goes up and gets kicked in the head, setting up a superplex into a tiger bomb for two. They go back outside where Deaner hits Sliced Bread off the steps, followed by a high crossbody back inside. Deaner loads up the DDT but Alisha offers a distraction to the referee and a ring to Eddie. The big shot to the head gets two so Alisha hits Deaner low. The Boston Knee Party gives Eddie the pin at 10:34.

Rating: C+. I get what they’re going for here with Deaner losing his job and everything….but it’s Cody Deaner. When the point of the story is that you haven’t won anything in over a year and you weren’t that important on your best day, it’s kind of hard to care about something like this. The story made sense, but it didn’t work given who it was about and that’s a big problem.

Post match here is the System to mock Deaner, saying no one cares about him and now he’s out of a job. Cue the Northern Armory, who don’t like this anti-Canadian rhetoric. Six man time.

The System vs. Northern Armory

The aforementioned mascot is in the Armory’s corner. Icarus and JDC lock up to start with Icarus taking him into the corner to kick away. Williams comes in for two off a clothesline and it’s off to Myers, who gets sleepered. Moose gets the tag and wants/receives Young for what is not quite an epic showdown.

Moose’s German suplex is blocked and Icarus comes in to strike away as the fans sing a song about Canada. A shot to Icarus takes him down and the villains (well the non-Canadian villains that is) take over on Icarus, with Myers grabbing a chinlock. It works so well that Myers does it again, setting up a Downward Spiral to plant Icarus. That’s broken up and Young gets the tag to clean house.

A high crossbody gets two on Moose and it’s a double powerbomb out of the corner to put him down again. Young’s top rope elbow connects but the piledriver is broken up. JDC gets sent outside and Young hits a Death Valley Driver on Moose. Alisha grabs a kendo stick and BEATS UP THE MASCOT but the councilmen take it away. Young piledrives Moose for the pin at 12:08.

Rating: B-. While I do not want to see Young and company as full time good guys, I can live with it as a way to add some local flavor to a show like this. That’s all this was supposed to be, though Young pinning Moose very well could get him an X-Division Title shot. It still feels like Leon Slater’s title to win, but odds are Young would be a short term deal if they go that way. Nice match too, with the Armory getting to showcase themselves a bit.

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

Street fight and if Spitfire (challenging) doesn’t win, they have to split up. Spitfire jumps them to start and load up a table but Heather is back with some hairspray. By Elegance get in a shot with a feathery stop sign but Spitfire sets some chairs on the stage. They go back to ringside where By Elegance takes over again, though it’s too early for Rarefied Air. Luna sends Heather face first into an open chair but Ash is in for the save.

Luna counters Ash’s handspring with a release German suplex but Heather is back up with a dropkick to send a chair into Threat’s face. A powerbomb onto some chairs gets two on Ash so the Personal Concierge throws glitter into Threat’s eyes. Since it’s just glitter, Threat is back up with a slam onto the floor but Ash cuts off Pop Shove It. Cue Maggie Lee to help Ash put Luna through a table and a trashcan shot cuts Threat off. Rarefied Air retains the titles at 12:11.

Rating: C+. They were going with the themed street fight here and it worked about as well as could be expected. Spitfire might not be the most interesting team, but at least they are a team who has accomplished something and that puts this above the Cody Deaner story. Odds are Rosemary and Xia Brookside are next for the titles, as it isn’t like there is a division waiting to come after them.

We look at Xia Brookside snapping on Rosemary on the Kickoff Show.

Brookside said this is what Rosemary wanted and whatever happens next is on her, b****.

We look at Mustafa Ali beating Ace Austin and reinjuring Austin’s already bad leg.

Order 4 vs. Rascalz/Indi Hartwell/???

Order 4 is Mustafa Ali and his cabinet under their official name for the first time. The mystery partner is…Raj Singh (Ali’s former associate). This is his hometown, though the fans didn’t seem to know that coming in. Singh doesn’t like the way Ali has been acting and the fight is on to start fast. The Rascalz take over on the Hands to start and hit some dives to put them on the floor.

Back in and Steelz takes over on Hartwell in the corner as we settle down. Hartwell throws her throat first onto the top rope and it’s off to Singh for something like What’s Up on Skyler. Hotch gets kicked down as well but a hanging DDT to the floor drops Singh hard. A double rolling neckbreaker and a standing moonsault gets two on Singh back inside but he’s over to Hartwell anyway.

Everything breaks down and we get the parade of knockdowns and the men get together to fight over a triple suplex. Hartwell and Steelz climb onto their backs and slug it out until Hartwell cutters her onto the pile to break it up. The Rascalz kick the Hands to the floor and hit Hot Fire Flame before breaking up Ali’s cheating rollup on Singh. Ali baseball slides Hartwell and the Favor drops Singh. Ali’s 450 finishes Singh off at 9:57.

Rating: C+. The match was fast paced and entertaining, but you’re only going to get so far with Singh as the mystery partner. It felt like a “who is that again?” reaction when he came out and that is not a good sign. I get that Ace Austin was the logical way to go but they needed someone better than Singh for a replacement.

Post match Ali stays on Singh so the cabinet tries to stop him, with Ali shoving Steelz down.

Santino Marella gives Arianna Grace (acknowledged as his daughter) a pep talk and Grace is ready to fight.

Steve Maclin, recovering from a skull fracture (geez) will be ready to face Matt Cardona.

Jimmy Korderas is here.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Arianna Grace

Santino Marella is here….but Robert Stone comes out to say Santino has to leave because he doesn’t have a manager’s license. Commentary isn’t sure how Stone has that authority as Blanchard takes her down without much trouble. Blanchard chokes away in the corner and hammers her down on the floor.

Grace seems to avoid a charge into the ropes (even commentary wasn’t sure what happened) but Blanchard hits a slingshot splash. A belly to back suplex puts Blanchard down and the comeback is actually on. Grace’s big boot gets two but Blanchard cuts her off with a cutter. Grace catches her on top with a superplex for two and stomps away in the corner. Blanchard knocks her off the top but slips on a Magnum attempt. Instead it’s the buzzsaw DDT and now Magnum can put Grace away at 8:07.

Rating: B-. Given the situation they were in, this was about as good as it was going to get. The story was that Grace was in way over her head and it wouldn’t have made sense to try anything else. Blanchard toyed with her before finishing her off and that’s how the match should have gone. Grace is from the bigger company but Blanchard is a way bigger star and talent no matter how you look at it.

Post match Marella comes out to check on Grace but Stone tells them to get out because the show must go on.

Knockouts Title: Victoria Crawford vs. Masha Slamovich

Slamovich is defending and Stone is here with Crawford. A clothesline drops Crawford fast so Stone offers an early distraction. Crawford gets in a shot of her own and a northern lights suplex on the floor has Slamovich in trouble. Back in and Crawford slowly hammers away but Slamovich fights up, cutting off some notable BORING chants. A package piledriver gives Crawford two so Stone gives her the belt. The referee gets bumped and the belt shot connects, only for Slamovich to come back with the Snow Plow. Slamovich avoids the ax kick and hits Requiem to retain at 6:57.

Rating: C. What else were you expecting here? Crawford is supposed to be the newcomer in over her head and Slamovich ran through her despite the shenanigans. That being said, I have no idea what the appeal of Marella vs. Stone is supposed to be, because it’s not connecting. Slamovich deserves something better than being part of this and hopefully the better stuff gets the focus again sooner rather than later.

Post match Slamovich grabs the mic and says Lei Ying Lee should be the next challenger. Cue Lee but Stone comes out to say Lee has to earn the shot on Impact.

We look at Joe Hendry and Trick Williams’ musical exchange on NXT.

We get a tribute to Sabu, which is nice to see given his history in the promotion.

Tag Team Titles: Matt Hardy/Leon Slater vs. Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth

The Nemeths are defending and this is the Hardys’ official rematch, even though Jeff isn’t allowed in Canada. Matt and Nic start things off with the former grinding away on a headlock. Nic suplexes his way to freedom but Matt grabs it again to keep control. Slater comes in with a headlock of his own (apparently learning quickly) before the champions are sent outside.

Back in and Matt hits the middle rope elbow to start on Ryan’s arm. Slater elbows him down for two but a cheap shot sends Slater outside. Back in and Nic grabs a chinlock with a bodyscissors, followed by a Jeff Hardy legdrop between the legs for two. Slater fights up but Ryan pulls Matt off the apron for a nice save. A handspring elbow cuts Ryan off though and it’s back to Matt to pick up the pace.

The Nemeths get the rams into the buckles and a Side Effect each but the Twist Of Fate is blocked. Nic hits the Fameasser for two and an assisted neckbreaker gets two. Nic’s Twist Of Fate gets two on Matt but Slater is back in for a Plot Twist to give Matt two of his own. Poetry In Motion to the floor (dang) sets up the Twist Of Fate and the Swanton 450 gets two, with Ryan making the save. Ryan and Slater fight on the floor and Nic hits the Danger Zone to pin Matt and retain at 16:04.

Rating: B. They were in a tight spot here and they did what they could with the whole thing. No one was buying Matt and Slater as a threat to win the titles when it was made clear that Slater was merely filling in for Jeff. You’re only going to get so far with that, but thankfully Matt took the pin, leaving Slater to look good in defeat. He’s likely going after the X-Division Title around Slammiversary and he’s earned that spot.

Santino Marella gives Arianna Grace a pep talk and wants to face Robert Stone. Grace suggests a mixed tag and that seems to be the idea. As this feud continues.

We recap the main event. Trick Williams has attacked Joe Hendry, setting up their title match on Sunday at Battleground. Tonight though, Frankie Kazarian and Elijah are involved to make it a tag match. The fact that I couldn’t think of the main event until this recap isn’t a great sign.

Joe Hendry/Elijah vs. Trick Williams/Frankie Kazarian

Elijah and Kazarian get things going with Elijah taking over rather easily. Hendry comes in and wants Williams but has to stick with Kazarian instead. It’s back to Elijah and now Williams is willing to come in. Some big chops in the corner have Williams in trouble but he tries a powerslam out of the corner. That’s broken up and it’s off to Hendry, setting up some quick tags (with nothing in between) until Elijah takes the villains down on the floor.

Hendry hits a dive onto both of them and it’s time for Kazarian and Williams to argue. Hendry and Elijah break that up on the ramp and they fight into the crowd. Back in and Elijah hits Old School while Hendry holds Kazarian up with a rather delayed vertical suplex. Williams kicks Elijah down to take over for the first time though and even knocks Hendry off the apron.

Kazarian’s front facelock has Elijah in more trouble as we hear about Hendry’s success in WWE. Elijah fights up and hands it back to Hendry for the well received comeback. An Angle Slam gives Hendry two on Williams and he rolls through Williams’ high crossbody for a fall away slam. Kazarian is back in but can’t get the chickenwing, instead getting caught with an AA for two.

Elijah knees Williams, who hits a quick Trick Shot for two as Hendry makes the save. Kazarian grabs the guitar but walks into the Highwayman’s Farewell, with Williams making the save. Williams’ distraction means the referee doesn’t see Elijah small packaging Kazarian so it’s a rather delayed two. The Trick Shot hits Kazarian by mistake and Hendry grabs the Standing Ovation to pin Kazarian at 19:24.

Rating: B-. Oh man they were in a weird spot here and there was only so much that could be done as a result. This was a big preview for Battleground and nothing more, which left me a bit surprised as the result. Unless they just didn’t want an NXT star winning in the end, Hendry looking dominant is kind of a screwy way to go. Good match, but it didn’t feel important or main event worthy.

Hendry and Williams stare each other down to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show is a weird case, as there was only so much that can be done when the show feels this unimportant. There is pretty much nothing on here which felt like top level stuff and it showed coming into the event. The good action made it a completely watchable show, but at the same time, it feels like an event that you do not need to see whatsoever. That happens occasionally to to be fair, this wasn’t a full priced pay per view. Pretty skippable card here, which didn’t feel like a big surprise.

Results
Rosemary b. Xia Brookside via DQ when Brookside used a belt
Mike Santana b. KC Navarro – Spin The Block
Eddie Edwards b. Cody Deaner – Boston Knee Party
Northern Armory b. The System – Piledriver to Moose
Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance b. Spitfire – Rarefied Air to Threat
Order 4 b. Rascalz/Indi Hartwell/Raj Singh – 450 to Singh
Tessa Blanchard b. Arianna Grace – Magnum
Masha Slamovich b. Victoria Crawford – Requiem
Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth b. Matt Hardy/Leon Slater – Danger Zone to Hardy
Joe Hendry/Elijah b. Frankie Kazarian/Trick Williams – Standing Ovation to Kazarian

 

 

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