Final Resolution 2025
Date: December 5, 2025
Location: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s another special as we are between the big shows. In the case we have a kind of odd main event as JDC is challenging Frankie Kazarian for the World Title. Other than that, a lot of the focus is going to be on the invading NXT stars, including some of whom are getting title shots. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Cedric Alexander vs. Eric Young

Alexander works on the arm to start and doesn’t get very far but he is able to send Young outside. Back in and Alexander snaps off a German suplex to send Young outside again. This time Alexander heads outside with him and the brawl is on again, with Young posting him to take over.

Young’s moonsault misses back inside and the springboard Downward Spiral gives Alexander two. Alexander takes him up top but Young bites his head, setting up the top rope elbow. That has Young arguing with the referee, allowing Alexander to grab a brainbuster for the pin at 7:37.

Rating: C. I’m happy with seeing Young lose and Alexander is still rather smooth in the ring, making it nice to see him win. If nothing else, it’s nice to see Young with his stupid Cleanse nonsense taking another hit. Just don’t make him into some big heel down the line and it should be fine.

Kickoff Show: The System vs. Bear Bronson/Brock Anderson/CW Anderson

Unannounced match and Alisha Edwards is here with the System. Before the match, the System issues an open challenge to anyone and this is what they get. CW and Eddie start things off as commentary tries to get CW over as a legend. Moose comes in for the right hands to the head and it’s back to Eddie. Brock comes in to work on the arm so Bronson comes in to shoulder Myers down.

A seated senton crushes Myers and a chokebomb cuts off the comeback attempt. Myers gets taken into the wrong corner but he manages to escape a double suplex. Instead it’s a double clothesline to the Andersons and Moose comes back in to take over on Bronson. The chokebomb gives Moose two and it’s back to Brock, who gets caught with a headbutt. The System Overload finishes Brock at 6:22.

Rating: C. Another mostly short match here with the System getting to run through a few newcomers. I’m not sure I can imagine the Andersons being a big deal around here, though there is always a spot for someone like Bronson. I get the idea of putting a team as important as the System on the show though, and at least they didn’t waste time.

The opening video looks at some of the top stars on the show and how important it is for them to give it their all and never give up their dream.

Mike Santana vs. Charlie Dempsey

Dempsey (the son of William Regal) is from NXT and is quite the technical star. The brawl is on to start fast with Santana sending him to the floor for a suicide dive. Back in and Dempsey breaks up Three Amigos (as we’re in Eddie Guerrero’s hometown) to knock Santana down. Dempsey gets in a hard stomp to the arm and then pulls on it as a bonus.

Back up and Dempsey sends him hard into the corner but Santana is back with some kicks to the face. A clothesline cuts Dempsey down again and the rolling Buck Fifty gives Santana two. Dempsey is back with a bridging German suplex for two and a top rope butterfly superplex drops Santana again. Dempsey’s next superplex attempt is blocked though and now the Three Amigos can connect. Spin The Block finishes Dempsey at 8:58.

Rating: C+. The point here was to have Santana put in the work to get through the first step of his revenge. That is easier said than done, but it wouldn’t make sense to have him smash through everyone in a hurry. Santana needs to prove that he’s good enough to get through these people, who should give him at least some trouble. Nice opener here, as the fans are still entirely behind Santana.

We run down the card.

Frankie Kazarian is ready to make JDC into a failure.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: IInspiration vs. Victoria Crawford/Tessa Blanchard

The IInspiration is defending, Robert Stone is with Crawford/Blanchard and Ash By Elegance is on commentary. Lee and Crawford start things off with Lee grabbing the arm and handing it off to McKay. Some stereo kicks and clotheslines put the challengers on the floor for some posing from Lee/McKay. Back in and McKay gets taken into the wrong corner for some boot choking before Blanchard starts working on the leg.

Blanchard just punches the leg (that’s funny for some reason) but McKay kicks her outside. An elbow misses for Blanchard and it’s back to Lee for a rollup. Everything breaks down and Stone slips in the belt but Lee kicks Crawford in the face instead. Cue the Elegance Brand (Ash says this isn’t her idea), who are quickly taken out, leaving the Idolizer to finish Crawford and retain the titles at 8:46.

Rating: C. This didn’t really do much, as the tag division continues to feel like it’s just kind of there. It’s not so much bad as much as it is uninteresting, which is a lot worse in quite a few ways. The division just isn’t that interesting, even if there are at least a few teams coming after the belts.

Santino Marella still wants to know who is behind the NXT invasion but Arianna Grace tells him to not worry about Stacks (her fiance).

Matt Cardona vs. Mance Warner

Street fight and Steph de Lander is here with Warner. Cardona tries some kendo stick shots to start but Warner chairs him down. Warner puts the chair in the corner but gets sent face first into it for his efforts. The fight heads outside, where Cardona hits him in the back with a trashcan. That’s taken away and Warner uses said can on Cardona instead, meaning it’s time for even more weapons. Warner throws a trashcan inside, hitting Cardona’s leg at the same time. A gift wrapped door is brought in as well and de Lander sprays Cardona’s eyes to cut off a comeback attempt.

Warner’s DDT sends Cardona through the door and it’s time to hammer away with the trashcan lid. They slug it out until Cardona grabs a faceplant for a quick two. The Reboot is loaded up but de Lander’s distraction lets Warner release Rock Bottom Cardona onto a trashcan instead. Cardona is back up with a bag of…action figures of himself, setting up the Reboot. An AA onto the figures gets two and it’s time for another door. Warner manages an implant DDT for two and grabs a screwdriver. The big running stab misses and Radio Silence through the door finishes for Cardona at 11:39.

Rating: B-. It definitely wasn’t anything out of the ordinary or different than we’ve seen before, but at least Cardona won a match which seemed more important. You don’t see that happen very often these days, and thankfully Cardona might actually have something of a future here. On the other hand you have Warner, who continues to be just kind of there no matter what he does.

An emotional JDC talks about how wrestling is the only place that ever made sense. Then he got married and it was time for him to retire. What if he just wins the title tonight and goes out at Genesis as champion?

International Title: Steve Maclin vs. Stacks

Stacks (from NXT), with Lexis King (also from NXT), is challenging. Maclin jumps him to start fast and the stomping is on in the corner. A backdrop puts Stacks down and they go to the floor where Maclin keeps up the beating. Back in and an elbow to the face drops Stacks again but he’s able to avoid the charge in the corner. Stacks chokes away inside and we hit the abdominal stretch, complete with an assist from King.

That’s broken up and a quick Rock Bottom gives Maclin a needed breather. Stacks is sent outside for the suicide dive, allowing Maclin to steal King’s hat. Back in and an Angle Slam gives Maclin two but Stacks’ running knee (Concrete Shoes) gets two. Maclin hits a running knee into the Jar Headbutt for two and there’ the spear in the Tree Of Woe. King’s distraction is cut off, only for Stacks to get in a cane to the head for the pin and the title at 11:39.

Rating: C. Yeah I’m not sure about Stacks being presented as a star and this didn’t help much. He’s the definition of “just there”, which is kind of a shame as he was starting to show potential in NXT. Maybe this is the kind of change that he needs, but I’m only somewhat convinced. At the same time, Maclin moving back into the World Title picture doesn’t sound like a terrible idea.

The Hardys are ready to defend their Tag Team Titles.

We recap Lei Ying Lee defending the Knockouts Title against Xia Brookside. They’re partners and Lee recently won the title, while Brookside won a #1 contenders match to set this up.

Knockouts Title: Lei Ying Lee vs. Xia Brookside

Lee is defending. They fight over a top wristlock to start with Lee taking her down into a headscissors. That’s broken up and they show some respect before Brookside grabs a hammerlock. Lee slips out of that and they trade stereo dropkicks for an early staredown. A headscissors doesn’t work for Brookside as Lee takes her down, setting up the chinlock.

That’s switched into a half crab to keep Brookside down but she’s back up with a running headscissors. Broken Wings into a Russian legsweep gives Brookside two and she grabs a Black Widow. Lee slips out and knees her in the face for two and a superplex brings Brookside crashing down. Brookside is fine enough to slip out of a torture rack and hit a quick Codebreaker for two. They slug it out from their knees with Lee getting the better of things and hitting the torture rack neckbreaker to retain at 12:42.

Rating: B-. This was kind of a weird match as they were playing up the idea that they were friends who respected each other. That’s a logical way to go, but it didn’t make for the most exciting match. That being said, there is something very, very good about having some fresh blood in the title picture, as it feels like we’ve been seeing a lot of the same people for quite awhile.

Post match Lee is happy with her win and praises Brookside for being a warrior. Cue Dani Luna to jump them both, with Indi Hartwell coming in to go after Luna.

The NXT stars are very pleased with Stacks’ title win. Stacks wants Italian food and High Ryze wants the Tag Team Titles.

Order 4 vs. Rascalz

Skyler can’t clothesline Reed to start and it’s off to Hotch, who gets caught in an armbar. A neckbreaker takes Hotch down and a Cheeky Nandos kick sends him outside. Ali comes in and gets sent into the corner, where he kicks Reed off the apron. A Bronco Buster hits Ali so it’s Agent Zero coming in for a big boot.

Zero shrugs off all four Rascalz at once and gives two of them a fall away slam. A swinging Downward Spiral plants Wentz and it’s back to Ali for a Chris Jericho arrogant cover. Tasha Steelz gets in some choking from the floor but Zero misses a charge into the post. Wentz avoids a charge to send Ali face first into the middle buckle for quite the painful crash. Everything breaks down and Steelz offers a distraction.

Xavier puts on some chapstick and kisses….Zero’s chest by mistake. We hit the series of dives, with Zero hitting a huge version, leaving Hotch to go up top. That’s fine with Reed, whose diving cutter takes him onto the pile has the crowd losing their minds. Ali walks out and the Rascalz get together to send Zero into the steps.

The Great Hands fight back and we cut to Ali in the back…and here is Elijah on a horse. Elijah jumps him from behind, ties him up, and uses the horse to drag him away. Back in and Zero is taken out with a sliding Canadian Destroyer on the floor, leaving Skyler to get caught with a series of top rope flips. The springboard 450 gives Reed the pin at 14:26.

Rating: B+. This was about everyone flying around and trying to stop Zero, which worked rather well for what they were doing. The Rascalz work well together and got to show off what they are capable of doing. Zero feels like an awesome monster and that should work well when he’s given the chance to turn into something on his own. At the same time, Elijah kidnapped Ali with a horse. Everyone wins.

Tag Team Titles: High Ryze vs. Hardys

High Ryze (Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont, a couple of powerhouses) is challenging. We get the big staredown and then the lights go out, with a graphic popping up on screen saying “THE GODS WALK AMONG MORTALS”. The lights come back up and High Ryze jumps the champs to start fast. Matt gets taken into the corner for the stomping before Igwe grabs a chinlock. DuPont works on the arm but a bit of miscommunication leads to DuPont working on Igwe’s arm by mistake (always a classic).

That’s enough for Jeff to come in and start the comeback before quickly handing it back to Matt. DuPont gets in a cheap shot though and Igwe grabs a chinlock. A jawbreaker and mule kick get Jeff out of trouble, allowing the tag back to Matt. That means the rapid fire rams into the buckles and a superplex to Igwe. DuPont is back in with a splash to Matt, setting up the Heartstopper (belly to back suplex/chokeslam combination) for two. Jeff is up for the save and Igwe is sent outside, leaving the Twist Of Fate into the Swanton to finish DuPont at 8:44.

Rating: C+. While there was just enough of a reason to believe an upset was possible, they played it pretty by the book here with the Hardys getting to come from behind and win again. They’re old and shells of their former selves, but the Hardys can still do a perfectly acceptable tag match. They’ll need some more challengers, and given who was teased before the match, I’m not sure how long we’ll be waiting for said challengers to show up.

Post match the lights go out again and here are the Righteous (kind of a cult team from ROH) to stare at the Hardys. The fans chanting WHO ARE YOU isn’t a good sign.

Eric Young again promises to cleanse TNA and OH MY GOODNESS JUST GET ON WITH IT ALREADY SO IT CAN BE ANOTHER MISERABLE FAILURE AND WE CAN MOVE ON.

X-Division Title: AJ Francis vs. Leon Slater

Francis, with Rich Swann, is challenging. Slater knocks him to the floor to start and hits a baseball slide through the ropes. Another dive takes Francis down again before the Down Payment is escaped back inside. Francis runs him over instead and one heck of a whip into the corner has Slater in more trouble.

Slater is pulled against the post and a big boot gives Francis two. We’re off to the chinlock for a bit before Slater fights up with a standing Blue Thunder Bomb. Francis kicks him low in the corner though and a TFL gets two. Cue YouTuber BDE to go after Francis, who takes him outwith ease.

Francis is sent outside, where Slater’s dive is pulled out of the air. Slater fights back and hits his crazy big flip dive over the post. The Crossover gives Slater two so Swann slides in a chair. The referee takes it away and it’s a belt shot for two on Slater. Francis yells at Swann, and with the referee intentionally turning her head, Swann blasts Francis with the belt. The Swanton 450 retains the title at 14:54.

Rating: B. There’s something great about Francis being such a jerk that so many people are sick of him. It fits rather well actually and hopefully Swann can get to show off his talents rather than being an annoying lackey. Slater continues to feel like a breakout star and that is something that TNA needs to capitalize on for as long as they can.

Ryan Nemeth comes out to brag about his big brother and their YouTube views but here is Mara Sade to kick him in the face. Yeah that still works.

We recap JDC vs. Frankie Kazarian for the World Title. JDC is retiring next month and is getting one shot at the new champion, who feels rather beatable.

TNA World Title: JDC vs. Frankie Kazarian

Kazarian is defending and comes out in a low rider for the rather easy heat. JDC grabs him for a fast clothesline and the brawl starts. They go outside and up to the stage, where Kazarian hits a powerbomb. Kazarian beats him back into the ring and the slow beating continues. A belly to back suplex gives Kazarian two but JDC breaks up the springboard legdrop.

JDC’s legdrop in the ropes connects and a scoop powerslam gets two. Kazarian’s slingshot cutter gets two and he suplexes JDC into the corner. The referee gets bumped and JDC grabs an Air Raid Crash for two from a second referee. Down And Dirty misses and now Kazarian’s springboard legdrop connects. JDC grabs a rollup but gets reversed into the chickenwing and JDC passes out at 13:25.

Rating: C+. They were probably smart to get out of this as fast as they did as otherwise, you realize that it’s a main event of JDC vs. Frankie Kazarian for the World Title. JDC’s retirement is a nice sentimental story but it doesn’t mean that he’s going to be a threat to win the World Title. Kazarian doesn’t feel like a strong champion in the first place, but at least they had a perfectly fine match.

Post match the NXT guys run in for the brawl so here are some TNA stars for the save. Security breaks it up but Stacks decks Santino Marella to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The show had some nice moments here and there, but for the most part it didn’t feel overly important. The NXT invasion stuff is fine but we’ve seen the “NXT wrestlers win TNA titles” multiple times already. I liked the eight man tag a lot and it helped carry the show, along with the turn on Francis being rather awesome. It’s certainly not a bad show, but it’s not a show you need to go out of your way to see.

Results
Cedric Alexander b. Eric Young – Brainbuster
The System b. Bear Bronson/Brock Anderson/CW Anderson – System Overload to Brock
Mike Santana b. Charlie Dempsey – Spin The Block
IInspiration b. Victoria Crawford/Tessa Blanchard – Idolizer to Crawford
Matt Cardona b. Mance Warner – Radio Silence through a door
Stacks b. Steve Maclin – Cane to the head
Lei Ying Lee b. Xia Brookside – Torture rack neckbreaker
Rascalz b. Order 4 – Springboard 450 to Skyler
Hardys b. Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont – Swanton to DuPont
Leon Slater b. AJ Francis – Swanton 450
Frankie Kazarian b. JDC – Crossface chickenwing

 

 

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Survivor Series 2016
Date: November 20, 2016
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Attendance: 17,143
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Mauro Ranallo, John Bradshaw Layfield, Michael Cole, David Otunga

I say this every year but it’s always hard to believe that it’s been a full year since this show. This was the first time that a Survivor Series was expanded to four hours but thankfully there’s a good chance that they could make it work, mainly due to the elimination matches. The main event though is Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg, which I’m sure will be completely uneventful. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Drew Gulak/Ariya Daivari/Tony Nese vs. Noam Dar/TJ Perkins/Rich Swann

This is a preview match for something called 205 Live, which debuts next week. I know it hasn’t gone great but the division really has evolved into a better place than when it started. Swann gets a nice reaction and then starts with Nese, who gets chopped in the corner. They do their regular flips with Swann’s jump over Nese’s feet getting a good pop (as always) before it’s off to Perkins.

Some suplexes set up an Octopus Hold but Nese reverses into a kind of gutwrench suplex. Gulak comes in and gets caught in the wrong corner with everyone working him over. We actually get a TJ PERKINS chant as he slaps on the kneebar to keep Gulak in trouble. Everything breaks down and we take a break.

Back with Daivari in trouble this time as Dar gets two off a running kick to the face. Nese offers a distraction though and a spinebuster takes Dar down. A superkick gives Daivari two and it’s back to Gulak to crank on the leg. If this sounds rather uninteresting, it’s only because that’s what it is.

Dar dropkicks his way to freedom and the hot tag brings in Swann to very little reaction. A good looking jumping hurricanrana takes Daivari off the middle rope as everything breaks down again. That means we hit the dives but the referee CUTS PERKINS OFF. Now you know that’s not working so Perkins dives over the referee to take out some villains. Back in and Swann’s standing 450 ends Daivari at 11:48.

Rating: C-. I forgot how uninteresting these earlier cruiserweight matches were. The guys barely have characters and the entire story here was “three faces vs. three heels”. It didn’t get much better for a long time but, as usual, the problem comes down to one simple thing: if the smaller guys on the main roster can be big stars and do all these dives, why should I be impressed when cruiserweights can do them too?

Kickoff Show: Luke Harper vs. Kane

Harper is part of the NEW Wyatt Family, which screwed Kane over, meaning we need a match here. Kane grabs a full nelson of all things and we’re in a chinlock fifteen seconds in. That goes nowhere so Harper grabs a headlock as the fans are oddly split here. Kane starts in on the shoulder by sending it into the buckle. Harper sends him outside though and hits that suicide shove of his (Who needs cruiserweights?).

A slingshot flip splash gives Luke two and we take a break. Back with Kane in a chinlock (well duh) but managing to superplex Harper down for a crash. The sidewalk slam gets two but Harper scores with a superkick for the same. Kane’s running DDT and Harper’s Boss Man Slam are good for two more each but it’s the chokeslam to put Harper away at 9:10.

Rating: D+. Well what were you expecting here? This was exactly the match you would have planned out for them and Kane won with his finisher. It’s about as paint by numbers of a power match as you can get and while it wasn’t terrible, it’s also a match I really didn’t need to see.

The opening video looks at Goldberg vs. Lesnar and then all the Raw vs. Smackdown matches. Well at least they got some time. I’m sure Stephanie’s voiceovers had nothing to do with it.

Raw Women’s Team vs. Smackdown Women’s Team

Raw: Bayley, Alicia Fox, Charlotte, Nia Jax, Sasha Banks

Smackdown: Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Naomi, Nikki Bella

Entrances alone take forever of course, which will be a theme tonight. Charlotte is Raw Women’s Champion and has Dana Brooke in her corner. Becky is Smackdown Women’s Champion but Nikki is captain. You know, because of course. Bliss gets a heck of a reaction (gee I wonder why). Actually hang on a second as there’s no Nikki. We cut to the back where she’s down after being attacked. Not to worry though, as Smackdown coach Natalya is more than willing to take the spot.

Carmella and Alicia get things going and it’s an early northern lights suplex to give Fox two. That just earns her a trip into the corner for the Staten Island Shuffle…and let’s look at Team Raw while Fox gets in a kick to the face. That felt like a hard edit to make sure we didn’t see something. Becky comes in and wants Bayley but Charlotte tags herself in instead. Banks does the same though and everything breaks down as Team Raw is about to implode. As usual, I would ask why Team Smackdown didn’t just let them. Nia will have none of this though and easily clears the ring to settle things down.

We settle down to Becky and Banks trading rollups before it’s off to Charlotte for more of the same. Becky can’t get the Disarm-Her and it’s off to Nia as things get a lot more difficult. Carmella and Bliss come in for the expected results and Naomi’s high crossbody is pulled out of the air. Natalya actually gets a reaction but Nia clotheslines her head off for her efforts. It’s off to Fox vs. Carmella with Alicia avoiding a Bronco Buster, setting up what looked to be a mostly missed ax kick for the elimination at 6:35. Bliss comes right in, sends Fox into the buckle and adds Twisted Bliss to tie it up at 6:48.

Charlotte and Naomi come in with the latter cleaning house, including knocking Nia outside and hitting a high crossbody to the floor. Nia posts her though and that’s a countout at 8:23. We pause for the Tye Dillinger TEN chant until Bliss takes Banks down and grinds her face into the mat. Banks sends Bliss and Natalya into each other, followed by the double knees in the corner to Alexa. Back up and Bliss saves Natalya from the Bank Statement, allowing Natalya to roll Banks up for the elimination at 10:20.

Charlotte comes in and gets suplexed, meaning we hit the SUPLEX CITY chants. You would think fans would know more chants than that. Charlotte goes up for the moonsault but, as always, Natalya powerbombs her down for two in the near fall that never ends Charlotte. The required Sharpshooter sends Charlotte crawling for the ropes but a big boot ends Natalya at 12:01.

Becky and Bliss get in an argument over who should come in, allowing Jax to suplex them both at the same time. Of course that gets a MAMA MIA from Mauro, which I miss hearing so often. Bliss gets caught in a slam but Becky makes a blind tag and missile dropkicks Bliss in the back to knock her onto Jax. The Disarm-Her actually makes Jax tap at 13:35 and it’s 2-2 with Becky/Bliss vs Charlotte/Bayley.

Jax mauls Becky, leaving Bliss to get big booted down for the elimination at 14:03. Becky fights back as fast as she can with the series of clotheslines into the leg lariat, followed by Bexplex. Bayley has to dive in for a save after a top rope legdrop before coming in for the slugout. Another Bexplex gets two but Bayley’s elbow to the back gets the same. You can tell Becky is getting tired out there so Bayley blocks the Disarm-Her and grabs the Bayley to Belly for the final pin at 17:53.

Rating: C+. The quick eliminations didn’t help things here but the ending was the right call. There was way too much talent on the Raw side to lose and I’m VERY glad it was Natalya, who can wrestle this style without having to dumb things down too much. Becky was pretty much all the blue team had for a lot of the match and she put up a valiant effort, only to be outgunned. That makes her look strong and Bayley getting a win like this is a good thing for her at this stage in her main roster career.

Charlotte takes Bayley out post match and beats her around ringside.

Smackdown mascot James Ellsworth runs into Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, who weren’t funny in 2016 either. They make some bad chin puns but Raw GM Mick Foley comes in to run them off. Ellsworth talks about all the great memories he has of Foley, most of which involve him being in extreme pain. Foley thanks him anyway and suggests Ellsworth move to Raw. He appreciates the offer but politely turns it down because he’s true blue. Foley leaves and Ellsworth runs into Braun Strowman, who asks if he knows Ellsworth. James runs in a smart move.

Intercontinental Title: Miz vs. Sami Zayn

Miz is defending and Sami is trying to take the title to Raw. We get the Big Match Intros and Sami gets quite the reaction for being Canadian. Sami spins out of a wristlock to start and Miz looks annoyed in the corner. Miz gets sent outside but Sami has to bail out of the flip dive. The moonsault off the barricade works though, drawing over Maryse for a distraction. Well she can be quite distracting.

This one works well with Miz taking out the knee to get his first advantage. Some hard stomps to the knees have Sami in trouble but he’s still able to clothesline Miz to the floor. A flip dive works as well, followed by a Michinoku Driver for two. Miz’s short DDT gets the same and it’s time for a double breather. The running corner dropkick/clothesline look to set up the ax handle but Sami reverses into the Blue Thunder Bomb.

The Helluva Kick only hits corner though and that means the Figure Four. This one stays on for a good while until Sami makes the ropes, earning himself some YES Kicks. Sami reverses one into a Figure Four of his own but Maryse rings the bell. Since Sami isn’t all that bright, he of course falls for it, only to have Miz roll him up to retain at 14:06.

Rating: C-. Kind of a dull match as you knew a lot of Sami’s near falls weren’t going anywhere. I can go for Miz and Maryse teaming up to steal wins though and it’s a big reason why he’s been an awesome Intercontinental Champion. This would also help play into Sami’s heel turn nearly a year later as he would get tired of losing while playing by the rules. Makes sense, especially in a long term form.

Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles are bickering over being teammates tonight when Shane McMahon comes in and tells them to cool it so Smackdown doesn’t lose again.

Raw Tag Teams vs. Smackdown Tag Teams

Raw: Enzo Amore/Big Cass, Cesaro/Sheamus, Gallows and Anderson, New Day, Shining Stars

Smackdown: American Alpha, Breezango, Heath Slater/Rhyno, Hype Bros, Usos

A fall eliminates both members of a team. Enzo and Cass suck up to the live crowd, as you might expect. New Day and Slater/Rhyno are the respective champions. Fandango tries to give everyone a fashion ticket to start, earning himself a Midnight Hour for the elimination at 44 seconds. New Day spends too much time celebrating though and it’s a superkick from Jimmy to pin Big E. at 1:08.

Gallows comes in to punch Jimmy in the face before handing it off to Cass for the tall power. The fast tags continue as it’s off to Epico vs. Ryder (who is rocking some old school Survivor Series logo trunks) with Mojo coming in for a clap around the ears. Rawley gets taken down into the corner for the huge group beating though as we keep trying to get everyone in. It’s back to Ryder (not Slater like the fans want) but Gallows saves Anderson from the Broski Boot. Instead it’s the Magic Killer to pin Ryder at 5:08.

Gable comes in as Graves talks about how scared he is of American Alpha. It doesn’t seem to be the most valid fear to start though as Epico takes Gable down into a chinlock. Some rolling suplexes have Gable in more trouble and Primo comes in with a springboard ax handle to the ribs. He misses a charge in the corner though and it’s off to Jordan for a quick Steiner Bulldog to get rid of the Stars at 8:08.

The six remaining teams (Enzo/Big Cass, Cesaro/Sheamus, Gallows and Anderson vs. American Alpha, Heath Slater/Rhyno, Usos) come in at once as everything breaks down. That means Enzo gets tossed over the top onto a big pile….which was mainly Raw guys but whatever. Rhyno gets thrown over the top as well, only to have Slater add an even bigger dive. Back in and Cesaro swings Jordan but Gable makes the save with a Rolling Chaos Theory.

Gable isn’t done though as Jordan throws him over the top for a HUGE flip dive onto everyone. Sweet goodness those two were awesome together. I mean, not as awesome as Jordan on his own with Kurt Angle kind of around but still. Back in and it’s a quick Magic Killer to get rid of Jordan at 10:39 as the eliminations are still flying. A spinebuster plants Slater and he’s caught in the wrong corner.

Sheamus won’t tag Cesaro (this was before their ridiculous matching outfits) and an argument breaks out, allowing the hot tag off to Rhyno as everyone bickers. Rhyno comes in and Gores Gallows for an elimination at 12:28. Cass wastes no time with a big boot to Rhyno, followed by the Bada Boom Shaka Lacka for the pin at 12:45.

That leaves us with the Usos….who superkick Enzo down to set up the Superfly Splash and an elimination at 13:26 before I can type the Raw teams. So now we’re down to the Usos vs. Cesaro/Sheamus with the latter hitting the ten forearms (you know the chant) on Jimmy. Cesaro comes in and eats a double superkick but Sheamus Brogue kicks Jimmy with Jey making a diving save.

Super White Noise plants Jimmy again but Jey is right back with a Superfly Splash for two with Cesaro making a save of his own. The hot tag brings in Cesaro for the Uppercut Train and a 619 as the fans lose their minds over Cesaro again. A high crossbody gets two on Jey and it’s time for the Swing. Jimmy breaks up the Sharpshooter and Jey gets the Tequila Sunrise. That’s reversed right back into the Sharpshooter with Sheamus remembering he’s in the match to cut off Jimmy, leaving Jey to tap at 18:55.

Rating: B. This was during the time that I couldn’t stand Sheamus and Cesaro (not a lot has changed in a year) but they did a lot of stuff in this match, despite the crunched timeline. Getting nine eliminations in less than nineteen minutes is a lot but you have to clear the ring out at the beginning. It’s entertaining, but hits a hard ceiling that it’s not getting past.

Stephanie and Foley decide that Sheamus and Cesaro should get a Tag Team Title shot tomorrow night. They recap the rest of the show with Stephanie getting way too serious, as usual.

Preview for TLC with Dean Ambrose vs. AJ Styles in a TLC match for the title.

Cruiserweight Champion Brian Kendrick does his best Sean O’Haire impression and is ready for Kalisto. If Kalisto wins, he brings the division to Smackdown. It’s fine for a one off match but it was really hard to buy Kendrick as the best cruiserweight in the company in 2016.

Cruiserweight Title: Kalisto vs. Brian Kendrick

Kendrick is defending and charges straight into a knee to the face. Kalisto is right back with a suicide dive, followed by a springboard corkscrew crossbody for two. Some rollups give Kalisto more near falls and a shotgun dropkick has Kendrick in even more trouble. A rollup into the corner finally gives Kendrick a breather and he crushes Kalisto between the steps and the apron for good measure.

Back in and we hit the cravate to slow things back down. Kalisto manages to fight up and get to the apron where he grabs a C4 out to the floor in the big crash of the match. A good looking suicide dive takes Kendrick down again but he reverses a super Salida Del Sol into the Captain’s Hook. Kalisto finally grabs the ropes and fires off some kicks, followed by the hurricanrana driver. The Salida Del Sol gets two with Kendrick getting to the ropes. Kalisto heads up top….and here’s Baron Corbin for the DQ at 12:21.

Rating: C-. The match was good at times but Kendrick really isn’t the kind of guy you want as a long term champion. It also didn’t help that you knew they weren’t changing up the cruiserweight division so close to 205 Live’s launch. Corbin interfering was fine enough, but it really does make the title match feel like a big waste of time.

The Kickoff Show panel recaps the show so far.

Daniel Bryan yells at Corbin, who doesn’t want little pests running around on Smackdown.

We recap the men’s Survivor Series match, which started in July at the second Brand Split. Naturally this is about the McMahons as Shane and Stephanie are the Commissioners and therefore they have to be fighting. We look at all the entrants as this is treated like the major match is should be treated as. Then Shane is added to the match and that notion kind of falls apart.

Raw Men’s Team vs. Smackdown Men’s Team

Raw: Braun Strowman, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns

Seth Rollins

Smackdown: AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Shane McMahon

AJ and Owens are the World Champions, Reigns is US Champion and Ellsworth is here as the mascot. This is also during the period where Orton is part of the Wyatt Family because we needed that story to get to Orton as World Champion again. Rollins gets a nice reaction and it’s far better without BURN IT DOWN or whatever the line is. AJ and Owens start things off with Styles wasting no time in hitting the drop down into the dropkick.

That’s enough of that though as it’s and they slug it out with AJ getting the better of it. The STUPID IDIOT chants mean it’s time for Jericho, who throws his shirt at AJ and hammers away. Styles dropkicks him down again as the announcers discuss Jericho insulting Undertaker on Twitter. It’s off to Ambrose vs. Rollins, which turns into far more of a wrestling match than it should.

Rollins can’t get a Pedigree so let’s go back to Jericho. Chris yells at Dean for the $15,000 jacket issue, earning himself some really bad armdrags. An enziguri cuts Dean down for two but Ambrose is right back with a bunch of right hands to the head. Shane comes in for the first time and my interest goes down. I’m still not a fan of middle aged Shane and this isn’t likely to change things.

Shane’s bad punches and an armdrag (better than Dean’s) take Jericho down until a dropkick cuts him off. The announcers debate the TV ratings as Reigns comes in and gets booed out of the building. Roman hammers him down in the corner and Seth comes in for a chinlock. That’s broken up so let’s go with Dean vs. Kevin. Owens hits a superkick but gets caught in a hurricanrana, only to have Jericho break up Dirty Deeds.

Everything breaks down and Strowman tags himself in, leaving the fans to chant for Ellsworth. The fight heads outside with Dean being left alone in the ring until Strowman catches his slingshot dive. Strowman walks him around the ring until AJ’s slingshot forearm to the floor breaks it up. Owens dives onto everyone and Strowman tosses Shane across the ring in a pretty good power display.

Some double teaming doesn’t do much to stop Strowman but they manage to knock him outside. That’s enough of Dean and Ambrose working together so they get in a fight, allowing Strowman to hit the running powerslam for the pin on Dean at 15:57. AJ was looking right at the cover and didn’t move. Shane gets to beat on Strowman for a bit but thankfully he gets hammered down as well.

The Phenomenal Forearm is pulled out of the air with AJ being tossed outside in a nasty heap. Orton gets thrown aside too but a stare from Bray stops Strowman in his tracks. Strowman grabs Jericho by the throat but decides to run Bray over instead, followed by a dropkick to put him on the floor. Braun goes outside as well but runs into an RKO onto the announcers’ table. After we pause to see what a random eight year old fan thought of it (he was applauding), Shane drops the top rope elbow to put Strowman through said table. That and Ellsworth grabbing Braun’s foot get Strowman counted out at 21:18.

Strowman catches Ellsworth running up the ramp though (How slow is this guy?) and throws him off the stage through some tables. Everyone else is mostly dead until Jericho covers Shane for two. Owens is fresh enough to drop the backsplash on Shane for two (but only after mocking the dance). There’s the Lionsault but Shane gets two of his own off a small package.

Shane takes a Codebreaker but Orton comes in before the cover, meaning Shane survives another finisher. He avoids a top rope splash though and it’s off to AJ to work on Jericho. With Owens getting in an insult to AJ’s hair (too far man), Jericho counters the Styles Clash into a failed Walls attempt. The Phenomenal Blitz rocks Jericho but Owens comes in with the List of Jericho to blast AJ. That’s a DQ at 29:23, but not before he gives AJ a Pop Up Powerbomb.

Orton gets the tag and comes in with the RKO to get rid of Jericho at 30:19. Notice Reigns blankly staring up at the ramp and not hearing the RKO RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. So it’s down to Shane/AJ/Orton/Wyatt vs. Reigns/Rollins with Orton hammering on Rollins to start. Wyatt and Orton take turns on Seth as Shane is still laid on the apron after his long time in the ring. The superplex takes Rollins down (looks great too) but it allows the hot tag to Reigns. AJ comes in as well and MY GOODNESS the fans do not like Reigns.

House is cleaned with a series of Samoan drops, followed by a great looking Razor’s Edge powerbomb for two on AJ. Seriously that was good enough to cut off the booing. A Pele cuts off a Superman Punch and it’s back to Shane for no logical reason. Shane gets in a tornado DDT to drop Reigns and a clothesline takes Rollins down. Reigns tries a spear but gets awkwardly countered into the post.

In probably the spot of the match, Shane loads up Coast to Coast but gets speared out of the air for a SICK landing. Shane actually kicks out at two but you can see that he is completely gone. Like Lesnar after the botched shooting star gone. The referee says Shane is eliminated at 37:07, presumably due to his brains looking like a pie that has been run over by a bus driven by raccoons.

We pause for a bit as doctors get Shane out of the ring until Roman blasts Bray with a clothesline. Rollins and AJ get stereo hot tags with Seth’s Blockbuster putting Styles down. There’s the slingshot knee to AJ and a suicide dive to Wyatt. With Reigns down on the floor, let’s hit that ROMAN’S SLEEPING chant! Still one of my favorites because the fans just will not give him a break no matter what. An enziguri staggers AJ on top and now it’s WAKE UP ROMAN. Reigns does in fact wake up and saves Rollins from a hanging DDT on the floor.

With Orton down, it seems as good a time as any for a DoubleBomb. Styles makes a save before it can be loaded up but here’s Ambrose to jump Styles again. The fans call Dean a STUPID IDIOT as the former Shield beats up security. NOW the TripleBomb puts AJ through the table, allowing Rollins to get the pin at 47:00. It’s down to two on two with the Wyatts vs. the Shield (not the worst idea in the world)….and here’s Luke Harper for a distraction so the Wyatts can take over.

Reigns posts Orton but Harper superkicks him down, only to have Rollins score with a flip dive to the floor. Back in and the low superkick hits Wyatt but he dives into an RKO, giving Bray the pin at 49:25. Reigns, all alone, sends both of them outside and takes Harper out as a bonus. Back in and Orton eats a spear to save Wyatt, leaving Bray to grab Sister Abigail for the pin at 52:50.

Rating: A. This is a great example of a match that benefits from all of the time it had. What I loved about this was how long it took to take someone out. Most of the people in here were former World Champions and it doesn’t make sense to have them losing in a minute or two like in the other matches. They let the match build up for a change and that’s what makes this feel important.

Above all else though, this felt like someone surviving instead of whoever was left last. Look at the women’s match. Bayley barely looked like she had been through anything at the end. Orton and Wyatt looked banged up, which is how they should after a match like this. It’s a well put together match that got the kind of time it needed, which is exactly how something like this should be. Really strong stuff here with Bray, who actually needed it, getting the win.

We recap Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar. Goldberg was being interviewed about being in WWE2K16 and said he didn’t owe Lesnar a rematch. Lesnar challenged him though and Goldberg wanted his son to see him wrestle. The match was on and it does indeed feel like a battle of two people who could kill each other.

Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg

We get the full Goldberg entrance, complete with someone knocking on his door. Lesnar drives him into the corner to start but Goldberg shoves him right back down, scaring the heck out of Lesnar in the process. Back up and the spear connects to drop Lesnar again. There’s a second spear, followed by a Jackhammer to give Goldberg the huge upset at 1:25.

Yeah I still don’t like it. Sure it was shocking and a huge moment, but what did this set up? Goldberg eliminating Lesnar from the Rumble, Goldberg getting the most unnecessary Universal Title reign ever, and then a good sub five minute match at Wrestlemania. One of WWE’s biggest issues is giving fans something to cheer for and they give this spot to Goldberg, who they didn’t even create, for the sake of a video game (might not have been their call) and a story that could have made someone’s career. After this, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman both fell to Lesnar, but Goldberg doesn’t. I don’t buy it, nor to I like it.

Goldberg celebrates with his family to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. One of the major perks about a match running nearly an hour on a three and a half hour show is that it can REALLY bring an overall rating up. Throw in a good women’s match and nothing really bad, this is actually a strong show. It’s far from perfect (main event aside, though that was the only thing that could have closed the show) but it’s a heck of a card, which I can always go for of course. The main issue is they could have gotten this one under three hours so it’s a bit long but nothing too bad. Really solid show though and most of that is due to the mega long match.

Ratings Comparison

Rich Swann/Noam Dar/TJ Perkins vs. Ariya Daivari/Tony Nese/Drew Gulak

Original: C

Redo: C-

Kane vs. Luke Harper

Original: C-

Redo: D+

Women’s Survivor Series Match

Original: C

Redo: C+

Miz vs. Sami Zayn

Original: C+

Redo: C-

Tag Team Survivor Series Match

Original: D+

Redo: B

Kalisto vs. Brian Kendrick

Original: C

Redo: C-

Men’s Survivor Series Match

Original: A-

Redo: A

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar

Original: N/A

Redo: N/A

Overall Rating

Original: C-

Redo: B+

My eyebrows went up when I saw the original overall rating. The year of mellowing on the ending have helped a lot as there’s no way this is a B-. Also I really couldn’t stand Sheamus and Cesaro back then.

Here’s the original review if you’re interested:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2016/11/20/survivor-series-2016-there-are-no-words/

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

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

AND

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 20, 2025
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re done with Turning Point and that show only meant so much. I’m not sure what that is going to mean but now we’re going to get ready for Final Resolution next month. Hopefully there is something a bit happier than what we got last week, but you never can tell with this place. Let’s get to it.

Here is Turning Point if you need a recap.

In Memory Of George Tahinos, a wrestling photographer.

We open with a recap of last week’s World Title change, plus Turning Point, both of which saw NXT invasions.

Opening sequence.

Here is Mike Santana to get things going. Santana sits in a chair in the ring and says he loves these fans. He fought to get to the top and he shared that victory with his baby girl. Last week, he made it to 1000 days clean and sober (awesome). Then the next day, it was all taken from him and for the first time on his journey, he was scared. Before Turning Point, he went to a safe space and went to a meeting.

The people here give TNA their hard earned money to see a show and now Santana wants the World Title that much more. He’s coming for Frankie Kazarian, but first, he is picking off the NXT guys one by one. Consider this their warning. The fans were SILENT when Santana was talking about the personal side of things. That felt like it was because they were with him the entire way and that’s a great sign.

Frankie Kazarian comes in to see Santino Marella and wants a formal apology for having nothing to do with NXT. JDC comes in to mock Kazarian’s style and then asks for a World Title shot. Marella gives JDC a #1 contenders match later tonight.

Myla Grace vs. Rosemary vs. Indi Hartwell vs. Dani Luna

The winner faces the winner of another four way later on for a title shot. They go with the fast rollups to start and Rosemary gets caught in the corner for some running shots to knock her silly. That’s shrugged off and she’s able to fight out of a Hurts Donut attempt. Hartwell beats up Grace in the corner and a side slam gets two.

We take a break and come back with Hartwell caught in the Upside Down. Hartwell is out of that in a hurry and spinebusters Rosemary for two. Grace hits a big dive to take Rosemary out on the floor. Luna and Hartwell clothesline each other as Rosemary loads up a chain. Grace posts Rosemary though and she drops the chain, allowing Luna to use it to knock Hartwell out for the pin at 9:49.

Rating: C+. This was one of those “everyone goes nuts for a bit until someone gets the pin”, with Luna taking out Hartwell to continue their issues. Luna has gotten a lot more interesting since Spitfire split up and I’ll take that, as someone has to move up the ladder at some point. Odds are she doesn’t win the title, but at least she’s getting a chance.

Eric Young blames Santino Marella for all of the problems in this company and the Cleanse is coming.

Santino Marella and Arianna Grace are in the back when the Hardys and Steve Maclin come in. They want a piece of the NXT invaders.

Matt Cardona vs. Mance Warner

Steph de Lander is here with Warner and has to pull him away from an early Reboot attempt. Another distraction lets Warner counter Radio Silence into a sitout powerbomb for two and it’s time to slug it out. Cardona gets in a spinebuster and a flapjack, setting up the Reboot for two.

Warner faceplants him down though and a running knee connects for two. De Lander slips in a chair, which is taken away (not the brightest plan), allowing Cardona to hit Radio Silence. This time de Lander puts Warner’s foot on the rope so Cardona goes after her. That’s enough for de Lander to slip in her purse, which Warner uses for a cheap shot. The Pay Window (implant DDT) finishes Cardona at 5:18.

Rating: C+. If TNA wants Warner to actually be something, he has to win a match every so often. That’s what we got to see here, as Warner and de Lander worked well together to get Warner a win. It helps that de Lander and Cardona have such a history together, as it made the match feel a bit more important.

The NXT invaders talk about how TNA came to their house first but now they’re they’re seen as the bad guys. Robert Stone insists that he is NOT the person behind all of this and Lexis King promises to shatter TNA into a million pieces.

Matt Cardona is sick about Mance Warner and Steph de Lander cheating him out of a win. Now the Death Match King wants Warner in a street fight at Final Resolution.

Myron Reed vs. John Skyler

Reed dropkicks him down to start but Skyler is back with a ram into the buckle. The Russian legsweep gives Skyler two and he knocks Reed down again to grab a waistlock. Reed’s comeback is cut off with a clothesline so Reed switches to a running boot to the face. A slingshot legdrop in the ropes staggers Skyler again and a slingshot belly to back suplex gets two.

The big diving cutter is cut off with a slingshot spear to give Skyler two but Reed is back with Stundog Millionaire. They’re both down and we cut to the back, where Order 4 has taken out the Rascalz. Reed is back up with a cutter to send Skyler outside, setting up a big dive. Back in and Reed tries a sunset flip but cue Jason Hotch to help Skyler get the pin at 6:28.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t wild on the ending but this was a good example of two people who are given the chance to showcase themselves. That’s exactly what they did here and it made for a solid match. Order 4 moving on from the System to the Rascalz is a nice shift, as both of them could use a bit of a change of pace. Good match here, with Reed’s athleticism being quite the treat.

We look at Leon Slater retaining the X-Division Title against Rich Swann at Turning Point.

AJ Francis isn’t pleased with Swann losing but Slater comes in, with Francis calling the title First Class property. Slater vs. Francis seems set.

And now, we get the next step in the search for Mr. Elegance. There are three candidates, the first of which is quickly taken away for some alone time with Ash. The second is sent away for his choice of jacket color. The third practically begs for the chance and is dubbed a loser. As a result, the search continues.

Victoria Crawford vs. Jody Threat vs. Xia Brookside vs. Killer Kelly

The winner faces Dani Luna for a future Knockouts Title shot. Threat clears the ring to start fast and Brookside hits a dive. Back in and Threat blocks a headscissors from Brookside before Crawford takes Threat out. A Russian legsweep gives Brookside two and we take an early break.

We come back with Tessa Blanchard jumping in on commentary but then jumping back off as Threat dropkicks Brookside, who had Crawford in a fireman’s carry. Kelly chokes Brookside and Threat adds in a running dropkick in the corner. A Michinoku Driver gives Threat two and Crawford catches Kelly with a kick to the head on the middle rope. Crawford and Threat brawl to the floor, leaving Brookside to hit the Brooksie Bomb for the pin at 8:51.

Rating: C+. Another fast paced match here, though the rest is only so much you can get out of a match that is just shy of nine minutes with a commercial in the middle. Brookside is another person who could be moved into title contention, even in the short term, and it’s nice to see her getting a chance. If nothing else, that Brookside Bomb is a cool enough finisher to get her somewhere.

We meet Jada Stone, who was trained by Al Snow in OVW and the New Japan Dojo. She wasn’t ready in her first tryout but then she got a contract with TNA. Stone is a big fan of Bayley and it meant a lot to get to meet her, as Stone is ready to prove herself.

Santino Marella runs down the Final Resolution card thus far:

Mike Santana vs. Charlie Dempsey
Tag Team Titles: Hardys vs. Tyson DuPont/Tyriek Igwe
International Title: Steve Maclin vs. Stacks

Here’s what’s coming in two weeks, as there isn’t a regular show due to Thanksgiving.

We get more of the Final Resolution card:

Knockouts Title: Kelani Jordan vs. Dani Luna or Xia Brookside
X-Division Title: Leon Slater vs. AJ Francis
Street Fight: Matt Cardona vs. Mance Warner

JDC vs. Eric Young

Frankie Kazarian is on commentary and JDC gets a World Title shot if he wins (thankfully Young doesn’t have such a chance). Young jumps him to start but gets knocked outside, with JDC following to keep up the fight. Back in and Young stomps away, only to get punched out to the floor. JDC starts in on the arm but Young sends him into the corner to take over. An armbar suplex doesn’t do much to Young, who is right back with a nerve hold.

That’s broken up and JDC goes up, only to get shoved off the top for a crash. Young’s moonsault misses and the piledriver is countered into a rollup for two. They go up top with Young biting JDC’s head to send him back down. A top rope elbow gives Young two and the referee is nearly crushed in the corner. The low blow into the Death Valley Driver gives Young two and they slug it out. They go up top again, where JDC backdrops him down, followed by Down And Dirty to finish Young at 13:03.

Rating: B-. Going with the soon to retire JDC for one big shot at the World Title is a good way to go and even if there is no reason to believe he’ll win the title, it’s a nice idea. At the same time, I can go for Young losing more often, though I’m scared of whatever this Cleanse could mean. Just please don’t let him be behind the whole NXT invasion. I couldn’t handle Young as the top heel again.

The staredown ends the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This at least felt like a normal edition of the show, as they were focused on a few things and advanced those forward. Final Resolution might not be the most important show, but they’ve done a nice job of setting it up on short notice. I liked this show well enough and it makes me wonder where some of the things are going. At the same time, I’m scared to know where some of those same things are going. Ok I’m scared of seeing more Eric Young. As always.

Results
Dani Luna b. Myla Grace, Rosemary and Indi Hartwell – Chain to the head to Hartwell
Mance Warner b. Matt Cardona – Pay Window
John Skyler b. Myron Reed – Rollup with assist from Jason Hotch
Xia Brookside b. Jody Threat, Killer Kelly and Victoria Crawford – Brooksie Bomb to Kelly
JDC b. Eric Young – Down And Dirty

 

 

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

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

Turning Point 2025
Date: November 14, 2025
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

So we’re back with another special, which is coming a day after the Bound For Glory fallout show. The big stories coming out of last night are the NXT invasion and Frankie Kazarian winning the World Title as a result. That is going to make for quite the fallout and we might be seeing some of that here, even on such a short turnaround. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Jake Something vs. Home Town Man vs. Mance Warner

Steph de Lander is here with Warner. The fans are behind the Man, who gets jumped by Something as Warner watches on. Warner gets in on the slugout but Man punches away at both villains. A double running elbow has both of them in trouble and some right hands connect in the corner. Something clotheslines Warner by mistake so Man punches both of them in the same corner for a bonus.

Then he even alternates to get up to about thirty total punches in a funny move. The double clothesline drops Something and Warner and the fans greatly approve. Something finally manages to run Man over before dropping Warner as well. A delayed suplex has Man in trouble as the fans remind Something that he is NOT from here. De Lander gets in a cheap shot so Warner can chokeslam Man for two (de Lander does NOT like the count).

Something goes up so Warner catches him on top, which is of course turned into a Tower Of Doom for the huge crash. This time it’s Man getting caught on top and the other two slug it out, with Man hitting a big dive to take them out. De Lander yells at Man, saying he is NOT FROM HERE, earning Man a clothesline and de Lander a kiss (from Warner, in case that wasn’t clear). Back in and the Home Town Slice drops Warner but Something sends Man Into The Void for the pin at 7:30.

Rating: B-. Good stuff here in a cold match, with a far more interesting match than I was expecting. At the end of the day, Something is a guy who could be turned into a solid monster if he was allowed to win a bit more (and with some work on the name). Man is a fun novelty act and Warner….did I mention Something and Man?

Here is new World Champion Frankie Kazarian for The King’s Speech. The fans are of course all over him (save for one FRANKIE RULES fan), with Kazarian saying “you wanted the best, you got the best”. He is officially the World Champion and what matters the most is that he knows he is self made, with no one deserving this more than him.

There have been a lot of angry social media posts about him, but every tear off their cheeks is a shot of adrenaline into his black heart. Do not stop being jealous and envious of him because he will not stop hating all of the people. Oh and to make it clear: he had nothing to do with NXT’s invasion. As for tonight, he doesn’t have a guest, but instead he’s going to call someone out. He wants TNA President Carlos Silva to come out to his ring, which is exactly what he gets.

Normally, Silva awards the new champions with their belts, but he was nowhere to be seen last night. So now, Silva gets the chance to right a wrong by handing him the title. Silva does so, and congratulates Kazarian for winning the title, but there will be a formal investigation into the NXT invasion, with Kazarian being a big piece. Cue the Nemeths, with Nic holding the Call Your Shot trophy. Nic says he was attacked by NXT as well, but Kazarian was left alone. He knows Kazarian was behind this, but Kazarian denies it again, saying Nic was on his way to the ring to call his shot before Kazarian came out there.

Kazarian calls him Mr. Money In The Bank and says they’re equal levels of scoundrel. Nic agrees, and says he’s calling his shot, but only after they win their tag match tonight. Kazarian tells him to trust the champ, which Nic will only do for awhile. Nic: “I’ll have your back, and then later I’ll have your title.”

And now, the show proper.

We open with a recap of NXT costing Mike Santana the World Title last night. What else is there to talk about?

Knockouts Title: M By Elegance vs. Kelani Jordan

M, with the rest of the Elegance Brand, is challenging. After the Big Match Intros, M jumps her to start fast and fires off some chops. Jordan gets in some shots of her own but walks into a hip attack to the face. Back up and Jordan knocks her to the floor, with a big moonsault taking her down again. The Brand offers a distraction though and M gets in a boot to the head as a result. A northern lights suplex gives M two and it’s off to the double arm crank.

Jordan fights up but walks into a wheelbarrow suplex, allowing M to go up. The moonsault misses though and they slowly get up to slug it out. Jordan flips out of a belly to back attempt and hits a rolling shot to the face for the knockdown. A standing legdrop gives Jordan two but One Of A Kind is broken up. M’s Samoan driver gets two so Jordan starts in on the leg. The half crab has M down and Jordan stomps her out of the corner, setting up One Of A Kind to retain at 9:42.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure what to make of Jordan around here. While she’s a full on villain in NXT, she’s a big more neutral here, as she’s the invader but doesn’t wrestle in any different way. In theory a bunch of people are going to come after the title, but it’s not like she’s the female Trick Williams as the ultimate dragon to slay. Having her face the Elegance Brand on back to back nights didn’t help much either, though at least Jordan got to show off her incredible athleticism.

Lei Ying Lee, Xia Brookside and Mara Sade want the Knockouts Title. Ryan Nemeth comes in to say he’s the real story. Oh and Sade’s hair looks wet.

We run down the rest of the card.

We look at the World Title situation from last night. Again.

Santino Marella asks Ava and Arianna Grace about the invasion but Ava says they can manage their own locker rooms and storms off.

AJ Francis vs. BDE

BDE is a Youtuber who Francis put through a table last night before Impact went on the air. Francis takes his time coming in and gets jumped to start fast. Francis’ charge only hits the buckle and BDE strikes away, setting up the required “jump on the bigger guy’s back” choke. That’s broken up with a drop onto his back and Francis hits a splash in the corner. BDE’s ribs are stretched around the post but he avoids a charge, only to get powerbombed HARD onto the apron.

The count is beaten and Francis grabs a crossface chickenwing. Somehow BDE gets out and hits a cutter but the superkick is cut off. A Canadian Destroyer actually drops Francis and a running knee gets two. The frog splash misses though and it’s a spear into the Down Payment. For some reason BDE tells him to bring it, so it’s another Down Payment to give Francis the pin at 8:40.

Rating: B-. All things considered, this was a fun match with BDE clearly having the time of his life out there. He knows how to do big spots and that’s about all he needs to do, with Francis being there to handle the selling. It wasn’t a great match, but this could have been FAR worse. Maybe just don’t have BDE around that often though, as the charm might wear off quickly.

Steve Maclin doesn’t know if Mike Santana will be here tonight but he’s ready to fight alone if he has to. If NXT wants to go to war, they picked the wrong man.

Indi Hartwell vs. Dani Luna

No DQ after Luna brought in a chair last night but Hartwell used it on her instead. The brawl starts in the aisle with Hartwell managing another chair shot. They go to ringside, where Hartwell gets a quick drink and throws a collection of weapons inside. A ladder takes a bit too long though and it gets dropkicked into Hartwell for the delay. Hartwell is fine enough to drive her into the steps and it’s time to set up a table.

This takes too long as well (she has a problem with that) and gets powder thrown in her eyes, allowing Luna to snap off a German suplex. Back in and Luna unloads with some stop sign shots to the back for two. Luna sends her into a chair for two more but Hartwell is back with some kendo stick shots. The Hurts Donut is broken up though and Luna hits a slingshot Blue Thunder Bomb for two.

A crossface with the kendo stick is broken up as well and Hartwell gives her a spinebuster onto the ladder for two. Hartwell kicks her onto the table at ringside and drops a big elbow through it for the double down. They get back inside and Luna tries the Lunar Landing, which is reversed into the Hurts Donut onto the chair to give Hartwell the pin at 14:02.

Rating: B. It was a good, violent brawl and the kind of win that Hartwell needed after coming up short at Bound For Glory. Odds are she’ll become a bigger part of the division for a bit, though I’m not sure she’s going to be the one to rescue the title. On the other hand you had Luna, who was a good dragon for Hartwell to slay in a hard hitting match.

Santino Marella apologizes to Ava for the earlier accusations and they seem cool as Ava leaves again.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Tessa Blanchard/Victoria Crawford vs. Angel Warriors vs. IInspiration

For the sake of simplicity, Cassie Lee will be referred to as Cassie and Lei Ying Lee will be referred to as Lei. The IInspiration is defending, but Blanchard is in street clothes. It turns out that she isn’t medically cleared and, after insulting the Orlando friends, introduces Mila Moore as her replacement. Lei and Cassie start things off with an exchange of rollups for two each and everything breaks down. The IInspiration gets to clean house and strike their pose but Lei suplexes Moore for two.

Back up and Moore drops her throat first across the top rope and stomps Lei down in the corner. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by a knee. The IInspiration is knocked outside and it’s Crawford coming in…and getting kicked into the corner almost immediately. Brookside comes in with Broken Wings and the IInspiration has to make a save. Everything breaks down and Moore’s big boot gets two as a six way brawl breaks out. Lei sends Moore into the post and dives onto Crawford and Moore, leaving the IInspiration to hit a quick Idolizer to pin Brookside and retain at 8:31.

Rating: B-. Fun enough match here, even with pretty much no story and one of the teams not being a regular pairing in the first place. The IInspiration are still the best team around and should be champions for a good while, though at least there are some teams coming together to go after the titles. Moore did get off to a nice start and certainly looked poised out there, with her size being a nice natural advantage.

Order 4 vs. Hardys/Cedric Alexander

Order 4 doesn’t like any of them and the good guys are…well they’re all from North Carolina. Alexander and Hotch start things off and run the ropes a lot with neither getting very far. Hotch gets caught by the arm though and it’s off to Jeff to stay on said appendage. Matt rams Hotch into all of the buckles before sending Skyler and Ali out to the floor. The good guys complete the ring clearing until Alexander sends Ali into the corner, allowing commentary to talk about their previous match at Wrestlemania.

Tasha Steelz offers a distraction though and Ali goes to the eyes to break up the Lumbar Check. Agent Zero gets in a cheap shot to Alexander, meaning it’s time for a glare off on the floor. Back in and Alexander hits a quick Michinoku Driver and an enziguri, but Skyler pulls the Hardys off the apron in an always smart move. As tends to be the case, the hot tag connects a few seconds later with Matt coming in to clean house. The Twist Of Fate is broken up though and what looks like a foreign object shot hits Matt for two.

A DDT gets Matt out of trouble and it’s Jeff coming back in to take over. Everything breaks down and the Lumbar Check hits Hotch, with Ali making the save. Jeff tries to go up but Steelz breaks up the Swanton attempt, leaving Matt to hit a double Twist Of Fate on Steelz and Ali at the same time. Zero pulls the referee at two so the Hardys use chairs to clear him out. Unfortunately that leaves Alexander alone and Ali kicks him low, setting up the small package for the pin at 13:33.

Rating: C+. Order 4 continues to be a good choice for a pesky midcard group who could wind up being a threat. I could go for Ali and Zero going after the Tag Team Titles, as they definitely feel like a better threat than the Great Hands. The Hardys should be losing the titles in a big deal sooner than later and Order 4 could be a good choice.

The System vs. Rascalz/Dezmond Xavier

Xavier is the former Wes Lee, who is out of NXT. JDC and Reed start things off and fight over some waistlocks until JDC snaps off a headscissors. Reed takes him down just as fast and dances a bit so it’s off to Miguel to dropkick Myers for two. Edwards comes in to work on Wentz’s arm until Wentz is back with a springboard high crossbody. Moose comes in to face Xavier and the fans certainly approve.

A missed charge takes Moose down though and it’s a quick quadruple dropkick for two as the System just watches from the apron. It’s back to Myers to take over but a shot to the face cuts that off just as fast. Xavier comes back in to pick the pace way up and Moose adds the dropkick to knock Xavier off the ropes. The chokebomb gets two, followed by a powerslam/top rope knee combination. The Rascalz are back in for a triple dropkick to Moose but Xavier’s dive to the floor is countered with an apron bomb.

Myers spears Wentz off the apron and we hit the parade of dives, with Reed hitting a huge one onto the pile. Down And Dirty hits Xavier but a top rope Meteora makes the save. The parade of strikes to the face is on until it’s a double torture rack/double top rope double stomp to JDC for two, with Moose powerbombing Miguel onto the cover for two. Moose goes up but dives into a cutter, followed by a UFO Cutter. Hot Fire Flame into the Spinal Tap gives Xavier the pin on JDC at 14:21.

Rating: A-. Easily the best thing on the show thus far and one of the best TNA matches in a long time. Once they stopped having a regular match and just went nuts, it was all kinds of entertaining, with Moose as the big power guy and the Rascalz trying to find a way around him with all of their teamwork. I loved this and it was far better than anything I was expecting on this show.

The Rascalz and Xavier have a big hug in a nice moment. Respect is shown as well.

Eric Young comes up to Santino Marella and wants to expose the truth, which he seems to suggest is something Marella is hiding. Or something.

X-Division Title: Leon Slater vs. Rich Swann

Slater is defending and takes him down by the arm to start. Swann is taken into the corner for a clean break before a nice headscissors lets him dance a bit. Back up and Slater sends him to the apron for a big boot, followed by the dive to the floor. Some running shots in the face in the corner rock Swann but he’s right back with a rolling clothesline. Swann wins a strike off and backdrops Slater face first onto the steps for a SICK sounding crash.

We pause to look at his eye but Slater wants to fight anyway, allowing Swann to superkick him out of the air for two. Slater is fine enough to hit something like a spinning White Noise for two so Swann goes right back to the eye. A slingshot cutter gives Slater two but the Styles Clash is cut off.

Swann’s frog splash is countered with a cutter for two more and a spinning torture rack slam drops him again. A quick hurricanrana and the Lethal Injection drop Slater again and the middle rope 450 gets two. Swann goes up again but gets thrown down again, setting up a Styles Clash. The Swanton 450 retains the title at 13:25.

Rating: B. They had a good match but there is only so much you can do after the previous match was stealing the show. It doesn’t help that Slater is at the point of “everything he does is great” and that’s going to become an issue. This was supposed to be another match that was some instant classic and it’s just pretty good. That’s not a bad result, though granted a lot of the issues here was it was set up in about 38 seconds.

Post match Slater is a bit emotional because he recently lost his grandmother, but he says he’s crying because of his eye injury. Oh and he and Je’Von Evans are going to win the NXT Tag Team Titles.

Steve Maclin/Mike Santana vs. Nic Nemeth/Frankie Kazarian

And there’s no Santana, as Maclin is going to have to fight on his own and Ryan Nemeth is making it 3-1. Maclin jumps them both to start fast and hits a Scud on Nic, followed by an Angle Slam for an early two. The spear in the Tree Of Woe gets two more and here is Mara Sade to take Ryan out. Kazarian is back in to slam Maclin and drops a leg for two as we settle down into a regular handicap match. Maclin manages to knock Kazarian away and get up top for a double missile dropkick and a needed breather.

Santana arrives, in jeans, and tags himself in to take over, including a Death Valley Driver on Nic. The running flip dive mostly hits Kazarian but Santana bangs up his already injured arm. Nic’s superkick gets two and it’s back to Kazarian, who rolls Santana up (how he won the title) for two. That just earns him a Spin The Block to give Santana the pin at 10:21. On the new champ. The night after he won the title. Which he stole. Dang I hate the instant cash in stuff.

Rating: C. This felt like a quick TV main event, though it wasn’t quite as good as when Steve Austin and Dude Love did something similar in 1997. Maclin continues to be an underrated valuable player around here, as he’s a firm midcard hand and someone who feels like he could be elevated into the main event in the blink of an eye. Santana needed the win after last night, though I’m almost scared to know how long this latest chase to the title is going to go.

Post match Nic tries to cash in his title shot but the NXT guys run in to beat down everyone (including Kazarian) down. Some other TNA wrestlers are cut off and Santino Marella comes out to yell. That earns him a beating of his own so here are the Hardys with chairs…to get beaten down as well. The NXT stars keep up the attacking to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Underwhelming main event aside, I was expecting absolutely nothing coming into this show and wound up having a good time. The eight man tag absolutely stole the show and thankfully it wasn’t the only good thing on here. I’m really not sure what they’re doing with the main event scene, but the rest of the show was more than worth a look. I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re looking for the next big step in TNA, but it was a good example of what their stars can do.

Results
Jake Something b. Home Town Man and Mance Warner – Into The Void to Man
Kelani Jordan b. M By Elegance – One Of A Kind
AJ Francis b. BDE – Down Payment
Indi Hartwell b. Dani Luna – Hurts Donut onto a chair
IInspiration b. Mila Moore/Victoria Crawford and Angel Warriors – Idolizer to Brookside
Order 4 b. Hardys/Cedric Alexander – Small package to Alexander
Rascalz/Dezmond Xavier b. The System – Spinal Tap to Moose
Leon Slater b. Rich Swann – Swanton 450
Mike Santana/Steve Maclin b. Frankie Kazarian/Nic Nemeth – Spin The Block to Kazarian

 

 

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: November 13, 2025
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

In the words of the 1993 forgotten classic, “A Dinosaur Story”, or “Ghostbusters II”, WE’RE BACK! After about a month removed from Bound For Glory, we FINALLY have a regular episode of the show. While a lot happened at the show, the biggest story is Mike Santana winning the World Title. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here is Mike Santana to get things going. He’s happy to be back in front of the fans, who think he deserves the title. He knew it was going to be hard but he believed in himself, just like his daughter believed in him. That kept him fighting and clawing and now he’s here as the World Champion.

He knows there’s a target on his back and he doesn’t care what letters you come from, because you better bring the fire. This includes Frankie Kazarian and Nic Nemeth, so here is Ryan Nemeth to interrupt. Ryan says his usual stuff about Nic, with Santana cutting him off. Santana apologizes to the fans for wasting their time with this guy and says they’ll have a title match tonight.

Kelani Jordan is ready to retain the title. Mara Sade, Xia Brookside and Lei Ying Lee come up and say they’ll win the title. Brookside translates Lee, who called Jordan a “See You Next Tuesday.”

Here is Santino Marella, who introduces Ava for a chat. She puts over the TNA/NXT partnership and brings in Arianna Grace to help run things in Ava’s absence.

Video on the upcoming Gold Rush shows.

Dani Luna vs. Indi Hartwell

Hartwell takes her down and hammers away a few times to start. Luna uses the power to block a slam though and drives her into the corner, followed by a clothesline for two. The basement clothesline gets two more but Hartwell hurricanranas her way out of the corner. They head outside with Hartwell grabbing a spinebuster, setting up a top rope elbow to the back for two. The Hurts Donuts is blocked though and Luna scores with a dropkick. Luna tries a chair but gets booted in the face. Hartwell grabs the chair and blasts Luna for the DQ at 6:05.

Rating: C. Hartwell seems to be blowing off some steam after the loss at Bound For Glory, which is fine as long as it doesn’t mean an angry version of her or whatever TNA loves to do in that situation. Hartwell has something, though I’m not sure if having her as the straightforward hero is it. Maybe find something for her, as it’s not like there are a ton of options at the top at the moment.

Eric Young says the Cleanse is coming. He has fliers.

Indi Hartwell wants Dani Luna at Turning Point, No DQ.

Here is the System for a chat. They’re happy with their win in Hardcore War at Bound For Glory, with Eddie Edwards praising Alisha. His mom, his brother and his daughter were in the building for the match and he couldn’t be prouder. Moose says Alisha is hardcore and they are a family. JDC is a bit emotional and talks about how he got married two months ago.

They’ve decided that he’s going to retire from the ring after Genesis in January. He is thankful for the 27 years he’s spent in this business. There’s going to be a void in the System but he’ll help them find a replacement. Cue the Rascalz who are here to respectfully issue a challenge for an eight man tag. They know someone who can join them, with JDC saying make the match. It seems to be on.

Mustafa Ali gives Jason Hotch a pep talk. Order 4 runs into the Hardys and suggests they want the Tag Team Titles. The Hardys are fine with that.

AJ Francis beat up a YouTuber and a match is set for Turning Point.

BDE (said YouTuber) is grateful to have this opportunity. Leon Slater comes in to give him a pep talk but Rich Swann comes in to mock Slater. The title match is set for Turning Point.

Jason Hotch vs. Cedric Alexander

Mustafa Ali is on commentary as Alexander chases Hotch out to the floor to start. Back in and a Downward Spiral gives Alexander two but Hotch tosses him outside. John Skyler gets in a cheap shot on the floor and we hit the chinlock back inside. Alexander snaps off a German suplex but the Lumbar Check is countered into a rollup for two. Hotch’s rolling…something is countered into the Lumbar Check to give Alexander the fast pin at 3:33.

Rating: C+. I could go for more of Alexander, who is one of the better hands around here. It’s nice to have someone like him around as he can be heated up rather quickly, which might be what we’re seeing again. The match didn’t have much time, but Ali getting annoyed is worth a listen.

Post match Agent Zero comes in to lay out Alexander, drawing in the Hardys for the save. Ali gets back in and is taken out as well.

We meet Mila Moore, who talks about getting into wrestling in college and then getting signed. She was emotional when she was signed, but now she’s not sure what took everyone so long.

Knockouts Title: Kelani Jordan vs. Heather By Elegance

Jordan, with the Elegance Brand, is defending. After the Big Match Intros, Jordan snaps off a dropkick and Heather is on the floor in a hurry. We take a break and come back with Jordan slugging away but Heather knocks her down again. The chinlock goes on for a bit until Jordan escapes, meaning it’s time for the slugout. Jordan puts her down but One Of A Kind misses, allowing Heather to hit a tornado DDT. Back up and Heather gets sent into M, who….I’m not sure what she did but it knocks Heather down. One Of A Kind retains the title at 9:03.

Rating: C+. Jordan gets to show off her athleticism and beats the weaker member of the team in the process. It’s still weird having her be an invading champion defending against heels, as Jordan is still new at being evil. I’m sure someone will get the big win over Jordan sooner or later, though I’m not sure just how big that’s going to be as she doesn’t feel like some horrible evil monster champion.

The IInspiration is ready for the triple threat for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles.

Tessa Blanchard and Victoria Crawford are ready for the same match.

The Angels Warriors? They are too.

Here is Elijah for a concert. He talks about attacking Nic Nemeth at Bound For Glory because he didn’t want to steal Mike Santana’s night. He’s still recovering from triceps surgery, which has messed up his guitar playing, but hopefully we can have a good time. The first song is an up tempo Amazing Grace, with the first verse being the traditional version before shifting into something about walking with Elijah.

Cue Mustafa Ali (still banged up after the Hardys attack) who says no one cares about this and issues the challenge to the Hardys for a six man at Turning Point. Elijah cuts him off and wants Ali right now, only to get hit with the microphone. Ali adds in a guitar shot and Elijah is left laying.

Turning Point rundown.

TNA World Title: Ryan Nemeth vs. Mike Santana

Santana is defending. Before the bell, Nemeth demands that the fans cheer for him and threatens to have them ejected when they don’t comply. Nemeth jumps him to start and hits a running shoulder in the corner, only to get enziguried for his efforts. The Cannonball connects…and here is Nic Nemeth to…well actually get jumped by a masked man on the way to the ring. Cue a bunch of NXT stars to jump Santana for the DQ at 1:58.

Steve Maclin and the Home Town Man run in and get beaten down as well. The Rascalz are beaten up too, with Santana’s arm being cranked and Pillmanized. NXT leaves and here’s Frankie Kazarian, Call Your Shot trophy in hand.

TNA World Title: Mike Santana vs. Frankie Kazarian

Santana is defending and charges into Fade To Black for two. The chickenwing is broken up but Santana’s arm gives out as he tries to Spin The Block. Kazarian rolls him up for the pin and the title at 55 seconds. While I’m willing to give them some time and hope that they have some kind of a hot angle out of this, using the Money In The Bank cash in on the first real night after Santana wins the title is as stereotypical of a TNA move as you can get. They better have something huge planned, because otherwise, this is another horrible move.

Kazarian celebrates while Santana is crushed to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was far from their finest hour, as it took a month to get here and it feels like every bit of the momentum from Bound For Glory is long gone. At the end of the day, this show was trying to set up a hasty Turning Point and that went well enough, but then they had the big deal at the end. I’m really not sure why Santana lost here, but I’m going to need a heck of a reason to take the title off of him after he spent months becoming the hottest thing in the company. Either way, it wasn’t a good ending and it really does not bode well for the company’s immediate future.

Results
Dani Luna b. Indi Hartwell via DQ when Hartwell used a chair
Cedric Alexander b. Jason Hotch – Lumbar Check
Kelani Jordan b. Heather By Elegance – One Of A Kind
Mike Santana b. Ryan Nemeth via DQ when NXT interfered
Frankie Kazarian b. Mike Santana – Rollup

 

 

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

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The Gate Of Revolution
Date: April 18, 2025
Location: MEET Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Joe Dombrowski, Rich Bocchini

This is a co-promoted show between Dragon Gate USA and Pro Wrestling Revolution, giving us the incredibly clever title. Dragon Gate USA is freshly back so there is only so much built up for the card. In other words, this is going to be all about the action we get to see and that should make for a fun night. Let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Diablo Azteca vs. Kid Lynx vs. Rhys Maddox

A double dropkick puts Maddox down to start, leaving the other two to trade armdrags. Maddox is back in to send Azteca outside and a basement dropkick gets two on Lynx. Back up and Lynx strikes away, setting up a rolling Stunner. Lynx bodyscissors Azteca but gets triangle choked by Maddox. That’s broken up and Maddox is back with a springboard cutter for two on Azteca. Maddox crucifix bombs both of them at once and they forearm it out from their knees. Lynx is sent outside, leaving Azteca to tie Maddox up for a driver and the pin at 5:42.

Rating: C+. Let three guys have a few minutes to warm up the crowd with a fast paced match. That’s all this needed to be and they didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. It’s an idea that will always work and it was a perfectly fine way to go for a pre-show match. That’s a tricky thing to do and they did it well here.

And now, the main show.

Border Patrol vs. Rey Horus/Vary Morales

Stevens shoves Morales down to start but a dropkick gives Morales a breather. Horus comes in to dropkick Dutra down and it’s time to work on the arm. A hot show drops Morales though and a running kick to the face puts him in even more trouble. Stevens’ middle rope elbow gets two and Morales gets pounded down in the corner.

That’s broken up and Morales manages a double knockdown. Horus comes back in to pick up the pace, including the big running flip dive to the floor onto everyone else. A Fameasser into a top rope elbow gets two on Morales but Horus is up for the save. Horus’ dive to the floor misses though and the Border Wall (powerbomb/Zig Zag combination) pins Morales at 8:56.

Rating: C+. Nice enough match with the Border Patrol coming off as villains who don’t like luchadors around here. Horus and Morales fought against them but lost in the end, which might not be the best way to start a show. The match itself wasn’t bad at all, with the Patrol giving off a bit of a Basham Brothers vibe (and yes, the Bashams were good when they weren’t stuck with a ridiculous gimmick).

El Cucuy/Oni El Bendito vs. La Estrella/Viento vs. Mike Sydal/Willie Mack

Mack and Cucuy (basically the boogeyman of Mexico) start things off but instead we hit the music so Mack can dance. He even throws in a Worm and a backwards Worm for good measure, earning a cheap shot from Cucuy to take over. Back up and Mack hurricanranas him out to the floor, allowing Sydal and Estrella to come in, with a Yoga Driver giving Sydal two. Estrella walks on his hands for a headscissors and it’s off to Viento vs. Bendito.

They waste no time in running the ropes for some flips so Cucuy comes back in to help double team Viento down. Sydal comes in and fights back a bit, allowing the tag off to Mack, who isn’t scared of Bendito. Estrella is back in for a dropkick and everything breaks down, meaning it’s time for the string of dives. Back in and Cucuy plants Viento, setting up the running flip dive for the knockdown. Estrella dropkicks Bendito, who is right back with a superkick into a slingshot Jackhammer for the pin at 11:49.

Rating: B-. This was your standard lucha three way tag and it worked well enough. You had a nice mixture of power and high flying, which made for a fun formula. Cucuy is a good monster and Mack could match his power, leaving the other four to do the high flying. Entertaining match here, as it felt different enough from the previous match to stand out a bit.

Stars vs. Hyan/Karisma

Stars are Hanan/Saya Iida and their Goddess of Stardom Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. Karisma and Hanan start, with the former pulling her down to work on the arm. Hanan reverses into a headlock takeover and Iida comes in for a double bulldog to put Karisma in trouble. Iida unloads with chops in the corner and gets two off a posing cover. Karisma fights up and hits some running shots in the corner, allowing Hyan to come in for two off a belly to back suplex.

An assisted splash hits Iida, who is back with a pretty hard running clothesline. Hyan and Iida chop it out and a double clothesline puts both of them down. Hanan and Karisma come in for the slugout and everything breaks down. Karisma takes WAY too long setting up a moonsault and only hits mat for the crash. Stars double team Karisma down and a tabletop suplex gives Hanan the pin at 10:45.

Rating: B-. Another fast paced, back and forth match with two teams getting to showcase themselves. Stars definitely seem like the more polished team but Karisma and Hyan held their own. This was another nice change of pace and that’s a good thing to see continuing over an hour into the card.

Dragon Kid/Ultimo Dragon vs. Ho Ho Lun/Susumu Yokosuka

Kid and Yokosuka start things off with a stomp to Kid’s feet putting him in trouble. Lun comes in as we hear about Kid’s history in wrestling, which started as a referee. Some double teaming has Kid down and we hit the chinlock. The eyes are raked over the top rope and Lun slaps on the armbar. A knee to the ribs gives Yokosuka two as we hear about Kid and Yokosuka being in the same stable but Kid wanted to team with Ultimo. Eh I’ve heard worse ideas.

Kid comes back with a middle rope hurricanrana and it’s off to Ultimo for the big reception and a string of kicks to Yokosuka. A dragon screw legwhip pulls Yokosuka down and Ultimo gets in a reverse Figure Four. Kid Octopuses Lun at the same time but both holds are broken up in a hurry. Ultimo cuts Lun off, leaving Kid to grab a West Coast Pop to pin Yokosuka at 10:45.

Rating: C+. Oh like this was ever in doubt. That’s not a bad thing either, as having Ultimo on the show and giving him a win is a perfectly good way to go. Kid did most of the work for the team despite being a seasoned veteran himself, but the whole thing worked out well, especially with the fans giving Ultimo that kind of a reception.

Post match the Dragons hug (despite a bit of animosity) and here is Matt Sydal…for a promo I can’t understand as the audio is fairly horrible. It seems to be praising Ultimo and the promotion, which gets a nice reaction.

Pro Wrestling Revolution Tag Team Titles: Arkangel Divino/Ultimo Maldito vs. Los Hermanos de la Jungla

Divino and Maldito are defending and both teams are brothers. Aero Panther dropkicks Divino to start but Maldito comes in for some alternating shots to Fight Panther Jr.’s face. A spinning kick in the face hits Fight and an assisted spear gets two. Aero gets beaten down but Fight is up with a frog splash for two on Divino. Maldito is back in with a Regal Roll into a moonsault, only for Fight to elbow him in the face for two of his own.

Back up and Maldito slugs it out with Fight until Divino comes back in for a heck of a superkick. Divino poisonranas Aero and everyone is down. Aero sends Maldito to the floor for a big springboard flip dive, followed by a slam to Divino. Maldito breaks up the dive though and Divino super hurricanranas Maldito off the top onto the champions. Back in and a Doomsday Canadian Destroyer finishes Aero to retain the titles.

Rating: B. Take four guys who can fly around rather fast and go all over the place for about ten minutes and pop the crowd as a result. That’s all this needed to be and the four people involved did well in their roles. The four of them were around on some other shows this weekend so it wouldn’t surprise me to see them doing something on the bigger stage sooner than later.

Yamato vs. Rich Swann

This is the result of a challenge at the Dragon Gate USA show earlier this week. They take their time to start with Swann teasing the test of strength and going into a dance. Yamato swings away but gets dropkicked to the floor just as fast. Back in and Swann hammers away but gets backdropped, allowing Yamato to start stomping away. The Figure Four goes on to start in on Swann’s but he’s out in a hurry. Swann takes him to the floor and hammers away, setting up a frog splash for two.

A 450 misses though and Yamato grabs a fisherman’s buster for two. Back up and Swann kicks him down, setting up the middle rope 450 for two more. They slap it out from their knees and they slug it out from their feet, with Swann going up top. A superplex brings him down but Swann rolls through with a suplex of his own. Yamato is right back with an over the shoulder piledriver, followed by a second edition for the pin at 12:14.

Rating: B. This felt like a big showdown between two talented stars and that’s a good thing to add to the card. It felt like something that was actually built up and they lived up to enough of their hype. Swann is a bigger deal around here and he was mostly serious here, albeit with enough dancing to keep things fun.

Respect is shown post match and they’re still friends.

Z-Brats vs. Ben-K/Hyo/Kzy

Shun Skywalker starts with Ben-K, who wins a slugout and runs Skywalker over with a shoulder. Kzy and Minoura slug it out and then slug it out even faster before it’s off to Hyo (with the fans swooning). Ishin comes in and mocks Hyo with a YES chant, earning himself a leg lariat. Minoura pulls Hyo down from the floor though and the fight heads out into the crowd.

Everyone winds out on the floor for an electric chair and an elaborate low blow before it’s time to go back inside. Hyo is in trouble but he manages to knock Ishin down but it’s too early for the tag. Minoura helps Ishin drop him for two but a kick to the face allows the hot tag off to Ben-K.

Everything breaks down and Skywalker can’t hit a lifting Pedigree on Kzy. Skywalker kicks him in the face and snaps off a German suplex but it’s back to Hyo. A basement dropkick hits Minoura, who gets sent into the corner for the running shots. Hyo’s double biceps senton gets two but Ben-K goes shoulder first into the post.

Back in and Kzy gets superplexed into a brainbuster, leaving Hyo to roll Ishin up for two. Kzy hits a running Canadian Destroyer on Minoura and everyone is down. Back up and Hyo and Kzy hit dives to take out Skywalker and Minoura, leaving Ben-K to spear Ishin for the pin at 21:05.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was awesome, with the last half being pretty much non-stop action. That’s what makes Dragon Gate work so well and it did so here again. It’s a bunch of people flying all over the place and popping the crowd with one big move after another and that was a blast. Great main event and something that works very well whether you’re a fan of the promotion or not.

Overall Rating: B+. Good stuff here with nothing bad or really close to it and a heck of a main event to wrap it up. Dragon Gate USA had a very strong reputation when it was around and this was a good example of the fun that it would have. There are some talented people around here and throwing in some guest stars made it even better. Rather fun show here and I had a very good time with the whole thing.

Results
Diablo Azteca b. Kid Lynx and Rhys Maddox – Arm trap driver to Maddox
Border Patrol b. Rey Horus/Vary Morales – Border Wall to Morales
El Cucuy/Oni El Bendito b. Viento/La Estrella and Mike Sydal/Willie Mack – Slingshot Jackhammer to Estrella
Stars b. Hyan/Karisma – Tabletop suplex to Karisma
Ultimo Dragon/Dragon Kid b. Susumu Yokosuka/Ho Ho Lun – West Coast Pop to Yokosuka
Arkangel Divino/Ultimo Maldito b. Los Hermanos de la Jungla – Doomsday Canadian Destroyer to Aero
Yamato b. Rich Swann – Over the shoulder piledriver
Ben-K/Hyo/Kzy b. Z-Brats – Spear to Ishin

 

 

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Dragon Gate USA: The Rebirth
Date: April 16, 2025
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Joe Dombrowski, Rich Bocchini

So this is Dragon Gate USA, which (I believe) is an official spin off from the Japanese Dragon Gate promotion. This is the first time that Dragon Gate USA has run a show in over ten years, though it isn’t clear if this is the start of an ongoing relaunch. I have no idea what to expect here but let’s get to it.

Note that I did not follow the original promotion/Dragon Gate (assuming that matters) so I apologize in advance if I miss any storylines or character points.

Kzy vs. Marcus Mathers

They stare at each other to start before locking up and trading some waistlocks. Kzy…I think dances out of a waistlock but Mathers is right back with a wristlock. A Worm gets Kzy out of a wristlock but Mathers wants to keep this serious. We get a dance tease until Mathers hits him in the ribs. That earns Mathers a running Blockbuster and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up like you might expect from a chinlock, allowing Mathers to hit a spinning high crossbody.

Kzy gets kicked down for two and Mathers grabs a chinlock of his own. A pair of belly to back suplexes put Kzy down but he blocks a regular suplex attempt. Kzy’s running forearm and uppercut drop Mathers, who is right back with a sunset flip out of the corner. A middle rope Stunner into a Blue Thunder Bomb gives Mathers two and an RKO drops Kzy again. The fisherman’s buster gives Mathers two but he misses a 450 and gets caught with a running uppercut. Kzy hits a headscissors driver and Impact (Jay Driller) sets up a frog splash to give Kzy the pin at 10:38.

Rating: B. Good, back and forth opener here as Mathers continues to shine when he is given the chance. I’ve seen both of these guys in the ring before and they have both done well before. Kzy felt like a big enough deal, with commentary recapping his title history from Dragon Gate. It’s a nice way to get things going for the relaunched promotion and it went well for both guys.

Post match respect is shown. Mathers leaves and Kzy gets the mic to talk about how Dragon Gate USA is back.

AZM/Starlight Kid vs. Konami/Natsuko Tora

These are women from Stardom and Konami/Tora are part of the HATE faction so I’m going to assume they’re the villains. Hate jumps the other two to start fast and the brawl is on fast. Thankfully we go split screen with Konami striking away at Kid before we settle down to Konami throwing AZM down by the hair. The double arm crank is on until the Kid makes the save, only for Tora to come in with a choke.

With those broken up, Konami kicks AZM in the back, leaving Tora to mist her down. The referee almost gets decked but he’s up to count two off a suplex to AZM. Back up and AZM manages a suplex of her own and it’s back to Kid for a high crossbody. Kid takes both villains down for a double dropkick against the ropes. A standing moonsault gives Kid two but the much bigger Tora is back up for a slugout. Tora knocks her down for a standing backsplash and a near fall. Konami comes back in for a Disarm-Her but Kid headscissors her way to freedom.

It’s back to AZM, who is quickly kicked down and Tora hits a running crossbody to take both of them down. The two of them nip up though and stereo armdrags bring the villains off the top. AZM’s Fujiwara armbar has Konami in trouble but Tora is back in to run her down with a shoulder. The Cannonball crushes AZM and Konami’s running kick to the chest gets two, with Kid making the save. AZM sweeps Konami’s leg though and a rollup gets the pin at 11:35.

Rating: B-. I was getting into this one near the end as they were telling a nice story, with the heroines vs. the villains and it made for a good story. AZM and Kid were fighting from underneath throughout and eventually overcame hate with better wrestling technique. Good match here, with Stardom getting to showcase their star power as usual.

Ho Ho Lun vs. Rhys Maddox

Maddox is 17 and a newcomer, as you might have guessed due to being 17. They fight over wrist control to start and Maddox breaks out of a full nelson. Maddox knocks him into the corner and hits a basement dropkick for two. Lun kicks the knee out to take over though and it’s time to twist the leg around.

A leglock goes on to keep Maddox down as commentary tries to compare him to Shawn Michaels or Terry Gordy. Back up and Maddox hits a bottom rope springboard cutter and they’re both down for a bit. The leg is fine enough to hit a springboard forearm for two but Lun is back with a missile dropkick. Maddox hits a DDT for two but Lun grabs two rollups for two each. The third rollup, with the legs tied up, finishes Maddox at 8:41.

Rating: C+. This was just ok with Lun being the veteran who was trying to carry things and only being able to get it so far. The leg stuff in the middle went nowhere as Maddox was right back with springboards and that’s never a good thing to see. It was a decent enough match, but neither of them really stood out.

El Cucuy/La Estrella/Ultimo Dragon vs. Sovereign

Sovereign is Evan Rivers/Judas Icarus/Travis Williams (the latter two are known as the Northern Armory in TNA). Dragon is the star of WCW fame and had a big hand in starting Dragon Gate. Cucuy (who looks a bit evil and is described as the Mexican Boogeyman) starts with Williams and runs him down with a shoulder. Estrella comes in and is taken into the wrong corner and it’s off to Icarus.

A whip into the ropes is cut off as Estrella walks on his hands but gets sent outside. The cameraman gets taken down and Rivers’ clothesline to the back of Estrella’s head gets two. A bodyscissors lets Rivers fish hook Estrella’s mouth before it’s back to Williams for a shot to the face of his own. A stomp to the arm gets two and Icarus chokes away on the mat. Rivers accidentally sends Icarus into Williams in the corner though and the tag brings in Dragon.

The rapid fire kicks (well as rapid as he can get) have Rivers in trouble and Dragon spins Williams into a leglock. Everything breaks down Cucuy hits a double hip attack in the corner. Estrella adds a running dive to the floor and the rather large Cucuy hits a flip dive over the top. Back in and Dragon grabs la majistral for the pin on Rivers at 9:17.

Rating: C+. This was about getting Estrella in the ring on this show and that is not a bad idea. He’s a legend in wrestling and in Dragon Gate in particular so this makes a lot of sense. Sovereign didn’t feel like the best team, though having the Boogeyman go after the villains was a bit odd to see. The fans seemed happy to see Dragon though so we’ll call this a success.

Rich Swann/Willie Mack vs. Alec Price/Jimmy Lloyd vs. Ben-K/Hyo

Swann has gotten a haircut and…yeah I don’t know about that. Hold on though as Swann and Mack get the referee to dance during the entrances for the fun moment. Hyo seems to be a male stripper, or at least something else that gets women to put money in his pants. Hyo and Price start things off with Price bouncing on the mat to escape a wristlock. Swann and Lloyd come in for an exchange of leapfrogs before Swann shoulders him down.

Hip swiveling ensues but Lloyd is right back up with a running neckbreaker. Price comes in to help drop Swann and Lloyd (who is not a small guy) hits a dive, which sends Swann out to the floor. That means Mack can come in for a slugout with Ben-K, who manages to knock him down. Everything breaks down and Swann gets caught in a gutbuster/running dropkick combination. Price and Lloyd hit stereo dives to the floor as everything breaks down. Back in and Ben-K and Hyo go up, only to get caught by Lloyd and Mack.

That means a double Doomsday Blockbuster from Price, followed by a dropkick to send Mack outside. Swann gets planted with a double flipping DDT and Price hits a dive onto the floor. Back in and Ben-K spears Price down, only to get leg lariated by Mack. Swann is in with a Lethal Injection to Hyo and Mack hits a big running flip dive onto Price and Lloyd. That leaves Swann to hit the 450 to pin Hyo at 9:33.

Rating: B. Yeah this was fun, with everyone just going nuts until someone got the pin. That’s what this kind of match should be and it was as entertaining as you would have expected. Swann and Mack have worked well together for a long time and they still have that chemistry. Ben-K and Hyo got to showcase themselves well enough, while Price and Lloyd were just kind of there to make it more of a brawl, which was only so much of an addition.

If nothing else, it’s nice to hear Swann’s music again.

Here is Matt Sydal, who praises the previous match and talks about how awesome it was to be in the first group of wrestlers who went over to Dragon Gate. Now Dragon Gate is back here in America and these fans are here on a Wednesday so they want this stuff put into their veins. Sydal asks us to come out for their other show on Friday night and thanks the fans for coming out. Perfectly fine speech here for a special moment.

Paradox vs. Z-Brats

That would be Dragon Kid/Susumu Yokosuka/Yamato vs. Ishin/Kota Minoura/Shun Skywalker. Yokosuka and Minoura slowly circle each other before fighting over wrist control. Minoura kicks him down and flips off the fans before handing it off to Skywalker and Kid. Skywalker goes to the eyes to take over but gets armdragged down. Yamato and Ishin come in, with Ishin holding up the referee’s hand.

They trade shoulders with Yamato taking him down and stopping to gaze at the fans. Everything breaks down and the Brats jump Paradox on the floor. We go split screen as the beating continues outside, including some of them going to either the stage or into the crowd. Ishin chokes Yamato on the stage before going back to ringside to trade opponents. We settle down to Skywalker taking Kid into the corner, where some double boot choking ensues. Minoura kicks him back into the corner before Ishin’s DDT gets two.

Minoura lets Kid chop away and Kid is fine with doing this rather than trying a tag, only to snap off a headscissors. Yokosuka and Ishin come in, with the former getting to clean house in a hurry. Yamato and Ishin fight over a suplex until Ishin finally gets him over as everything breaks down again. Skywalker soaks in some booing before helping Ishin double team Kid with right hands. A pump kick drops Kid again and Ishin’s splash gets two. Yokosuka saves Kid on top though and it’s a super hurricanrana to bring Skywalker down.

Minoura gets caught in the wrong corner for some running clotheslines but gets out of Yamato’s Galleria. A Stundog Millionaire drops Skywalker and we hit a parade of knockdowns. Yamato plants Ishin, who pops back up with a German suplex. A lariat drops Ishin right back and everyone is down for a needed breather. Ishin and Yamato chop it out until Kid is back in with a tornado DDT. An assisted reverse implant DDT gives Yamato the pin on Ishin at 20:18.

Rating: B. It was an entertaining, fast paced match but I’m not sure this is going to be some kind of game changer like some of their previous matches have been. All six looked good and did their things well, but it never got to that high level that had me desperate to see what was happening next. Still though, rather good main event and worth a look.

Post match Yamato says the promotion made new history tonight. Rich Swann comes in to praise the winners and says without them, he would not be the wrestler he is today. Swann respects Yamato but challenges him for this Friday. Yamato seems to accept.

Overall Rating: B. This might not have been a classic show but it was more than good enough. It was a bunch of talented wrestlers getting to work a style which works well for them. You didn’t need to have a deep understanding or knowledge of what happened coming into the show and it still worked well. Good stuff here, making it a solid return for the promotion.

Results
Kzy b. Marcus Mathers – Frog splash
AZM/Starlight Kid b. Konami/Natsuko Tora – Rollup to Konami
Ho Ho Lun b. Rhys Maddox – Rollup
El Cucuy/La Estrella/Ultimo Dragon b. Sovereign – La Majistral to Rivers
Rich Swann/Willie Mack b. Ben-K/Hyo and Jimmy Lloyd/Alec Price – 450 to Hyo
Paradox b. Z-Brats – Assisted reverse implant DDT to Ishin

 

 

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Impact Wrestling
Date: August 29, 2024
Location: Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the show before Emergence and the pay per view card is looking rather good. Since the show is mostly set, this week could be in a weird place as I’m not sure what more they need to do for tomorrow’s card. Odds are we get the final push in a lot of ways this week so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

X-Division Title: Rich Swann vs. Mike Bailey

Bailey is defending and AJ Francis is on commentary. They fight over wrist control to start as we look at the Rascalz watching, which gives us an NXT No Mercy plug, which is still so strange to see. Swann gets sent to the floor for a running hurricanrana through the ropes but a Francis distraction lets Swann take him down. Back in and Swann takes the leg down with the dragon screw legwhip before grabbing a spinning toehold. That sounds like working on the leg, which is the call for Bailey to fight up with his series of kicks.

Bailey misses a standing moonsault and they both block kicks to the head before kicking each other down for a double breather. Swann sends him outside for a cutter on the floor, setting up a frog splash for two. Bailey kicks him down and hits the moonsault knees for two of his own, only for Trent Seven and Francis to get into it on the floor. The distraction lets Swann avoid the Ultimate Weapon, meaning a Lethal Injection gives Swann two. Bailey is right back up with a running Spanish Fly to retain at 9:30.

Rating: C+. Bailey continues to be one of the most frustrating wrestlers around. He obviously has natural talent and can do some impressive things, but again, what in the world is the point of a wrestler working on his leg if it just makes Bailey do more flips and kicks? It’s incredibly annoying and takes me out of his matches every single time.

Jordynne Grace doesn’t care what a Match By Elegance is because she’s going to win anyway.

Brian Myers vs. Joe Hendry

Eddie and Alisha Edwards are here with Myers. Before the match, Hendry references his “Edge’s B****” song about Myers, who the fans don’t believe in anyway. Myers jumps him to start but gets caught with a jumping knee, setting up a delayed suplex to give Hendry two. They go outside where Alisha’s interference is cut off, meaning both she and Eddie are tossed.

The distraction lets Myers ram Hendry into a few things though and we take a break. Back with Myers dropping and elbow and grabbing a chinlock. A kick to the face gives Myers two and we hit the double arm crank. That’s broken up and Hendry hits the fall away slam and the Standing Ovation finishes Myers off at 6:37.

Rating: C. This was the next step in Hendry working his way up through the System, likely to an eventual match with Moose. That being said, it wouldn’t shock me to see the team cost Hendry the NXT Title on Sunday at No Mercy. It would give him a more personal feud around here, though I’m not sure how much longer Hendry can be kept out of the World Title picture.

Post match Eddie runs back in for the beatdown but Mike Santana makes the save. And now let’s do this (as scheduled).

Mike Santana vs. Eddie Edwards

Santana starts fast and elbows him in the face before firing off right hands in the corner. A backdrop puts Eddie on the floor but cue Alisha Edwards for a distraction, allowing Eddie to send Santana into the apron. We take a break and come back with Santana hitting a flapjack for a needed breather. Santana’s frog splash gets two but Eddie’s tiger bomb gets the same. Back up and Santana spits at him but avoids the Boston Knee Party. Instead Santana is back up with a quick Spin The Block for the pin at 12:04.

Rating: B-. Santana continues his rise up throughout the System, though he seems most likely to have the big match with Moose, likely at Bound For Glory. That should make for a good showdown when we get there, though there are still some names for Santana to get through first. What matters is that the road has started, with Santana getting a lot out of it so far.

Matt Cardona says he isn’t cleared to face PCO at Emergence but he’ll have a mystery monster in his place. Santino Marella is not pleased.

Hammerstone vs. Eric Young

Steve Maclin is on commentary. Hammerstone wins an exchange of shoulders to start and fires off some shoulders to the ribs in the corner. Young is back up with a spinning middle rope crossbody but Hammerstone takes him to the floor for a whip into Maclin. Back in and Young scores with some right hands into the Death Valley Driver for two but Hammerstone’s powerslam gets the same.

A sitout powerbomb gives Hammerstone two more, only for Young to avoid a big boot and punch Hammerstone down. Young makes the mistake of going after Maclin though and gets kicked in the face, setting up the Nightmare Pendulum to give Hammerstone the pin at 6:39.

Rating: C. These two just aren’t that interesting together, though at least Hammerstone won here. Hammerstone continues to feel like an absolute beast who could be a big deal if he is given the chance, which isn’t what I would call feuding with Eric Young for so long. Young vs. Maclin is just kind of there as well, though this didn’t make me want to see them fight.

ABC vs. Cody Deaner/Jake Something

Non-title. Before the match Deaner does his usual talking to the people, but Something says this is about getting a place in the tag division. Something shoulders Austin into the corner to start and then powerbombs him into another corner for the tag off to Deaner. The armbar goes on to put Austin in early trouble but he’s easily off to Bey for the tag. House is quickly cleaned but Something knocks the heck out of Bey. A double clothesline puts ABC down until Something and Austin go to the apron. With Something being sent into the apron, the 1-2-Sweet can finish Deaner at 4:45.

Rating: C+. Sometimes you need to just give the champs a quick win over a middle of the road team to remind you that they can still beat just about anyone. Deaner and Something aren’t much of a team but at least they looked good in defeat here. ABC need a fresh team to challenge them so this was more about keeping them warm on the way there.

Post match First Class runs in to take out the ABC.

Ash By Elegance’s personal concierge is talking to Alisha Edwards and Masha Slamovich but we can’t hear what is being said.

We look at Rosemary going to NXT earlier this week.

Emergence rundown.

Knockouts Title: Ash By Elegance vs. Jordynne Grace

Grace is defending in a By Elegance match, meaning hardcore with themed (meaning pink) weapons. Elegance jumps her from behind to start and hits a bulldog onto a chair for an early two. Grace gets in a shot on top though and hits her with a trashcan, setting up a slam for two of her own. They head outside where Elegance gets in a pink trashcan lid shot before putting Grace in a chair for some shots to the face.

We take a break and come back with Grace pulling a high crossbody out of the air and planting Ash for two. Grace pours out a bag of diamonds but gets hit in the head with a champagne bottle for two more. The personal concierge loads up some shoes but cue Rosemary to chase him off. A package piledriver gives Ash two but here are Alisha Edwards and Masha Slamovich to go after Grace. Spitfire cuts them off though and it’s a MuscleBuster from the apron through a table to retain at 11:39.

Rating: C+. So that’s it for these two right? While it felt like Ash was ready to move up to the next level and possibly even win the title, there is only so much more she can do when she has lost both a regular match and her “signature” match to Grace. We’re going to need a new challenger for Grace and while there are a few options, including Gisele Shaw, no one is really standing out with about two months to go before Bound For Glory.

We get a sitdown interview between Nic Nemeth and Josh Alexander with Matthew Rehwoldt moderating. Alexander says everything is on his time now but Nemeth says he thrives on this kind of pressure. Sure Alexander is a great wrestler but Nemeth isn’t going to lose the title. Why is Alexander so great yet not so well known? Alexander wanted a shot and all he had to do was ask. Alexander insists he’s still the best and points out the records he has as champion.

Nemeth stands up and talks about how Alexander never changes but being champion is about what you have done lately. Nemeth says this is his match but Alexander says the next “lately” thing he’ll do is take the title That has them going face to face, with Nemeth saying Alexander used to be the best, which is why Nemeth is the champion. This got intense near the end, but going from a thirty minute draw to an Iron Man match feels like something of a leap.

Overall Rating: C+. The ending segment was the best thing on the show, but this only did so much to make me more interested in Emergence. That is always going to be a tricky thing to pull off when the show is already set, so this could have been worse, but it didn’t really change much. Emergence still has a lot of potential though and I was jazzed for the show coming in, meaning this was pretty much playing with the house’s money in the first place.

Results
Mike Bailey b. Rich Swann – Spanish Fly
Joe Hendry b. Brian Myers – Standing Ovation
Mike Santana b. Eddie Edwards – Spin The Block
Hammerstone b. Eric Young – Nightmare Pendulum
ABC b. Cody Deaner/Jake Something – 1-2-Sweet to Deaner

 

 

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

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

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

Opening recap.

Hammerstone vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Kushida

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alisha Edwards vs. Rosemary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Laredo Kid vs. Bhupinder Gujjar vs. Jai Vidal

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

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

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

Charlie Dempsey vs. Jonathan Gresham

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

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

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

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

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

Moose/JDC vs. Hardys

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

Opening recap.

Chris Bey vs. Riley Osborne vs. John Skyler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tasha Steelz vs. Gisele Shaw

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Santana vs. Moose

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

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

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

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

Spitfire wants another shot at the Knockouts Tag Team Titles.

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

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

Ace Austin vs. Rich Swann vs. Jason Hotch

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

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

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

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

TNA World Champion: Nic Nemeth vs. Josh Alexander

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

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

AND

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