Born To Die
Date: April 5, 2024
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentator: Joe Dombrowski

It’s back to the ECW Arena for Battleground Championship Wrestling, a local promotion which doesn’t seem to be the most well received. We’ll actually be looking at a pair of shows from them on the same day, with one of them being a bit different. This is their regular show and I have no idea what to expect here so let’s get to it.

Keep in mind I do not follow this promotion at all so I apologize in advance for anything I miss involving storylines or character information.

Juicy Finau vs. Wrecking Ball Legursky

We’re starting with the hoss fight as the rather large Legursky can’t move the far bigger Finau. Legursky yells at him and they collide a few times to no avail. A crossbody finally sends Legursky out to the floor and they brawl outside, with Legursky being sent into the barricade. Back in and Legursky hits a crossbody for a knockdown of his own, with Finau rolling outside this time.

A chair to the back has Finau in more trouble but he knocks the chair into Legursky’s face for a change. Back in and Legursky splashes him into the corner, setting up a hip attack. Finau isn’t having that and hits one of his own for two, with frustration setting in. Back up and Legursky manages a World’s Strongest Slam for two more but Finau plants him with a Samoan drop. A middle rope moonsault finishes Legursky at 10:34.

Rating: C+. This one is going to depend on how you feel about hoss fights so it was only going to be so strong in the first place. Finau is a huge guy and some of the things he can do are impressive but I’ve never gotten the big appeal out of him. I’ve liked the things I’ve seen from Legursky over the years, though a lot of that might be due to having an awesome name.

Lance Anoa’i vs. Rich Swann

For a shot at the Battleground Championship Wrestling Title. Anoa’i is billed as representing the Bloodline (son of Samu, cousin of just about everyone else) and has a nice look. The fans however seem to prefer Swann, as dancing often gets positive reactions. Anoa’i shoves him down without much trouble to start but the alternating hands on a test of strength attempt sets off the dancing.

That just earns Swann a rather hard Samoan drop and they head outside, with Swann whipping him into the barricade for a needed breather. A whole lap around the ring sets up a running boot to Anoa’i face but a second takes too long, meaning Swann gets dropped. Back in and Swann fights out of a nerve hold but gets dropped hard on his back for his efforts. Swann is fine enough to hit a clothesline into a frog splash for two but Anoa’i superkicks his head off. The Superfly Splash finishes Swann off at 7:35.

Rating: C+. I don’t remember seeing Anoa’i before but beating a fairly big name like Swann is a good sign for his future. Granted being part of the Anoa’i Family helps and he had a solid look and some size. I could see him going somewhere someday, as he’s only 32 years old and looked fine enough in there. Swann still feels like someone who was on the verge of being a bigger start and then just stopped moving up the ladder for some reason. Maybe it’s being such a long time TNA star, but he should be better than what he is at the moment.

Sex With Your Next Ex Express vs. Nu Backseat Boys

That would be Alvin/Kristian Ross/Philadelphia Playboy vs. Johnny Kashmere/JP Grayson/Tommy Grayson. Joel Gertner is with the former team, and if they win, they all get one year contracts. If they lose though, they’re completely out of the promotion. Gertner, looking rather old and depressed, actually doesn’t say anything before the match. The Express jumps them to start but get knocked away with the Boys firing off the kicks to the rather large Alvin. Kashmere tries to slam Ross but gets clipped and pinned 1:56.

Gertner announces the winners and says it didn’t have to be this way. He didn’t need to come here for the low money he’s receiving….but he paid off the referee to win here. Gertner talks about how people he cares about are going into various Halls of Fame and now HE is going into the Intergalactic Hall Of Fame Of Life!

Crowbar vs. Facade

Crowbar (yes the WCW guy) has a large bodyguard named Percival and a masked woman named Vanessa who come to the ring for him. Facade on the other hand is in rather bright colors and is billed as the Neon Ninja. Crowbar hides in the corner to start before getting caught in an early headlock. That’s broken up and we have a standoff as commentary talks about the various shows that have taken place in this venue.

Back up and Crowbar chops away in the corner, only for Facade to show him a better version. Some springboards into a dropkick put Crowbar on the floor but he’s right back in, where Facade drops him with a suplex. Crowbar heads outside again but this time Percival press slams Facade onto the barricade. Facade gets dropped onto a chair to make it worse and they head back inside for some near falls.

A running crotch attack against the ropes rocks Facade again and a legdrop gives Crowbar two more. Ye olde chinlock doesn’t last long but Crowbar pulls him out of the corner for another near fall. A Swanton misses for Crowbar though and Facade hits a running kick to the chest for a breather. The kick works so well that Facade can hit a springboard spinning version to the face for two more.

With that kind of exhausted, Facade whips out a door and bridges it on the timekeeper’s table at ringside. A springboard off the barricade doesn’t work as Facade slips, allowing Crowbar to hit a chokebomb for two back inside. There’s a super hurricanrana into a northern lights suplex onto a chair for two on Facade. Back up and Facade puts him down, setting up a triple jump twisting moonsault for two.

Percival tries to interrupt but gets kicked in the head, which is enough for Crowbar to leave. That doesn’t work for Facade, who hits a big springboard flip dive and then sends Crowbar through the door. Back in and Crowbar grabs a chair, which is kicked into his face for two with Vanessa pulling the referee at two. Percival gets involved again, this time catching Facade on top, allowing Crowbar to grab a rollup with feet on the ropes for the pin at 19:05.

Rating: C+. Well that was….long. I’m not sure if they needed to go on for nearly twenty minutes but I was kind of stunned that it ran as long as it did. Facade is quite good at the high flying stuff and I’m not sure I would have recognized Crowbar if commentary hadn’t pointed it out. The fact that he’s still going is impressive enough and the match wasn’t bad, but they probably could have cut about five minutes out to make it a good bit better.

Post match Facade goes after Vanessa but Crowbar says he shouldn’t do that because he’s a babyface. Crowbar wants to sit down and talk with Facade in the back and tries to get a NEON NINJA chant started. Facade isn’t sure and leaves on his own.

VSK vs. La Estrella

They fight over wrist control to start until VSK grabs a headscissors into a dropkick. Estrella is right back up with a hand walk into a headscissors of his own, with VSK being sent outside. Back in and VSK sends him outside, with a dropkick through the ropes sending Estrella flying up the aisle in a nice visual. They get back inside again and VSK catapults him to the floor as you might be noticing a pattern emerging here.

Back in again and Estrella sends him to the floor this time (ok we get it), setting up a springboard dive to drop VSK again. Estrella grabs a spinning DDT for two back inside but gets crotched on top. VSK’s Cradle Shock gets two but Estrella is back with a springboard headbutt for two. Not that it matters as VSK is grabs a sunset driver for the pin at 8:11.

Rating: C. They were doing well enough, though the constant trips to the floor hurt it a good bit. I shouldn’t be rolling my eyes and saying “again?” about five minutes into a match. VSK is someone who has popped up in a few different promotions now and has done well enough, though I’m not sure how far he could realistically expect to go. Not a bad match, but it felt like they weren’t sure what they were doing to start.

Tim Embler, the owner of the company, is here for a chat. First up, he brings up the Joel Gertner situation, which he will address at the next show. That will be on July 6, when there will be three events in one day. The day will include an all women’s show called Who Runs The World, a meet and greet with Jim Ross, and then a show called United We Stand. As for Gertner and company, they will be facing three ECW Originals, as managed by Tod Gordon and Bill Alfonso.

Also on that show, James Storm and Fuego del Sol, but more importantly, we have the debut of the Battleground Street Fight Championship. That title will be available to anyone who has spilled blood in this building for any promotion. There will be a tournament held, with Necro Butcher as the first name announced, but cue Drake Younger (as in the former WWE referee who had some….interesting thoughts on various issues) to interrupt. He talks about what he has done in this building and wants in on the title. Works for Embler.

Intermission, which is thankfully edited out of the streaming version.

Fallah Bahh/Beastman vs. Brian Myers/Swoggle

Beastman is from deepest, darkest West Virginia and Myers has his TNA Tag Team Title. Myers and Bahh (who weighs about 400lbs) start things off but Swoggle wants in instead. A bite to the back of the tights doesn’t do much to Bahh, who knocks Swoggle down and then rolls over him to make it worse. Myers, thinking Swoggle is a bit destroyed, comes in to drag him over to the corner for a tag.

Beastman comes in as well and it’s a double elbow to put Myers down, leaving Beastman (probably pushing 400lb himself) to do something of a Worm. A trip to the floor goes well for Myers, as he grabs an implant DDT for two on Beastman back inside. Swoggle comes in and rakes Beastman’s eyes for two before telling Myers to give him a boot. A bite to the back drives Beastman into said boot, with Myers telling Swoggle to give him a boot this time well.

That earns Myers a toss into the corner, meaning Bahh can come back in to clean house. A big legdrop gets two on Myers, who charges into a swinging Boss Man Slam from Beastman. Everything breaks down and Beastman misses a charge out to the corner. A low blow staggers Bahh and it’s a Roster Cut (running clothesline) into a Shining Wizard from Swoggle to pin Bahh at 8:05.

Rating: C. I’m thinking we can write this one off as “goofy fun” and that isn’t a bad thing. It was the freak show aspect with the small Hornswoggle, the two giant opponents, and Myers as the one in the middle. That worked out well enough, with Swoggle being incredibly talented and far better than what he is often expected to be given his size.

PCO vs. Matt Riddle

This is billed as a three way dance before the ring announcer corrects himself (as Jacob Fatu was originally advertised but apparently signed with WWE around this time). Riddle tries some grappling to start and gets nowhere so he strikes away instead. An overhead suplex sets up the Broton for two but PCO catches him with a superplex for two.

Riddle hits his own suplex, setting up the Floating Bro for two more. PCO isn’t having that and knocks him outside for the big suicide dive. Back in and a guillotine legdrop gets two on Riddle, followed by a chokeslam. The PCOsault misses but PCO is right back with a Codebreaker out of the corner for two. Riddle pops back up and strikes away, setting up an RKO for the pin at 5:26.

Rating: C. This was fun while it lasted but the match barely going five minutes is rather disappointing. These are the two biggest names on the show and they were barely out there for very long. I was interested in seeing these two have a match I hadn’t seen before and while they did, I was hoping for a lot more.

Women’s Title: Dani Mo vs. Miranda Gordy

Mo is defending and they fight over wrist control to start. With that going nowhere, Mo grabs a headlock takeover and then armdrags her out to the floor. A dropkick through the ropes staggers Gordy, who sends her into the barricade a few times. Gordy clotheslines her over the barricade and rams her into various things, only to be sent into some chairs.

They head back inside where Gordy hits a running corner splash for two, leaving her with a smile for some reason. Mo strikes away and hits a running dropkick for two, followed by a basement Downward Spiral. Gordy suplexes her way out of trouble but the powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana. Back up and….two women run in for the no contest at 9:04.

Rating: C+. They were starting to roll near the end but then the ending brought it right back down. Gordy is someone who has the kind of power that you do not often see in women’s wrestling and she was wrestling enough like her dad to make that work. Mo was more of a plucky star who fought against the bigger challenger, which was starting to work before everything was cut off.

Post match the beating is on and the women…..are not identified by commentary, who says he doesn’t know who they are (even though they have their own title). How do you screw that up? Or how do you think that’s a good idea?

Battleground Title: Brian Kendrick vs. Lince Dorado

Kendrick is defending. They trade takedowns to start and Kendrick makes it over to the ropes. The threat of an early bulldog choke has Dorado escaping as well and he strikes away to take over. A middle rope anklescissors sends Kendrick to the apron and a dropkick puts him on the floor. There’s another anklescissors, this time from the apron, to drop Kendrick again as the champ is in trouble early.

Dorado chops away against the barricade but gets launched face first into a metal post. Hold on though as Kendrick doesn’t want to win via countout and throws him back inside. Dorado is back up with a chair for a step up leg lariat in the corner. A high crossbody connects but Kendrick rolls through into the bulldog choke. That’s broken up as well so Dorado superkicks him into a sitout powerbomb for two. The shooting star press misses for Dorado so Kendrick grabs Sliced Bread #2 for…well two more actually. They trade rollups until Kendrick gets a sunset flip (and lays backwards for some reason) to retain at 7:43.

Rating: B-. Just like the Riddle vs. PCO match, I was expecting a good bit more here, especially for a title match. How much can you really get out of a main event title match when you only have that much time? Both of them are more than good enough in the ring to have a better match, but they didn’t have the time to make it work as well as possible.

Post match Juicy Finau and Afa Jr. come in to say the title is coming back to the Samoan Dynasty on July 6. Kendrick leaves and Afa hypes up the crowd, but does stop to yell at one fan like a villain should.

Overall Rating: C+. This was just about the pure definition of “eh, it was ok”. The wrestling was mostly adequate and it felt like they were setting things up for later in a lot of ways, but there is absolutely nothing worth going out of your way to see here. They didn’t try to tie this into ECW very much, but the few times they did made it stand out at least a bit better.

On the more positive side, the production values were quite good and better than most of what you’ll see in independent promotions. There was nothing bad on the show and even the worst match was completely watchable. Throw in a rather laid back attitude and I had a good enough time, though the bigger matches need to feel more important. You’ll be fine if you watch this, but it’s VERY low on the list of shows you’ll want to see.

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Against All Odds 2024
Date: June 14, 2024
Location: Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We have another of the monthly specials here before we get to the really big show next month with Slammiversary. The main event here is Broken Matt Hardy challenging Moose for the World Title, but we could be in for something a lot more interesting as Jordynne Grace has issued an open challenge. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Jonathan Gresham vs. Sami Callihan

This is billed as Gresham vs. Callihan’s immune system because Gresham likes to spit his evil goo. Callihan starts the fight on the floor before the bell but Gresham blocks a powerbomb on the floor. Instead Gresham snaps the fingers, only for Callihan to fire off chops. Gresham stays on the arm but Callihan manages a suplex before they go inside. It’s still too early for the bell as Gresham rolls outside again.

This time Gresham sends the bad arm into the ring structure and they go inside for the bell. Callihan is fine enough to fight with one arm but the Cactus Driver 97 isn’t going to happen. Instead Gresham pulls the mask off the referee so here is Kushida, in a white coat, with a napkin to swab the ink out of Gresham’s mouth. Kushida puts it into a vile, leaving Callihan to hit the Cactus Driver 97 for the pin at 2:32. Well at least it was short, as this EVIL GOO stuff is horrible.

Kickoff Show: Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Alisha Edwards/Masha Slamovich vs. The Hex

The Hex is challenging. Belle takes Edwards into the corner to start and it’s off to Kay for the chops. Slamovich comes in and gets taken into the corner as well, with Belle adding a running kick to the face for two. Slamovich’s boot to the face gives her a breather and Alisha tags herself back in to pick up the pace. It’s already back to Slamovich, who hits her half of a double clothesline with Kay for the double clothesline.

Belle comes in (the fans approve) and the running knees hit Alisha in the corner. Everything breaks down and it’s a four way knockdown for a breather. Alisha has to slip out of Hex Marks The Spot but the champs are rammed into each other to give Belle two. Hex Marks The Spot gets two, only to have Alisha pop right back up. The Steiner Bulldog finishes Belle to retain the titles at 7:55.

Rating: C+. It’s still hard to get into Slamovich and Edwards as champions as they were in their third match together. Commentary was saying a title change would have been an upset, but that just isn’t the case. It doesn’t make for the best story in the division, though we did wind up getting a pretty nice match. A lot of that is due to the rather good Hex, but I’ll take what I can get here.

The opening video talks about what it means to work to get to the top before looking at the major matches.

Rascalz vs. Mike Santana/Steve Maclin

The rather intense Santana glares at Wentz to start before they miss some shots to the face. Spin The Block misses for Santana and Wentz knocks him down to take over. Miguel gets in a shot of his own and it’s Wentz grabbing a neck crank. A dropkick hits Santana but he fights up and hands it off to Maclin to pick up the pace.

Some running corner clotheslines are broken up and now it’s Maclin getting caught in the wrong corner. Maclin tries to fight out but a single shot to his bad arm cuts that off in a hurry. Miguel’s Meteora is countered into a faceplant in a smart move and they’re both down. The tag brings Santana back in, with an assisted elevated DDT getting two on Wentz.

Maclin’s running knee gets two more as commentary can’t believe how well Maclin and Santana are doing together. Santana is sent outside though and something like a Swanton/hanging Pedigree combination gets two on Maclin. A spinebuster into a superkick sets up a double stomp for two, with Santana making the save this time. Santana gets to clean house, with Maclin cutting off Miguel’s spray paint attempt. The spear to the Tree of Woe sets up Spin The Block to finish Wentz at 12:47.

Rating: B-. Nice opener here as Santana’s hot return continues. He looked good in there again and it was a hard hitting match, with the makeshift team coming together to beat the established team. That might have had a better impact if it wasn’t the same story as the Knockouts tag Team Title match, but this was better.

Post match, Santana reluctantly shakes his hand.

We run down the rest of the card.

Matt Hardy promises to win the World Title through Broken Brilliance.

PCO vs. Rich Swann

AJ Francis, who doesn’t like the crowd, is here with Swann. He compares himself to Scottie Pippen, because this company never won anything until he showed up. PCO gets his full electricity entrance before getting to stalk Swann around the ring. A Francis distraction lets Swann hit a superkick to put PCO on the floor and an apron 450 hits him again.

Another Francis cheap shot sets up a missed 450, allowing PCO to get fired up. PCO runs him over and drapes Swann’s legs over the ropes for the middle rope legdrop to the back of the head. Francis puts Swann’s foot on the rope for the save and then gets in another cheap shot. PCO breaks up another 450 and sends Swann outside, where he takes out both villains. Back in and the PCOsault finishes Swann at 5:27.

Rating: C+. PCO continues to have perfectly nice matches and I’m curious to see where he goes against First Class. I could see him getting the big win by becoming Digital Media Champion, especially in Montreal. It’s still a bit weird to see a former World Champion like Rich Swann taking losses like this, but Francis is clearly the star of the team.

Post match Steph de Lander comes out to say that yes, she will go out on a date with PCO. Rehwoldt: “YOU HAVE YOUR WHOLE LIFE IN FRONT OF YOU!!!”

We recap the Nemeth’s challenging the System for the Tag Team Titles. The System attacked Nic Nemeth so Nic’s brother Ryan made the save. Ryan and Matt Hardy beat the champs, so of course Nic and Ryan got the Tag Team Title match instead, despite never teaming together before.

Tag Team Titles: Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth vs. The System

The System, with Alisha Edwards, is defending. Ryan takes Myers down to start and it’s quickly off to Nick, who can’t hit a neckbreaker. Instead he can hit back to back dropkicks but Alisha breaks up the superkick. Cue Dirty Dango of all people to point out what happened and Alisha is ejected. Nic is sent into the wrong corner and a backbreaker gives Myers two.

The chinlock doesn’t last long as Nic fights up and hands it back to Ryan to clean house. Myers spears Ryan for two with Nic making a save, leaving commentary to be VERY confused by Dango’s interference. Ryan manages a sunset flip but Eddie tags himself in to breaks up the non-cover. Myers cuts off another comeback but spends too much time posing, allowing Ryan to hit a jumping Edge-O-Matic.

Cue Moose as Ryan hands it back to Nick to drop the jumping elbow for two. A running hurricanrana sets up a Fameasser for two on Eddie, leaving Moose rather nervous. Eddie is right back with the Backpack Stunner into the top rope elbow to give Eddie two. Back up and Nic sends Myers shoulder first into the post and Danger Zone to Eddie….gets two as Moose pulls the referee. Not that it matters as Dango decks Ryan, allowing Eddie to hit the Boston Knee Party to retain at 12:41.

Rating: B-. Well that was a bit anti-climactic. Dango showed up, tried to help the Nemeth’s, and then turned on them in about ten minutes. I’m glad the titles didn’t change hands here, as the System are perfectly fine in their role and can lose them to a regular team down the road. Not a bad match at all, but the Dango stuff was a bit much.

Post match Dango stands with the System for a bit before leaving them to pose.

ABC is ready for Eric Young and Josh Alexander.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Joe Hendry

Before the match, Hendry says Kazarian is the Antonio Banderas of TNA: he had some hits, but now he’s just hanging on long enough to be known as the dad from Spy Kids. Kazarian slugs away to start but it’s way too early for the chickenwing. Hendry grabs a delayed vertical suplex but Kazarian ties him in the ropes for the jumping Fameasser. A front facelock has Hendry down for a bit but the fans chant about their believes. Hendry fights up before pulling Kazarian out of the air for the fall away slam.

Back up and Kazarian kicks him in the ribs but Fad To Black is countered into…well into an also countered spinning powerbomb. Instead Kazarian hits a Backstabber for two but Hendry is right back with a powerbomb for the same. Hendry takes him to the apron and tries a belly to back suplex, only to have Kazarian get in what looked to be a shot with a foreign object to knock Hendry cold for the pin at 7:31.

Rating: B-. They were getting to a good match before the Randy Savage/Tito Santana finish. I’m not sure I get the thinking to having Hendry, the hottest star in the promotion, losing like this, but odds are we’re going to be seeing a rematch. Hopefully Hendry gets the win back there, because otherwise this is a really questionable move at best.

Post match Kazarian goes after Hendry again but Ace Steele makes the save. Fans: “OH CRY ME A RIVER!”

We recap Mustafa Ali defending the X-Division Title against Trent Seven, who defeated his partner Mike Bailey to get the shot.

X-Division Title: Mustafa Ali vs. Trent Seven

Ali, with Champagne Singh and the Secret Service, is defending. We’re in Ali’s hometown, but Seven brings up the rather insincere interview Ali had with Tom Hannifan this week on Impact. We see some extended footage, with Ali ranting about how horrible of a place Chicago is and how he lives in the suburbs. Oh and the X-Division Title is a meaningless prop.

Ali charges at him to start but walks into the Seven Star Lariat for two. They head outside with Seven beating him around ringside as the fans say THEY STILL LOVE Ali. Seven chops away in the corner but Ali comes back with a tornado DDT. Seven is sent outside but he blocks a suicide dive dive and hits a dragon suplex. Back in and Seven misses a dive off the top, only to come up favoring his knee.

Ali’s running boot in the corner is countered into a powerbomb for two but Ali is fine enough to hit the rolling neckbreaker. Seven slams his way out of trouble and they slug it out until Ali goes after the knee again. Bop and Bang gets Seven out of trouble but the X Plex is countered with a low blow. Ali hits his own Seven Star Lariat for two so they go up top. Ali catches him with a superkick on the middle rope but Seven is back with the super swinging slam for two.

The Birminghammer is loaded up but Ali grabs the rope for the break. Another shot to the knee brings Seven down again and they go up top, only for Seven to give us the big knockdown to the floor. Seven barely beats the ten count but Ali is right there with the 450 for two.

With nothing else working, Ali grabs the belt, which is taken away, allowing Seven to hit him low right back. The Birminghammer connects for two and they’re both down. Back up and a super Birminghammer is broken up with a rake to the eyes, allowing Ali to kick out the leg again. A 450 to the legs sets up a Sharpshooter to retain Ali’s title at 15:30.

Rating: B. This was the kind of match where the ending wasn’t exactly in doubt but it worked well anyway. They went with Ali being frustrated but being smart enough to capitalize on he knee injury and using it to win. The big showdown is going to be Ali vs. Mike Bailey in Montreal, and it wouldn’t stun me to see the match end with a Sharpshooter, both as a call back to this and….well Montreal in general.

Frankie Kazarian is ticked about that piece of…..Chicago trash Ace Steele. Santino Marella comes in to say if Kazarian wants to get his hands on Steele, they can have a Chicago Street Fight this week on Impact.

ABC vs. Eric Young/Josh Alexander

Commentary has to point out that there is a theme of weird partners vs. established teams tonight. Young and Bey start things off and go to an early standoff, leaving Bey smiling. Alexander comes in and backs Austin into the corner before Austin sweeps the leg. A kick to the back staggers Alexander and it’s Bey coming back in for an armdrag into an armbar. It’s back to Austin to dropkick the knee out as we get a SUPER ERIC chant.

Alexander fights up and hands it back to Young, who gets taken into the wrong corner rather quickly. A hard whip into the corner has Bey in trouble though and it’s right back to Alexander. Bey gets caught in a release German suplex (a nice looking one at that) so Austin offers a distraction….as we get stereo testicular claws. This draws by far the strongest reaction of the night and commentary almost needs a minute to compose themselves.

Young grabs a neckbreaker for two but it’s back to Alexander as everything breaks down. Austin’s running crossbody to the back on the apron is cut off but Austin’s apron kick is countered into an ankle lock in a smart move. Bey and Young hit their own dives and everyone is down on the ramp. Back in and Austin fights out of a super fireman’s carry, with the fans requesting that everyone be careful. Austin’s kick to the head is countered into an ankle lock, with Bey making the save.

With that not working, Austin tries a sleeper, only to have Alexander suplex Austin and Bey at the same time. Not to be outdone, Young tries a double Death Valley Driver, only for ABC to slip out and hit him with a double superkick. Austin kicks Alexander in the head but walks into a powerslam. Alexander’s powerbomb backbreaker gets two on Bey and Young drops the top rope elbow for the same, with Austin having to make another save. Young accidentally runs Alexander over though, allowing Austin to hit the Fold for the pin at 18:11.

Rating: B. It was a good, hard hitting back and forth match and if they had cut a few minutes out, it would have been even better. I do appreciate the fact that the established team won here as it’s hard to buy one of the best teams in recent years losing here. For a bonus match added for no particular reason, this could have been a lot worse.

We recap Jordynne Grace going to NXT but getting cheated out of the NXT Women’s Title. It’s open challenge time.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. ???

Grace is defending against….NXT’s Tatum Paxley, a bit of an odd one who is obsessed with gold. Before we get going, Ash By Elegance’s handler comes out to say that out of the goodness of her heart, Ash will not be pressing charges against Jordynne Grace. With Ash sitting on the stage, we’re ready to go, with Grace powering her into the corner to start. Grace powers her down again and grabs a swinging faceplant to put Paxley on the mat again.

Some hard shots to the back of the head set up a camel clutch, with Paxley biting her way to freedom. Grace makes the mistake of going after Ash though, allowing Paxley to send her shoulder first into the ring structure. Back in and Grace gets pulled into a half crab, which is quickly escaped to set up a neckbreaker.

The Vader Bomb misses but Grace runs her over again and hits Grace Under Pressure for two. Grace puts her up top for the MuscleBuster and a near fall, meaning it’s surprised kickout face. Paxley gets two off some rollups before catching Grace on top for a super Lobotomy (swinging neckbreaker) for two more. Grace slugs away but gets caught in a guillotine, only to power up again. Some hard shots to the back and chest set up the Juggernaut Driver to retain the title at 11:06.

Rating: B-. Paxley isn’t exactly a top NXT name, but it’s cool to see someone going over to TNA and making Grace look like a star. That’s all you need here, as Grace has gotten one heck of a boost out of this whole story. Grace seems primed for a huge showdown with Ash By Elegance, and this was a great way to make her look dominant on the way there.

Post match Ash goes after Grace but gets the brass knuckles taken away. Grace lays her out and pours champagne over here, with Rehwoldt panicking.

We recap Matt Hardy challenging Moose for the TNA World Title. Hardy returned at Rebellion and wants the title, meaning it’s time for all the Broken stuff because that’s what Hardy does in TNA.

TNA World Title: Moose vs. Matt Hardy

Moose, with the System, is defending and this is Broken Rules, more or less meaning a street fight. Cue the Nemeths to brawl with the System (save for Alisha) to the back, making it a lot more even. Hardy hits a clothesline into a DDT and there’s the Side Effect onto the apron to put Moose down again. The Twist Of Fate connects on the floor but Moose is back up with some trashcan lid shots to the face.

Moose grabs a ladder and then chairs him over and over, only to have Hardy come back with a low blow. Now it’s Hardy getting in some chair shots of his own and they head outside, with the brawl going into the crowd. Hardy knocks him back to ringside and hits a suplex, setting up a middle rope elbow for two. The Twist Of Fate is countered into a release Rock Bottom so it’s time to load up a table in the corner.

The spear is blocked so Moose chairs him down instead and then piles the chairs up. A superplex onto the chairs gives Moose two so he sets the chairs up side by side. Another superplex through them is broken up and Hardy powerbombs him onto the chairs for two of his own. With the chairs exhausted, Hardy grabs a box from underneath the ring. Moose gets in a trashcan lid shot and puts Hardy down, allowing him to pull….a football helmet out of the box. With the helmet on, Moose charges into a backdrop over the top and onto the ladder at ringside.

Hardy uses the breaker to load up two ladders at ringside with a table between them. A well placed Chicago Bears helmet to the head drops Moose (and draws what sounds like a CTE chant, which is kind of chilling). Hardy’s legdrop off the ladder puts Moose through a table before Hardy wraps a chair around Moose’s head.

The Twist of Fate with the chair gets two, as Alisha comes in with the kendo stick for the save. Cue Reby Hardy for the brawl, including her own Twist of Fate to Alisha. Matt loads up his own spear but puts Reby through the table by mistake. The shaken up Matt walks into a spear from Moose to retain the title at 21:32.

Rating: C+. Well thank goodness for that. I was worried that Moose was going to drop the title here and I don’t think I could handle more of the Broken Hardys. Moose winning off the spear isn’t exactly an inspiring moment but it is going to be a pretty big deal when someone finally beats him. Better main event than usual from Moose, but there was a lot of time that could have been cut while they were setting things up.

Post match the beatdown is on with the Nemeths and Joe Hendry coming in for a failed save attempt…so here is Jeff Hardy with a chair for the real save. House is cleaned and a Swanton hits Moose, leaving the good guys to pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The wrestling was rather strong throughout most of the night, but it did feel like the show before the show that really matters. You had Grace winning to set up her match with Ash, the ABC winning a nothing match, Ali winning to set up his match with Bailey, and the Hardys coming back because they always have to be around. It’s a show that could have been a bit shorter, but I was expecting nothing and got about three hours of solid action, so I’ll call that a rather nice win.

Results
Sami Callihan b. Jonathan Gresham – Cactus Driver 97
Alisha Edwards/Masha Slamovich b. The Hex – Steiner Bulldog to Belle
Mike Santana/Steve Maclin b. The Rascalz – Spin The Block to Wentz
PCO b. Rich Swann – PCOsault
System b. Ryan Nemeth/Nic Nemeth – Boston Knee Party to Ryan
Frankie Kazarian b. Joe Hendry – Right hand with a foreign object
Mustafa Ali b. Trent Seven – Sharpshooter
ABC b. Josh Alexander/Eric Young – The Fold to Young
Jordynne Grace b. Tatum Paxley – Juggernaut Driver
Moose b. Matt Hardy – Spear

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Impact Wrestling
Date: June 7, 2024
Location: MegaCorp Pavilion, Newport, Kentucky
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re on the way to Against All Odds and that means most of the card is already set. While Moose is set to defend the World Title against Matt Hardy on that show, we have another title match on this show. This week will see Laredo Kid defending the Digital Media Title against AJ Francis, which should be interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Apparently this is the 20 year anniversary of the show. That’s really impressive.

Kon vs. Jake Something

Kon blocks a neck snap to start so Something hammers away in the corner and hits a clothesline to the floor. Back in and Kon is knocked outside again, this time managing to post Something to take over. Kon cranks away at the neck back inside before Something fights up and slugs away for the knockdown. An elbow misses for Kon and Something punches him down for one. Something fights out of another neck snap and Into The Void finishes Kon at 5:27.

Rating: C+. Nice win for Something here as his star continues its up and down status. It’s nice to see him win like this but at some point he needs to win something of value. Beating a monster like Kon is a good sign though and once he gets away from Deaner, maybe we can see him get a proper push.

Post match Kon jumps him but Eric Young runs in for the save. Young talks about how this show is twenty years old today and he’s celebrating with the fans.

We look at Moose injuring Matt Hardy last week.

Frankie Kazarian is fighting on behalf of the System this week. The System comes in to say if he takes out Nic Nemeth tonight, he gets a World Title shot, right? Works for Moose, though Kazarian isn’t sure if Moose is getting by Matt Hardy.

We recap PCO’s attempts to woo Steph de Lander, who seems interested.

De Lander thinks PCO has a crush on him and opens the love letter, which says “PCO: Oui or Non”. Xia Brookside comes in to tell her to give it some time before she makes her decision. De Lander says she’ll give it a week, which has Brookside rather giddy.

Gisele Shaw vs. Shazza McKenzie

Shaw knocks her into the corner to start and hits a running elbow. McKenzie is back with a neck snap over the ropes and a kick to the face for two. Back up and Shaw hits her in the face for two, setting up a Cody Cutter and a running knee for the pin at 3:20.

Rating: C. Shaw looked crisp here (and in new gear to make her feel different) which is a good sign when you’re fresh back after a lengthy layoff. Shaw’s in that same category of “she needs to actually win the title” after so many close losses and maybe this is her time. The setup is definitely looking better this time at least.

Rosemary blames herself for the losses of her loved once and says it is because of sins.

Steve Maclin asks Mike Santana for an alliance against the Rascalz, but Santana is done with tag wrestling. Maclin asks again and Santana seems to be in.

Mustafa Ali/Champagne Singh vs. Speedball Mountain

Seven starts but Ali hands it off to Singh instead. Seven’s headlock allows Bailey to come in and strike away, including a dropkick into the corner. Ali comes in for a cheap shot on Bailey to take over, making sure to taunt Seven in the process. Some choking on the ropes keeps Bailey in trouble and we take a break. Back with Bailey and Singh trading rollups for two each, with Bailey making it over for the tag to Seven. The swinging slam connects but the Birminghammer is broken up and it’s back to Ali.

Bop and Bang gives Seven two on Ali, with Singh making the save. Ali is right back with the rolling clothesline but the 450 misses. Instead Seen hits the Seven Star Lariat and we get the double down. Bailey comes back in with a missile dropkick to Singh, followed by the moonsault double knees. A rather lengthy double team is broken up though and Ali uses a Secret Service distraction to DDT Bailey on the floor. Not that it matters as the Birminghammer finishes Singh at 13:30.

Rating: B-. That’s booking 101 as you have Seven looking dominant against Ali’s lackey on his way to a title shot against Ali himself. I don’t quite buy Seven as a major threat to win the title but at least they’re building him up well. At the same time, Speedball Mountain gets another win, as this thrown together team continues t have some legs.

The Personal Concierge brings back the healed up Ash By Elegance following her life saving minor surgery.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Allysin Kan

Grace is defending and Marti Belle is here with Kay. Grace charges at her to start and unloads in the corner but Belle offers a distraction to break it up. Kay strikes away until Grace skins the cat and runs her over. A Saito suplex cuts Grace off but she avoids a charge in the corner. The MuscleBuster gets two on Kay before Grace beats up Belle for trying to interfere. Kay’s kneeling piledriver gets two but Grace powerbombs her into the Juggernaut Driver to retain at 6:10.

Rating: C+. Kay is another former champion who was brought back in to make Grace look good in a victory. Grace is on her way to probably the biggest match of her life this weekend and that means she needs a boost like this one. They had a back and forth enough match too, as Grace had to put in some effort to retain here. Nice match.

We get Sami Callihan’s Death Machine TV, where he doesn’t like how Jonathan Gresham thinks he’s an octopus. The showdown seems to be set for Against All Odds.

Digital Media Title: Laredo Kid vs. AJ Francis

Kid is defending and Rich Swann is here with Francis. They start fast with Kid sticking and moving until a dropkick puts Francis on the floor. The dive is pulled out of the air though and Kid is slammed into the apron. A running knee in the corner rocks Kid but he fights up and hits a missile dropkick. Kid flip dives off the top onto Swann on the floor but the distraction lets Francis hit the Down Payment (chokeslam) for the pin and the title at 4:58.

Rating: C. Sure why not. Francis at least feels like a bigger star around here and it isn’t like Kid has lit the world on fire with his rather brief title reign. If TNA wants Francis to feel like a big star then he needed to win something. Giving him the low level TV Title would in fact count as something, as Francis gets a prize. Maybe he can even do something with it.

Nic Nemeth vs. Frankie Kazarian

They fight over a lockup to start until Nemeth takes him down for the armbar. Kazarian fights up and knocks him down but Nemeth scores with that dropkick. A backdrop sends Nemeth outside though, followed by a snap suplex back inside. We hit the chinlock, meaning Ziggler has to fight up rather quickly. Kazarian runs him over again and we take an early break.

Back with Nemeth fighting out of a chickenwing attempt and hitting the rapid fire elbows. Kazarian reverses one of them into the chickenwing, with Nemeth eventually grabbing the rope. Nemeth’s superkick gets two but the Danger Zone is blocked. Instead Kazarian grabs a slingshot cutter for two and frustration is setting in. Nemeth gets two off a sunset flip before the Danger Zone connects for the win at 14:35.

Rating: B-. This was the TNA “These Guys Are Good At Wrestling” match of the week and that is always going to work. It was the longest match on the show and it had two veterans getting to go out there and do their thing. That is something we see pretty much weekly around here and this time it happened to be in the main event.

Post match the System runs in to beat Nemeth down. Ryan Nemeth runs in for the save but Moose comes in to break up the break up. The villains get in the beatdown but Joe Hendry runs in for the real save…until Moose spears him down as well. The real beatdown is on and the System poses but we cut to Matt Hardy. You cannot break what is already Broken so he invites the System to the Hardy Compound next week. An Addams Family snap ends the show. As long as it’s a one off, just let them get it out of their system and move on.

Overall Rating: B-. TNA is in a rough place right now as their most important story is taking place in NXT this weekend, leaving everything else to be set up for a middle of the road (at best) show next week. Matt Hardy isn’t feeling like a top level challenger but rather someone who is getting to do his Broken stuff because he’s a star who gets to do what he wants. I’m still holding out hope for Joe Hendry to get the big World Title win, but by the time he gets there, it might be too late. Good enough show here, though Against All Odds is not feeling interesting whatsoever.

Results
Jake Something b. Kon – Into The Void
Gisele Shaw b. Shazza McKenzie – Running knee
Speedball Mountain b. Champagne Singh/Mustafa Ali – Birminghammer to Singh
Jordynne Grace b. Allysin Kay – Juggernaut Driver
AJ Francis b. Laredo Kid – Down Payment
Nic Nemeth b. Frankie Kazarian – Danger Zone

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

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Rebellion 2024
Date: April 20, 2024
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Paradise, Nevada
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re back to the main pay per views and that should make for an interesting night. The big main event is Moose defending the World Title against Nic Nemeth, but we also have Josh Alexander vs. Hammerstone in a Last Man Standing rubber match. Other than that we have the usual array of title matches so let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Rascalz vs. Leon Slater/ABC

Slater takes Miguel down to start and runs him over without much trouble. It’s quickly off to Wentz vs. Austin with the former dragging Austin into the Rascalz corner. Austin fights out of trouble and brings Slater back in but Wentz drops him in a hurry. The standing moonsault gives Slater two but Austin fights up without much effort. It’s off to Bey (hometown boy) to clean house, including a springboard spinning kick to the head.

Everything breaks down and Reed hits a double cutter on ABC, setting up the big flip dive over the post. Slater hits his own big dive, only to miss a 450 back inside. All six get inside to slug it out with the Rascalz getting the better of things. Reed hits his running diving cutter to the floor and we hit the parade of strikes to the head. Bey cutters Reed and Slater’s Swanton 450 is good for the pin at 9:04.

Rating: B. Take six talented stars and let them go insane with one spot after another for the sake of warming the crowd up. It was good stuff for what it was supposed to be and the ABC gets back on track. I had a good time with this and that’s not bad for a makeshift team of heroes against the established villains.

Pre-Show: Digital Media Title: Crazzy Steve vs. Laredo Kid

Kid is challenging in a rematch after getting disqualified in his first shot. Kid starts fast and takes him into the corner for an early two. Steve gets smart by going for the mask (how he got under Kid’s skin last time) and the Upside Down makes it worse for Kid. That’s broken up and Kid sends him outside for the middle rope moonsault to stagger Steve.

Back in and Steve hammers away but misses a charge into the corner. Kid strikes away and hits a Michinoku Driver for two of his own. Steve catches him up top for a superplex but goes up top, only to get caught with a bite to the head. A super Spanish Fly gives Kid the pin and the title at 6:45.

Rating: C+. They kept things moving here but the important part is that Kid FINALLY won something. Kid has been treated as the guy who might be able to do something around here for a very long time though he had never actually won anything of note. This isn’t the most important title in the world, but it’s him accomplishing something and that will help going forward.

Pre-Show: Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Decay vs. Spitfire

Spitfire is defending and has Lars Frederiksen with them. Rosemary and Luna start things off with Rosemary taking her into the corner for some biting. The Upside Down has Luna in more trouble but it’s off to Threat for a front facelock. With that broken up, Havok comes in for an exchange of shoulders with Luna. Some kicks to the leg put Havok down and a basement clothesline drops her again.

Havok pops back up and hits Luna in the face, allowing the tag back to Rosemary. That doesn’t last long either as the tag brings Threat back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Threat hits a big flip dive onto Decay at ringside. Lars tells Threat to do it again but Havok cuts her off. A double powerbomb brings Havok down and it’s an assisted sitout spinebuster to finish Rosemary and retain at 10:34.

Rating: C+. These teams have traded the titles so it’s nice to see the champs retain for a change. They got a bit of time to work with here and Spitfire continues to work well together despite not being a team for very long. I’m not sure what is next for Decay, but given the lack of depth in the division, they probably won’t be away from the titles for very long.

Lars poses with the champs.

DJ Ashba plays a rock version of the national anthem.

The opening video shows the people on the card walking through the streets of Las Vegas before shifting to looks at the people in the arena. Nic Nemeth: “F*** the System.”

X-Division Title: Jake Something vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali, with his secret service is defending and gets shoved down by the much larger Something to start. Something cranks on the hand and tells Ali to bring it before running Ali over. They go to the corner, with Ali being laid on top and kicked in the ribs and Something catching him on the shoulder in an impressive feat. A hard clothesline gives Something two and they head outside, where his big chop only hits steps.

Back in and a rolling neckbreaker hits Something, followed by another on the ramp. Something crawls back in and gets caught with another neckbreaker for two. A DDT sets up the standing moonsault but Something wakes up and counters a hurricanrana into a sitout powerbomb.

Something gets two off a Rack Attack so he loads up a superbomb. That’s broken up with a hard shot and Ali German suplexes him onto the apron. The secret service’s distraction lets Ali hit the 450 for two. Something dives onto Ali and the goons and grabs Into The Void for two, with Ali putting his foot on the rope. The desperate Ali goes to the eyes to escape a powerbomb and grabs a rollup, and the rope, to retain at 11:37.

Rating: B-. Ali continues to be a nice mixture of talent and cheating and it’s making for a good title run. TNA has turned him into quite the featured attraction and he feels like a heck of a star. There is a good chance that Ali is going to hold onto the title for a good while and that is not a bad thing. On the other hand you have Something, who is another name who really needs to win something at some point. He shouldn’t have won here, but it needs to happen sooner or later.

We recap First Class coming together and Joe Hendry not being thrilled with them. Therefore, it’s time for Hendry vs. Rich Swann.

Joe Hendry vs. Rich Swann

AJ Francis is here with Swann. Hendry’s video features First Class doing his arm wave, which is proof that the team are fans of his. Swann tries to start fast but gets caught in a fireman’s carry drop for a big crash. They head outside where a Francis distraction lets Swann send Hendry into the steps to take over.

We get violent with Hendry’s eye being sent into the corner of the steps and Swann tears away at it back inside. Swann grabs the double arm crank until Hendry fights up for the comeback. Hold on though as Francis low bridges him and is handed a chain by a “Tik Tok legend”. Former NFL star Shawne Merriman cuts that off and gets in the ring for a staredown with Francis…before decking Hendry. Swann’s frog splash is enough to finish Hendry at 7:26.

Rating: C. Other than the Merriman stuff, this could have been on any given episode of Impact. What matters here is getting First Class a win as the team hasn’t been around very long and needs to do something to establish themselves. If nothing else, major points to Francis for turning his career from a joke into something resembling decent. That’s more than I would have expected and he deserves the credit. Throw in Swann to do the wrestling and it’s a nice combination.

We recap Eric Young vs. Frankie Kazarian. They were partners for a bit before breaking up and getting in a feud. Young got a World Title shot but Kazarian cost him the match and gave him a beating. Now it’s time for Full Metal Mayhem for some violence.

Eric Young vs. Frankie Kazarian

Full Metal Mayhem, meaning TLC but with pins/submissions. They start fast and head outside, with Young taking over and dropping a ladder onto him. Kazarian catches Young setting up a table but can’t hit Fade To Black. They get up onto the apron, where Young bites the hand but gets caught with a Fameasser over the middle rope. A slingshot DDT gives Kazarian two so he throws a ladder at Young for a nasty knockdown.

Young is back up with a hard whip into the ladder in the corner and various metal objects to the head have Kazarian in more trouble. Janice (the board with nails) is whipped out but the big swing misses, as does Kazarian trying to drive him face first into the nails. A spear off the apron and through the table at ringside doesn’t miss for Kazarian though and they’re both down on the floor.

They pull themselves up so Kazarian can get two back inside and it’s time for a slugout. We get a nasty exchange of cookie sheets to the head (those things are dented) until Young grabs a Death Valley Driver for two. Kazarian is back up with a chain to choke away in the corner before tying Young up for the chickenwing.

That’s broken up and Young puts him in a trashcan for the top rope elbow and a near fall. Kazarian’s Unprettier onto a bridged ladder gets the same and it’s time for a table. That takes WAY too long and Young fights off of it and catches him on top but Kazarian grabs a Flux Capacitor. They land in the general area of the table, with Young’s head slamming into the edge (and busting him open) for the pin at 15:17.

Rating: B. They beat the living daylights out of each other here and it was a violent brawl, though that ending was absolutely cringe inducing. Hopefully Young is ok, as you could see the blood flowing immediately. Other than that, it felt like two people wanting to hut each other and Kazarian gets a big win to hopefully end the feud once and for all.

Nic Nemeth is ready to be World Champion.

Here is Steve Maclin for a chat. He has a new contract and got everything he wanted, except for a match tonight. Cue Santino Marella to say we have a new star who just signed in the back. It’s time for his debut match.

Steve Maclin vs. Mike Santana

As in Santana of AEW/LAX fame. Santana strikes away to start and knocks Maclin outside rather quickly. The big flip dive takes Maclin down again but he sends Santana face first into the apron. We hit the chinlock back inside, followed by a running clothesline for two on Santana. The chinlock goes on again before Santana gets tied in the Tree of Woe.

The running shoulder misses and Santana grabs a rolling cutter. A Death Valley Driver gives Santana two but Maclin runs him over. The Jar Headbutt gives Maclin two and a Falcon Arrow gets the same. Now the running shoulder in the corner gets two but Santana is back with Spin The Block (discus lariat) for the pin at 8:04.

Rating: C+. Nice return for Santana here as he looked in good shape and was hitting some nice stuff. That being said, he felt like he was doing the same moves you see in almost every match and that isn’t likely to make him feel like a major star. Maybe he has something else, but at least he won and looked strong in his debut.

We look back at Spitfire retaining the Knockouts Tag Team Titles on the pre-show. Alisha Edwards and Masha Slamovich came out for the staredown.

The System is ready to retain their titles, with Moose bringing in NFL star John Abraham to have his back.

Tag Team Titles: The System vs. Speedball Mountain

The System, with Alisha Edwards, is defending. Myers and Bailey start things off with Bailey firing off the kicks so Myers brings in Edwards. That’s fine with Bailey, who kicks him down as well and hands it off to Seven. They head outside where Seven is sent knee first into the steps as the champs take over for the first time. Myers works on the bad knee back inside but Seven gets in a shot of his own, allowing the tag to Bailey. House is cleaned but Myers shoves Bailey off the top.

Seven hobbles over to chop Myers on top and a superplex sets up Bailey’s shooting star press for two. The tornado kick is broken up by Edwards, who sends Bailey into a table at ringside to cut him off. Edwards takes out Seven’s knee again and hits a tiger driver into a half crab. Bailey superkicks Myers down but his kicks to the chest can’t break the hold.

The bouncing kicks finally break it up, allowing Bailey to hit the springboard moonsault to Myers on the floor. Back in and a spinning kick to the face knocks Edwards into a dragon suplex for two. Seven’s knee gives out on the Birminghammer attempt though and Seven is sent into Bailey.

The Backpack Stunner/top rope elbow gives Edwards two on Seven and everyone needs a breather. Seven is back up with the Seven Star lariat to put Myers on the floor, leaving Eddie to get caught in the Birminghammer/top rope knee combination. Myers makes another save and spears Bailey out of the air on the floor. Back in and the Roster Cut into the Boston Knee Party to Seven retains the titles at 12:57.

Rating: B. This got some time and the champs get a win to keep establishing their reign. Edwards and Myers are a good example of a combination that was throwhen together and happened to win. It wasn’t a great match but it did well enough and had some strong action while it lasted.

We recap Hammerstone vs. Josh Alexander. While Alexander beat him the first time, Hammerstone came back and cheated to win while stealing Alexander’s headgear. Now it’s about revenge and violence in a Last Man Standing match.

Josh Alexander vs. Hammerstone

Last Man Standing. Alexander starts fast and drives him into the corner but Hammerstone uses the power to take over. A German suplex drops Hammerstone though and Alexander plants him on the apron. Hammerstone isn’t having that and does the same thing to Alexander, leaving him down for a change.

They slug it out on the floor with Hammerstone getting the better of things but it’s way too early for a ten count. Hammerstone picks him back up on the apron, where Alexander grabs a half and half suplex to put them both down again. Alexander gets smart by going after the leg and even grabs a Hartbreaker around the post.

With that broken up, Hammerstone grabs the headgear and blasts Hammerstone in the face for a rather near ten. Back up and Hammerstone grabs the torture rack to slow him down, only to reverse into the ankle lock to put Hammerstone down for a change. That’s broken up so Alexander hammers away but can’t hit the C4 Spike.

With nothing else working, it’s time for the thumbtacks and they go up top. Hammerstone Nightmare Pendulums Alexander into the tacks for nine and let’s grab the headgear. They fight to the ramp where Alexander hits another half and half, followed by the C4 Spike for the win at 20:07.

Rating: B. Another match where two guys beat the fire out of each other until one of them couldn’t get up. That is something that works rather well most of the time and I wanted to see Alexander get his revenge. At the same time, Hammerstone feels like someone who could be a big deal around here and losing a series to Alexander is only so much of a good start. That being said, all he has to do is wreck some people and he should be fine sooner than later. Solid fight here.

Jonathan Gresham is still in therapy but seems to accept the octopus mask as his other side.

We recap Jordynne Grace defending the Knockouts Title against Steph de Lander. Grace needed a new challenger and de Lander, as a replacement, won the 8-4-1 match to get the title shot. De Lander’s friend Matt Cardona helped put Grace through a table but now Cardona is out with a torn pectoral muscle, so it’s one on one.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Steph de Lander

Grace is defending and Ash By Elegance is watching in a box. De Lander has the Good Hands to uneven things a bit more. Grace charges at her to start but the much taller de Lander drives the champ into the corner. Some shots to the ribs don’t do much to Grace so they head outside, with de Lander staggering away. Back in and a TKO onto the top rope cuts Grace off and de Lander hammers away to keep Grace down. De Lander picks her up but Grace slips into a sleeper.

That’s broken up as well so de Lander sits her on top for a running big boot. Another whip into the corner has Grace in trouble but she comes back with another sleeper. This time de Lander can’t break it up and they go to the mat but the Good Hands offer a distraction. Grace lets go and accidentally hits the referee, allowing de Lander to get in a hard shot for…no cover as the referee is still down. Jon Skyler takes the referee’s shirt and puts it on for two…and the lights go out.

PCO is here to block the three count (ignore that Grace and de Lander have both moved away so there’s no cover, and apparently Skyler just laid there with his arm up until PCO appeared) and take out the Good Hands without much trouble. De Lander hits on PCO but gets grabbed by the throat, only to have Kon run in for the save (because this feud is still going).

Grace kicks Kon low and lifts him up but the Good Hands make the save this time. Kon goes after Grace’s neck but the lights go out again (come on already) and Sami Callihan is back. The Good Hands are cleared out and the Juggernaut Driver connects, with another referee coming in to count the pin at 12:40.

Rating: C. I have no idea what to think of this but when my first reaction is “WOW” because everything was so nuts, it’s probably not a great sign. They had that much interference and screwiness and not only did the referee just stay out for all of it, but then another referee just runs out there for the count? Total insanity and the match stopped about halfway through. De Lander overpowering Grace was a different way to go as I could go for getting the title off of Grace for a bit. I know she hasn’t been champion long, but she feels like she has been champion so often that it is hard to care about what she is doing again.

Slammiversary is in Montreal on July 20.

We recap Moose vs. Nic Nemeth for the World Title. Nemeth debuted back in January and wants to shake things up. Moose doesn’t care for that and is ready to keep his title.

TNA World Title: Nic Nemeth vs. Moose

Moose, with the System and John Abraham, is defending. Nemeth takes him down without much trouble but Moose powers up. They go outside with Nemeth being sent into the post, followed by a pump kick back inside. Moose gets backdropped onto the ramp though and Nemeth fires back, including the running DDT for two. Alisha Edwards breaks up the superkick, which is enough for the System to be ejected and even things way up.

Nemeth grabs a sleeper but gets driven into the corner a few times. That doesn’t break things up, so Moose goes up and crashes back down to finally get out. They head back outside with Moose loading up the steps but Nemeth manages a Fameasser for a much needed breather. A neckbreaker puts Moose down back inside and Nemeth drops the series of elbows.

The top rope elbow gets two but Moore is back with a Sky High for the same. Nemeth rolls him up for some near falls until Moose plants him with a powerbomb for two more. They go to the ramp, where Moose hits a heck of a powerbomb for a nine count. Back in and Moose tries a moonsault so Nemeth loads up a superkick…but Moose leaves it WAY too short so Nemeth doesn’t even throw the kick.

A Rough Ryder (not a Fameasser Tom) gets two and Moose tries to flip out of a clothesline but can’t quite stick the landing. An actual Fameasser gives Nemeth two and a spear hits Moose for the same. Nemeth misses a superkick so Moose hits a spear (and flips forward, despite Nemeth standing still, giving us another weird visual) for the pin (while picking Nemeth’s shoulder up during the cover) to retain at 17:25.

Rating: C-. I don’t know what was going on here but they were on different planets at times, with some of those spots feeling like they were designed to be jokes rather than attempts at getting them right. Maybe it was bad chemistry or something but this really did not work. Not a good main event, though at least it wasn’t crazy long like Moose vs. Eric Young.

Post match the System comes out to celebrate but a weird video starts playing. It keeps saying LIGHTS OUT and the lights go out (might be a bit more effective if it didn’t happen three or four times tonight)….and it’s Broken Matt Hardy. He takes out Moose and poses with the title to end the show. Oh sweet goodness that’s not a good way to end the show. Bringing back the TNA name was one thing, but bringing back this stuff, which was known for being so campy and ridiculous, just makes my head hurt. It’s ok to move on and do something else, and Matt Hardy is the definition of NOT moving forward.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was going along pretty well but those last two matches did not do this any favors. The Knockouts Title match was a circus and the main event didn’t click at all, but the real story here will be the returns. You had three returns, with Santana doing just fine, Callihan being back and doing the same hardcore stuff he always does, but the focus here is on Hardy.

There is a really good chance that he is going to be a big time player in TNA going forward and…egads can we not? The Broken stuff was fun for about five minutes but then it took over TNA and became the Hardys’ playground. I know it has its audience, but after seeing TNA come a VERY long way, it’s really disappointing to see the chance of Hardy getting even more attention and doing his wacky stuff as he approaches 50 years old.

Overall, this was a pretty good show with some high points, but it was so up and down that it was hard to really like it. You know the people who are going to give you good action in TNA and that was the case here, but some of the decisions and moves that are made around here are just hard to sit through. That very well may be the case with the Hardy return and I’m almost scared of where this is going.

Results
ABC/Leon Slater b. Rascalz – Swanton 450 to Reed
Laredo Kid b. Crazzy Steve – Super Spanish Fly
Spitfire b. Decay – Assisted sitout spinebuster to Rosemary
Mustafa Ali b. Jake Something – Rollup while holding the rope
Rich Swann b. Joe Hendry – Frog splash
Frankie Kazarian b. Eric Young – Flux Capacitor through a table
Mike Santana b. Steve Maclin – Spin The Block
System b. Speedball Mountain – Boston Knee Party to Seven
Josh Alexander b. Hammerstone when Hammerstone couldn’t answer the ten count
Jordynne Grace b. Steph de Lander – Juggernaut Driver
Moose b. Nic Nemeth – Spear

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Impact Wrestling
Date: March 28, 2024
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We are less than a month away from Revolution and that means the card needs to start being filled in. The top matches have already been announced but there are still some things that can be added in advance. TNA has been doing rather well in recent weeks and it would be nice to see that continue. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside vs. Ash By Elegance vs. Dani Luna vs. Alisha Edwards vs. Havok vs. Jody Threat vs. Masha Slamovich vs. Rosemary

For a Knockouts Title shot at Rebellion and this is an 8-4-1 match, meaning we start with an eight woman tag (Ash/Brookside/Rosemary/Luna vs. Havok/Threat/Slamovich/Alisha). The winning team then has a four way and the winner gets the title shot. Hold on though as Elegance has a toothache and is out. Therefore we have a replacement in the form of the returning Steph de Lander.

De Lander starts with Havok, who scares her over for an early tag to Rosemary. Havok is sent into de Lander so it’s off to Alisha, who is powered down by Luna. A bulldog gives Alisha two and Slamovich comes in to take over on Luna. Threat gets to fire off some clotheslines in the corner to Brookside, who is back with a running headscissors. Everything breaks down and Luna hits a slingshot Blue Thunder Bomb for two on Slamovich.

They trade rollups for two each until Luna small packages her for the pin at 5:16. So now it’s Luna vs. Rosemary vs. Brookside vs. de Lander for the title shot. Hold on though as Slamovich jumps Luna and sends her into the post to leave her laying. Brookside is sent crashing into Ash (at ringside) so Ash posts her hard. That’s enough for an elimination and we go back to the ring where Matt Cardona runs in to hit Radio Silence on Rosemary. A sitout TKO gives de Lander the pin and the title shot at 8:10.

Rating: C. This is an interesting concept in theory but there is only so much that you can do with an eight minute match that runs two falls and had a bunch of stuff on the outside. The final four were only in the ring together for a staredown before three people interfered. De Lander and Cardona being back is a big deal, though I’m not sure if this was the best way to bring them back as the match was kind of all over the place and rushing through with the limited time they had.

We look at Chris Sabin and Steve Maclin getting into it earlier this week to set up a match tonight.

The Motor City Machine Guns and Kushida are in the back with Sabin being glad the tension is over. Alex Shelley gets offended by the idea of Sabin having issues over a singles match and leaves.

Ace Austin isn’t happy with Chris Bey going after the X-Division Title last week when they have a rematch for the Tag Team Titles coming up. Bey brings up Austin facing Frankie Kazarian so he’ll go find Kazarian too.

The Grizzled Young Veterans call out Deaner, who comes out to say he can face either of them right now. Deaner puts it up to the people and Zack Gibson gets the call. Well actually we’ll make that both so Deaner goes after both of them. Sure.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Deaner

Deaner slugs away to start and it goes as well as you would expect to start. Drake knocks him down and it’s off to Gibson, who is caught in an atomic drop. The Deaner DDT is broken up and it’s a cheap shot from Drake on the apron. Grit Your Teeth finishes Deaner at 2:22.

Nic Nemeth…is interrupted by Alex Shelley, who knows how to beat the System. Shelley praises Nemeth, who says he’d be honored to give Shelley the first title shot after he beats Moose. Shelley would rather do it tonight so they’ll try to get it set up.

Here is Josh Alexander who wants to get revenge on Hammerstone. He has an open contract for tonight and calls Hammerstone out but gets….Tracy Williams instead. Williams is ready to fight because he has been wanting his opportunity around here. If Hammerstone doesn’t want to fight, Williams will do it. Works for Alexander.

Josh Alexander vs. Tracy Williams

They both try a hold to start but it just leads to a standoff. Alexander loads up a suplex and they go over the top to crash out to the floor. Back up and Alexander hits his running crossbody to send Williams outside again and we take a break. We come back with Williams blocking a C4 Spike attempt and dropping Alexander instead. A butterfly superplex sets up an armbar on Alexander, who bails straight to the ropes.

Alexander is back with a Regal Roll into an ankle lock but Williams makes the ropes this time. That earns Williams a powerbomb backbreaker for two but he breaks up another C4 Spike. Williams DDTs him onto the turnbuckle and hits a Death Valley Driver into the crossface. They trade shots to the face until Alexander rolls into the C4 Spike to put Williams away at 10:24.

Rating: B-. This was the weekly good match of the show and that’s a nice tradition to have. Williams coming in, even for a one shot, is a fine addition and I could go for having him around more often. He’s the kind of wrestler who can work well with anyone and it gives Alexander another boost before his likely showdown with Hammerstone at Rebellion. Should Williams stick around, he should work out well as he has the skill to back up the pretty intense promo he had here.

Post match, respect is shown but here is Hammerstone (looking very Brock Lesnarish) to jump them both. Williams gets torture racked.

Mustafa Ali is happy to be on the cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated but tells Santino Marella that he shouldn’t be defending the X-Division Title against Jake Something. Ali mocks the name, with Santino saying anyone with any name can be X-Division Champion. Like Rhino! Ali wants to know what kind of a name that is. Ali: “He’s behind me isn’t he?” Rhino pops in and gets an Old School Rules match with Ali next week.

Mike Bailey vs. Eddie Edwards

Trent Seven, Alisha Edwards and Brian Myers are all here too. Bailey kicks away to start and knocks Eddie outside for the dive. Chopping ensues but a Myers distraction lets Edwards take over with some chops of his own. Back in and Bailey fights up with a kick to the chest but gets poked in the eyes for his efforts. A middle rope dropkick works a bit better for Bailey and he kicks Eddie down, setting up a running shooting star press.

Bailey kicks him outside for a corkscrew Asai moonsault, only to miss the tornado kick back inside. Eddie’s Backpack Stunner gets two but Bailey is back with the very rapid fire kicks. The moonsault knees hit Eddie but Myers offers a distraction. Seven cuts him off, leaving Bailey to kick Eddie in the head. Alisha’s distraction doesn’t work though the Ultimate Weapon misses anyway. The Boston Knee Party finishes for Eddie at 10:56.

Rating: B-. Another good match here, though the ending was a bit weird as it looked like Eddie just beat him clean. I’m not sure how that makes me more interested in seeing the title match but at least it was a singles match rather than a tag match. That being said, seeing Bailey lose after doing all of his ridiculous kicks is often soothing and that was the case again here.

PCO wants Kon in a Monster’s Ball match.

The FBI is coming next week. For those of you keeping track, it is only a mere 23 years after ECW ended.

Frankie Kazarian is ready to end Eric Young for good but Chris Bey comes in to say he wants Kazarian next week.

We look at Rich Swann joining forces with AJ Francis.

Here are Francis and Swann for a chat. They are collectively known as First Class, with Francis getting to mock the Philadelphia Eagles. Swann talks about how he is a former World Champion but he has been in a slump lately. Francis was the only person there for him and he offered to take Swann to even higher heights than ever before.

Swann wasn’t sure, but then he was about to get his first win in a long time. Joe Hendry made that blind tag and stole the win though and Swann was crushed. Then he saw Francis again and the persistence impressed him. Swann won his World Title when there was no one around, so he doesn’t need these people. If you’re not First Class, you’re last.

Laredo Kid talks about his history in wrestling and making it up the ladder. He tries to have success everywhere he goes but after winning a big match over El Hijo del Vikingo, he had a serious internal injury and almost died. It made him want to work harder and now he is coming for Crazzy Steve’s Digital Media Title.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Chris Sabin vs. Steve Maclin

Sabin snaps off an armdrag to start and then does it again for a bonus. The wristlock doesn’t work so Sabin armdrags him into an armbar as the slow start continues. Maclin fights up and they go to the floor, where Sabin sends him shoulder first into the post. Back in and Sabin grabs another armbar, with Maclin not being able to roll his way out of trouble. Instead Maclin sends him into the buckle for the escape and we take a break.

We come back with Maclin loading up a superplex but Sabin breaks it up and hits a missile dropkick. A neckbreaker sends Maclin into the corner and a quick DDT gives Sabin two. Sabin stays smart with a crossface but Maclin gets out to the floor. Maclin knees him out of the air for two but the spear in the corner misses.

Instead Maclin grabs Mayhem For All for two and they’re both down. The Jar Headbutt misses as well and they slug it out until Maclin forearms him to the floor. Maclin’s Scud misses on the floor and they’re both down again. After barely beating the count, Maclin charges into a tornado DDT to give Sabin two. Maclin catches him on top though and now the spear hits in the corner. The KIA finishes Sabin clean at 15:23.

Rating: B. It’s strange to see Sabin losing clean like this but it does give Maclin the big win that he has been needing for more than a bit. I’m not sure what Maclin is being built up for but it doesn’t likely mean anything good for Sabin and company. Sabin is still capable of having a good match with anyone though and beating him is a big deal for Maclin, so well done if that is the direction things seem to be going.

Overall Rating: B. I liked this show a good bit as they advanced some things for Rebellion and had the good action to back it up. While there is still a long way to go before the pay per view, there are enough stories that have me wondering where things are going. Good show here, which is a pretty longstanding tradition around here.

Results
Steph de Lander b. Xia Brookside, Dani Luna, Alisha Edwards, Havok, Jody Threat, Masha Slamovich and Rosemary – Sitout TKO to Rosemary
Grizzled Young Veterans b. Deaner – Grit Your Teeth
Josh Alexander b. Tracy Williams – C4 Spike
Eddie Edwards b. Mike Bailey – Boston Knee Party
Steve Maclin b. Chris Sabin – KIA

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Impact Wrestling
Date: March 21, 2024
Location: St. Clair College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We are getting closer to Rebellion and last week saw what will likely be the setup for two title matches on the show. The good thing about recent weeks around here is that there is a lot more going on than just the main event. That should help get us ready for the pay per view next month so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Leon Slater vs. Chris Bey vs. Alan Angels vs. Jason Hotch vs. Kevin Knight vs. Jake Something

The winner gets an X-Division Title shot at Rebellion so Mustafa Ali is on commentary. Knight sends Hotch outside for the big flip dive before everyone else goes after Something. The other three go at it inside until Hotch comes in to jump them from behind as we take a break. Back with Hotch and Angels double teaming Knight, much to Ali’s happiness. Bey is back in to pick up the pace but Something comes in to take over.

Knight, Hotch and Angels get together to take Something out, leaving Slater to come in with a powerbomb. Bey fights up and grabs a spinning tornado DDT on Something but Slater is back in for the dive. A high flip dive to the floor takes out some people on the floor (Ali takes credit for bringing this version of action to you), leaving Something to powerbomb Knight. Into The Void gives Something the pin on Hotch at 10:03.

Rating: B-. Good, fast paced match here, though as usual there is only so much you can get out of having this many people out there at once. Something continues to be a dominant monster when he is given the chance, though it is hard to imagine Ali losing the title so soon. Something needs to win something but for now he might just have to win a title shot in a scramble match.

Dirty Dango, with company, complains about how people only care about match ratings instead of promos. He has two anchors weighing him down so Oleg Prudius walks off.

AJ Francis says Rich Swann will give his explanation next week. Now go away.

Here is Deaner to say he has had a lot of failures in recent years and those failures are because of him. When he was a kid, he decided he loved wrestling and now he wants to get his passion back. Therefore, every decision he will make will belong to the fans. Cue the Grizzled Young Veterans to say Deaner needs to listen to them because he is nothing. Now jog on! Deaner puts it up to the fans, who think he should stay. The people have spoken and the fight is on, with the Timesplitters (scheduled to fight the Veterans) to clear the ring. It’s a new thing for Deaner, but it’s still Deaner and that’s hard to overcome.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Timesplitters

Shelley runs Drake over to start and it’s off to Kushida, who gets taken down rather quickly. That doesn’t last long so it’s back to Shelley, who takes Drake down by the arm. Drake is sent cashing out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Shelley fighting his way out of the corner and taking out Gibson’s arm, including what might be seen as a cheap shot.

Gibson goes after Shelley’s knee though and they head outside, with the knee being dropped onto the apron. Back in and Shelley reverses into some kind of a leglock, only to have Drake make a save of his own. Shelley fights up and grabs a hiptoss of all things, allowing the tag back to Kushida. House is cleaned but the Veterans cut him off with an assisted Sliced Bread #2. Everything breaks down and Shelley comes back in with the Shell Shock. Kushida grabs the Hoverboard Lock to make Drake tap at 12:15.

Rating: B-. This is another example of a match where the talent involved was enough to carry them to a good result. Shelley continues to have an edge in there and the heel turn seems rather imminent. For now though we’re getting to see him do well with his other partner, which isn’t the kind of result you often see. At the same time, it would be nice for the Veterans to win something bigger than one fall in a series against the ABC.

We get a sitdown interview with Hammerstone, who talks about how he had a match here on Xplosion several years ago. He was told he wasn’t ready, and that gave him a big chip on his shoulder. Then he came back and attacked Josh Alexander, though Hannifan points out that Hammerstone lost. Hammerstone: “Are you an interviewer or commentary?”

Hammerstone says he showed he was smarter and holds up Alexander’s headgear as his trophy. If Alexander wants another shot, he can get beaten up. Hammerstone was quite the villain here, with little things like asking if Hannifan preferred Tom or Thomas and then calling him the opposite making it better.

Digital Media Title: Crazzy Steve vs. PCO

PCO is challenging and they go to the floor to start with PCO sending him into the apron. Steve sends him into the post though and hammers away back inside. Some more shots just wake PCO up though and he hits a Codebreaker out of the corner. A middle rope legdrop to the back of the head sets up the DeAnimator but cue Kon with a bunch of weapons.

Some of those weapons are thrown inside so PCO goes outside for the brawl. As Steve has the referee, the chairs are set up (the fans prefer tables) but PCO takes too long, allowing Kon to drop him onto the chairs. That’s enough for Steve to grab the pin and retain the title at 8:24.

Rating: C+. This was a two part match, with things being split between the match itself and everything between PCO and Kon. They needed a way to keep PCO strong and avoid him winning the title, which they managed to do (albeit with the referee looking rather incompetent). Steve’s nice run continues and that’s another name he can add to his wins list.

Decay wants their rematch with Spitfire but MK Ultra interrupt. They should get the first title match so a #1 contenders match is set up.

Here is Eric Young for a chat. Young says Frankie Kazarian should watch what he wishes for, because he has Young’s attention. The challenge is on for Full Metal Mayhem at Rebellion.

Ashe By Elegance vs. Seleziya Sparx

Sparx talks trash to start but gets punched/kneed in the face for her efforts. We pause for Ashe to have her hand checked on by her handler, setting up a handspring elbow in the corner. A rather long Rarefied Air finishes for Ashe at 2:35.

Post match Ashe stays on Sparx but Xia Brookside runs in for the save.

Here is Nic Nemeth for a chat. He wants the World Title but he respects everyone in that locker room far too much to be handed a title shot. He proved that to Steve Maclin but Moose couldn’t wait, which has gotten Nemeth a title shot. Cue the System to interrupt, with Moose saying that if anyone knows Nemeth’s career, they know he can’t beat the system. And that’s it. Rather short here and it almost felt like they were rushed for time.

Knockouts Title: Tasha Steelz vs. Jordynne Grace

Grace is defending and knocks back a charging Steelz as we take a break less than thirty seconds in. Back with Steelz being dropped again, setting up a spinebuster to give Grace two. The Juggernaut Driver is blocked and Steelz grabs a triangle choke, which is broken up with a powerbomb for two.

The MuscleBuster is countered as well and Steelz hits Sliced Bread #2 for two of her own. Steelz sends her out to the apron so Grace goes up top, where she is kicked in the head. A hurricanrana brings her down but Grace is back with a discus lariat. The Juggernaut Driver is enough to retain the title at 11:15.

Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this one as Grace kept fighting back and never felt like she was in serious danger. Then again there was little reason to believe that Steelz was going to be a threat, as Grace is pretty far ahead of everyone else in the division. There is a good chance that Ashe By Elegance will be the next challenger, but Grace looked dominant here, with Steelz’s best stuff not getting her very far.

Overall Rating: C+. They covered a lot of things here and it made for a good enough show, though there was nothing worth going out of your way to see. At the same time, a lot of the big stuff at Rebellion is set and they enhanced some of it here. With so many weeks before the show, they have time to use a show like this, though the rest of the card needs to start being set up soon.

Results
Jake Something b. Leon Slater, Chris Bey, Alan Angels, Jon Skyler and Kevin Knight – Into The Void to Skyler
Timesplitters b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Hoverboard Lock to Drake
Crazzy Steve b. PCO – Rollup
Ashe By Elegance b. Seleziya Sparx – Rarefied Air
Jordynne Grace b. Tasha Steelz – Juggernaut Driver

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: February 29, 2024
Location: Alario Center, Westwego, Louisiana
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re officially out of the Scott D’Amore era as the show he set up, No Surrender, has come and gone. That means we are on the way to Sacrifice and we should be in for a big showdown with Moose defending the World Title against Eric Young. Other than that, Mustafa Ali is the new X-Division Champion after beating Chris Sabin. The rest of the card will need to be built so let’s get to it.

Here is No Surrender if you need a recap.

In Memory of Ole Anderson and Mike Jones (Virgil).

No Surrender recap.

Opening sequence.

Mike Bailey vs. Steve Maclin

Trent Seven and the Rascalz are here too. Bailey firs off the bouncing kicks to start and they’re already on the floor for a strike off. Both of them have to dive back in to beat the count, where Maclin hits a clothesline to the floor. The Rascalz get in a chop block to put Bailey down and it’s Maclin working on the leg back inside. The spear in the corner only hits post though and Bailey kicks him in the face.

A springboard flip dive drops Maclin on the floor and shows you what Bailey thinks about selling a banged up leg. They strike it out on the apron until Bailey’s moonsault knees only hit said apron. Maclin spears him down to the floor and Mayhem For All gets two on Bailey. Seven offers a distraction of his own, allowing Bailey to fire off some kicks. The tornado kick is blocked though and Maclin hits a buckle bomb. Bailey shrugs that off and hits a poisonrana but misses the Ultimate Weapon. KIA gives Maclin the pin at 7:34.

Rating: C+. And that is the kind of Bailey match that drives me nuts. He had his leg worked on for a good bit and then started jumping around and doing all of his flips and kicks. It takes me out of the match every single time and that was certainly the case again here. The action was good but I didn’t enjoy it, with the blame being pretty firmly on Bailey.

Post match Maclin calls out Nic Nemeth, who pops up on screen to show off his new IWGP Global Title. The match is made for Sacrifice.

We look at Eric Young becoming #1 contender to the World Title by beating Frankie Kazarian at No Surrender. Then Kazarian beat the fire out of an official.

Earlier today, Frankie Kazarian was told he was suspended and couldn’t come in. This led to a threat to Santino Marella.

Laredo Kid vs. Jake Something

Something gets caught with an early headscissors to put him outside, where Kid’s dive is countered into a sitout powerbomb. Back in and Into The Void is blocked, allowing Kid to hit a missile dropkick. A running flipping DDT gives Kid one and a middle rope moonsault gets two. Back up and Into The Void plants Kid for the pin at 3:07.

Rating: C+. It was a fast paced match and Something continues to feel like someone who should be a big deal if he was given the chance. For some reason that doesn’t ever actually take place but it’s nice to have another tease. At the same time, Kid is one of the better hands around and he made Something look rather good here.

Alan Angels is late to this week’s Sound Check, with special guest Kon. There is extra security around here but Kon isn’t impressed by Angels trying to be his friend. Kon isn’t scared of PCO, who shows up to wreck Angels and glaring at Kon, who isn’t scared. They both pull back punches and the camera cuts.

AJ Francis/Deaner vs. Joe Hendry/Rich Swann

Before the match, Hendry talks about how this is Francis’ in-ring debut and he won’t want to flop. We want this to be a good start, so Hendry doesn’t want anyone to chant AJ SUCKS. He knows the fans want to chant WE BELIEVE though and we’re ready to go. Francis knocks Hendry off the apron to start and we take a break less than a minute in.

Back with Hendry coming in for a double elbow to Deaner, followed by some rhythmic chops. Deaner knocks him into the corner though and Francis comes in to plant him hard. Hendry manages to get Francis onto his shoulders but can’t hold him up, instead settling for a DDT. Everything breaks down and Swann takes out Francis, leaving Hendry to hit Deaner with the Standing Ovation for the pin at 9:21.

Rating: C. The break didn’t help things here but there is only so much you’re going to get out of a team with Deaner and Francis. The good thing is TNA isn’t treating Francis as anything serious and at least he is losing when he gets in the ring. Hendry still needs something better to do, but I’ll take he and Swann getting on the show.

Decay are in New Orleans to get the Knockouts Tag Team Titles back.

Hammerstone has officially signed with TNA. Cool.

Josh Alexander is ready for his rematch with Hammerstone at Sacrifice. Dirty Dango and company interrupt to plug his wrestling academy, so Alexander says he’ll get the match made.

Here are the Good Hands to introduce Mustafa Ali (while thinking we’re in Mississippi) for his X-Division Championship celebration. Ali says the people have accepted change and made the X-Division great again. Cue Chris Sabin to interrupt, with Ali giving him the floor. Sabin talks about how they are both champions and that’s where the similarities end.

To Sabin, change is about making things better but for Ali, change is about himself. Ali says the Good Hands are here to support change, but at No Surrender, no one supported Sabin. That’s fine with Sabin, who is here to fight. The brawl is on, with Kevin Knight and Kushida running in to even things out and clear the ring.

Here is Ash By Elegance with a huge announcement: next week she is having her SECOND MATCH! You’re welcome.

Mustafa Ali is livid about what happened and promises consequences.

Tasha Steelz vs. Xia Brookside

For a Knockouts Title shot at Sacrifice. Steelz takes her into the corner to start as Jordynne Grace is watching from the back. A headbutt puts Brookside down for two and Steelz stomps down in the corner. The chinlock goes on as they’re not wasting time here. Brookside fights up and makes the clothesline comeback, including Broken Wings in the corner. The Brooksie Bomb is blocked though, with Brookside settling with sending her outside. A running neckbreaker hits Steelz on the floor but they brawl for the double countout at 5:18.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to go very far and odds are the ending sets up the triple threat at Sacrifice. The problem here was they billed it as a rubber match which is true, but it’s only so interesting when I don’t think the three matches added up to twenty minutes. That doesn’t make for the most interesting series and we didn’t even have a winner. Not exactly inspiring stuff.

Post match Grace comes out to say she’ll fight them both at Sacrifice.

Rhino promises to Gore Gore Gore Crazzy Steve.

Sacrifice rundown.

ABC/Eric Young vs. The System

Moose bails from Young to start so Young bites Myers’ arm. ABC comes in for a double armdrag for two on Myers, followed by Bey armdragging Edwards into an armbar. Edwards gets stuck in the corner for a series of running elbows to the face and a near fall but he manages to drop Bey. Now Moose is willing to come in and the villains start taking turns on Bey. Back up and Bey flips out of a suplex, allowing Austin to come back in for a dropkick. Moose cuts Austin off on the apron though and we take a break.

We come back with Moose coming in to stomp away before knocking the System off the apron. Austin gets over for the tag to Bey but the referee doesn’t see it (always works) so the beating continues. A front facelock doesn’t last long for Myers so Austin kicks him in the face, allowing the tag off to Young.

Everything breaks down and Bey gets to kick Moose out to the floor. Bey’s big running flip dive is pulled out of the air for a powerbomb but Young is right there with the suicide dive. Back in and ABC kick away at Moose, with the 1-2-Sweet connecting and Edwards making the save. Austin kicks Myers to the floor but Moose cuts him off. The Backpack Stunner hits Bey and Myers’ top rope elbow connects to finish Bey at 17:13.

Rating: B. This was a good example of having two feuds put together at once, assuming Myers/Edwards get the Tag Team Title shot at Sacrifice. That’s the kind of match that makes sense and does a lot of good, especially with such a quick turnaround between the big shows. The action worked well here too and they can still do more to set up Young vs. Moose next week.

Overall Rating: B-. They were walking quite the fine line here as they had this and one more show to set up Sacrifice. The show isn’t quite a sequel to No Surrender but it’s the next step in a lot of things. That didn’t leave them much time to get things ready, but thankfully a lot of the setup was already done. That left us with a pretty good show, with the main event as the highlight, as it often is. If you can get Bailey to sell his injuries a bit more, the show could be that much better, but this did what was needed.

Results
Steve Maclin b. Mike Bailey – KIA
Jake Something b. Laredo Kid – Into The Void
Joe Hendry/Rich Swann b. AJ Francis/Deaner – Standing Ovation to Deaner
Tasha Steelz vs. Xia Brookside went to a double countout
The System b. Eric Young/ABC – Top rope elbow to Young

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Impact Wrestling
Date: February 15, 2024
Location: Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, Florida
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We have just over a week to go before No Surrender and the card seems to be all set up. In this case that means we should be focusing on building towards everything that is already set up. There are still some spots that could be filled on the No Surrender card though so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Jake Something

Kazarian strikes away to start but Something hits a jumping body block to send Kazarian outside. Back in and a running clothesline puts Kazarian right back on the floor but he’s able to snap the throat across the top rope. A neckbreaker gets two on Something and Kazarian feels the need to slap him in the face a few times. The chickenwing is blocked with a ram in the corner though and something hits a heck of a running forearm.

Something’s powerbomb is countered with a shot to the face so he grabs a Michinoku Driver for two. Kazarian blocks Into the Void and grabs a slingshot DDT for a rather near fall. Back up and Something’s charge hits post as we see Eric Young watching. Something blocks the super Flux Capacitor but Kazarian pulls him off the ropes with a crash. A rollup while grabbing the rope finishes for Kazarian at 9:16.

Rating: C+. Kazarian is on the rise around here and is becoming one of the bigger heels in the company. The big showdown with Eric Young (based on their team which lasted….maybe a week) is on the horizon and that should make for a good match at Rebellion. As for Something, he still feels like someone who could have a nice breakout run, but he has to win a few big matches to get there.

Post break Young wants Kazarian to meet him in the ring to settle this like men.

Jordynne Grace vs. Savannah Evans

Non-title. Evans drives her straight into the corner to start and snaps off a suplex as Grace can’t get anything going to start. A running shoulder connects for Evans but a second hits Grace’s raised boot. The running Vader Bomb gives Grace one but the MuscleBuster finishes for Grace at 2:38.

Post match Gisele Shaw runs in with the big red X to the face, followed by a running knee to leave Grace laying.

Ash By Elegance’s handler gets rid of Gia Miller and introduces Ash, who says she’ll be making her in-ring debut next week. The handler is pleased but the returning Gia isn’t sure what to think.

It’s time for Alan Angels’ Sound Check with Simon Gotch, who debuted last week to attack Josh Alexander. Gotch talks about Alexander’s path to TNA but now it’s not the same Alexander. Gotch says he helped bring Alexander here but his name is edited out. We see a clip of Alexander beating Gotch (then known as Simon Grimm), though now Gotch is back from the dead. Alexander storms in but they’re kept apart.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. ABC

This is both a title match and a non-title match, as it’s the second match in a best of three series. If the Veterans win, they are the new champions but if ABC wins, we go to a third match. Bey and Gibson get things going with Bey dodging a bit before hitting a Thesz press with right hands. Austin (with his injured shoulder) comes in for some rapid fire stomping in the corner before it’s back to Bey to hammer on Drake.

We go back to Austin, who gets caught in the wrong corner for a running dropkick to the back arm to put the Veterans in control. Back from a break with an assisted shoulder breaker getting two on Austin as the Veterans have a target. Austin manages to duck a clothesline though and the hot tag brings Bey back in.

Bey cleans house, including a dive to Gibson and a double kick to his head. The bad arm gives out before the 1-2-Sweet though and it’s a Doomsday Device for two on Bey, leading to much frustration. Bey manages a kick off the ropes and the one armed Austin comes in to start the comeback. Drake gets smart by going after the bad arm but Bey breaks up grit Your Teeth. That leaves Austin to roll Drake up for the pin to tie the series at 13:44.

Rating: B. Like I said when the series started, there was almost no way that this wasn’t going to work. You have two talented teams and they have shown more than enough chemistry together to put on a heck of a series. The first two matches have been good but the third has the potential to be a classic, especially if the champs are fighting from beneath due to the bad arm.

Dirty Dango mocks the idea of star ratings or PWI rankings being important and says they’re looking for tag teams to beat up.

Mustafa Ali talks about how the X-Division has been going through a bunch of changes. Does it have the right leadership to work though? Ali approves this message.

The Good Hands seem to offer Ali (not here) their services when Chris Sabin comes in and loses it a bit.

Digital Media Title: Crazzy Steve vs. Rhino

Steve is defending and Rhino runs him over hard to start. They go outside so Rhino can get an early table but Steve slides it back under the ring. Rhino drops him back first onto the apron and adds a suplex on the ramp as commentary points out the lack of a DQ. Back in and Steve tries to bring in the title but gets it taken away, allowing Rhino to hit a clothesline for two. The Gore is loaded up but Steve knees him in the face. Steve pulls out the fork for a distraction, allowing him to get in a belt shot for the pin to retain at 4:41.

Rating: C-. They got in there, they did some stuff, Steve cheated to win. This isn’t quite the same monster that Steve had been before but I’ll take him adding another win. Steve could do this for a good while and someone getting to take the title from him should be a good moment. That wasn’t going to be Rhino, though beating him means a bit for Steve.

PCO wants Kon.

Deaner vs. Joe Hendry

Hold on though as AJ Francis interrupts with a rap about Hendry and dubs himself TNA J Francis. Hendry says this has him off guard because he usually does this to people. And never mind as he has a new music video for Francis, talking about how Francis can’t dive and set to AJ Styles’ Get Ready To Fly in a brilliant addition. Deaner jumps Hendry and Francis comes in for the chokeslam. Rich Swann makes the save and there’s no match.

We look at Steve Maclin attacking Nick Nemeth in Puerto Rico.

Maclin and the Rascalz are happy with what happened but Mike Bailey and Trent Seven interrupt. Trent vs. Maclin is set for next week.

Killer Kelly vs. Dani Luna

Masha Slamovich and Jody Threat are here too. Kelly takes Luna down to start and hits a running kick to the chest, followed by some trapping headbutts. The Angel’s Wings are blocked though and Luna runs Kelly over. Slamovich tries to cheat but Threat cuts her off, allowing Luna to grab the rollup pin at 2:47.

Post match the brawl is on until Decay comes in to stare at everyone.

No Surrender rundown.

Moose vs. Kushida

Non-title and everyone is banned from ringside. Moose starts fast by powering him into the corner but a low bridge sends Moose outside. The slingshot dive is pulled out of the air though and Kushida is dropped onto the apron as we take a break. Back with Moose hitting a dropkick and they head outside, where Kushida gets slammed on the floor.

The apron bomb is broken up and Kushida grabs the cross armbreaker on the apron. With that broken up, Kushida’s moonsault press gets two back inside. The Hoverboard Lock sends Moose bailing to the ropes so Kushida goes with a Code Red for two. Kushida loads up the handspring elbow but walks into a spear to give Moose the pin at 9:51.

Rating: B-. They didn’t have time here but it’s another case where you know these two are going to have a solid match based on the talent alone. That was the case here, as Moose is feeling it as the athletic monster and Kushida is…well Kushida, meaning he is going to work well with anyone. Good main event here and I could go for a longer version.

Post match the System comes in to beat Kushida down until Alex Shelley and Kevin Knight run in for the big brawl. The System is cleared out to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. As you might have expected, they didn’t cover a bunch of new stuff here, save for maybe the second match of the series. As you also might have expected, they made the whole thing work with the show being rather efficient throughout. I kind of want to see No Surrender, but I’m almost scared to see what happens with Scott D’Amore gone soon.

Results
Frankie Kazarian b. Jake Something – Rollup while grabbing the rope
Jordynne Grace b. Savannah Evans – MuscleBuster
ABC b. Grizzled Young Veterans – Rollup to Drake
Crazzy Steve b. Rhino – Belt shot
Dani Luna b. Killer Kelly – Rollup
Moose b. Kushida – Spear

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: February 1, 2024
Location: Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, Florida
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re out of Nevada and things are starting to pick up around here as we’re on the road to…whatever the next show is going to be. Odds are it’s another of the monthly events rather than the major pay per views and that is far from a bad thing. If nothing else, Nic Nemeth has to worry about Steve Maclin and that should be a focal point around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Nic Nemeth vs. Trey Miguel

Zachary Wentz is here with Miguel, who jumps Nemeth to start and they trade some dropkicks. Wentz offers a distraction though and Miguel hits a dive to take over. Back in and Nemeth fights out of an armbar before sending a charging Miguel into the post. Miguel’s cheap shot gets two but Nemeth is fine enough to dropkick him out of the air for a double breather.

The comeback is on with Nemeth hitting a Stinger Splash into the ten elbows for two. A Fameasser gives Nemeth two more but Wentz breaks up the superkick. That’s enough to get Wentz ejected, leaving Miguel to hit a top rope Meteora for two. Miguel loads up his own superkick but walks into Nemeth’s for the pin at 7:03.

Rating: C+. Nemeth continues to establish himself in TNA and that shouldn’t take much time. While he is getting some wins like this one, his first big match will likely be with Steve Maclin and that should go well. They’re off to a good start with Nemeth and I’m curious to see where he goes from here, which is a good sign.

Post match Steve Maclin runs in and beats down Nemeth.

Deaner wants to restart the Design but Kon says the team is dead and it’s time to remind people how bad he is.

Steve Maclin seems to have united with the Rascalz but Mike Bailey doesn’t appear to approve.

Decay vs. Mila Moore/Savannah Thorne

Non-title. Rosemary and Moore start things off with the latter dodging away. Moore charges into an elbow in the corner and we hit the Upside Down. Havok comes in for a Death Valley Driver into the chokebomb/hair slam combination to finish Thorne at 2:44.

MK Ultra want their rematch for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles at No Surrender but Jody Threat and Dani Luna come in to make a singles match for tonight.

We get the debut edition off Alan Angels’ Sound Check with Josh Alexander. Angels brags about Alexander’s career but thinks Alexander should respect him more. We hear about Alexander’s kid and that makes him walk off. This was a disaster by design.

Brian Myers vs. Kevin Knight

The Edwards’s are here with Myers. Knight shoves him into the corner and avoids an early splash. A springboard armdrag into a springboard cutter drops Myers again but Myers suplexes him onto the floor as we take a break. Back with Myers slowly kicking away and grabbing the chinlock. Knight sends him outside and hits the big dive, followed by a springboard clothesline for two. Knights’ running DDT gets two but Myers gets in a low blow, setting up the impaler DDT for two. The Roster Cut finishes for Myers at 10:42.

Rating: C+. Knight’s high flying offense was worth a look and it was smart to let Myers get in a clean win without the help of the System. It’s not like beating Knight is that big of a deal but at some point you need to let the team look good. Knight is someone who could be something in the future, but we’re a good ways off from that point.

Post match the System goes after Knight but Kushida makes the save.

Chris Sabin is ready if Mustafa Ali is coming for him and the X-Division Title. Ali’s video pops up to talk about how change is needed. The Good Hands come in to say Ali will be the next champion so Sabin will fight one of them next week.

Here is Frankie Kazarian to explain his recent turn on Eric Young. He came back here a year ago and he saved this company. After a year, he has given everything to this business and now it is time to start taking because he has earned the right to do so. He has watched people who have not sacrificed as much as he has take back and that needs to stop.

Now it is his turn and he has no desire to be a hero. It is time for him to become a monster and that is what he will do. That brings him to Eric Young, who is a two time World Champion, while Kazarian has been a soldier in the trenches. Everything he does is for the betterment of this company and you have permission to hate him. That’s a good explanation and Kazarian sold it well.

Alex Shelley says he’s getting his World Title rematch at No Surrender and it’s worried about the System.

We get another Ash By Elegance video, which is more on the glamorous side, featuring evening gowns and champagne.

Here is a distressed Deaner to be upset about the Design being gone. If something is dead, it isn’t coming back to life. You should know what that means.

Deaner vs. PCO

PCO runs him over to start and the PCOsault finishes at 1:02.

Post match Kon comes in to lay them both out, including a neck snap to Deaner. A chokeslam and claw leave PCO laying.

AJ Francis again offers his services to Rich Swann who again shuts him down. Rhino comes in and tells Francis to f*** off.

We look at Jordynne Grace appearing as a surprise appearance in the WWE Royal Rumble. Her mother and step brother drove 22 hours to be there.

Masha Slamovich vs. Jody Threat

Killer Kelly and Dani Luna are here too. Threat starts fast and elbows her in the face but Slamovich comes out of the corner with a kick to the face. Slamovich snaps off a suplex and kicks away at the chest before avoiding running knees. Three straight clotheslines give Slamovich two but Threat is back with the running knees against the ropes. A German suplex connects but Kelly grabs the legs. Luna takes her out, only for Slamovic to grab the Snow Plow for the pin at 4:14.

Rating: C. This was a match that didn’t exactly add much as they set up a match after MK Ultra had already said they were coming for the titles. That didn’t leave much here, but it did get Slamovich in the ring before the title shot. Granted it might have been better had she and her partner wrestled together, but it’s better than nothing.

The System has attacked Kushida with Alex Shelley showing up to check on his friend.

No Surrender rundown.

ABC vs. Grizzled Young Veterans

Non-title but match #1 in a 2/3 series for ABC’s Tag Team Titles. Gibson works on Bey’s arm to start but can’t get very far. Everything breaks down and the champs clear the ring without much trouble as we take a break. Back with Bey fighting out of the corner but Drake cuts him off before the hot tag.

Drake grabs a chinlock before it’s off to Gibson for one of his own. That’s broken up and Bey gets over for the tag so Austin can come in and clean house. A quick double stomp hits Drake and Bey is back in with a frog splash for two. Drake knocks Austin down again and we hit the forearms, complete with trash talk.

Bey breaks up a Doomsday Device and it’s a torture rack/spinning kick to the head combination for two on Gibson. All four brawl in the ring and it’s ABC kicking them to the floor. Austin hits a big running flip dive to take out Gibson but Drake trips him down with the scarf. Grit Your Teeth finishes Austin at 15:38.

Rating: B. I could go for more from these guys and that is exactly what we are going to get. ABC needs some fresh competition and it’s nice to see the Veterans being themselves rather than whatever they were stuck doing in NXT. The champs had to lose the first match to make the Veterans seem like a real threat and where else are you going to see a scarf used to win a match?

Overall Rating: C+. I’ve said this before and it’s still true: Impact is the easiest show to jump into as there is nothing overly complicated. The stories make sense and there are enough recaps to fill someone in without any real trouble. That is something so few promotions can make work and they do it here every week. As usual, there was no blowaway match (though the main event was good) but it advanced enough stuff to make me want to see how things play out. That’s how a weekly show is supposed to go and this one did its job well.

Results
Nic Nemeth b. Trey Miguel – Superkick
Decay b. Mila Moore/Savannah Thorne – Chokebomb/hair slam combination to Thorne
Brian Myers b. Kevin Knight – Roster Cut
PCO b. Deaner – PCOsault
Masha Slamovich b. Jody Threat – Snow Plow
Grizzled Young Veterans b. ABC – Grit Your Teeth to Austin

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: January 25, 2024
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Paradise, Nevada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re on the second week of the regular show and things got a bit more interesting last week. Nic Nemeth is around and already has a target on his back thanks to Steve Maclin. Other than that, Josh Alexander seems back on top of his game after beating Will Ospreay in a rather good match. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Frank Caiazzo, better known as Francisco Ciatso, an independent wrestler who passed away recently.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence, now with Cross The Line. I miss We Own The Night.

Chris Bey vs. Kevin Knight

Ace Austin is here with Bey, who starts with a headlock. Knight powers out of that and grabs an armdrag, followed by a very enthusiastic slam. That’s not working for Bey, as he sends Knight outside and hits a hard dive. Back in and Knight hits a springboard clothesline for two but Bey catches him in the ropes. A springboard legdrop to the back of the head sets up the Art Of Finesse for the pin on Knight at 6:47.

Rating: C+. Knight was definitely bringing the energy here and it made for a good opener. Bey is someone who can have a good match with anyone and once the ABC stuff is over, I wouldn’t object to seeing him doing something higher on the card. For now though, I’ll settle for him having a nice opening match with an up and comer.

Post match the Grizzled Young Veterans run in to lay out ABC.

Ash By Elegance video.

We look back at Frankie Kazarian snapping on Eric Young last week.

Rich Swann asks what’s up with Kazarian, who blows him off. With Kazarian gone, AJ Francis comes up to say he wants to be in Swann’s corner, but Swann isn’t impressed.

Dirty Dango/Oleg Prudius vs. Damian Drake/Dante King

Alpha Bravo is here with Dango/Prudius. Drake gets ran over and sent outside to start as Dango has a seat on the ramp. Dango bothers to come in and hits a Nightmare On Helm Street to finish King at 1:42. Total squash.

The Grizzled Young Veterans say they weren’t pinned at Hard To Kill so they want a Tag Team Title shot. Santino Marella comes in to say that doesn’t work but ABC comes in to say they want a fight. Santino makes a 2/3 series for the titles, starting next week.

The Motor City Machine Guns and Kazuchika Okada are ready for the System.

Knockouts Title: Trinity vs. Jordynne Grace

Grace is defending and, after the Big Match Intros, gets punched up against the ropes. Trinity pulls her into Starstruck but Grace is right next to the ropes. A splits splash gets two but Grace is back with a spinebuster for two of her own as we take a break. Back with Grace countering a neckbreaker out of the corner, setting up a Vader Bomb for two.

A hanging headscissor driver gives Trinity two as commentary talks about everything else coming on the show. Grace takes her up top for a superplex and then rolls into a Jackhammer for another near fall. Not to be out done, Trinity grabs her full nelson bomb into a rollup for two of her own. An exchange of rollups for two each set up Starstruck but Grace reverses into a cradle for the pin to retain at 11;15.

Rating: B-. It was completely fine and the ending sequence was good, but it never quite got into the next gear. Trinity winning the title and holding it for a good while was a nice moment but it makes sense that Grace is the next big thing. She’s been on top of the division before and having her win here is a good way to establish her dominance.

Post match Gisele Shaw, Jai Vidal and Savannah Evans run in for the beatdown and leave Grace and Trinity laying.

The System is ready to go international tonight.

Josh Alexander is proud of his win last week but Alan Angels interrupts and wants Alexander on his new talk show. Sure why not.

Nic Nemeth vs. Zachary Wentz

Trey Miguel is here with Wentz and this is Nemeth’s first ever match outside of WWE or its minor leagues. Nemeth wrestles him to the ropes to start but Wentz gets in a shot to the face. A handspring knee to the face misses for Wentz but Miguel offers a distraction, allowing Wentz to take it to the floor.

Back in and Wentz chokes away until Miguel gets in a cheap shot of his own. Nemeth fights up and hits a Stinger Splash into a neckbreaker, only to miss a charge into the post. An exchange of rollups sets up Nemeth’s running DDT for two, followed by Wentz’s spinning half nelson slam for two. Back up and the Danger Zone (Zig Zag) finishes for Nemeth at 7:32.

Rating: B-. So that’s how Nemeth got started outside of WWE and he did well enough. I’m not sure what Nemeth is going to be doing in TNA that is different than his time in WWE, but getting in the ring is a good start. Nemeth is a big signing for TNA and it’s good to see him getting to do something, as he’s too good to be on the sidelines for as long as he was in WWE.

Post match Steve Maclin comes in to jump Nemeth but gets Danger Zoned as well.

Crazzy Steve says he doesn’t like listening to people but Rhino comes in to say maybe he should make Steve listen. Rhino shoves him down and Steve laughs.

Decay, in a white room, talk about being back to normal and being glad to be away from their too nice versions.

Dani Luna/Jody Threat vs. MK Ultra

Luna powers Slamovich down to start and Threat adds a basement lariat for two. Things settle down a bit and MK double teams Luna down to take over, including a suplex into a legdrop. Luna runs Kelly over though and it’s off to Threat to clean house. Kelly catches Threat on top though and it’s a double piledriver (that looked good) to give Slamovich the pin at 3:35.

Rating: C. Not much to see here there other than MK Ultra getting a win to reestablish themselves after losing the titles. The title change came out of pretty much nowhere as, again, there is barely anything to the tag division at the moment. Or ever or that matter, but that’s another problem for later.

Motor City Machine Guns/Kazuchika Okada vs. System

That would be Moose/Eddie Edwards/Brian Myers with Alisha Edwards. Shelley and Myers start things off but we get a six way staredown in less than fifteen seconds. We take a break and come back with Okada coming in for a staredown with Moose. The latter runs him over with a shoulder but the spear and Rainmaker both miss.

Sabin comes in to take on Edwards, with a leg crank keeping Edwards in trouble. That’s broken up and everything breaks down and the villains take over on Sabin. Myers grabs the chinlock and we take another break. Back again with Sabin hitting a middle rope double clothesline, followed by a heck of a springboard tornado DDT for two on Edwards. Shelley comes back in and the Guns get to clean house.

Sabin kicks Shelley in the face by mistake though and Edwards hits the Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Sabin is fine enough to hit a high crossbody and another DDT allows the tag off to Okada. House is cleaned and a neckbreaker gets two on Moose. There’s the top rope elbow to Moose but the Rainmaker is blocked. Moose cuts him off with a dropkick and they’re both down. Everything breaks down and Edwards hits the Backpack Stunner for two on Shelley. Moose is back in but gets kicked to the floor again. The Rainmaker into Shell Shock finishes Myers at 19:31.

Rating: B. It might have been a bit weird to have the System lose in a six man like this but there is no shame in losing to the Guns and Okada. Myers was out there to take the all as he might be good but he’s not quite on the level as Edwards and the reigning World Champion. It felt like a special match and if nothing else, it’s nice to have the real Okada here for a change.

We see a bunch of people standing around with someone talking about a change. It’s time for a sudden change with a new x-actor. He is Mustafa Ali and he approves this message. Well there’s a big one.

Overall Rating: B. The best thing I can take out of this show is that, at least so far, there hasn’t been a major change from Impact to TNA. While that makes me wonder how necessary the change was in the first place, I’ve liked the shows so far. What matters is keeping up the momentum and they’re doing just that so far, especially with names like Nemeth and Okada around for the time being. Good show here, with the main event being quite awesome.

Results
Chris Bey b. Kevin Knight – Art Of Finesse
Dirty Dango/Oleg Prudius b. Damian Drake/Dante King – Nightmare On Helm Street to King
Jordynne Grace b. Trinity – Cradle
MK Ultra b. Dani Luna/Jody Threat – Double piledriver to Threat
Motor City Machine Guns/Kazuchika Okada b. System – Shell Shock to Myers

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

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AND

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