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

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

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

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

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

We get both National Anthems.

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

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

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

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

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

We run down the card.

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

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

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

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

USA – 1
Canada – 0

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

Post match the Concierge gets the Stunner as well.

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

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

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

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

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

USA – 1
Canada – 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

USA – 2
Canada – 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

USA – 3
Canada – 2

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

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

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

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

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

USA – 4
Canada – 2

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

Matt Hardy has been attacked in the back.

The System (USA) vs. Northern Armory

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

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

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

USA – 4
Canada – 3

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

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

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

Vipress (USA) vs. Jody Threat (Canada)

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

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

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

USA – 5
Canada – 3

Santino Marella has been attacked as well.

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

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

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

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

USA – 5
Canada – 4

Hardy looks like he’s about to cry.

Allie and Barbie Blank argue.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

USA – 5
Canada – 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: May 22, 2025
Location: Bren Events Center, Irvine, California
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

It’s the last show before Under Siege and that could be the start of a rather eventful weekend. While TNA has its own show this weekend, its World Title is going to be on the line at Sunday’s NXT Battleground event. This is the go home show to set everything in stone and that can be a tricky way to go. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Mustafa Ali vs. Ace Austin

Ali, with a very banged up arm, has his cabinet with him. They start fast with Ali taking him down to little avail so he tries for the leg, earning himself a kick to the face from Austin. A tilt-a-whirl slam gives Austin two and he kicks Ali outside but Austin’s bad knee starts acting up. Ali is smart enough to go after that knee by pulling him out of the corner and then wrapping it around the post.

Back up and Ali ties him in the Tree of Woe, only to miss a baseball slide into the post for the painful landing. Austin misses something off the top though and gets Sharpshootered, sending him over to the ropes. Ali’s hard clothesline gets two but the 450 misses. Austin suplexes him into the corner so Ali pulls Tasha Steelz in front of him. That’s enough of a distraction for Ali to take the knee out again, setting up a kneebar for the tap at 6:59.

Rating: C+. This is a match that could have been better with more time, but they did some good stuff while they could. Ali going insane after his loss to Mike Santana is an interesting story, though I’m not sure where it’s going. Austin is someone who always felt like he could be a big deal but that doesn’t seem to likely be happening.

The System is ready to win at Under Siege and tonight.

Rosemary thinks she knows how to push Xia Brookside over the edge and has attacked Lei Ying Lee.

Northern Armory vs. Aztec Warriors

Eric Young is here with the Armory. Laredo and Williams spin around each other to no avail to start so Laredo takes him down to increase the frustration. Octagon comes in to headscissor Icarus into the corner, followed by a double faceplant and superkick. Williams offers a distraction though and Icarus goes after the eyes to take over. Young and Williams argue with the crowd though, allowing Octagon to come back in with some springboards. Reality sets back in for Williams but Octagon dives onto both of them. Back in and Laredo plants Icarus, setting up the moonsault for the pin at 5:56.

Rating: C. Not much to this one as neither team is exactly on fire at the moment. The Warriors are about as forgettable of a team as you have on the roster at this point and the Armory are even lower level lackeys than the Great Hands. That doesn’t make for a thrilling match and while the action was fine, it didn’t feel important at all.

Xia Brookside is ready to fight Rosemary at Under Siege.

Eddie Edwards vs. Jake Painter

Alisha Edwards is here and Cody Deaner is on commentary. Eddie jumps him to start and hammers away before throwing Painter outside. A Blue Thunder Bomb on the apron lets Eddie get in Deaner’s face but Painter grabs a small package for two. Painter hits a Backstabber for two more but he dives into a knee to the ribs. The Boston Knee Party finishes at 3:36.

Rating: C. I’ve said this since the beginning and it’s still true: it’s really hard to care about a story involving Cody Deaner’s future because there isn’t much of a reason to want to see him around. Even if he beats a star like Edwards on a fluke, I don’t want to see him around any longer. The match was there to show how dangerous Edwards is, even though we already know that, because Deaner can’t win a match before Under Siege. Hence the problem with the whole thing.

Video on Mance Warner and Steph de Lander. They like violence.

First Class vs. Sami Callihan/Mike Santana

O’Shea Jackson Jr. is on commentary. Francis runs Santana over to start but gets enziguried for some staggering. Navarro comes in and gets chopped down, followed by Callihan hitting a pop up powerbomb. Callihan tosses Navarro over the top, with Francis having to catch him. Back in and Navarro gets beaten down again, allowing the tag off to Santana. A Death Valley Driver plants Navarro and Francis gets clotheslined to the floor. Francis cuts off the Cactus Driver 97 though and a quick Blessing In Disguise gives Navarro the pin at 6:22.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure what is going on with Santana but it very well may be just waiting around and having him fill in time before he moves into the main event scene. Odds are he beats Francis at Under Siege and then we get to see where things go from here. For now though, Callihan taking the fall is fine as it’s not like he has anything better to do.

We look at Trick Williams and Joe Hendry performing music live on NXT, leading to a brawl.

Gia Miller is hosting a debate between Santino Marella (with Arianna Grace) and Robert Stone (with Victoria Crawford). Marella talks about how he came here just over two years ago and no one in his family has ever had political power before. Then Stone showed up and started messing with his business, which should not be happening. Stone says Marella has not made this a better place and Marella doesn’t belong in wrestling.

When Stone takes over, he’s going to fire the losers and make a lot of money. Marella calls him stupid and says he does what the people want. Cue Tessa Blanchard to go after Grace but Masha Slamovich runs in for the save. Blanchard is powerbomb onto (not through) the table (THUD) with Grace helping, followed by a running Death Valley Driver onto (again not through) the table in the corner for a nasty crash. This is a simple story, but why is Stone possibly able to take over in the first place?

Matt Cardona reveals that Steve Maclin isn’t medically cleared for Under Siege so he should be named champion. Santino Marella comes in to say Maclin will be cleared for next week so the title match is on for then instead. I’ll take that over a last second change the night of the show.

Spitfire is ready to put their careers on the line at Under Siege. It worked before so it’ll work again.

Spitfire vs. Vipress/Mazzerati

Luna takes Mazzerati down by the arm to start and hands it off to Threat for a running corner clothesline. Mazzerati is able to send them into each other though and Vipress comes in for a running kick to the chest. It’s back to Mazzerati for a cravate but Threat fights up and hands it back to Luna. Everything breaks down and a quick Pressure Drop finishes Vipress at 5:13.

Rating: C. This weekend is going to be the second time that Under Siege’s future as a team is on the line and I have the same “well, ok” response. Spitfire has yet to be an interesting team and while they have been successful, I have pretty much no reason to care about them. Having their future as a team built up doesn’t make me want to see them win more, as this match has been done more than enough times already.

Matt Hardy explains team chemistry to Leon Slater and thinks they could gel well together.

Under Siege rundown.

Elijah/Joe Hendry vs. The System

NXT’s Trick Williams is on commentary. Elijah headlocks Myers to start and grinds away a bit before dropping Myers with a running clothesline. Moose comes in to take over on a test of strength with Hendry and the villains take over for a bit. Hendry muscles Moose up for a suplex and it’s back to Elijah for an Old School tornado DDT. Moose drops Elijah though and we’re already in the chinlock as we take a break.

Back with Elijah still in trouble but Moose chops the post by mistake. Elijah kicks his way to freedom but the tag is cut off again. JDC gets in some choking from the floor and Myers grabs another quickly broken chinlock. The release Rock Bottom gives Moose two and it’s back to Myers, who gets caught with a jumping knee. That’s enough for the tag back to Hendry so house can be quickly cleaned. Hendry and Moose knock each other down so it’s back to Elijah for the Highwayman’s Farewell and the pin on Myers at 14:24.

Rating: C. They are in such a tough spot with this Hendry vs. Williams deal, as they have to get through the Under Siege tag match, which doesn’t feel important, because it’s just a big preview of Sunday’s title match. That leaves a bunch of standing around waiting and this match did not feel important in the slightest as a result. It wasn’t the wrestlers’ fault, but just the entire situation is a mess.

Post match Frankie Kazarian runs in to jump the winners but Elijah comes back with a guitar shot. Trick Williams is not pleased to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This show was stuck in a weird place and it showed badly. There is only so much you can do with the situation they’re in, as Under Siege could not feel much less important. That makes for a very weak go home show, even if the wrestlers were obviously trying. Not much to see this week, and hopefully they can find a way to make Under Siege feel more important.

Results
Mustafa Ali b. Ace Austin – Kneebar
Aztec Warriors b. Northern Armory – Moonsault to Icarus
Eddie Edwards b. Cody Deaner – Boston Knee Party
First Class b. Sami Callihan/Mike Santana – Blessing In Disguise to Callihan
Spitfire b. Vipress/Mazzerati – Pressure Drop to Vipress
Elijah/Joe Hendry b. The System – Highwayman’s Farewell to Myers

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: May 8, 2025
Location: Bren Events Center, Irvine, California
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re getting closer to Under Siege and that means we should be in for a card being set up sooner rather than later. One of the bigger matches is likely going to involve NXT’s Trick Williams, who has been going after TNA World Champion Joe Hendry. Other than that, there are a lot of holes to fill in so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Trick Williams, the #1 contender to the TNA World Title at NXT Battleground on May 25, to get things going. After bragging about his attractiveness, Williams brings up taking out Joe Hendry last week. He isn’t bothered by the booing and yells at a fan, before saying that Hendry wants to be liked while Williams wants to be respected. Williams is ready to take everything from Hendry, who comes to the ring for the brawl. Security breaks it up so Hendry beats up a guard to blow off some steam (that’s a bit out of character for him).

Robert Stone complains to Victoria Crawford about tonight’s card, because Santino Marella is bad at his job.

Rosemary vs. Lei Ying Lee

Xia Brookside is on commentary. Lee starts fast with a running crossbody for two but Rosemary takes her down and hammers away. A fall away slam gives Rosemary two and she bites the hand to cut off some chops. The Upside Down makes it worse for Lee, with Brookside thinking Rosemary is doing this to prove a point. Lee fights back and hammers away in the corner (Brookside approves) so Rosemary tries some brass knuckles. Brookside takes them away though and Thunderstruck gives Lee the pin at 4:29.

Rating: C+. They only had so much time here and Brookside continuing to stay on the good side, much to Rosemary’s chagrin, continues to set up their eventual showdown. That opens up a nice possibility, as Brookside has been needing something interesting for a long time now. It would be nice to see that go somewhere, and Lee is getting a bit of a rub of her own on the way.

Trick Williams and Mike Santana cross paths backstage. After a staredown, Santana moves on to Sami Callihan and a guy in a goblin mask. Santana appreciated the barbed wire massacre a few weeks ago, which gets a handshake from Callihan. First Class comes in and says they’re here to talk to Callihan. They want him in First Class but he leaves with the goblin instead. Santana doesn’t seem impressed.

By Elegance gives Maggie Lee a makeover. Full results coming later I’m assuming.

Great Hands vs. Aztec Warriors

Before the match, the Great Hands say Mustafa Ali has changed since Rebellion. They’re sorry for what happens next. Kid and Hotch run the ropes to start until Kid slaps him in the back of the head. Octagon comes in for a spinning high crossbody and a rather springboardy wristdrag.

Skyler gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and a neckbreaker gets two on Octagon. That doesn’t last long as Octagon rolls over and gets the tag off to Kid to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and the Warriors hit some dives to the floor. Back in and a driver puts Hotch down, setting up a handstand springboard moonsault to give Octagon the pin at 4:16.

Rating: B-. Good stuff here, with the Warriors being the local lucha team. That is something which is going to work no matter what and that was the case here. At the same time, the Great Hands are a team who can make anyone look good, which suits their name rather well. I can’t imagine the Warriors get to go very far, but at least they’re doing something in the short term.

Post match Mustafa Ali runs in to jump the Warriors but the Rascalz make the save.

Trey Miguel vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali forearms away to start and rolls over into a powerbomb to plant Miguel. An uppercut drops Miguel again but he sends Ali to the floor. The baseball slide is countered into a hanging DDT onto the floor though and they head back inside. A standing corkscrew moonsault gives Ali two and a bridging suplex gets the same. The rolling neckbreaker is cut off with a cutter though and Miguel gets to strike away.

The top rope Meteora gives Miguel two but Ali knocks him outside. That lets the seconds get in a brawl, with Wentz hitting a moonsault onto the Great Hands. Ali posts Wentz to take him out but the distraction lets Miguel come back with a diving tornado DDT. Tasha Steelz offers a distraction though and the Great Hands cut Miguel off. Ali’s swinging Downward Spiral is good for the pin at 7:19.

Rating: B. As usual, TNA knows how to use its talented wrestlers to put something good together. That’s what we got here, as Ali is one of the best talents on the roster and Miguel can hang with anyone. I could have gone with a bit less in the way of shenanigans, but it’s rather easy to watch these two in the ring together.

We look at Mustafa Ali successfully defending the X-Division Title against Ace Austin at Under Siege 2024. A little over half of the match, which ran 16 minutes in full, is shown.

Steve Maclin is ready to face Eric Young in a dog collar match for the International Title. It’s time to finish this.

Indi Hartwell talks about everything she has done to get here, including how much she loved TNA Wrestling. She doesn’t want to be a Knockout, because she wants to be THE Knockout. Not a bad line. I can go with giving Hartwell a try, as she never really got one on the main WWE roster.

Here are the Hardys for a chat. They lost the Tag Team Titles to the Nemeths and it makes them feel like they let the fans down. That doesn’t work for them, but now it’s time to fight, scratch and claw their way back to the titles. They are on the Hardy Soul Train and it’s time to DELETE the new champs’ title reign.

Cue the Nemeths to say they are going to make this fast because they have a plane to catch. They think the Hardys are legends but sometimes legends fall. The rematch can take place at Under Siege and they can make it a ladder match…but never mind because Jeff can’t go to Canada. This brings out Santino Marella to make Jeff vs. Nic next week and Matt/a partner of his choice vs. the Nemeths for the titles at Under Siege. If nothing else, I’ll take this over another Jeff beatdown just before the Canadian excursion.

We look at Nic and Jeff in a hardcore match years ago on Raw. Next week is their first regular singles match.

Victoria Crawford vs. Brittnie Brooks

Robert Stone is on commentary. Crawford knocks her into the corner to start and hits her always good bridging northern lights suplex for two. A headscissors out of the corner sets up the ax kick to give Crawford the pin at 1:27. Keeping this short might have been a good idea.

Post match Masha Slamovich comes out to brawl with Crawford but Tessa Blanchard comes in to drop Slamovich. Santino Marella comes out to make a tag match for next week but Stone is going to pick Slamovich’s partner: Nikkita Lyons from NXT. Uh, yay.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Arianna Grace tries to calm things down between Robert Stone and Santino Marella. Tessa Blanchard comes in to yell at her about the proper way to build on your family’s legacy.

International Title: Steve Maclin vs. Eric Young

Young, with the Northern Armory, is challenging in a dog collar match and Matt Cardona is on commentary. They pull each other closer with the chain and Young gets the better of a brawl. Maclin is already busted open and Young chokes away in the corner as Elijah is watching backstage. The blood is GUSHING and the Armory rubs it on their white shirts as Young chokes with the chain on the post. Young hammers away and throws Maclin back inside, where Maclin cuts them all off with a dive.

Back up and Young uses the chain to pull him throat first into the post and we take a break. We come back with Young choking away on the incredibly bloody Maclin as Ace Austin is now watching with Elijah. Maclin fights up with the clothesline comeback and whips Young with the chain. An Angle Slam gives Maclin two and a running knee drops Young again. Mance Warner and Steph de Lander are watching from the stage as the fight heads outside.

Maclin has to fight off the Armory again though and Young pulls him off the apron for a crash. Back in and Maclin catches Young on top and beats up the Armory. The distraction lets Young (either also bleeding or covered in Maclin’s blood) hit a piledriver for two but Maclin uses the chain to pull him off the top. KIA retains the title at 14:26.

Rating: B-. Your taste in blood may vary here, but it was more about violence than insanity like the Barbed Wire Massacre a few weeks back. Hopefully this lets Maclin move on to someone else, because there are a lot of possible challengers out there. Maclin looked good in surviving here, even with all of the blood, which was excessive even by TNA standards.

Maclin celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. For a show that had a lot going on and a lot to set up, almost everything was working here. The action was good, with the main event looking and feeling very important. Other than that, you had some things set up for Under Siege, which could use the boost given how much has been blown off recently. Solid show here, which is something TNA has been needing.

Results
Lei Ying Lee b. Rosemary – Thunderstruck
Aztec Warriors b. Great Hands – Handstand springboard moonsault to Hotch
Mustafa Ali b. Trey Miguel – Swinging Downward Spiral
Victoria Crawford b. Brittnie Brooks – Ax kick
Steve Maclin b. Eric Young – KIA

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

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

Here is Rebellion if you need a recap.

We open with a long Rebellion recap.

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

Mike Santana vs. Isaiah Moore

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

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

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

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

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

X-Division Title: Zachary Wentz vs. Moose

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maggie Lee vs. Jody Threat

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

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

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

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

Under Siege rundown.

KC Navarro vs. Leon Slater

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Unbreakable 2025
Date: April 17, 2025
Location: Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

This is the second half of a double shot from TNA this week as we just got done with a regular Impact and now it’s a Wrestlemania Week special. This show is going to be in a weird place as it is only a little over a week away from the much bigger Rebellion show, which should make for quite the tricky rope to walk. Let’s get to it.

We open with a look at the famous Unbreakable triple threat from 2005, which is the inspiration for tonight’s triple threat for the inaugural International Title.

International Title Tournament First Round: Eric Young vs. JDC vs. Zachary Wentz

Young and JDC agree to go after Wentz to start so Wentz bails out to the floor in a smart move. Back in and Wentz dances a bit before diving onto both of them to take over. A high crossbody puts the villains down again but Young is up to go after Wentz. Young shoves Wentz at JDC, who gets dropped with a Stunner.

Wentz and Young go out to the floor with Young taking over, but he isn’t happy with JDC going after the pin. A DDT drops Young but Wentz is right there with a double missile dropkick. Wentz hits a running shooting star on JDC and an RKO on Young, the former of whom pops back up with a Falcon Arrow for two. JDC is sent outside so Young hits a Death Valley Driver on Wentz, with JDC running back in for the save. Young piledrives JDC for the pin at 8:50.

Rating: C+. They only had so much time here and this could have been on any given edition of Impact. That being said, they needed something to fill in the time so having two of the three first round matches isn’t a bad idea. Young moving forward isn’t the most interesting choice, but there is a good chance he doesn’t win anyway.

We run down the rest of the card.

International Title Tournament First Round; Ace Austin vs. Steve Maclin vs. Eddie Edwards

Alisha Edwards is here with Eddie. Austin takes over to start and the other two clothesline each other to the floor. Eddie drops Austin onto the apron to take over but the Backpack Stunner is broken up. Maclin is back in with an Irish Curse to Eddie and he fires off some running clotheslines in the corner. The KIA is broken up and Maclin is knocked to the floor, leaving Austin to roll Eddie up for two.

A jumping double stomp to the back gives Austin two as Maclin is back in for the save. Eddie is sent outside and Austin tries his apron handstand, only for Maclin to break it up with the Scud in a nice sequence. Back in and Austin hits a Tower Of Doom for two each but Alisha crotches him on top. Eddie gives Austin a spider superplex but gets caught with the spear in the corner. Alisha’s interference doesn’t work as she slaps Eddie by mistake, setting up the KIA to send Maclin to the finals at 9:55.

Rating: B-. This was a more action packed match than the opener and it worked well, with the still popular Maclin going on to the title picture. While I could have gone for Austin winning the title in Chris Bey’s honor, this was a good way to go as well. If nothing else, the System losing is always worth a look as Alisha can throw some good fits.

Frankie Kazarian is fired up for the mixed tag tonight. Tessa Blanchard says she’s coming for Masha Slamovich tonight, but at Rebellion she’s coming for the title.

Earlier today, the System interrupted the UNLV men’s ice hockey national champions. We don’t know what else they did or said, but they did in fact interrupt them.

Moose vs. ???

Non-title open challenge with former NFL star Sean Merriman on commentary and…Sidney Akeem (formerly Reggie in TNA) answering. Moose wastes no time in whipping him hard into the corner to start but Akeem kicks him in the face. That’s broken up but the chokebomb is countered into a hurricanrana. Some dropkicks stagger Moose, who throws him outside without much trouble.

Akeem is back with a dive as the UNLV hockey team is in the front row. Moose powerbombs Akeem onto the apron but yells at the hockey players, allowing Akeem to cut him down. A crossbody gives Akeem two and he snaps off a hurricanrana on the floor. Back in and Moose misses a crossbody, allowing a backflip into a cutter to put Moose down. Alisha Edwards makes the save and gets ejected, but the distraction lets Moose hit a low blow. The spear finishes Akeem at 9:02.

Rating: C+. This is how Akeem can be best used, as he got to do his high spots and flips before losing to the bigger star. Moose cutting down a traditionally flippy guy is a good way to go for his title reign and that’s the direction they seem to have been going. It’s working well, and if Akeem stays more serious like this, he’s fine for an occasional appearance.

Steve Maclin tells Eric Young it’s may the best man win tonight.

We get injury updates on Joe Hendry and Sami Callihan, both of whom are ready to go. This is one of those “make it feel like a real sport” thing and that’s fine.

Mike Santana/Hardys vs. Mustafa Ali/Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth

It’s a brawl to start with the good guys clearing the ring until Santana drives Ryan into the corner to get things going. Ryan fights back but gets caught in a powerbomb faceplant. Matt comes in to send Ali face first into the buckle over and over until Ali flips over him. Ali trips him into the ropes and it’s Matt getting caught in the wrong corner.

Nic comes in with a neckbreaker and the chinlock goes on. Matt fights up and breaks out but a distraction means the referee doesn’t see the tag to Santana. The referee does see a tag to Ryan, sending Hannifan into a rant about the referee being stupid. Ali cuts Matt off again but gets caught in the Side Effect, allowing the tag to Jeff.

A double Whisper in the Wind takes the Nemeths down and it’s time for the parade of knockdowns. Santana grabs Ali and turns the rolling neckbreaker into a Death Valley Driver. The two of them brawl to the back but Santana comes back with Spin The Block to Nic. The Twist Of Fate into the Swanton finishes Ryan at 12:36.

Rating: B-. I love seeing two feuds combined like this and it worked rather well here. The Hardys beating the Nemeths is a fine way to go and the tease of Santana vs. Ali makes things that much better. Both of the big matches will take place next week and I’m curious to see how they go, making this a perfectly fine preview.

The System jumps Zachary Wentz.

Victoria Crawford (Alicia Fox) and Debbie Gibson (Debbie Gibson) are here.

Joe Hendry/Masha Slamovich vs. Tessa Blanchard/Frankie Kazarian

The men start things off but we pause for Kazarian to be announced as the King Of TNA. Hendry whips him into the corner and hits a jumping knee, with Kazarian bailing to the floor. Slamovich knocks him right back inside (before glaring at Blanchard), where Hendry’s bad shoulder is good enough for a delayed vertical suplex.

Kazarian gets smart by going after the arm and stops to mock the rhythmic clapping. It’s off to Slamovich, who sends Blanchard outside. A quick suicide dive drops Blanchard again but she’s right back with some choking back inside. Kazarian hits the jumping Fameasser on the middle rope and Slamovich is in trouble again. Blanchard hits a cutter on Slamovich as Kazarian taunts Hendry with the Call Your Shot trophy.

Slamovich manages a shot on Kazarian but Blanchard is in for an exchange of basement dropkicks. That’s enough for the tag off to Hendry and house is quickly cleaned. Fade To Black is countered into an Angle Slam to give Hendry two but the shoulder is starting to bother him. The chickenwing is countered into a rollup for two but Blanchard is back in to grab Hendry. Kazarian clotheslines her by mistake and the Standing Ovation finishes Kazarian at 14:10.

Rating: C+. This was the same idea as the previous match, as they tied two feuds into one match and even gave us some intergender matches. That’s not a bad way to go and the ending leaves me curious about a title change, as Kazarian losing is something of a red flag. Blanchard vs. Slamovich feels like a huge match and I’m really not sure where it goes, which is a nice feeling to have.

Mike Santana wants Mustafa Ali at Rebellion and Santino Marella seems interested.

Here is Ace Austin….who brings out Chris Bey for a special appearance in his hometown. Bey walks out, with Austin shouting ON HIS OWN TWO FEET! Bey says he IS the Ultimate Finesser and 172 days ago, he broke his neck in the ring. It was embarrassing him because he wanted to finish the match for the fans. He was able to quickly have surgery and learned to walk again.

Austin was there with him every day and Bey had to remember who he was. Thanks to the fans at home and the people in that locker room, he is able to walk again. Bey had to remind himself that he is unbreakable, just like TNA. This is the greatest story ever told and thank you. They get to do their pose and the show needs to just end now, because nothing is topping this. That’s absolutely incredible and one of the coolest things I’ve seen in wrestling in a long time.

We recap Mance Warner vs. Sami Callihan. They’ve been fighting for weeks so now it’s Barbed Wire Massacre. As it tends to be.

Sami Callihan vs. Mance Warner

There are all kinds of barbed wire items around ringside and Steph de Lander is here with Warner. Callihan, dressed as Mankind, sends Warner through a barbed wire board to start and then hits him with a barbed wire bat. A barbed wire Nintendo 64 controller goes to Warner’s head (must be Strong Grapple + Down + B) but he comes back with a door shot.

Warner uses a barbed wire chair to drive the board into Callihan but he sends Warner back into the barbed wire around the ropes. A barbed wire ball to the head has Warner bleeding even more and a low blow makes it worse. The Cactus Driver 97 through a barbed wire door is countered into a spinebuster and Callihan is in trouble again. They shout at each other from their knees until Callihan Stunners him onto the barbed wire, which shouldn’t make much of a difference.

The wire is wrapped around Warner’s arm and it’s time for a bag of salt. We’ll hold onto that for a second though as Callihan would rather staple Warner’s tongue to a board. Then he uses a barbed wire chair to the head to break it up. The salt shot is broken up with a low blow so Warner throws the salt into Callihan’s face instead. Warner grabs a screwdriver but Callihan is back with a spike and they stab each other in the head. Callihan whips out a sock for a barbed wire Mandible Claw. The Cactus Driver 97 onto the barbed wire finishes Warner at 19:23.

Rating: D+. Yeah ok. This was as advertised and in this case that’s not the best thing to see. It’s fine for what it is, but having that much barbed wire and over the top violence isn’t my thing. It only works so well and having Callihan dressed as Mankind only made me want to watch him do a hardcore match at a much higher level. I get that this has an audience, but it’s not for me.

We run down the Rebellion card.

Here is Elijah for a chat. Well a song actually, as he talks about his open challenge at Rebellion. In TNA, we walk this way.

We look at the first round of the International Title tournament.

International Title: AJ Francis vs. Steve Maclin vs. Eric Young

For the inaugural title. Francis is knocked to the floor, leaving Young to elbow Maclin in the face. Another forearm takes Francis down but he’s back in for an Alabama Slam to send Young onto Maclin. Francis gives Maclin a running knee in the corner and goes for a walk outside, where he cuts off Maclin’s dive. Young gets powerbombed onto the apron and, after tying his shoe, Francis sends Maclin back inside for a Death Valley Driver.

Maclin manages a running knee into an Angle Slam for two on Francis, who is back with a powerbomb for two of his own. Young is back in to slug it out with Maclin on top so Francis gives them a double AA for two each. Francis’ moonsault misses though and Young is sent outside. Maclin ties Francis in the Tree of Woe for the running shoulder, setting up the KIA for the pin and the title at 13:39.

Rating: C+. It was a fine enough match, but this really didn’t feel like any kind of a special showdown. I get trying to tie it into the original Unbreakable, but the second you start bringing that match up, you’re putting yourself in an unreasonable circumstance. That’s what we had here, and it made for a match that while entertaining, never lived up to its hype.

Maclin celebrates.

The Nemeths get a note from Matt Hardy, who appears via hologram to invite them to the Hardy Compound for DELETION. Can we please just NOT DO THIS AGAIN?

Overall Rating: C+. A lot of this is going to depend on your taste in Callihan vs. Warner, which went on far longer than anything else on the show. That dragged things down, but Bey’s return was one of the best things I can remember seeing in wrestling (or anywhere) for a long time. For a bonus show, this was perfectly fine, but Rebellion is going to have a bit more pressure on it now and that’s not a great thing. That being said, I do like having TNA getting involved in Wrestlemania Weekend, as they’re more than big enough to warrant a spot there.

Results
Eric Young b. JDC and Zachary Wentz – Piledriver to JDC
Steve Maclin b. Ace Austin and Eddie Edwards – KIA to Edwards
Moose b. Sidney Akeem – Spear
Hardys/Mike Santana b. Mustafa Ali/Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth – Swanton to Ryan
Joe Hendry/Masha Slamovich b. Tessa Blanchard/Frankie Kazarian – Standing Ovation to Kazarian
Sami Callihan b. Mance Warner – Cactus Driver 97 onto barbed wire
Steve Maclin b. Eric Young and AJ Francis – KIA to Francis

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: April 10, 2025
Location: St. Joseph Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We are a week away from Unbreakable and that means it is time to start getting ready to set up the International Title match. That means some triple threat matches, but other than that, we need some more matches set up. That’s on top of setting up Rebellion, which is coming up next month. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Ethan Page to get things going. He is surprised to be back but doesn’t care about the hillbillies here in the crowd. At Rebellion, it is time for him to FINALLY become the World Champion. He’s already beaten Joe Hendry and he’ll do it again. Cue Frankie Kazarian to interrupt but the fans tell them that they BOTH suck. Kazarian finds him arrogant and self centered and that’s something he can’t stand. The reality is that Kazarian earned his shot while Page just sucked up to Santino Marella. Cue Santino to say Hendry will be out here to address his status for Rebellion later tonight. That needed an announcement?

Steve Maclin is ready to deal with the System on the way to the International Title. Eric Young and the Northern Armory comes in to say they’ve got Maclin’s back but he wants nothing to do with them.

Mustafa Ali vs. Ace Austin

The Great Hands and Tasha Steelz are here with Ali. An early distraction lets Ali get in an early cheap shot, setting up the rolling neckbreaker for two. Austin is back up with a faceplant for two and Ali is sent outside, where a big dive takes out all of the villains. Ali isn’t having this and chairs him down for the DQ at 3:41.

Rating: C. They didn’t have time to do anything here as this was more about Ali snapping and getting violent than the match. Ali and Mike Santana are on their way to a big showdown sooner than later and that should be a heck of a fight. Austin doesn’t lose anything by getting taken down here so this could have been a lot worse.

Post match Ali loads up the chair but Mike Santana makes the save.

Post break Ali and company get to the car, where Santana is behind the wheel. Everyone but John Skyler get out as Santana drives away.

Moose vs. Cody Deaner

Non-title and JDC and Brian Myers are here with Moose. Hold on though as JDC offers Deaner a spot as a young boy in the System. It’s not like he’s winning matches so his children could probably use the security. Deaner puts it up to the people, who want him to fight. The other option is to him to win the X-Division Title, so Moose makes him an offer: if Deaner can last two minutes with Moose, he can have a title shot. We get a two minute clock and we’re on, with Moose planting him down. A Last Ride gets two, with Moose pulling him up. The spear misses though and Deaner runs away, setting up a dropkick to send Moose outside as time expires at 2:00.

The title match is now.

X-Division Title: Moose vs. Cody Deaner

Moose is defending and hits a spear to retain at 28 seconds.

Post match the beatdown is on but the Rascalz run in for the save.

Rascalz vs. The System

The Rascalz send Myers outside and stomp JDC down in the corner, setting up a Bronco Buster. Myers comes in to take over on Miguel and we hit the chinlock. JDC hits a hard clothesline for two and the front facelock keeps Miguel in trouble. That doesn’t last long and it’s back to Wentz to clean house. A cartwheel kick hits Myers and a dive takes him out on the floor. Everything breaks down and Myers gets suplexes back in, only for JDC to sweep/hold the leg to give Myers the pin at 6:07.

Rating: C. This was a fast enough paced match with the System getting to cheat to win in the end. That is what they are best known for doing and having them steal a win is a good way to go. The Rascalz can get some revenge later, as they aren’t likely to be happy with losing like this.

International Title Tournament First Round: AJ Francis vs. Mance Warner vs. Sami Callihan

Callihan busts out a turnbuckle hook and threatens Warner to start but Francis takes both of them down. The Down Payment is broken up though and an unpleasant alliance sends Francis outside. Callihan uses a poster to cut Warner’s hand but Francis won’t let him do it to Warner’s eye. Francis is taken down as well so Warner grabs a chair, only to lose a duel. Steph de Lander grabs Callihan’s foot, allowing Warner to chair him down. Callihan goes for Warner’s eye but Francis spears him down for the pin at 7:52.

Rating: C+. Francis winning is a good way to go, as Callihan vs. Warner can likely be a big grudge match, either at Unbreakable or Rebellion. If nothing else, Francis getting to brag about even getting close to another title is a good thing to see and suits him well. Francis is getting better at being the big monster wrestler and it’s working well.

Post break Callihan wants a Barbed Wire Massacre with Warner and the match is set for Rebellion.

Leon Slater vs. Ryan Nemeth

Slater chops away to start and knocks him to the floor but Nemeth gets in a cheap shot on the way back in. Nemeth stomps away and mocks the Hardys’ middle rope elbow. A Twist Of Fate attempt is broken up and Slater hits a handspring back elbow for two. Slater hits a 619 on the floor, followed by a slingshot dive. Nemeth grabs a chair but the Hardys come in to take it away. Slater is back with a kick to the face into a Twist Of Fate, setting up the Swanton 450 for the pin at 5:54.

Rating: C. Even though it’s over Nemeth, it’s nice to see Slater getting a win for a change. He puts over just about everyone he faces so having him win something is a necessary move. I’m not sure if this is going to lead somewhere else for him, but it’s certainly better than yet another loss.

We take a look at the Unbreakable three way from 2005 with AJ Styles beating Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe in still possibly the best match in company history.

Mike Santana has kidnapped John Skyler and threatens him with violence while suggesting that Mustafa Ali will leave him. Santana teases hitting him with a shovel but pulls up.

Eddie Edwards vs. Steve Maclin

Maclin starts fast and fires off clotheslines in the corner. They head outside where Maclin keeps up the beating but Alisha Edwards offers a distraction. Back in and Eddie hammers away as we take an early break. We come back with Maclin fighting out of a chinlock and being put in an armbar.

That’s broken up and so is the Backpack Stunner, with Maclin hitting an Angle Slam for two. Alisha offers another distraction though and Eddie runs Maclin over. Maclin catches him on top though and a super Angle Slam connects. Cue the System so Eric Young and the Northern Armory come down to cancel them out. The distraction lets Eddie get in a shot with the System ring and the Boston Knee Party finishes at 8:04.

Rating: C+. This was basically a preview of their match in the Unbreakable tournament which doesn’t do either of them a ton of favors. The System gets to continue their hot streak tonight and that’s about the extent of the whole thing. Maclin and Young might need each other, meaning their story gets to continue for reasons I do not quite fathom.

Here is Joe Hendry who says he has a bad rotator cuff injury. If you can’t defend the title, you shouldn’t be champion so…..he’s defending the title at Rebellion. Cue Frankie Kazarian to say he’ll win the title because Hendry is stupid enough to care about what the fans think. He could beat Hendry right now, which is fine with Hendry, because there will be a tag match at Rebellion: Kazarian/Tessa Blanchard vs. Hendry/Masha Slamovich.

Overall Rating: C. This was a show designed to build up next week’s Unbreakable as fast as possible. That worked in theory, but Unbreakable isn’t looking like the most thrilling show. It’s nice to have a card together though,, even if it’s just a big preview for Rebellion. Overall, not their strongest show as the wrestling was just ok for the most part and Unbreakable isn’t looking like that great of a show.

Results
Ace Austin b. Mustafa Ali via DQ when Ali used a chair
Moose vs. Cody Deaner went to a time limit draw
Moose b. Cody Deaner – Spear
The System b. Rascalz – Splash to Wentz
AJ Francis b. Sami Callihan and Mance Warner – Spear to Callihan
Eddie Edwards b. Steve Maclin – Boston Knee Party

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: April 3, 2025
Location: St. Joseph Civic Auditorium, St. Joseph, Missouri
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re less than two weeks away from Unbreakable and the show is going to need a card. There are a few matches you can probably guess from here but there isn’t much that is actually ready for the show. Hopefully we get some build towards the event this week because there is work to do. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Elijah

Joe Hendry is on commentary. Kazarian slugs away to start but Elijah is right back up with a quick Old School. Elijah takes it to the floor where he gets sent into the post, allowing Kazarian to go after Hendry. That results in an accidental collision with Elijah and Kazarian rolls him up for the pin at 2:16.

Post match Hendry and Kazarian get in a brawl with security breaking it up. Hendry comes up favoring his shoulder.

Post break, Hendry’s shoulder is examined and it’s not clear how bad things are right now.

We see a digital exclusive of Eddie Edwards yelling at and walking out on the System.

Here is Edwards for a chat but the fans don’t want him to talk. Last week, he gave the System an ultimatum: either you’re on board with his vision or you’re out of the team. Cue the System to interrupt, with JDC saying he’s in with Eddie. Brian Myers and Alisha Edwards are in too (one of them kisses Eddie) and that leaves Moose.

Eddie asks if he’s in or out….but Cody Deaner interrupts. Deaner was waiting to see someone fired from the System and didn’t hear an answer from Moose. Deaner thinks Moose should listen to the people, who think he should leave. Moose says the people are right and decks Deaner before reaffirming his allegiance to the team. Normally I would ask what the point of that segment was but anything involving Deaner taking a beating works for me.

Masha Slamovich, Xia Brookside and Lei Ying Lee are ready for their six woman tag later. They find it interesting that Tessa Blanchard couldn’t find any friends in TNA and had to go to NXT. Tonight, they’ll send her new friends back where they belong.

Santino Marella comes up to the System in the back and announces that Moose’s first competitor in Ultimate X at Rebellion will be Leon Slater. Matt Cardona is announced in the graphic for the match and Marella says the System will all have matches next week.

Spitfire vs. Meta Four

Arianna Grace is on commentary and Luna starts with Jakara Jackson. They fight over wrist control to start until Jackson grabs a wristdrag out of the corner. Threat comes in for a basement clothesline and it’s off to Lash Legend (the tall powerhouse) vs. Luna. Legend runs into a boot but manages to faceplant Luna and Threat at the same time in a nice display.

Threat’s middle rope crossbody gets two but it’s back to Jackson, who is quickly taken into the wrong corner. That’s broken up and Legend comes in to ram Luna’s head into the mat, setting up a drop toehold into the corner. Luna kicks her way to freedom though and it’s back to Threat for some corner clotheslines.

Everything breaks down and Threat hits a delayed Jackhammer for two on Jackson. Legend breaks it up and helps Jackson take Luna out with a dive to the floor. Threat fights both of them off and Legend decks Jackson by mistake. That doesn’t last long though as Jackson is back up for a cutter to go with Legend’s wheelbarrow faceplant (MKO) to pin Threat at 9:31.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure how they’ll get there but Meta Four is being built up for a Knockouts Tag Team Title shot. That is something that could go a long way for them, as the team needs to win something sooner or later. At the same time, Spitfire seems to be on the down swing, which is not the biggest surprise as I never quite got their appeal in the first place.

Mike Santana arrives with a friend named Derek, who he leaves with Santino Marella. There is no way this will end well.

Here are the Hardys for a chat. They talk about how they have seen the real Nic Nemeth, who left a scar on Matt’s nose. That scare means Matt is still BROKEN and it is time to DELETE the Nemeths. Jeff has heard that the Nemeths are comedians and their greatest joke ever is that they are going to take the Tag Team Titles. Cue the Great Hands to say it’s not 1999 anymore because it is 2025 and the Hardys aren’t so good anymore. The Hands want the titles so here is Santino Marella to make the match, albeit non-title.

Hardys vs. Great Hands

Non-title and Tasha Steelz is on commentary as Matt shoves Hotch down to start. Some cranking on the arm has Hotch in more trouble and it’s already off to Jeff. A basement dropkick to the back and the legdrop between the legs has Hotch in more trouble as it’s back to Matt.

Some double teaming doesn’t last long and Jeff comes back in, only to get crotched on top to break up the Whisper In The Wind. The chinlock goes on but Jeff fights up and hits a Whisper In The Wind to both Hands. It’s back to Matt to clean house and Poetry In Motion sets up the Side Effect for two on Skyler. The Plot Twist into the Swanton finishes Skyler at 6:16.

Rating: C. This was short and to the point with the Hardys getting a win over a team with a bit of a name. It’s not a bad way to go as the Hands aren’t worth much but it let the fans see the Hardys in action. Like them or not, they’re some of the biggest names TNA has to offer so letting them win a quick match makes sense.

Leon Slater and Ryan Nemeth get in a fight in the back.

Joe Hendry has a rotator cuff sprain and it isn’t clear how long he might be out.

Here are Steph de Lander and Mance Warner for a chat. They brag about their success and promise that no one is tougher or meaner than them. Kissing ensues but Santino Marella interrupts. Marella says they aren’t the Digital Media Champion anymore, so the title is retired. Therefore, at Unbreakable, there will be a tournament for the TNA International Title. In a tribute to the famous three way at the original Unbreakable, every match in this tournament will be a three way. Cue Sami Callihan to jump Warner and throw him off the stage. Makes sense and gets the title away from de Lander.

Mustafa Ali’s cabinet kidnaps Mike Santana’s friend Derek and throw him in the trunk of a car (where a camera is waiting). Later, Derek is sat in a chair for a face to face meeting with Mustafa Ali. He congratulates Derek on his sobriety but brings up Derek causing an accident that injured a young girl. Ali has him taken away. That intensified quickly.

The Personal Concierge says Ash By Elegance is on a needed vacation but the team has their eye on someone named Maggie Lee. She needs some guidance though, like say from Heather By Elegance.

Santino Marella (he’s busy tonight) draws the first names for the International Title tournament: Eddie Edwards, Ace Austin and Steve Maclin

El Hijo del Vikingo is back at Rebellion in Ultimate X.

Tessa Blanchard/Fatal Influence vs. Lei Ying Lee/Masha Slamovich/Xia Brookside

Fallon Henley is here with the villains. Slamovich takes Blanchard down to start and hammers away before knocking her outside. Everything breaks down and the dives connect to drop the villains as we take a break. Back with Ying working on Jacy Jayne’s arm before raining down some right hands in the corner. Jayne slips out of a fireman’s carry though and sends Ying into the corner to start choking away.

Ying breaks away and hands it off to Brookside, who headscissors Jazmyn Nyx without much trouble. Rosemary is watching from the crowd as Brookside hits Broken Wings and a DDT for two on Nyx. Back up and Nyx sends her to the floor for a cheap shot from Jayne, who comes in for a Cannonball in the corner. The chinlock is quickly reversed into a monkey flip and Slamovich comes in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Slamovich’s piledriver is broken up, allowing Blanchard to give her the Buzzsaw DDT for the pin at 12:06.

Rating: B-. This was another win for Blanchard as she continues to set up the big showdown with Slamovich down the line. That very well could headline Rebellion, which would be a risky yet logical way to go. The other women were just kind of there, but I do like bringing in the women from NXT, if nothing else for the sake of keeping things a bit different.

Santino Marella draws another tournament match: Sami Callihan vs. Eric Young vs. JDC.

Mike Santana finds Derek and wants revenge.

One more tournament match: Zachary Wentz vs. Mance Warner vs. AJ Francis. Sami Callihan comes in and says he wants Warner so Santino Marella makes it happen.

Here is Frankie Kazarian for a chat. Kazarian brings up Joe Hendry’s injury and is sorry…that it didn’t happen sooner. However, he has a better announcement: he is cashing in his title shot at Rebellion. The lights go out though and NXT’s Ethan Page makes a surprise return.

Page: “This place has changed a lot since I was here. There are actually people in the building!” Page likes the idea of Kazarian cashing in on an injured Hendry, but brings up an idea he threw to Santino Marella. The thing is Page is already getting a World Title shot at Rebellion, so Kazarian charges…right into a kick to the head. Page poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t the most thrilling show but they did a nice job setting up their upcoming big events. The announcement of the new championship was fun and they set up either a singles match or a triple threat for the Rebellion main event. That’s something TNA needed to do, though I could have gone with some better action on the way there.

Results
Frankie Kazarian b. Elijah – Rollup
Meta Four b. Spitfire – MKO to Threat
Hardys b. Great Hands – Swanton to Skyler
Tessa Blanchard/Fatal Influence b. Lei Ying Lee/Masha Slamovich/Xia Brookside – Buzzsaw DDT to Slamovich

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: March 27, 2025
Location: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We are coming up on Unbreakable and that show has some open spots on the card. World Champion Joe Hendry doesn’t seem to have an obvious challenger for the title, with Elijah being one of the only people in his orbit at the moment. Other than that, we seem to be on the way to a Hardys vs. Nemeths showdown. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Tatum Paxley/Gigi Dolin vs. Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance

Non-title and the Personal Concierge is here with By Elegance. Dolin takes Ash down without much trouble to start and it’s Paxley coming in for something like a Dream Sequence. Meta Four is watching from behind as Paxley gets the reverse surfboard on Heather. The Concierge breaks up a dropkick though and Ash stomps away, both on the ropes and in the corner. That’s broken up and Paxley comes back in to clean house. The Concierge shoves Paxley off the top though and Rarefied Air finishes at 4:58.

Rating: C. This didn’t have much time to go anywhere and it didn’t exactly make Paxley and Dolin feel like the biggest team. By Elegance did need a win though as they aren’t the most established team in the world. Meta Four might be the ones to get the titles from them, as some titles have to cross over to another promotion at some point.

Post match, By Elegance’s cake is brought out but a double noggin knocker lets Dolin and Paxley send Ash into it.

Leon Slater promises a fight with Nic Nemeth tonight.

Ash By Elegance panics over the cake.

First Class/Frankie Kazarian vs. Aztec Warriors/Chavo Guerrero

Chavo and Kazarian start things off with Chavo grabbing a headscissors. Navarro comes in and gets dropkicked down before it’s off to Laredo Kid for an even harder dropkick. We take a break and come back with Octagon Jr. kicking Navarro down, only to be sent outside. Navarro’s big running flip dive connects and it’s Francis coming in for a change.

Octagon’s forearms don’t do much good as Francis crushes him in the corner and bends the neck around the rope. Francis plants both Warriors with the World’s Strongest Wasteland and it’s Navarro coming back in for a chinlock on Octagon. That’s broken up as well and it’s back to Laredo to pick up the pace. The real hot tag brings in Chavo to clean house and we get Four Amigos before Francis gets the traditional Three. The Warriors hit nice dives to the floor and Chavo adds a Gory Bomb into the frog splash to pin Navarro at 15:08.

Rating: B-. Chavo looked a good bit better than I was expecting here and he more than held his own rather than just being there as the hometown star. The Warriors are the latest lucha tag team and that’s not a bad way for them to be used. I’m not sure what kind of a future it has, but this was a good showing from everyone. That being said, Kazarian being in there was kind of a weird call as he should be near the World Title sooner than later.

Rosemary is all evil and wants Xia Brookside to be evil too. I think.

Santino Marella has a sitdown with Mance Warner, with Steph de Lander, and Sami Callihan. They argue over their recent issues, with Callihan saying Marella is going to have to fire one of them. Callihan insults Steph, who throws a drink in his face, which is a bit more impactful than you might expect.

Jacy Jayne vs. Masha Slamovich

Non-title. They fight over a lockup and go against the ropes to start until Jayne pulls her down by the hair. Back up and Slamovich sends her to the floor for a corkscrew dive. They get back in but Jayne is smart enough to roll away from something off the top. Jayne knocks her down back inside and hammers away in the corner, setting up a running shot for two.

A knee to the face and some right hands have Slamovich down again and we hit the reverse chinlock. That’s broken up and Slamovich hits a rolling kick to the head but Jayne knees her down for two more. More kicks to the head send Slamovich outside, where she drops Jayne face first onto the apron. Back in and Jayne superkicks her into a running neckbreaker, only for Slamovich to grab the Snowplow for the pin at 8:43.

Rating: B-. Jayne was trying here and those kicks got her further along than I was expecting. Slamovich certainly didn’t squash her, but there wasn’t much doubt about this one. Tessa Blanchard is waiting for Slamovich and that is going to be a heck of a showdown for the title when we get there.

Post match Tessa Blanchard runs in and beats Slamovich down. Xia Brookside and Lei Ying Lee make the save.

Video on Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali, with Ali cheating to escape multiple times.

Eric Young vs. Ace Austin

The Northern Armory is here with Young. An early arm crank has Austin down so Young turns his back and the Armory comes in. That’s broken up so Austin takes Young down and kicks him in the head. They strike it out until Young grabs a spinebuster for two. The neck crank goes on but Austin fights up and hits a Russian legsweep.

A springboard spinning kick to the face gives Austin two but Young knocks him off the top. The top rope elbow gives Young two but Austin is right back up. The Fold is loaded up, only for Austin to have to go after the Armory. Young uses the distraction to grab a piledriver for the pin at 7:12.

Rating: C+. Nice enough match here with Austin getting in some offense before the numbers game got the best of him. Austin is going to need some help if the feud continues and the Rascalz would seem to be a good choice for the spot. Young winning again isn’t a surprise, but hopefully he doesn’t go much further up the card.

Here is Joe Hendry for a chat. Hendry is glad to be back in Texas and now he’s willing to defend the title against anyone from any company. Cue Elijah, who makes it clear that he is not the next challenger. Actually he’s here for a song, which is about how the two of them are friends. Cue Frankie Kazarian with his own (bass) guitar, saying it’s time for his own concert. We get a few notes but the fans think he sucks. Kazarian’s song is about how much he hates El Paso so Hendry issues some threats of violence. That’s enough for Kazarian to leave, complete with the Goodbye Song.

Nic Nemeth vs. Leon Slater

Ryan Nemeth is here with his brother. Nic wastes no time in wrestling him down and getting in a little hip gyration. Back up and Slater knocks him down, which earns an eye rake over the ropes. A handspring elbow sends Nic outside, setting up the big running flip dive as we take a break. Back with Nic raking the eyes and grabbing a chinlock. That’s broken up and Slater hits a running boot to the face into a suplex for two.

Back up and Slater slams him down for two but the Fameasser gives Nic the same. Nic’s sleeper is broken up so he takes Slater up top. Slater knocks him away but gets crotched, setting up a superplex to bring Slater crashing down. A quick Twist Of Slate looks to set up the Swanton 450 but Nic blocks it and gets two off a rollup. The Danger Zone is blocked as well but Ryan grabs Slater’s foot. A superkick into the Danger Zone finishes Slater at 15:06.

Rating: B-. Another solid performance from Slater here as he is getting more and more established in the main event scene. He’s not all the way ready for that kind of a spot yet, but he’s also managing to hang in there against bigger and more experienced opponents. Losing to Nic isn’t a big shot against him and they had a good match on the way there.

Post match the Nemeths go after Slater but the Hardys return for the save. Matt issues the challenge for Rebellion to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure what to think of this one, but it did keep me invested for the most part. You can see things coming together for Unbreakable and probably even Rebellion, so at least the things are going in the right direction. Other than that, we had some nice enough matches, with Slater again doing well for himself in a big spot.

Results
Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance b. Gigi Dolin/Tatum Paxley – Rarefied Air to Paxley
Aztec Warriors/Chavo Guerrero b. First Class/Frankie Kazarian – Frog splash to Navarro
Masha Slamovich b. Jacy Jayne – Snowplow
Eric Young b. Ace Austin – Piledriver
Nic Nemeth b. Leon Slater – 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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Sacrifice 2025
Date: March 14, 2025
Location: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

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

Kickoff Show: Aztec Warriors vs. First Class

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

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

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

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

Sami Callihan vs. Mance Warner

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

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

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

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

Tessa Blanchard vs. Lei Ying Lee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steve Maclin is ready to take out Frankie Kazarian.

Frankie Kazarian vs. Steve Maclin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali

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

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

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

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

Post match Ali leaves a drink for Santana.

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

Knockouts Title: Masha Slamovich vs. Cora Jade

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

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

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

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

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

X-Division Title: Jeff Hardy vs. Moose

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: March 13, 2025
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the last show before Sacrifice and the show is mostly set up. There is still the chance that we are going to see something new added, though there is only so much time left to fill in. The big match at Sacrifice seems to be the big team cage match so we’ll probably hear a lot about that here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Eddie Edwards vs. Leon Slater

Alisha Edwards is here with Eddie and the winner’s team gets the advantage in the cage match, which sounds a lot more like Lethal Lockdown. Eddie jumps him to start but Slater hammers away in the corner. A running hurricanrana sends Eddie outside, where he avoids a dive and hits a big chop. Slater uses the steps to snap off another hurricanrana but Eddie snaps his throat across the top rope.

Eddie sends him hard into the steps and then sends the banged up arm into the corner for two. The armbar doesn’t last long so Eddie snaps off an overhead belly to belly for two more. Eddie cranks on the arm again and grabs another armbar, at least until Slater kicks him in the face to escape. A high crossbody gives Slater two but Eddie catches a flip with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Slater kicks him down but misses the Swanton 450. Eddie sends him into the post and adds the Boston Knee Party for the win at 9:42.

Rating: C+. The villain winning this is the only thing that makes sense and as good as Slater has been, there is nothing wrong with him losing to a former multiple time World Champion. Eddie had to win to give his team the advantage so they weren’t going in any weird direction here. The match was fine enough, but the result making sense is what matters most.

Sami Callihan is ready to take out Mance Warner, who comes in (with Steph de Lander) to say Sami doesn’t have the guts to hit him now (which he isn’t allowed to do). Trash talking ensues.

Wes Lee vs. Laredo Kid

Kid twists the arm to start and sends Lee outside, where a baseball slide misses. Instead Kid is back up with an Asai moonsault, followed by a crossbody for two back inside. Lee is right back with a superkick and a bunch of stomping, setting up a brainbuster for two. That lets Lee crank on the arm (it must be required around here) until Lee is up for the slugout. Kid knocks him down and hits a pair of moonsaults for two. A hurricanrana gets the same so Lee belly to back suplexes him into the Cardiac Kick for the pin at 7:19.

Rating: C+. Lee gets to win something around here over a talented star, even if Kid has only done so much around here. It helps that Lee is someone who has done enough around here before so it isn’t the biggest stretch. Not a bad match at all, but Kid losing time after time has taken away a lot of his value.

Post match the Rascalz and Ace Austin come out to say they’re coming for Wes Lee, Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont.

By Elegance yells at Santino Marella over how they were treated by Spitfire. Marella gives them one more title shot….but with the Personal Concierge wrestling as well, to make it a handicap match. The Concierge panicking is rather amusing.

Rosemary vs. Xia Brookside

Brookside strikes away to start but gets taken down with a choke, allowing Rosemary to hammer away (and scream a lot). The chinlock is broken up but Rosemary is right back with the Upside Down. Rosemary pulls out a chain but Brookside takes it away, only to get misted for the DQ at 5:25.

Rating: C. This didn’t have the time to go very far and I’m a bit confused about what it is supposed to do. Rosemary was being hyped up as wanting to get back into the Knockouts Title scene but she just attacked Brookside when she was already winning a match. Odds are this gets a rematch, and I could go with either of these two moving up the standings a bit.

Steve Maclin is writing in a notebook and drinking when Eric Young shows up to drink with him. Maclin doesn’t want to hear from him and leaves.

JDC vs. Cody Deaner

Deaner talks about how he didn’t think he would be here just a year ago but now he is letting the fans decide for him and that has changed his life. JDC offers to let him have his countout loss but Deaner listens to the fans and hammers away to start fast. That’s broken up with some right hands from JDC, who gets caught with an atomic drop. The big right hand gives Deaner two but JDC pokes him in the eye. The Falcon Arrow finished Deaner at 1:56.

Tessa Blanchard/Cora Jade vs. Lei Ying Lee/Masha Slamovich

Arianna Grace is on commentary. Jade tags out and lets Blanchard start with Slamovich, who drops her with some early clotheslines. Lee comes in and flips over Jade before hammering away in the corner. Blanchard offers a distraction though and Jade gets to choke away on the ropes. A basement dropkick gets two on Lee and Blanchard hits a rather hard running slap in the corner.

Jade’s chinlock is broken up and they collide for a double down. Slamovich comes back in to clean house as everything breaks down. Magnum hits Lee but Slamovich drops Blanchard. Lee hits a running knee off the apron to drop Jade before coming back in for Thunderstruck to send Blanchard outside. Jade hits Slamovich with the belt though and the Buzzsaw gives Blanchard the pin at 8:44.

Rating: B-. While Sacrifice is tomorrow, this feels like a way to get things ready for whatever the next major pay per view is going to be. Like her or not, Blanchard is an absolute star and putting her in the Knockouts Title picture immediately is not a stretch. I could go for seeing the match and this very well may have helped set it up.

We get a sitdown interview between Mike Santana and Mustafa Ali, the latter of whom shows up late with his cabinet. Ali says he respects Santana but they need to think about the bigger picture, which is TNA. He is here to knock down walls and can handle the pressure, unlike Santana. That doesn’t work for Santana, who has carried the pressure since he got here.

Ali shrugs that off and says Santana would crack under the pressure because he’s an addict. Santana: “Ali, you’re full of s***.” Santana is an addict but he’s an addict to the people. Ali can talk all the garbage that he wants, but at Sacrifice, his hands better cash those checks. Ali whips out a bottle of alcohol and asks Santana to take one sip and let everyone down. He brings up Santana’s daughter, which brings Santana out of his chair.

The cabinet beats Santana down and Ali leaves him a drink for when he wakes up. I liked this a bit better than the original with JBL and Eddie Guerrero, even if it’s almost the exact same story. That being said, this feud has been great for Santana (urine test gag aside), as he has looked like a star.

Sacrifice rundown.

Frankie Kazarian comes out for commentary on the main event and is told he’s facing Steve Maclin at Sacrifice. This doesn’t go well.

Here is Joe Hendry to defend the World Title against a mystery challenger. Santino Marella comes out to introduce….Ryan Nemeth, who announces that his big brother is returning at Sacrifice. He’ll be taking Nic’s contractually obligated rematch.

TNA World Title: Joe Hendry vs. Ryan Nemeth

Hendry is defending and retains with the Standing Ovation at 17 seconds, a good chunk of which was him holding Nemeth in the air.

That’s not what Santino had in mind, so here is the other challenger.

TNA World Title: Joe Hendry vs. Hammerstone

Hendry is defending and Hammerstone is even bigger than he was before. Hammerstone powers him into the corner to start before they chop it out. A jumping forearm staggers Hammerstone but he sends Hendry shoulder first into the post. Hendry fights up but gets dropped onto the apron as we take a break.

Back with Hendry fighting out of a neck crank but getting planted with a spinebuster for two. Another slugout goes a bit better for Hendry and he muscles Hammerstone up with a suplex. There’s the fall away slam to Hammerstone but the Standing Ovation is blocked. Hammerstone hits a powerslam for two and a German suplex into a powerbomb gets the same. A not great Boston crab sends Hendry over to the ropes (Kazarian finds this cheap.) and he’s back up with a German suplex. Now the Standing Ovation can retain the title at 15:29.

Rating: C+. This was a perfectly fine match and a way to get the champ in the ring. That being said, Hammerstone has gotten even bigger and it made him look almost goofy in a way. It doesn’t help that he has never really won much of anything in TNA, at least not in a good while, but at the moment he is little more than an intimidating looking star who gets beaten almost every time.

Post match the System and the Colons come in for the beatdown but Hendry’s teammates at Sacrifice run in for the big brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The wrestling wasn’t the best here, but what mattered was helping to build up Sacrifice. That show is looking like one of the biggest non-major pay per views that TNA has presented in a long time with a ladder match and Lethal Lockdown, plus one heck of a grudge match between Mike Santana and Mustafa Ali. There is a lot of potential on that show and while this week didn’t really make me more interested, it kept things going well enough on the way to El Paso.

Results
Eddie Edwards b. Leon Slater – Boston Knee Party
Wes Lee b. Laredo Kid – Cardiac Kick
JDC b. Cody Deaner – Falcon Arrow
Tessa Blanchard/Cora Jade b. Lei Ying Lee/Masha Slamovich – Buzzsaw DDT to Slamovich
Joe Hendry b. Ryan Nemeth – Standing Ovation
Joe Hendry b. Hammerstone – Standing Ovation

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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