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:

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

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

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

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

Mike Santana vs. Oro Mensah

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

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

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

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

Tessa Blanchard vs. Kelsey Heather

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

Cora Jade jumps Masha Slamovich in the back.

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

KC Navarro vs. Steve Maclin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sami Callihan vs. Mance Warner

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

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

Frankie Kazarian vs. Ace Austin

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

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

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

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

Ryan Nemeth brags about his big brother returning at Sacrifice.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

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

System vs. Oba Femi/Hardys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

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

Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont vs. Radicalz

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

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

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

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

Unbreakable is back on April 17.

Rosemary vs. Lei Ying Lee

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

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

Post match Rosemary mists her to send Lee crawling away.

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

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

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

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

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

JDC vs. Leon Slater

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

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

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

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

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

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

Masha Slamovich vs. Mila Moore

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

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

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

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

Joe Hendry/Elijah vs. Colons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

TNA World Title: Jake Something vs. Joe Hendry

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

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

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

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

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

Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance vs. King Bees

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

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

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

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

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

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

Frankie Kazarian vs. Sami Callihan

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

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

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

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

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

Xia Brookside vs. Cora Jade

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

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

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

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

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

First Class think it’s time for an upgrade.

Knockouts Title: Savanna Evans vs. Masha Slamovich

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

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

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Josh Alexander vs. Eric Young

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

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

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

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

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

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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