Impact Wrestling
Date: March 20, 2025
Location: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re done with Sacrifice and on the way to Unbreakable, with the biggest story coming out of last week seeing Nic Nemeth turning evil and attacking Matt Hardy. That should be enough to get the Nemeths a Tag Team Title shot, but Joe Hendry is going to need a new #1 contender for his World Title as well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Sacrifice if you need a recap.

Long Sacrifice recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Masha Slamovich to say Cora Jade gave her a good fight but she retained the title at Sacrifice. Now she is here to prove that she is the best champion in all of wrestling so she issues a challenge…and here is Tessa Blanchard. Beating Jade doesn’t mean anything and now it’s time for Blanchard to get her title back. Cue NXT’s Jacy Jayne to attack Slamovich from behind. Santino Marella comes in and makes Jayne vs. Slamovich for next week, with Blanchard banned from ringside.

Post break, Marella yells at Arianna Grace for letting that happened. There is another surprise planned for later.

Northern Armory vs. Rascalz

Eric Young is here with the Armory and joins commentary. Wentz starts fast by crossbodying Icarus for two but Williams comes in for a cheap shot to take over. The Armory takes turns working on the arm but Wentz is back up with a springboard knee to the face. Everything breaks down and Icarus pulls Wentz to the floor. Back in and a superkick sets up Feed Them To The Lions for the pin on Williams at 4:51.

Rating: C. Short and to the point here with the Rascalz continuing their rise back up the ranks. At the same time, the Armory stuff doesn’t feel overly important. The team shouldn’t be winning everything, but it feels like they almost never win and that’s going to be a problem if they’re supposed to be anything more than the lowest of lackeys.

Post match Young comes in but Ace Austin runs in with a chair for the save.

Xia Brookside’s eyes are ok after being misted last week but she’s tired of fighting fairly and getting attacked. Rosemary pops up on screen and taunts her for being held back by her morals. She’ll have a surprise for Brookside tonight, with a tag match being teased. Please tell me that this isn’t going to turn into Brookside going evil because of the mist. Anything but that.

It’s time for the First Class Penthouse with First Class mocking the city, only to be interrupted by their guest, and hometown boy, Chavo Guerrero Jr. They threaten Chavo for being disrespectful and say if they wanted the second best Guerrero, they would have called Dominik. Chavo suggests that Dominik might not be an actual Guerrero but here is Frankie Kazarian to interrupt. Kazarian hasn’t forgiven Chavo for costing him the Tag Team Titles (in 2012) but here are the Aztec Warriors so a six man tag can be made next week. Yeah it’s Chavo but the fans went nuts for him so it makes enough sense.

Mike Santana vs. Mustafa Ali

The Cabinet is barred from ringside. Santana wastes no time in jumping Ali and sending him outside for a dive. Ali is sent over the timekeeper’s table and the beating continues on the floor. They go inside for the opening bell and Ali goes after Santana’s banged up arm. The rolling neckbreaker gives Ali two and we hit the armbar. Back up and Santana is fine enough to hit the rolling cutter but the threat of a frog splash sends Ali outside…and he takes the countout at 4:09.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t the big ending in the story but rather the next step as we get closer to a blowoff. That should make for a good moment as they are setting things up for the showdown, likely at Unbreakable. They’re making the fans want to see Santana give Ali what is coming to him and that should be a nice moment, assuming that is where they go.

Post break, Ali says he didn’t run from Santana but rather conquered him. This is done and Ali and the Cabinet drive off.

Here is Ryan Nemeth to explain his brother’s actions at Sacrifice. Ryan says HIS BIG BROTHER finally did the right thing at Sacrifice by sacrificing all of their love for the love of his own brother. Cue Nic, who says the Hardys aren’t coming. Nic takes credit for TNA’s momentum over the last year, but then the Hardys tried to come in and take the credit for themselves.

They are the greatest brothers in wrestling history but here is Leon Slater to say he isn’t going to listen to this bollocks (Nic: “I don’t know what that means.”). Slater says Nic can’t steal the show because Slater has already stolen it. Ryan issues the challenge for next week but Slater gets in now, only to be superkicked down. I’m assuming this is to set up a title match at Unbreakable and….that’s only going to be so interesting.

Rosemary/Savannah Evans vs. Xia Brookside/Lei Ying Lee

Rosemary sticks out her jaw to Brookside to start but hands it off to Evans before anything can happen. That’s fine with Brookside, who knocks her into the corner before getting to beat up Rosemary for a change. Broken Wings connect but it’s already back to Evans for a chokebomb on Lee. The Samoan drop gets two on Lee, who kicks Rosemary down and makes the tag without much trouble. Everything breaks down and Rosemary mists Evans by mistake. Lee is back in for something like a TKO into Thunderstruck to pin Evans at 6:02.

Rating: C. Rosemary continues to get in trouble with the mist, which hopefully doesn’t have any special powers attached. There wasn’t much to the match but somehow it’s the longest of the show thus far. Brookside is still someone who feels like she is just floating around without much to do, though she also hasn’t shown that she is ready for some big step up either.

The Personal Concierge, in a neck brace to make it even better, brings out a cake for the champions’ celebration. By Elegance comes out, seemingly rather pleased with their title win. Apparently the cake costs $5000 and Ash needs a chance to make her wish. Cue NXT’s Meta Four to say they want the titles but here is Spitfire to say they have a guaranteed rematch.

Cue NXT’s Gigi Dolin and Tatum Paxley to say they want the titles and the brawl is on. This brings out Santino Marella to make Paxley/Dolin vs. By Elegance next week, with the other teams banned from ringside. Meta Four beats up some security and Marella is scared of Lash Legend. Arianna Grace comes in to say Meta Four is indeed banned next week. That was quite the unnecessary cameo.

Mance Warner vs. Magno

Warner runs him over and finishes with the running knee at 1:01.

Steve Maclin insists that he wants no part of Eric Young’s Northern Armory.

System vs. Elijah/Joe Hendry

Alisha Edwards is here with the System. Hendry hammers Myers to start and grabs a powerslam. Elijah comes in to work on the arm and everything breaks down with the System quickly being cleared out. We take a break and come back with Eddie being knocked to the floor, where he sends Elijah hard into the steps.

Myers’ chinlock doesn’t last long but Alisha is right there to pull Elijah’s beard to keep him down. Elijah neckbreakers his way to freedom though and it’s back to Hendry to clean house. Everything breaks down and Elijah is knocked to the floor but Hendry cuts off the Backpack Stunner. Elijah cuts off Eddie and the Standing Ovation plants Myers for the pin at 11:08.

Rating: C. This was little more than a match to get the World Champion on the show and it worked well enough. Hendry doesn’t have a clear opponent at the moment and at least they didn’t waste time in having him face someone in a big match here. Elijah might be the next challenger and that’s only going to be so interesting, assuming they even go in that direction.

Overall Rating: C. I wasn’t feeling this show for the most part, as it was rather light on the in-ring action and never felt like much happened. Maybe they needed a breather after Sacrifice, but there is only so much time to get ready for Unbreakable. You can see some of the card from here, but this show didn’t exactly have me interested after Sacrifice.

Results
Rascalz b. Northern Armory – Feed Them To The Lions to Williams
Mike Santana b. Mustafa Ali via countout
Rosemary/Savannah Evans b. Xia Brookside/Lei Ying Lee – Thunderstruck to Evans
Mance Warner b. Magno – Running knee
Elijah/Joe Hendry b. The System – Standing Ovation to Myers

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

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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:

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Impact Wrestling
Date: February 6, 2025
Location: Boeing Center At Tech Port, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

The road to Sacrifice continues and we really don’t have much for the card yet. Then again, TNA has a history of waiting for the last minute to set up some of their shows and that might be the case again here. The big draw this week is the Nemeth Brothers getting a shot at Fraxiom and the NXT Tag Team Titles. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

We look at Joe Hendry in the Royal Rumble. It wasn’t much of a surprise but it’s still hard to fathom.

Here is Joe Hendry to get things going and it is time for a concert. Hendry sings about how terrible the world is but it doesn’t matter because he won the belt. Cue Jake Something to interrupt, saying he’s taking Hendry up on his title match anytime offer next week. Hendry, naturally in song, accepts.

Masha Slamovich is ready for Cora Jade.

Tyson DuPont vs. Ace Austin

DuPont has Wes Lee and Tyriek Igwe with him. The rather large DuPont powers him into the corner to start but Austin starts rolling around. Austin kicks away at the legs for a breather as commentary talks about what is coming tonight. A pop up powerslam gives DuPont two and we hit the full nelson. Austin fights out and hits a dropkick for a needed breather. DuPont misses a splash and gets caught with the Fol for the fast pin at 5:30.

Rating: C. This was more about having Austin fight against a rather large monster and show off what he can do. That is always going to work and it is nice to see a TNA star get a win here. Not a great match, but it was a simple story that helped Austin look like a winner after his recent loss to Moose. Nice work, though not much of a match.

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

Tessa Blanchard isn’t going to be in the battle royal tonight because she knows everyone is coming for her.

Steph de Lander and Mance Warner are happy together with the Digital Media Title.

Battle Royal

Rosemary, Ash By Elegance, Heather By Elegance, Savannah Evans, Jazz, Dani Luna, Jody Threat, Alisha Edwards, Tasha Steelz, Xia Brookside

The winner gets a Knockouts Title shot next week and NXT’s Cora Jade is on commentary. Jazz is here as a surprise and wastes no time Jazz Stingering Edwards. The big brawl is on with people pairing off and Edwards tosses Steelz. Spitfire gets together to eliminate Edwards and both By Elegances attempt to hide underneath the ring, only to be pulled out.

Speaking of out, Heather and Luna both are, followed by Threat to get us down to five. Jazz isn’t interested in the potential alliances and gets eliminated by Rosemary shortly thereafter. Rosemary and Ash are out too, leaving us with Brookside vs. Evans. Brookside sends her to the apron but Jade offers a distraction. That means a headbutt can eliminate Brookside to give Evans the win at 8:45.

Rating: C-. This was short and to the point, which is what you need in a match like this. The ending helps set up Jade vs. Brookside if that is where things are going, as Jade feels like someone who is going to be a top challenger sooner than later. For now though, Evans is getting the title shot, despite not being the biggest star in the division.

Here are Eric Young and the Northern Armory for a chat. Young says they run this company, which has been dominated by Canadians for years. He has wrestled here more than anyone else and that puts him ahead of everyone. His first act was to take out Josh Alexander but here is Steve Maclin to interrupt. Maclin does not accept this as he Young is the only person he has ever trusted around here. If the two of them are with Young, Maclin isn’t with him. As Maclin leaves, Josh Alexander interrupts and he gets one final wish: his last match in TNA, next week against Young.

Sami Callihan is looking for Mance Warner and blows off Frankie Kazarian. Santino Marella comes in and doesn’t like Kazarian either.

Hardys/Leon Slater vs. The System

JDC headlocks Slater to start but it’s quickly off to Edwards, who gets stomped down in the corner. Everything breaks down and the Hardys hit Poetry In Motion as we take a break. Back with Alisha Edwards cutting off Slater’s big dive, allowing Moose to hit a powerbomb on the apron.

The camel clutch goes on and the Hardys are taken down, allowing a parade of finishers to get two with the Hardys making the save. Slater gets over to Jeff for the tag as everything breaks down again. Slater’s big dive connects and the Plot Twist to Moose sets up Slater’s Swanton 450. Jeff adds the regular Swanton for the pin at 10:45.

Rating: B-. It seems like they are setting up Slater as the next challenger for the title and I’ve heard worse ideas. Slater is not someone who is reinventing anything, but he does well with what he is doing. Let him go out there and fly around and give Moose a challenge. At the same time, I’m not sure I need to see the Hardys vs. the System again, but odds are we’re going back in that direction.

Mustafa Ali breaks up an argument between the Good Hands. With them gone, Ali gives Tasha Steelz a pep talk.

Matt Cardona vs. Mike Santana

Cardona gets knocked outside to start, allowing commentary to talk about upcoming events. Cardona manages some rams into various things as commentary previews the rest of the show. A neckbreaker gives Cardona two but Santana fights up without much trouble. Spin The Block is blocked but a Death Valley Driver leaves Cardona down for a second. Back up and the Reboot into a tiger bomb gets two but Radio Silence is broken up. A Death Valley Driver sets up Spin The Block to give Santana the pin at 8:20.

Rating: C+. For someone who is quite the big star, Cardona tends to lose a lot. It helps when he is going to be in and out of a bunch of promotions so he is going to be able to put a bunch of people over. That is a good thing to see with Santana, who is on his way to something big in TNA.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

NXT Tag Team Titles: Fraxiom vs. Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth

Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer/Axiom) are defending and Arianna Grace are on commentary. Axiom and Nic wrestle each other down to start with Axiom getting a headlock. Frazer comes in to work on the armbar but Ryan comes in as well for a double elbow. Everything breaks down and Frazer’s dive is cut off, with Nic sending Axiom’s kick into Frazer’s face.

We take a break and come back with Ryan being sent into the corner for some kicks to the face. It’s back to Nic for the elbow to Axiom and Ryan grabs a front facelock. The chinlock goes on and Axiom gets kicked down again, only for him to fight up. Frazer comes back in to clean house but Nic plants him with the jumping DDT.

Everything breaks down and stereo Danger Zones give Ryan two on Frazer. The Golden Radio/brainbuster combination gets two with Ryan making the last second save. Ryan tries to bring in a chair due to reasons of being stupid, allowing Axiom to get in a shot on Nic. A missile dropkick/Russian legsweep combination to Ryan retains the titles at 13:38.

Rating: B. That’s a perfect way to go as they had a good title match going and then the ending was Ryan doing something like a moron. It made sense for everyone and gave them a way out, as the titles weren’t changing hands here and Nic wasn’t getting pinned. Best match on the show, which shouldn’t be surprising given that Fraxiom can have a good match with anyone.

Overall Rating: B. This took some time to get going and it made for a good night, even though Sacrifice wasn’t really mentioned. You can see some matches coming up in the next few weeks but nothing seems to be ready for the next big show. Hendry vs. Something should be fine for a quick title defense and Santana and Slater are on the way up, so the future is rather interesting. I liked the show, even though the battle royal wasn’t much to see.

Results
Ace Austin b. Tyson DuPont – The Fold
Savannah Evans won a battle royal last eliminating Xia Brookside
Hardys/Leon Slater b. The System – Swanton to Moose
Mike Santana b. Matt Cardona – Spin The Block
Fraxiom b. Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth – Missile dropkick/Russian legsweep combination to Ryan

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: January 30, 2025
Location: Boeing Center At Tech Port, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Mathews Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re back to taped this week after a pretty strong showing on last week’s live show. Hopefully they can continue the momentum on the way to whatever the next big show happens to be. Joe Hendry is still World Champion so now we get to hear from former champion Nic Nemeth. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Nic Nemeth to get things going. Nemeth talks about how important Genesis was for the company and now he has to start things over. Before he can get very far though, here is Ryan Nemeth to say that HIS BROTHER is not happy with what happened. Joe Hendry is a flash in the pan but Nic isn’t having that. It’s going to be the Nemeth Brothers’ year so here is First Class to interrupt. They’re here for the titles because it means money, and they are sick of the old people taking up all of the top spots. Arguing ensues so here is Santino Marella to make the tag match for tonight.

Arianna Grace is happy to see what is going on around here and runs into Tessa Blanchard. Tessa isn’t interested and doesn’t like Grace. She chases Gia Miller off too, which is a threat to everyone.

NXT’s Cora Jade ran into Xia Brookside in the back and they argued like wrestlers running into each other in the back.

Cora Jade vs. Hyan

Hyan flips out of a wristlock to start but is quickly clotheslined down. Back up and Jade chokes on the rope, setting up a running dropkick in those ropes. Hyan is sent hard into the corner and Jaded (double arm DDT) finishes for Jade at 2:57.

Post match Jade keeps up the beating but Xia Brookside runs in…and gets beaten down as well. Masha Slamovich makes the real save.

NXT’s Wes Lee/Tyriek Igwe/Tyson DuPont are ready for Ace Austin and Fraxiom. Lee wants gold of any kind.

The Personal Concierge yells at Santino Marella about how By Elegance should be the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. Next week there is a battle royal for a title shot, but it sounds like the singles version. Spitfire comes in to glare.

Brian Myers vs. Leon Slater

Myers, with the System, shoulders him down to start but Slater does it as well, meaning it’s time to dance. A bouncing kick to the face and elbow to the face give Slater two but he gets sent face first into the middle buckle. Myers sends him hard into the corner and then does it again, chest first this time, for two.

We hit the reverse chinlock but Slater is back up with a springboard crossbody. Slater kicks him in the head but walks into an implant DDT for two. The Roster Cut is countered into a small package for two and Slater sends him outside for a big dive. Alisha Edwards gives Myers a ring though and a shot to Slater’s face sets up the Roster Cut for the pin at 9:51.

Rating: C+. Slater losing to someone like Myers might not be the best idea but what mattered the most is that Slater got to have another nice match. He continues to look good almost every time he’s out there and it is nice to see him building up a bit of status. Now just get a few wins going and he might actually go somewhere.

Sami Callihan goes after Mance Warner and Steph de Lander.

Leon Slater still isn’t interested in working with Frankie Kazarian but the System interrupts. Maybe he could be the team’s secretary! The Hardys show up and a six man is set for next week.

Sami Callihan and Mance Warner brawl into the arena but Steph de Lander runs in for the distraction. Warner takes Callihan down and hits a running knee to leave him laying.

Steve Maclin isn’t having anything to do with Eric Young working with Josh Alexander.

Laredo Kid vs. Mustafa Ali

Kid starts fast by running the corner for an armdrag but Ali is right back with some uppercuts in the corner. Back up and Kid gets dropkicked out of the air for two and we hit the seated abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and they trade rollups for two each and they go outside, where Ali hits a hanging DDT. The 450 gives Ali the pin at 5:41.

Rating: C+. Ali is still as smooth in the ring as you can see and that is great to see. It is interesting to see what Ali can do when he is given the chance and not doing as much of the over the top campaigning stuff. That can work well, but he has the in-ring work to back it up and that works very well.

Post break Ali is rather happy with his win but Mike Santana comes in to challenge him. Ali would love to do that….uh, some day.

Eric Young/Josh Alexander vs. Northern Armory

Alexander throws Icarus into the corner to start and headlocks Williams to keep up the control. A missed charge sends Alexander to the floor though and a kick to the chest drops him again. The Armory hit some running kicks in the corner but Alexander suplexes his way out of trouble. The tag brings in Young and….he turns on Alexander. That means the Armory goes after Alexander as well and the match is thrown out at around 4:30.

Rating: C. So yeah this was little more than an angle and there is nothing wrong with that. I’m curious to see if this is pretty much it for Alexander, as he will probably have a match with Young and then ride off into the sunset. Other than that, it’s Young as a heel again and, uh, I guess that’s something we get to see for reasons of TNA not liking us.

Post match the big beatdown is on and Alexander is left laying.

Wes Lee vs. Ace Austin

Austin takes him down by the arm to start but Lee flips up and grabs an anklescissors. Back up and Lee flips over Austin before kicking him into the ropes. Lee hits a nice suicide dive, followed by a basement dropkick to the back for two. Another, and harder, kick gets two on Austin and it’s time to crank on the arm.

Austin fights up and hits a quick Russian legsweep, followed by some running clotheslines in the corner. A gutwrench powerbomb connects but here are Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont for a distraction. Austin dives…kind of in their general vicinity to take them down, only to get Cardiac Kicked (kick to the head) for the pin at 9:38.

Rating: B-. Take two good high fliers and let them do their thing for a bit, though that dive wasn’t exactly the best looking. Other than that though, it was nice to see Austin out there again as he can work well with anyone. Lee continues to need something a bit better to do, though maybe a change over to TNA is a smart move.

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

Joe Hendry is ready to entertain, so next week it’s a concert.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth vs. First Class

Francis shoves Ryan into the corner and demands/receives Nic. Navarro comes in and gets hiptossed into a dropkick, setting up double dropkick to Francis. We take a break and come back with Ryan in trouble (I for one am shocked). Something close to a 619 sets up a leg lariat for two on Ryan and it’s back to Francis for the chinlock. Ryan manages to get in a knockdown and the tag brings in Nic to clean house. Everything breaks down and Ryan dives onto Francis on the floor. The Fameasser and Danger Zone hit Navarro but Ryan tags himself in to steal the pin at 12:50.

Rating: C+. Ryan is starting to turn himself into something interesting with this goofiness and having him steal the win is a nice touch for him. That being said, I don’t want to see the two of them face each other, but for now, we are at least having something with Ryan as the annoying brother. Francis and company losing is always a plus as well so this could have been a lot worse.

Overall Rating: C+. The NXT stars being around is a nice way to go and I’m curious to see where all of that goes. At the same time, you had some good matches and enough things being moved forward, though I’m more than a bit hesitant about a renewed Eric Young heel run. The show wasn’t great, but it does give you a good idea of where some things are going in the next few weeks.

Results
Cora Jade b. Hyan – Jaded
Brian Myers b. Leon Slater – Roster Cut
Mustafa Ali b. Laredo Kid – 450
Eric Young/Josh Alexander vs. Northern Armory went to a no contest
Wes Lee b. Ace Austin – Cardiac Kick
Ryan Nemeth/Nic Nemeth b. First Class – Danger Zone to Navarro

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

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AND

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Impact Wrestling
Date: January 23, 2025
Location: Boeing Center At Tech Point, San Antonio, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’ve got a pretty big show here as we are not only fresh off of Genesis but this show aired live for the first time in a good many years. The big story coming out of Genesis is Joe Hendry winning the World Title from Nic Nemeth in a moment that probably should have happened a few months back. Now it’s time to get ready for…whatever the next show is going to be. Let’s get to it.

Here is Genesis if you need a recap.

We open with a long Genesis recap.

Santino Marella is outside and promises history.

Opening sequence.

Here is Joe Hendry to get things going. He thanks the fans for always believing in him and now it is time for him to start a new era. That’s why he wants to be a fighting champion and is willing to defend the title against anyone from anywhere. Therefore the title is going to be on the line tonight with Hendry defending against….Matt Cardona. Ok nice start.

We look at Mike Santana making Josh Alexander quit at Genesis.

Eric Young isn’t sure what is going on with Alexander.

Later, Young is talking to Steve Maclin and thinks Alexander needs to be saved. Maclin isn’t convinced but Alexander comes in to say thank you for believing him. Young shakes Alexander’s hand but Maclin isn’t interested.

Nic Nemeth, with Ryan Nemeth, will talk about his loss later.

Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance/Rosemary vs. Spitfire/Masha Slamovich

Threat punches Ash into the corner to start and then out to the floor for a breather. Rosemary comes in to choke Threat and Ash adds a clothesline for two. Threat’s double knees gets her out of trouble and it’s off to Slamovich to clean house. Rosemary’s reverse DDT cuts her off though, only for Luna to snap off a German suplex. Cue NXT’s Cora Jade with an X’d out photo of Slamovich (her trademark), allowing Ash to get a rollup for the pin on Luna at 6:36.

Rating: C. This felt like a big way to set up the ending and little more than that. It worked out well enough and it was nice for Ash to get a win, though odds are it sets up a rematch for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. Also, I get the idea of Jade coming in for the crossover, but I’m not exactly buying the idea of her as a threat to Slamovich.

Here is the Northern Armory for a chat. Josh Alexander reminds us that he quit TNA and thanks TNA for giving him the chance to explain this. After being the iron man for years, he broke at Genesis and now he wants to think of the good times as he is ready to leave. He was inspired watching the first TNA show in 2002 and now he’s ready to go. Sinner And Saint aren’t happy though and jump Alexander, with Eric Young making the save. Young offers a tag match for next week.

The System vs. Hardys

Non-title and the rest of the System is here with Moose/JDC. The System jumps them to start but the Hardys are back up with Poetry In Motion for a breather. Moose is back up with a beating to Matt though and JDC gets to take over. Matt breaks that up though and hands it off to Jeff to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and the Twist Of Fate leaves JDC on the floor. That means Jeff can knock Moose down and hit the Swanton for the pin at 5:32.

Rating: C+. It was fast paced and the ending was a bit of a surprise as JDC feels like he is there for the loss and nothing more. I’m a bit surprised that the System lost that quickly but the Hardys got a nice win after another win on Sunday. That makes for a bit of an issue as the Hardys continue to be one of the most important stars in TNA and the company is going to need something fresh in the title picture. For now though, this was a way to get the Hardys on the live show and that’s fine enough.

Post match the number 23 appears on screen again and we go to a break.

Here is Sami Callihan who wants to know what this 23 is right now. Cue Steph de Lander, who is the new Digital Media Champion, having gotten the title in the divorce (ok points for a clever way around that). With her husband out the door, it’s time to meet her boyfriend: Mance Warner, who is 23. Warner hits Callihan in the face with the title and kisses de Lander. Warner feels like he is long, long overdue to be in a bigger promotion.

Arianna Grace is on commentary and rather pleased to be here.

NXT Tag Team Titles; Fraxiom vs. Rascalz

Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer/Axiom) is defending. Miguel works on Axiom’s arm to start and it’s quickly of to Frazer for a Dream Sequence from the challengers. Frazer is back up with a DDT to give Axiom two and he grabs the chinlock. A double basement superkick gets two on Miguel and a Sling Blade gets two.

Axiom’s superkick into a brainbuster gets two more but Miguel kicks Frazer to the floor. The Rascalz rapid fire kick Axiom and double superkick a moonsaulting Frazer out of the air for two. Cue Wes Lee for a distraction though and it’s Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont to take out the Rascalz. The super Spanish Fly into the phoenix splash pins Miguel to retain the titles at 9:15.

Rating: B-. So this is the big crossover match and that’s not a bad way to go. Fraxiom has been doing some great things as of late and this is getting another chance for them to showcase just how good they are. At the same time, the Rascalz issues continue and we could be in for something interesting. More Fraxiom is certainly a good thing though and it made for a nice match here.

Here is Mike Santana for a chat. His father taught him to be a man of his word and that is what he has done since he came back to TNA. On Sunday, he made Josh Alexander quit and now he wants to be the World Champion. Cue the returning Mustafa Ali of all people and he has officially signed with the company. Therefore, it is time to launch a new campaign to become the next World Heavyweight Champion. And Santana is just ok with this.

Here is Tessa Blanchard for a chat. She talks about her family being from San Antonio and her grandfather brought the first national wrestling show to television. Her father and grandfather knew there was something special in her and now it is time to step up. She is back and answers to no one. And that’s that. As usual, Blanchard feels like an absolute star every time.

TNA World Title: Joe Hendry vs. Matt Cardona

Hendry is defending and Frankie Kazarian is on commentary. Cardona gets knocked to the floor to start before coming back in to choke away. A jumping knee takes Cardona down though and a suplex does the same. They head outside with Hendry hitting an AA but a second is broken up with a rake to the eyes. We take a break and come back with Cardona dropping him again.

Some neckbreakers set up a front facelock to keep Hendry in trouble which is broken up rather quickly. Hendry gets taken own by a straitjacket choke and the Reboot connects in the corner. The referee gets bumped though, meaning the pop up powerbomb doesn’t get a count. A low blow drops Hendry and Cardona grabs the title but cue John Layfield to drop Cardona. Layfield leaves, only for Cardona to get up with a belt shot for two. Another belt shot is loaded up but Hendry reverses into the Standing Ovation to retain at 16:08.

Rating: B-. Not a bad debut for Hendry as champion and beating someone as prominent as Cardona is a good move. That being said, it would be nice to have anything involving Layfield actually being explained. He’s been at this for months now but for some reason we’re still doing the same stuff over and over. Other than that, it was a good match, though Hendry could have looked a bit stronger.

Overall Rating: B. While not a classic show or anything, it was a show that felt big and had some nice moments. That’s what they needed to do here as the company is actually on a nice roll. Hendry becoming the top star is a good thing and it feels like we could be in for quite the run from him if TNA handles it properly. Cardona showing up as a surprise and Ali being back made for some big moments and I want to see where this is going from here. Nice job here, as TNA delivered well enough when it needed to.

Results
Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance/Rosemary b. Spitfire/Masha Slamovich – Rollup to Luna
Hardys b. The System – Swanton to Moose
Fraxiom b. Rascalz – Phoenix splash to Miguel
Joe Hendry b. Matt Cardona – 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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AND

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Genesis 2025
Date: January 19, 2025
Location: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

It’s the first major pay per view of the year and the big story is that Joe Hendry is getting his second chance to become TNA World Champion. That’s enough of a story, but other than that, there is a good chance that NXT is going to be heavily involved around here, as the two promotions have announced a multi-year partnership. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Ashante Thee Adonis vs. Jake Something

This is the result of NXT’s Adonis’ opening challenge to officially kick off the new partnership. Adonis throws his jacket at Something to start and is promptly run over with some shoulders. A hard forearm takes Adonis down again and, after shrugging off some stomps, Something shoves him into the corner. Adonis gets in a forearm to the back and kicks away but Something is back with a heck of a running shoulder in the corner. Something knocks him out of the air and hits Into The Void for the win at 3:54.

Rating: C+. Nice choice for an opener here as Something got to look like a monster and the fans liked what they were seeing. Other than that, it was nice to see a TNA star dominating an NXT name, even someone as low on the list as Adonis. Not a great match, but it was fun and got the fans going without taking much time. In other words, it was exactly what it should have been.

Kickoff Show: Leon Slater vs. Frankie Kazarian

JDC is on commentary. Kazarian armdrags him down to start but Slater gets in a whip to the corner, meaning it’s time to dance. Back up and Slater is sat on top for a shove out to the floor, setting up the slingshot legdrop for two back inside. The running flipping neckbreaker gives Kazarian two and there’s a springboard spinning legdrop, though JDC isn’t happy with Slater playing to the crowd (ignore Slater not playing to the crowd).

Slater fights up and hits a running boot to the face, setting up a high crossbody for two. Something like a Blue Thunder Bomb gives Slater two but the slingshot Fameasser into the slingshot cutter drops Slater again. Fade To Black is blocked and Slater kicks him to the floor, setting up the big running flip dive over the post. Back in and the Swanton 450 hits knees though, with Kazarian grabbing a rollup with tights for the pin at 9:04.

Rating: C+. Gah they were starting to get to a higher level right at the end when it all stopped. I’m not sure if Slater is going to go on to become anything big around here but the fans are reacting to him and his high flying stuff is looking rather nice. That’s more than enough to warrant giving him another look and TNA seems to know that, even this early in his time with the company. The fans were reacting to Slater here and I could have gone for another few minutes.

Camryn Wright sings the National Anthem.

The opening video talks about how this is the beginning and looks at the biggest matches.

X-Division Title: Moose vs. Ace Austin

Moose, with JDC and Alisha Edwards, is defending and debuts a new title design. Austin immediately jumps him to start and hammers away in the corner but they’re quickly on the floor. Moose gets in a whip into the barricade and then does it again for a bonus. A missed charge sends Moose into the barricade for a change though and Austin adds a suplex on the floor.

JDC offers a distraction, allowing Austin to get chokeslammed off the top and onto the apron. Back in and Austin tries to fire off some chops but gets knocked down without much trouble. The spear misses for Moose and Austin Russian legsweeps him down. A springboard kick to the face and a double stomp gets two. The Fold is blocked and Moose’s middle rope chokebomb gives him two of his own.

They slug it out until Moose knocks him to the floor, where another chokebomb is countered into a hurricanrana. They go outside where Moose accidentally spears JDC, allowing Austin to hit the Fold. Cue Brian Myers for a distraction, with Moose hitting the spear for two. Austin kicks him in the head and tries the Art Of Finesse but gets speared out of the air. Another spear retains the title at 14:38.

Rating: B. I kept going back and forth about the winner here, as the appeal of having Austin win the title in honor of Chris Bey would have been an awesome moment. At the same time, Moose holding onto the title and dominating the division until someone steps up to dethrone him works very well too. I could go for seeing where that goes long term and if it means more matches like this, I’m all for it. This was a heck of a power vs. speed match and the fans, again, were all over what they were being given. Austin can go with anyone and I wouldn’t be complaining about seeing him doing something more important.

Post match the beatdown is teased but Eric Young and Steve Maclin (scheduled to face the System tonight) run in for the save. The brawl is on and we’re doing this one now.

Steve Maclin/Eric Young vs. The System

Maclin backbreakers Edwards to start and knees Myers down, only for Edwards to come back with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Myers takes over on Maclin and Edwards adds a clothesline for two as commentary talks about the history of tag wrestling in the company. Maclin facebusters and clotheslines his way out of trouble, allowing Young to come in and clean house. The top rope elbow gets two on Myers but a double suplex drops Young for two. Everything breaks down and Alisha’s distraction lets Myers get in a spear for two on Maclin. The System Overload is broken up though and it’s the KIA to pin Myers at 7:30.

Rating: C+. Another fast paced match here and the good thing is they didn’t take too long. That’s a trap that so many promotions fall into and it’s nice to see someone realize that a match like this doesn’t need to be fifteen minutes. Maclin and Young aren’t likely to be a long term team, but they’re fine for two bigger names who don’t have anything else to do at the moment.

We meet the French announce team and run down the rest of the card.

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

Spitfire is defending but the challengers get a New Age Outlaws style introduction by the Personal Concierge. By Elegance are in Dallas Cowboys cheerleader gear but stop to say GO EAGLES, meaning the fight is on in a hurry. Luna splashes Ash for two to start but a double suplex is broken up. Heather comes in and gets suplexed (with a squat) instead but the Concierge gets in a trip from the floor to take over.

Back in and Luna gets choked on the ropes, allowing Luna to flip around a bit. A running dropkick in the corner gets two on Luna and Ash grabs a chinlock. That’s broken up and it’s off to Threat to clean house. Everything breaks down and a Backstabber/double stomp combination gets two on Threat. Luna is back in with some German suplexes before Threat sends Heather outside with Pop Shove It. The Pressure Drop retains the titles at 9:31.

Rating: C. The match was fine but the titles still don’t feel like they really need to be a thing. By Elegance was a fine choice for challengers, but where do we go from here? The champions retained the titles clean, so other than a rematch, it’s time to find new challengers. That has been the problem for the titles since their inception and that is going to continue until there are a lot more teams to pick from, which isn’t seeming likely.

We look at Frankie Kazarian beating Leon Slater on the Kickoff Show.

Kazarian teases cashing in his Call Your Shot tonight.

We recap Tessa Blanchard vs. Jordynne Grace. Blanchard returned at Final Resolution and no one is happy about it, with Grace stepping up for the Knockouts division and the company.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Jordynne Grace

Grace wastes no time in powering her into the corner to hammer away. They head outside with Grace hitting a big dive but Blanchard sends her into the steps. A hurricanrana is countered into a swing into the steps but Blanchard stomps on the hand. The fans are all over Blanchard here as she comes back in with a dragon sleeper. Blanchard sends her into the corner for a running Codebreaker but Grace catches her on top with a super fall away slam.

They take their time getting up before slugging it out, with Grace getting the better of things. A package powerbomb gives Grace two but Blanchard is back with a double underhook Canadian Destroyer for the same. Grace’s suplex is countered into a neckbreaker for two more and they head back outside.

Grace shrugs off a shot to the head and hits a Death Valley Driver from the steps to the floor for a nasty crash. Back in and they go up, with Blanchard grabbing a super crucifix driver for two more. Blanchard is back up with an octopus but Grace reverses into a reverse fisherman’s suplex.

A cutter drops Grace for two but she’s right back up with a spinning reverse Alabama Slam for two more. With nothing else working, Blanchard rips off most of a turnbuckle pad and Buzzsaw (hammerlock DDT) sends Grace into the pad for two. A bulldog into the buckle and Magnum (top rope Codebreaker) finish Grace at 20:17.

Rating: B+. Blanchard has a lot of baggage to her and that has ruined a lot of her career, but she is one of the most talented women of her generation. She’s a complete package and it makes sense for TNA to want her to be a major star. I’m not sure how well that is going to go given what she has done behind the scenes, but dang it can be fun to see her in the ring.

We recap Mike Santana vs. Josh Alexander. They hate each other, they’ve been fighting a lot, it’s time for an I Quit match.

Josh Alexander vs. Mike Santana

I Quit match and the Northern Armory is barred from ringside. Alexander goes for the wrestling to start and Santana realizes he’s in over his head, so he sends Alexander to the floor for a big flip dive. It takes to long to set up a table though and Alexander snaps off an overhead belly to belly suplex. Alexander starts going after the leg and rolls Three Amigos to really annoy the crowd.

The running crossbody to the back misses so Alexander has to settle for a World’s Strongest Slam onto the apron. Back in and Santana uses the good leg for a kick to the face, setting up a Cannonball. A Death Valley Driver hits Alexander and they’re both down. Spin The Block is countered into the ankle lock but Santana loses his boot to escape (and commentary points out the Eddie Guerrero connections), only to get backdropped over the top and through the table at ringside.

That’s still a no on quitting so Alexander grabs a chair and beats the heck out of the leg. Santana insists there is no quit in him so Alexander stomps away, even with Santana busted open. The C4 Spike just wakes Santana up and a springboard hurricanrana sets up a frog splash.

Spin The Block puts Alexander down but he won’t quit. Santana steals Alexander’s zip tie and ties the arms together, setting up another Spin The Block. A Cannonball against a table onto Alexander still isn’t enough so he pulls out the slap jack and hammers at the ribs. That’s still not enough so Santana loads up a Curb Stomp onto the steps, which makes Alexander quit at 23:08.

Rating: B. All of the Eddie tributes aside, this was a star making performance from Santana, as he survived everything Alexander threw at him and then overwhelmed one of the most successful stars TNA has ever had. If Santana isn’t World Champion by the end of the year, I don’t know what this company is doing, because he has stepped up in a huge way and the fans are reacting to everything that he does.

Post match Santana wants a handshake and Alexander gives him one….then he quits TNA.

We recap the Hardys defending the Tag Team Titles against the Rascalz. The Hardys are the champions and the Rascalz want the titles.

Tag Team Titles: Hardys vs. Rascalz

The Hardys are defending…and NXT Tag Team Champions Fraxiom come down to watch at ringside. Matt and Miguel start things off with a series of exchanges and escapes before it’s off to Jeff (pop) vs. Wentz. Jeff takes him down for some early near falls and it’s quickly off to Matt for two of his own. Wentz knees Jeff down though and some rapid fire strikes take over without much effort. A Dream Sequence gets two but Matt cuts off a dive and hits a Side Effect on the floor.

Back in and the Plot twist gets two on Miguel and everything breaks down, with a baseball slide sending Matt into Fraxiom. A dive takes Fraxiom out by mistake so here is security to get rid of them. Jeff uses the steps for Poetry In Motion but Miguel is back with an enziguri to Matt and everyone is down. The Twist Of Fate is broken up and it’s a Cheeky Nandos Kick into a 619 to Jeff. Another Twist is broken up but Matt grabs one on Miguel, setting up the Swanton to retain at 13:04.

Rating: C+. The match was mostly action packed and the Fraxiom tease was mainly about setting up something for the future, but it’s still a bit much to see the ancient Hardys beating another young, talented team. It wouldn’t shock me to see the Hardys getting the NXT Tag Team Titles soon and that’s a bit much to take.

Video on the Chris Bey Go Fund Me.

Rebellion is in Los Angeles on April 27.

We recap Rosemary challenging Masha Slamovich for the Knockouts Title. Rosemary hasn’t had the title in seven years so now it’s time for a Clockwork Orange House Of Fun match.

Knockouts Title: Rosemary vs. Masha Slamovich

Rosemary is challenging in a Clockwork Orange House Of Fun match, meaning a weapons filled, falls count anywhere street fight. Slamovich strikes away to start and grabs a trashcan lid to take over fast. A staple gun to various parts of Rosemary have her in trouble but she mists Slamovich to take over.

It’s too early for a DDT onto an open chair and Slamovich can see well enough for a running crossbody to put Rosemary through a table at ringside. Slamovich’s running flip dive off the apron only hits chair though and it’s time to bust out Janice (the 2×4 with nails sticking out), which is raked over Slamovich’s back. The beating takes Slamovich up the ramp as Rosemary pours the tags onto the stage.

A spear sends Slamovich into the tacks but instead of covering, it’s time for a barbed wire board. As usual, that takes too long and it’s a Snow Plow to send Rosemary into the wire. Slamovich goes up a well placed ladder but gets shoved down through a table at ringside. Back in and Rosemary sets up some chairs, only to get piledriven from the middle rope onto said chairs to retain the title at 14:02.

Rating: B. It was a violent match, but it was hard to imagine that Slamovich was in any serious danger here. She is going to need a special kind of challenger to take the title. Rosemary is a talented star, but Slamovich is a monster champion right now and I could go for seeing her hold the title for a good while.

Post match NXT’s Cora Jade comes out for a staredown with Slamovich.

The Busted Open Radio hosts talk about the main event but Ryan Nemeth comes out to say HIS BROTHER is not going to be happy with their picks. Santana Marella bans him from ringside.

We recap the World Title match. Nic Nemeth beat Joe Hendry to retain the title at Bound For Glory but Hendry earned a rematch and feels he has to win to validate all of the faith in him.

TNA World Title: Joe Hendry vs. Nic Nemeth

Hendry is challenging. They fight over a lockup to start with the stronger Hendry shoving him down for an early advantage. They trade rollups for two each before fighting over wrist control. Nemeth hits a dropkick but Hendry is right back with a jumping knee. The delayed suplex is countered into a sleeper from Nemeth as Ryan Nemeth, ticket in hand, sits down at ringside.

Hendry fights out of an armbar and fires off some uppercuts, only to get caught with a neckbreaker. A crossface keeps Hendry in trouble until he fights up, where Nemeth hits another dropkick. Hendry is fine enough to grab a running cutter and wins a slugout, setting up the all away slam to send Nemeth flying. A short powerbomb gives Hendry two and an AA is good for the same as the momentum is building.

Nemeth knocks him off the top rope and hits a Fameasser for two, leaving them both down. For some reason Nemeth goes up but gets caught in a super fall away slam. Cue Kazarian with the trophy but John Layfield makes the save before taking out Ryan Nemeth and leaving. The Standing Ovation gives Hendry two and the superkick into the Danger Zone gives Nemeth the same. Back up and Hendry hits another fall away slam into another Standing Ovation for the pin and the title at 19:07.

Rating: B. They didn’t have another real option here, which makes the relief that they did the right thing all the funnier. What matters the most is that Hendry got the win (clean at that) and gets to be the top star, as long as it lasts. This is what TNA needed to do and it came after a hard fought, back and forth match where Hendry FINALLY won the big one. Good stuff here as they close it out on a feel good moment.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a heck of a show with nothing bad and some nice feel good moments. I was way into a lot of what I was seeing here and they even paid it off with a big moment at the end. They didn’t do anything screwy here and it was about four hours counting Kickoff Show. Really awesome show here and worth a look if you want a look at what TNA can do and in this case, does.

Results
Jake Something b. Ashante Thee Adonis – Into The Void
Frankie Kazarian b. Leon Slater – Rollup with tights
Moose b. Ace Austin – Spear
Steve Maclin/Eric Young b. The System – KIA to Myers
Spitfire b. Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance – Pressure Drop to Ash
Tessa Blanchard b. Jordynne Grace – Magnum
Mike Santana b. Josh Alexander when Alexander quit
Hardys b. Rascalz – Swanton to Miguel
Masha Slamovich b. Rosemary – Middle rope piledriver onto open chairs

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

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

AND

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: January 9, 2025
Location: Center Stage, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentator: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re still on the way to Genesis and that means we should be getting some more of the card set up. In this case that could make for an interesting show, as there are several spots to be filled in on the card. Joe Hendry is still on his way to another World Title shot and we should be getting some hype towards it this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

The System vs. Eric Young/Steve Maclin/Jonathan Gresham

Edwards charges into Gresham’s bot in the corner to start and it’s off to Young to hammer on Myers. A quick necksnap across the top rope takes over on Young though and the villains take him into the corner. JDC sends him back into the corner to cut off a comeback attempt and we hit the chinlock. It’s too early for the Roster Cut though as Young cuts off Myers with the Death Valley Driver. Maclin comes in to clean house with a backbreaker getting two on JDC. Everything breaks down and the KIA finishes JDC at 6:30.

Rating: C+. They weren’t wasting time here as the System takes a loss in less than seven minutes. The team isn’t doing so well right now and the idea of Moose losing their lone title at Genesis isn’t out of the question. For now though, the trio of unlikely good guys are fine for what they are, especially in a fast spot like this.

Post match the System lays the winners out and wrap a chair around Gresham’s neck, which is sent into the post for a crash.

Video on Joe Hendry, looking at his childhood and rise up the ranks to the #1 contendership. We look at his education in judo and music to make him quite the mixture of talents. This is a really good package and a great “get to know you” idea to make you want to see Hendry the person win rather than Hendry the character.

Savannah Evans vs. Lei Ying Lee

Lee is being brought in by Xia Brookside for revenge on Evans, who injured both of them. Lee starts fast and takes Evans out with a dive on the floor, followed by another for two back inside. Evans powerbombs her down for two and we hit the chinlock. Back up and a clothesline drops Evans but Lee is right back with Thunderstruck for the pin at 4:20.

Rating: C. It’s nice to see Lee back in the ring and getting a win but I’m still not seeing much out of her that makes me think she’s going to be a star. At least she has something of a story here though and that is more than she has been able to say thus far. Brookside being involved should help a bit, though I’m curious to see who Evans is going to get to even things up.

Jordynne Grace grabs the mic and calls out Tessa Blanchard for a fight.

Here’s a Classic Moment Of The Week as Kurt Angle defeats Jeff Jarrett at Genesis 2009. We see about eight minutes of a twenty one minute match, which is quite a bit of TV time to use on something like this.

Rosemary wants Masha Slamovich.

Mike Santana vs. Northern Armory

Gauntlet Match and Judas Icarus starts for the team. Icarus jumps him from behind but the clotheslines don’t seem to matter. Santana hits a dropkick but gets knocked off the top for a crash. Not that it matters as Spin The Block gives Santana the pin at 1:56. Travis Williams is in next and slips out of a Death Valley Driver attempt to kick Santana down.

We take a break and come back with Williams getting a cross armbreaker but Santana powers out. The buckle bomb into a sitout powerbomb finishes Williams at 8:23 total, meaning it’s time for Josh Alexander. Cue Alexander…and the rest of the Armory jumps Santana for the DQ at 9:16.

Rating: C+. This was more of a plot device than anything else and that is not a bad idea. Santana wants to get his hands on Alexander and having to get through the lackeys first makes sense. Alexander sent the goons to do his dirty work and it makes for a perfectly simple wrestling angle as a result.

Post match the beatdown is on and Alexander gets his headgear back.

The Personal Concierge is ready to have a pre-title win title celebration next week.

Rosemary sees cracks in Masha Slamovich’s armor. Raven of all people comes in to ask how long it’s been since she held the belt. Rosemary whips out a knife and holds it to his throat so Raven offers to coach her. Well that came out of nowhere.

Good Hands vs. Rascalz

Wentz dropkicks Hotch down to start but Skyler breaks up the handspring to take over. A double middle rope crotch standing has Wentz in more trouble and Skyler grabs an abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and everything breaks down with Rolling Thunder getting two on Wentz. A quick Feed Them To The Lions finishes Skyler at 4:48.

Rating: C+. Not much to see here but the Good Hands are in fact good hands, in that they can make anyone around them look better. That’s what the Rascalz can use on the way to their title shot next week at Genesis and it worked well enough here. Not a great match, but it did exactly what it needed to do.

Frankie Kazarian annoys Rhino.

Steve Maclin and Eric Young want revenge on the System but First Class interrupts to get on their nerves. A match is likely for next week.

Here is Alisha Edwards to introduce Moose for a chat. Moose promises to introduce a new X-Division Title at Genesis but cue former TNA star Andrew Everett to say that title means a lot around here. Moose isn’t sure who Everett is and promises violence. A boot to the face and a referee running in are enough to set up a title match.

X-Division Title: Moose vs. Andrew Everett

Moose is defending and runs him over in the corner to start fast. Everett gets in a tornado DDT though and Moose is sent outside. That means the big dive but Moos is back with an apron powerbomb. Back in and a Last Ride finishes for Moose at 2:54.

Sami Callihan demands a title shot against the Hardys. Santino Marella makes it a non-title match next week and if Callihan and PCO win, Genesis is a three way. Works for Callihan.

Here is Jordynne Grace to call out Tessa Blanchard, who answers for the pull apart brawl.

Grace vs. Blanchard is set for Genesis.

Rhino/Joe Hendry vs. Ryan Nemeth/Nic Nemeth

Frankie Kazarian is on commentary as Ryan bails from Rhino to start. Nic works on Rhino’s arm instead but can’t get very far. Instead a double clothesline puts Rhino down for two but he easily takes Ryan into the corner to take over. It’s off to Hendry for a running shoulder and a rather delayed suplex gets two.

Rhino comes back in and gets double teamed down, with Nic grabbing a chinlock. That’s broken up and Hendry comes back in to clean house in a hurry. Kazarian gets up for a failed distraction, leaving Rhino to Gore Ryan but get dropped by Nic’s superkick. Hendry drops Nemeth and hits the Standing Ovation to pin Ryan at 9:19.

Rating: C+. Similar to a few things tonight, this wasn’t a match that was designed to blow the roof off but rather move us a few steps closer to a match that has already been set up. It worked well and gave Rhino a nice win on his way out of the promotion. That’s minor compared to helping boost up Nic vs. Hendry, but I can go for two birds with one match.

Nic and Joe have one more staredown to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This might as well have been TNA in a nutshell recently: it’s nothing that is blowing the doors off of the place and certainly nothing overly novel, but it did a good job of setting up the show that has already been made. I want to see Genesis and while they still have one week to go, they have done well enough so far and this week was a big part of making that work.

Results
Eric Young/Steve Maclin/Jonathan Gresham b. The System – KIA to JDC
Lei Ying Lee b. Savannah Evans – Thunderstruck
Mike Santana b. The Northern Armory via DQ
Rascalz b. Good Hands – Feed Them To The Lions to Skyler
Moose b. Andrew Everett – Last Ride
Rhino/Joe Hendry b. Nic Nemeth/Ryan Nemeth – Standing Ovation to Rhino

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Impact Wrestling
Date: January 2, 2025
Location: Center Stage, Atlanta, Georgia
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re back to a regular show after two weeks of the Best Of last year. That means it is time to move things forward towards Genesis where Joe Hendry gets another title shot against Nic Nemeth. We’re going to need something other than that though and there is a good chance that we’ll see something else added this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Final Resolution if you need a recap.

In Memory Of Jax Dane.

We open with a Final Resolution recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Joe Hendry to get things going. Hendry says that his new year’s resolution is to win the World Title and leave them all chanting WE BELIEVE. Cue Ryan Nemeth to interrupt, saying his big brother isn’t going to like this. The reality is that Hendry is a midcarder and no one here should trust what he says. Hendry likes Ryan’s courage and says there is a thing called the Ryan Nemeth Comedy Special, which cured his insomnia. Ryan is ready to beat Rhino tonight, so Hendry says let’s just do it now.

Rhino vs. Ryan Nemeth

Nemeth goes after the arm to start and gets absolutely nowhere. Back up and Nemeth knocks him to the floor to take over, setting up a quickly broken chinlock back inside. Rhino fights up and elbows him in the face a few times so Nemeth grabs a chair, which Rhino uses on him for the DQ at 5:25.

Rating: C-. Not much to this one, which granted is kind of the point with Nemeth. He’s not supposed to be anything more than Nic’s less talented brother and that’s about what he’s doing in the ring most of the time. Thankfully they didn’t waste time here or try to make this into some big match, which is the right call for them.

Jordynne Grace isn’t happy that Tessa Blanchard is back and she’s ready to prove herself in the main event.

The Rascalz want the Tag Team Titles. The Hardys come in and the match is made for Genesis.

Kushida vs. Ace Austin

They go with the grappling to start and Austin bails into the corner off a clean break. Kushida takes him down into a headscissors but they’re back up for a dropkick to send Kushida outside. Austin follows him to the floor to slug it out but gets caught in the cross armbreaker on the apron.

We take a break and come back with Austin’s arm still in trouble, with a middle rope knee to the arm making it worse. Austin comes back with a running shot to the face though and they’re both down. A gutwrench powerbomb gives Austin two but Kushida hits a running clothesline for two. Austin catches him on top but Kushida manages a kick to the head. The cross armbreaker is broken up so Kushida dropkicks him out of the air. Austin catches him with a kick to the head though and the Fold is good for the pin at 15:11.

Rating: B. My first thought was “this should be good” and that’s what it was. TNA regularly has a good wrestling match of the week and that is what they presented here. It wasn’t some kind of instant classic, but it had good action and two talented wrestlers who can do some nice stuff with some time. That’s a great thing to see on any show and that was the case again here.

Post match Austin thanks the fans for supporting Chris Bey, who wants Austin to go on his big singles run. Austin wants the World Title but here is Moose to interrupt. Moose isn’t happy that Austin doesn’t want the real top guy around here ad brings up Bey’s name. Austin isn’t having that and challenges Moose for the title right now. Cue Santino Marella to make the match at Genesis instead.

Eric Young, Steve Maclin and Jonathan Gresham aren’t sure what they’re doing next. Then they get in a fight with the System.

From January 26, 2017, we see part of a three way between the DCC, Decay and the Hardys, with the Hardys winning as I try to figure out who picked this of all things to air.

Ryan Nemeth is getting looked at when Nic Nemeth comes in. Ryan explains what happened when Joe Hendry and Rhino come in. Santino Marella pops up to make a tag match.

Here is Mike Santana for a chat. He’s disappointed by what happened at Final Resolution but he’s fought through adversity before. Santana holds up Josh Alexander’s headgear so here is the Northern Armory to interrupt. Alexander goes over Santana’s history around here but points out that he hasn’t won anything since coming back. On the other hand, Alexander is a former World Champion and the standard around here. Santana mocks Alexander’s bare bald head and Alexander is ready to fight. The match seems to be made for next week.

Security is in place to deal with any potential Tessa Blanchard interference.

Frankie Kazarian isn’t happy with the lack of attention and offers Leon Slater the chance to be his trophy holder. Slater is good and leaves, with JDC coming in to not be pleased.

Here is Nic Nemeth on the stage to talk about how Joe Hendry is the #1 contender. Nemeth already beat Hendry at Bound For Glory and he loves getting to represent this locker room as World Champion. Genesis is going to be a special show because they are both going to bring everything they have. Ryan Nemeth comes out to say Hendry will stab Nic in the back the first chance he gets. Nic isn’t happy and leaves, with Ryan blaming the people. There is entirely too much Ryan Nemeth on this show.

Security has been attacked.

Heather By Elegance/Ash By Elegance/Tasha Steelz/Rosemary vs. Masha Slamovich/Jordynne Grace/Spitfire

Slamovich hammers away on Steelz to start fast and the villains are in early trouble. Grace comes in to run Rosemary over and everything breaks down with the villains getting quadruple suplexed. Spitfire hit stereo dives to the floor and we take a break. Back with Heather in trouble but handing it off to Steelz, who gets slammed down as well.

Spitfire’s delayed double suplex drops Ash for two but a cheap shot lets her choke Threat in the corner. Threat gets taken into another corner for some stomping and we take another break. Back again with Ash’s handspring elbow hitting Threat in the corner before Rosemary comes in for some choking. Threat finally manages a suplex and it’s Grace coming in to clean house.

Ash blocks the Juggernaut Driver so it’s a World’s Strongest Slam into a Vader Bomb for two with Steelz making the save. Steelz also pulls Ash over to the corner for the tag, showing she’s smarter than most villains. Everything breaks down and we hit the parade of knockdowns until Slamovich piledrives Steelz for the win at 22:22.

Rating: B-. This was longer than it needed to be as it felt like a bunch of waiting around to get to the Tessa Blanchard stuff after the match. It certainly wasn’t a bad match and it did feel big based on the talent involved and the amount of time they got. Blanchard is the focal point though, even if she wasn’t in the match, and that makes for a bit of a weird setup.

Post match Tessa Blanchard runs in to jump Jordynne Grace as everyone brawls. Rosemary mists Slamovich as Blanchard takes Grace backstage and literally throws her out of the building to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Not a great show here, with only three matches (one was rather good) and a lot of Ryan Nemeth to set up Genesis. They did add some stuff to the pay er view and while this didn’t exactly make Final Resolution feel important, it was nice to see what felt like a big show get some attention. Good enough show here, though I’m scared of what they’re going to do with Blanchard.

Results
Ryan Nemeth b. Rhino via DQ when Rhino used a chair
Ace Austin b. Kushida – The Fold
Masha Slamovich/Jordynne Grace/Spitfire b. Tasha Steelz/Ash By Elegance/Heather By Elegance/Rosemary – Piledriver to Steelz

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Impact Wrestling
Date: December 19, 2024
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt
Host: Tom Hannifan

We’re done with Final Resolution but as tends to be the case around here, the year is wrapping up with a pair of Best Of shows. That means looking at some of the better things about TNA over the course of the year and that should make for a fun few weeks. We’ll also see the end of the year award winners for a bonus so let’s get to it.

Note that I’ll be posting the original versions of these matches with no possible edits on the broadcast.

Opening sequence.

Hannifan welcomes us to the show and throws us to the first match, from January 18.

Josh Alexander vs. Will Ospreay

Ospreay flips out of a wristlock to start and takes him down, which is good for an early standoff. Alexander’s running shoulder just makes Ospreay nip up, where he can chop Alexander down and hit a standing shooting star press for two. A backbreaker gives Ospreay two but Alexander breaks up a springboard. The running crossbody on the apron sends Ospreay out to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Alexander winning a fight over a suplex and hitting a powerbomb onto the knee for two. A regular backbreaker sends Ospreay to the apron, meaning it’s time to fight over a drive through the table (because there’s a table at ringside). Ospreay hits a tiger driver through said table and we pause for the medics to check on both of them. The referee says we’re continuing but Alexander has to beat the count….where Ospreay hits a springboard missile dropkick to the ribs.

The Oscutter gets two but the Hidden Blade misses. We take another break and come back with Alexander hitting a Tombstone on the ramp. They get back in with Alexander getting two off a super Regal Roll, setting up the ankle lock. Ospreay rolls it into the corner, setting up the Cheeky Nandos Kick.

A super poisonrana sets up the Hidden Blade to give Ospreay two and they both need a breather. Another Hidden Blade sets up the Storm Driver 93 for two more and another breather. A third Hidden Blade is cut off and Alexander runs through him with a clothesline. The C4 Spike is countered but so is Ospreay’s Styles Clash, with Alexander hitting one of his own for two. Now the C4 Spike can finish Ospreay at 22:45.

Rating: A-. This was a heck of a match and it gave Alexander the big win that he has been needing. Ospreay is one of the best in the world at the moment and it means a lot for someone to get that kind of a win over him. Alexander hung in there with him the entire way and then dropped Ospreay on his head for the pin. Great match here and worth a look.

Jordynne Grace is the Knockout Of The Year. Well who else was it going to be?

From Hard To Kill.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Trinity

Trinity is defending and they shake hands to start. Grace easily powers her up against the ropes to start but the threat of a kick Grace backing up. For some reason Trinity tries a test of strength but she does show some intelligence with a mule kick. Grace picks her up and plants her back down for two, followed by a World’s Strongest Slam for the same. It’s too early for the Juggernaut Driver so Trinity is back with a crossbody.

Grace knees her in the face and hits an Alley Oop for two more. Trinity needs a breather but Grace runs her over with a suicide dive into a Jackhammer on the floor for a nasty crash. Trinity manages a shot of her own and they head back inside for a strike off. Grace gets dropped so Trinity hits a split legged moonsault for two more. A full nelson puts Trinity back down but she makes the rope for the break.

With the holds not working, Grace grabs a MuscleBuster for two more. The Rear View puts Grace down for two and they head to the apron for something like a Heatseeker Pedigree from Trinity. A sitout powerbomb into Starstruck has Grace in more trouble…until she muscles Trinity up into a German suplex. The Juggernaut Driver gives Grace the title at 14:34.

Rating: B-. Grace getting the title back is a nice moment and the good thing is she has all kinds of challengers waiting for her. I know Grace has held the title before, but she feels like she has come more than a few feet since her most recent title reign. Trinity has held the title for a good while now and has only been so interesting. There is a good chance that she is back in WWE sooner than later and at least she had a decent one to go out on.

We look at the return of Tessa Blanchard at Final Resolution.

The Moment Of The Year is Joe Hendry’s concert on May 2. Here is said concert.

Still in their box, First Class introduces Joe Hendry for the in-ring apology. Hendry comes to the ring with a guitar and says their issues started with a song, meaning they have to end the same way. He sings the first song he wrote about AJ Francis’ failures, which would have been bad enough.

That means we need to hear the second song, which focuses on Francis’ ineptness with dives. This time we need an apology though and Hendry is going to go go higher, meaning it’s time for a Creed inspired theme about how Francis needs to get fired, like he has twice before. Hendry: “I’m sorry.” And that’s it, with the fans loving Hendry even more (as they should after something that awesome).

Hendry is honored to win. Ignore that the real Hendry Moment Of The Year was him showing up in NXT but I get why they couldn’t go there.

Leon Slater is name the One To Watch In 2025. He’s ready to win the X-Division Title.

From October 17.

X-Division Title: Mike Bailey vs. Leon Slater

Bailey is defending. They both miss dropkicks to start and it’s an early standoff with Bailey doing his martial arts stance. Slater knocks him to the floor but his dive is knocked out of the air and Bailey gets in a posting as we take a break. Back with Slater’s arm giving out on a handspring attempt so Bailey kicks him down, only to miss a running shooting star press. Slater kicks him right back down as the fans want them to fight forever.

Bailey goes back to the arm but Slater snaps off a flying mare to the floor. The big dive is cut off though and Bailey’s moonsault knees have Slater down again. Slater sends him to the apron, only to miss a dive and get caught with an Asai moonsault. Back in and the tornado kick is cut off by a leg lariat, with Slater sending him outside for the big dive. Bailey goes after the arm again but gets planted off the top. The Swanton 450 misses though and Bailey grabs a chickenwing suplex. The Ultimate Weapon into the Flamingo Driver retains at 15:03.

Rating: B-. Maybe it’s just been seeing him with the title for what feels like ever but I am completely sick of Bailey in almost anything he does. He has a certain style to him that might be impressive but it’s feels so much like a performance rather than trying to win a match. It doesn’t help that he’s also rather active, which makes what he does feel all the more repetitive. Just not my guy and it becomes less interesting every time he’s out there.

Respect is shown post match.

ABC are the Men’s Tag Team Of The Year with Ace Austin accepting on his own.

From Slammiversary.

Tag Team Titles: ABC vs. The System

The System, with Alisha Edwards, is defending. Austin strikes away at Eddie to start and it’s Bey coming in for a double Japanese armdrag. A Hart Attack (with ABC in pink and black) gets two on Myers but a running knee to the face hits Bey for the same. Alisha gets in some choking from the floor but Bey ducks a double clothesline and brings Austin back in (the fans are REALLY pleased).

Bey is back up with a big running flip dive, only to have Alisha distract Austin so Eddie can send him into the apron. Back in and Eddie’s snap suplex gets two, which causes some frustration to set in. Myers’ reverse chinlock doesn’t last long so Eddie catapults Austin throat first into the middle rope for a nasty impact. Austin fights up and makes the tag….but Myers has the referee for the classic misdirection, meaning no tag. The chinlock goes on for a bit, though Austin is ready for the Roster Cut.

That’s enough for the hot tag off to Bey so house can be quickly cleaned. Eddie is sent outside but Alisha is right there to cut off a dive. They all wind up on the apron, with Bey hitting cutter to set up Austin’s big Fosbury flop. Back in and Bey’s frog splash gets two on Eddie but the 1-2-Sweet is broken up. Myers’ spear gets two on Bey so Austin comes back in for a Magic Killer to Myers for two more. Alisha comes in and accidentally gets caught in the Art Of Finesse, leaving Myers to get caught in the 1-2-Sweet for the pin and the titles at 16:44.

Rating: B. ABC is a heck of a team and they are becoming one of the most decorated teams the company has ever seen. This was treated as a big deal, even if it ends a mostly mediocre run from the System. They were milking those near falls near the end too and I was into it for most of the time. Solid opener here.

Hannifan wraps it up with one more plug for the Chris Bey fundraiser.

Overall Rating: B. I never know what to say for an overall rating for something like this as it’s not meant to be a regular show. Instead it’s a week off for the wrestlers and the company as a whole, which is perfectly fine all things considered. TNA had a good year and this was a look at part of it, with the rest coming next time. Good show here, which is pretty much the point of the whole thing.

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Impact Wrestling
Date: December 12, 2024
Location: Crown Arena, Fayetteville, North Carolina
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the last show before Final Resolution, which isn’t exactly feeling like a hot card. The show hasn’t had time to get built up and there is only so much that can be done in the span of one more night. Odds are we’ll get some more matches added to the card this week and that could make things interesting. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Here is Moose to get things going. Ever since he won the X-Division Title, the question has been what he is going to do with the title. He is going to make it the most important title around here, which is what has happened since he became champion. People aren’t talking about Nic Nemeth or Joe Hendry and they certainly aren’t talking about the Hardys because they are too busy chanting his name.

The reality is he doesn’t need the people because he is going to be the greatest X-Division Champion in TNA history. Cue Cody Deaner to interrupt, saying he lost his love for wrestling but the people led him back in the right direction. Deaner says he can beat Moose if he has the people behind him so the title challenge is on. Moose knocks him down, orders a ref, and says the match is on right now.

X-Division Title: Moose vs. Cody Deaner

Moose, in a tracksuit, is defending and grabs the mic to ask the fans to chant for Deaner. Back up and the spear misses, allowing Deaner to send him outside for a dive. They get back inside and Moose is sent into the corner so Deaner can roll him up for two. A big boot cuts Deaner off but he escapes a powerbomb and gets two more. The DDT is countered into a release Rock Bottom though and Moose hits the spear for the pin at 3:04.

Rating: C. This was more of an angle than a match with Moose being a dominant monster but getting a bit too cocky for his own good. That being said, the match with Kushida is already set and the title wasn’t likely to change hands so close to Final Resolution. It wasn’t the most serious match but it wasn’t supposed to be and that’s fine once in awhile.

First Class and Tasha Steelz say tonight’s main event will be a preview of their dominance at Final Resolution. AJ Francis promises a bunch of chokeslams.

The Northern Armory interrupts Mike Santana and they bicker, with both promising to win the #1 contenders match at Final Resolution. That could be promising if they ever break into a singles match.

Rosemary vs. Xia Brookside

Brookside flips away to start and works on the arm before scoring with a running dropkick. Back up and Rosemary blocks a running headscissors, setting up a chinlock. That’s broken up and Brookside hits a middle rope crossbody to leave both of them down for a bit. Brookside hits some clotheslines into a running headscissors, setting up Broken Wings in the corner. The Brooksie Bomb is countered into the Upside Down and Rosemary grabs a choke. That’s reversed into a cradle for two but Rosemary pulls her into As Above So Below for the pin at 6:30.

Rating: C+. This was a snappy little match as they didn’t have much time but they were moving throughout the time that they had. It was entertaining while it lasted and I can go for Rosemary getting a bit of an upgrade. She’s one of the most established names in all of the division and having her win something like this should help her, at least a little bit.

Post match Rosemary hammers on Brookside some more until Jordynne Grace makes the save.

Trent Seven is not happy with being put into a match against Ace Austin at Final Resolution. Austin comes in to promise revenge for Seven turning on Mike Bailey.

Leon Slater/Laredo Kid vs. The Rascalz

Wentz and Slater go technical to start before fighting over wrist control. Miguel comes in for a rope walk wristdrag to Kid and all four nip up into a standoff as we take a break. Back with Wentz cranking on Slater’s arm until Slater makes the rope for the escape. Miguel snaps the arm but Slater is up with a running cutter, allowing the tag off to Kid. A pair of moonsaults gets two on Wentz but it’s quickly back to Miguel for a double hurricanrana.

The Rascalz hit a double dive but Slater is right back up for a heck of a flip dive to the floor. An assisted sitout powerbomb gets two on Miguel, with Slater’s bad arm meaning he can’t get a proper cover. A Swanton to a hanging Kid gets two and everything breaks down, with Slater’s Swanton 450 getting superkicked out of the air. Kid gets put in a torture rack and it’s a top rope double stomp into a reverse AA combination to give Miguel the pin at 11:44.

Rating: B-. This was the fast paced tag match of the week and as usual, it went just fine. It’s still a formula that works very well and it went just fine again here. The Rascalz get a quick win and Slater gets to look good in the process. That’s all it needed to be and it was a nice way to get them back on the winning path and give us a fun match at the same time.

The System is ready to win at Final Resolution.

PCO/Sami Callihan vs. Jake Something/Hammerstone

Something jumps PCO from behind to start and it goes as well as you might have expected. Callihan comes in to work on Something’s arm and bends the fingers back to make it worse. Hammerstone offers a distraction though and Something runs PCO over. A whip into the corner has PCO in some trouble but a running clothesline breaks that up and allows the tag off to Callihan. Everything breaks down and PCO hits a double DDT, followed by the big double dive tot he floor. Back in and Callihan Stunners Something but Hammerstone hits PCO with a chair for the DQ at 5:14.

Rating: C. So this was little more than a way to set up a rematch, likely with No DQ, at Final Resolution. I could go for this a bit more if it wasn’t something that they had already done with the Tag Team Title match. For now though, Callihan and PCO will do well enough as the good monsters, though Hammerstone and Something actually winning a match would be nice for a change.

Post match the weird 23 thing pops up again.

Dani Luna vs. Heather By Elegance

Jody Threat and Ash By Elegance/the Personal Concierge are here too. Luna offers a test of strength to start but Heather has to go to the middle rope to reach her hand. Heather’s running elbow doesn’t get her anywhere as Luna grabs a fall away slam. The Concierge breaks up a dive though and that’s the big wind up ejection.

Heather uses the distraction to go after the leg and hits a running hurricanrana driver for two. Luna kicks her way out of the corner and makes the clothesline comeback, setting up a slingshot Blue Thunder Bomb for two more. Back up and Heather snaps the throat across the top rope, only to get caught with a German suplex. Ash tries a distraction so Threat dives on her, leading Luna to hit a fireman’s carry powerbomb for the pin at 6:40.

Rating: C. This was more about the interference than anything else but my goodness can they think of something better than singles matches between tag wrestlers? It feels like that is all they do with these teams over and over and it has long since become tiresome. Just find some different teams for By Elegance to beat to set up their title shot.

Final Resolution rundown.

Tasha Steelz/First Class vs. Joe Hendry/Nic Nemeth/Masha Slamovich

Navarro mocks Hendry to start and gets run over with a shoulder to start. A rather delayed suplex gives Hendry two and it’s already off to Nemeth. Navarro gets dropped with a dropkick and Nemeth gets to pose before doing it again. Slamovich comes in and gets to face Steelz, who hits her in the face.

Steelz’s kick to the head drops Slamovich again as we take a break. Back with Navarro grabbing a front facelock on Steelz, who fights up with ease and brings in Nemeth to clean house. The rapid fire elbows get two on Navarro but a cheap shot lets Francis come in for the stomping. Navarro whips him into the corner and Francis hits a big boot for two.

We hit the chinlock but Nemeth jawbreaks his way to freedom in a hurry. A DDT plants Francis again and it’s Hendry coming in to fight off everyone. The fall away slam sends Francis flying (well close enough) but the Standing Ovation is broken up. Nemeth dives onto Francis and hits a Fameasser for two on Navarro. Slamovich dives onto Steelz and the Danger Zone finishes Navarro at 15:54.

Rating: B-. It was a long match and gave some time to a pair of matches at Final Resolution, which is always a nice way to use some television time. At the same time, Hendry almost has to be the next #1 contender but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him not wind up as champion at Genesis one way or another. Slamovich feels like she’s going to smash Steelz as well, but hopefully they can have a good match on the way there.

Post match the women fight and Francis spears Nemeth. Back to back to back Down Payments leave Nemeth laying to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They’re trying with Final Resolution, but there is only so much you can do when the main event is AJ Francis getting a World Title shot. The main match at the pay per view is the four way for the #1 contendership and Hendry feels like the big favorite. Final Resolution needs more and for now, this show didn’t make me want to see what they are going to do tomorrow night.

Results
Moose b. Cody Deaner – Spear
Rosemary b. Xia Brookside – As Above So Below
The Rascalz b. Leon Slater/Laredo Kid – Top rope double stomp/reverse fireman’s carry slam combination to Kid
Dani Luna b. Heather By Elegance – Fireman’s carry powerbomb
Joe Hendry/Nic Nemeth/Masha Slamovich b. Tasha Steelz/First Class – Danger Zone to Navarro

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