Impact Wrestling
Date: January 29, 2026
Location: Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s a big night as we have the unveiling of the Feast Or Fired briefcases. Therefore, three people are going to get title matches and a fourth is going to be fired. That can make for quite the dramatic moment and now we get to see who winds up getting what. In addition, Rich Swann and AJ Francis are facing off in a No DQ match. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here is the new System for a chat. Brian Myers says it had to be done and Eddie Edwards says he’s going to break it all down for you. Moose used to be the most dominant star in all of wrestling but he is just selfish. All he cared about was himself rather than the team. Then you have JDC, who walked away from the team. This brings out Alisha Edwards, who gets in Eddie’s face and says he kept this from her. Her contract is coming up and maybe she doesn’t want to be part of the System. She walks away and Eddie isn’t happy.

BDE is ready to prove that he belongs here tonight.

Nic Nemeth, BDE

Nic Nemeth vs. BDE

Nemeth offers a handshake to start and then kicks him in the ribs to take over. A front facelock doesn’t work as well for Nemeth as BDE knocks him outside with a clothesline. The dive connects but the springboard elbow back inside doesn’t. We take a break and come back with BDE still in trouble with Nemeth sending him into the corner for some cocky forearming.

BDE manages to reverse a whip into the corner but a running knee is dropped with a clothesline. Back up and the running knee does connect for BDE and a frog splash gets two. BDE tries a springboard elbow but dives into the Danger Zone (that was nice) to give Nemeth the pin at 11:37.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t an all time classic or anything but it was a nice way to let BDE look good in the process. BDE can’t do much in the way of regular wrestling and is basically just a moves guy, but he’s likable enough and isn’t taking up any kind of major spot. Let him do what he can and have a veteran like Nemeth in there to walk him through the match. It worked well enough and I liked this.

Post match Ryan Nemeth comes out to celebrate with Nic before getting in the ring. He calls out Mara Sade, who he says has been assaulting him. Sade says Ryan got away with one at Genesis so he offers to let her give him a kiss. The ensuing superkick is blocked and a clothesline puts Sade down hard.

The Elegance Brand gives Ash By Elegance presents because she is officially medically cleared. Lei Ying Lee comes in to say she’s ready to defend anytime and here are Indi Hartwell and Xia Brookside to set up a six woman tag. Mr. Elegance seems to hit on Hartwell, who takes the champagne and says it’s not her kind of party before than leaving.

Stacks vs. Home Town Man

Non-title and Arianna Grace is here with Stacks, who holds up Man’s stolen mask. That means the brawl is on fast and Man stomps away in the corner, with the fans rather approving. They go outside with Stacks mocking a fan with the mask, which Man takes away and gives to said fan in a nice moment.

Back in and a corkscrew uppercut gives Stacks two and he grabs something like a half crab. That’s kicked away with Stacks crashing to the floor, allowing Man to hit a People’s Elbow. A crossbody gets two but Grace’s distraction….doesn’t really work. Instead Stacks goes to the eyes and grabs a rollup with feet on the ropes for the pin at 5:51.

Rating: C. Well, this match did in fact confirm that Stacks is in fact a wrestler and he is in fact just kind of there. That’s been my thoughts on Stacks for a long time now as there is nothing to him that really stands out. Yes he’s with Grace and that helps a bit, but there isn’t anything about Stacks alone to make him feel interesting or stand out. That’s not good and while there are worse options, I really don’t see it with him.

Post break Stacks says Grace didn’t help him and Santino Marella shows up. Grace seems to threaten both of them with making a mistake of her own.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Jason Hotch vs. Elijah

The rest of Order 4 is here with Hotch. Elijah takes him down by the arm to start and Hotch bails out to the floor. Back in and Elijah works on the arm, including Old School for two. Tasha Steelz has to offer a distraction and Hotch gets in a cheap shot to take over. Some stomping has Elijah down in the corner but he’s right back with a backdrop.

Hotch has to rake the eyes to get out of a fireman’s carry and another distraction lets him hit a Codebreaker onto the arm. The knees to the arm set up some cranking, with Elijah flipping out pretty quickly. A suplex neckbreaker gives Elijah two but Hotch is back with a superkick. The torture rack bomb gets two on Elijah, who is right back to knee Hotch out of the air. The Highwayman’s Farewell finishes Hotch at 7:58.

Rating: C+. Normally I would say that Hotch was a good hand but TNA has already beaten me to that one. This is a good way to keep the Elijah vs. Order 4/Mustafa Ali feud going, though it does make you wonder why that feud is continuing. Ali needs to move on to something bigger but maybe we’ll see it one more time and then they’ll move on for good.

Post match Order 4 jumps Elijah, with Ali grabbing the guitar. That’s enough for Elijah to fight back and use the guitar to clear the ring.

Post break Jada Stone is rather excited to be here but Order 4 comes in to yell at her. Tasha Steelz even slaps her down, with Elijah popping in to help her up like a gentleman.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Elayna Black vs. Ruthie Jay

Daria Rae is on commentary. Black jumps her to start and grabs a gutwrench suplex. The chinlock goes on but Jay is up for a running shoulder in the corner. Black isn’t having that though and grabs a swinging double underhook neckbreaker for the pin at 2:46. Pretty much a squash, as it should have been.

The Hardys are happy with how things have been going but the Righteous come in to talk about their Genesis match. They also seem to tease an alliance between the teams. Didn’t they do that before?

It’s time for the Feast Or Fired reveals. Trey Miguel is up first and gets…an International Title shot. Next is Eddie Edwards, who gets a World Title shot. That leaves Steve Maclin and Eric Young, with Maclin being fired and Young getting an X-Division Title shot.

Post break, Eddie Edwards and the System come up to threaten Mike Santana with a cash in. Santana glares back.

Commentary is depressed by Steve Maclin being fired.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Rich Swann, AJ Francis, First Class

AJ Francis vs. Rich Swann

Anything goes so Swann brings out a trashcan full of weapons (must be a Raven fan). Swann hits him with a baseball bat to start but Francis won’t let him bring in a table. The table is set up on the floor anyway but Francis kicks him down again. They head to the state where Swann slips out of attempts at a chokeslam and a Styles Clash. Instead Francis goes with a Pedigree and we take a break.

We come back with Francis sitting in a chair with his foot on Swann’s back. Swann fights up and sends him face first into the chair but an Air Raid Crash onto the chair gives Francis two. Back up and Swann is able to drop Francis face first onto the steps, followed by a handspring cutter for two more. Swann sets up another table on the floor and throws in a bunch of chairs, though he couldn’t keep Francis down for three.

Back in and a Pounce gives Francis two but Swann grabs a hurricanrana through the tables on the floor. The Phoenix splash hits Francis for two more and it’s time for the baseball bat again. Francis uses the delay to grab a chain and knock Swann silly with a right hand for two. Swann is put inside a trashcan and obliterated with a chair….for two. Francis tries to take him up top but gets hurricanranaed down onto the pile of chairs. That lets Swann unload with the chair, followed by a frog splash to pin Francis at 16:20.

Rating: B. This was a weapons filled and at times somewhat goofy brawl but it did feel like the big definitive ending for their feud. That’s what it needed to be as Swann needs to move on to something else. Swann is someone who could be a bigger deal around here so getting this kind of a win is a good sign for his future. Francis can go away for a few weeks and come back with one of those condescending promos of his and he’ll be fine.

Frankie Kazarian wants to talk to Daria Rae to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show felt like it was designed to get things ready for the next big stretch, with Feast Or Fired giving us three upcoming title matches. Hopefully Maclin leaving is just a head fake as TNA really doesn’t need to lose someone that good. Swann winning is a good thing to see and he won a big main event, though we’ll have to see where he goes. The Daria Rae stuff feels like it’s going to be the next big us vs. them story and…yeah that’s only so appealing after we just got done with the NXT invasion stuff. Just let Mike Santana be the focus maybe? The World Champion? Maybe?

Results
Nic Nemeth b. BDE – Danger Zone
Stacks b. Home Town Man – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Elijah b. Jason Hotch – Highwayman’s Farewell
Elayna Black b. Ruthie Jay – Swinging double underhook neckbreaker
Rich Swann b. AJ Francis – Frog splash

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

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Genesis 2026
Date: January 17, 2026
Location: Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

It’s the first pay per view of the year and it’s coming off the heels of a less than well received Impact debut on AMC. The main event was made that night, as new World Champion Mike Santana will defend against Frankie Kazarian in a Texas Deathmatch, with Nic Nemeth as guest referee. Granted that announcement didn’t make air, but that’s what social media is for these days. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: International Title: KJ Orso vs. Eric Young vs. BDE vs. Stacks

Stacks, with Arianna Grace, is defending and you might know Orso better as an unmasked Fuego del Sol. Stacks jumps BDE to start fast and Young follows BDE outside. That leaves Orso to take over in the corner, including a slingshot to send Stacks to the floor. We pause for Young to yell at some fans but BDE jumps him from behind. Stacks decks BDE and steals his phone for some live streaming, only for BDE to take Stacks down with a dive.

Orso gets in a knockdown of his own and stops to pose with BDE, with Rehwoldt not being pleased. The villains get hammered in the corner but fight back without too much trouble. BDE forearms his way back and Codebreakers Stacks, much to the fans’ delight. Orso is back up to cutter BDE as a handful of fans try a THIS IS AWESOME chant. The Orso Driver gets two on BDE with Stacks getting back up. BDE’s springboard cutter drops Stacks, only for Young to come back with a neckbreaker. Young piledrives Orso, only for Stacks to toss him outside and steal the retaining pin at 6:22.

Rating: C+. This was pretty by the book, with the ending being about what I was expecting with the story of Stacks having the deck, uh, stacked against him. That’s a fine way to go and this was a perfectly acceptable way to get the fans warmed up. Unfortunately it’s part of the battling authority figures, which doesn’t exactly bode well.

Santino Marella isn’t pleased but Daria Rae comes in to tell him to shut up. If Marella is going to make a match based on emotion, Rae might have to do something similar.

Here is the Personal Concierge to introduce the Elegance Brand, including Mr. Elegance. The Concierge does not think much of the way the fans around here smell. The Brand will not be wrestling tonight, but they will be sitting in the front row for this next match.

Kickoff Show: Indi Hartwell/Vicki Venuto vs. Mila Moore/Tessa Blanchard

The Elegance Brand is at ringside and Robert Stone/Victoria Crawford are here with the villains. Blanchard allows Venuto to grab a headlock to start and doesn’t like how aggressive things get. It’s off to Hartwell for a suplex so Venuto can get two, only to have her get taken into the wrong corner. Moore works on Venuto’s leg and the pace slows way down, with Moore and Blanchard taking turns with knees to said leg.

Back up and Blanchard slaps her in the face in the corner. That’s enough for Venuto to fight out of trouble and bring in Hartwell to clean house. Everything breaks down and Stone offers a distraction, allowing Crawford to crotch Venuto. Hartwell goes after them but gets into it with the Brand, leaving Blanchard to hit the Buzzsaw DDT for the pin at 7:51.

Rating: C-. Not much to this one, as there were so many people floating around and a lot of it was just slow motion work on Venuto’s leg. It doesn’t help that Venuto is brand new and Hartwell is only so good on her best day. Moore has a great look and putting her with Blanchard isn’t a bad idea. I’m curious to see where that winds up going so it’s certainly a start.

And now the show proper.

Romeo Vaughn sings the National Anthem.

The opening video is mainly a recap of the AMC debut, which serves as a preview for the pay per view.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling/Darryl Stewart

AJ Francis vs. Rich Swann

Swann has to fight out of an early Down Payment attempt and knocks Francis into the corner for some right hands. Francis gets knocked to the floor, where he can’t hit a Down Payment onto the apron. Back in and Swann’s handspring elbow is chopped out of the air and a crossbody is countered into a toss AA to send Swann flying.

Francis knocks him outside again for nine and the frustration is clearly setting in. Swann grabs a jawbreaker so Francis kicks him in the face for two. The chinlock doesn’t last long and Swann fires off his own kicks, setting up a cartwheel splash. A 450 gives Swann two so Francis knocks him down, only for a moonsault to be broken up. Swann bites him in the face to knock Francis back down but Francis Pounces Swann out of the air in a big crash.

Another Down Payment attempt is blocked so Francis grabs a Styles Clash for two more. Somehow Swann is back with a Canadian Destroyer into a splash for two of his own as Francis is in trouble. Another handspring is cut off though and a reverse Down Payment sets up the regular version for the pin on Swann at 12:14.

Rating: C+. This was a good example of a match where they didn’t make things too complicated. Swann wanted to put Francis out and used his speed but couldn’t get around the size and power. That’s a fine way to go as it’s about as classic of a wrestling story as you’ll get. Francis might not be the top star in the company, but he’s good at what he does.

We run down the card.

We look at Mike Santana regaining the World Title.

Mike Santana hopes Frankie Kazarian is coming for the fight of his life, because that’s what Santana is bringing this week. His daughter is glad he’s back and tonight he’ll show why he is the realest to ever do it.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling, Darryl Stewart

Elijah vs. Mustafa Ali

Order 4 is here with Ali, who is mad that Elijah tied him to a horse and rode away. Elijah takes out the Great Hands to start and goes after Ali, sending him hard into the corner. Ali tries to pick up the pace but walks into a sitout powerbomb for an early two. They go outside with Elijah chopping away before taking out the Great Hands again. This time it’s enough of a distraction for Ali to get in a cheap shot to take over for the first time.

Back in and Ali cranks on the arm but gets leveraged out to the floor. Ali is right back with the rolling neckbreaker and they slug it out until Elijah shrugs off a superkick. One heck of a clothesline drops Ali, followed by a jumping knee for two. Back up and Ali grabs a Death Valley Driver for two of his own but Elijah hits a quick Highwayman’s Farewell.

Ali bridges out before he passes out, which is a bit of a stretch but at least it looked cool. Elijah loads up a super Highwayman’s Farewell but Ali slips out and hits a dropkick. That’s fine with Elijah, who hits a super chokebomb but Special Agent Zero pulls the referee. The Great Hands are ejected as well, leaving Tasha Steelz to grab the guitar. Elijah goes after her but gets guitared in the back by Ali for the pin at 9:35.

Rating: C+. Ali’s push continues and I’m wondering what the next step is for him. It wouldn’t be out of the question to have him move into the main event scene, though I’m not sure I can imagine TNA pulling the trigger in that direction. Elijah fighting against a group of villains isn’t a bad thing, though in theory he’s going to want revenge.

We recap Eddie Edwards vs. JDC. They’re old friends but it’s JDC’s last match and he has requested to face Edwards, who accepted.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling/Darryl Stewart

JDC vs. Eddie Edwards

They come out at the same time to the same music in a nice touch. JDC (in Terry Funk style tights) tries an early rollup to start fast and Edwards applauds him. They fight over arm control to no avail so it’s time to run the ropes, with JDC hitting a dropkick. The armdrag into an armbar doesn’t last long as Edwards is back up with a clothesline. JDC’s snap powerslam gets two but Edwards catches him with an enziguri on top.

A super hurricanrana sends JDC outside and there’s the required suicide dive. JDC is back up with a drop onto the apron, followed by a nice spinwheel kick back inside to put both of them down. A running boot to the face sends Edwards outside and JDC is back up with a running flip dive to drop him again. Back in and a slingshot legdrop gives JDC two and a Falcon Arrow gets the same.

JDC charges into a Blue Thunder Bomb for two and we hit the chinlock. With that broken up, Edwards dives into a Liontamer, followed by a Codebreaker to give JDC two. They go up top with JDC grabbing a super Air Raid Crash for two more. Edwards is back with the Boston Knee Party for two, setting up the Diehard Driver. Another Boston Knee Party (with JDC telling him to do it) finishes JDC’s career at 17:12.

Rating: B. I’m really not sure what to say here, as the match was good enough, but it was just kind of a match. There was little in the way of heat or anything beyond two friends having a pretty good match. JDC isn’t exactly someone you think of getting a big sendoff, so while it was entertaining, it gets more of a “well, ok then” reaction.

Post match the System comes out to give JDC the big sendoff. JDC thanks the fans and commentary before leaving.

We recap Mara Sade vs. Ryan Nemeth in an intergender match. Well kind of as we’re told there is an issue and then go to the intros. Basically Sade keeps superkicking him, including after Nemeth hit on her.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling/Darryl Stewart

Ryan Nemeth vs. Mara Sade

Nemeth shoves her into the corner to start and quickly flips her away to escape a sleeper. The threat of a superkick sends Nemeth outside and Sade is right there with a dive. Back in and Nemeth sweeps the leg out so Sade slaps him in the face. Nemeth gyrates a bit and threatens a right hand, earning himself a tornado DDT. Nemeth counters a sunset flip into a rollup and grabs the rope for two, with the referee catching the cheating. Sade goes up but Nemeth dropkicks her down and grabs the rope for the pin at 5:20.

Rating: C-. Uh…ok then. I’m not sure what that was, as Sade got in a bit of offense but then got beaten with a quickly dropkick and some cheating. That’s all there was going on here and it wasn’t even entertaining. This felt like it should have been a big comedy match but instead it just kind of came and went. Weird choice here.

Stacks and Arianna Grace aren’t worried about Santino Marella and tell him to worry about losing his job instead.

Knockouts Title: Zaria vs. Lei Ying Lee

Lee is defending with Zaria serving as a replacement for Dani Luna, who had visa issues, and Sol Ruca/Xia Brookside are here as the seconds. Zaria goes with the power to start but Lee is back with a few kicks. Some choking in the corner drops Lee for two and it’s off to something like a Texas Cloverleaf.

Lee reverses into an STF, which is broken up so Lee strikes her into the corner instead. Some right hands in the corner have Zaria in more trouble but she’s able to block Warrior’s Way. Lee loads up a choke but Zaria reverses into a cannonball into the corner. They head out to the apron to strike it out, with Zaria driving her back first onto said apron.

Cue the Elegance Brand to watch as Zaria hits a spear into an F5, with the referee getting bumped. The Brand runs in so Brookside and Ruca cut them off for a brawl into the back. With them four of them gone, Zaria goes up top but gets caught with a super hurricanrana. They slug it out until another F5 is countered into a DDT. The Warrior’s Way retains the title at 14:23.

Rating: B. They were in a very tough spot here with a cold match (not their fault, as Zaria was a last minute replacement) and managed to turn it into something pretty good. While I usually don’t like all of the shenanigans, it makes sense to have the interference this time, as there was nothing else going on with the match. Zaria needs to win something sooner than later, though a heel turn doesn’t feel crazy either.

Post match Elayna Black comes out to suggest she’s next in line for the title.

Nic Nemeth talks about how his ten count decides who walks away with World Title.

We recap the Righteous challenging the Hardys for the Tag Team Titles. The Righteous came in acting like they were really friendly but it seems they want to take/replace the Hardys. Then they got violent on Impact (including a chain through Jeff’s gauge) to make it a bit more traditional.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling/Darryl Stewart

Tag Team Titles: Hardys vs. Righteous

The Hardys are defending and pull the Righteous outside to start the brawl on the floor. They fight until Matt and Vincent start things off with Matt taking him down and hammering away. Jeff comes in with a slingshot legdrop and Poetry In Motion makes it worse. Matt adds the Side Effect for two but Dutch grabs him from the apron.

Dutch comes in for some elbows in the corner, setting up Vincent’s running Downward Spiral for two. Matt manages a desperation Twist Of Fate to Dutch, allowing the tag off to Jeff. That means something like a weird reverse full nelson twist (it’s hard to describe), followed by the Plot Twist for two. Dutch trips Matt from the floor though and the villains take over again.

A Twist Of Fate into the Swanton gets two on Jeff, with Matt making the save. Dutch’s apron legdrop to the floor misses Jeff for a big crash, leaving Matt to go after Vincent. Hold on though as Vincent backs away, with Dutch saying this is what they wanted: to hurt. Matt has had enough of this and it’s the Twist Of Fate into the Swanton to finish Vincent and retain at 12:40.

Rating: C+. The Righteous feel like another team of wannabe cult guys and that’s only going to go so far. While they might stick around, this feels like the height of what they’re doing, though odds are we’ll get a violent rematch. At the same time, someone has to take the titles from the Hardys and I have no idea who is supposed to do that at this point.

We look at Leon Slater not being able to win the US Title on Smackdown. Slater can’t be here due to visa issues (fair) but he wants to thank Joe Hendry for taking his place in the triple threat. He’ll defend the title as soon as he can get back.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling/Darryl Stewart

Joe Hendry vs. Moose vs. Cedric Alexander

Hendry is replacing Slater so it’s just a triple threat with nothing on the line. Moose starts fast to clean house but Hendry snaps off a hurricanrana. Hendry gets knocked outside for a dive from Alexander and Moose is backdropped HARD onto the steps. We pause for the medics to check on Moose, leaving Alexander to roll Hendry up for two. A dropkick to the back of the head keeps Hendry in trouble and a Michinoku Driver gives Alexander another near fall.

Moose is still down and the other two hit stereo clotheslines for a double down. Somehow Moose is able to get up (while holding his back) and takes over on both of them, including quite the chop to Hendry. Moose superplexes Hendry, who rolls through into a suplex, only for Alexander to frog splash Hendry for two. Alexander goes up but Moose chokebombs him back down for two but Hendry’s pop up powerbomb drops Moose for another near fall.

Hendry’s spinning pose lands him in a Death Valley Driver from Alexander, who grabs a crossface for a bonus. With that broken up, Alexander Styles Clashes Moose for two and everyone is down, with the fans approving. Moose spears Alexander for two but his back gives out. That earns him a Lumbar Check from Alexander, only for Hendry to grab the Standing Ovation to pin Alexander at 15:20.

Rating: B. Well that’s a choice. You have the former TNA guy, who has moved on to WWE, come back and show that he can beat two TNA stars at once. I get that Hendry hasn’t been gone from TNA for long and the fans still love him, but maybe don’t have the #1 contender to the X-Division Title get pinned before the title match?

Santino Marella brings out the Kickoff Show panel to make predictions for the main event. Everyone picks Mike Santana and it’s up to Tommy Dreamer but Daria Rae interrupts. Well she’s a hero as far as I’m concerned. Anyway, she says we don’t have time for this so let’s get to the video package.

We recap the main event, with Mike Santana defending the World Title against Frankie Kazarian in a Texas Deathmatch with Nic Nemeth as guest referee. Santana won the title but Kazarian used his Call Your Shot title shot to take it away. Then Santana won it back on Thursday so it’s rubber match time. Nemeth has his own Call Your Shot as well.

TNA World Title: Mike Santana vs. Frankie Kazarian

Santana is defending, Nic Nemeth is guest referee, and it’s a Texas Deathmatch, which is basically Last Man Standing but you have to score a fall before the ten count begins. Kazarian bails to the floor to start but Santana catches him coming back inside with some kicks. A big boot misses though and they fight to the floor, where Santana hits a dive off the steps.

It’s time for a table, but first Santana uses a chair for a step up cannonball against the barricade. The fight heads into the crowd with Kazarian sending him into some walls but a superplex off a balcony is blocked. Instead Santana hits a dive of his own and they fight into a back hall. Kazarian trashcans him in the back and a slam on the floor gets two. They come back to ringside, where Kazarian grabs a suplex but sets up some weapons rather than covering.

Some chairs to the back have Santana in more trouble and the fans tell Kazarian that he’s not overly popular. Fade To Black onto some open chairs is broken up and Santana piledrives him onto the chairs for the pin at 9:32. Kazarian beats the count at nine and he has to fight out of another piledriver from the apron. Santana goes up but the bleeding Kazarian cutters him down through a table at ringside for the pin at 12:04.

Santana beats the count as well so Kazarian knocks him into the steps and grabs a ladder. That takes too long and Santana is back up with a barbed wire baseball bat. A shot to the head makes Kazarian bleed even more and Santana plants him with a Samoan driver. Santana puts him on the table and hits a frog splash from the ladder for…two? Ok then. Santana yells at Nemeth but the replay shows that it was the right call. Back up and Kazarian spits at Santana, who wraps his arm with the barbed wire for Spin The Block. Kazarian is pinned 18:29 and Santana retains at 19:11.

Rating: B-. It was a fine brawl, but Nemeth changed absolutely nothing and Santana has already had his big moment twice now. I get that they wanted the title change for the AMC debut but it sucked the life out of the title change here. It was good enough though and Santana standing tall to end the show is absolutely the right call at the moment.

Post match Nemeth tries to cash in with a Danger Zone but Santana drops him with the Spin The Block. Santana celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. They were in a weird spot here and some of the results showed it. The biggest issue was they had their major show two days ago and this show was little more than follow up. It’s not a show that you need to see, but it is miles better than the disaster that was this week’s Impact. The problem though is a lot of the damage has already been done and I’m not sure how they can really make up for it anytime soon. This helped, though it only had so much impact.

Results
Stacks b. BDE, KJ Orso and Eric Young – Piledriver to Orso
Mila Moore/Tessa Blanchard b. Indi Hartwell/Vicki Venuto – Buzzsaw DDT to Venuto
AJ Francis b. Rich Swann – Down Payment
Mustafa Ali b. Elijah – Guitar shot
Eddie Edwards b. JDC – Boston Knee Party
Ryan Nemeth b. Mara Sade – Rollup while holding the rope
Lei Ying Lee b. Zaria – Warrior’s Way
Hardys b. Righteous – Swanton Bomb to Vincent
Joe Hendry b. Cedric Alexander and Moose – Standing Ovation to Alexander

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: January 8, 2026
Location: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

Dang this taping must have gone on for about nine years. We are a week away from the debut on AMC and that should make for a big night. Last week saw Frankie Kazarian retain the World Title over Bear Bronson in what was a surprisingly good match. Hopefully they can keep that going next week when things really matter so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Here are the Hardys for a chat. Matt says they already have a big match tonight but they need to talk about the Righteous. Last week, the Righteous turned their locker room into a shrine, with pictures of the Hardys’ wives and children. Get out here right now and deal with things. Cue the Righteous, with the Hardys saying they want to fight instead of talk. If they have to do this, the Righteous wants this to be a friendly competition, but that’s not what the Hardys want. The challenge is on for right now but the Righteous passes, because it needs preparation time. They’ll do it at Genesis instead. Simple and effective here.

Steve Maclin wants the International Title back and Eric Young comes in to threaten him with the Cleanse.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

Dani Luna vs. Harley Hudson

Luna jumps her to start and gets in a hard slam. Hudson strikes away but can’t get a sunset flip. Instead it’s a bulldog out of the corner to give Hudson two but Luna kicks her back down. The Lunar Landing gives Luna the win at 3:02.

Rating: C. This was just a step above a squash, with Hudson giving Luna just enough trouble. Luna winning the Knockouts Title wouldn’t be a surprise whatsoever, which doesn’t sound like the worst thing. She’s come a long way in the last few months and is exactly the kind of fresh star the division could use.

Post match the beatdown stays on, with Myla Grace getting taken out as well. Lei Ying Lee runs in for the save and gets dropped, as does Xia Brookside. Well that worked.

Ryan Nemeth suggests that Mara Sade likes him and gets superkicked again.

Order 4 goes to the ring and Elijah follows.

The Elegance Brand can’t pick a Mr. Elegance….but then they pick a cameraman. He takes his shirt off and apparently it works. They go off together and independent wrestler Dustin Nguyen pops out from underneath the table, saying he must protect the Elegance Brand. That’s not a twist I was expecting.

Here is Order 4 for a chat. They talk about changes that are being made around here, which they’ll announce slowly so the people around here will understand. Mustafa Ali isn’t happy with Elijah and polls the audience about getting rid of all of Elijah’s stuff. This includes cowboy boots and guitars, but the fans aren’t impressed. Ali rants about the fans being stupid because he was dragged away by a horse…and here is Elijah on a horse to chase them off.

Post break Order 4 gets outside, where the chase continues. Rehwoldt things this is horse sh….bad.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

International Title: Steve Maclin vs. Stacks

Stacks, with Arianna Grace, is defending and has the NXT stars (now the NXT Outlaws) with him. Maclin jumps him to start and grabs an early backbreaker for one. That’s enough for Stacks to bail out to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Maclin fighting out of a chinlock but getting sent into the ropes for some choking. The Outlaws get involved and are quickly ejected as a result. Maclin fights back but Grace gets inside, leaving Maclin to dive onto some of the Outlaws. Back in and Maclin loads up the spear in the Tree Of Woe but Grace comes in to rake Maclin’s eyes for the DQ at 7:33.

Rating: C. This was more of an angle than a match, with Maclin fighting back against Stacks but being outnumbered. Maybe he brings in some help against NXT, but it isn’t like the story is set to end anytime soon. If nothing else it gives Maclin something to do, though hopefully he winds up in the World Title picture again sooner than later.

Post match the Outlaws and Grace beat Maclin down.

We look at Leon Slater not winning the NXT Title this week.

In a Digital Exclusive edition of the First Class Penthouse, AJ Francis went on a rant against Rich Swann, who wasn’t grateful to Francis for saving TNA. Swann come in and beat Francis down, even breaking his new album.

Genesis rundown.

IMG Credit: TNA Wrestling

The System vs. Leon Slater/Hardys/Cedric Alexander

This is the System’s Last Dance as JDC is retiring soon. Myers and Alexander start things off and a lockup goes nowhere. It does however allow commentary to thank AXS TV for being their home for the last six years, which is a nice touch. Matt comes in to send Moose’s head into the buckles over and over before catapulting Eddie throat first into the rope. It’s off to Jeff for a chinlock and Slater comes in for Poetry In Motion.

Edwards gets in a shot of his own though and it’s back to Moose to clean house. Moose misses a charge out to the floor though and it’s time for the parade of dives, with even Alisha getting in on things. We take a break and come back with Slater fighting out of a chinlock and hitting a handspring elbow.

Jeff comes in to pick up the pace but walks into an implant DDT. JDC gets in a chinlock of his own and the System gets to take over in the corner. That’s broken up and it’s Alexander coming back in to start the comeback. Everything breaks down and it’s a double Plot Twist to drop the System. Moose is up with a spear to Slater but Alexander rolls him up for the pin at 15:41.

Rating: B. This was about what you would have expected, though I was surprised to see Alexander pin Moose for the win. Moose has been having a bit of a losing streak lately and that’s not something you often see. At least they got in some good action and JDC can get his big moment at Genesis.

Video on Lei Ying Lee.

Santino Marella is in the ring and still depressed, but he brings out Mike Santana and Frankie Kazarian for their contract signing. Marella explains that the title is on the line and explains what it means for Genesis, with a new challenger needing to be chosen if Santana loses. Kazarian praises Santana before saying he’s an addict as well, but it’s to being the World Champion. That’s why he’ll do anything it takes to retain the title.

Santana has heard all of this before and this time he’s going to do it again. He goes to sign the contract…and here is Nic Nemeth, who also has a Call Your Shot match. Nemeth is going to watch them beat each other up and then cash in his trophy to become World Champion again. Santana signs anyway and Kazarian does the same so the big staredown can end the show. Normally I would say there was no way they would do a cash-in, but I would have said that after Bound For Glory as well.

Overall Rating: B-. This wasn’t the most wrestling heavy show but at least they did some things to start building up Genesis. At the same time though, they have next week’s major show to get ready and this show did a nice job of making that happen. Santana should get his (second) big moment next week and hopefully they can blow off that stupid trophy at Genesis. Either way, while it didn’t have a ton of action, this show set up some bigger events and that’s a job that needs to be done.

Results
Dani Luna b. Harley Hudson – Lunar Landing
Steve Maclin b. Stacks via DQ when Arianna Grace interfered
Cedric Alexander/Leon Slater/Hardys b. The System – Rollup to Moose

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: December 11, 2025
Location: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

Final Resolution has come and gone and shockingly enough, it was basically just a stop on the way towards Genesis next month. Frankie Kazarian is still the World Champion after beating JDC to retain the title. Other than that, Leon Slater is still the X-Division Champion and Mike Santana is on his way through the NXT invaders. Let’s get to it.

Here is Final Resolution if you need a recap.

We open with a Final Resolution recap, including Steve Maclin losing the International Title to NXT’s Stacks.

Opening sequence.

Here is Frankie Kazarian to get things going with the King’s Speech. He’s ready to lead TNA into the AMC Era and become the face of the network, so Walter White can move over. Kazarian has heard all of the fans’ hatred and it gives him his happiness. You need to get used to it but here is Mike Santana to interrupt.

After addressing the fans in Spanish, Santana says he respects how Kazarian got the title. At the same time, he’s a hot blooded Latino so he’s mad too. Next week, he’s in a cage against the NXT wrestlers and then he’s coming after the title at Genesis on January 17. Kazarian says no, but Santana says he’s coming for the title anyway.

We run down tonight’s card.

The NXT guys are ready to take out Team TNA, including Matt Cardona. Stacks doesn’t like Santino Marella getting involved in his relationship with Marella’s daughter and next week, he’s taking out the TNA stars.

We look at Leon Slater in last weekend’s NXT Iron Survivor Challenge. Slater will be in a four way for a future NXT Title shot next week.

Lexis King vs. Matt Cardona

Cardona armdrags King to start as we’re told that next week’s cage match is basically WarGames. King is sent outside for the crash, plus a dropkick through the ropes before being tossed back inside. Cardona gets his arm snapped across the top though, followed by a ram into the post. We hit the armbar before King hammers him down in the corner.

King takes too long posing though and gets blasted with a running clothesline. The Reboot gets two but Cardona’s arm is banged up, allowing King to hit a running clothesline to the back of the head (must be an Outback Jack fan). The cane is loaded up but it’s a distraction so Stacks can come in…and get dropped by Radio Silence. King uses the distraction to roll Cardona up for the pin at 5:00.

Rating: C. This wasn’t bad but the good thing is King is finally finding something to do. He hasn’t exactly been a great star in NXT but this is at least a step forward for him. Cardona is someone who can be treated as a big deal when he’s needed and odds are he’ll be around in the quest for revenge against NXT.

Post match Cardona goes after King but gets jumped by Stacks. Steve Maclin makes the save.

Lei Ying Lee and Xia Brookside are fine after their match at Final Resolution. Tessa Blanchard and company come in, with Blanchard saying she wants a title match. Ying doesn’t like Blanchard, who doesn’t care.

Harley Hudson/Myla Grace vs. Elegance Brand

The Brand is in dressed as elves for a special theme. They swing presents at Hudson and Grace and are knocked out to the floor before the bell. Back in and we officially get started with M taking Hudson down for a basement dropkick but Heather misses a backsplash. The tag brings in Grace to clean house as everything breaks down. The Personal Concierge grabs a present but gets it slammed onto his head. Hudson rolls Heather up but it gets reversed into a cradle to give Heather the pin at 3:14.

Rating: C. The Brand continue to be the top heels in the tag division so having them cheat to beat someone is a good idea. At the same time, it’s nice to see how fast TNA has rebuilt the Knockouts of any kind. There are a bunch of fresh faces around the division and it’s good that they’re already feeling like they belong. That can take time, but they’ve done it rather quickly. Nice job.

We look at Rich Swann snapping and turning on AJ Francis at Final Resolution.

Swann talks about his history with Francis and he’s done with being disrespected. Yes First Class is over but here is Francis to jump him from behind.

Dezmond Xavier vs. Jake Something vs. Cedric Alexander vs. BDE vs. Ryan Nemeth vs. Jason Hotch

One fall for an X-Division Title shot. Alexander and Xavier waste no time in clearing the ring to start. They both miss shots to the others’ heads and seem to show some respect. Something is back in to drop both of them though and we take a break. We come back with Something getting powerbombed out of the corner, leaving Alexander and Xavier to slug it out.

Alexander dives onto Something and Xavier hits a big flipping dive onto almost everyone else. Back in and Nemeth DDTs BDE for two before grabbing a chair. Cue Mara Sade to superkick Nemeth again, leaving Alexander to Spanish fly Hotch for two. BDE is back up with a cutter and a frog splash but Alexander gives him the Lumbar Check for the pin at 10:10.

Rating: B-. As usual, this was the kind of all over the place insanity that you knew was coming when the match was announced. It makes sense to have BDE take the fall here as he’s the celebrity (work with me here) entrant in the match. Alexander is someone who has been needing a win or two in order to let him showcase his talents so I’m rather pleased with the result. The match was exactly what you would have expected, meaning it was perfectly entertaining and messy.

The System is ready for tonight but JDC wants to face Eddie Edwards in his final match. Edwards is in.

Frankie Kazarian complains about facing Mike Santana so Santino Marella says he can defend the title against the winner of an upcoming battle royal in three weeks. In addition to facing Santana. The NXT guys come up to insult Santino, with Arianna Grace slapping Stacks and telling him to watch his mouth.

The System vs. Sinner And Saint

Edwards and Sinner start things off with Edwards dropping him off a clothesline. Myers comes in and gets struck down with some double teaming, allowing Saint to work on his knee. A chinlock doesn’t last long as Myers is up with a Michinoku driver to get out of trouble. Edwards comes back in with a backpack Stunner for two as everything breaks down. A belly to back suplex/sitout powerbomb combination gets two on Edwards but Myers cuts Sinner off. Saint is sent back in for a Roster Cut into the Boston Knee Party for the pin at 4:53.

Rating: C+. The System are one of the better teams in TNA today and they work rather well together. This wasn’t exactly a squash, but at least they didn’t waste time in getting to the point. Sinner And Saint aren’t the most thrilling team, but this was a pretty nice performance from both of them.

Post match respect is shown.

Here are the Hardys for a chat. Matt says he can feel Eddie Guerrero all around us here. They beat High Ryze at Final Resolution and they’re ready to face Team NXT next week. They have to protect TNA because 2026 is going to be their biggest year ever. Cue the Righteous to interrupt, with Vincent introducing himself and his partner Dutch.

The Hardys know who they are but don’t know why he’s here. Vincent praises the team and Dutch says they’re here because of the Hardys. They wish the Hardys luck in the cage match next week and Dutch declares himself righteous. I’ve heard worse, but this wasn’t exactly a great first promo from the Righteous.

Santino Marella announces that Matt Cardona can’t compete in the cage match so Santino will take his place.

Indi Hartwell vs. Dani Luna

Dog Collar match. Luna jumps her before putting the collar on, only for Hartwell to use the chain for some pre-bell whipping. Hartwell gets Luna cinched up and the bell rings and gets pulled down by the neck so Luna can hammer away. The chain is wrapped around the ropes so Hartwell can be pulled into them. That works so well that Hartwell does the same thing to Luna as we take a break.

We come back with Hartwell getting tripped down for two and getting tied to the post. Hartwell can’t kick her way out of trouble but she can pull Luna face first into the post to draw some blood. Luna goes up and gets pulled down into a spinebuster for two, only to catch Hartwell with a running dropkick. Luna is GUSHING blood and tries some powder, which is knocked out of her hands just as fast. Back up and the referee gets bumped, leaving Luna to…hit the Lunar Landing for the clean pin at 12:27.

Rating: B-. The blood looked awesome, but the match itself was nothing noteworthy otherwise. The ending just kind of happened, with the ref bump not really changing much. Luna has come a long way in the last few months and this was the kind of win that she has been needing. On the other hand you have Hartwell, who is falling rather quickly after a hot start.

Overall Rating: C+. Right now, pretty much everything is setting up the cage match next week, which feels like it’s close to the blowoff to the whole TNA vs. NXT feud. At the same time, it feels like everything is building towards the AMC debut, which makes sense, though it leaves them with kind of a weird limbo for the next five weeks or so. This was a good enough show with a main event that felt big, though next week is the really stacked event.

Results
Lexis King b. Matt Cardona – Rollup
Elegance Brand b. Harley Hudson/Myla Grace – Rollup to Hudson
Cedric Alexander b. BDE, Dezmond Xavier, Jake Something, Ryan Nemeth and Jason Hotch – Lumbar Check to BDE
The System b. Sinner And Saint – Boston Knee Party to Saint
Dani Luna b. Indi Hartwell – Lunar Landing

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

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

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

Kickoff Show: Cedric Alexander vs. Eric Young

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Santana vs. Charlie Dempsey

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

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

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

We run down the card.

Frankie Kazarian is ready to make JDC into a failure.

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

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

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

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

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

Matt Cardona vs. Mance Warner

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

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

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

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

International Title: Steve Maclin vs. Stacks

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

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

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

The Hardys are ready to defend their Tag Team Titles.

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

Knockouts Title: Lei Ying Lee vs. Xia Brookside

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

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

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

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

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

Order 4 vs. Rascalz

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

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

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

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

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

Tag Team Titles: High Ryze vs. Hardys

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

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

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

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

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

X-Division Title: AJ Francis vs. Leon Slater

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

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

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

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

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

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

TNA World Title: JDC vs. Frankie Kazarian

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: December 4, 2025
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re just over a day away from Final Resolution and that means we have some finalizing to do before we get to the pay per view. That’s where we should be this week, especially with JDC getting set up for the World Title shot. Other than that, Mike Santana is still wanting revenge on the NXT invaders so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a vignette sat in what looks like a barn, with various wrestlers moving a glowing box labeled with the TNA logo. With a cover of In The Air Tonight in the background, the case opens to announce….that TNA is coming to AMC on January 15. Still a huge deal, as it seems to be nearly double the TV audience.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Home Town Man vs. Brooks Jensen

Lexis King is here with Jensen, who powers Man into the corner to start fast. Man ties him in the ropes for some right hands to the face but Jensen is back with a quick suplex. An Irish Curse gets two on the Man and Jensen stays on his back. Jensen grabs a bearhug, with Man fighting out in a hurry and firing off some clotheslines. The Home Town Slice connects so King gets on the apron for a distraction. Said distraction is enough for Jensen to kick him down for the pin at 5:33.

Rating: C. Jensen is hardly the most interesting star in the world but at least it feels like someone is here as part of a hostile invasion from NXT. Thankfully they didn’t go long with this either as there was no reason to stretch this out any further than it went. The Man’s simple gimmick is still working, and oddly enough it seems like it has a good while to go.

The Rascalz call each other in the Tree House and talk about name changes. Oh and they don’t like Order 4 either. Smoking and giggling ensue.

Here is the IInspiration for a chat. They brag about their recent success and tell other teams to shoot their shot. Cue Tessa Blanchard and Victoria Crawford, saying they’re challenging for the titles at Final Resolution. Mila Moore runs in and helps beat down the IInspiration, who pop back up and lay Moore out without much trouble.

Santino Marella fires up the Hardys/Steve Maclin/Cedric Alexander before they face NXT tonight.

We look at the TNA stars getting in a fight this week on NXT.

Dani Luna vs. Xia Brookside

For the Knockouts Title shot at Final Resolution. Luna shoves her down to start so Luna grabs a headlock to some more success. A running shoulder drops Luna but she pops up with a hurricanrana to the floor. We take a break and come back with Luna being whipped hard into the corner a few times in a row.

Luna fights up and scores with Broken Wings, setting up a high crossbody for two. A Black Widow into something like a reverse Koji Clutch has Luna in trouble so she powerbombs Luna into the corner. Luna goes to the floor to grab a table so here is Indi Hartwell to cut her off. The cheap shot is enough for Brookside to grab a small package for the pin at 12:33.

Rating: C+. Brookside continues to move up the ladder and I’m curious to see what happens with the title match. You have partners fighting for the title on Friday, which could go in a few different ways. Now just give us Hartwell vs. Luna again and everyone should be fine all things considered.

Lei Ying Lee is happy with Brookside winning and may the best woman win.

Robert Stone vs. Mike Santana

Stone jumps him before the bell and they go inside, where Santana gets in a kick to the face. Spin The Block finishes at we’ll say fifteen seconds, though I never heard an opening bell.

Frankie Kazarian doesn’t like JDC talking about how he’s retiring and trying to steal the spotlight. People like John Cena and AJ Styles are retiring but they’re stars. JDC couldn’t be a star if he was thrown by a ninja.

Here is First Class, with AJ Francis still not being happy with Rich Swann losing to Leon Slater. This brings out Slater as the guest, with Francis calling him stupid for granting Francis a title shot. Slater doesn’t get why Francis is talking down to Swann before promising to slap Francis in the face at Final Resolution. Francis offers a toast but slaps the glass out of Slater’s hand. The brawl is on but Swann won’t hit Slater with the title. Instead Francis gives Slater the Down Payment and is not happy with Swann whatsoever.

The System will get a replacement for JDC, though they aren’t sure who it’s going to be.

JDC talks about flying a lot of miles and being ready to hang up his boots for the sake of his personal life. At Final Resolution, he’ll show what he can do.

Mustafa Ali vs. Trey Miguel

Their respective associates are banned from ringside. Miguel armdrags him into the corner to start and catches him with a basement dropkick. Ali is frustrated enough that he runs Miguel over, only to get knocked outside just as quickly. Miguel’s dive is countered into a DDT and we hit the chinlock back inside.

That’s broken up so Ali hits a delayed suplex, only for Miguel to come back with a rolling neckbreaker. A handspring kick to the face sends Ali outside and Miguel hits a diving DDT. The top rope Meteora gives Miguel two back inside and a springboard Canadian Destroyer gets the same. Miguel misses another Meteora though and it’s a Sharpshooter to give Ali the win at 7:27.

Rating: B. This was a match where they packed a bunch of stuff into a short amount of time, which worked rather well. I had a good time with what we got as they didn’t stop throughout the whole thing. Ali winning isn’t a surprise, though at least Miguel did get in some offense on the way.

Final Resolution rundown.

Hardys/Cedric Alexander/Steve Maclin vs. Stacks/Tyson Dupont/Tyriek Igwe/Lexis King

The TNA stars jump them to start fast with Maclin and Alexander throwing them with suplexes. King has to save Stacks from Poetry In Motion but Stacks gets surrounded for a bunch of right hands. The NXT guys are all knocked outside and we take a break. We come back with Alexander in trouble in the corner, including Stacks hitting a Cannonball for two. Alexander dragon screw legwhips his way out of trouble and it’s off to Maclin to clean house.

A Thesz press has King in trouble and some clotheslines put his partners down on the floor. King gets in a cheap shot though and takes over inside. Maclin shrugs that off and clotheslines Stacks, allowing the tag off to Jeff. The real house cleaning ensues and we hit the parade of knockdowns. Alexander hits a big flip dive to the floor but King canes Maclin down, giving Stacks the pin at 14:29.

Rating: B-. This was a big preview for Final Resolution and that’s not a bad idea whatsoever. Sometimes you need a bunch of stuff crammed together into one match and it worked here. Letting the NXT stars steal a win with some cheating makes sense and we should be in for some nice stuff tomorrow night.

Santino Marella comes out to yell at Stacks to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show was all about setting up Final Resolution and that’s what it needed to be. Final Resolution is already feeling far more important than Turning Point, which granted is aided by having actual build to the show. Genesis is the show that is going to really matter, though they’ve actually put some effort into Final Resolution, which is nice to see. Now just make it work in execution.

Results
Brooks Jensen b. Home Town Man – Kick to the face
Xia Brookside b. Dani Luna – Small packages
Mike Santana b. Robert Stone – Spin The Block
Mustafa Ali b. Trey Miguel – Sharpshooter
Stacks/Tyson Dupont/Tyriek Igwe/Lexis King b. Hardys/Cedric Alexander/Steve Maclin – Cane to Maclin

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

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

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

Here is Turning Point if you need a recap.

In Memory Of George Tahinos, a wrestling photographer.

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

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matt Cardona vs. Mance Warner

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

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

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

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

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

Myron Reed vs. John Skyler

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Santino Marella runs down the Final Resolution card thus far:

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

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

We get more of the Final Resolution card:

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

JDC vs. Eric Young

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

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

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

The staredown ends the show.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now, the show proper.

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

Knockouts Title: M By Elegance vs. Kelani Jordan

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

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

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

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

We run down the rest of the card.

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

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

AJ Francis vs. BDE

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

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

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

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

Indi Hartwell vs. Dani Luna

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Order 4 vs. Hardys/Cedric Alexander

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

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

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

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

The System vs. Rascalz/Dezmond Xavier

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

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

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

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

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

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

X-Division Title: Leon Slater vs. Rich Swann

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opening sequence.

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

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

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

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

Video on the upcoming Gold Rush shows.

Dani Luna vs. Indi Hartwell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jason Hotch vs. Cedric Alexander

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

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

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

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

Knockouts Title: Kelani Jordan vs. Heather By Elegance

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

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

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

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

The Angels Warriors? They are too.

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

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

Turning Point rundown.

TNA World Title: Ryan Nemeth vs. Mike Santana

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

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

TNA World Title: Mike Santana vs. Frankie Kazarian

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

Kazarian celebrates while Santana is crushed to end the show.

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

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

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: September 25, 2025
Location: The Armory, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s the night before Victory Road, which isn’t exactly looking like the most important show. There is only so much that can be done as we are on the way to Bound For Glory, making Victory Road little more than a glorified pit stop. Hopefully they find a way to spice it up a bit so let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap, looking at the System vs. Order 4.

Opening sequence.

Rascalz vs. Leon Slater/Cedric Alexander

Myron Reed is on commentary. Alexander gets taken into the corner to start and a Dream Sequence has him in more trouble. The four way brawl is on as everything breaks down, though we settle into Miguel slugging it out with Alexander. A suplex puts Miguel down and Slater comes in to start on the arm. Miguel slips out of a suplex though and it’s off to Wentz, who gets caught in the wrong corner. A high crossbody gives Slater two but Wentz knees him down to take over.

Miguel’s double stomp gets two and some rapid fire kicks set up the chinlock. Slater is back up with a running cutter and it’s back to Alexander to clean house. The Michinoku Driver gets two but everything breaks down, with Slater hitting a slingshot dive to the floor. Reed offers a distraction though and Wentz Swantons a hanging Slater for two. Alexander is back in to send Wentz outside for a heck of a suicide dive. Slater is able to hit the Swanton 450 for the pin on Miguel at 10:26.

Rating: B-. As usual, TNA knows how to open a show in the right way, as this kind of high flying, fast paced match is always going to be a fun starter. Slater is on his way to a medium title defense tomorrow night and then we get on to whatever his big story is going to be at Bound For Glory. For now, at least we got to see his awesome finisher, which works every time.

Jake Something and Frankie Kazarian are ready to face Steve Maclin and Mr. Anderson tonight. Kazarian is going to take the International Title at Bound For Glory and he mocks Anderson’s catchphrase.

We look at NXT invading NXT on Tuesday.

Earlier today, Eric Young demanded that Santino Marella put him in a match with Joe Hendry. Sure.

Victoria Crawford vs. Jody Threat

Threat grabs a headlock to start, followed by some rapid fire clotheslines in the corner. Crawford is able to send her throat first into the bottom rope and pound away at the back, only to miss a big boot. Threat’s boot sets up a release German suplex…but Tessa Blanchard is back for a distraction. Crawford scores with an ax kick for the win at 4:09.

Rating: C. The match was just a backdrop for Blanchard’s return and a distraction, which is fine as Blanchard is a big deal. Crawford’s return has been good enough and a nice little addition to the division, as she’s far from a top star but at least she’s getting to do something. I’m not sure what’s next in all of this, but I would hope Blanchard gets to do something other than face Gia Miller.

Joe Hendry is ready to face Eric Young, who was his mentor back in the day. Then things changed and now Young wants to get rid of him. Young is the one who has changed and Hendry will teach him a lesson at Victory Road.

The System is ready for the Hardcore War with Order 4 but Moose wants Mustafa Ali at Victory Road, one on one.

Battle Royal

Mara Sade, Matt Cardona, Home Town Man, Mance Warner, Xia Brookside, Lei Ying Lee, AJ Francis, Rosemary, Ryan Nemeth, Killer Kelly

The winner enters the Call Your Shot Gauntlet last and the final one eliminated enters it first. Francis runs his mouth before the bell and threatens Rosemary, who mists him. Everyone else jumps Francis and he’s out first. Nemeth goes to the floor (not out) for some choking and Sade is eliminated. Kelly is out as well and Warner chokes on the Man in the corner. Rosemary gets tossed and Warner clotheslines Lee and Brookside.

The Man loses his Twins jersey but reveals a Timberwolves jersey in a nice touch. Cardona helps him go after Warner, who sends them both to the apron, where Nemeth eliminates them both. Nemeth isn’t done as he tosses Brookside but gets low bridged by Lee. We’re down to Lee vs. Warner, with Lee busting out the martial arts. Warner sends her to the apron though and kicks her out for the win at 6:16.

Rating: C. It’s nice that they kept this quick and Warner as a threat to win the whole thing is a nice way to go. He’s the kind of villain who could do a lot of evil with the contract, though him winning is probably a long shot. This was hardly a good battle royal, but at least they kept it from taking up too much of the show for the sake of two people moving on to another battle royal.

Mickie James and the Beautiful People are going into the Hall Of Fame. Yeah that’s fair.

We get a rather jumpy video on Mike Santana’s road to Bound For Glory. He has never given up and this is everything to him. We hear from what appears to be his daughter, who wants him to win.

Here is Santino Marella to introduce the Hardys and Team 3D for the Final Negotiation. In a show of respect, Team 3D lets the Hardys go first. Matt talks about how these might be the best teams ever and we get an exchange of praises. If the Hardys want to be the best ever though, they need to beat Team 3D. We get a quick TLC flashback, with D-Von saying he and Jeff are never hanging from a ladder again “you crazy son of a b****.”

Jeff references Edge and Christian and Bully brings up the Dudley Boyz before saying the Hardys need Team 3D. That’s fine with Matt, who wants the losers to shake the winners’ hands and say they’re the best of all time. The Hardys are even willing to put up the title, with Santino Marella making it official…but Bully says no. The fans want tables so Bully talks about losing in a tables match at the 2000 Royal Rumble. That has always bothered them so we’ll do it again in a tables match. The contract is ripped up as all we need is a handshake. Well good, as that contract wouldn’t have had any of the details they just established.

Mustafa Ali, with Order 4, is tired of the System and the team is ready for both Victory Road and Bound For Glory. Ali recaps the rules of a Hardcore War and suggests that the match at Victory Road determines who has the advantage in Hardcore War. The System comes in for the staredown.

Victory Road rundown.

Frankie Kazarian/Jake Something vs. Mr. Anderson/Steve Maclin

Anderson doesn’t have a mic dropping in from the ceiling so Maclin gets a chair and lowers one to him for his introduction (I chuckled). Maclin and Kazarian start things off but Kazarian hands it off to Something instead. A shoulder and forearm to the back of the head have Maclin down and now it’s off to Kazarian, who gets to face Anderson for a nice reaction. Some forearms and a backdrop have Kazarian down so Maclin comes back in to take care of Something. The villains take a breather on the floor until Maclin pulls Kazarian back inside.

We take a break and come back with Anderson fighting his way out of trouble so Maclin can come back in. The spear misses Something in the corner though and Kazarian takes Maclin down on the floor. Back in and Something chinlocks Kazarian but he’s back up with a clothesline for the breather. Anderson comes in to clean house, including a Green Bay Plunge for two on Kazarian.

The Mic Check is blocked but Fade To Black is reversed into the Mic Check, with Something making the save. Kazarian gives Anderson a Backstabber into the Flux Capacitor for two, with the fans getting way into the kickout. Maclin is back in to clear out the villains as everything breaks down. Another Mic Check drops Something and KIA pins Kazarian at 16:41.

Rating: B-. I wasn’t expecting much here and it wound up being a pretty nice main event. The fans were into what Anderson was doing and having him back for a one off match is a fine idea. He’s a legend around here so it was a nice short term return. Kazarian feels very likely to win the title at Bound For Glory too, so at least the story is getting some attention, even with Kazarian losing here.

Overall Rating: C+. This did what it could to make Victory Road look more important, but the show is little more than a preview for Bound For Glory. The action here was ok, but it was mainly just filler as the two major shows were set up. That only makes for a somewhat interesting episode, though at least it did accomplish its main goals.

Results
Leon Slater/Cedric Alexander b. Rascalz – Swanton 450 to Miguel
Victoria Crawford b. Jody Threat – Ax kick
Mance Warner won a battle royal last eliminating Lei Ying Lee
Mr. Anderson/Steve Maclin b. Jake Something/Frankie Kazarian – KIA to Kazarian

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

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