Impact Review – 07.17.25

We are a mere three days away from Slammiversary and to quote De La Soul “The Stakes Is High.” We have inter-promotional battles going on and intriguing feuds burgeoning. Do you know what else we have burgeoning? Some Impactful Discourse. Let’s engage in some, shall we? We shall.

(Previously on TNA Impact) We get highlights of the Lei Ying Lee and Masha Slamovich tag match with Fatal Influence. We also get highlights of the eight-man tag match main event, complete with Trick Williams on commentary and on heel interference. We see Santana and Hendry enter the fracas and Hendry inadvertently slugging Santana and glares are exchanged.

We are in the last taping from the city that doubled as Gotham in the Dark Knight Rises, Pittsburgh, PA. Speaking of Dynamic duos, Jim Hannifan and Matthew Rewholdt are here to bring us the action. And, that action commences with…..

Moose vs. Sami Callihan

Moose enters ring with Alicia Edwards shimming down the ring with him. Sami Callahan enters ring slaps hands with fans And chases Edwards momentarily. Hannifan said these are two men who define what this company is all about?

Moose stats with big boot at opening bell. Moose throws Callihan to the corner and engages in a series of chokes and then hits a hard throw into the turnbuckles. Edwards can be heard taunting fans. Moose gets another hard throw to the turnbuckles but misses a charge and Callahan turns it to a stunner for two. Moose recovers and the two run the topes and Moose flattens Calihan with a spear who goes out the ring. Moose taunts fans and runs the ring but is met with a body slam. Callihan and Moose get back into the ring and We get a thumbs up and an attempted tiger driver However, Moose powers out, runs the ropes again and another spear gets the victory.

Post Match: Edwards and Moose stay in the ring basking in the win and yelling at fans. Edwards has mic and we know this will be good because we do want to know something. Alicia gives moose the mic and reiterates the Bison reset of “biggest day/another Sunday” taunt for Slater. Moose said Slater winning is not going to happen. After he dispatches Slater he will be the longest running X-Division champ. He turns to Callihan and asks him why is still in the ring. He says he doesn’t have it anymore and is no longer the death machine but a fat piece of garbage. Body shaming isn’t cool, Moose; although, I guess that’s why you’re a heel.

According to Moose, Callihan has good mind for business and deserves a job – that job is handling catering. Callihan needs to take the boots off, put them in middle ring and get out of ring. Edwards nicely points where they should go. Calihan starts to unlace boots but thinks twice and heads up to the ring. Moose then intros the System. The rest of the system enter and start to jaw with Callihan and heads backstage and we head to commercials.

We come back with the System in the ring as Order Four (with the four extra servicemen in tow) come out next with a far more jovial Ali leading the way. BUT HOLD EVERYTHING…as they head down the ramp, the lights go out and

(sigh) yeah, Dark State appear.

They hit the ring and start to battle with the System Dark State beat down the System as a loud “NXT” chant emerges. They hit the High hopes Powerbomb on Myers as Order Four sit back and golf clap their approval and head back up the ramp.

Backstage Dani Luna and Gia Miller talk. She said Blanchard is taking advantage of the situation but the real ones know this is her specialty and Luna has been asking for this. She knows who she is and knows what she brings to the table and she can rule the division and Blanchard is in her way. Sure.

(Impactful Ruminations) I really don’t need to see a Callihan vs. Moose feud. I don’t know if this means Slater wins at Slammiversary but it gives Moose a chance to churn his legs while he regroups.

Regarding Dark State. Another blog asked this question and resonated with me – what does Dark State Actually do? They have hit random targets but with no central attack. As much as I don’t like the rehash of NWO, Shield, Nexus, etc. This might be an avenue for them to travel but I think an Order Four feud would be much more intriguing.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Dani Luna

Victoria Crawford is in tow with Blanchard with a Steelers shirt (wait, she is a heel; that is not the way to get heat because they are in Pitt….eh, I give up.) Blanchard looks like a star, as usual. Dani Luna emerges next and the crowd is appreciative Luna gets an armlock but Blanchard reversed it but Blanchard hits the ropes and Luna catches her with an overhead suplex. Luna continues the attack by clotheslining Blanchard in the corner and hits a shoulder block and a delayed backdrop. A sliding clothesline gets two.

Luna works the arm and hits an armbar. Luna turns that into a sitting dropkick. Luna chops away in the corner and gets a hard turn into the turnbuckle. Blanchard is thrown into the turnbuckles but Blanchard reverses a charge into putting Luna on the turnbuckles and kicks the knee to drop Luna for two. Blanchard mauls Luna on the ropes, punctuated by a flying kick to the head. She hits an jumping elbow drop over the ropes. Luna momentarily fights out but a toss to the ropes ends with a Blanchard clothesline on the ropes. Another rope assisted sitting drop kick gets two for Blanchard who punches away at Luna.

Blanchard gets two leg DDT’s and soaks in the boos. A series of kicks leads to a leg lock and a nice guillotine headlock as Luna tries to fight out of it. After struggling to get out, Luna manages to stand up with Blanchard still holding and Luna turns it into a suplex. Both combatants struggle to get to their feet but Luna gets the advantage by slugging away at Blanchard and a giant boot.

Luna attempts the Luna landing but Blanchard stops it but eats a one legged dropkick for her efforts. Luna attempts to pick up Blanchard but Blanchard reverses it to a backdrop; but Luna reverses that to a rather sloppy powerbomb for two-and-a-fraction. The crowd starts to rally for Luna but another Luna Landing is elbowed out and Blanchard hits a hard palm strike in the corner. Luna tires to chop away and run the ropes to the top turnbuckle but another kick to the knee drops Luna to a Codebreaker for two.

Blanchard heads up to the turnbuckle but is met by Luna,. Blanchard ithers her off but the Magnum from the top rope is caught (?) by Luna into a slingshot Blue Thumber Bomb for two-and-a-fraction. Luna lifts Blanchard up again for the Luna Landing but Crawford grabs Blanchard legs and put her on the top turnbuckle. NOW, Blanchard hits the Magnum (sloppy, too) and get the victory.

Post Match: Crawford and Blanchard beat down Luna but Indi Hartwell hits the ring and clears it as an “Indi Wrestling” chant breaks. Hartwell gets the mic and says it is Blanchard, not her, that turns their back on friends. You haven’t known her in six years but at Slammiversary, she will get to her and drops a female dog on her.

We get a rerun of the angle a few weeks ago as the Iinspirations are doing a meet and greet with fans as the……By Elegance Brand storm the table and make a mess of it. Tempers are flared and fingers are pointed. That leads to an Iinspiration(al) promo. The Elegancers title has been cute (so cute) but the Iinspiration have no insecurities (Iinsceurities?) and they deserve the spotlight and will become the two-time Knockout Champions.

Hey, Jacy Jayne is next (actually commercials are next but after that…)

(Impactful Ruminations) Aside from the rough spots, this was a good showcase for Blanchard who, as alluded to previously, is a star but hampered (rightfully) by the backstage antics and attitudes. All boxes are checked on her.

I still don’t see the effort with Crawford aside from being a weaselly friend and someone who eats pins in tag matches. I don’t see it. This could be used by countless others. Sorry, but not seeing it.

Luna did okay. I don’t know why we focused on her but, with a little in-ring cleaning, could be a solid contributor. However, in this match, he held her own but the denouement was inevitable. It does keep the legs churning for Sunday against another person who I have difficulty seeing as a credible threat and someone to build a burgeoning division.

When we get back, we get a rehash of the six-woman tag match from NXT as Masha Slamovich and Solria (Zaruca?) were victorious. Hannifan wonders if we will see Slamovich again hold the title high.

So, we were going to get Jayne BUT HOLD EVERYTHING because the…. By Elegance Brand is out first. However, Ash speaks first and said she was forced to come to this dump to make a public apology and was fined $5K because of the fans – they sent the footage to TNA management about the Iinspirational dustup. Darn you, fans.

She then turns her ire to Jayne, interestingly. All she hears is Jayne vs. Slamovich and TNA vs. NXT and they should be talking about her. She beat 19 other women a few weeks ago in the battle royal and busted her butt to be here. She has a divine right to take the title because By Elegance Brand is the most dominant female faction in pro wrestling history.

Taking umbrage to this, Jayne comes down to ringside with the Fatal Influence in tow. Jayne said she had no problems with Ash until she started spouting off about the Elegance brand being the most dominant. Whether it is too much hair spray or being dropped on her head (I think too much hairspray would act as a helmet, right?) Jayne is going to bring them down to Earth.

When Jayne beats Slamovich to be the double title holder she will gladly take on Ash to show her where she stands in women’s wrestling

BUT HOLD EVERYTHING, AGAIN, because Slamovich comes to the ringside. Ash gets in her face and is shoved aside as Slamovich enters the ring and faces the FA gang. Slamovich said Jayne doesn’t know her (well, she is popular but go on.) She came to New York from Russia and fought for her life in Brooklyn. She had no help or friends. Jayne retorts if Slamovich looked in the mirror and she could see why she has no friends (call the asbestos unit, we have a burn.) Slamovich said when Jayne looks in the mirror and makes sure everything is perfect because that what she thinks a champion is.

When Slamovich looks in the mirror, she sees all the scars that made her a champion She wears them with pride as she does the title. She will be darned if she goes to her homeland and get her title taken by outsider. It would be easier to take the title from Jayne than it would to take it from Slamovich because she would have to stop her heart – can Jayne said the same? Jayne holds the title high, as does Slamovich as we fade out and head to the…

Bioflex injury report

Trey Miguel is day-to-day living with a hernia (I feel bad…okay, last Yankovic joke, I promise) As shown Tuesday, KC Navarro is good to go as we go backstage to..

Dani Luna and Indi Hartwell. Jody Threat runs in to see if Luna is okay and Luna is not happy she was not there but Hartwell was. Threat just found out but Luna walks away. Hartwell says she will talk to Luna as Threat walks off screen and we walk off to commercials.

(Impactful Ruminations) Side note, it made me legitimately chuckle to see and hear Ash By Elegance take the mic. That is a thick Cleveland accent. Wow. I don’t remember many of her promos in NXT/WWE but that was an ear opener and a funny irony to the immaculate beauty she is portrayed (and she is attractive, for the record.)

Slamovich delivered a great fired-up promo. I have been very impressed with her mic work and she is definitely one of the best women going in American women’s wrestling. A fired up babyface promo is difficult but she stuck the landing on that one.

The Luna/Threat dissention could lead to a good feud as two former tag partners turned enemies. I still think Luna is the better of the two and would focus on her for future elongated pushes.

We return to the set up of the contract signing between Williams, Santana and Hendry from last week. Santana said Williams talks too much (cue Maffew) and they both powerbomb Williams through the table but Dark State attacks Santana and Williams and Dark State hits the High hopes powerbomb on Santana.

That leads to a rehash of Tuesday’s six-man tag match with Hendry, Williams and Santana vs. Dark State but leads to the System’s run in brawl.

We get another great Santana promo who said God blessed him with the ability to suffer and use that as motivation. We get another play of his dad’s message to him, hoping he gets that moment in the ring. These are hallowed ground and the name Santana will be synonymous with that hallowed ground.

Judas Icarus vs. Hometown Man

Icarus and Travis Williams come out with masks and ponchos. But the lights brighten, and we get the Hometown Man’s entrance with Steelers themed mask, Roethlisberger jersey and Terrible Towel. Hannifan and Rewholdt reiterate the edict if the Hometown Man is unmasked and is, in fact, Cody Deaner, he banned forever. Personally, my money is on David Sammartino.

A huge “Hometown Man” starts the match as HTM gets the Dusty Rhodes punches to drop Icarus. HTM gets the almost 10 punch turnbuckle spot but stops at nine to drop town and hit Icarus with a huge right hand. HTM gets Icarus on his shoulders and hits the airplane spin as we get this nugget from Rewholdt and Hannifan:

“This has to be a dirty city if you’re known for waving towels over your head.”

“Listen, I am from eastern Pennsylvania and it is a lot cleaner than western Pennsylvania.”

The prolonged airplane is turned into a TKO for two. Another huge “hometown man” chant breaks out but Travis Willams distracts the Man and Icarus recovers and bites the hand of HTM and nails a kick and a flying forearm smash which gets two. Icarus gets a neck wrench and continues to beat down HTM. Williams attempted to get to remove the mask but the referee stops him.

Icarus though missed another forearm smash and the Man hits a series of clothesline and a body slam. The Man tries for the Sliced Bread but Icarus grabbed the mask. HTM gets loose hits the ropes, avoids a clothesline and hits Williams with a shoulder block between the ropes to the floor. Back in the ring, and NOW, the Hometown Man hits the Sliced Bread for the win.

Post Match:Eric Young hits the ring but HTM escapes through the fans. Young goes after him but the fans interfere and aid the Man’s escape. But I thought Young was crazy, this shouldn’t stop him. He attempts it again but Young and the Armory are stymied as we are stymied by another segment of Fourth Rope and..

(sigh,) Enzo. Enzo does his spiel and threatens Hendry. The reason why he isn’t all in is the chip on his shoulder is worth more than what anyone else has. He is showing up to Anniversary with some Nepos including Zilla Fatu? Okay. We’re playing with ether, too.

We stop playing after commercials and we see where TNA will be next. We also get a promo with Steve Maclin. “Bulletproof” is holding that line for the International Title and if anyone gets in his way it is “Tag ‘Em, Bag ‘Em and Mayhem.”

“The Complete” Matt Cardona vs. Jake Painter

But first, Cardona gets the mic and said he was laid out by Dark State a few weeks ago and saw what they did to the System tonight. If they want him, he is right here and always ready.

The two lock-up BUT HOLD EVERYTHING. The lights go out and we get Dark State run-in 2: Electric Boogaloo. Cardona and Painter are ambushed. They hit the High hopes Powerbomb to Painter and attempt to do the same to Cardona but Brian Myers hits the ring to help but he is swarmed by the State. They attempt the High Hopes Powerbomb but the System return with Kendo Sticks to now thwart the State. The State make their way up the ramp as System stays in the ring, threatening State as we are threatened with commercials.

We return as the Hardys make their way to the ring to a thunderous pop. Matt has the mic first as a loud “Hardy” chant starts. Matt thanks the fans for allowing he and Jeff to live their dream for 33 years. The crowd erupts into a “Thank you Hardys” chant. It is overwhelming to think they held tag titles in four different decades. They have always wanted to be honest and that we were still competing at the top of their game and would never be a shell of a team (with an obligatory “You Still Got It” chant.)

The business will still move forward after Matt and Jeff Hardy are gone. Fans are imploring them, sensing what might be coming. They have lost the titles and a lot of matches along the way.

Jeff gets the mic and said Matt was beat by AJ Francis. Matt makes a thank you joke. They don’t want to overstay their welcome and if they are not at their best and their pinnacle they should retire. Jeff again gets the mic and said if they don’t get the titles at Slammiversary, the Hardy party should end.

This brings out Leon Slater. Slate gets in the ring and gets the mic. Slater can’t believe what they are saying, and what he is going to say comes as a contemporary, not as a fanboy. He had a hard time keeping up with the Hardys these last six months. The Hardys have done more than change his life this year. They took him from a kid to a man and challenging for the X-Division title. They changed the lives of everyone in the arena. This can’t finish because he can’t thank them enough.
Matt said don’t worry about us but worry about becoming the youngest X-Division champion in history. Slater said he needs the Hardys to focus and get out of this mental slump and be the Hardys that we grew up loving and the ones jump off ladders and crash into tables (ummm…about that.) Slater said he they are the best team of all time.

That is broken up by a series of “pardon me’s” and First Class’ music as KC Navarro and AJ Francis make their way ringside. Francis gets the mic, and reiterates the line Jeff said about losing to Francis. Francis said some old timers have to reminded that recently happened. If this was 2000, they could beat First Class because Francis was 10 and Navarro was yet to be born.

At Slammiversary, First Class is the uncrowned champions, just like Lamar Jackson (cheap heat works.) Hardy wants Slater to head back to the locker room to be healthy come Sunday and the Hardys have this. First Class is worried about the Rascalz and Nemeths. And that brings out…

Yup, the Nemeths head ring side. Nick gets the mic and loves the Hardy pity party and runners up in the division but they are the champs (a loud “Cleveland Sucks” chant emerges and Francis agrees with the fans.) The Nemeths are ones who put the butts in the seat and people forgot what they do and who the champs are. Ryan gets the mic and says they will be champs forever. He and his big brother have been more ladder than matches than anyone else (Hannifan corrects Ryan that he has never been in a ladder match.) Nemeths attack the Hardys and the lights go out and (relax, it’s not Dark State 3: Citizens on Patrol) it’s the Rascalz. We have a schmoz but the Hardys go under the ring and pull out a ladder. They run the ladder to the Nemeths and Francis and clear the ring. Their music plays and the fans are elated. However, we are not elated because we head to commercials.

We come back to one more hype package for the Slammiversary and then Rewholdt and Hannifan prep us for the main event.

Frankie Kazarian and Trick Williams vs. Joe Hendry and Mike Santana

Kazarian is out first and followed by Williams (again, folks, he’s a heel, you’re not supposed to chant his…just forget it.) Hendry is out first for the good guys and the crowd goes nuts. We get the arm wave and the turn to loud pops (and waves.) Santana is last and emerges from the crowd. Hendry and Santana start to point and argue with each other. But Williams ends the debate by attacking both and throwing Hendry to the corner before tagging Kazarian in and we go out for one more commercial break.

When we return, Kazarian is beating on Hendry but an Irish whip is reversed to a shoulder block for Hendry. Hendry keeps the momentum going with a hip toss and a delayed suplex for two. Santana, though, tags himself in to the chagrin of Hendry. Santana hits a dropkick and a Three Amigos suplex chain for two. Santana chops away at Kazarian but a backdrop attempt is reversed to a neckbreaker and Kazarian tags Williams.

Williams hits a nice drop kick and a front facelock. Santana tries to fight out of it but Santana whips him to a rope for a side kick for two. Williams throws Santana to the corner and chops away at him. Santana, though, reverses it and gets his own chops, but Wiliams stops the tide with a forearm and another nice dropkick.

Kazarian is back in the ring and slugs away with Santana. Kazarian gets a back suplex for two. Santana, again, tries to slug away with the crowd’s urging, Santana gets the offense and slugs and chop away. Santana gets thrown to the turnbuckle but comes out with a clothesline. He goes to the ropes and bucks off Kazarian which leads to a Rolling Block 50 for two. Santana tried for a powerbomb and enziguri but both get reversed. He gets Kazarian on his shoulders for a Death Valley Driver but a rake of the eyes stops that. He pushed Santana to the ropes and into a Wiliams’ knee. Santana slugs Wiliams but Kazarian hits a back stabber, sliding clothesline and a rope-assisted twisting leg drop.

Williams is tagged and hits the suplex on Santana. Williams then attempts a three amigos suplex spot but Santana flips out of it and chopped away at Wiliams. However, Santana eats a Trick Kick. Kazarian is tagged and chokes Santana on the ropes via standing on him. Santana, though, gets a quick two on a rollup from a back drop. Kazarian flattens Santana with a clothesline and Williams is tagged but Kazarian is tagged quickly.

The two beat on Santana but an Irish Whip is reversed to a moonsault clothesline on the two. Hendry is begging for the tag and gets it and Hendry is a flat on fire, repeatedly clotheslining Wiliams and Kazarian before hitting a cutter on Kazarian. He clotheslines Williams out of the ring and catches Kazarian into a Fallaway Slam. Wiliams tried a body press but Hendry rolled through it and gets a Fallaway Slam on the champ. Hendry than turns to Williams and start to bicker. Hendry starts to get the crowd riled up but Santana, again, tags himself in and hits the Spin the Block on Kazarian for the win.

Post-match: the two glare at each other and Williams joins for a trio stare. Williams holds the title up as Hendry and Santana trade stares at each other and then Williams as we fade out to…

A video package of a box that magically opens to light and a slew of highlights…of AJ Styles. The box opens and it is a dusty Styles’ T-shirt. The dust is magically blown and we go off the air.

(Impactful Ruminations) TNA has a nice thing going. Great buzz (for positive reasons,) a nice relationship with WWE (hopefully, WWE doesn’t WWE/F things and swallow them whole) and two viable, likable faces to carry the company. I still do not see Wiliams retaining, despite Hendry and Santana winning twice in a row (that is what is nice about having Kazarian as you pin eater.) It would be pure death if TNA loses both of them. If you lose one, fine, they still have a champ that you could build. Hendry has more pop culture buzz but purists can rally behind Santana. The promotional avenues will follow. As I said last time, TNA couldn’t screw this up, could they?

Lastly, nice tip off to Styles at Slammiversary. That was well done. If he rides off in the sunset with TNA, he adds another face or heel to them to build to cushion the loss of either Hendry or Santana.)