Saherrin Reviews

Greetings. Okay, so Bound For Glory was a success (sorry, Max Caster) and we head into another round of tapings for TNA Impact. This time it is in Dothan, Alabama. Much like last year, we have some unique things happening during this time after Bound For Glory. Tonight, is a celebration of the Matt and Jeff Hardy being in the business for 35 years (cough giveortakeayear cough) actually their first match in the WWE was, according to our friend, the internet, was May 28, 1996. There was a huge celebration including being encouraged to cosplay as the Hardys. The two best get to meet the Hardys after the matches. There is special merchandise being offered and a good time to be had by all. They even get to book the matches tonight. Fun. There also Meet and Greets with Mustafa Ali,  Nic Nemeth, Leon Slater, Xia Brookside, Elayna Black and more.

The number one song at the time of their debut was “The Crossroads” by Bone Thugz N’ Harmony. Do you know who is not gone, gone, gone? Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt (Fresh off his epic performance in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet Match) they will remain behind the desk for announcing duties. McKenzie Mitchell will be telling us who is who in the ring. Gia Miller had continuing health issues and is gone tonight. You’re not gone, though, and I appreciate that. So, let’s sit back, relax and get ready for some WONDERFUL Hardy flavored Total Nonstop Analysis. Shall we? Yeeeessssss, we shall.

(side note: Please take some time to appreciate those good folks who spend their time and energy giving people information and reviews of product past and present. It takes a lot of that time and energy and deserve the flowers, as the youth of today, say. Enjoy their work, please. And now…..our feature presentation.)

Previously on TNA Bound For Glory: We get a full highlight package of the final moments of the matches, including the Hardys (hey, they are being celebrated today) who…lost to SyX. Sure, okay.

Also, the lead singer is back and he is STILL ready for you – Patience, Mr. rock singer; patience.

We start off, with, well, the Hardys. The crowd is still strangely over. They made their way to the ring to thunderous applause. Matt tells us that tonight is special, especially for the Die Hardys. Matt went over everything they endured during that time frame. He said tonight will be bonkers and went over what is going to happen. They will be extreme matches.

They announced that one of the matches would be Ryan Nemeth vs, Nic Nemeth,  but not in a bra and panties match like Jeff wanted. If they refuse, they will be stripped of the tag titles. They also booked a match between the two biggest thorns in their side this year: Syx vs. The Righteous in a Tables Match. Also, we can’t forget the Knockouts. It will Indi Hartwell (good round of applause,) Gabby Forza and Harley Hudson (silence for the other two) vs. Xia Brookside and the Apex – Zoey Serrano and Shayna Baszler. They also acknowledged what happened at BFG when Amazing Red was inducted in the Hall of Fame and then later won a scramble match for the X-Division title. With that, Red made his way to ringside.

The Hardys said they have seen everything but what happened Sunday they never saw what happened. He went into the Hall of Fame as a forefather to the X-Division and then later won the title again. A “you deserve it” chant emerged. Red got the mic and said Bound for Glory would be something he would never forget. But this night isn’t about him (why not,) but the Hardys and their 35 years (cough) in the business.

There are wrestlers doing what they do right now due to the Hardys. One of those wrestlers was Red. The Hardys changed the landscape of the business. So, congrats on being the GOATS The Hardys were very appreciative. They then pivot to someone who started their legacy at Bound For Glory as world champion but will also be the direction and the future of TNA – Slater.

Slater headed to the ringside as Rewholdt extolled his virtues. He talked about how the Hardys – and Red – have been rocking the game since before he was in the womb. They have not just titles but they have legacies and formed a bond with the fans that will last forever. Slater wants that, for people to remember him long after he is in the grave.

He said in the build up for Bound for Glory, he had doubt in his mind. So, he talked to his mom who is his rock (round of applause for mom Slater.) He went over his family history but no matter, his mom said everything will be alright. He looked at the fans and said that if they have any doubts that they are too young, too old or too anything; he wants them to know that everything will be alright and be okay. If you can see it and brave enough to speak it, the world is yours. Now, he has the world in his hands and he is not to going to waste it. If anyone wants to challenge him “If you want me, ya get me!!”

Hardy lauded Slater as a fighting champion. Jeff said he wanted a one-on-one match with Slater for the title (no; just, no.) But they are not booking for themselves. He did say they are going to have a number one contender match: Five of their favorites will be in a ladder match with the contract hanging above the ring. The participants will be Elijah, Jason Hotch, Ricky Sosa, Trey Miguel and Moose. The Hardys, Red and Slater got the crowd riled as we go backstage.

Once there, we get the Nemeths. Ryan asked if they can do that? Nic said this seems wrong and we consult their lawyer after this. He was supposed to have a rematch but now it is a ladder match – without him – for a match at Destination X. They are trying to get the Nemeths to fight each other. Good luck with that. We all know who would win, no matter what. After Nic wins, they would do what they do best. Ryan looked none too pleased and asked what if he won? Nic said he is supposed to win because he has the contractual rematch. He might win, Ryan reiterated. The two stared at a moment but Nic laughed it off and said that’s why Ryan is the funny man. Nic left whilst Ryan continued to eat his apple and stare as we stare at commercials.

When we come back, Santino Marella is sitting on a couch and took off his authority badge and said he is on vacation. That is, until “Do you want to know something?” pierces the air and Alisha Edwards and the rest of the System  emerge into the shot. Marella said he does not want know anything because he is on vacation. Cedric Alexander said what he needs to know is that Red is walking around with his title and wants his rematch – not a seven person scramble match. Brian Myers  asked what was up with the ladder match and why no members of the System are involved? Myers called out Sosa who didn’t earn it. Eddie Edwards said Sosa did deserve it because Sosa beat him at BFG. They all questioned Edwards. But then pivoted back to Marella. Marella asked if they want to know something – he is on vacation. With that, he bid them “toodledoo” and exited the shot.

Bear Bronson questioned Edwards that this was supposed to be System business and not Sosa and asked if they were going to forget the bonding moment Edwards had with Sosa. Arguing ensued as Edwards wanted Bronson to chill.

Ryan Nemeth vs. Nic Nemeth

Ryan is out first and does his gyrations as he headed to the ringside. Nic is next with a Cleveland Guardians shirt and does his strutting on his way to ringside. He taunted a fan with a hand shake and deked him. He did the same with a high-five for some fans. The Nemeths posed with their tag titles. Hannifan said this is the first time the brothers squared off in the ring. Sportsmanship is observed as we start the match.

Nic whispered something to Ryan and backed off. Ryan cued the music and let loose with an…Orange Cassidy level kick to the shin. Nic instantly writhed on the mat (Rehwoldt called Ryan an “underrated striker.”) Nic collapsed on the mat and Ryan went for the pin. However, Matt and Jeff emerged with chairs and sat on the rampway. They warned the Nemeths as they did prior that if they try any of this carny crap they would be stripped of the titles. They must fight – the crowd picked up the chant. Rehwoldt also eloquently said “weren’t the Hardys the ones who started their career on trampolines?”

Nic protested from the ring and said they are the tag champs and the Hardys don’t tell them what to do. Ryan instantly tried a quick rollup for a two count. Nic accosted him but Ryan pointed at the Hardys and didn’t know what to do. The “fight” chant re-emerged. Nic returned the quick rollup and now Ryan accosted Nic.

The crowd continued the chant and the Nemeths started to argue and then turn to shoving as the crowd chanted “boring.”  Nic hit Ryan with a superkick that floored Ryan. Nic yelled at the Hardys to look what they made him do. Matt said he knew Nic wanted to do that. Nic checked on Ryan as Matt started a “one more time” chant. He said Nic was selfish and knew he wanted to do that.

Ryan slowly started get to his feet. Nic was a glass case of emotions but fought through the anguish enough to hit a Fame-Asser and got the pin.

Post-Match: Nic wanted his music to stop and reiterated what he said in back that he was supposed to get his rematch but now it is a ladder match, sans Nemeth. He said he will have his eyes on this match. He said something mean and the audio cut out. He helped Ryan to his feet and raised his hand. He pated Ryan on the head and checked on his brother.

We head backstage where the Hardys magically made their way and were approached by Expressions. He said he heard the Hardys were in charge and thinks that  A J Francis  should have a world title match tonight. Matt said he wanted a huge match so he will get it. It will be Francis vs. The Hardys (I thought they didn’t want to book themselves?) Francis didn’t want a handicap match. Hardys said it will be a tag match. Francis said he doesn’t do tag teams anymore. Jeff said no we got a great partner for him and should see his Expressions – they’re priceless. He’s right here. Expressions and Franis turn around but the Hardys pointed out it will be Expressions and Francis. They saw BFG and think Expressions had what it takes. Expressions was hilarious and said it was A.I. and then got on his knees and pleaded with Francis not to make him do this. Francis said it will be okay and Expressions tried to fight back the tears.

We get the card and we get the SyX vs. The Righteous match…after the break.

We come back to the break and get a tribute to Rebel and an ad for IAMALS.com/Rebel. After that, We go backstage and see Hudson pacing as the Righteous made their way into the shot. Hudson thanked them for what they did for her in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match. Vincent appreciated the love and wished she was there but this match will be dangerous. The best thing Hudson could do is stay away, Dutch said. Vincent reiterated that he knew that Hudson wants to be out there with them, The Righteous does, too. With that they head off shot and Hudson thinks about it.

We see the winners of the Jeff Hardy cosplay contest.

No Disqualification Tables Match: The Righteous vs. SyX (Joseph Sawyer and Samuel Shaw)

The young lady on the video said the Righteous are coming and the snapping and slide guitar confirm it. Mitchell still does the weird inflection on the “Righteous” name. They head to ringside and the Righteous get a pop. We see a chainsaw cutting through the chryon and see the Syx logo appear as SyX headed to the ring. Mitchell also emphasized the last breath in SyX with another odd inflection.

The two teams stared at each other in the ring. Dutch looked around and the Righteous immediately started to brawl. Vincent and Sawyer paired whilst Dutch and Shaw fought. Vincent and Sawyer headed out of the ring (Vincent threw him.) the two traded punches and kids. In the ring, Dutch caught Shaw off the ropes and slammed him face first to the mat. Vincent got back in the ring and hit a sliding DDT on Shaw. SyX bailed to the floor as the Righteous struck the pose.

Sawyer lifted Shaw to his feet. The Righteous and SyX immediately went under the ring and got tables. SyX ran to the Righteous and brawled again. The previous pairing matched again. Vincent yanked Sawyer to the mat and stared to wrench the neck of Swayer. Dutch grabbed Shaw and started to shove a leg of the table into Shaw’s eye.

Sawyer got the advantage in their pair as he ran Vincent into the ringspot. Shaw and Sawyer grabbed a table and brought it around, ramming the table into Dutch. The two tied to double suplex Vincent into the table but Vincent reversed it into a DDT.  Dutch grabbed the table and slid it into the ring on the apron. He back suplexes Shaw into the table. Swayer immediately attacked Dutch on the barricade. Sawyer charged Vincent but Vincent reversed it into a tilt-a-whirl Russian Legsweep into the table.

In the ring, Swayer grabbed a charging Vincent and hit an urinagi. He set the table in the corner. Sawyer grabbed Vincent and was going to powerbomb him into the table but Vincent reversed it into a solo Orange Sunshine Cutter off the table. In the corner, Dutch and Shaw fought on the apron, trading punches. Dutch climbed on the turnbuckles and grabbed Shaw. Dutch attempted a superplex abut Shaw blocked it. The two brawled again and Dutch went to the apron. Shaw superkicked Dutch and Dutch held onto the rope with all he could.

Dutch recovered but Shaw dropkicked him to the floor. Shaw ran him into the ring steps. Vincent and Sawyer emerged from their sell job and stared brawling. Vincent tried another tilt-a-whirl Legsweep but Sawyer blocked it and hit his NXT finisher (at the time called Upside Down – a handspring running lariat.)

Vincent and Sawyer continued to brawl on the floor and the ring when Vincent grabbed the Lily of the Valley poisonous flower and attempted to force Sawyer to consume it. Shawa blocked it and disarmed Vincent. Sawyer clotheslined Vincent on the apron and then tried a vertical suplex. A pump kick dropped Sawyer on the apron but Shaw booted Vincent into a table and the table bent but didn’t break – cue the “I am (almost) the table.”

Shaw went to the floor and powerbombed Vincent ant that broke the table. Dutch charged Shaw but moved. However, Dutch ran into Sawyer and pushed him through a table, evening the match. Shaw charged but Dutch got the Death Walks (Black Hole Slam.) Dutch moved the table closer to Shaw. Dutch put Shaw on the table and started to climb the turnbuckles. However, Sawyer grabbed Dutch and distracted him. This allowed Shaw to recover and slam Dutch through the table and get the win.

Post-Match:  We get highlights of the finish as SyX posed on the ropes.

Hey, like REM said, everyone hurts, so it’s time for the TNA Injury Report, brought to you by La France. Slater is dealing with back issues from the Nemeth match but will be at the announce table tonight. Tasha Steelz is out with a knee injury via Ali’s 450 Splash at BFG. Miguel is participating in tonight’s main event, despite going 35 minutes at the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match.

We go back and see the Hardys backstage (but in gear) as they come across Frankie Kazarian and Avery Styles who are..just hanging out in a hallway by a door? Sure, okay. Kazarian complimented them on 35 years as he has been a long-time veteran here. When he and Styles cash in the Call Your Shot trophy, he hopes the tag titles are around the Hardys waste so they can face the GOATS.

Hardys appreciated what Kazarian is doing for Styles and Matt complimented Styles and said if they stay on the up and up, they won’t need the trophy as the Hardys will grant them a tag team title match. The Hardys headed down the hallway and Kazarian and Styles were very pleased.

W got to a vignette and see Allie sitting and see another shot of Rosemary’s eyes opening. We pan up and see a green heat with dripping paint/skull hybrid as we pan to Rosemary who smiles and it fades to black.

A J Francis and Expressions vs. The Hardys

Francis and Expressions headed to ringside. Francis got Expressions riled, although Expressions had the same gear he had on previously. The Hardys are next – Matt fact, Matt always carries loose change. Jeff’s solo music started to play before wee get the team theme and the crowd gave him a huge pop. Rehwoldt made the joke that we’ll see what’s left of the Hardys after Francis – and Expressions (said very meekly.) Hannifan wanted Rehwoldt to say it with his chest but Rehwoldt said he tried and couldn’t.

Jeff and Francis started the match. Hardy got behind Francis and hit a side headlock. Francis ran Hardy into the turnbuckle but Hardy moved Francis charged. Hardy started to beat on Francis in the corner and work the arm. Matt tagged and hit the elbow drop on the arm from the second turnbuckle. Hardy worked the arm of Francis with his shoulder.

Jeff tagged back and the two hit the Poetry in Motion and Jeff continued to work the arm of Francis and tagged Matt. The  two hit the double suplex for a one count. Francis threw Matt to the ropes and Expressions tried a cheap shot that Matt no sold and dropped Expressions to the apron. Meanwhile, Matt turned and Francis hit a big boot. Francis choked Mattin the ropes and hit the forearm smash. Matt flopped to the corner and Francis hit the Tennessee Whiskey running knee strike. As Francis accosted the fans, Expressions got in the ring and put the boots to Matt.

Expressions taunted Jeff with his dance and then ran back to Matt. Jeff tried to attack Expressions but Matt dropped him to the mat. Francis grabbed Expressions but got the tag on Francis. As Hardy attacked Expressions, Francis beat on Matt (Expressions went flying out of the ring.) Francis bearhugged Matt and cinched it. Matt tried to elbow out of it but Francis slammed him to the mat.

Expressions tagged into the match and started to parody the rock by throwing the elbow pad and starting the People’s Elbow. Naturally, Expressions missed. Expressions and Matt crawled and mad the tag. Jeff was  compound of fire by hitting a series of clotheslines and then hitting the inverted atomic drop/wishbone legdrop/seated dropkick/elbow drop combination for a two count.

Francis, though, blocked a Twist of Fate, slammed Jeff and tagged Expressions. Expressions grabbed Jeff’s legs as Francis went to the top for a moonsault. Matt disrupted the move and Francis straddled the turnbuckles. Matt got Francis in the Tree of Woe. The Hardys set their sights on Expressions. Matt hit the descending 10 headbutt ram into the turnbuckles. The Hardy hit consecutive Twist of Fates and Jeff headed to the top. The Swanton Bomb was academic and the Hardys won the match.

Post-Match: The Hardys celebrate in the ring and the fans went nuts for them. We get six-woman Knockouts tag action..after the break.

We get the Rock Hard moment of the night brought to you by BlueChew Gold. It’s the finish of Syx slamming the Righteous through the tables.

Six-Woman Knockouts Tag Match: Xia Brookside and the Apex (Shayna Baszler and Zoey Serrano) vs. Indi Hartwell, Gabby Forza and Harley Hudson

We get the Sith themed new entrance for Brookside as she made her way to ringside. Serrano and Baszler were next and posed in the corner with the Tag Titles. Forza was next and the crowd gave her a decent pop. Hudson got a muted pop but Hartwell was next to the biggest pop of the six. Forza had gnome hats for her partners – although Hartwell’s was much bigger than Hudson’s (hmmm…) All three posed on the ropes.

Serrano stomped on  a gnome hat but Hartwell and Brookside started the match but Brookside quickly tagged Baszler (a loud “Shayna Baszler” chant emerged.) Baszler worked the arm  but Hartwell escaped the elbow stomp and went after Baszler. Serrano tagged and hit the ropes. She evaded a spinebuster and tried to slam Hartwell but Hartwell dropped Serrano with a big boot off the ropes.

Hudson tagged attacked Serrano. Serrano evaded a corner charge but was dropped with a flying forearm and an armdrag. Serrano tried to find refuge in the corner but Hudson hit a running hip attack. Serrano did get the advantage in the corner after the move as she gabbed Hudson’s armed and pulled her into the turnbuckles. Serrano put the boots to Hudson. Serrano attempted a slam and scrambled to tag Hartwell. Serrano tagged Baszler but Hartwell attacked her and sent her to the corner.

Serrano got the blind tag and clotheslined Hartwell off the ropes after Hartwell leapt over Baszler. She did the Martin Lawrence baseball taunt as the heels gloated. Serrano tagged Baszler and Baszler continued to work the arm and NOW we get the elbow stomp from Baszler. Brookside tagged and Brookside continued the arm work with an armbar. Hartwell snapmared Brookside to escape and NOW we get the spinebuster.

Hartwell tagged Forza who was a mushroom on fire (or where ever gnomes live.) she dropped the Apex with clotheslines and then hit running shoulderblocks in the corner. She lifted the Apex and double suplexed them. Forza tagged Hudson and lifted her. She threw Huson onto Baszler and Brookside on the floor. However, Serrano hit a half and half suplex and then hit a running knee strike that sent Forza to the floor. Serrano leapt over the top rope and landed on Forza and Hartwell.

Hudson threw Baszler into the ring and attacked but Baszler fended her. She pushed Hudson into Serrano, who got in the ring. Hudson did the scared feel behind her (Rehwoldt: “yeah, kid, it’s that bad.”) The two started to bully Hudson . Hudson tried to attack but was met with a superkick from Serrano. Serrano  hoisted Hudson into a powerbomb position but sent her backward into a Baszler leaping knee strike. Baszler locked the Kirifuda Clutch (Brookside held Hartwell to prevent her interruption) and Hudson tapped.

Post-Match: The Apex celebrated in the ring whilst Brookside made the title belt gesture on the floor. Brookside got in the ring and posed whilst Apex just glared at her derisively. Hartwell and Forza checked on Hudson and Hartwell held her title above her head as the heels celebrated up the rampway.

We get some hype for Destination X in Edmonton (home of fearless leader.) Hannifan said this is the first time in nine years that Destination X is being held.

We go back to ringside and hear Slater’s music as he made his way to the announce table. After dealing with some head set issues we get the start of the main event:

Ladder Match for the Title Shot Destination X: Moose vs. Trey Miguel vs. Jason Hotch vs. Elijah vs. Ricky Sosa

Moose is first as Hannifan asked Slater what he thought of Jeff Hardy’s title match aspirations against him. Slater was okay with it since he wanted that match as a kid. Elijah is next and has his full introduction We go to break and when return all five wrestlers are in the ring.

Miguel and Hotch immediately went after Moose. Moose dispatched both to the floor. Meanwhile, Sosa did the same with Elijah. Moose and Sosa stood in the middle of the ring. We got a dueling “bang,bang/Moose” chants. Sportsmanship was observed and then the two tacked each other. Moose dropped Sosa with a shoulderblock off the ropes. Sosa responded with a dropkick off the ropes. Sosa hit a flying forearm in the corner and then hit a big boot when Moose charged him in the opposite corner. However, Sosa climbed the ropes and Moose dropkicked him to the floor.

Elijah got back in the ring and started to brawl with Moose. Elijah hit a mule kick in the corner and then sent Moose to the apron. Elijah dropped him with an enziguri on the apron. Miguel got back in the ring and Elijah hit a spinning suplex. Hotch attacked Elijah and climbed the turnbuckles. But a leap was met with a knee strike and a stunner and Hotch went back to the floor.

Sosa leapt form a top rope and hit a missile dropkick to send Elijah to the floor. Moose tried to attack Sosa but Sosa reversed a clothesline off the ropes into a Spanish Fly. It was Miguel’s turn and charged Sosa. Sosa reversed a handspring leap off the ropes and  attempted the Blue Thunder Bang; Miguel reversed it into a headscissors and sent Sosa to the corner. Miguel  charged Sosa but was met with a big boot. Sosa scaled the turnbuckles but Miguel evaded the leap. Sosa landed on his feet NOW we get the Blue Thunder Bang on the charging Miguel.

Hotch climbed to the top and hit a flying bodypress to drop Sosa. Hotch also hit a tilt-a-whirl headscissors to send Sosa to the corner. Sosa reversed a throw to the turnbuckles but Hotch evaded a charging Sosa. Hotch hit the enziguri and then the rolling neckbreaker through the ropes for a two count. Hotch looked at the contact and thought of going for a ladder but Moose stopped him. Moose tried to lift Hotch but flipped over him into a reverse DDT position. Meanwhile, Elijah charged and Hotch caught him. Hotch then hit the reverse DDT/standard DDT on the two.

Miguel climbed to the apron and dropped Hotch with an enziguri. Hot ch evaded a Miguel Meteora attempt but Miguel rolled through it. Miguel reversed a back drop attempt into a Poison Rana. Elijah tried to attack and evaded an enziguri. Miguel no sold a chop and NOW we get the enziguri. Sosa attacked but Miguel reversed a lift and dropped Sosa. A series of kicks lead to a double stomp to the back of Sosa’s head.

Moose dropped Miguel with a big boot and then through Elijah to the floor. Moose leapt on Elijah over the ropes and forgot where the ladder was and looked under the ring. He saw the ladder and attempted to put it in the ring. Elijah grabbed it and the two started a tug-of-war with it. Hotch and Miguel attempted to dive between the ropes but Elijah and Moose held the ladder and Hotch and Miguel crashed head first into it.

Sosa now leapt over the ropes and dropped Elijah and Moose, who dropped the ladder. Sosa gave an odd yell and grabbed another ladder on the opposite side of the ring, taking time to talk to Sosa. During this segment, Elijah recovered and attacked Sosa when he got in the ring. Elijah threw Sosa into the turnbuckles. Elijah grabbed  the ladder and placed the ladder on the ropes in the corner.

Elijah grabbed Sosa’s arm and the “Walk With Elijah” top rope walk but instead of hitting Sosa, he jumped on the mat and yanked Sosa into the ladder. Elijah put  the ladder around his neck and started to spin around, dropping the other competitors who charged him. When done, Elijah put the ladder into the corner but Hotch and Miguel dropkicked Elijah into the ladder. Miguel tried to throw Hotch into the ladder but Hotch stopped himself. Miguel did the same but the two teamed again as Moose charged and backdropped him into the ladder. Miguel and Hotch began to brawl again and Hotch suplexed Miguel into the ladder.

Elijah charged and dropped Hotch with a running big boot. Sosa charged Elijah but was hiptossed into the ladder. Elijah set up the ladder near the contract and tried to keep the other competitors at bay. Elijah stated to lib but Hotch interfered. Elijah threw Hotch into the ladder rungs; he did the same with Miguel. Miguel climbed and met Elijah at the top. Elijah tried to grabbed the title but Miguel prevented it. Elijah sent Miguel to the mat from the ladder and almost reached it until Hotch made his ascent up the ladder.

Hotch and Elijah brawled at the top of the ladder. Elijah grabbed the title but Hotch made an attempt to block it. Hotch and Eliah traded punches but Hot ch rammed Elijah’s head into the ladder and went to the mat. Hotch grabbed for the contract but Sosa rapidly made his way to the top. Those two traded shots until Hotch dropped to the mat. Sosa nearly grabbed the contract but Hotch pushed the ladder and Sosa crashed into the ropes.

Hotch grabbed the ladder but Miguel dropkicked the ladder and Hotch collapsed. Miguel hit a handspring kick to drop Moose on the apron. Miguel ran the ropes and leapt over the ropes but Moose caught him and powerbombed him into the apron. Moose set up the ladders into position with one ladder on the apron and another ladder. He attempted to powerbomb Miguel ono the ladder but Miguel reversed it into a Tornado DDT off the ladder.

Miguel struggled to get in the ring but made it and set a ladder to climb. Hotch grabbed Miguel and put him on his shoulders. He slammed Miguel’s head into the ladder and an Airplane Spin into a Blue Thunder Bomb Hotch attempted to climb but Ali darted into the ring and attacked Hotch. Hotch and Ali started to brawl  and Hotch slugged Ali on the floor and up the rampway.

In the ring, Miguel started to slowly climb to the top until Sosa grabbed him. Sosa threw Miguel into an Elijah leaping knee strike. Sosa attacked Elijah for good measure dropping him with an enziguri (Elijah’s head hit the ladder, too.) Sosa climbed the ladder until Moose grabbed him and powerbombed him to the ladder on the apron. Moose turned around but Elijah leapt from the top and “el kabonged” Moose.

Elijah climbed to the top but now Nic Nemeth grabbed the ladder and pushed Elijah and the ladder into the ropes. Nemeth climbed to the top and tried to climb to get the contract. Miguel prevented him and attacked Nemeth with a Lightning Spiral. Nemeth dropped to the floor and Miguel made the climb to the top. After struggling with the fastening device, he managed to procure the contract and match with Slater at Destination X.

Post-Match:  Slater said this was going to be a super fight. He said Miguel has been here for a long time but will not be a champion at his expense. Miguel stood on the ladder and celebrated. He climbed down and the Hardys joined him. They lauded Miguel and made the official announcement. They thanked the fans for the night as Slater held the belt high and Miguel held the contract as we conclude the festivities.

Impactful Discourse:

One: I do hope Miller’s health issues get better. She has missed some significant time and had a decline in her health before Bound For Glory.

Two: The Hardys had been sullied lately for self-congratulatory behavior. It felt like this show was part of that. I know the Hardys are icons amongst some wrestling fans and they are great and revolutionary. This is not that time. She seemed like an ego feed for the guys to have the night not about them – but about them.

Three: The matches were crisp and had reasoning. Even with the Hardys reneging on the promise to not make this about them, they made Expressions a star with his selling comedic moments. We now have two old-school managers in TNA and the Personal Concierge has taken something off his fastball.

Four: The Nemeth march was mercifully short and started to sew some seeds of discontent between the two. Nemeth had a valid point and a good heel does make salient points regarding the rematch clause. The match will be what we all think it would be and not really move the needle on TNA but Nemeth made solid mic work based on honesty.

Five: I still love watching the Apex perform. It is something missing in tag team wrestling – particularly with women. They have an incredible aura when they go into the ring and give the air of superiority over the division. Brookside, even, got a salty look when she tried to get in the glory of the Apex.

Six: Hudson is all over the map and most people would criticize that she went from plucky babyface to comedic cannon fodder – and they would be right. However, if this leads to a formation with the Righteous, having her follow that route is not a bad call.

Seven: Speaking of which; I thinks the kids would say “LOLRighteousjobLOL.”? I think I did that right. They were backed into a corner via the writing staff and booking. If they won they would have beaten the huge debut team. If they lost, well, what else is new? I do want to see Hudson embrace the Righteous as it keeps the Righteous fresh and gives Hudson an angle which she could flourish – possibly.

Eight: This might be Edwards’ exit strategy after years in the ring. Much like the angle with JDC, Edwards is approaching 25 years in the business and doesn’t really ft in the plans as far as I can tell. One could see the friction coming from Sunday afternoon when Edwards shook Sosa’s hand.

Nine: The main event was fine but not my cup of Arnold Palmer. I know a lot of people like the style but the psychology was just wonky on this one. It was also very overbooked with Nic Nemeth and Ali getting involved.

10: All being said, I did enjoy the fresh new challenger of Miguel facing Slater at Destination X. He has been a great reclamation project – now, if he could just keep healthy. Everyone else did their part. I do feel like people are slotted to their title level – with Aichner, Navarro, Swann and BDE in X-Division matches; whilst Moose, Hotch, Miguel, Ali and others are slotted for the bigger belts. I am curious to see if Sosa stays on this level or falls into the X-Division side of things.

11: I am intrigued at the end game of the Kazarian and Styles team go. I still case Kazarian becoming the Svengali to Styles would a good storyline.. I just can’t see Kazarian staying as a face for too long. He is much better as a heel.

12: The Rosemary/Allie vignette stills does not grab me and if the rumors are true and that someone is getting some shotz at being in TNA; that would make it even worse.

13: Slater was magnificent on the mic tonight. The promo at the beginning was the perfect babyface promotion. I almost feel some heel vibes started to waft into his persona and the way he presented the main event at the announce desk.

Lastly: I feel bad for Slater as his win and what could have been a great moment for TNA at Bound For Glory was overshadowed by Caster. I think both parties are at fault. Caster’s rap quality has depreciated as the years go. It was a terrible rap and should not have been said given what is happening (and who TNA’s big friend is.) He should have practiced some restraint. That being said, TNA did google some of his past raps, right? They knew what they had. It’s not reinvention of the wheel. I don’t know if someone did it or not but someone should have stopped Caster. To use of my favorite quotes from the X-Files “Did you think you could call up the devil and ask him to behave?” It was a smorgasbord of bad communication, I think.

Keep Fighting the Good Fight.

Okay everyone, fasten your seatbelts and make sure your electronics are fully charged. We are at the go home Impact on the way to Bound For Glory. We have one more taping in San Antonio before we find ourselves down I-10 and Highway 75 in Tampa (presuming the hurricane doesn’t hamper things.) It may not be Jim Cantore and the Doppler radar but we have Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt manning the announce table. Gia Mitchell is still out with an undisclosed ailment (get well soon, Gia.) McKenzie Mitchell is here to move those clouds away and give us some sunshine by telling us who is who. We got our snacks and our travel games. So, sit back, relax, hit cruise control and we head straight into some Total Nonstop Analysis. Shall we? We shall.

Side Note, Part one: I will always put over the writers who contribute this blog and will do so now. They put a lot of effort into giving people content and reviews in case someone missed it or just wanted a fresh read. They are incredible people and deserve the reads and feedback in the comments. We appreciate the feedback.)

(Side note, part two: Due to company that will be at the house, when the Bound For Glory Revue will get finished. I will venture to do my best but I ask for some indulgence. Thank you for understanding. And now…our feature presentation.)

Previously on Impact: We get the highlights of the disintegration of Order Four from the Fatal Four Way last week. We also get highlights of Sam Shaw and Joseph Sawyer announcing their reasons for attacking everyone. At the top of the list, are the Hardys. They respond with a match at Bound For Glory that is no disqualification and falls count anywhere.

We go right to action – well ringside, at least – as Jeff and Matt Hardy make their way to the ringside. We got celebrities as Primer 55 gets a shoutout and are seated at ringside. We get the full introduction by Hannifan and Rehwoldt as the Hardys get the mic. Matt said tonight they face the Nemeths to win TNA Tag Team gold. This is the Nemeths worst nightmare as the Hardys exercise their rematch clause.

Jeff said when they beat the Nemeths tonight, the tag titles belong where they should be – with the Hardys. Matt turned their attention to Syx. They said Syx does not respect the Hardys or TNA. They want to not just beat, but kill the Hardys. After the Hardys win the tag titles, they are going to BFG to put the titles on the line against Syx. They are going Syx that they can’t beat them, can’t kill them or end them. The Hardys will show they own them. Jeff said if Syx wants to kill them, come out here and try.

This brought out the Nemeths. Nic Nemeth asked why won’t they die already. The Hardys are talking about winning the tag titles and talking about Syx but they have a couple of tanks staring daggers at them. Ryan Nemeth said they are the best brother team in the business. The Nemeths are focused on the present whilst the Hardys are looking at the future. The Hardys might not make to Bound for Glory. Matt said enjoy the last few minutes they have with the tag titles. Tonight, in San Antonio, they are taking the tag titles and Leon Slater are taking Nic’s TNA World Heavyweight title.

Nic said the title stays with him. Tonight, the Hardys and the crowd get a harsh reality check. The Nemeths Slater will learn potential doesn’t win championship, being the best does.

This brought out Slater. He shouted out San Antonio. He was listening to the Nemeths and it was pure nonsense. What he and San Antonio know is they can’t wait for “Uncle Jeff” and “uncle Matt” to take the tag titles away from the Nemeths. Nemeth retorted that Slater is an idiot. Slater said why doesn’t Nic ask Ryan how stupid he is when he busted his mouth open after Ryan to sneak attack him.

Once the tag titles are out of the way, that leaves one thing left to do, become the youngest TNA World Title holder in history. Nemeth said that is fun to say as Slater hides behind Santino Marella’s “no touch” rule until Bound For Glory. If it wasn’t there, Nemeth would slap the teeth out his mouth. Slater said he and Nic can’t touch each other but why doesn’t Ryan step up and trying something. The “no contact” rule isn’t saving Slater, it’s saving Nemeth. At Bound for Glory, he will find out why they call him “Youngest in Charge.” But tonight, he has a feeling that the Nemeths will be…..”deleted” as Matt Hardy chimed into for the last word.

We go backstage and see TNA Knockouts Tag Champs Allie and Kiera Hogan walk down a hallway and turn a corner to bump into Zoey Serrano. Serrano shoved Allie and Hogan. All three started to yell at each other until security separated the parties. The Knockout Tag Champs are next….after the break.

We come back to Moose who said Bound For Glory is right around the corner and everyone wants to know what is next for Moose. Moose said he is offering an open challenge, regardless of where you are and what title you hold. At Bound For Glory, that person will find out why they call him “the Face of the Franchise.”

We come back to Allie already making her way to the ring. Hogan is next and they get an…okay response.

TNA Knockouts Tag Title Match AllieXHogan vs. Hi Vibez and Alex Gracia

Vibez and Gracia are already in the ring. Hogan and Gracia start the match. Hogan  and Gracia trade armlocks and Gracia hit a dropkick. Hogan tripped Gracia as she charged and Gracia got hung up on the ropes. Hogan responded with the Rear View off the ropes and the step up leg drop (that works for her…ummm..sister) for a two count.

Allie tagged into the match and hit a knee lift off the ropes. Vibez tagged and Allie dropped her for a two count with a Thesz Press off the ropes. She also hit a sliding forearm shiver in the corner for another two count. Vibez got a bit of offense as she tripped Allie into the ropes and stretched her back between the ropes. When the referee tried to restrain Vibez, Gracia ran the apron and hit a knee lift of her own. Gracia tagged  and dropped the elbow on the back of Allie.

Allie ended the rally with a jawbreaker and a running clothesline. Hogan tagged (as did Vibez) Hogan dropped both opponents and hit a superkick after snapmaring Vibez to the mat. Hogan hit another running Rear View in the corner and followed it with a sliding kick. Gracia tried to interrupt the pin but inadvertently hit her partner. Allie grabbed Gracia and threw her to the floor. Allie hit the Code Breaker and Vibez staggered into Hogan’s Face the Music (Fisherman’s Neckbreaker) for the win.

Post-Match: Hogan and Allie celebrated on the turnbuckles. Allie grabbed the mic and said she doesn’t know what Serrano’s problem is but it seems like she wants to fight- lo and behold, she and Hogan are fighting champions. Hogan got the mic and said Allie is right. At Bound for Glory, Serrano can find whoever she wants and challenge them for a Knockouts Tag Title Match. At Bound for Glory, AlliexHogan will kick their glutes.

We go backstage to see Frankie Kazarian and Avery Styles talking and walking. Kazarian is talking about tonight’s multi-person match to see who goes number one and number 20 in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match at BFG. He gave Styles some encouragement that there are a lot of hot heads out there and he should not let anyone push him around. They keep walking and we keep going to commercials.

We come back and Kazarian and Styles kept walking (I guess) to ringside. We have an eight-man tag match to determine the first and slot in the Gauntlet match. The lights go out and we have Elijah’s full entrance. Six of the other participants are there: Slots were randomly drawn for the tag team match.

Eight-man tag match for Call Your Shot Gauntlet Match Slotting: A J Francis, Hometown Man, Brian Myers and Joe Alonzo vs. Frankie Kazarian, Bear Bronson, Elijah and Trey Miguel

Hometown Man and Kazarian start the match. HTM gets the crowd riled (adorned in a Tim Duncan jersey.) Myers tagged himself into the match. Kazarian backed Myers to the corner but Myers ducked a punch. Myers backed Kazarian into the corner and reciprocity was in order. Myers dropped Kazarian with a shoulderblock off the ropes and celebrated. Meanwhile, Kazarian tagged Bronson stiffly. Bronson started to jaw with “The King.”

The rest of the combatants tried to goad the two by getting the crowd to chant “fight.” Bronson chopped/tagged Miguel and threw him over the top rope into the ring, where Myers mauled him on the mat. Myers threw Miguel into the ropes but Miguel ducked two clotheslines and then hit a running hurincanrana off the ropes. Myers bailed to the floor and Miguel dove between the ropes and dropped Myers.

Bronson tried to help his partner on the apron but Francis slugged him to the floor. Bronson returned the favor by grabbing Francis and dragging him to the floor. We get the running of the high spots as Elijah backdropped a charging Alonzo onto Bronson and Francis, dropping them. Elijah leapt over the ropes onto the combatants. Not to be outdone, all the combatants started to gather in one spot and HTM climbed to the ringspot and leapt on everyone and gravity did the rest.

As the crowd chanted for him, Hometown Man threw Miguel into the ring. Myers joined him and Miguel brought him to the mat with an armlock as Myers cried out where his partners are. Myers got to his feet and escaped but charged Miguel who armdragged him to the mat and back to the armlock.

Elijah tagged and leapt onto Myers arm from the second turnbuckle. Elijah worked Myers’ arm and shoulder and tagged Kazarian. Kazarian dropped Myers and posed in the ring. A back elbow dropped Myers off the ropes. Kazarian got behind Myers and dragged him int the corner and tagged Elijah. Elijah continued the offense but Myers managed to escape and tag Alonzo. Elijah grabbed Alonzo and threw him into the ring. The crowd chanted “one more time” as Elijah chopped Alonzo repeatedly to the mat. Alonzo finally managed to escape and quickly tag Myers.

Myers was met with another chop. Myers threw Elijah to the ropes where Francis grabbed him by the hair. Elijah and Francis started to fight but Myers met Elijah with a leaping knee and tagged Francis. Francis whipped Elijah into the corner. Elijah tried to really but Francis dropped Elijah and stood on Elijah’s chest. Elijah tried to rally but Francis grabbed a bearhug off the ropes.

Elijah punched his way out of it and thwarted a corner charge by Francis. Elijah scaled the turnbuckles and hit the “Walk with Elijah” top ropewalk. However, a Drifter Destroyer (Springboard Canadian Destroyer) was reversed into an Alabama Slam. He hit his chant and then hit the Tennessee Whiskey running knee strike. Myers tagged into the match for a two count.Hodfdfdfdfdf

Hometown Man tagged  and tried to help Elijah until Alonzo tagged himself into the match and put the puts to Elijah. Alonzo celebrated and hit the ropes; however, a springboard leap was met with a leaping knee strike. Elijah tagged Kazarian and the King bodyslammed Alonzo and hit the springboard legdrop for two-and-a-fraction.

Alonzo tried to rally and reversed a back suplex by flipping out of it and eye poking Kazarian. Kazarian threw Alonzo out of the ring. Alonzo got to this feet and started to jaw with Styles. He shoved Alonzo and climbed on the apron. However, Kazarian got to his feet and hit the slingshot cutter until Myers interrupted the pin. We got a schomzapalooza as everyone fought on the floor. In the ring, Kazarian beat on Alonzo and signaled for Styles to climb to the top rope since the referee was distracted. Styles hit a Spiral Tap (a good one, too) as Kazarian covered Alonzo until Francis interrupted the pin. Francis dragged Alonzo to the corner to tag. However, Kazarian tagged Miguel.

Miguel no sold a chop and hit an enziguri. However, an Asai Moonsault off the rope3s was caught by Francis until Miguel turned it into a DDT. We get another schmozapalooza as Myers superkicked Miguel. Elijah hit a twisting suplex to drop Myers. Elijah charged Bronson but was met with a Black Hole Slam. HTM got in the ring and Bronson got riled and pulled the straps. HTM was not fazed and hit a DDT. HTM charged Kazarian on the apron but Kazarian stopped him and hit a leaping DDT over the ropes. Francis grabbed Kazarian and hit the Down Payment (chokeslam) on Kazarian. Miguel leapt from the top rope but Francis caught him. Miguel escaped with a knee strike and Francis staggered to the ropes. Alonzo made the tag as Francis charged back and hit a TFL (Spear) on Miguel. Alonzo ran into the ring (Elijah grabbed Francis’s legs to stop him) and Alonzo got the win.

Post-Match: Hannifan noted that Miguel would be the first entrant in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet and Alonzo would be number 20.

We go to a vignette in gray screen and see a movie backdrop of the Righteous as we see Harley Hudson as Vincent asked if she is going to cry again (the audio is from a previous backstage segment.) Dutch asked if Hudson is going to change. Hudson said she doesn’t know what they are talking but doesn’t need this right now in her life. Vincent said they are not here to bother her but noticed that Bound For Glory is coming soon. They heard Hudson will be in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet and it will be hard when she is all alone.

Hudson said she can take care of herself. Vincent said he knew she could but imagine if she did not have to worry about that. Hudson asked what if it came down to the final three of them. Dutch said that is a good problem to have. Vincent asked for her to think about it.

Speaking of thinking, let’s think of ways we can use the TNA Injury Report. Indi Hartwell suffered multiple bruises after the attack from Serrano last week. Hartwell should be cleared in time for Bound For Glory. Mila Moore suffered injuries last week from the Chokebomb at the hands of Agent Zero. He is being evaluated and taking time to heal. The Hardys are still not 100 percent from the attacks from Syx. They are cleared to fight tonight for the titles and then challenge Syx at Bound for Glory.

We go to footage of ODB winning the Knockouts title and get a quick moment for her Hall of Fame Induction Sunday. We come back to another ad for IAMALS.com/Rebel and talk about Tenea Brooks, aka Rebel.

We come back to the final meeting of Order Four being called to order by Mustafa Ali. He said Marella has graciously allowed them to speak on a “no contact” clause. At BFG, it will be an Order Fourway match for Ali’s International Title. There is not turning back from this. Heed his warning – this is their last chance to fall in line. If anyone has anything to see him, this is the time.

Jason Hotch started that Ali cross the line a long time ago by harassing his wife and his daughter. When he left to fly to San Antonio, his daughter said “Hurt Ali.” If that is the first thing that comes to her mind, that makes him sick. His only regret is putting Ali into the hospital and should have put him into the grave.

John Skyler spoke next. From day one, he has  been the most loyal to all of the members. He considered them to be his family. Now, he has a new family and looked to Moore. He said he always wanted to tell Ali he is an obnoxious, overbearing (expletive.) He threw his Order Four emblem on the table.

Tasha Steelz was next. He called him Mustafa, interestingly. There is a lot that Agent Zero and her want to say but did most of her talking last week. She did want to say that she and Zero sacrificed a lot time after time after time so Ali could be champ. She now said (for unlawful carnal knowledge) that. With that, she threw her Order Four emblem on the table. At Bound for Glory they will all fall in line when Agent Zero wins the International Title. To Order Four, (expletive) you all.

Ali called them ungrateful swine and worthless pigs. Everything they have is because of them. Only their mothers knew who they were before Ali appeared and picked them up from the ground. He might not be God but they lower their heads to them. At Bound for Glory, he will hurt them and destroy what he created. Now, it is “In Ali, I trust.” We get shots of everyone staring at the table and Ali’s International Title.

We go back to ringside action and our next match:

Knockouts TV Title Match M by Elegance vs. Elayna Black

Black is out first to a muted response. M is next without any of the By Elegance in tow (banned from ringside.) M taunted the fans as she headed down the ramp and around ringside. Hannifan and Rehwoldt talked about the stip that the Brand is banned because M said she could do this on her own.

M backed Black into the corner and taunted Black.  Black charged but M evaded the charge and took her down – taunting Black again by patting her on her head. M took Black down with a side headlock takedown but Black escaped. M slapped Black and then retreated into the corner when Black tried to attack her. Black avoided a running boot and then hit an armdrag off the ropes that sent M to the floor and staggered into the announce table.

M slowly climbed into the ring. Black sent M to the ropes twice and met her with a forearm. M whipped Black into the ropes but Black responded with a hurincanrana. Black tried a rope assisted double stomp but M evaded it and Black sold an ankle injury. M grabbed Black by the legs and dragged her to the floor.

M attacked Black and tried to stomp her hand on the ring steps. Black moved her hand and then grabbed M’s hand and slammed it into the steps. Now, Black positioned M’s hand and stomped it on the steps. However, M slugged Black and then hit a suplex from the ring steps to the floor. M continued to beat on Black. She carried her by the hair to the side and hit a belly to back suplex on the apron.

M beat on Black in the corner with a series of kicks. She taunted the fans and then hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. She continued to maul Black on the mat. Black tried to rally but M slammed Black into the mat and grabbed an armlock, with M putting her knee into the back of Black. M charged Black but Black tripped M into the ropes but Black missed a sliding elbow off the ropes. M grabbed Black and slugged her on the apron.  She then hit the Drive By Dropkick on the apron and got a two count.

M put Black in the corner and hit a running back elbow. She tried another one but Black evaded it. M got on the turnbuckles and leapt toward Black but Black evaded that. M rolled through it and charged Black. Black met her with a boot. On M’s second attempt, Black backdropped her to the mat as her face hit the apron.

Black hit a series of clothesline and NOW we get the sliding elbow smash in the ropes. She also hit an elevated knee strike on the ropes and NOW we get the rope assisted stomp for a two count. Black grabbed M and tried for the Blackout (double underhook DDT) but M escaped and hit a superkick. Black responded with a superkick of her own. Black tried for the Blackout again but M backed her into the corner. M charged Black but Black met her with another big boot. Black scaled the turnbuckles but M kicked Black’s leg from under her leg and she sat on the turnbuckles. M hit a running big boot in the corner. She got Black on her shoulders and hit a Michinoku Driver for two-and-a-fraction. She asked how many minutes are left.

M climbed to the top for a moonsault but Black moved. M rolled through that but Black met her with a running boot in the corner. Black hit a gutwrench Suplex for two-and-a-fraction. Black  threw M into the ropes but M escaped to the ropes and asked Mitchell how many minutes are left. Mitchell said one minute. Black pursued M around the ring and back in it but M got a roll up for a two count. Black responded with one of her own. Black grabbed M and NOW we get the Blackout but both women writhed on the mat. Black crawled to M and pinned her..until the bell rang at the two count and the match was a draw.

Post-Match: Black was incredulous and frustrated as M crawled on the floor and grabbed her title and smiled. The crowd chanted for five more minutes. M started to protest and rapidly crawled away to the rampway.

We go backstage to a pre-taped interview with Ricky Sosa. He keeps saying the name of Eddie Edwards since their match at Bound for Glory was signed. This isn’t just a match for him. This is Bound for Glory and the biggest match of his career. Edwards has done everything one could do in TNA. He has beaten legends – he is a legend in TNA. Now, though, it’s his time. He didn’t come this far to lose. He came here to prove why he belongs here just not just to show up. He respects him but doesn’t fear him. He is going to beat him and show why he is the young savage and everyone will be chanting “bang, bang/Sosa, Sosa.”

We go to an ad featuring Amazing Red winning the X Division Title (with Bobby Lashley smiling in approval) in advance of his TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame induction.

We return to the other half of the Sosa vs. Edwards match. Edwards said on the surface, Sosa is saying all the right things. The problem is they are just words. When he gets in the ring, he is going to look into Edwards’ eyes and see someone who is a legend and belongs here. When he looks into Sosa’s eyes, what will he say? It will take every bullet in the chamber to stop Edwards and prove to himself he belongs here. If Sosa wants to be the Young Savage, he better be ready to put down the Veteran Saint of TNA.

Fabian Aichner vs. K C Navarro

Aichner is out first to a decent pop. We go to the announce table and Hannifan and Rewholdt have been joined by Cedric Alexander. Hannifan asked how does it feel to be the only person not to qualify for the X-Division Scramble match. He said by presence alone, Alexander is qualified. Navarro is next to another decent pop.

Sportsmanship is observed as the two locked up. Aichner backed into Turnbuckles and picked him up to the turnbuckles. Aichner patted him on the head and got a chuckle. Aichner caught Navarro off the ropes and gorilla pressed him but Navarro escaped and got a roll up for at wo count. Navarro hit the ropes and tried for a hurincanrana but Aichner blocked it. Aichner picked Navarro for a powerbomb but Navarro escaped again and NOW we get the hurincanrana off the ropes.

Navarro attempted the 305 (a 619 but over the ropes) but Aichner evaded it. Navarro tried for a roll up but Aichner held onto the ropes. Navarro dodged a kick an stated to slug Aichner. Aichner whipped Navarro to the ropes but Navarro caught himself and sent a charging Aichner over the top rope. Navarro hit the ropes and dove between the ropes but Aichner caught him in mid spear and hit a release vertical suplex on the apron.

Back in the ring, Aichner got a two count. Aichner grabbed a bodyscissors and then stopped a wheelbarrow move from Navarro to an overhead suplex for a two count. Aichner started to beat on Navarro in the corner. Navarro rallied and blocked a body slam into a Tornado Headscissors off the ropes. Navarro attacked Aichner in the corner and on the ropes. Aichner attempted another pop up powerbomb but reversed into a hurincanrana that sent Aichner tangled into the ropes. NOW, we get the 305. Navarro climbed to the top and hit a Frog Splash for a two count.

Navarro attempted a Code Red but Aichner blocked it. Navarro hit the ropes and now we get a pop-up backbreaker.  NOW, we get the Hasta La Vista (elevated Powerbomb) for the victory.

Post-Match: Aichner stood victorious as Alexander gloated at the table that the X-Division title scramble will be an easy win.

We go backstage to Serrano who is getting a Face Time call from a familiar voice.  Serrano got right to business and said Hogan and Allie called her out earlier for a Knockouts Tag Title Bout and asked if she could do Serrano a favor and tag with her. She will even though some money her way. We pan to see who is on the phone and its Shayna Baszler (!!!) She won’t make Serrano pay. She is asking to get in a fight with Serrano – just tell her where and when to be. They’ll break some bones and take the titles. Baszler asked if she they have some arms to break. Serrano said yes and started to divvy up how to go about it. They get a plan and Baszler will see her at BFG. She ended the call and Serrano smiled.

We get a brief package for Konnan’s induction into the Hall of Fame.

Next, we get a package for the Knockouts World Title Match. We hear from Hartwell first. She talked about last year’s Knockouts title match against Kelani Jordan. Hartwell wanted to bring the title back to TNA from the outsiders (hey…) but she failed in the middle of the ring in front of her family. They flew 30 hours to Boston and they saw her fail.

Xia Brookside was next and said Hartwell embarrassed herself, TNA and every Knockout in the company. In the biggest stage of TNA, she failed. They went back to Hartwell who said her failure at last year’s BFG has been fueled this year. She wanted to get back to this opportunity and now she is getting her chance.

Brookside said Hartwell thinks she did everything the right way. She has been the happy, thumbs up person that has fought her whole career for this moment. Hartwell is nothing but a manipulative female dog. She manipulated Marella into this opportunity. Hartwell said they were friends until Brookside changed. She went about it the wrong way – Hartwell did it the right way, despite Daria Rae putting myriad roadblocks in her way.

Brookside said she knows what it takes to be a champion and to fight through no disqualification match and in cage matches at Lockdown. Hartwell said Brookside knows she is her biggest threat. Hartwell said she knows Brookside is scared. Everyone sees through her act. At BFG, when the lights are brightest, she will achieve the dream had when she was a little girl discovering TNA on TV. She is going to make the plastic toy belt into the real thing. Brookside said she has everything it takes to retain the belt and embarrass Hartwell once again.

We get a rundown of the events around Bound for Glory from Hannifan and Rehwoldt. That includes the Hardy Party at the Hard Rock Hotel and then on Sunday we have the Hall of Fame ceremony for ODB, Amazing Red and Konnan.  We get the rundown of the card (Starting 4:30 EST.) And then, we get the main event.

TNA World Tag Team Title Match:  The Nemeths vs. The Hardys

The lights go out and we get another Hardy elongated entrance that the fans continue to be agog. We also get a special guest at the announce table – Slater. The Nemeths are out next to a salvo of boos. If the Hardys beat the Nemeths tonight, they will have a record sixth tag title reign.

Ryan and Matt start and Hardy got an armlock which Ryan elbowed out to escape. However, Ryan hit the ropes and Matt dropped him with a clothesline. Jeff tagged and climbed the second turnbuckle to drop Ryan with an axe handle. Ryan worked the back with a  series of strikes and then hit a seated dropkick from a snapmare. Ryan grabbed an armlock and tagged Nic. Nic got a boot rake on Jeff but Jeff started to rally and ran Nic into the turnbuckles. Matt tagged and the Hardys hit a double back elbow off the ropes and a fist drop/body splash tandem for a two count.

Nic got the upper hand and tagged Ryan who hit a shouldertackle to the abdomen in the corner. Ryan and Matt brawled in the corner but Matt got the upper hand. He tagged Jeff and the two hit the slingshot guillotine on the ropes and leg drop on the apron. Jeff continued to attack Ryan. Matt tagged and hit the descending 10-turnbuckle slam spot. Nic tried to help but Jeff stopped him. Both Hardys grabbed the Nemeths and hit stereo descending 10-turnbuckle slam spots.

The Hardys clotheslined the Nemeths over the ropes and to the floor. Slater started to taunt Nic who was by the announce table. Matt continued to attack Nic and slammed him into the announce table Matt threw Ryan into the ring and tagged Jeff. Jeff hit another elbow drop from the second rope. Jeff grabbed an armlock and worked the arm. Matt tagged and now Matt hit a second rope elbow drop.

Matt got a hiptoss over the ropes and grabbed another armbar. Ryan threw Matt into the ropes and Nic got a cheap shot. Matt responded by slugging Nic to the floor. Ryan got another cheap shot and the Nemeths started to beat on Matt in the corner until Jeff entered the fracas once again. As the referee restrained Jeff, Nic hit a leaping DDT for a two count.

Nic choked and mauled Matt on the ropes. Nic distracted the referee and Ryan choked Matt on the ropes from the floor. Ryan tagged and hit the standing neckbreaker for a two count. Ryan continued to beat on Matt along the ropes until Ryan grabbed the chinlock. At the announce table, Slater extolled the ring generalship of Matt Hardy. As he talked about it, Matt tried for a sunset flip for a two count.

Ryan grabbed the chinlock again and cinched it in until Matt got to his feet and ran Ryan into the corner. Ryan regained the advantage and beat on Matt until Matt booted Ryan and Ryan charged into a Side Effect. That was enough for Matt to get the hope crawl and the hot tag on Jeff.

Nic tagged but Hardy was a compound on fire. He clotheslined both Nemeths and then hit the inverted atomic drop, wishbone leg drop and seated dropkick chain for a two count. Jeff got in position to hit the Twist of Fate on Nic but Nic pushed him into the turnbuckles. He fended off both Nemeths on corner charges and hit a flying clothesline on the Nemeths for a two count. Ryan headed out of the ring and NOW we get the Twist of Fate on Nic. Matt got into the ring and the Hardys hit the Poetry in Motion on Nic and then Matt hit the Side Effect again and Jeff leapt off the second turnbuckle for a bodysplash for a two count until Ryan interrupted the pin.

The Nemeths started to beat Matt and ran him into the ringpost. A loud “Ref, you suck” emerged as Ryan hit the Big Hollywood Ending, followed by Nic’s Danger Zone for two-and-a-fraction. Jeff blocked a superkick and spun Nic into Matt for a Twist of Fate. Ryan got one for good measure. Jeff climbed to the top and the lights started to flicker (with electrical static audio effect.) After the flickering, Jeff tried for a Swanton Bomb but Nic got his knees up and Jeff crashed to the mat. Nic rolled up Jeff for the pin.

Post-Match: Nic started to taunt Slater who stood up. Hannifan tried to warn Slater about controlling himself. The two got very close but then the lights went out again. When they came back, Slater was on the ground and Nic acted innocent. The lights went out again and NOW here is Shaw and Sawyer. Nic watched from the rampway as Syx stood over the Hardys in the ring as we go off the air.

Impactful Discourse:

One: This was a decent show of wrestling (when not wrestling with the feed,) until the main event. To paraphrase a joke I saw online at another site, I don’t know which came first – the chicken, the egg or the Hardys. That was an underwhelming tag title. The Hardys, for all the fans’ love and support, don’t have the fastball anymore and their change up is not looking too good, either. Nic is still the McDonalds of quality wrestling and Ryan is, well, Nick’s brother (the end, shout out to Joe Hendry.)

Two: Compounding that was the stale flickering lights and then Syx appear. I know they said the Hardys are at the top of their list. But, to reinvigorate the promotion, maybe continue to attack others? I mean, the Nemeths have the title, go after them.

Three: Nic’s attack in the dark was also a cliché. I know this is wrestling but shouldn’t common sense prevail at some level?  I do very much hope Slater wins and we can get something that seems relatively new at the top.

Four: Aside from the main event, a good showing of wrestling. I was incredibly impressed with the M by Elegance vs. Black match. M has the complete toolbox for a wrestler. Her little touches like asking for the time left showed how to develop a character. And, I was very impressed with Black’s performance. Her ring work has come so far since her inaugural NXT days. Now, the promos?

Five: One thing that I do hate about elongated taping cycles is that we don’t get fresh information and other highlights throughout the week. I would love to have seen how M and Heather would react after the NXT battle royal on Tuesday. Along the same lines, how Brookside and Hartwell handled the battle royal (see @niz review, one won’t be disappointed.) If we are going to farm out people, at least clue us in on how they did.

Six: More germane (and as I speculated a few weeks ago.) We are now almost at full Pure Fusion Collective. I was really stoked to see Baszler and think she could change the entire dynamic of the division if she stays longer than a cup of coffee. I am a huge fan of hers and see this as a legit big get for the company (and the Knockouts division.)

Seven: I guess we are going to lean and give a push to Alonzo. He has all the qualities of Ryan Nemeth and better in the ring. I am glad to see we are going to try to develop this.

Eight: That was a great Order Four (one?) segment. Well crafted, produced and everyone hit great segments when they had to speak. Ali really brought fire on his last bit on the segment. That was really well done. Kudos to everyone who brought the right fire and intensity (except Zero because he doesn’t talk, so kudos to Steelz.)

Nine: That was a really crisp Spiral Tap by Avery Styles.

10: I am going to amend something I said earlier. The Aichner vs. Navarro match was not great. Not due to talent but due to the short time they had to get their moves. The match was superfluous and wasn’t really necessary.

11: Speaking of superfluous, Moose had the random Open Challenge.  I am not sure who it is but at this point, I am not a fan. It doesn’t talk me into the arena like it should.

12: I am curious about the Righteous working with Hudson. It would be a refreshing change of pace for her; since we abandoned “she has to show results or get fired” angle which seems all but forgotten?

13: The Hartwell vs. Brookside segment was a bit of overkill and also did not talk me into the arena. I am starting to notice plateauing with Brookside. Hartwell showed some good emotion in her moments.

14: Great interview segment with Sosa. He is rapidly going to be a face of the company soon. He has checked all the boxes. Edwards’ promo was serviceable.

15: Speaking of great promos, Slater continues to everything really well and I think TNA knows this. Having him as the world champion would be a step in the right direction and maybe bring in some talent elsewhere to give the company a boost (much like last year with all the special guests.)

Lastly:  You know, instead of sending feckless security people to surround Serrano and run in to stop fights; maybe, just maybe, they should change their focus and do something worthwhile. Like, I don’t know, guarding the light switches in back. We wouldn’t have another run in again if that were the case.

Keep Fighting the Good Fight

Greetings, everyone, and welcome to another episode of TNA Impact. Okay, we are still Bound For Glory and have one more stop before we get there. That stop is three hours west on I-10 in San Antonio, Texas at the Boeing Center at Tech Port. We have action galore and announcing as smooth as a George Gervin finger roll with Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt,  Gia Miller is not here tonight; but, McKenize Mitchell will help us remember not just the Alamo but who is who in the ring. So, take a nice stroll down the River Walk and then sit back, relax and get ready for some Total Non-Stop Analysis. Shall we? We shall.

(As always, take time to show some love to the great folks who contribute to this site. They do amazing work under weird circumstances and deserve a lot of respect for their efforts. Thank you. And now….your feature presentation.)

Previously on Impact, we see the litany of bodies that were attacked by our mystery assailant and the rampant paranoia of who did this. This cumulates with Matt Hardy’s attacks as we found out our attackers have legs. We get the highlights of the Trey Miguel vs. Jason Hotch match last week that ended by the attack of Agent Zero.   

The singer of the theme is ready for us. We get a shot of the arena and a lively crowd starting with a “TNA” chant. We instantly go to Leon Slater who is making his way down to ringside and the crowd chants along with him. We find out that Slater turns 22-years-old on Sunday. He asked San Antonio if they’re good (well, the Spurs are good, so yeah.) He is doing better than he was last week. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts and said last week he had to share a ring with Ryan Nemeth but he beat the rass out of him.

He turned to the post-match attack by Nic. He wondered why Nic is acting like a coward after being one of the best in the world. It dawned on Slater that Nemeth sees him every week getting bigger, stronger, smarter, faster and started to realize that Slater can be Nemeth. He is ready to go right now and wants Nic Nemeth right now.

With that, Nemeth appears with the World Title and the Tag Team title. He tells the crowd to shut up because he has work to do and headed to ringside. Does Slater really think Nemeth attacked him because he was afraid of him? The only thing he is afraid is what he could do to Slater on the way to Bound For Glory. There’s a difference between being a kid with a bright future (Slater) and being the world champion.

Speaking of champs, his little brother has a qualifying march tonight to be part of the X-Division Six-person scramble for the title at BFG. The Nemeths will be running this place forever when Ryan wins at BFG. There is a difference between being a kid and being someone who knows what it takes to be champion. We get a pan out shot and see Ryan standing behind him as Nic said Slater might be to dumb to understand what it takes. Ryan said Nemeth thinks he is too stupid but he knows how smart he is and knows that Ryan is behind him.

With that, Slater attacked Ryan with a back elbow and then tackled Nic and started to beat him on the mat. The beating continued until the security battalion rang to ringside to separate them. Nemeth and Slater subdued (simultaneously super kicking two of the crew,) and then went back to brawling. Security came back to separate them and was aided by Santino Marella. He asked them to cut it out and look at the carnage around them. He said even though they can’t wait to get their hands on each other, if they lay one finger on each other before Bound For Glory there are consequences. If Nemeth does it, he is stripped of the title. IF Slater lays a finger on them, he loses his title shot. They can do anything else, but can’t lay a finger on each other. With that, Marella left.

We go backstage to Matt Hardy, who said the mystery attacker last week finally got his hands on him but realized there might be two or more. Weeks ago, they sent his brother to the hospital but made the mistake of not finishing the job and now he is back. Jeff appeared in the shot and said who ever the attacker is, he will never forget what he did to him until he does it to them. Earlier this week, he sent a notice on social media to show themselves tonight with no more games or hiding; in one hour they will head to the ring and demands that the attackers appear.

We get the rest of the card including the International Title Triple Threat tonight as the main event and Ryan Nemeth squares with  K J Orso for an X-Division Scramble match spot after the break.

In the feed, the System make their way to the ring. Alisha Edwards asks us if we want to know something. Everyone is talking about Bound For Glory and think Ricky Sosa will beat Eddie Edwards. Eddie grabbed the mic and said the System had their minds on Bound For Glory but they had to stop in the bum-glute town of San Antonio. Tonight, he has a match versus Elijah. He can bring his whole catalog but tonight he will be in the ring with one of the very best, him. He hopes Sosa is taking notes because what he does tonight will be just a warm up to what happens to Sosa.

Cedric Alexander grabbed the mic and said he has mind set on the X-Division match in which he is a participant. The division needs “Prime” Alexander and he is going to bring the title back to the System. Bear Bronson, with newly shorn locks, got the mic and said he is in the call your shot Gauntlet Match (think Royal Rumble.) He asked Siri to play Drowning Pool because when the bodies go over the top rope, let the bodies hit the floor. Brian Myers got the mic and said “let’s go, Knicks” (cheap heat accomplished.) Just like the Spurs couldn’t beat the Knicks, this roster can’t beat the System. They head backstage and we go back to break.

We come back to another tribute to Rebel and a chance to donate at IamALS.org/Rebel. A “Rebel” chant emerged from the crowd. We go backstage to Daria Rae standing in a loading area as Indi Hartwell emerge into the shot. Hartwell wanted to see how the most insecure woman in TNA  was doing. Rae asked her to explain. Hartwell said she has figured out Rae. No one is scared of her backstage. Hartwell said she is just a bully and wants to know who put her in charge. Hartwell called her a bad person and Rae said Hartwell should walk away right now.

Hartwell asked why and asked if Rae wanted to fight her. Rae reiterated that Hartwell should walk away from her. Hartwell continued to accost her until Rae slapped her (good slap, too.) Hartwell winced but started to laugh and asked if Marella got that. We pan slightly out to see Marella behind them filming the incident. He yelled Yahtzee and Rae realized what happened. Rae gave angry faces but stood there.

X-Division Title qualifier match: Ryan Nemeth vs. K J Orso

Orso is out first and they slightly botch the insert promo as it plays in the insert and the main screen. Not only is quick-witted but is quick with it (he balled up his fist.) Tonight, Nemeth will find out and TNA will enter the era of Orso. Nemeth is next and Hannifan laments that at Bound for Glory, we could have both Nemeths with single titles and the tag titles. Rehwoldt corrected him and said what history would be made. Nemeth posed in the corner and licked (and kissed) his half of the tag title (ewwwww..)

Nemeth stated by backing Orso in to the corner. He taunted Orso and Orso charged him. Nemeth sent Orso to the mat with a takedown but Orso reversed it with an armdrag. Nemeth picked Orso but Orso escaped and slid under Nemeth. He sent Nemeth to the mat with his legs and then hit a running kick to the arm. Orso grabbed an armlock after a couple of armdrags.

Orso armdragged Nemeth into the corner and then hit a horizontal shoulder tackle to the torso, taking time to talk to the camera. Orso continued to work the arm with armdrags and armlocks and then got a two count from an overhead suplex. Orso attempted the K J Clutch (an arm submission)but Ryan made it to the ropes.

As Orso stopped on the ref’s count, Nemeth grabbed him and threw him through the ropes and to the floor. Ryan hit a standing neckbreaker to the floor. Nemeth taunted the fans and threw Orso back into the ring for a two count. Nemeth grabbed a chicken wing variation submission. Orso tried to fight his way out but a hair pull sent him back to the mat. Nemeth continued his offense with a running clothesline into the corner for the arrogant two count.

Nemeth got around Orso and took him down for a two count from an amateur takedown. Nemeth beat on Orso on the mat and grabbed a chinlock. Orso fought out of it and took Nemeth down with a armlock takedown. He also rallied with a dropkick off the ropes and then followed it with an Asai Moonsault. He landed a buzzsaw kick and then went for the K J Klutch and then turned it into a Orso Driver for two-and-a-fraction. Orso tried for the Klutch one more time but Nemeth backed him into the corner. Orso charged but was caught with a leaping DDT for a two count.

Nemeth tried for another standing backbreaker but Orso escaped and slammed him to the mat. He hit a springboard Sky Twister Press and NOW we get the K J Klcutch as the crowd started to get behind Orso. Orso tried to cinch the hold but Nemeth got Orso on his shoulders for a two count. Orso tried to attack as Nemeth pleaded for time in the ropes. Orso turned around to talk to the ref and Nemeth hit him from behind with a running clothesline. He threw Orso shoulder first to the ringpost. When Orso recovered, Nemeth hit the Big Hollywood Ending (Jumping Reverse STO) for the win.

Post Match Nemeth pose dint he ring but we instantly go to a vignette with a strait jacket with the number 666 written on it. It’s Rosemary who is slightly twitching. We see a woman come into focus and it is Rosemary wearing normal clothes and asked Rosemary to start from the beginning. Rosemary winced in anger and looked at the camera as we fade to commercial.

During the feed, we hear the Personal Concierge ask for attention and – does he have a tattoo? He said he can’t believe he is in San Antonio. Instead of Holy Cow, it should be Holy Pig. He looked around the building and just sees a bunch of pigs. They say everything is bigger in Texas and by looking at the crowd, he believes it. He asked the crowd to rise and stand – if their weight allows it – and welcome to most talented and sophisticated group in wrestling – the BY Elegance Brand. They strike poses in the ring as the PC wants the crowd to shut up while he talks – if they don’t, they are going to leave.

Tonight, there will be huge match for the number one contender spot for the Knockouts TV Title. He called out the competitors, Gabby Forza, Jada Stone, Harley Hudson and Elayna Black. But it doesn’t matter who it is because M by Elegance is never, ever going to lose the championship.

M grabbed the mic and said that’s right she is the first and only woman to hold it since she isn’t going to lose it. She called out the match’s participants and asked for them to look at the title. This title is a statement, a treasure and a priceless work of art; and one she is not going give up to any of them. Winning the number one contenders match and then winning the championship are two different things.

M said she is the only in the group carrying gold and thank God she is here to carry this brand. Heather by Elegance took umbrage with that and gave a really salty look to her. Even Mr. Elegance looked miffed. M continued and asked the four to give it their best shot and everything they have. Whoever wins will get the privilege to show that none of them are on her level. The PC asked Mr. E to strike some poses but quickly said San Antonio doesn’t deserve it. They all headed backstage.

We come back with a Bound For Glory hype ad with Slater calling his shot. We had an ad for the two Hardy Parties in Texas – the one in Houston (hey!!!) was the biggest one they ever had. There will be a Hardy party in Tampa on the night before Bound for Glory at the Hard Rock in Tampa.

We see Mustafa Ali standing next to John Skyler. Mila Moore entered the shot and presented Ali with his title. Ali asked Skyler whose bright idea it was that his first match back would be a triple-threat match after weeks in the hospital fighting for his life. Whoever came up with the idea was a moron, brain dead, irresponsible and dumb. He looked at Moore when he said “dumb.” It wasn’t his idea so he wondered who it was; wait, he remembered – it was Moore’s idea. Moore tried to explain herself but Moore bullied her and said she was no brain and all bimbo.

Skyler heard all he could and said that’s enough. If Ali wants to be mad about the match -fine. But, don’t take it out on her. Ali was apoplectic about it. Skyler said Ali heard him. While Ali was in the hospital, Moore did all she could to keep Order Four together. Whether he admits it or not, Moore is good and what she does and is a good person. Ali scoffed at the last remark and asked if he heard what Moore said about him.  Moore went to thank Skyler but Skyler bolted out of the shot and Moore looked hurt.

We get a celebrity sighting as Hotsfuff Hernandez  is here. He is the coach of San Antonio Style Wrestling. From there we go to the next match

Dot Combat match: The Righteous vs. Rich Swann and BDE

We the young robed lady say “the Righteous are coming.” As usual, the snapping and slide guitar prove that. Hannifan said this is the first “Dot Combat” match in three years. In essence, it is a Tornado Tag Match and falls count anywhere. BDE and Swann are next, they pose for a selfie and then head right to the ring and the battle begins.

BDE and Vincent squared off but Dutch caught Swann with a Death Walks (Bossman Slam.) Vincent shoved BDE to the ropes and dropped him with a forearm shiver. Dutch slammed BDE face-first into the mat and Vincent hit him with a sliding DDT for a two count. Dutch charged Swann on the apron but Swann pulled the rope down and Dutch sprawled to the floor. Vincent was met with a kick (and a  very loud thigh slap.) He kicked Dutch on the mat but when Sann attempted to climb the turnbuckles, Vincent hit him. Vincent climbed to the second turnbuckle but Swann bit Vincent to drop him to the mat. Swann hit a Phoenix Press to a standing Dutch on the floor.

Vincent and BDE brawled in the ring and Vincent hit the ropes but Swann joined BDE in a leaping assisted Flapjack. A loud “BDE” chant emerged as the faces looked for a table under the ring. The crowd chanted for a table but Swann, instead, grabbed a chair. BDE got behind Swann and did a remote control simulation as Swann moved accordingly and then walloped Dutch with a chair.

Swann went back to the apron and hit a Frog Splash to the floor on Vincent for a two count. However, Dutch dropped Swann with a punch and then BDE started to brawl with them. Swann fought BDE up the rampway. At the bottom of the Rampway Vincent got a two count on Swann. Dutch grabbed BDE and hit a slam onto Dutch’s knee. Vincent threw Swann head first into the ringpost.

Dutch clotheslined Swann and Vincent slammed him to the floor. Dutch threw BDE into the ringsteps. Vincent threw Swann into the ring as Dutch smushed BDE into the ringsteps. However, BDE avoided a Dutch charge and Dutch ran into the steps. Meanwhile, in the ring, Vincent choked Swann with a chair on the mat. Vincent positioned the chair in the ring as he and Swann started to brawl. Swann hit the ropes but Vincent hit a drop toe hold and Swann went face first into the chair.

Vincent taunted the fans as Swann tried to recover. Vincent sat Swann on the chair but Swann started his comeback with a series of punches and then grabbed a chair and hit Vincent in the torso with it. Swann positioned more chairs in the ring and then the two had a sit-down brawl with the “boo/yeah” crowd spot. Swann got the better of it and hit a buzz saw kick on Vincent. Swann stood on the chair (as did Vincent) to trade punches until Vincent hit Swann who when groin first into the back of  the chair. The two continued to trade punches whilst standing gain on the chairs.

Swann grabbed Vincent and attempted a suplex. Vincent blocked it and hit a series of headbutts and then threw Swann face fist into a chair. He then hit a back suplex to a chair for a two count. Out of the ring, Dutch had bloodied BDE but BDE kept Dutch from entering the ring to help Vincent. Swann rallied one more time with a roundhouse kick for a two count.  Dutch grabbed Swann and hit a gut wrench powerbomb . Dutch wedged a chair between the turnbuckles and beat on both BDE and Swann.

Swann got ready in the corner and charged BDE and Swann but the two moved and Dutch went head-first into the chair. The faces got the crowd riled to rally. The two traded superkicks on Dutch who took multiple kicks and then was a victim of a double cutter. Dutch went to the floor as Swann and BDE did the Dudley’s “get the tables” cry and then promptly got one from under the ring to the delight of the fans. Dutch was bleeding as BDE and Swann grabbed Dutch for a suplex but Vincent broke up the attempt and slammed Swann face first into the floor.

Vincent threw BDE into the ring and hit a cutter and then leapt over the ropes on Dutch. However, Dutch caught him and carried him around the floor. BDE escaped but Dutch charged. Swann moved BDE out of the way and Dutch squashed Swann on the table. BDE rolled into the ring and hit a rolling Code Breaker and then the Clip Cutter (springboard cutter.) BDE went to the top turnbuckle and hit a Frog Splash for two-and-a-fraction until Dutch interrupted the pin.

BDE started to fight Dutch on the floor and ran Dutch into the ringpost. BDE headed back into the ring  but Vincent escaped a rollup and grabbed BDE. Dutch got in the ring and the two hit Orange Sunshine (A springboard cutter by Vincent assisted by Dutch) for the win.

Post-Match: the two grabbed chairs. Dutch set a chair around BDE’s neck and Vincent hit it with another chair. The two immediately left and headed backstage.

We go backstage, to see Avery Styles on a couch as Frankie Kazarian entered the shot. Kazarian said Styles should always surround how things work here and surround himself with people who can create opportunities and Kazarian did just that. At Bound For Glory, Styles is entered in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet Challenge. Styles was very appreciative. Kazarian said Styles has access to him, a guy who won the challenge twice. Kazarian got Styles hyped for the match but reminded him of one thing -Kazarian is also in the match.

We go the revolving door sponsored TNA Injury Report, the roulette wheel landed on I Heart Radio as a sponsor. Multiple security members were injured with the brawl tonight between Slater and Nic Nemeth. Jeff Hardy is back and cleared since TNA is in the US..I mean, cleared since his injuries have healed. Moose aggravated a neck injury last week but should be cleared next week.

On the feed, we get another appearance of Joe Alonzo. He welcomes us to Total Non-Stop Alonzo, starring the greatest Mexican that ever lived, Alonzo. He asked where the ladies are? He was hoping to take some back to his hotel room but all he sees are big, fat, Gordas here. He played off the PC’s “everything is bigger in Texas” line by saying it’s 2026 and there is a thing called Ozempic. He wanted to talk to the crowd in their native language and uttered a bunch of “moos.” The translation was the that all the women are fat cows.

They can boo all they want because they hate Joe Alonzo because they ain’t Joe Alonzo. And that’s okay, because he wasn’t Joe Alonzo, he would hate him, too. With that, he headed backstage and we head to break.

We come back from break and go backstage to see Hartwell and Hudson hanging together as Marella entered the shot. He said he talked to the TNA board and she is suspended effective immediately. Hudson and Hartwell celebrated. And, since Marella has full control on booking decisions, at Bound For Glory, it will be Hartwell vs. Xia Brookside for the TNA Knockouts World Title.

Brookside headed immediately into the shot and said he can’t do that and that Rae said Hartwell would never get a title shot. Brookside and Marella started to argue about Marella’s authority and said Marella has the badge so it’s going down, Charlie Brown.

We go back to ringside for the Hardys, who get a giant pop from the crowd as we get the individual music into the traditional theme. The crowd just loved them. The Hardys were appreciative. Matt said there was a mystery attacker taking out people in the TNA locker room and took Jeff out for weeks (about that….) They attacked Matt. He said their fun is over and it ends tonight. It’s been an hour and he insists that they come out and show themselves. Jeff chimed in saying this is not the time for patience. The crowd buzzed for who the mystery attacker. It’s time to either man up and show up or cower down like cowards.

We get the static electrical shock and the lights go out. The crowd roared and the mystery attackers attacked in the darkness and waylaid the Hardys. As the lights illuminated it was two people in masks who reveal themselves as……

Randy and Bill Mulkey…

I kid; It’s Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis/Sam Shaw to a huge pop and a “holy excrement” chant. The name on the chryon is Syx. They stood over the Hardys (and now go by Joseph Sawyer and Sam Shaw, according to Hannifan.) Hannifin continued that the buzzards turned to jackals. And..they’re here.

ON the feed, a litany of referees an seucirty tended to the Hardys as Sawyer and Shaw exited through a barricade and through the stands. A “let’s go Hardys” chant emerged as the staff tried to help the Hardys backstage. The crowd stared a loud prolonged “delete” chant as Jef shook hands with the crowd and helped Matt get backstage as the “Syx” logo remained on the chryon.

We come back from break for a replay of what happened in the previous segment. But, we do go back to ringside for the next match.

Eddie Edwards (with Alisha Edwards in tow) vs. Elijah

The warning buzzer and Alisha’s “You can’t beat the System” do in fact herald, Eddie’s entrance into the ring. Elijah gets the guitar strum and gets his full intro. Hannifan gives us a brief rundown of the feud and then goes to more Bound For Glory hype for the pre-game festivities as ODB, Konnan and Amazing Red are being inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame.

Edwards started quickly with a series of punches and an armlock. Elijah reversed the hold and then dropped Edwards with a shoulderblock off the ropes. Elijah reversed an armdrag to an armlock and then hit a flying clothesline off the ropes. Elijah slammed Edwards into the apron as Edwards leaned on it and then Elijah ran around the ring to hit a dropkick on the apron.

Edwards got the advantage back with Alisha’s help. Elijah went for the “Walk with Elijah” top rope walk but Alisha stood in his way. Eddie recovered and yanked Elijah to the mat. However, Elijah clotheslined Edwards and overcame Alisha’s interference when he hit the ropes and caught a charging Edwards with a back elbow.

Elijah went to the floor to accost Alisha which gave Eddie time to recover and dove between the ropes to drop Elijah. Edwards beat on Elijah on the mat. Eddie chopped away on Elijah and verbally accosted Sosa. Edwards thwarted Elijah’s rally with an eye rake. However, Ellijah did rally and reversed a possible package piledriver into an Alabama Slam.

Edwards avoided an Elijah charge into the corner and landed a kick as Elijah was on the turnbuckles. However, Elijah reversed a Backpack Stunner into a Hero’s Welcome for a two count. NOW, we get the “Walk With Elijah” top rope walk into a DDT for a two-and-a-fraction. Edwards managed to back Elijah into the corner and hit a clothesline into the corner. However, Elijah got the momentum back with a leaping knee strike when Edwards leapt from the second turnbuckle.

Elijah climbed to the top rope but Myers and Bronson ran to ringside to distract Elijah. Sosa ran to ringside to counter it and dropped the former tag champs to the floor. Elijah took that opportunity to reverse a roll up into a Highwayman’s Farewell (Tombstone) for the victory.

Post-Match: we get highlights of the win as Elijah and Sosa stood in the ring and celebrated as the System regrouped and headed up the rampway.

We go backstage to Moose who talked about the match last week vs. Kazarian. He said his neck hurts but proved once again why he is the Face of the Franchise. That brought out A J Francis and Expressions. Expressions said no one wanted to hear from that milk dud, Moose. Francis said when he is doing all of the international media for TNA; he doesn’t see Moose’s face, he sees his. Expressions called Francis “ A J Franchise.”

Francis asked who is bringing all this money that Moose likes. He is the reason Dude Wipes is here (ummm…okay.) Moose said because his glutes stink, which popped the crowd. Francis said he wanted to beat Moose’s butt. Moose said why don’t fight again, just name the place and time. Expressions said they accept and Moose threatened him and quickly ran behind Francis. Francis and Expressions back out of the shot as Moose stood contemplatively.

The match to determine the number one contender for the TNA Knockouts TV title is next as we go to break.

We come back and head right to the match.

TNA Knockouts TV Title Number One Contenders Match: Harley Hudson vs. Gabby Forza vs. Jada Stone vs. Elayna Black

Hudson is out first and does her poses and her pushups in the ring. Hudson tried to get the crowd riled. Stone is next and does her poses and acrobats go get into the ring. Black is next and got the best pop of the four. She shakes hand with the ringside crowd. She does her pose and slowly gets into the ring. We see the gnome on the ringpost and on the rampway and Forza headed to ringside. That might be the feed because we go dark and come back to Hannifan and Rehwoldt talking. For the record, Rehwoldt is not okay with gnomes and creep him out (relatable.)

Black started the procedure by slapping Forza and those two instantly started to brawl. Forza slammed Black . Hudson and Stone tried to attack but a whip to the ropes lead to Forza clotheslining both. Forza hit a series of clotheslines in the corner on Hudson before Black hit a leaping knee strike to the back of Forza’s head. She also hit a seated dropkick off the ropes and a forearm shiver. Black ducked a clothesline off the ropes and turned it into a springboard hurincanrana.

Stone started to accost Black. Stone matrix dodged a clothesline and turned it into a handstand headscissors that sent Black into the corner. Both Stone and Black missed corner charges, with Stone reversing Black’s  into a sunset flip and followed it with a seated dropkick for  a two count. Hudson interrupted the pin and started to attack Stone. Hudson hit a forearm off the ropes and a big boot to drop Stone. Hudson continued the attack with a fallaway slam and attacked Stone in the corner.

Forza and Black started to brawl in the corner and Forza grabbed Black. Hudson also managed to grab Stone. We got a colliding attack and then stereo fallaway slams. Hudson and Forza started to jaw at each other as Hudson attempted to bodyslam Forza. Hudson could not and Forza elbowed her way out. Forza gorillapressed Hudson and threw her on Black.

Forza focused on Stone in the other corner. She got on the turnbuckles and held Stone in a delayed vertical suplex. Black and Hudson joined Forza and we got a modified tower spot as the suplex hit and the women writhed on the floor. The crowd started to “boo” as the By Elegance Brand appeared on the rampway. We started to get the schmozapalooza as Black and Stone super kicked Forza. Black missed an enziguri and Stone hit a double stomp on Black’s back. Hudson attacked Stone and tried to clothesline her. Stone ducked and went right to Forza who grabbed Stone and bounced her off the rope to a bodypress on Hudson.

Forza grabbed Stone but Stone escaped. Stone hit the ropes but Stone ducked a clothesline and hit the Spark Stunner (a handspring stunner with a backflip.) Forza went to the floor. However, Black snuck behind Stone and hit the Blackout (double underhook DDT) for the victory.

Post-Match: Black and M eyed each other and accosted each other from the distance. We see Skyler standing back in the loading area and Moore came into the shot. She wanted to thank him for defending her earlier. Moore asked if Skyler meant those words. Skyler said yes and he knows her far better than she thinks he does. Whatever Ali convinced she is, she is better than that. He truly believes that.  Moore went to kiss Skyler when Ali appeared in the shot and asked what they are doing. He is about to go out to the main event and they are doing this. He asked what is wrong with her. Moore said she is quitting Order Four. Ali said you don’t quit Order Four. Well, she does and Skyler does, too. Moore grabbed Skyler and they headed off shot. Ali ordered Agent Zero to follow them. He frantically asked for Tasha Steelz  and headed off shot.

On the feed, we go to an appearance of The Hometown Man, adorned in a Tim Duncan jersey (I guess a San Antonio Gunslingers jersey would be too deep a cut. Kids, look up the original USFL for meaning.) HTM has a mic and said it feels good to have TNA Wrestling in San Antonio. They have a lot to be excited; for one, the Spurs are going all the way again this year. We also have a TNA legend in the house and we get another announcement for Hotstuff Hernandez who posed with HTM. He hyped Hernandez’ wrestling school. We also need to get hyped for the main event next. And, who wants some free merch. HTM dispenses with said merch and we go to break.

When we come back, it’s another ad for :30 Second Takedown. We go backstage to see Zoey Seranno on the phone with Rae. Serrano wanted her to be calm. She promised Rae that Hartwell will not make it to Bound For Glory. She hung up and Serrano stood and smiled.

TNA International Championship: Mustafa Ali (with Agent Zero, Tasha Steelz and extra servicemen in tow) vs. Trey Miguel vs. Jason Hotch

We get the “Spider-Trey” look as Miguel is wearing a Venom inspired gear as he heads to the ringside to a decent pop. Hotch was next with the camera effect. Hotch got a pop and posed on the ringside. Ali was next as we get the tale of the tape. Ali got in the ring and posed but Hotch immediately attacked him. Miguel and Hotch threw each other off and attacked Ali. The two started to jaw as Ali headed to the floor but Niguel cut him off. Ali wen the other way but Hotch cut hi off. Ali dove into the ring to escape on the other side, but Miguel and Hotch grabbed a leg and kept him in the ring. The two traded multiple kicks to the champion.

Ali struggled to the corner. Miguel pulled Hotch from the pack and charged. He was met with a kick from Ali. Hotch charged and Ali backdropped him to the apron and slugged him. Miguel charged and Ali attempted the same thing but Hotch caught him and springboarded him to a DDT on Ali. Ali bailed to the floor and Miguel threatened to dive between the ropes. Ali moved and went around the ring, only to be caught with a Hotch DDT.

The two threw Ali into the ring but Miguel prevented Hotch from sliding into the ring. Hotch reciprocated. The two started to trade punches on the floor which gave Ali a chance to dive between the ropes and drop Miguel and Hotch. Ali headed to Rehwoldt and said he wanted to give a shout out to his daughter since it is her birthday and that daddy will be home soon. Hannifin audibly was disgusted. Today is the birthday of Hotch’s daughter.

Ali threw Hotch into the ring steps. Ali focused his attack on Miguel and threw him into the ring. Ali hit the rolling neckbreaker between the ropes. He hit a standing moonsault for a two count. Ali started to stomp Miguel into the corner until Hotch saved Miguel and chopped away on Ali  in the corner. Ali was thrown to the opposite corner but flipped over a Hotch charge. Hotch tried to regain the advantage but Ali grabbed Hotch’s leg on the second turnbuckle and yanked him to the mat. Added insult, Hotch’s head hit the turnbuckle.

Ali continued to attack Hotch and hit a back breaker followed by knee strikes and a powerbomb for a two count until Miguel interrupted the pin. Miguel grabbed Ali and attacked. Miguel blocked a whip into the ropes and Ali charged. Miguel moved and Ali attempted a handspring move but Miguel evaded it. Ali backflipped to block a counter but Miguel got behind him, slingshotted between the ropes and hit a back suplex.

Hotch lifted himself to the apron and tried to attack Miguel. He attempted a springboard leap but Miguel hit his legs and Hotch went throat-first into the ropes. Miguel hit the ropes and Hotch hit a  tried to lift him but Miguel reversed it to a DDT for  a two count. A loud “TNA” chant emerged as Miguel attempted to lift Hotch into a powerbomb but Ali bellclapped Miguel and hit a big bodydrop on Hotch.

Ali posed on the ring and stated to attack Miguel in the corner. Miguel got on the turnbuckles and tried to thwart Ali’s offense. Ali focused his attack again on Hotch and hit a running dropkick in the corner. Ali posed again and went to Miguel. The two started to brawl as Miguel and Ali fought for position. As the two fought, Hotch recovered and leapt to the turnbuckles. Hotch grabbed both Miguel and Ali and hit a Spanish Fly on both of them.

All three wrestlers writhed on the floor as a “this is awesome” chant emerged. All three got to their knees and started to trade punches with one another. Hotch dropped Ali with a  twisting kick but Miguel grabbed Hotch and threw him into the corner. Ali charged Hotch but Hotch blocked his charge. He leapt on Ali but Ali caught him and maneuvered him to Miguel. Hotch then hit a Canadian Destroyer on Miguel. Ali and Hotch traded powerbomb attempts until Ali connected with a Piledriver for two-and-a-fraction.

Ali arose and loudly reiterated the Happy Birthday wishes to Hotch’s daughter. He started to sing “Happy Birthday” in Hotch’s air but Hotch grabbed Ali. Ali, though threw Hotch to the floor. Ali grabbed Miguel and got him into the position. He ascended to the top but Miguel moved. Ali rolled trough it but was met with a cutter. Ali bailed to the floor and Miguel hit the ropes he dove under the ropes and hit a Canadian Destroyer on Hotch. He got back into the ring and dove through the ropes to hit a Tornado DDT on Ali. Miguel threw Ali into the ring and climbed to the top. A top rope Meteora connected for two-and-a-fraction.

Miguel grabbed Ali but Hotch recovered and hit a rolling DDT on Miguel and Ali. Hotch grabbed Miguel and held him for a suplex. Ali wandered to Hotch and Hotch grabbed him for a suplex/DDT on the other two. Hotch climbed to the top and hit a splash on Miguel for a two count.

As the crowd told the ref what they thought of him. We did get next week’s card with Alexander vs. Sosa, Francis vs. Moose, Serrano vs. Hartwell, Slater vs. Alonzo. In the ring, Hotch staggered to Ali and started to threaten him. However, Ali grabbed Hotch and threw him neck first through the ropes and to the floor. Meanwhile, Steelz grabbed the International Title and brought it in the ring at Ali’s behest. Ali and Steelz started to converse as Hotch climbed to the top. Hotch leapt but Ali moved and Hotch double stomped Steelz. Hannifan mentioned that is how Hotch punctured Ali’s lung. Hotch was worried and wanted to help Steelz. Ali snuck behind him and got a two count on  a roll up.

Ali grabbed Hotch and threw him into the ringpost. Meanwhile, Miguel scaled to the top and leapt for a Meteora. Ali moved but Miguel rolled through it. However, Ali grabbed the belt and hit a running belt shot to Miguel to drop the challenger and get the pin.

Post-Match: Ali celebrated in the ring and posed in the corner. Ali got on the floor and attempted to carry Steelz. Ali celebrated and lifted the belt, dropping Steelz. Ali was nonchalant about the whole moment as we go off the air……

OR DO WE? We see the Hardys recovering from the attack earlier. Jeff said Sawyer and Shaw laid them out but they don’t stay down. Matt said the Hardys don’t die. Next week on Impact, prepare to go to war. And we go off the air….for good, this time.

Impactful Discourse:

One: Well, the mystery assailants were anti-climactic. They could not resist calling the team “Syx” so I guess I shouldn’t be that upset about it. I was surprised by the size of the pop they got. They didn’t set the world on fire after an incredible debut in the WWE. I don’t think we get the spooky stuff (we already tried that) and see how the characters are developed. Sawyer/Gacy actually is not that bad on the mic. Shaw had moments on the mic but was not overwhelmed by their work (maybe whelmed on a good day?)

Two: I hope this does not become another feed Hardy’s ego storyline. The post credit interview was bad. TNA is really over a barrel on this one. The Hardys are shot and it doesn’t take a high Wonderlic score to see that. I don’t know if we are too scared to pull a trigger on another team. But, that being said, the crowd goes fanatical over them. I do believe that the Hardy parties are big deals. Somehow, we have to get the nostalgia out of the minds of fans that want it to be 2000 all over again because this is hamstringing the promotion.

Three: I will say that San Antonio is a huge wrestling town and the crowd was really into the action. That really helped selling the action, especially during the main event.

Four: The International Title match was a Dalmatian match but didn’t seem to mind as much as usual. Ali showed no real ill effects of the injury. Ali has all the great touches for a heel during a match. I laughed when he spoke into Rehwoldt’s headset celebrating the daughter of Hotch’s birthday. Speaking of Order Four…

Five: That was a microwave of an angle change. This should be the impetus for the Great Hands to reunite. I still don’t know how I am feeling about this but I still don’t see the meaning of this. What happens to Moore? Where does Steelz fit and when/if does she turn? I am not as riveted as they want me to be regarding this break-up of the faction? I would love more fleshing out of the angle. As a

Six: Rae did a great job in her role. I don’t know how you return her to action unless it’s a match stip. The call to Serrano was unnecessary. Serrano smiling undermined the severity of it all. Rae seemed believable during the segments.

Seven: The four way match was a bit of fait accompli as all the hype has turned to Black and of the four women, she would be the most competent to put a decent match with M. Black is gradually making progress in the ring. This was not a bad showing for her. Forza had some great spots in the match and would like to see her work a program with someone.

Eight: Speaking of which, does a good return on investment for Hudson mean her winning just one match? She won the match with Alisha and now has jobbed since?

Nine: There are still very subtle cracks in the By Elegance Brand, although I still believe the wrong person is going to turn. M has started to take all the credit for the win and Heather’s nonverbals would be great foreshadowing. Heather is okay in the ring but M is so much better. I do like the gradual pace and curious if this becomes a storyline to develop or just swept under the ring.

10: As much as I loved the Personal Concierge, he has taken a step back. I really do love Expressions and his segment with Francis was great comedy.

11: I love the slow burn of turning Styles. Kazarian laid a great moment when he gave Styles the shot but then said that he is in it, too. Nice touch and delivery from a reliable, solid vet.

12: This was probably the worst of the X-Division scramble qualifying matches. Orso didn’t do much for me compared to the other people brought. Ryan is Ryan.

13: Slater still continues to be the top star here and I don’t see any competition right now for that. This was another great interview and a good job selling bow much he wants to get to Nemeth.

14: Have they lost faith in the System? Trading wins with Elijah and to be fed to Sosa seem like a fade into the sunset move – almost.

Lastly: We’re getting the spooky stuff with Rosemary again, aren’t we? It was striking to see her in normal clothes, though.

Keep Fighting the Good Fight. 

Okay, with “Superstar” Bill Dundee’s recent passing,  I decided to take a look at some of his work and get back into some Memphis actually from the Tubi Streaming Channel. In April, I did the first half of Greatest Tag Teams 1979-1980 (conveniently located here Saherrin Reviews: Greatest Tag Teams 1979-1980 – Scott’s Blog of Doom!,) Well, most of the action is in that time frame (we have one infamous match from 1981.) In the second half we have former WWWF tag team Champions reunite, we have plenty of Bill Dundee action and a brawl that was a template used to this very day. So, sit back, relax and get into some Totally Tubi-lar action coming (as the song goes) All the Way From Memphis.

The Blonde Bombers (Larry Latham and Wayne Farris with Sgt. Danny Davis in tow) vs. “Superstar” Bill Dundee and Tony Boyles

Who’s Who? Latham would leave in a year and become Moondog Spot, replacing Moondog King (who had Visa Issues) as one-half of the WWF(E) Tag Team Champions with Moondog Rex. Farris would find his way to the WWF( E) six years later as the Honky Tonk Man. Davis is not THAT Danny Davis (evil WWF(E) referee) but a future staple in Memphis and other Southern Territories as a parter with Ken Wayne as the Galaxians and, more famously, the Nightmares, Dundee is Dundee and a legend in southern territories. Boyles only lasted a year in the business (he had just debuted earlier in the year.) I wonder who eats the pin here?  This is a WMC studio match from June, 9 1980

Dundee and Latham start the match. Dundee got the early advantage with a hiptoss and hip gyrations.  Dundee also got a hiptoss off the ropes as Latham complained about a tights pull. Farris tagged and instantly bullied Dundee into the corner. Farris threw Dundee into the corner (Dundee seemed lost for a moment and looked like a botch of a reverse.) Farris, nonetheless beat on Dundee until Farris missed a standing fistdrop. Another sort of miscommunication occurred as Dundee threw Farris into the ropes and just sort of collided with him. Dundee got his bearings on his next throw to the corner as he hit a monkeyflip to send Farris out of the corner. Farris instantly crawled to Latham for some consoling and tagged.

Dundee sent Latham into the ropes as Farris tried to interfere. Both Dundee and Farris ducked the first two times Latham hit the ropes. Farris was not so lucky on the third as the heels collided with each other and scurried to the floor for a strategy session with Davis. Dundee taunted the heels in the corner. Latham got back into the ring and charged Dundee. Dundee leapt off the turnbuckles onto his back to monkeyflip Latham as he rebounded out of the corner for a two count.

Dundee grabbed a headlock and tagged Boyles. Latham escaped a headlock takedown with a headscissors. Boyles got an armdrag as Latham protested it was from a hair pull; Davis pleaded the case as Latham tagged Farris. Boyles got an armlock and tagged Dundee who backdropped Farris and then hit a sliding dropkick in the corner. Farris escaped a headlock with a hair pull and tagged Latham. Latham got a momentary advantage with a bodyslam but an awkward elbow drop from the second turnbuckle got nothing but canvas. Dundee hit a double stomp on the torso and the hand and hit a reverse knee drop off the ropes to the arm of Latham. Farris attempted to interfere, thought twice but went ahead. However, Dundee moved and Farris kicked Latham twice and then dropped an elbow on him when Dundee moved again.

Dundee got a sleeperhold on Latham off the ropes until Farris finally managed to hit Dundee to break the hold. Latham tagged Farris but Dundee grabbed the Bombers and ran their heads together. Dundee threw Farris into a boot by Boyles and tagged the rookie. The two hit a double backdrop on Farris for a two count. Boyles grabbed a headlock and cinched it. Russell and Brown tried to constructively critique Boyles’ headlock, to their credit. No sooner than they said that, Farris dropped Boyles with a wristlock takedown. Dundee tried to interfere but the referee restrained the two. Off-camera, Latham decked Boyles. Dundee tried to go after Latham but did manage to interrupt a Farris pin attempt. Farris went after Dundee and Boyles joined him. Farris grabbed a side headlock and tagged Latham.

Boyles tried to fend off Latham but Latham got a leg takedown and tagged Farris. Farris grabbed a headlock as Dundee went around the ring to accost Davis. Dundee got in the ring and started to beat on Latham as Farris and Boyles paired. Dundee dragged Boyles to the corner for a tag but Latham grabbed him in time and dragged him to the middle. Latham tagged Farris and but Boyles reversed a bodyslam for a quick two-count. Farris threw Boyles into the ropes and Boyles (somewhat awkwardly) hit a shoulder block and tagged Dundee.

Dundee went after Farris who begged for mercy. Dundee threw Farris into Latham and the future Moondog staggered to the apron. Farris and Dundee ran into each other and both dropped to the mat. Farris tried a flying body splash but missed. Dundee, though, tried a bodyslam and Farris dropped on top of him for a two count. Dundee slugged Farris and tagged Boyles. The video darkened for a moment but it sounded like Farris reversed a back bodydrop with a boot to the face.

Latham tagged and hit a knee to the abdomen off the ropes. Latham slammed Boyles and drop multiple knees on Boyles and tagged Farris. Farris slugged Boyles off the ropes. Farris continued to beat on Boyles. Dundee had enough and tried to interfere. Ther referee restrained him and Latham tagged. Latham continued the beat down on Boyles. Dundee again tried to interfere but the referee was called to restrain him. The heels took advantage one more time. Dundee saw enough and attacked Davis on the floor. With the referee preoccupied once again, Farris climbed to the top and attempted hit an axhandle whilst Latham held him. Farris climbed to the second turnbuckle and (sort of) hit a spike piledriver (Boyles did not fall correctly with Latham so he dropped a couple of seconds after Latham hit the floor.) Nonetheless, the Bombers got the win.

Post-Match: It would not be Memphis without a schmozapalooza, would it? Dundee tried to get revenge but the Bombers attacked him and Davis entered the ring and hit him with his army helmet. Latham leapt on Boyles with the helmet from the second turnbuckle. Farris continued to beat on Dundee. Russell and Brown asked for order fecklessly as the Bombers continued to attack Boyles and Dundee with Davis’ helmet (and copious amount of fists.) Dundee started to bleed as the beatdown continued. Russell and Brown Called for Memphis promoter Eddie Marlin to do something to get them out of the ring. Eventually, referee Jerry Calhoun got some control and the Bombers left the ring and headed to Russell.

Farris started to run down Dundee and how allegedly tough he was. Dundee is the one who gets all the title shots but look at him now. The Bombers are uncrowned champs and deserve a title shot.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE: After a commercial break, Dundee is at the announce desk and said the Bombers are tough when there it’s three-on-one. He could beat all three of them, one-on-one. He’s not leaving and headed back into the ring, still bleeding. Russell tried to talk some sense into Dundee but Dundee wouldn’t hear it. Off-Camera, Davis started to taunt Dundee in mic range. Marlin finally came to ringside but Dundee snuck around Marlin and decked Davis. Dundee threw Davis into the ringpost and in the ring where Dundee started to beat on Davis. Calhoun tried to restore control but the Bombers hit the ring and it was another three-on-one. Dundee held his own for a moment but the numbers game proved too much. Marlin entered the ring and tossed Farris and Davis aside to help Dundee. Davis had some powder with him and blinded Marlin with it as he tried to attack Latham.  The Bombers put Dundee into the Tree of Woe and attacked him.

Davis went to the announce table and verbally accosted Dundee and Marlin. BUT HOLD EVERYTHING, Jerry Jarrett (yup, Jeff’s dad and Marlin’s son-in-law) hit the ring and attacked all three. Jarrett temporarily succumbed to the numbers game but managed to remove his belt and started to whip all three heels and finally they scurried from the ring after Jarrett laid multiple lashes into Farris. Jarrett and some officials attempted to help Dundee back to the dressing room as we go to another break.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S STILL MORE: The Bombers and Davis are now at the announce table and Farris reiterating what does it take to get a title shot. They handled and ran out Buddy Fuller (son of long time promoter Roy Welch and father of Ron and Robert Fuller (aka Col. Rob Parker, the Tennessee Stud and other sobriquets.) Now, “Fast Daddy” Eddie Marlin interfered in their business. How much can the Bombers stand?  Farris wanted to get his hands on Jarrett for three years now. He was tried of Jarrett’s promotional tactics and dictating where he went, which he didn’t appreciate.

They ran down the entire family until Brown tried to take over for Russell. Farris called Brown Russell’s stooge like Dundee is Jarrett’s stooge. Davis said he will buy this place so that he doesn’t have to leave. Davis wanted to speak to someone with authority. Russell returned and said they got their wish and it will be Dundee and Jarrett vs. the Bombers. Placated, they left the announce table and we fade to black.

Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Valiant (with Jimmy Hart in tow) vs. Rick Morton and Larry Hardin

This match took place on WMC on February 2, 1980. Yup, it’s heel Jerry Lawler. Lawler turned heel in late 1979. Lawler’s fortunes took a turn for the worse the next day. During a touch football game, Lawler broke his leg. This started his face turn as Hart buried Lawler during the post injury interviews (to the point that Valiant turned face, too.) Lawler was out most of 1980.

Who’s Who?  Lawler is Lawler and Valiant is “The Boogie Woogie Man.” He left the WWF(E ) earlier after working with his “brothers,” Lucious Johnny and Gentleman Jerry. (Jimmy and Johnny held the tag titles in 1974.) Rick Morton is THAT Rick(y) Morton of Rock and Roll Express fame. Hardin wrestled a few more years under various gimmicks but mostly as enhancement talent.

Valiant flexed and Lawler verbally accosted Russell. Lawler had a dragon emblazoned on his trunks. Valiant took time that the lights were too bright and affecting his eyes. Lawler and Morton stated the match. Lawler stalled and argued with his fans. Lawler grabbed a facelock when Morton tried to attack the legs. Lawler threw  Morton our to he corner but Morton reciprocated. Lawler stalled and consulted with Valiant. Lawler backed Morton into the ropes where Valiant grabbed him. Heel miscommunication almost occurred as Morton ducked but Lawler managed to stop his punch in the nick of time.

The two traded punches in the ropes with Morton getting the better one. Morton went for the pin and NOW we get heel miscommunication as Valiant tried to interrupt the pin but stomped on Lawler instead. Valiant apologized to Lawler and tried to pleas his case to the referee. Morton grabbed a headlock and tagged Hardin. Hardin ducked a punch off the ropes and dropped Lawler with a punch of his own. The heels protested to no avail.

A test of strength proved equally feckless for Lawler and Hardin booted “The King” in the torso. Morton tagged and grabbed a headlock but Lawler got the advantage with a big boot off the ropes. Valiant tagged and started to maul Morton. Valiant threw Morton hard into the turnbuckles and continued the mugging. He ran Morton into Lawler’s boot and Lawler got the tag. “The King” hit a second rope fitstdrop for a two count and continued to beat on Morton.

Valiant tagged but Morton started to rally. He whipped Valiant into the turnbuckles and started to beat on Valiant. Hardin tagged and Hardin hit a dropkick (shame it wasn’t a double one) for a one count. Hardin went after Valiant in the corner. Lawler tried to interfere but Morton came in to help his partner. Not a smart move as the referee restrained Morton and pushed him back to his corner. This gave Lawler a chance to grab his elbow pad, put it over his fist and wallop Hardin. Valiant got the academic pin for the victory.

AWA Southern Tag Title Match: Robert Fuller and Bill Dundee vs. Professor Toru Tanaka and Mr. Fuji (with Gorgeous George Jr. in tow)

Who’s who?  We spoke about Fuller earlier and his monickers. He and the “Stud Stable” were a top faction throughout the 1980’s in the Southeast. Mr. Fuji is THAT Mr. Fuji, longtime WWF(E) talent and manager. Tanaka was a feared heel in much demand across the U.S. Tanaka wrestled in most territories and companies in the 1970’s and appeared in such movies as The Running Man, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and Black Rain. He and Fuji held the WWWF World Tag Titles three times (in 1972-1973 and 1977-1978.) Dundee and Fuller are the champs, winning the title the previous week against The Assassins (Memphis version.) This bout was held in the Mid-South Coliseum on May 14, 1979.

We are JIP as Fuller pounds away on Tanaka, dropping him with a big kick off the ropes. Dundee tagged and dropped Tanaka with a dropkick off the ropes. Dundee beat on Tanaka on the mat but only got a one count for his efforts.

The match is heavily edited as we go to Dundee dropping Fuji with a shoulderblock off the ropes and then getting a headlock takedown before Tanaka interrupted the procedure. Dundee got a hiptoss. Fuji tried to rally with a bodyslam but Dundee booted Fuji to prevent further damage. Dundee tagged Fuller who hit another big kick off the ropes and a knee lift. However, Fuji struck Fuller in the knee and Fuller crumpled to the mat. Tanaka tagged and continued to the beating.

Tanaka grabbed a toehold to work the injured leg. We get another edit and go to Fuller laying in the corner and Fuji grabbing the leg and ramming into the ringspot and started to use the barricade rope to further damage the leg. Dundee came around to help his partner and accost George. Meanwhile, in the ring, Tanaka continued to work the leg around the ropes. Tanaka kicked away at the damaged leg. When the referee tried to restrain Tanaka, Fuji took turn to work the damaged leg. Dundee again tried to help his partner but had to be restrained. Fuji grabbed a nerve hold on the leg as Fuller writhed on the mat. Tanaka grabbed Fuller and grabbed a leg submission.

We get another edit as Tanaka applied another nerve hold to the leg. Fuller kicked away Tanak with his good leg and tried to get riled. Fuller dropped Tanaka with a shoulder tackle and tagged Dundee. Dundee cleaned house on Tanaka, firing away with punches and another dropkick off the ropes for another one count. Dundee slammed Tanaka to the mat for a two count until Fuji interrupted the match. Fuller tried to interfere but could only do so much with an injured leg. The referee had to restrain Fuller, enabling Fuji to reach into his trunks for some salt. Tanaka held Dundee and Fuji threw the salt into Dundee’s eyes. Tanaka got the pin and the heels got the Southern Tag Titles.

Blonde Bombers vs. Tommy Gilbert Jr and Tony Charles

Who’s who?  Tommy Gilbert Jr would become Eddie Gilbert (THAT Eddie Gilbert) in a couple of years. Now, he was honoring his father, famous southern territory wrestler Tommy Gilbert Sr. Tony Charles was a Welsh wrestler of renown in the United Kingdom and throughout the south. He held singles titles in Tennessee and Texas and tagged with another famous British Wrestler at the time, Les Thornton. This is a WMC studio match aired June 9, 1979.)

Charles and Latham started and Charles got the advantage with an armdrag. Latham tried to reverse it but Charles reversed it with a leg takedown. Farris tagged and met the same fate as Latham. Charles got another leg takedown into a pin attempt. Latham tagged again and Charles got another armdrag and turned it into an armlock. Farris tied into the match and rinse, repeat.

Latham gave it another chance and Charles got a two count from an armlock into a small package pin. Charles grabbed a full nelson and then a snapmare into a chinlock. Latham finally got some offense with a hiptoss takedown. Farris tagged and Charles reciprocated with the hiptoss takedown. Charles grabbed Farris’ leg and started to drop the knee on it.

Charles worked the leg and finally tagged Gilbert. Gilbert worked the leg by dropping repeated knees on it. Lathan tried to escape with a punch but Gilbert grabbed the leg and continued to work on it. Charles tagged back into the match and worked the leg with a toe hold and grabbed an ankle lock variation. Charles continued to work the leg and tagged Gilbert. Gilbert worked the leg and Farris tried to escape again but Gilbert was dogged in keeping the future Honky Tonk Man in the ring. Farris tried to pull the hair but Gilbert would not let go. Eventually, Farris inched his was to the corner and tagged Latham.

Gilbert continued with the leg work, despite Latham’s attempts to boot him away from him. Russell commented on Gilbert being a bulldog with the leg and that was apt as Gilbert continued to work and work the legs of both Bombers as Charles smiled from ringside. Gilbert dropped the knee on the leg and held a single leglock. Russell on Gilbert “He’s gonna be a good one” – prophetic, no doubt. Latham tried to kick away Gilbert to make the tag but Gilbert continued to drop the knee on the leg until Latham made the tag to Farris.

Farris, bigger of the two, slugged Gilbert for the most sustained offense the Bombers had to that point. Farris slowed down the action with a snapmare and a chinlock. A “Go, Tommy, GO” chant emerged. Gilbert got an armdrag to momentarily escape but Farris decked hi and rammed into the corner. Latham tagged and Latham dropped repeated knees and kicks to the back. Latham got a surfboard hold variation on Gilbert suing his knee for extra leverage. Gilbert fought out the hold but Latham pulled Gilbert’s hair and the future “Hot Stuff” fell to the mat.

Latham reapplied the surfboard hold but Gilbert again tried to rally and reverse it.  However, Farris managed to tag and started to beat on Gilbert. Farris applied his own surfboard variation and used his knee to the back as extra leverage. Gilbert managed to rally again and got a leg rip to escape but Farris subdued him and tagged Latham and we got another surfboard hold.

This time, though, Gilbert fought to escape and worked his way to his corner. Farris got in the ring to slug Gilbert and this brought Charles into the action. We got another schmozapalooza as Charles and Farris fought and Latham and Gilbert paired. Order was restored and Latham went back to the hold and dropped the knee on Gilbert’s back.

Farris tagged back into the match and Gilbert found himself in the same hold and fought again to get to his corner. Farris pulled the hair again to prevent the tag and tagged Latham. If you guessed another surfboard hold, enjoy your winnings. Gilbert tried a leg trip and almost escaped but Latham subdued him just before the tag. Gilbert finally got the reversal and kneed Latham in the back. Charles finally got the tag and Charles was  a flat on fire; dropping the Bombers with a series of punches and dropkicks. He ran the Bombers’ heads together and threw Farris out of the ring. He dropped Latham with two shoulderblocks off the ropes. However, on the third one, Farris held the ropes apart and Charles crashed to the floor. Referee Paul Morton admonished Farris. Farris got in the ring and the Bombers double clotheslined Gilbert. Latham ascended to the second turnbuckle. Farris grabbed the backbreaker and Latham dropped the elbow on him. They did the double axe handle move and continued to beat on Gilbert. The time limit bell rang for a draw.  Tommy Gilbert Sr hit the ring and cleared the ring of the Bombers. Charles and Gilbert Sr helped Gilbert Jr to the back.

The Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl: Rick Morton and Eddie Gilbert vs. Masanabu Fuchi and Astushi Onita (with Tojo Yamamoto in tow)

Who’s who? Onita is a forefather of hardcore wrestling style with his FMW promotion in Japan. One of his earliest inspirations for his style and promotion was this match. Fuchi is one of the most venerable names in pro wrestling – especially in Japan. He has remained with All Japan Pro Wrestling since his debut in 1974. He serves as co-booker and trainer in the promotion. Yamamoto is a mainstay in Memphis for decades and was rivaling Tommy Rich, Dundee and Dutch Mantell in the number of  face/heel turns (think the Big Show, except, well smaller.) The original “Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl” took place in 1979 between Lawler and Dundee vs.. the Blonde Bombers. This was the sequel, per se. This match took place in Tupelo, Mississippi (naturally) on September 4, 1981.

We are JIP with Gilbert beating on Fuchi and doing a neat variation of a Sunset Flip (sliding under Fuchi instead of leaping over him.) Morton and Onita start to brawl in the corner, distracting the referee. The distraction worked as Yamamoto snuck in the ring and rubbed salt in the eyes in Gilbert. Gilbert writhed in pain as Fuchi grabbed the pin and victory.

BUT WAIT, Post-Match: The heels are in the celebrating with Yamamoto carrying a kendo stick (or “a fighting stick” as told by Russell.) Morton wrested the stick away from Yamamoto and laid in multiple shots on all the heels. The heels tried to use the numbers game on Morton (Gilbert was still selling the salt injury) however, Morton used to stick to keep the heels at bay. He cracked Fuchi in the head with the stick and then rammed it into the abdomen of Onita frequently.

The heels bail to the floor and we go to a jump edit with all four fighting in the aisles and to the concession stand. After getting ring announcer (and backup announcer) Randy Hales to safety. Russell continued to call the action. Fuchi and Morton started to brawl inside the food prep area and Gilbert and Onita join them soon afterwards. Morton threw both Onita and Fuchi on the prep table as then focused his attention on Yamamoto who joined them. Morton grabbed a small board under the stand and started to bludgeon Yamamoto with it as Gilbert grabbed Onita and threw him into another table on the other side of the stands.

Glass flew everywhere as the brawl continued as Fuchi grabbed a tablecloth and tried to smother Morton with it. Gilbert grabbed a large tub of ice and slammed it on Yamamoto. Gilbert wacked Onita with a board and the blood was flowing from Onita’s head. Morton slammed a mustard tub (NOT THE MUSTARD!!!) on Yamamoto’s head. Gilbert went after Onita with another table.

Fuchi snuck behind Gilbert and attacked but Gilbert threw a bottle of mustard onto Fuchi and blinded him. Onita’s head was gushing, too, but he started to choke Morton as Gilbert and Fuchi battled amongst the condiments. Morton hit Yamamoto with another board drawing even more blood.

Morton threw Onita into the ice machine (that had to be at least a little refreshing,) Morton clobbered Onita with a  metal trash can. Gilbert got the trash can lid and now he attacked Yamamoto and Fuchi. Fuchi tried to eye rake Gilbert to stop the assault. By this point, Marlin came to the stands to somehow get cooler heads to prevail.

By this point, mustard was everywhere and Fuchi was almost ice skating to Gilbert to attack. Referee Paul Morton was doing the same. Fuchi chopped away at Gilbert as Gilbert fended him off with a board. Gilbert took the board and then went to work on Yamamoto and then hit Fuchi repeatedly in the head with the board.

Onita, at this point, took the garbage can and hit Rich over the head with it. Onita held Morton in place on the floor and Yamamoto hit him in the head with the trash can lid. Yamamoto and Onita were about .8 on the Muta Scale. Marlin was doing his best to separate Gilbert and Fuchi. Fuchi grabbed a board and Gilbert grabbed a large stool (for seating) and started to duel. Marlin skated his way to Morton and got him separated and flopped him on and over the concession stand counter. Malin did the same with Gilbert. Marlin joined them and cooler heads started to finally prevail.

Or did they? Yamamoto grabbed an official and started to strangle and slap him in the food prep area. A young lady (possibly working the stands) tried to stand between the two and she got chopped and hit for her actions!!! Marlin finally came to the rescue and pushed Yamamoto to the side. We get a quick edit and Morton and Gilbert came back into the stands and attacked Fuchi and Onita. Gilbert hit Yamamoto with a plastic garbage can and then focused on Onita. Morton paired off with Fuchi and fought on the food prep table.

Morton waylaid Yamamoto with another trash can shot and Yamamoto was prone on the floor. Gilbert and Onita fought as Onita had the kendo stick. Marlin had to skate around the area to break up the fight again. Yamamoto arose and grabbed the garbage can. Morton saw him and grabbed a cooking pot (or a pail) and hammered Yamamoto with it. Fuchi and Gilbert took turns grabbing the garbage can and lid and hitting each other with it. One funny moment was Russell’s commentary:
“I don’t how much of it we can show but just keep shooting it”

All three heels ganged up on Gilbert until Morton grabbed a broom handle and attacked Fuchi with it and then turned to Onita and Yamamoto. Gilbert hammered Onita with the pot/pail again. We get another cut and Fuchi was ready to nail Gilbert with a garbage can lid until Morton grabbed the broom handle and hit Fuchi.

We get another edit and see Yamamoto with the broom as Marlin tried to shoo him away until Morton decked him. Meanwhile, Morton AND Onita BRAWLED ON THE FLOOR. Morton grabbed an object and started to deck Yamamoto with it. Gilbert launched a garbage can at Fuchi and started to brawl with the broom handle. Onita and Yamamoto had all but collapsed on the floor and Morton was just about spent. Gilbert whacked Yamamoto and Onita with the plastic garbage can as help came from the back to get the parties separated. Onita flopped over the concession stand counter. Meanwhile, Fuchi shooed away Marlin but Marlin finally got Fuchi over the counter – not without one last shot from Gilbert.

Morton followed Gilbert and the two heels and started to brawl to the backstage area as Yamamoto grabbed a board and we fade to black…….

(phew…..)

To wrap things up we go to back to the WMC studios and we see Russell congratulate the new Southern Tag Team Champions – Lawler and Dundee – for winning the titles from Tanaka and Fuji (according to the internet, this was on the June, 9, 1979 airing.)

Lawler said they were fortunate to be tag champs since Fuji, Tanaka and Gorgeous George Jr had been raising protests about the match since the first match had Dundee as a substitute but AWA sanctioned the match that lead to the title change (originally it was to be Lawler and Thunderbolt Patterson challenging for the belts.)

Dundee said if they were so worried, Tanaka and Fuji should not have put the tag titles up but now they are crying like little babies over spilt milk but now the milk will be put back together (not quite how that works but he’s rolling) because they are champions and are going to stay that way. We then go to the highlights of the match from the Mid-Southern Coliseum.

Naturally, it’s JIP as Lawler whipped Fuji into the turnbuckles and bodyslammed him as he returned. He also bodyslammed Tanaka for good measure. He took turns bodyslamming the heels. We get a brief cut and see Fuji with (presumably) salt in his fist as he held it from the referee. Lawler and Dundee tried to warn the referee about it but at that point Tanaka attacked Dundee. That distracted the referee and Fuji rubbed the salt in Lawler’s eyes.

Fuji pleaded his case to the referee and accosted Dundee for good measure. That gave Tanaka a chance to attack Lawler, who was struggling to see. The referee restrained Tanaka and sent him back to his corner but Fuji went back on the attack.

We get another small cut and Fuji has Lawler in an armlock but, uh-oh, Lawler has his fist balled. Lawler started to land a right hook to Fuji’s head repeatedly until Fuji chopped Lawler over the ropes and to the floor. Dundee helped and encouraged Lawler into the ring but Fuji was waiting and started to chop away at “The King.” Lawler started to rally and started to no-sell the chops and started to land body shots to Fuji.

We get an odd insert reaction shot of Lawler in the studio as Lawler rallied and dodged a Fuji charge into the corner. Fuji flew to the floor. Lawler started to wallop Tanaka who entered the ring as Dundee took advantage and beat on Fuji on the floor. Dundee got the tag and nailed Tanaka with a shot off the ropes. Dundee grabbed a sleeperhold until Fuji interrupted the pin (we now get reaction footage from Dundee in the studio.)

Fuji chopped Dundee off the ropes and stomped him for a two count until Lawler interrupted the pin this time.  Tanaka tagged again and applied a nerve hold on Dundee. Fuji snuck into the ring and yanked Dundee by the hair to drop him to the canvas. Tanaka reapplied the hold and Fuji did the same thing.  One more nerve hold application as Dundee tried to leap into the tag but fell just short.

Dundee slugged his way out of the hold and tried to leap again to tag but Tanaka caught him and dragged him back to the corner. Tanaka dropped  Dundee and we go back to the nerve hold – again. This time Dundee managed to crawl his way to the corner and made the hot tag to Lawler.

Lawler slugged away on Tanaka as Dundee hit a dropkick to stop Fuji from interfering. Lawler dropped a series of punches on Tanaka on the mat as Fuji managed to succumb Dundee and threw him out of the ring. Fuji stomped on Lawler and slammed Lalwer. Fuji climbed to the top rope and tried the bombs away splash but got nothing but canvas. He writhed on the canvas which gave Lawler a chance to hit an elbow drop and we have new tag team champions.

We go back to the studio as Dundee and Lawler joked with Russell and left the announce area as Russell throws it to commercial and we fade to black.

Long Distance Information:

One: I guess as a wrestling fan, I owed it to see the concession stand brawl that was the stuff of lore in the territories. Now that I saw it, I guess It’s one off the bucket list. It was completely bonkers and, luckily, the last one ever done (at least in Memphis.) It’s odd to see that what we accept as routinized in modern wrestling (for better or for worse) started in a mid-sized town in Mississippi more known for being the birthplace of Elvis Presley. Onita knew how to sell the matches (here and abroad) but got caught up in trying to do too much and one-upmanship turned rapidly into one-downmanship and now the matches just don’t resonate like they did. Oversaturation can be a bad thing. And yeah, attacking the woman (albeit just briefly) really was not a good look, even if they were heels.

Two: A bit of history as relates to the Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl. The first brawl was related to the last segment in the review. Dundee and Lawler lost the titles on June 15, 1979 to the Blonde Bombers in the first Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl Match.

Three: Compounding that, Lawler and Dundee got the tag titles from Tanaka and Fuji after the heels won them in the match with Dundee and Fuller earlier in the review.

Four: Dundee is still one of those, I argue, that got the business. His offense looked okay at best but showed how to set up a match psychologically. He had people eating out of his hand on his comebacks and in his matches and interviews. He was in the perfect spot and the perfect time and he took advantage of it and did not let it get the better of him.

Five: One guy I discovered was Charles. I had seen previous British wrestlers stateside when I was young (I mentioned Thornton earlier but also Billy Robinson and later Chris Adams.) They all knew how to wrestle and just had a presence about him that really sold the sport as being just that. They knew all the holds and just seemed like a smarter type of style than what we previously saw.

Six: The one downside was the repetition of holds. I can go without seeing another surfboard hold or nerve hold. I get the cool downs and heat spots but some variation would have been nice. But, to their credit, they knew when to do it and how to effectively use those moments. I would like to have seen more variety, though.

Seven: You could see why McMahon Sr. took a shot at Latham as a Moondog. He was fast for a big guy and knew how to effectively brawl. Farris is one who seemed lost and struggled at times, out there. Luckily, he had great mic skills and eventually the in ring was close enough to his mic work to make a legendary heel in the WWE(F.)

Eight: It’s utterly fascinating to see Lawler and Valiant in a throw away match on TV, knowing what happened the day after the taping – even  more so is how the Lawler injury would change him and the wrestling world. That is how one capitalizes on a bad situation. Kudos to Marlin and Jarrett on having Dundee (and turning Valiant) in the bullpen and not a miss a beat until Lawler returned. It helps to keep talent stockpiled for just an emergency. There are some companies now that would heed that wisdom accordingly. Just saying.

Nine:  Also, credit to Jarrett and Marlin for seeing talent and fostering accordingly to keep the cupboards full with young talent like Morton and Gilbert. They had the genes but knew the business and how to apply the fabled Memphis psychology.

10: One side note for history purposes, Dundee and Jarrett never got their revenge but Jarrett and Yamamoto got their revenge on the Bombers in one of Yamamoto’s 9837 turns.

11: Fuller was also amongst those who knew the business and how to apply it in matches. It seemed a natural but we have seen as many flops and successes. Fuller is definitely a success.

12: Valiant is hard to define to a modern audience. It is almost “you had to be there” because as a kid in a simpler time, you hung on his enthusiasm and charisma and his ability to have fun to rope you into a match and interview of his. It’s odd to describe but yeah, you had to be there. He was oddly memorable.

13: Tanaka had such an amazing aura to him. Even as a kid, you knew his reputation in the ring; moreover, he was in big budget action films that just personified the “special attraction” when he was in the area. He sold it perfectly, too. He was another one that understood the assignment and aced it -think Tomohiro Ishii for Generation X folks. 

Lastly: As a mustard lover, it saddened me to see that much mustard go to waste. Mustard is the greatest condiment and will not stand for it as a superfluous prop in a match. I stand with French’s and Nathan’s Hot Dogs and Guldens and Colman’s. Unite.

Keep Fighting the Good Fight

Greetings all and welcome to another week of TNA Impact Wrestling. We are still in Brampton, Ontario, Canada at the CAA Arena as we have our last episode before we head back stateside bounding away to Bound for Glory. Brampton is the “flower city of Canada,” so let’s put the petal to the metal with Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt announcing duties. Gia Miller is anything but a wallflower as she handles backstage segments and leaf it to  McKenzie Mitchell to let us know who is who in the ring. So sit back, relax and see who rose to the occasion with some Total Non-Stop Analysis. Shall we? We shall.

(Side Note: As always, take some time and appreciate the great folks who give this site energy and nourishment by their writings and reviews. Show them some love and give them a read or two. We all appreciate it. And now….our feature presentation. 

Previously on Impact,  we get the verbal confrontation last week between Frankie Kazarian and Moose, leading to the match tonight where Moose put up his career (but in which corner will be Avery Styles.) We also get Leon Slater who was (almost) killed by a forklift before Nic Nemeth  faced Matt Hardy  to defend the TNA Heavyweight Championship.

The lead singer of the theme is ready for you. You have been duly warned.

We go immediately to the ring for the first match:

TNA Knockouts TV Title Match: Kiera Hogan (with Allie in tow) vs. M by Elegance (with the By Elegance Brand in tow)

Hogan is out first and got a decent applause (more so for Allie, presumably.) Hannifin noted that this is the first ever defense of the tournament. BUT HOLD EVERYTHING,  do you know what the PC loves Canada? Leaving. He can’t wait to get on a plane and fly over…Lake America (loud boos ensue.) He wants to crowd to show some class and welcome M…by Elegance. M headed out next and got a decent round of boos (one sign read “You’ll always be Lake Ontario to Me.”

Hogan got the initial advantage with an armlock  which Me reversed. M drove her to the at using her knee to the ribs as leverage.  The two traded arm locks as M cartwheeled out of the armlock and then posed to the crowd. That gave Hogan a chance for a roll up for two. Hogan tripped M into the ropes and hit the Rear View on the ropes and then a step up leg drop for a two count.

M tried to escape to ethe apron but Hogan grabbed her and ran her into the turnbuckles. M blocked the second attempt with a kick and then climbed to the second rope for a blockbuster  and a two count. M mauled Hogan on the mat and then a Rear View of her own off the ropes and then a seated dropkick for a two count.

M hit a surfboard hold using her knee to the back as extra leverage. Hogan got to her feet but M sent her down with a hair pull. M got Hogan on her shoulders but Hogan escaped and used a series of kicks and chops to get the advantage. Two running forearm smashes and a missile dropkick sent M to the corner and landed another hip attack in the corner. A sliding kick to the corner got a two count.

M seemed stunned as Hogan tried for her finisher, Face the Music (fisherman neckbreaker,) M escaped with a superkick (and a “Lake Ontario” chant emerged.) A spinning code breaker got a two count for M who quickly climbed to the top rope but a moonsault got nothing but canvas. Hogan scaled the turnbuckles and hit another missile dropkick for a two count. M grabbed Hogan for a piledriver attempt but Hogan rolled her up for a two count. Hogan landed a superkick and hit a back elbow on a charging M. However, Hogan climbed the turnbuckles but M yanked her down. NOW, M grabbed Hogan and hit the Piledriver variation for the victory.

Post-Match: TNA President Carlos Silva climbed in the ring and presented M the title. We get the highlights of the final moments. M posed with the title on the turnbuckles as we immediately go backstage to…

Miller who is with Slater. Slater seemed none the worse for wear after last week’s assault. Miller said his path to BFG is set as he faces Nemeth for the world title but this week it is little brother, Ryan. Slater said Nic is one of the best in the world and is one of the best of the generation. It’s a shame that Nic is the way he is and that he had sent Ryan to lay him out tonight. Tonight, Slater is going to beat the ras out of Ryan, ya get him?

The feed goes squirrely wonky but we soldier forward and when we come back (choppy as it is,) we come back to Mila Moore checking with (presumably) Mustafa Ali. John Skyler came into the shot and wanted to make sure she was okay after the brawl last week with Tasha Steelz. Moore asked what her problem was. Skyler said she is just overprotective of Jason Hotch. Moore said it was sweet that he checked on her. Hotch was getting ready to ask Moore something when she had to take a call and left the shot. Skyler said to no one “Do you want to go out with me?” he reiterated the line a few more times before we go to ringside.

X-Division qualifier L J Cleary vs. Rich Swann (with BDE in tow)

Cleary is out first and we get the insert promo and said he is living a beautiful life. He gives a Kit Wilson vibe as he said he is going to be the first Irish title holder in TNA History and that is a beautiful life.  Swann and BDE are next. We go over the qualifiers for the six way X-Division title match at Bound for Glory as Swann and BDE make their way to the ring (so far Aichner, Navarro and Alexander qualified.)

Sportsmanship is observed and we start with a  series of arm drags reversals. Cleary escaped a corner charge by Swann and slid under him twice from the apron. Cleary hit the dropkick off the ropes Swann avoided a monkey flip takedown and Swann hit a dropkick of his own and then hit the dance moves. Cleary and Swann traded armdrags and then hit simultaneous dropkicks and kip-ups and faced each other.

Swann dropped Cleary and hit a back kick from a snapmare. The crowd chanted “one more time” and Swann obliged. He also hit a Kick Back off the ropes. Cleary bailed to the ring and Swann followed him. Swann grabbed chair form under the ring and had Cleary take a seat. He kicked Cleary and then ran around the ring to land another kick (the crowd cheered him on with another “one more time” chant.) He did the same thing again. He tried a third time but Cleary had moved into the ring and dove between the ropes on Swann. Cleary threw Swann into the ring and hit the ropes for a spring board leap. However, Swann met him with a superkick.

Both wrestlers writhed on the mat but both arose. Swann charged the corner but Cleary evaded Swann and went to the apron. He shoulderblocked Swann and then a double footstomp to the back of Swann, who went to the floor. Cleary dove over the ropes and landed on Swann. However, Cleary threw Swann into the ring but Swann quickly recovered and went to the corner and hit a Phoenix Press to the floor Swann threw Cleary into the ring and climbed to the top and hit a Frog Splash for two and a fraction.

A “this is awesome” chant merged as Swann climbed to the top turnbuckle again for a Phoenix Splash but hit nothing but canvas. Cleary responded with a springboard enziguri and then got Swann on his shoulders for a DVD. Cleary got a two count. We GET an audio glitch with a replay of the Elijah and Sosa segment In the ring, the two traded shots, but Cleary hit a knee strike over the ropes. The two traded superkicks with Swann landing the better of tow. Swann got an enziguri in the corner and then a hurincanrana. Swann charged the corner but Cleary responded with a superkick of his own.  We had another trade of kicks with Swann getting the better of it. Swann tried for a handspring move but Cleary avoided it and hit a springboard Irish Goodbye (Canadian Destroyer) for two-and-a-fraction (a “fight forever” chant emerged.)

Cleary chopped Swann on the ropes but Swann ducked a Cleary charge. NOW, Swann hit the springboard Cutter for a two count. Swann got the crowd riled and NOW we get the Phoenix Splash from the top turnbuckle for the win.

Post-Match: Sportsmanship is observed as BDE applauded from the floor. NOW, we get the Ricky Sosa and Elijah sound with video. Sosa walked backstage and happened upon Elijah. Elijah said Sosa should not let anyone tell him that he doesn’t belong here. With that, they head through the backstage area and to the next match…after the break.

We come back to Bound For Glory hype featuring Slater. We also get Kazarian said he didn’t want this. He said he never thought Moose would never call his bluff and put his career on the line. He knows how important Moose’s career is, we all know this. Even from afar, Kazarian saw how Moose put TNA on his shoulders. He going to miss seeing his big butt here but he kept pushing Kazarian. He could have just taken the loss in Chicago and that’s it – no shame in it. Kazarian has to look after the future of TNA, including Styles and send him on the right path. He wishes Moose would be here to see Styles take off. He thanked Moose for all he did here in TNA and will be missed

The System (Cedric Alexander and Eddie Edwards with Alisha Edwards in tow) vs. Ricky Sosa and Elijah

The warning buzzer and Alisha telling us “you can’t beat the system” herald the heels to the ring. The lights go out and we hear the guitar strum and Elijah’s theme with the full introduction. Hannifan went over the angle last week as the System attacked Elijah. We get the “oooh, oooh” and Sosa’s theme starts and the crowd chants along with the theme.

Elijah and Edwards start as Edwards grabbed an armlock, only for Elijah to use a rope assisted backflip to reverse it into one of his own. Elijah dropped Edwards with a shoudlerblock and tagged Sosa with a double axe handle to the arm of Edwards. Sosa beat on Edwards in the corner and hit a body slam and a senton for a two count.

Edwards hit a double thrust to Sosa and tagged Alexander. Alexander tried to run Sosa to the ropes but Sosa bucked him off him and then hit a powerslam off the ropes. Elijah tagged back into the match and hit a series of knee strikes and a punch off the ropes with Alexander tangled in them. Elijah hit a Scorpion  Death Drop on Alexander and then grabbed his arm for the “Walk with Elijah” rope walk. He thwarted Edwards’ interference and hit a forwards smash from the top rope. Sosa helped by diving over the ropes to drop Edwards on the floor as a “TNA” chant emerged.

Elijah attacked Alexander on the floor but the two started to trade shots. Elijah slammed Alexander into the apron and brought him back into the ring. Alexander ran Elijah into the corner and tagged Edwards. Edwards attacked Elijha but Elijah managed to tag Sosa. The two hit a double back elbow off the ropes.

Sosa beat on Eddwards from ore corner to the other. A seated dropkick got a two count. Edwards got the advantage with a n eye rake and tagged Alexander. Alexander beat on Sosa in the corner with a series of punches and forearms. However, Sosa rallied with a punch and a kick in the face. Elijah tagged and hit a double axhandle rom the top on Alexander’s arm. He dropped Edwards in the corner.

Alexander tried to rally but was met with a clothesline by Elijah. Elijah landed a series of punches and a forearm shiver in the corner. Elijah threatened to hit the Highwayman’s Farewell (tombstone piledriver) but Alisha distracted the referee, giving Eddie time to save Alexander. Elijah dropped Eddie but Alexander hit a German Suplex and then a forearm shiver of his own. He followed it with a seated dropkick for a two count.

Alexander grabbed Elijah’s leg and tagged Edwards, who started to beat on Elijah. Eddie grabbed the chinlock and cinched it. Elijah tried to rally but Edwards thwarted him. Elijah finally started a rally with a boot to the jaw and then a mule kick to Edwards in the corner. However, Edwards met him with a back elbow and dropped Sosa form the apron. Alexander tagged  and beat on Elijah. Alexander kept the pressure on Elijah and choked him on the ropes with his elbow.

Edwards tagged back into the match ad and continued to beat on Eliah, taunting Sosa along the way. Eddie choked Elijah on the ropes and when the ref tried to restrain Eddie, Alisha choked Elijah from the floor. Alexander and Edwards  beat on Elijah in the corner. Edwards dropped Sosa gain from the apron. However, Edwards climbed to the second turnbuckle. Elijah met him with a leaping knee strike and tagged Sosa.

Sosa was a house on fire as he dropped the System components with a series of punches. He hit an enziguri on Edwards and then rolled up Alexander. Edwards tried to interfere but Sosa met him with a cutter. Sosa charged Alexande r and hit an hurincanrana . A twisting suplex got two-and-a-fraction. Sosa got the crowd riled and hit a running boot on Edwards. Elijah hit a Hero’s Welcome on Edwards for good measure. Sosa walloped Alexander with a shot and then sent him to Elijah who hit an airplane spin face first spin. Sosa hit a springboard moonsault for a two count until Edwards interrupted the pin.

Elijah grabbed Edwards and attempted another “Walk with Elijah.” Brian Myers and Bear Bronson came to ringside but Elijah leapt from the top rope onto them. Sosa sent Edward to the floor with a dropkick. Alexander tried to sneak from behind with a Lumbar Check but Sosa reversed that into a German Suplex. Sosa hit the corner and got the Head Shot (running uppercut) for the victory.

Post-Match: The fun was short lived as Edwards hit Sosa with a chair. Myers and Bronson beat on Elijah on the floor. Edwards grabbed Sosa and hit the package piledriver as Alexander screamed trash to hm. They set the chair in the ring and gathered around Sosa. Edwards sat on the chair with a mic and addressed Sosa. Edwards has been wrestling for as long as Sosa has been on this Earth. There have been tons of Ricky Sosas he faced but they realized this life isn’t for them. Now, words aren’t working so now it’s time for action. At BFG, it’s Edwards vs. Sosa. It will be time then to see if Sosa truly belongs in the locker room.

We cut to a vignette with a flute and the Righteous. Vincent said they gave BDE a choice but wanted to make their own decision, not because they wanted to but they saw something in him. Now, he is losing his mind. In the business, they’re all here because they’re not all there. Dutch said every bit of pain they inflicted on him is because they wanted to be something greater. BDE chose Swann and comfort over growth. Now, Vincent said, BDE wanted to make his way in the ring without them. Now, let’s see how they do against them. He and Swann made the decision. This is his last chance. He wants to grow the garden and see if they’re safe. Dig what they’re saying.

This feed is not the only thing ailing, here is the TNA Injury Report, brought to you by Sportsnet Canada. Xia Brookside is out with multiple contusions after her match last week with Gaby Forza, Hannifan also gave a shout out to Forza for her efforts. Slater is medically cleared despite his injury last week by the mystery attacker (that’s good because he is wrestling tonight.) Moose and Kazarian also cleared, despite Moose’s injured neck (also good, because that’s your main event tonight. If he loses, his career is over and he can heal at his own pace.)

We go to break. When we return, the feed magically is healed and we get the next match:

Ryan Nemeth (with Nic in tow) vs. Leon Slater

The brothers Nemeth make their way to the ringside as Nic heads to the announce table to join Hannifan and Rehwoldt. Slater is next to a big pop and people chanting to his theme. Hannifan congratulated Nic on his victory last week against Matt Hardy.

Nemeth said the gravity of the situation has settled. He propped up Slater and is glad he gets to beat him at Bound for Glory. Speaking of beating, Slater immediately stated to dominate Ryan, chopping away in the corner. Slater hit the 10-punch spot but Ryan shoved him to the mat on the 10^th punch. Slater rebounded with a rebound kick. Skater also connected with a handspring leaping back elbow off the ropes. Ryan went to the floor and Slater leapt over the ropes and dove on Ryan Slater eyed Nic and Nic said Slater better focus on this match. As he did that, Ryan recovered in the ring and landed a kick to Slater as he attempted to get in the ring. Nemeth also hit a standing neckbreaker on the apron.

Ryan continued the offense by whipping Slater into the turnbuckles hard and Slater crashed to the mat. Nemeth hit a running clothesline in the corner. Nemeth hit an elbow on Slater and gyrated. Slater got riled and started to rally against Nemeth by hitting a series of punches until Ryan eye raked Slater to quell the rally.

A huge “Let’s go Slater” chant emerged. Hannifan called him a “nepo baby”  and Rehwoldt and Nic said Ryan is a “nympho baby.” Ryan threw Slater into the ringpost and hit a leaping DDT for a two-and-a-fraction. Ryan slapped Sater but Slater recovered and hit a spinning roundhouse kick off the ropes.

Slater continued to rally  and hit a series of clotheslines off the ropes and a running big boot int the corner. Slater climbed to the top but Nemeth avoided the charge. Slater rolled though it and met Ryan with a Superkick. Slater got the crowd riled  and hit the Utopia (airplane spin Blue Thunder Bomb.) Slater climbed to the top rope and the Swanton 450 got the victory.

Post-Match: Nic got in the ring and assaulted Slater. Nic choked Slater on the mat. Ryan held Slater and Nic grabbed his TNA World title and hit a running belt shot to drop Slater. The Nemeths celebrated over Slater and around the ring.

We get a insert for Knockouts Action next but we go backstage to our intrepid romantic Skyler who has two roses in his hands is practicing how he is going to ask Moore on a date. He gets to Moore’s locker room (door is open) but hears Moore on the phone. She is talking to someone who said Skyler was going to ask him on a date. Moore said she would never go out with someone like John Skyler. Moore hammers the point ad infinitum. Crestfallen and heartbroken, Skyler dropped the two roses and walked away.

We go to Moose who is getting ready for his match tonight. There are some people who said Moose has had a Hall of Fame career in TNA. He might have made a mistake putting his career on the line against a wrestler like Kazarian. Kazarian is one of the best wrestlers on the roster. But they say you get the best of a man when his back is against the wall. He thinks about all the championships he won and that should be scary for him because that wasn’t his best – now, he will get the best because his back is against the wall. Tonight, he will find out why he is the Face of the Franchise.

Zoey Serrano vs. Harley Hudson

Serrano headed to the ring with the “head of security” to ensure no one gets into it with Serrano. Serrano accosts a member of the ringside crew holding cables but the Head of Security buffers himself between the two parties. Hudson is next and has a little more of her old self dancing and strutting her way to ringside

Hannifin, by the way, takes time to credit the wrestling world for coming together for Tenea Brooks (Rebel) he also hyped the IamALS.com site.

In the ring, Serrano immediately started the offense when the bell rang by yanking her to the mat and doing some plyo pushups. Hudson got behind Serrano and hit a slingshot arm drag off the ropes and shoulderblock of the ropes.  Serrano stopped the rally by beating on Hudson. Serrano chopped away on Hudson in the corner. Hudson tried to rally but Serrano threw her into the corner and put the boots to her.

Serrano hit an elbow smash to the back of Hudson. Hudson rallied with a series of chops in the  corner but Serrano hit a snapmare and a chinlock. Serrano cinched the hold. Hudson tried to rally again but Serrano quelled it and reapplied a chinlock. Hudson snapmared Serrano to escape and hit a series of forearms  and clotheslines to rally. A big boot off the ropes dropped Serrano and Hudson headbutted her down. Hudson it a series of hip attacks for a two count in the corner.

Hudson grabbed Serrano on her shoulders but Serano escaped and hit a back elbow. Serrano lifted Hudson but Hudson rolled through for a two count. Hudson attempted a corner splash but missed. Serrano caught her with a knee on the apron and back suplex after leaping over the ropes. She also hit a knee to the back of the head from a suplex position for a two count

Serrano tried for a powerbomb but Hudson flipped over it into a Code Red for a two count.. Hudson slid under the ropes and tripped Serrano. Hudson put Serrano into position on the apron and hit a legdrop for a two count. Hudson tried to pick up Serrano but was met with a superkick. Serrano flipped Hudson with a judo toss which lead to a knee strike. Serrano grabbed Hudson and hit the Hell and Back (the former Z360 knee strike) for the victory.

Post-Match:  Serrano celebrated on the turnbuckles and Daria Rae made her way to ringside. She congratulated Serrano and said that’s why she brought Serrano into TNA (a “diarrhea” chant emerged.) She told the crowd to shut up because she’s talking. However, Rae said Hudson had not learned her lesson and told Serrano to finish her. Serrano grabbed Hudson but Indi Hartwell ran to ringside to help Hudson. Serrano bailed to the floor and Hartwell grabbed a mic. She asked Rae if this how it is going to be? Anyone Rae can’t control; she is going to send Serrano to do her dirty work. Rae is trying to get rid of her and Hudson because they aren’t going anywhere. Rae said that is so sweet but Hartwell is on borrowed time.

We get hype for the main event and see Moose and Kazarian making their way backstage to the arena as we get the main event….after the break.

Next week (from three hours west on I-10 in San Antonio,) Swann and BDE vs. The Righteous, Elijah vs. Eddie Eduards, Elayna Black, Forza, Hudson and Jada Stone. We also get a three-way match between Trey Miguel, Jason Hotch and Mustafa Ali for the International Title.

Career on the line: Moose vs. Frankie Kazarian (with Avery Styles in tow)

Kazarian and Styles are first. They went over the events to the Slammiversary and recent activity between the two. Kazarian had the crown with him. Moose was next with a large chant during his theme. Hannifan ran down the accolades of Moose as he headed to ringside.

Kazarian immediately tried for the chicken wing but Moose escaped and hit a shoulderblock. A senton missed and Kazarian got a roll up for a two count. Kazarian taunted Moose and Moose tried to rally but a charge in the corner was met with a back elbow. Moose tried again but Kazarian ran from Moose but avoided a shoulderblock on the apron which Kazarian turned into a legdrop on the apron. Kazarian celebrated on the floor and got back into the ring.

Kazarian hit a backstabber and a sliding clothesline off the ropes. A slingshot legdrop got a two count. Kazarian continued to beat on Moose in the corner. However, Moose made a rally when Kazarian climbed on the turnbuckles and Moose hit the Go to Hell chokebomb for a two count. A running boot sent Kazarian from the apron to the floor.. Moose readied himself and leapt over the ropes but Kazarian moved. Moose landed on his feet. Moose climbed on the apron and evaded the slingshot cutter. Moose hit a splash over the ropes for a two count

A “Moose” chant emerged as Moose continued to beat on Kazarian but Kazarian avoided a powerbomb. He threw Moose to the corner but Moose scaled the turnbuckles and leapt right into a cutter for two-and-a-fraction. Kazarian continued his attack as Moose went to the floor hit an axhandle for the apron. Moose blocked a suplex attack but Kazarian continued to beat on Moose. Moose tried a suplex but was unsuccessful. Kazarian continued to beat on Moose until Moose blocked a punch and sent Kazarian hurdling into the ring steps.

Moose continued to attack Kazarian on the floor with a series of loud chops. Moose quieted the crowd so they could hear the chop. Moose sent Kazarian into a ringpost. Moose grabbed Kazarian over his shoulder and tried to run him into the ringpost but Kazarian reversed it and Moose collided with the post. Kazarian continued his assault in the ring as an “Avery Styles” chant emerged.

Both combatants hit the ropes and hit simultaneous clotheslines off multiple cris-crosses on the ropes. They both arose and traded chops with Moose getting the better of it. Moose no sold a series of Kazarian clothesline and hit a headbutt. Kazarian still had the wherewithal to evade a clothesline and rollup Moose for a two count and counter an urinagi for another two count.

Kazarian tried for a backslide but Moose escaped. Moose tried for a powerbomb and Kazarian reversed it to a hurincanrana. Moose countered with a boot. Kazarian dropped Moose with a clothesline but got a one count for his efforts. Moose started to Moose up and the crowd chanted with him.

Another headbutt staggered Kazarian and Moose capitalized by Hitting the Stick (Spear) but Kazarian rolled out of the ring before Moose could pin “The King.” Moose stalked Kazarian on the floor and charged. However, Kazarian backdropped Moose into the official’s table at ringside. Kazarian staggered to the ring. Moose laid prone on the floor. The referee started to count and Moose slowly crawled to the ring. Moose beat the count but Kazarian was ready to strike with a sliding dropkick.

Kazarian leapt over the ropes and nailed a DDT on the apron. Kazarian slid Moose into the ring and hit the Fade to Black for two-and-a-fraction. Kazarian looked frustrated but stalked Moose.  He got behind Moose and locked in the Chicken Wing. Moose tried to fight out of the hold as Kazarian cinched in the hold. The referee did the arm drop test but Moose kept his arm from falling.

Moose rallied one more and landed a series of elbows and turned Kazarian on his shoulders for a two count. Kazarian released the hold and Moose Hit the Stick for another two-and-a-fraction. Moose looked flummoxed but tried to rally one more time. Moose got ready in the corner and attempted another Spear; however, Kazarian caught him and attempted another Fade to Black. However, Moose escaped and Kazarian hit the ropes for another springboard move. However, Moose was ready and Hit the Stick whilst Kazarian was in midair. Moose got ready and we Hit the Stick again. The fourth time is the charm and Moose got the victory.

Post-Match: Moose celebrated and the crowd chanted along with the theme. We get highlights of the finish. Moose headed to the floor and grabbed the crown and a chair. He slid the chair into the ring and brought the crown with him. He put the crown on the mat and crushed it with the chair (apparently the crown was a Dollarama purchase, after all.) Hannifan said there are no king in TNA, just a face of the franchise.

BUT HOLD EVERYTHING, we see Matt Hardy laying on the floor backstage and two sets of legs stand over him. We hear tense music and the two assailants (presuming they are assailants since they did not help Hardy) walked off screen and we go off air.

Impactful Discourse:

One: The main event was not bad and Moose is still gainfully employed. Given his age and wear and tear, he might be here for the long haul. I am curious what this does to the dynamic with Avery Styles but maybe the super ego wins this time and Styles sides with good. They are not ready to do anything with him and I imagine he has a long way to go as he was nowhere near interfering in the match by some means for one of the other.

Two: The mystery assailant(s) have legs. There is some speculation on who these two are but given the news of the morning (September 17,) hopefully we don’t get sick of it and enjoy the slow burn. I don’t know if it is a home run which would be nice and ask why ought a company do this angle but let’s see if this becomes a fire to light the way and have the company fly to attendance they had last year. At least, something to note in this InDex discussion.

Three: Serrano looked great in the ring but then had to act the part. The Head of Security being there just seemed silly. I don’t think you need to go this over the top for a character that could just be a butt kicker. Having her as Rae’s muscle is enough and has Rae do the heavy character lifting. But, again, in the ring, Serrano looked the part and glad to see her moving well after the surgery.

Four: There are subtle tests to my commitment to sobriety. It’s the little things that trip you and turn you into your worst self. It is then your character is tested and succeeds. For example, dealing with this feed. This is what I paid 149.99 a year. But, I got through it with resolve to deliver this. Also, this is no way to run a railroad with another audio glitch with the Sosa promo. I got it done, though. You are welcome.

Five: I am baffled by this Skyler romantic interest in Moore. It seemed too random. I would not be a fan if THIS was the impetus to reform the Great Hands. There are a lot of ways to get that done. This seems the most random and not fan of it. Also, Moore tried way too hard to sell the disdain she had for Skyler wanting to ask her on a date. The only way this could make sense is Ali going to Skyler and kindly belittling him that there was no way he would have a shot with Moore.

Six: The upside, though, Ali returns next week.

Seven: The Swann match was fait accompli. I do like they are trying to sell some sense of peril in the matches and the established talent gave their opponents moments to shine. The question now become, do the three who lost the X-Division qualifying matches (Cleary, Raju and Alonso) have future plans in TNA. I wouldn’t mind seeing them, although Cleary reminded me of Irish Kit Wilson. We need some young talents and from the proverbial rumor mill, the “big gets” are not youthfully inclined.

Eight: M looked great as usual in her match. Solid defense and looked great against the proverbial good hand in Hogan. I am curious about the trajectory in her career and do like how Hannifan sewed some seeds of dissent by questioning where M was last week during Heather’s match.

Nine: Another great promo by the Righteous for a feud that leads nowhere. They are doing great in a no-win situation. If they win, great, they beat two mid card guys but are nowhere near the tag team division title hunt. If they lose, then they are 0-2 in feuds. Weren’t they after the System for actions during the match at Slammiversary. Speaking of which…

10: The System continue to be fillers at this point. They have actually started to stain Sosa and don’t have the same appeal that he had at the onset. The quicker he gets through this, the quicker he can get to bigger things.

11: Slater’s match was another fait accompli and another means to keep the water churning for the Bound For Glory match with Nic Nemeth. For a company needing another fresh star and to get eyes back on the product, Slater beating Nemeth has to be end result. He (apologies to Moose) is the face of the franchise.

Lastly: “Nympho Baby.” Man, Fatu is never going to live that one down, is he? Good luck, Zilla.

Keep Fighting the Good Fight

Greetings, everyone, and welcome back to another review of TNA Impact coming again from the CAA center in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. It’s just a stone’s throw from Niagara Falls and was originally known as “Buffy’s Corners” in the 1820’s. Speaking of slaying things, Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt are on play by play, Gia Miller makes we are not over a barrel with backstage happenings and McKenzie Mitchell keeps the action flowing with ring introductions. Hannifan still calls it the “greater Toronto area” but nothing is greater than you, the reader. So, sit back, relax and get ready for some Total Non-Stop Analysis. Shall we? We shall.

(side note: this is hard to do as it is for all of the writers/reviewers here. If you get a chance, appreciate the efforts by reading their work and maybe commentating on it. We all appreciate it. And now, our feature presentation.)

Previously on Impact,  we get highlights of the Indi Hartwell and Harley Hudson vs. Xia Brookside and Zoey Serrano. We also get Daria Rae set up a match with Gabby Forza and Brookside.  We get a recap of the Nic Nemeth vs. Matt Hardy feud with Jeff Hardy  and a week later, Ryan Nemeth being taken out by a mystery assailant(s.) That’s set up a World Title match tonight

Speaking of tonight, the singer of tonight’s theme is ready for you. Hannifan greats us and we go straight to action:

Elayna Black vs. Heather by Elegance (with Mr. Elegance and The Personal Concierge in tow)

Black is out first to a smattering of a pop. Hannifan and Rewholdt go over her near misses for Knockout singles titles. BUT HOLD EVERYTHING, the PC comes to the rampway and notices there are no ladies or gentleman just a bunch of filthy pigs in Canada. They should show some respect for the only lady in the arena – Heather by Elegance.

Black got the initial start with a headlock takeover and a snapmare into a seated dropkick. She also hit a knee strike and a series of forearm shivers in the ropes. Black  kept the onslaught going with by tripping Heather into a ropes and hitting a sliding back elbow and another knee strike that sent Heather to the floor.

Mr. Elegance distracted Black on the apron, which gave Heather time to sneak underneath he bunting, grab Black’s leg and yank her to the canvas. Heather climbed to the turnbuckles and hit a flying bodypress to the floor. Heather continued to maul Black on the floor and threw her in the ring, stopping only to pose for the fans.

Heather continued her punch  offense and an arm snapmare sent Black to the corner. Another regular snapmare  turned into a kick in the back. Heather worked the arm and back on the mat and cinched the hold. Heather snapped the arm posed again on the turnbuckles.

Hather continued the pounding on Black. A rally by Black was ended with another knee to the torso. Heather grabbed an arm submission until the much taller Black stood up and Samoan Dropped Heather to the mat. A Heather charge into the corner was met by boots. Black followed that with a series of clotheslines and a running knee strike in the corner. Another corner charge ended badly for Heather and Black hit another knee strike followed by a gut wrench suplex for a two count.

Heather got the momentum back after reversing the Blackout (double underhook neckbreaker) into a variation of Eat Defeat (only on the arm, not the jaw.) In the corner, Heather yanked Black down to the mat with her legs. Heather climbed to the top and attempted the double foot stomp. Black moved but Heather rolled through it. However, it was kick, wham, Blackout for Black for the victory.

Post-Match: Rehwoldt said this is step one for Heather on the path to the Knockouts TV title as we get a replay of the final moments.

From there, we go to Miller with the fully recovered Ryan Nemeth. Ryan said he was a victim of a heinous attack last week. We all saw it (get it???)  It’s okay because his big brother is not only the best champion in TNA history but the best detective. He already found the guilty party – Matt Hardy. Miller asked for any evidence, Ryan said he didn’t see it with his eyes but knew it was him. Tonight, it is no disqualification match and he can go down to ringside and do what Matt did to him. Since he is the part of the greatest family in wrestling – the Nemeths. He heads off shot and we get a rundown of the rest of the card and the King’s Speech…after the break.

We comeback to Hannifan saying our sponsor tonight is the Sandman Hotel Group for the ultimate “Slamcation” but only for Canadians. Boooo….I’m going to tell the president about this.

We go backstage to Jason Hotch warming up backstage when Rae entered the shot. She said he better get ready for his match. What match, he asked? Rade said Ali made a recommendation that Hotch face Agent Zero. Compounding that, the special referee is Mila Moore.

Meanwhile, Frankie Kazarian  heads to ringside with Avery Styles for the “King’s Speech.” The crowd is not appreciative but Kazarian didn’t hear it that way. Kazarian welcomed us to “The King’s Speech.” Tonight’s guest is, well, a coronation. At Lockdown, there were two men in a cage, one was a handsome man who was a grand slam champion and the other was Moose. There could be only one and now Kazarian is now “the Face of the Franchise.”

We pulled a scarf away on a stool and a crown was underneath. He said since he is the King of TNA, a crown is deserved. This crown is not a handout, unlike Canadians who love handouts – like free health care. He earned this crown for being so good for so long. He will wear this as a statement as a fact he stands alone as the one true king of TNA.

BUT HOLD EVERYTHING, Moose’s music started, the crowd was heavy into the “Moose” chant. Moose had a mic and headed to the ring. He asked Frankie to look at himself. He said Kazarian looked ridiculous. This is what is has come down to – a freakin’ crown (Kazarian tried to correct him and said he looked awesome.) Moose decried the crown as looking like something from Dollar-a-Rama (presuming that is a Dollar Store variation in Canada. Nonetheless, the crowd chanted “Dollar-a-Rama.”) Kazarian said it was the dumbest chant of the year (well……) Moose said he would give it to him – he won at Lockdown. But everyone knows, he got lucky. Kazarian asked how?

He is gloating, celebrating and had a cheap crown. He didn’t pin or win by submission but all he did was escape him. He barely did that as Moose made a mistake and speared him out of the cage. Kazarian reminded “the big dumb animal” that those were the rules and would like to get back to his coronation.

Moose said the words that come to him was –  not awesome champ and snappy dresser like Kazarian said – but a female dog. Naturally, that chant emerged. Kazarian said he is trying to get his under his skin but he is too cool for that. Also, he is doing what Moose does – politicking, according to Kazarian. There won’t be another cage match, Kazarian match. Moose admitted he was politicking but not a cage match, but a match next week by pin or submission.

Kazarian said he nothing to gain from a match or defeating him again. He asked Moose to leave again. Moose said a real king would grant him a match. Kazarian steadfastly refused. Moose played to Kazarian’s ego and said no woman or man in the locker room would see him as a king without granting him the match.

Kazarian relented and said yes with a giant but (Kazarian asked Moose if liked big butts. Moose couldn’t lie, the other wrestlers couldn’t deny…fine I’ll stop…) The “but” in this case is if Moose loses, he leaves TNA forever. It’s like that and that’s the way it is (y’see, a much better rap song.) Moose agreed and Moose asked Kazarian bring the crown with him. Kazarian he will wear this crown to Moose’s funeral,

Hannifan and Rehwoldt asked how Styles could look at Kazarian in the same way after Kazarian denied Styles a match with A J Francis. We get another rundown of the card and another qualifier for the X-Division match at Bound for Glory…after the break,

We comeback and go backstage to a very ebullient Forza warning up as Miller walked into the shot and asked her about her second match ever on Impact and will challenge Brookside for the Knockouts World Title. Forza said she thought she would be nervous but she is pumped up that she is going for the gold of all gold. She thought she would have to bulldoze her way through the Knockouts one by one but she had a little luck and Rae put her to the front of the line and no one can say no to that. She will give it her all tonight for all the gnomes out there and gnomes love gold.

X-Division Championship Qualifier Rohit Raju vs. Fabian Aichner

I don’t know if it is a Brampton thing, but the last time I saw Raju was in Brampton last year. Mitchell said Raju’s mom called him son because he shines like one. Cool line. We get an insert promo from Raju, too. God created all men equal and then created him as the sequel (huh??) He is a former X-Division title holder and he heard that it’s X-Division qualifying time.

We are also joined by K C Navarro at the announce table. They went over his match last week. Navarro said he is blessed. He has lost every title match in TNA but he feels blessed this time around. Hannifan brought up that he pushed Nic Nemeth to the limit in his TNA World Title match a month ago,

We get “Vini, Vidi, Vici” to herald “Il Gladiatore” to the ring. Hannifan went over Aichner’s run in the X-Division and asked Navarro what is it like to be in the ring with Aichner (see Ultimate X.)  He said he could move but has never faced Navarro one-on-one.

In the ring, Raju bowed up to Aichner, earning a shove into the ropes. Aichner got the initial advantage by a go behind takedown where Aichner threw Raju into the corner. Aichner got a two count from a hiptoss takedown. Aichner cinched in a side headlock.  Raju broke it by assaulting in the corner. Raju flipped over an Aichner charge into the corner. However, Aichner caught Raju with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker off the ropes.

Aichner got Raju on his shoulders but Raju eyeraked his way out of it and hit a knee to the back of Aichner that sent “Il Gladiatore” through the ropes to the floor. Hannifan talked about the old “Defeat Rohit” challenge from a few years ago and Rehwoldt said that might come back if Raju wins the title. Raju missed a dropkick through the ropes but evaded an Aichner big boot. Raju shoulderblocked Aichner into the ring steps. Raju continued the assault by running Aichner back first into the apron,

Aichner threw Rajus into the ring but Aichner had enough and tried to rally. Raju reversed a backbreaker and hit a leg sweep kick and followed it with a double stomp for a two count. Raju stomped on Aichner’s hand and  continued to beat on Raju until Aichner hit a chop and hit the ropes for a hard body press. After a running back elbow in the corner, Aichner threw Raju into the opposite corner. Raju tried to thwart Aichner but Aichner caught him leaping off the ropes. A forward roll turned into a second turnbuckle moonsalut for a two count.

Aichner grabbed Raju and attempted a powerbomb. Raju escaped and caught Aichner with a knees strike as Aichner again leapt off the ropes. Raju hit a Sister Abigail for two-and-a-fraction. Raju stomped Aichner and taunted the fans.

We also get this dialogue (as Navarro is talking up Leon Slater.)
Rehwoldt: Do you all want a room? You both keep fluffing yourselves up?”
Hannifan: “So do you need to be fluffed?”
Rehwoldt: “Shut your mouth.”

In the ring, Raju  whipped Aichner into the turnbuckles and reversed another tilt-a-whirl backbreaker into a DDT for a two count for another two-and-a-fraction. Raju got Aichner into position and climbed to the top. Aichner moved and Raju rolled through the leap. Aichner charged Raju, blocked a kick attempt and hit a short-arm clothesline.  He lifted Raju up and NOW we get the Powerbomb (called the “Hasta La Vista”) for the win.

Post-Match:  We get the replay of the finish as Aigner posed on the corner. Navarro said he is very happy Aichner won and is looking forward to the X-Division match.

We go to a vignette of Serrano and her growing up in San Bernardino, CA. She said she moved more times than she could count. There was one constant in her life – turning on TV and watching pro wrestling. What did she do? She graduated from Hight School and immediately enrolled in a wrestling school. She won titles and traveled around the world and had the world in the palm of her hand and then one fateful night, he life changed. Fourteen years of blood, sweat and tears, gone just like that (snapped her fingers as visual aid.)

She had to evaluate herself. It finally clicked; she wasn’t true to herself. She was always trying to make everyone happy. In TNA, all that has changed. She doesn’t need to shake her glutes and have a 15-second viral video. She has to be true to who she is – she is the very best when it comes to the business. She is the pinnacle and that no one can lace her boots Like it or not, the locker room is looking at the new face of the Knockouts Division. That is the purest mentality.

From there, we go to see Hotch and Agent Zero headed from backstage to the ring for their match…next.

Agent Zero (with Order Four in tow – sans Mustafa Ali) vs. Jason Hotch (with Mila Moore as special referee)

Zero is out first as John Skyler joined Rehwoldt and Hannifan on commentary. Skyler looked worried but greeted the two. Hannifan said this past month has been a complex situation to him, given his friendship with Hotch and his affiliation with Ali. Skyler agreed and said he was at a loss. A year ago, they reunited in Brampton and now he is seeing his family disintegrate.

Hotch is next with camera effects. They talked about the match last week between Hotch and Trey Miguel that was interrupted and abruptly ended by Zero. As they were talking, Zero snuck behind Hotch who was posing in the corner and waffled him. Zero continued the onslaught in the corner with shoulderblocks and forearms. Zero short-armed clothesline Hotch out of the corner as Hannifan pressed Skyler on what he thought of Ali’s actions as of late. Skyler said he does not agree with everything Ali does but Ali is his leader.

Zero continued to beat on Hotch and a huge Beel throw out of the corner. Zero also hit a release vertical suplex. Skyler said Ali was a hypocrite at times and some lines were crossed. Zero quelled a Hotch rally and threw him hard into the corner and started to uppercut Hotch in the abdomen.

Zero headbutted Hotch to the mat and hit a huge legdrop off the ropes for a two count. Tasha Steelz  started to jaw with Moore as Hotch started a prolonged rally with a series of punches and an enziguri from a blocked kick. However, Moore didn’t make the count. Steelz continued to  jaw with Moore as a “ref, you suck” chant emerged (loud one, too.) In the ring, Zero hit a powerslam off the ropes. Skyler stated to talk up Zero. Zero hit a clothesline out of the corner (with 360 sell job by Hotch.)

Zero started to wallop Hotch, who was draped on the ropes as Moore jawed with Steelz, ignoring the action. Zero choked Hotch on the ropes. Hotch tried another rally but Moore stopped him since was in the corner (I mean, she wasn’t wrong..) The momentary distraction gave Zero time to headbutt Hotch to the mat again. Zero gorilla pressed Hotch but Hotch escaped and attempted another rally. Hotch ducked a clothesline and hit a superkick. Hotch followed it with a Tornado DDT and went to the top rope and hit a frog splash. However, Moore checked her nails and missed the pin. Steelz had enough and got in the ring to accost Moore. Moore shoved Steelz and Steelz started the beat down.
Steelz ripped the ref’s shirt from Moore and Moore ran the rampway in shame. Steelz adorned the ref’s shirt to Hotch’s encouragement. Zero attempted to hit the Chokebomb but Hotch reversed it into a rollup (and a fast count) for the victory.

Post-Match: The two talked about the fast count but Hannifan said it still has to sting Ali as Hotch celebrate on the rampway.

Injuries are nothing to celebrate and it’s time for the TNA Injury Report brought to you by Sandman resorts.  Jeff Hardy can’t get into Canada…errrr…Hardy is still injured from his attack two weeks ago and is not cleared. Ryan Nemeth was attacked last week but has been cleared. BDE’s whereabouts are unknown after being kidnapped by The Righteous. Matt Hardy  is still dealing with injuries for Lockdown but is cleared (which is good, since he is in the main event.)

We see Forza don the gnome hat and start to make her way to the ring for her Knockouts World title shot..after the break.

We come back to backstage as Matt Hardy is doing jumping jacks before Slater entered the shot to wish him good luck tonight against Nemeth. Regardless of the outcome, Slater will challenge for the TNA World title at Bound For Glory. Despite that, Slater will be there for him if there are any shenanigans tonight. Slater leaves as the camera followed him and Hotch walked to Slater and thanked  him for pulling his head out of his backside. At BFG, Slater will get his world title and Hotch will get his International Title match.

We go back to the ring and THEY’VE SHRUNK FORZA TO SIX INCHES..HOW IS SHE GOING TO WIN TONIGHT??!! No, wait, it’s a small doll, now comes Forza on the rampway (full-sized.) There is also a gnome on the ring steps and one in the corner (Hannifin said he will name them Austin and Kevin.)

TNA Knockouts World Title Match Xia Brookside vs. Gabby Forza

Hannifan said this is Forza’s second match on Impact after her opening round match against (static………) in the Knockouts TV Title Tournament. Brookside is next and taunted the fans on the way to the ring.

Brookside taunted Forza as Forza rallied the fans. Forza threw Brookside to the mat.  Brookside grabbed a side headlock but Forza sent her to the ropes and dropped her with a shoulderblock. Forza gorilla pressed Brookside but Brookside eyeraked Forza to escape and started to beat Forza in the corner with a series of punches and kicks. Brookside continued her assault in the corner.

Brookside taunted the fans and continued to kick Forza in the corner and hit a sliding back elbow. Brookside would not relent in her beatdown and hit the Broken Wings (Meteora) in the corner. Brookside tried to lift Forza but Forza would not budge. Forza, instead, threw her to the turnbuckles and hit a series of clotheslines. NOW, we get the gorilla press, airplane spin and Samoan Drop combination for a two count. Brookside  tried to escape but Forza grabbed her by the leg and started her assault in the corner.  Forza hit two running clotheslines in the corner.  However, a third attempt was met with a back elbow.

Brookside climbed the turnbuckles and leapt but Forza caught her. Forza carried her around the ring and hit the Okla-Gnoma Stampede (get it??) Forza followed it with a Vader Splash (Rehwoldt said “what a gnoment”) for another two count. Brookside escaped to the floor and grabbed the title and started to leave. She was blocked on the rampway by Indi Hartwell. However, Rae came to ringside to stop Hartwell. The referee was distracted by the melee. Meanwhile, Brookside grabbed Forza by the arm and ran her throat first into the ropes.  Brookside grabbed the title  and walloped Forza with the title for the win.

Post-Match: Brookside taunted Hartwell from the ring as Hartwell headed up the rampway as Rehwoldt and Hannifin talked about the action and what Brookside did. Rehwoldt said it was a shame but it could have been prevented if Hartwell kept her nose out of the situation. We get the rest of the card including an appearance by Elijah…after the break.

We come back to TNA Knockouts Tag Champions Allie and Kiera Hogan backstage. Hogan already beat Knockouts TV Champ M by Elegance, so next week, Hogan will be M’s first challenger for the title. She beat her once and will beat her again. Allie celebrated that Hogan will be a double champion.

We come back to Elijah’s full introduction and guitar string. He started to play amongst the smoke. He hit the usual catchphrase (people still chanted with it.) Tonight, he has a song that goes out to the System. He started to play and sing until “Do you want to know something?” pierced the Ontario air. Yup, It’s Alisha Edwards. She repeated the question as the whole System flanked her. None of these stupid losers want to hear his song, she said.

Eddie Edwards got the mic and said Elijah stuck his nose in their business, so what happened was a warning shot (insert Solo Sikoa “perw, pew” here.) If you keep sticking your nose in the System’s business, he is going to put him down and not get back up. Elijah offered the rebuttal that he will always get back up and keep walking.

Edwards chimed in with his “gatekeeper” sobriquet. They have a list, call it a hit list, of who does not belong in the locker room. At the top is Ricky Sosa (shouldn’t that have been said if Sosa was there?) Elijah wasn’t on the list but if he keeps going, he will be next to Sosa. Elijah said sign him up and the System started to get riled until Sosa ran into the ring.

Sosa said the System has been messing with him week after week and now focused on Elijah. It won’t happen now. Next week, how about two of the System components face Elijah and Sosa. The System left and Sosa said next week they kick the System’s glutes.

We cut to a vignette as Matt Hardy walks through a door and we see what he is thinking – worrying about Jeff. He sat down and the recaps flashed through his mind. He is greeted by Willow. He asked if he was motivated and ready for his match with Nemeth. Hardy agreed and said he was ready. But, Willow said what if the Nemeths took each other out? Isn’t this risky? Matt said isn’t that what life is. Willow started to laugh until a backstage hand asked if Matt was talking to someone. Matt said no, he was talking to himself and getting himself psyched. They leave the room.

The main event is yet to come but we get the latest chapter in the saga of the Righteous versus Rich Swann and BDE…after the break.

We come back to a prone Slater on top of a forklift as Hannifan asked if Ryan Nemeth could be behind it?

Vincent vs. Rich Swann

The young lady in white tells us “The Righteous are coming” and the slide guitar and snapping confirm it (as does Mitchell’s weird inflection of “Righteous” in her introduction.) Hannifin and Rehwoldt talk about the attack on Slater. Swann is next and does to dance but heads right to the ring and starts to pond on Vincent and put the boots to Vincent. Vincent took advantage of Swann taking off his jacket by hitting a running back elbow to drop Swann.

Swann recovered and evaded a Vincent clothesline and charge to the ropes and hit a dropkick. Swann climbed the turnbuckles but Dutch distracted him. That gave Vincent an opportunity to grab Swann by the leg and yank him to the mat, hitting the turnbuckles as he dropped. Vincent hit a side slam for a two count. Vincent continued to beat on Swann on the mat. Vincent whipped Swann hard into the turnbuckles. Vincent taunted the fans.

Swann tried to rally but Vincent quelled it with a backbreaker, pushing on the neck for extra pressure. Swann escape with a knee to the head and started to rally with a series of punches. However, Vincent backdropped Swann face first to the mat and continued to work the back. Vincent argued with the referee, which gave Swann time to recuperate and hit a charging Vincent with a kick.

Swann continued to rally with a series of kicks and hit a rolling leaping clothesline off the ropes. A dancing discus punch dropped Vincent. Dutch climbed on the apron and was met with a Swann kick. Swann went to the turnbuckles and hit a twisting press to the floor on Dutch. Dutch tried to charge Swann but Swann moved and Dutch collided with the ring steps.

Swann returned to the ring but Vincent ducked a spinning kick and Swann nailed the referee. Vincent hit the Sister Abigail but with no referee there was no count. Vincent looked to the rampway and beckoned someone to come. It was BDE, adorned in white and headed to the ring. The Righteous beckoned BDE to hit Swann. BDE grabbed Swann and lifted him to his feet. He looked at Swann and then hit the cutter on Vincent. Swann climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit the Phoenix Press on Vincent for the win.

Post-Match: Swann and BDE celebrated in the ring and embraced.

We see Hardy make final preparations and see Nemeth headed to ringside as we get the main event…after the break.

We get the card for next week featuring M by Elegance vs. Kiera Hogan, Moose vs. Frankie Kazarian (Moose’s career on the line,) Elijah and Sosa vs. Eddie Edwards and Cedric Alexander and Zoey Serrano vs. Harley Hudson.

We get the tale of the tape and the main event:

TNA Impact World Title Match (no disqualification match:) Matt Hardy vs. Nic Nemeth

Hardy is first and we get the piano music. Hardy appeared with the goat mask. Fun factoid, his first win on TV was in the province of Ontario. The usual Hardy music started and Hardy headed to the ring. The crowd popped hard for Hardy. Nemeth is next and got a decent round of boos.

The bell rang and two instantly stated to brawl with hardy clotheslining Nemeth over the ropes to the floor. Hardy slammed Nemeth into the ring steps and went underneath the ring for a table. As Hardy tried to set up the table, Nemeth attacked Hardy and sent the table back under the ring. Hardy rammed Nemeth’s head into the announce table and then the ringpost. Hardy grabbed the table and set it against the apron. Hardy suplexed Nemeth into the table as the crowd erupted in a “delete” chant.

Hardy went under the ring again and found a table and a chair and put them both into the ring. Hardy grabbed a chair and ran it into his abdomen and choked him with it on the floor. Hardy grabbed another table underneath the ring. He grabbed Nemeth and put him on the table. Nemeth escaped by eyerake. Nemeth ran Hardy into the apron and into the ring. However, Hardy countered a clothesline with a Side Effect for a two count.

Hardy got the crowd riled and attempted a Twist of Fate but Nemeth ran Hardy into the corner. Nemeth mauled Hardy in the corner including biting him.  Nemeth charged Hardy but was met with a back elbow. Hardy dropped Nemeth with a boot and climbed to the top turnbuckle. Nemeth met him there and Nemeth hit a superplex off the top rope for a two count,

Nemeth wedged a chair between the turnbuckles. He attempted to run Matt into it but Hardy blocked it. However, a Twist of Fate again was reversed and Nemeth ran Hardy into the chair. Nemeth followed that with a Fame-asser for a two count. Nemeth set a table in the turnbuckles and attempted to run Hardy into it. Hardy blocked it and tried to hit another Side Effect but Nemeth blocked it with a series of elbows.

Nemeth choked Hardy on the ropes. However, a corner charge was avoided and Nemeth crashed into the turnbuckles. Hardy dropped Nemeth with a turnbuckle. Hardy and Nemeth traded punches again with Hardy getting the better of it. He followed it with the 10-count descending turnbuckles smashes.

Hardy got Nemeth into position for  a Twist of Fate but Nemeth escaped and hit a superkick. Nemeth charged Hardy but Hardy moved and Nemeth crashed into the table (insert “I am the table” drop here.) Hardy tried it again and NOW Nemeth crashed through the table Hardy grabbed a chair and set it around Nemeth’s neck and NOW we get the Twist of Fate for a two count until Ryan grabbed the referee and slid him to the floor. Hardy went to the floor and hit the Twist of Fate on Ryan,

Back in the ring, Matt hit another Twist of Fate for a two count until Nic got his foot on the ropes, Matt went to the floor and set Ryan on a table and hit an elbow drop from the apron. Back in the ring, Matt grabbed Nic but Nic lowblowed Matt for a two count. Nic went to the floor and under the table and grabbed a wrench. Nic went to hit Matt but Matt lowblowed him and cradled him for a two count. Nic still had the wrench in hand and as he reversed another Twist of Fate attempt, Nic walloped Matt with it. That did the trick and Nic got the victory.

Post-Match: Nic eventually made his way to his feet as TNA President Carlos Silva presented him with the TNA World title and celebrated in the ring as we go off the air.

Impactful Discourse

One: Well, the main event is done and we survived, as did Hardy. It was a match more of angle advancement than anything else as the mystery assailant makes his presence felt again and the paranoia is starting to settle and make for decent storytelling. It carried my interest in the match far more than the actual match.

Two: I liked Serrano’s promo. I got a little worried about it but it let a babyface backstory lean into the heel landing. Was it heavily scripted and produced? Yes. But, it got the point across. Now, can she nail the live promo? The action is there and I like her work far more than most and she could finally get the stardom deserved,

Three: Help me, but I am really becoming a fan of Forza. Indy gimmick be darned, she makes it work and she has a great power base to her style.Her ebullience in her promos add to the pluckiness of it all. That was a good match with Brookside.

Four: I guess they know Styles’ limitation as he stood there and let the vets do the lifting in the “King’s Speech.” Moose did a great job as Kazarian still falls to time worn cliches and terms. Moose did a great job playing to the vanity of Kazarian. Knowing the spoilers, one wonders how the result affects Styles

Five: The results so far have been fait accompli but I do like the matches so far leading to the X-Division match at Bound For Glory. The Raju vs. Aichner match was well done but never had doubt how Aichner would win.

Six: speaking of fait accompli but still getting a great match, that was probably the best I saw Heather by Elegance wrestle in single’s competition against Black. Black was going to win since she is the one getting the push but I came away with a new respect for Heather. Black looked perfectly acceptable in the ring. I still don’t where we go with the By Elegance Brand since next week should be a fait accompli between M vs. Hogan. I am curious where this goes.

Seven: Speaking of knowing what is going to happen but curious when, we have the Order Four disintegration. THe Moore stripping of the shirt was superfluous and got worried about attitude era shenanigans but they were kept to a minimum. When Ali returns, presumably, Steelz leaves Order Four. Skyler is the x-factor but did make some comments that could lead to a return to Hotch. If TNA was smart, they could capitalize on that. Zero looks phenomenal for his stage and lack of experience. More reps would be perfect because he could be penciled into title chases.

Eight: It feels odd to have Sosa in with the vets that feel like retread but it does give him ring knowledge and experience whilst we ready him for bigger and better things. They did the same for Slater, so I am okay with this.

Nine: I knew the spoilers and knew what was coming with BDE vs. the Righteous. BDE seems all over the place and covers a ton of lateral movement but nothing forward. Something to get him moving that way would be great – I wouldn’t mind him joining the Righteous for real. It would be something and could give him new depth.  Swann showed great fire and is another of TNA’s great reclamation projects. I’ve spoken on the Righteous plenty but still lament their position and their run in TNA so far.

Lastly: With Mystery Science Theater 3000 making another comeback, and with Slater found in the position he was; I can’t be the only person who sang the Fugitive Alien “He tried to kill me with a forklift” song, right?

Keep Fighting the Good Fight. 

Greetings and welcome to another episode of TNA Impact. We are still working our way through the taping cycle at the CAA center in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Fun fact, Brampton is  the home of Michael Cera. So, let’s find out who is Superbad with announcers Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt, Gia Miller is far more than a Barbie doll as she handles backstage interviews and McKenzie Mitchell certainly has not suffered from Arrested Development as she still gives us top notch ring announcing. It may not be Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, but the action is hot and heavy so sit back, relax and get ready not for an infinite playlist but some Total Nonstop Analysis.

(Side Note: Take time and show some love for our fellow writers/reviewers. Throw in some feedback and comments about the subject matter. We all appreciate it. And now…our feature presentation.)

The lead singer wants everyone to know that he thinks Rutherford B Hayes naiveite and ambition made the racial situation worse in the southern United States. Just kidding, he does want us to know he is ready for you.

We skip a recap of the last couple of weeks and go wright to the action as we get Matt Hardy. Fun fact, Matt Always partakes in Tim Hortons whilst in Canada. I don’t blame him, it’s good stuff.

We go to the announce booth and we get Hannifan and Rehwoldt talking about the scene last week as Jeff Hardy was sent to the hospital from an unknown assailant. Matt has a mic in his hand and started to talk about the tag-team loss to the Nemeths at Lockdown. There are no excuses to make – Ryan and Nic beat them. The wrestling world and the Die Hardys call them the GOATS but they did not live up to expectations.  Their dream was to be World Tag Team champs once. They have held titles all over the world – the most special is here in TNA (cheap pop achieved.)

They are 35 years into this journey and the TNA tag titles mean Everything to them. They were ready to use their rematch clause but someone took Jeff out – not just hurt him but had to be taken away in an ambulance. As he was riding with him to the hospital and Jeff not remember what happened. He has gone through so many spots but always bounces back but not this time.

Who would do this? It’s the two that know he had a rematch clause? The Nemeths. Matt holds them responsible. They think they came up a plan – there is one thing they forgot. The Hardys will not die.

This brought out the Nemeths for a rebuttal. Nic spoke first and said why won’t the Hardys die and Matt is just an old man yelling at clouds. Nic said he wasn’t going to make excuses but did so. It’s like the fans who say they don’t want to bother him whilst he is eating but then promptly do so. On to the business at hand, when the Nemeths beat the Hardys at Lockdown, they do it for blockbuster and big money. Whatever accusations Matt made, he better watch his mouth because they had nothing to do with the assault.

He asked Matt if he was paying attention. If anyone is taking Jeff out, the Nemeths aren’t doing it for free. Guess what? It wasn’t them and he still lost. Matt said Nic made a mistake. Nic tried to correct him but Matt said he made a mistake -t hey came out here. Matt started to attack the Nemeths and got Nic in the Twist of Fate until Ryan saved his brother and the numbers game favored the Nemeths. Security bolted into the ring and tried to separate the two until Matt broke free and started to attack Nic. Ryan tried to help his brother out of the ring with security. Eventually, they succeeded and the Nemeths threatened  Matt on the floor.

We go backstage to Miller with Trey Miguel. He and Jason Hotch face each other in the main event; the winner faces Mustafa Ali for the International Title. Miguel said they both want the same things – Ali and the International Title. Miguel said he loved Hotch and trained him. They know each other very well; tonight, it is something bigger and may the best man win. He also hoped Ali is watching from his hospital bed and should know that he deserves everything that is coming for him after the match tonight.

We get a rundown of the rest of the card including Knockouts tag team action and A J Francis is next….after the break.

We come back and get a shill for Sandman Hotel Group (hotel chain in Canada) and hey, we can win the ultimate wrestling slamcation from TNA – open to almost all Canadians (sorry, Quebec.) We also backstage to Elayna Black who is lamenting she did not walk out of Lockdown with the TNA Knockouts World Title in front of friends and family. It is affecting her more than she thought but she isn’t going to make excuses (seems to be going around)

HOLD EVERYTHING the By Elegance Brand is heard (and then seen) heading down the hallway. The Personal Concierge asked if they were interrupting anything? Black tried to say something but M by Elegance said she was probably just talking about losing again (Heather by Elegance emphasized the point with the “L” gesture with her hand.) the PC said they are getting ready to celebrate that M is the first Knockouts TV title holder. M said that’s the difference between her and Black, when the pressure was on M didn’t disappoint everyone who came to see her.

Black warned her to be very careful because she might take the title. M thought about and checked and no, Black isn’t getting a shot. Black asked if M was scared M rebuked her and she still won’t fight her – but Heather will. The camera shot right to Heather who was none-too-pleased with this turn of events. Black thought it was a great idea. Black headed up the hallway to get the match signed. The By Elegance Brand was happy and walked off shot whilst Heather still wasn’t happy about the situation (hmmm….)

 A J Francis vs. Brent Oakley

We go back to ringside to Expressions and said Toronto is the worst city he has ever been. The best thing is the Toronto airport that can take him back to the greatest city in the world, London (United Kingdom, not Ontario.) Meanwhile, Francis made his appearance. Expressions continued that Toronto sucks like a vacuum. He turned to Francis and said A J is the greatest big man in the business.

Francis made his way to the ring and posed. We get the already in the ring for Oakley as Hannifan did his best to give Oakley credibility. Right as the bell rang Oakley ran across the ring and hit a corner splash on Francis.  Francis pushed him off but Oakley did it again. Francis grabbed him around the throat and threw him into the corner. However, Oakley evaded a corner splash, got Francis seated across the ropes and slid under Francis for a German Suplex. He also went to the floor and stole Expressions’ hat. Expressions tried to grab it but Oakley jumped on the ropes and attempted a springboard (not an aesthetic one, either.) Nonetheless, Francis caught him (by and large) mid air and hit the TFL (Spear) for the win.

Post-Match: Francis grabbed the mic and re-introduced himself. Since he made light work of Oakley, he proved he is the best big man in the business. It also showed that he is the best “A J” in TNA history.  That being said, he thinks there is no better person for Avery Styles to have his first match in TNA versus than A J Francis. Francis silenced the crowd. If it’s not past his bedtime, why doesn’t Avery come out and Francis can give the glutes whipping his dad never did.

This brought out Santino Marella (director of authority.) Normally, Marella doesn’t agree with “AJ Francinni and Espresso” but today, he does agree. So, Marella asked Avery Styles to appear on the rampway. Marella asked Styles if he wants to face Francis for his debut match. Styles emphatically agreed. However, this brought out Frankie Kazarian to the rampway and put the kibosh on the match. He ran down Marella and said he doesn’t have to agree with this “stooge” and is not ready to face Francis. It’s not happening. He asked for his music and Kazarian corralled Styles to the backstage area.

We go backstage again and see Xia Brookside and Zoey Seranno enter through a door before Daria Rae enters the frame. She said she would normally say good luck but doesn’t think they need it. She needs Brookside and Serrano to beat them -and then end them. Brookside and Serrano agree and continue off shot and to the ring where their match is…after the break.

We come back to hype for Bound For Glory (now only five weeks away) as Leon Slater vacated the X-Division title and exercised Option C to challenge Nic Nemeth for the TNA World Title.

Harley Hudson and Indi Hartwell vs. Xia Brookside and Zoey Seranno

Hudson is first and has toned down the posing on the way to the ring (she does do the push ups when she gets in the ring.) Meanwhile, Rae joined the announce team for this match. Rae blew off Hannifan and exchanged pleasantries with Rehwoldt. Hannifan “inadvertently” called Rae “Diarrhea” and then “corrected himself” to the utter contempt of Rae. Rae was indignant but Hannifan said was there any childhood trauma there.

Meanwhile, Hartwell is next and got a decent pop. Hannifan talked about Hartwell’s desire to win the Knockouts World Title. Rae said if he heard the story of the “Little Engine That Could.” Rae said Hartwell is the little engine that could not.

Serrano was next and Rae said she was a real star and we should pay attention. Serrano got decent heat on her way to the ring. Brookside was last and got bigger heat as she headed to the ring, taunting the fans as she went to the ring.

Brookside and Hartwell started but Brookside immediately tagged Serrano. Hartwell immediately pounced on Serrano and mauled her on the mat with a series of punches and reversed a short-arm clothesline into one of her own. Serrano, for her efforts, reversed a Hartwell clothesline into a superkick. However, a go behind amateur takedown was reversed into an armdrag and Hartwell got the upperhand again with a running clothesline in the corner.

Hartwell also hit a back elbow on a charging Serrano that sent the newest TNA Impact player to the apron. Hartwell dropped her to the floor with a running clothesline. Serrano was frustrated as she and Brookside started to argue on the floor. They turned their ire to the crowd. Serrano got really fed up with a “fan” and struck him. Conveniently, the head of security sent Serrano back to the ring as Rae tried to take up for Serrano. Serrano and Brookside started to argue again. Serrano got in the ring and tagged Brookside.

Brookside entered the ring and continued to yell at the fans. Brookside grabbed a side headlock but Hartwell reversed it and sent Brookside to the corner. Hudson tagged into the match. Hudson grabbed a headlock and started to work the arm. Hartwell tagged back into the match and struck Brokside with an elbow to the arm (held by Hudson.) Hudson tagged and slugged Brookside and continued to work the arm with an armlock takedown and a leg drop on the arm.

Hudson sent Brookside into the corner and hit a running hip attack. She tried to body slam but Brookside evaded it. Hudson went to the floor and grabbed Brookside’s leg . Brookside fell to the canvas as Hudson slid Brookside around and hit a forearm. However, Serrano went to help Brookside and that brought Hartwell back into the melee. The referee tried to get Hartwell back to the apron. That gave Serrano time to pull Brookside away and a Hudson legdrop hit nothing but apron.

Brookside hit the ropes and hit a sliding dropkick to send Hudson to the floor. Serrano attacked Hudson and choked her with wrist tape. Serrano threw the tape to the crowd and threw Hudson back into the ring and into a Brookside chinlock. Brookside threw Hudson into the corner and tagged Serrano. Serrano slugged Hudson into the corner. Hudson tried to rally but Serrano hit a superkick and a vertical suplex. Serrano taunted the crowd and Hartwell.

It was Seranno’s turn to thit the chinlock and tagged Brookside. Brookside put the boots to Hudson and grabbed another chinlock. Brookside turned it to a strait jacket chinlock and used the knee for extra leverage (Hannifin, meanwhile, called Rae “diarrhea” to her growing disgust. Rae said she wasn’t sure if she was going to kick his butt or run him from the company.)

Meanwhile, Brookside continued to beat Hudson. She grabbed a full nelson and Serrano tagged. I sense heel miscommunication a-coming. Sure enough, Serrano hit the ropes but Hudson escaped Brookside’s grasp. Serrano dropped Brookside with a clothesline. Serrano still had the wherewith all to prevent Hudson from tagging. Hudson made  a leaping attempt but Serrano caught her. However, Hudson monkeyflipped Serrano and Hartwell got the tag.

Hartwell was a high set on fire as she clotheslined the heels simutaneously. She hit another clothesline and back elbow on Serrano and threw her on the apron. Hartwell hit a forearm uppercut and a running boot with Serrano caught in the ropes.  Hartwell got Serrano on her shoulders but Serrano escaped and flipped Hartwell to her knees to hit a knee strike. However, Hartwell blocked it and pushed Serrano into the ropes and came back with a spinebuster for a two count until Brookside interrupted the pin.

Brookside ducked a Hartwell clothesline and hit a codebreaker to send Hartwell to the mat. Hudson got in the ring and hit a discus forearm only for Serrano to drop her with another superkick. All four combatants were on the mat but slowly arose. Hudson and Brookside started to brawl as Serrano and Hartwell paired.

Brookside threw Hudson to the floor and Serrano hit a German suplex to drop Hartwell. NOW, the running knee strike connects and Brookside tagged back into the match and got two-and-a-fraction. Brookside and Serrano started to argue again but Brookside refocused her attention on Hartwell. Hartwell dropped Brookside with a forearm and hit a running boot on Serrano. Hudson dropkicked Serrano to the floor and then leapt from the apron onto Serrano. In the ring, Hartwell grabbed a variation of the Inverted Butterfly Deathlock and cinched it. Brookside tried to escape but Hartwell got the leverage. Brookside had no recourse but to surrender.

Post-match: Rae was beside herself in anger as Rehwoldt and Hannifan marveled at Hartwell going to a submission for a win. Hannifan asked if Rae was impressed, given her MMA background. Hannifan also said Rae has a decision to make about Hartwell getting a world title shot. Rae shot back at Hannifan and sat seething.

Well, speaking of sitting there, here is the TNA Injury Report, brought to you by Sandman Resorts (again, sorry Quebec.) Jeff Hardy still out of action from the attack last week with head and torso injuries. Everyone who participated in the Lockdown are still dealing with lingering injuries. Ali is still suffering from a punctured lung from his match with Hotch.

We get the rest of the card, including a qualifying match for the X-Division match at Bound For Glory..after the break.

Conspicuous by his absence was a report on Nic Nemeth. His brother, Ryan Nemeth, might make it next week as we come back from break and see him laid out on the steps. Rehwoldt and Hannifan go over the list of people who have been mysteriously attacked. But, never mind that, let’s go to our next match.

X-Division match qualifier: K C Navarro vs. Joe Alonso

Navarro is out and signs some autographs for the younger fans and shook hands as he headed to the ring. Meanwhile, Leon Slater joined Hannifan and Rehwoldt at the announce table. They talk about the World title shot at Bound For Glory. Alonso actually got a full entrance – and has a mic in hand. He asked for the fans in “Montreal” to get on their feet and show some respect for the most professional wrestler this generation has ever seen – him.

Alonso continued. Tonight is monumental as it is his debut on TNA. It is convenient the moment Alonso walked into TNA; Slater no longer wants to be X-Division champion. Slater chuckled. Alonso said while Slater said he wants to go after the world title; Alonso thinks he just wants to put the X-Division title on the shelf and not face Alonso. Alonso didn’t blame him so he wanted Slater to sit there and watch Alonso make an example out of “this Oompa Loompa” Navarro. From there, will punch his ticket for Bound for Glory. The fans can hate him because they’re not him but that’s okay; if he wasn’t Alonso, he would hate him, too.

Alonso took down Navarro and arrogantly patted him on the head. Navarro looked nonplussed  and armdragged Alonso. He avoided Alonso off the ropes and got behind him. H kicked Alonso’s leg and then threatened the superkick that sent Alonso sprawling into the ropes and the recipient of his own arrogant pat on the head.

Alonso tried to throw Navarro into the ropes but Navarro caught himself. Alonso charged him but Navarro moved and Alonso fell to the floor. From there, Navarro hit the ropes and leapt between them to drop Alonso, to the delight of Slater. Navarro threw Alonso into the ring and hugged Slater. Navarro teased the Blessing in Disguise but Alonso avoided the charge. Navarro caught himself and slid to the corner. He avoided an Alonso charge and hit an enziguri.

However, Alonso threw Navarro to the corner. Navarro tried to avoid Alonso but Alonso caught him and flung him, legs first, to the floor. Navarro writhed on the floor as Alonso went to the floor. He hit a belly to back suplex onto the apron and threw Navarro back into the ring for a two count. Alonso jawed with the fans and bodyslammed Navarro. Alonso continued to focus his derision on the fans. Navarro tried to rally but Alonso hit a dropkick in the corner and another belly to back suplex for another two count.

Alonso arrogantly attacked Navarro and grabbed an armlock, using the knee as extra leverage. Navarro tried to rally but Alonso flung him to the mat via his hair. Alonso grabbed another chinlock. Navarro escaped and tried to rally but a criss cross off the ropes ended with both wrestlers hitting simultaneous flying bodypresses and both of them crumpled to the mat.

Eventually, both arose but Navarro took advantage with a dropkick and a clothesline.  Navarro and Alonso hit the crisscross on the ropes but Navarro got a tilt-a-whirl DDT for a two count. Navarro measured Alonso for the Blessing In Disguise but Alonso escaped to the apron. Navarro grabbed Alonso but Alonso grabbed Navarro and neck snapped him on the ropes. Alonso followed it with the “Most Dope” (springboard double axehandle) for a two count.

Alonso grabbed Navarro for a Pedigree but Navarro escaped with another enziguri. He tripped a charging Alonso into the ropes and hit the 305 (a 619 but over the ropes.) Navarro measured Alonso and went for the Blessing in Disguise but Alonso threw the referee in the way. Navarro moved her but that gave Alonso time to attack. He attempted another Pedigree but Navarro escaped on the drop down. Alonso managed to reverse a clothesline and attempted a Scorpion Death Drop. But, Navarro reversed that into a roll up for a two count. Alonso kicked out but Navarro readied himself and NOW we get the Blessing In Disguise for the win.

Post-Match: Navarro celebrated on the turnbuckles and Hannifan talked about Slater’s challenge to the world title. Backstage, Aichner was applauding Navarro’s win and was glad to see his friend in the match. Next week, Aichner has a chance to make it into the match. We get the rest of the card including the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Title Open Challenge…after the break.

We come back to more hype for Bound for Glory October 11 in Tampa. We then get Allie’s chryon and music and Allie made her way to ringside and got a huge pop (as she is “Toronto’s own.”) Hogan is next in her somewhat hoop skirt and fan.

TNA Knockouts Tag Team Title match: Allie and Keira Hogan vs. Shazza McKenzie and Vipress

The challengers get the “already in the ring” introduction; however, they have been around the Knockouts division as enhancement talent in the past. Allie and McKenzie start as McKenzie taunted Allie as an “Allie” chant emerged. McKenzie backed Alie into the ropes but missed chop. Allie attacked McKenzie along the ropes and then hit the ropes for a Thesz Press. She tagged Hogan and Hogan hit an assisted leaping clothesline in the corner. Allie followed with a sliding clothesline. Hogan followed that with a sliding dropkick for a two count.

Hogan got McKenzie on the ropes and hit a running rear view and a step-up leg drop off the ropes for another two count. Hogan threw McKenzie into the ropes but Vipress grabbed her partner.  Hogan charged but McKenzie tripped her, sending Hogan into the ropes. As McKenzie tied up the referee, Vipress hit a running boot on the apron.

Vipress tagged into the action and threw Hogan into the corner and followed it with a running back blow and a seated dropkick for a two count. Vipress mauled Hogan on the mat and tagged McKenzie. McKenzie put the boots to Hogan and grabbed a chinlock. Hogan rallied with a series of punches and dropped McKenzie with a superkick.

Hogan leapt and tagged Allie. Vipress tagged but Allie was a mausoleum on fire and dropped Vipress with a series of clotheslines and a running knee strike off the ropes. Allie dragged Vipress into the corner and hit the Upside Down lock on the ropes. McKenzie tried to interfere but Hogan threw her out of the ring. Allie hit a codebreaker on Vipress and Hogan hit the Face the Music (swinging Fisherman’s neckbreaker) for the victory.

Post-Match: The lights went red as the champions celebrated their victory.

Outside (and presumably backstage) Rae was on the phone as Hartwell interrupted her (rude.) Rae got her “shut up, I’m talking” phrase (and was right in saying it.) she hung up the phone and asked what Hartwell wanted. Hartwell said she beat her champion in the middle of the ring tonight. So, where does she stand with a title shot and who is the number one contender. Rae thought about it and said the new number one contender is – Gabby Forza. Hartwell said Forza is strong but she just got here. Rae countered by saying she left a far better impression than Hartwell.

Hartwell said this isn’t about giving her a title shot but rather an attempt to get under Hartwell’s skin. With that, Rae feigned getting a call and walked off shot. Hartwell looked incredulous as we get hype for our next match..after the break.

We come back to the rest of the TNA schedule 2026, including the next taping cycle in San Antonio, Bound for Glory on October 12 and Dothan, Alabama from October 13-14.

We go backstage to Ricky Sosa who said the last few weeks have been rough for him. The System tried to put him down but he is still here. Off-screen we hear, “Do you wanna know something?” You know what that means, the System wander into the shot. Eddie Edwards said they decide when something is finished and the issue with them and Sosa was finished at Lethal Lockdown. Brian Myers said Sosa is tough and has guts but that doesn’t mean anything.

HOLD EVERYTHING, Elijah wandered into the shot with a guitar strum and told the System to leave Sosa alone. He has not forgotten what they did to him last week and have unfinished business. He will check with Santino to see what could happen (I presume a match.)

We go back to ringside to the next match:

Dutch (with Vincent  in tow) vs. BDE (with Rich Swann in tow)

The young lady on the video said “The Righteous are coming;” and, per usual, the snapping and slide guitar confirm that. Mitchell gives her weird inflection on Righteous as they made their way to the ring. BDE is next to a decent pop as he and Swann shook hands with ringside fans. They posed in the ring as the bell rang.

Right after the bell rang, Vincent grabbed the mic. Before they begin, he needs BDE to understand something. They told him for week that they see something in him and is looking for his place to belong. They all know what he wants – his first victory. Tonight, they could give it to him. Vincent asked Dutch to lay down. Vincent asked BDE to pin him. He asked BDE to look at him; it is all right there; all he has to do is pin him. BDE responded with an elbow drop to Dutch. BDE avoided a charging Dutch twice but was caught on his third attempt. Dutch grabbed him by the throat but BDE broke the hold and slugged Dutch. BDE leapt from the second turnbuckle but Dutch caught him and threw him face down to the mat.

Dutch started to jaw at Swann but grabbed BDE and threw him upside down into the turnbuckles. Dutch threw him into the opposite corner equally hard and followed it with a corner splash. Dutch also dropped him with a standing clothesline. Dutch jawed with Swann as Rehwoldt and Hannifan talked about BDE’s plight, with Rehwoldt focusing on Swann being the possible barrier to success.

Dutch continued to pound on BDE along the ropes with a series of forearm smashes. Swann implored his charge to rally and BDE did just that with a series of punches and a superkick. BDE hit the ropes and tried for the Clip Cutter (springboard cutter) but Dutch caught him. Dutch pushed him into the ropes and hit the Death Walks (Bossman Slam) for the win.

Post-Match: We get highlights of the last moments. Dutch tended to BDE and go his hand raised. Swann tried to help BDE as Vincent slid into the ring. Vincent grabbed Swann and hit a Sister Abigail on him. Dutch grabbed BDE over his shoulder and carried him backstage.

Backstage, we get Spider-Miguel getting ready and head to ringside as his opponent, Hotch, walked focused down a hall and presumably toward ringside because the main event…is after the short break. When we return, Mila Moore is on the phone with (presumably) Ali. After she hung up, John Skyler entered the frame and had a question to ask her. If she isn’t too busy, would she like to…put a pin on that Skyler, Moore got another phone call and walked off shot. Skyler looked flummoxed.

Number One Contender’s Match: Trey Miguel vs. Jason Hotch

Miguel, still adorned in Spider-man themed gear, came to ringside to a good pop and got the crowd riled as he shook hands with ringside fans. Hotch was next as they went over the history between the two and with Miguel’s injury during an X-Division match with Ali (won by Ali thanks to outside interference of Hotch and Skyler.)

The bell rang and the two started to talk to each other. They looked around the crowd to  n okay pop and then sportsmanship was exchanged. Hotch and Miguel had an elongated sequence to gain an advantage over the initial lock up which ended in a stalemate.

Attempt number two ended with Hotch getting behind Miguel but Miguel responded with an armlock. Hotch rolled and flipped out of the hold and got a leg takedown. Back on their feet, Hotch grabbed the armlock. Miguel pirouetted out of the hold. Hotch did the same but Miguel sent him to the mat with an armdrag. Miguel got behind Hotch and grabbed a side headlock. The two traded reversals and Hotch sent Miguel to the mat with his own armdrag.

A test of strength was a stalemate but Hotch managed to break the hold and take down Miguel by the legs. Hotch rolled Miguel and tried a bodyslam off a criss cross on the ropes. Miguel escaped and got a roll up off the ropes. Hotch escaped and the two grabbed armdrags and kip-ups to a stalemate.

Miguel  hit an elbow and grabbed Hotch’s arm. Miguel climbed the turnbuckles and backflipped into an armdrag. Hotch backflipped over a Miguel corner charge and hit a back elbow to the torso and a forearm uppercut to the jaw. Hotch followed it with a reverse of a clothesline into an enziguri that dropped Miguel. Hotch blocked a Miguel whip to the ropes but a charging Miguel wriggled between the ropes to the apron. Miguel met a charging Hotch with a shoulderblock to the torso and then backrolled through the ropes and hit a sliding kick to the arm and then a seated dropkick.

Miguel kicked Hotch in the arm and turned that into a headscissors to the floor. Miguel attempted the sliding DDT but Hotch got back in the ring as Miguel went between the ropes. Hotch hit the ropes and leapt over them to Miguel on the floor. Hotch shook hands with the fans as a “TNA” chant emerged. Hotch tried to throw Miguel into the ring but Miguel grabbed the bottom rope and hit a spinning kick to Hotch. Miguel hit an uppercut fore3arm on the floor.

The two started to brawl on the floor as Hotch got the upper hand with an uppercut forearm and a slam into the apron. Hotch locked the cravat but Miguel fought out of it. Hotch tried to throw Miguel into the ring but Miguel tried the spinning kick again but Hotch blocked it and hit a knee strike. Hotch climbed to the top for a Frog Splash but Miguel moved. Hotch rolled through it but missed a charge into the corner as Miguel flipped over him and hit the arm drag.

Miguel grabbed a submission hold and got a two count from a pin attempt. Miguel hit a back elbow in the corner and snapmared Hotch to the mat and hit a sliding kick for another two count. Miguel grabbed a facelock and tried to escape. Miguel flipped over it and turned it into a Muta Lock as Rewholdt and Hannifan mused who was Moore talking to on the phone. Hotch tried to lift Miguel but Miguel flipped over it for a cradle for a two count. Hotch escaped with a pump kick.

Hotch grabbed Miguel and hit a slingshot backbreaker for a two-count. Hotch tried it again but Miguel backflipped out of it. Miguel caught a charging Hotch with a back elbow and then climbed to the top rope. Miguel leapt but Hotch evaded it. Miguel flipped through it and hit Hotch with a series of kicks – followed by a double stomp and a moonsault off the ropes for a two count.

Miguel tried for a Meteora in the corner but Hotch escaped, hit the ropes and nailed Miguel with a clothesline. He followed it with a running clothesline followed by a double stomp from a wheelbarrow attempt. Hotch evaded  corner charge and went to the apron where he connected with an enziguri. Hotch hit the rolling neckbreaker between the ropes for two-and-a-fraction.

Hotch grabbed a dragon sleeper but Miguel escaped. Miguel hit a series of kicks and a double stomp to the back of Hotch’s head for another two count. Miguel signaled to the crowd and climbed to the top for a Meteora attempt. Hotch avoided it again but Miguel rolled through it to the corner. This time, Hotch was ready and hit a running kick in the corner. Hotch now ascended to the top for a Frog Splash but Miguel escaped and Hotch rolled through it. Hotch met Miguel with a  Cave-In (leaping double foot stomp to a standing opponent) for a two count.

Hotch put Miguel on the turnbuckles and climbed to the top.  Miguel bellclapped to escape. Miguel attempted a sunset flip bomb but Hotch flipped out of it. Hotch charged and leapt at Miguel. Miguel moved but Hotch landed on the top rope. Miguel kicked Hotch twice on the turnbuckles. Hotch responded with a back kick of his own and then leapt onto Miguel’s shoulders for a poisonrana. Miguel got to his feet and did a poisionrana of his own. Hotch got Miguel on his shoulders and hit an airplane spin Blue Thunder Bomb for two-and-a-fraction.

Hotch and Miguel traded punches  with Miguel getting the better of it with an enziguri. However, Miguel hit the ropes and Hotch met him there with a back elbow. Miguel reciprocated. The two traded shots and a simultaneous bodypress dropped both. Both quickly arose and a simultaneous roundhouse kick dropped both again. The crowd showed its approval with a round of applause and a “TNA” chant.

The two got to their knees and started to remove gloves and wrist tapes and the two traded shots. A “This is awesome” chant emerged as the two continued to trade blows. HOLD EVERYTHING, Agent Zero hit the ring and clotheslined both to the mat. He hit a chokebomb to Miguel and then did the same to Hotch. The match was thrown out (no decision was announced.) Zero adjusted his tie and stood over both combatants as we go…..

Backstage, where Matt Hardy and Nic Nemeth are having a continuation of their pull-apart brawl from the opening. Marella got in the fracas and tried to restore calm. He did so by making a no-disqualification title match next week between the two.

Now, we go off the air…

Impactful Discourse:

One: The man event with an interesting flow and pace to the match. We knew what Hotch could do but I came out of the match with a huge appreciation of Miguel. I was very down on the Rascalz stuff but he really has put that way far in the rear view mirror. The solid face promo at the beginning and his varied style in the match really opened my eyes to how good he could be. I goof on the spider-man gear but he has really come a long way. The match pacing was odd and there might be some push back for it being disjointed. I saw what they were trying to do and story to tell, so I am a little more forgiving than others.

Two: The shame of the match was that it had to end with angle advancement. I get that the hand was forced as can see what they were trying to do but there had to have been a better way to tell the story of this match and keep the angle advancement from ruining a solid main event.

Three: I mentioned it a a couple of months ago but I want to reiterate something. There was a great babyface promo given by Hotch – on social media. It really got me invested and showed a new angle in his development. Since I write this, I follow a lot of this stuff but for the casual fans, they may have missed it. We can sacrifice some shenanigans on a two-hour show to show good stuff like Hotch’s promo.

Four: All that being said, there is something to be said for selling a hold. The “I do a move/you do a move” got to be a bit much but the fans were happy, so I guess I will yell at clouds.

Five: I didn’t think we would get what we got from Joe Alonso as I never heard of him but he is someone that TNA should keep around for the future. That was solid mic work and great action taking an established star and elevating both. This wasn’t Navarro leading him, either; both carried their load equally. I came across as a fan of Alonso.

Six: The women’s tag match had a good end to some iffy means. Brookside being pinned kept Hartwell hot and progressed the story line. It also protected Serrano who was the big get for TNA and made her look strong. I was worried when I saw the results that Serrano would eat the pin. With the two bickering, it gives Brookside someone else to worry.

Seven: Whilst the ends were good, how we got there was iffy. Was/is the bickering going to lead anywhere? What about the fan being slugged? If it was a fan, the casual way it was handled made it seem like a plant (I tried finding info online about the incident and it is indecisive.) I could be wrong but it felt contrived.

Eight: Also, nice phone manners, Hartwell. You turned the evil heel boss into a sympathetic babyface.

Nine: The tension continues to build on the attacker and hope we get a good payoff. THe paranoia gripping the faces and heels leads to some matches that could advance storylines. I just hope they can stick the landing with someone and not make it a retread.

10: I know the spoilers for the next two weeks, so I won’t comment too much on the Righteous kidnapping BDE. Vincent did some great mic work tonight in his trying to turn BDE. BDE needs a charge or something to get him not just a first win but a refreshed sense of character. His character is really starting to wane thin on me.

11: Prepare for free agents galore as the hollowed out Knockout tag division tries to keep relevant. The Allie and Hogan match was good but the two seem underwhelming as champions. With no challengers on the horizon, prepare for a nice long run with the belts.

12: The System feud with Sosa now includes Elijah. Sosa deserves better or something more fresh than to be stuck with Elijah.

13. I am not sure what message the By Elegance segment gave but if they are trying to give some shine to Heather as a face turn, that would not be the best idea. I’ve been wrong before but I think the potential is so much greater with M by Elegance.

14: The Francis match was short as it should. The angle with Styles and Kazarian will be the longer lasting image of the match as Kazarian becomes a control freak to Styles. Kazarian trying to horde the limelight and gaslight Styles is an interesting touch.

Lastly: John and Mila sitting in a tree/ Where is Mustafa Ali?

Keep Fighting the Good Fight.

Welcome everyone to another edition of TNA Impact. We start with another fresh taping, this time from the CAA Center in Brampton, Ontario, Canada (or as it was referred by Tom Hannifan, the metropolitan Toronto area.) Brampton is the home of the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (and it is the home of the first pay-per-view I did as the reviewer for this organization – last year’s Under Siege to be exact.) Whilst a lot has changed in the last year, some things have not. To Trick Williams’ dismay, there are still no five-star hotels in Brampton (a couple of four-and-a-half ones, though.) More importantly, Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt  are still doing great commentary. Gia Miller is handling backstage interviews and McKenzie Mitchell tells us who is who with her ring announcing. Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy some Impactful DisourseTotal Non-Stop Analysis. Shall we? We shall.

(Note: As always, please frequent the amazing folks who contribute to this wonderful site. They all greatly appreciate and do masterful work. Also, the feed ended before the end of the last match; ergo, an early morning submittal. Lastly, shout out to Phrederic for the new title. And now…our feature presentation.)

Previously on Impact: Well, nothing, actually but we get highlights galore of Lockdown, with shots of the A J Francis vs. Elijah “Final Encore” match, we get the return of Keira Hogan as she helped Allie defeat the By Elegance Brand. We get Frankie Kazarian getting the win over Moose, Mustafa Ali getting the victory over Jason Hotch to regain the International Title, Avery Styles’ introduction, Leon Slater regaining the X-Division Title from Cedric Alexander, we get highlights of Lethal Lockdown and the Nemeths defeating the Hardys for the Tag Titles. We also see Slater invoking “Option C” and challenged Nic to the TNA World Heavyweight title at Bound For Glory.

The lead singer of the theme is ready for you..in case anyone asks.

We start with Nic and Ryan Nemeth headed to ringside. Rehwoldt and Hannifan talked about the Nic being the second person to hold the World Title and Tag Team Title simultaneously (the first being Kurt Angle.) Ryan gets the mic and said it is a great day to be a Nemeth brother. They beat the Hardys…again. They are the tag champs…again. And, Nic is the World Heavyweight Title holder..again. They are the best brother tag team in history.

Nic grabbed the mic and said this must make him the most valuable man in TNA wrestling. He is above the law and buy his way out of anything. Ryan reiterated the feat his brother did and the people in the back make a comprehensive list of those who did it and yes, it’s just nic and Kurt. They run down Angle and Ryan said it is disrespectful to show Angle’s name when Nic is there.

They quickly pivoted to Slater. Nic ran down what Slater did in invoking option C. Even though he is a one-trick pony, kids should do what Slater did and follow their dreams and reach for stars. They should always bet on themselves unless they face Nemeth

That brought out Slater’s music, He questioned if Nic truly believes that he did what he did at Lockdown to steal his spotlight (doing an okay Nic Nemeth impression.) Nic has it all twisted, what Slater did was so Nic could look him in the eye about what is about to go down. He has a habit of saying things and then doing them. He is going to become the youngest world champion. At Bound For Glory, he is getting it done.

Slater said he noticed that Nemeth also has the tag titles and it was nice of him to give his “bug-eyed” brother a title of his own. He said the tag titles look nice now. In the past couple of months, he got  partner and they have never lost a match as a team. That cued up Ricky Sosa’s music and Nic instantly protested. Slater poked fun at Nic.

Santino Marella’s music started and said Rae would not sign the match, but he will. Tonight, in the main event, the Nemeths face Sosa and Slater. The crowd roared and Marella headed backstage.

We cut to backstage and see Order Four standing whilst Mila Moore was on the phone with Ali. Skyler and Steelz looked bored whilst Agent Zero stood menacingly. Ali is in the hospital from his match with Hotch in Lockdown. Tonight, it was going to be Ali and Agent Zero vs. Trey Miguel and Jason Hotch. Now, Skyler will take Ali’s place. And, with Ali gone, Skyler is in charge of Order Four.

The Personal Concierge, minus jacket joins us with Mr. Elegance. According to the PC, something huge and massive is going to happen tonight. It is the finals of the Knockouts TV Title Tournament featuring M by Elegance and Jada Stone.  The PC hypes both competitors as two  grand two amazing athletes. He said Stone is  young, vibrant and the ultimate Cinderella but everyone’s story has an end tonight will be hers thanks to M by Elegance, right now, rise and sing national anthem of Canada and sings a pro-American Canadian National Anthem as the Mr. Elegance strikes the pose. This is what all guys wish they could be and what every woman wishes they could be with…Mr. elegance goes through a full gamut of posing as the PC continues to hype Mr. Elegance as “the nectar of the gods.”

Bear Bronson (with Brian Myers in tow) vs. Elijah

We get the warning buzzer and Alisha Edwards reminds that we can’t beat the System.  As Bronson headed to the ring, Myers got the mic and said they may have some new scars but when the lights were brightest at the biggest of the show of the year. When the matches were ultra, they proved, once again, you can’t beat the System.

We get a guitar strum and the lit guitar to start Elijah’s theme. We get the full PA announcement of Elijah’s sobriquets as Elijah emerged from the smoke. According to Hannifan, the System might be responsible to his attack shown during Lockdown because they are trying to keep the new talent down.

The two locked up and stated brawling with Bronson getting the better of it until Elijah hit a flying clothesline off the ropes. Elijah went to the arm and headed to the turnbuckles to do the top rope walk and the flying forearm from the top rope. Elijah went to he floor and slammed Bronson on the apron around the ring. Elijah signaled and stated his sprint around the floor until Myers stood in his way. The two started to jaw, which gave Bronson time to leap between the ropes and drop Elijah. Back in the ring, Bronson climbed to the second turnbuckle and hit a flying elbowdrop.

Bronson choked Elijah  on the ropes with his foot. Elijah rallied when Bronson threw Elijah into the turnbuckles. Elijah caught himself and turned it into a mule kick. Bronson recovered and hit the Bossman Slam to a charging Elijah for a two count. Bronson dropped the straps and started to maul Elijah. Elijah rallied once again as the two traded punches and chops and Elijah hit a superkick as Bronson tried a discus lariat.

Elijah got Bronson on his shoulders but Bronson escaped and avoided a leaping knee strike off the ropes. To counter, Bronson grabbed Elijah and hit a chokebomb for a two count. Bronson tried to powerbomb Elijah but favored his left arm as he sold the beating from Lethal Lockdown on Sunday. Elijah countered it into a delayed Alabama Slam. Myers got on the apron to rally Bronson but Elijah sent him to the floor. Elijah hit  a leaping kick as Bronson sat on the turnbuckles. Elijah grabbed Bronson and hit the Highwayman’s Farewell (Tombstone Piledriver) for the victory.

Post-Match: Myers entered the ring but was promptly thrown out by Elijah. Eddie Edwards, Alisha Edwards and Cedric Alexander joined the fracas and Elijah was victim of the numbers game. All four beat on Elijah and gloated in the ring.

Elijah looked hurt; speaking of hurt, here is the TNA Injury Report (this early??) brought to you by Sandman Hotel Group, who are a new sponsor of TNA (note, hotel group not run by the actual Sandman.) Hey, the TNA medical staff had a rough night during Lockdown and numerous competitors had injuries of some sort. All participants in the Lethal Lockdown had some injuries including  K C Navarro, who is out of action, but everyone else is cleared for action. Hotch suffered bruised ribs but has been cleared (which is good, since he is wrestling tonight.) Alexander suffered multiple injuries and he is not medically cleared for action. Ali suffered a punctured lung and is out of action.

After break, we see the chryon for DemonxBunny and Allie (the bunny of the group) appears on the rampway. She introduces herself. At Lockdown, she didn’t know what was going to happen. Rosemary is away and if she was going to walk in along and was going to lose the title. She had a friend and she called her friend and asked if she wanted to be her partner. Said friend said yes and then Allie said yes. Her friend is Keira Hogan and now they are tag team champions. She asked Keira to come out and tell everyone

Hogan appeared and greeted Brampton. She said it felt good to be in TNA. When Allie called her there was no doubt in her mind. TNA means something to her and to come back after all this time and win a championship, it felt great. She knows the title belongs to Rosemary and Hogan was there for her and Allie; but coming back to TNA felt like home. A “welcome back” chant emerged. Hogan is back in TNA and she isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. However, we are going somewhere – to commercials.

When we come back, we get some hype for Bound for Glory and Slater announcing he is utilizing Option C to challenge for the TNA World Title. We then go to a backstage interview with Elayna Black. She had a lot of time to think and what it meant to her. She got to wrestle in front of her family, friends and trainer. She looked back at Lockdown  and be proud that she got to put on a performance for them.

However, she felt disappointed that she didn’t win the title. Life doesn’t go the way we want and maybe this is karma because there were times she wasn’t a good person (face turn completed.) She disrespected people and thought the world owed her something. Lockdown taught her humility. She is doing it for her but more so her for her friends and for all the little girls who look at her for inspiration to be a pro wrestler. She is here to show that she came here on a mission. She didn’t win but this is just a beginning of a long era of Elayna.

Order Four (John Skyler and Agent Zero with Mila Moore and Tasha Steelz in tow) vs. Trey Miguel and Jason Hotch

Order Four is out first with Skyler leading the way. The hit the ring and STRUCK THE POSE (Steelz did it with the minimalist of enthusiasm.) Miguel is next and is still going through a Spider-Man phase (the camera is upside down in a neat touch.) He paused on the rampway and awaited Hotch, who came out to a good pop with camera effects. The two shook hands with the ringside fans and posed on the turnbuckles. Hannifan and Rehwoldt praised Hotch’s efforts and his family stance during the match with Ali.

Skyler and Miguel started the match. Skyler grabbed a headlock band dropped Migel with a shoulderblock. However, Miguel got behind Skyler, grabbed his arm and headed to the ropes. He leapt on the top rope and hit a back flip arm drag to send Skyler to the mat. He followed it with a handstand flying headscissors and a dropkick.  Hotch tagged into the match and the two reluctantly looked at each other. Zero tagged himself into the match and Zero took control with a knee to the abdomen.

Zero beat on Hotch until Hotch hit a flying headscissors off the ropes and sent Zero to the floor. Hotch leapt over the ropes and dove on Zero. Favoring his ribs, he signaled toward Miguel and the two threw Zero into he match. As Hotch tried to climb into the ring, Moore grabbed his leg. The distraction work as Zero recovered and threw Hotch into the ringpost. Miguel and Skyler checked on Hotch but Zero shooed both of them away and threw Hotch into the ring.

Zero beat on Hotch some more and hit a series of shoulder blocks to the torso in the corner. He threw Hotch chest first into the turnbuckles and lifted Hotch to an overhead suplex. The crowd tried to rally Hotch but Zero continued to maul Hotch with a series of knees and high impact maneuvers, including huge backdrop for a two count. Hotch continued to beat on the ribs and tagged Skyler. Skyler hit a Russian Legsweep for a two count. He started to work the back, grabbing the arms for extra leverage.

Hotch briefly rallied but Skyler responded with a huge bodyslam and tagged Zero. Zero Gorilla Pressed Hotch and dropped him chest first to the mat. Zero continued to aul Hotch and choked him on the ropes. When the referee tried to stop Zero, Moore choked Hotch form the floor. Zero grabbed a reverse bearhug and Hotch again tried to rally but Zero stopped it with his East River Crossing into the End of Days move for a two count. Zero was frustrated and accosted the referee – to the point the referee bailed to the floor.

During the events, Hotch recovered and rallied once more with a series of chops and an enziguri. He tried for a leaping tag but Zero caught him and applied a bearhug. Miguel implored his partner to rally and Hotch got to this feet and bit Zero’s forehead. He followed that with a jawbreaker as Zero staggered to his corner and tagged Skyler. Hotch booted Skyler to the mat and Miguel got the hot tag.

Miguel was a spiderweb of fire he dropped Skyler with a series of forearms and then a moonsault off the ropes. He no sold a chop and hit another enziguri for a two count. Skyler dodged a corner charge by Miguel but Miguel recovered before hitting the turnbuckle. He leapt on the top turnbuckle and signaled for the Meteora but Zero grabbed Skyler. Miguel rolled through it but Zero met him a punch that dropped him. Zero tried to charge Hotch, who was standing in the corner but Hotch avoided him and attempted the rolling neckbreaker through the ropes. However, Zero avoided it and sent Hotch into the direction of Skyler. Hotch stopped himself. The two had a moment but Zero attempted a big boot that connected on Skyler. Hotch and Miguel superkicked Zero over the ropes. Hotch leapt between the ropes but Zero caught him. Hotch escaped Zero’s grasp and sent Zero into the ringpost. Meanwhile, Miguel climbed to the top and NOW we get the Meteora for the win.

Post-Match: Hannifin noted that Miguel now has three victories over members of Order Four (Ali, Zero and Skyler.) We get a recap of the final moments of the match as Miguel and Hotch posed in the ring.

BUT HOLD EVERYTHING, we go live (shown on the videos at ringside) of Ali in a hospital bed and called for Mr. Hotch. Ali applauded Hotch and said of he came really close to his wish of putting Ali into the dirt. However, he sent him to the hospital. He jumped off the steel cage onto him and stomped his heart. But, what he did was fracture his ribs and punctured his lung. It’s painful – very painful – but the only thing that is more painful than this is someone disrespecting his wife and daughter and living to talk about it.

He knows Hotch is injured, too. He saw him coughing up blood. He has a proposal for Hotch. Ali said maybe they have taken this too far. Everyone around them is hurt.  Steelz had the door slammed in her face and the emotional trauma of Hotch’s wife and daughter. The two of them are in the condition they are. Ali proposed a truce and stop all this. Hotch joins Order Four and all is forgiven. It’s open arms or a call to arms – the choice is Hotch. The video ended and Hotch looked frustrated as he contemplated the offer.

We cut from that and go to BDE and Rich Swann who are watching a match on BDE’s phone until the Righteous walk from opposite sides into the shot. Vincent said relax; they are not here to fight them. Rather, has he thought about what they said. BDE asked what they wanted. Dutch said what they didn’t want is what happened at Lockdown but he made them do it. Vincent said Brandon (BDE’s first name) wants his first victory. But, Swann forgot…but before he could finish Swann said he hasn’t forgotten anything. What BDE and Swann want is for the Righteous to get out of here (mimicking Vincent’s snapping and walking.)

Dutch said he is going give Brandon what he wants. He is going to talk to Rae about a match between BDE and “Uncle” Dutch. Maybe BDE wins or not. When it doesn’t go his way again, maybe Brandon thinks about what Vincent said. Dig what he is saying? They leave off camera and BDE and Swann look at each other.

We get the rest of the card and the finals of the Knockouts TV Title Tournament are next….after the break.

During the break, we get the System’s music (sans warning buzzer..) The System come to the rampway. Alisha asked if we want to know something; in fact, she asked twice. They are looking at history makers. Alisha is the first and only Knockout to participate in Ultimate X, Monster’s Ball and Lethal Lockdown. The System walked away victorious so we can all cry about it. Bronson said as the gatekeepers of TNA and Lethal Lockdown winners. After what happened tonight, the System is going to obliterate Elijah like the Royals obliterated the Blue Jays.

Alexander grabbed the mic and yelled that he has it on good authority that Elijah was the one who attacked him days before Lockdown. As far as he’s concerned, Elijah’s existence is a personal insult to him. Soon, Elijah will learn a cold fact of life – you can’t beat the System.

We come back from break to Miller and Avery Styles. She asked how the last few days have been since his viral announcement at Lockdown that he joined TNA at age 19. It’s a dream come true, he said. His dad made his name here and he grew up watching this. He can’t wait to start his own story here.

Before they could continue, Moose entered the shot and congratulated him. He said he knows Styles will do as phenomenal as his dad. He did want to impart some advice – as one who made the same mistake: be careful who he associates. The discussion at Lockdown between Styles and Frankie Kazarian was worrisome because Kazarian doesn’t help other people, he just helps himself.

This brought Kazarian into the shot and verbally accosted Moose. Styles said he needs someone who will help him survive and thrive in this company. He needs a winner, not a loser like Moose, who named himself after a big, dumb animal. Kazarian said he is looking out for Styles and that his career starts on the right path, so Moose better stay out of his ear.

We go to a vignette from M by Elegance. She said she had been wrestling for four years and it only took two to get to TNA. Once she got here, she joined the By Elegance Brand because they saw all the potential she had. Jada Stone said she and M go back a long ways. They used to be friends until she joined the By Elegance Brand. M said she has never felt more confident as she does going into the finals of the tournament. Stone said the fact that she made it to the finals is crazy to her and didn’t expect it. M said that is the difference between the two, Stone didn’t expect it and M always knew she was going to make the finals. The two traded comments. M said that the plan was always her vs. Heather by Elegance in the finals to ensure gold in the Brand but she knows the title is coming to the Brand. Stone wants to humble M by Elegance. M said she sparkles like a diamond and shine like the star she is.

Knockouts TV Title Tournament Final: M by Elegance vs. Jada Stone

M is out first and is joined by the Brand at ringside. Stone is next, Hannifan said Stone defeated three former Knockouts Champions to get here. Stone posed in the turnbuckles. Mitchell gives the full introduction.

The two squared up as the bell rang. M bullied Stone in the corner but Stone dodged a corner charge for a series of rollups for two counts. She followed it with a matrix dodge of a running boot and hit a dropkick. M staggered into the corner and Stone it a running back elbow. M tried to evade another corner charge and backdropped Stone to the apron. But, Stone landed on her feet and hit a forearm that staggered M. Stone climbed to the top rope and hit a missile dropkick and a standing moonsault for a two count.

M bailed to the floor and Stone tried to capitalize on her offense. However, M grabbed Stone’s leg after “The Spark” leapt onto the apron and yanked her to the floor. M hit a wheelbarrow back suplex into the apron corner. M put the boots to Stone in the ring and choked Stone in the corner with her boot. Stone tried to rally but M reversed it and hit a Cradle Shock for a two count.

M continued to maul Stone on the ropes and thwart  multiple Stone rally attempts. One rally ended with a huge big boot by M off the ropes for a two count. M hit a chin lock (using her knee as extra leverage on her back.) Stone caught Stone off the ropes and hit a fallway slam. M wrapped Stone around the ropes and put the boot to Stone’s arm, injured during the Lethal Lockdown on Sunday.

M posed on the ropes; that gave Stone time to rally one more time and hit a rollup. M escaped and hit a standing dropkick. M kept the onslaught and choked Stone on the corner with her boot. A “Jada” chant emerged but M snapmared Stone out of the corner and hit a seated dropkick to the back of Stone for a two count. M lifted Stone onto the turnbuckles and M scaled the turnbuckles. Stone tried to fight her but M hit a big boot to quell that rally. She also hit a Tower of London (Tower of Elegance, according to Hannifan) for a two count.

M got Stone into position and climbed to the top for a moonsault. Stone moved but M rolled through it. M tried for a corner charge but Stone evaded it. She also evaded a running boot that got M caught on the ropes in the corner. Stone tried to beat on M in the corner and the ropes. The two struggled for position but Stone hit a rope-assisted hurincanrana that sent M across the ring. Stone hit a seated dropkick and draped M on the ropes. Stone hit the 619 and tried to rally the crowd. M caught Stone in a wheelbarrow position but Stone rolled up M and hit a double stomp to the abdomen for a two count.

Stone attempted the Spark Stunner (a handspring stunner with a back flip off the ropes) but M caught her for a two-count. Stone dropped M with a kick in the corner. She attempted the split-legged moonsault but M got to her feet and caught her. M hit a standing Blue Thunder Bomb and followed it with a superkick. She caught Stone with a rebound kick off the ropes. M hit the ropes again but Stone legtripped her and hit a running uppercut to the back.

Stone attempted an Asai Moonsault off the ropes but it hit nothing but knees. M hit a knee strike and a powerbomb from a rolling position. M slowly climbed to the top rope, which gave Stone time to recover and hit a superkick. Stone grabbed M on the top turnbuckle and hit the Spanish Fly. A “TNA” chant emerged as Stone climbed and hit a Skytwister Press from the top rope for two-and-a-fraction until M just got her foot on the rope.

M struggled around the ropes but tried to fend off Stone. Persistent, Stone hit the ropes and attempted another Spark Stunner but M caught her once again. This time, Stone reversed it to a roll up for a two count. M reversed it, picked up Stone and hit a piledriver variation for the win and the title.

Post-Match: The By Elegance Brand was ecstatic as TNA President Carlos Sivla awarded M the title. The Brand got in the ring and celebrated with M and celebrated up the rampway.

Speaking of Knockouts, Indi Hartwell is in action…after the break.

During the break, Kazarian’s music hit and he appeared on the rampway with Styles. He wanted the crowd to show some respect. He asked Styles to take it in. The ring right now is Kazarian’s but sometime in the future, it will be Styles. He talked about the relationship with A J Styles, a good friend and one of the best wrestlers in the world, like him. Don’t be like A J Styles, because you will fail – there’s only one Styles He should carve his own path and do his own thing. Kazarian believes in him. Go out there and stand on his own. Kazarian has his back and always will. He asked the crew to hit his music but changed his mind – hit Avery’s music. The crew do just that and the two head backstage and we head to break.

When we come back we go to an ambulance and see Jeff being stretchered into it. Matt said he doesn’t know what happened and asked to go with him to the hospital. We cut immediately to Hartwell headed to ringside. Usually, she is an easy going and positive person, but she is angry right now.  Daria Rae said she is not worthy of a title shot. A fan yelled Rae is a female dog and Hartwell sort of agreed, saying she is a lot of things. She said she had been watching and obsessing with wrestling since she was eight-years-old. This is her life, there’s no plan B and she can’t go back to University (ummm…why not?) She moved across the world for this. She has not been more physically and emotionally strong as she is right now. No one is going to stand in her way anymore.

That brought out Rae. Rae said that was so touching and almost got to her until she remembered how mediocre Hartwell is (ohhh..burn…..) Rae can’t stand one thing and that is people who grew up idolizing and obsessing over wrestling and feel that is cause for an opportunity over everyone else.  This is how the real world is – money equals opportunity. IF she brings in money to the company, that brings opportunity. That is something Hartwell has not done.

She gave Hartwell advice – take her underperforming mediocre glutes back to catering. Rae would urge her to stop disrespecting her name. Hartwell said is it when she called Rae Dariarhee….she was immediately cut off by Rae’s catchphrase was a too late a “Diarrhea” chant emerged.

Rae said actions have consequences. Hartwell asked about what consequences. Is Rae going to fight Hartwell? Is she going to hair up and square up (harkening to Rae’s catchphrase in NXT) Hartwell said has a hair tie for her. Rae responded that Hartwell wished she would rub one ounce of Rae’s star power and aura on her dying career. If Rae ever did step back into the ring, she would kick Hartwell’s glutes all the way back to kangaroo land.

Hartwell said what is wrong with the world is someone who projects their misery onto other people. Just because her career was a failure doesn’t mean she has to ruin it for everyone else. Hartwell said she won’t Rae ruin her career; with or without her in the way, she will get the Knockouts world title. Rae said good luck with that and Hartwell watched Rae leave. BUT HOLD EVERYTHING, Zoey Star…err…Serrano hit the ring and started to maul Hartwell on the mat. She hit the Z360 and Hartwell crumpled to the mat  – a “holy (excrement)” chant emerged. Rae formerly introduced Serrano to the crowd. Rae and Serrano posed in the ring as we go to break and prep for the main event…after the break.

During the break, we get the Hometown Man greeting the crowd in a Toronto Blue Jays jersey and hat (noticeably, no Maple Leafs’  or Brampton Battalion gear.) he get the cheap pop and a “TNA” chant emerged. HE said not only are the best wrestlers in the world in TNA but the best wrestlers in the world are from right here in Canada. Not only that, the best pro wrestling fans are from right here from Canada (I bet you say that to all the cities.) A “hometown man” chant emerged and HTM continued. We have a lot to be excited about including the main event. He asked the camera man to follow him. He got the crowd riled with the main event talk and the Astros going to the World Series (well, he said the Blue Jays but let’s be honest.) He also has free merch to throw to the crowd, and he did just that. Afterwards, he thanked the crowd and headed backstage.

We go backstage to see a recuperating Hartwell. Harley Hudson walked into the shot and wanted to check on Hartwell. Hudson said she can’t stand what Rae is doing; first, she threatened to send Hudson back to England. Hartwell said Rae wanted to send her back to “kangaroo land.” She can bring in Serrano or anyone she wants, Hartwell isn’t going anywhere. Hudson said she wants people to be frustrated but that’s not going to happen. If she needs someone, Hudson is there for her.

However, Xia Brookside walked into the shot and commented on the “Daria Rae Hate Club” being adorable. Hartwell got into Brookside’s face but Brookside said she heard what Hartwell said at Lockdown about getting a shot at her World Title. Brookside said Rae said she is not getting a title shot. Hartwell asked if she is happy about that. Brookside asked why wouldn’t she? She has the world title and Hartwell has, what, exactly? A bad neck and new enemy.

Santino Marella came into the shot and said he could make the match. However, Rae entered the shot (holy NXT interview parade, Batman) and said she is amazed how stupid Marella is. She went to the board and told them about the verbal and physical assault months ago. Her permanent record is not great. It’s above their head and safe to say – no title shot. Hartwell asked if this is high school? Marella said he would look into that but in the meantime, he made a tag match. It will be Hudson and Hartwell vs. Brookside and Serrano next week. Rae agreed it was a good match and sarcastically wished Hartwell and Hudson good luck.

We get an ad for “30 Second Takedown” on TNA Plus, debuting after Bound For Glory. Along with the tag match just announced we get the X-Division Qualifying Match between Navarro and Joe Alonzo (who won a TNA Contract during a dark match not shown prior to Lockdown.)

We get the tale of the tape for the main event and here we go:

TNA Tag World Title Match: The Nemeths (Ryan and Nic) vs. Ricky Sosa and Leon Slater

The crowd starts the “Bang,bang/Sosa, Sosa” chant to his theme. Slater quickly joins him and the crowd chants to his theme. We get some hype for Bound For Glory in Tampa. The Nemeths head out next with gyrations aplenty. We go to break during that. We come back to the Nemeths taunting the crowd (Ryan did the Jeff Hardy dance mimic and followed it with the Ricky Sosa dance.)

Nic grabbed the mic and wanted the crowd to shut up. He knows the crowd came to see the Nemeths do what they do best, but some wanted to see Sosa and Slater and everyone came to see them win the titles. Nic knows he came to see himself and that the Nemeths are the most successful brother team in history and that Nic is the most valuable man in TNA history. Nic knows after they beat Sosa and Slater and retain the titles,, they are going to leave and put this country in the rear view. He started a “USA” chant that got booed. The crowd got a “Lake Ontario” chant going (I laughed at that – nice touch.)

The chant kept going when we got back to the action. Slater and Nic started. Slater chased Nic to the corner and Nic tagged Ryan. Slater it an enziguri and then a handspring back elbow off the ropes. Slater beat on Ryan in the corner, including the 10-punch corner spot. Sosa tagged and the two hit a double hiptoss. Sosa followed it with a senton for a two count.

Sosa attempted a bodyslam but Ryan escaped and tagged Nic. Nic immediately went to work on the arm and hit multiple arm twists. Sosa and Nic traded reversals but Sosa dropped the World Champion with a shoulder block off the ropes and followed it with a body slam and dropkick. Nic weathered the storm and managed to hit a back elbow in the ropes. Nic started to maul Sosa and tagged Ryan. Ryan slugged away on Sosa in the corner and on the mat. Sosa rallied with a series of back elbows and a huge dropkick off the ropes.

Sosa managed to get the tag to Slater and Slater was a flat on fire with a series of forearms and two running boots off the ropes and in the corner. Slater climbed to the top and hit a cross bodyblock for a two count until Nic interrupted the pin. Nic was rewarded with  a rebound spin kick off the ropes and a superkick. Back to Ryan, Slater lifted Ryan on his shoulders and hit the Utopia (Spinning Rack Bomb) for a two count. Ryan bailed to the floor and Nic consoled him and asked for a time out.

Back in the ring, Slater chopped away on Ryan. Slater tagged Sosa and Sosa continued to literally chop away at Ryan. Slater tagged back and hit a chop on the arm from the top rope. Ryan finally got a break with an eye rake and tagged Nic. Nic choked Slater on the ropes. Ryan tagged and hit a shoulder block to the abdomen in the corner. Ryan beat on Slater with a clothesline off the ropes but Slater quickly rallied with a big boot..

Sosa tagged back in the match and hit a seated dropkick after a snap mare of a two count. Sosa tagged Slater and slammed Ryan. Slater climbed to the rope but Nic tried to interfere. Slater thwarted him but the distraction gave time to recover and evaded the leap,. Slater landed on his feet but sold a leg injury upon landing. Ryan threw Slater shoulder first into the ringpost. Nic tagged and threw Slater into the turnbuckles. Nic choked Slater on the ropes. As the referee tried to restrain Nic Ryan slugged him on the floor.

Slater tried to tag but Nic grabbed his leg and tagged Ryan. (note: at this point the feed ended.) Nemeth cut off the ring and attempted multiple pins, including a neckbreacker but only got two counts. Nic tagged into the match and continued to maul Slater in the corner.

Ryan tagged again and continued the beatdown until Slater rallied with a Superkick. Both made writhed on the canvas but eventually started the hope craw. Sosa immediately went to work and dropped both Nemeths with clotheslines. He countered a Ryan clothesline with a spin kick that sent Ryan staggering. Sosa clotheslined Ryan out of the ring and then focused on Nic. Sosa hit a powerslam off the ropes and followed it with a moonsault off the ropes for a two count.

Sosa kept the offense going with a twisting neckbreaker for another two count. After knocking Ryan back to the floor from the apron, Sosa went back to Nic. However, Nic dropped Sosa and cued up the superkick. However, Sosa blocked it and hit the Blue Thunder Bang (his Blue Thunder Bomb variation.) Slater tagged back to the match, ascended to the top and hit the Swanton 450 for a two count until Ryan recovered and interrupted the pin and pulled him out the ring and sent Slater into the ring steps.

Sosa tagged back into the match and hit a spingboard cutter on Nic for another two count. Sosa measured him for the Head Shot (running uppercut.) However, Ryan recovered the just enough to grab Sosa’s leg to interfere. Sosa kicked him and Slater leapt over the ringpost and dove on Ryan. However, Nic recuperated and managed to drop Sosa with another superkick for a two count. Nic attempted another superkick but Sosa caught him and hoisted him into another powerbomb. Sosa got ready for another attempt at the Head Shot but Nic blocked it, hit the Danger Zone, and got the win and the title retention as the show ended.

Impactful Discourse:

One: The curse of the first live taping strikes as the feed cut out before the final match. There was also a hiccup transitioning between the Hardys segment and going to Hartwell’s interview. There has to be a better way to do this. Though it has gotten better, this still happens with way too much frequency.

Two: The main event was to be expected as Slater is set to compete for the World Title so this was just a match. Given the stakes at Bound For Glory, they wanted to keep Slater strong; ergo, Sosa ate the pin. Nemeth getting clean pins is unusual given he’s a heel but I guess if Slater does win – as he should – this gives him a stronger champion to conquer. Sosa should be fine as he still has a huge rub and the crowd loves him.

Three: Speaking of fait accompli, it felt like M’s win over Stone was just that. And, it was the right call. M is ready for the big time and to carry that title. Stone still has work to do. They built a good “David vs. Goliath” match but M just looked so much more fluid in there and watching her pick up Stone effortlessly for the pin was a telling sign. Now that it is done, where do we go from here? We have two heel champions (for now) and a just a few face challengers.

Four: That being said, I don’t think M is long for the heel side. However, I don’t know where this leaves the By Elegance Brand and don’t know if this leads to dissention amongst the ranks. I don’t buy Heather as a credible threat to M – so that would be a one-sided affair. The deck is stacked heavily for the heels vs. faces quantity (and quality, for that matter.) Having M become face would not be the worst idea as she can do all the lifting on her own in ring and on mic.

Five: That ratio is compounded by the fact that Zoey Serrano is now in the organization. I am a bigger fan of hers than most people here but I was glad to see her after the horrible injury she suffered. She was introduced the proper way and can see her quickly assume the role as a top heel. Also, this was a far better introduction to a Rae signing than, let’s say…..

Six: Elayna Black. Her segment cemented her face turn. It was a paint-by-numbers segment and a pretty good one but the delivery still seemed off. Also, it was shot like a hostage video. I guess underdog redemption/ashamed of how she was is a good enough impetus for a turn, but can Black finally handle the role and seem natural in there.

Seven: The last temptation of BDE continues. It’s a feud and keeps everyone present and accounted, I guess. It does seem like a waste for three of the four people involved (Swann could be penciled into the X-Division scene again now that is vacated and we have a six-way match for the title at Bound For Glory.) BDE needs something so him somehow being swayed by the Righteous would be something more than “social media star who wrestles but falls just short time after time.”

Eight: Great interview by Ali after the Miguel and Hotch victory. That was well crafted and keeps people aware that he still lurks. If Slater wins the title, I would love to see a world title feud between them.

Nine: Great work by Steelz, by the way, in her “quiet quitting/exasperated” mannerisms. She is just over this and wonder when her face turn takes place (having her in the mix isn’t the worst idea, either.)

10: Hartwell did a nice job with her segment but one has to wonder if they don’t pull the trigger on this, how much longer does she stay in TNA? She has been at the forefront and just missed time after time. Her skillset is limited but the fans still react to her in a natural way. Her style is weirdly natural.

11: I forgot to mention this on the Lockdown review but luckily it manifested itself tonight. I don’t know what is the denouement of the “mystery attacker” is but I am curious. TNA doesn’t really hit home runs with their big reveals but this would be a good time for one. I would settle for a solid double. I do like Hannifan’s speculation and the paranoid accusations of wrestlers on who it is to sell the drama unfolding.

12: The Kazarian/Moose/Styles troika is interesting as it has two proverbial good hands leading a newcomer through his first big angle. Styles as a “padawan” is a great way to get him into heavy rotation as good vs. evil fight for him. And, could lead to the proverbial “one more match” for a certain phenomenal wrestler.

Lastly: We have two pieces set with Serrano and DeVille. All we need is Shayna Bazsler and you know what that means? Yup, Pure Fusion Collective is back.

Fight the Good Fight.

For the first time in 10 years and eight months, TNA is dusting off the Lockdown pay-per-view in Chicago, Illinois at the Credit Union 1 arena. For those not in the know, it is called that because every match is held in the (not-so) friendly confides of Wrigley Field a steel cage.  We might not be besieged by “C M Punk” chants (those are the other guys or the other, other guys,) but to keep us going we have Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rewholdt behind the mic giving us the action, Gia Miller is handling backstage (and doing crowd work – poor thing.)  duties and NOT McKenzie Mitchell is telling us who is who in the ring. So, sit back and relax, try to avoid staring at the paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago, get a slice of Chicago Style Pizza and getting ready for some Impactful Discourse. Shall we? We shall. Well, you don’t have any choice BECAUSE YOU ARE IN LOCKDOWN.

(note: I will try to avoid most of the pre-game stuff, sans the matches. But, fun fact, Chris Bey wrote the theme for Lockdown.)

Tonight’s card incudes:

TNA World Tag Team Championships (Tornado Rules:) Matt and Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Ryan & Nic Nemeth

TNA X Division Championship: Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Leon Slater (Last Man Standing)

TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championships: Allie and a mysterious partner (c) vs. The Elegance Brand (Heather by Elegance & M by Elegance)

TNA International Championship: Jason Hotch (c) vs. Mustafa Ali

Escape The Cage: Moose vs. Frankie Kazarian

TNA Knockouts Championship: Xia Brookside (c) vs. Elayna Black

Lethal Lockdown: The System (Eddie Edwards, Bear Bronson, Brian Myers & Alisha Edwards) vs. Ricky Sosa, K.C. Navarro, Jada Stone, and Fabian Aichner

Final Encore: AJ Francis vs. Elijah

The Righteous vs. BDE and Rich Swann (for pregame)

Agent Zero vs. Trey Miguel (for pregame)

Pre-game festivities begin almost immediately with our first match:

The Righteous (Dutch and Vincent) vs. BDE and Rich Swann

The young lady in the video, as always, tells us “The Righteous are coming” and the slide guitar with snapping confirm that. The crowd is fairly muted for their entrance. Swann and BDE are next and get a slight pop and get the crowd riled with their music and tandem choreography.

Vincent and Swann  start and Vincent immediately started to maul Swann with a serie3s of fists and clothesline.  Swann avoided a clothesline off the ropes and a corner charge to hit a leaping clothesline of his own. BDE tagged and the two hit a code breaker double stomp combination into an assisted flapjack for a two count.

Meanwhile, we don’t hear the Hannifan or Rehwoldt call the action. In the ring, the action spoke for itself as BDE hit a series of kicks and got the crowd riled. Dutch got the blind tag and met BDE with a forearm shiver as BDE attempted a top turnbuckle reverse body press. Dutch now mauled BDE on the mat and flung him into the turnbuckles twice. Vincent tagged and the two hit a face first body slam and sliding DDT for a two count for Vincent. Vincent put the bad mouth on BDE asking is that  what he wanted.

Dutch tagged back into he match and the Righteous hit an atomic drop into a huge body block by Dutch for a two count. Dutch hit the chinlock and Vincent continued to talk to BDE; telling him that this is not what the Righteous wanted and they could give him so much more. Meanwhile, Dutch cinched in the chinlock.

A small “BDE” chant emerged as Dutch dropped BDE with a clothesline and a series of forearms to the chest. Vincent tagged and dropped Swann off the apron before clotheslining Swann. BDE finally got a chance to rally by hitting a knee to Vincent in the corner and trying the hope crawl. Vincent tried to talk some sense into him (at least, his sense) and the crowd got into the match by imploring BDE to make the tag.  IT worked as BDE reversed a back suplex into a reverse rollup and then leapt to tag Swann.

Swann was a disco of fire as he slugged away on Vincent. He avoided multiple Vincent clotheslines off the ropes acrobatically and eventually turned it into a handspring cutter off the ropes. Swann hit the ropes and leapt over the ropes to Dutch on the floor. A huge frog splash on Vincent got a two count.

BDE and Swann attempted a double suplex on Vincent but Dutch got into the ring to block and slugged BDE to the mat. He also hit Death Walks (Bossman Slam) on Swann. Vincent hit a Sister Abigail on Swann; but Dutch walked back to the corner, telling everyone “that’s it.” However, BDE scaled to the top and hit his own frog splash to interrupt the pin. BDE shoulderblocked Dutch out of the ring and dragged Swann to the corner to tag. BDE tagged and hit a rolling codebreaker and the Clip Cutter (springboard cutter) for two-and-a-fraction.

BDE extolled the crow and climbed to the top but Dutch recovered and pushed him to the mat. Dutch took out Swann and climbed to the ring. BDE found himself surrounded as Vincent kept telling him “why don’t you listen?” BDE tried to fend off the tandem but the numbers game got to be too much. Vincent subdued BDE and the Righteous hit the Orange Sunshine (a springboard cutter performed by Vincent rebounding off Dutch’s chest)  for the win.

Post-Match: Vincent kept talking to BDE and trying to get him toward their side. They readied their hands and then said one more thing to BDE before heading up the rampway.

Hannifan and Rewholdt are joined by Daria Rae. We get highlights of the feud between Cedric Alexander and Leon Slater. They go over the stipulations of the championship bout between the two (if Alexander wins, Slater’s title reign is erased. The match is also a Last Man Standing match.)

We get a cameo from Candice Michelle who got a pop. Hannifan talked to both Michelle and Rae about the TNA Knockouts world title match between Xia Brookside vs. Elayna Black.  They also talk about the Knockouts Tag Team Title bout between Allie and a mystery partner vs. the By Elegance Brand (M and Heather.) We go to Miller who interviewed the gentleman in the Adam Ant jacket (the ubiquitous guy who shows up to all events) and thinks the Hardys prevail tonight.

With that we go to our second pre-game match:

Agent Zero vs. Trey Miguel

Zero is first to the ring sans any Order Four or extra servicemen and to the faction’s original theme. We see insert highlights of Zero’s beatdown of Miguel on Impact as Zero posed in the ring. We see new chryon for Miguel (who is Spider-Trey..sure, why not? His tights have a Spider-man motif to them as well. )

Miguel goes behind Zero but Zero flings him to the mat. Miguel avoided a couple of charges and laps to the top for a code breaker but Zero caught him. Miguel avoided a forearm and leapt on the ropes for a top rope arm drag but could not drag Zero. Miguel tried  for a second rope springboard hurincanrana but Zero caught him. However, Miguel was persistent and managed to finally hit the hurincanrana  over the ropes and sent Zero to the floor. However, When Miguel dove between the ropes, Zero slugged him.

Zero flung Miguel back into the ring and hit a release vertical suplex as a small “let’s go, Trey” chant emerged. Zero hit a standing clothesline to drop Miguel once more. Miguel tried to slug his way back into the match but Zero walloped him with a forearm and dropped Miguel again. After another release vertical suplex, Miguel tried to rally one more with a  back elbow. However, Zero caught Miguel off the ropes with his East River Crossing into an End of Days slam hybrid for two-and-a-fraction. Zero measured Miguel but a charge was met with a back elbow and a kick. Miguel got to the top rope and finally dropped Zero with a top rope Meteora. Miguel took advantage and slugged away on Zero.

Miguel no-sold a chop and enziguri kicked Zero to the floor. Miguel tried to get the crowd riled and hit the ropes for a springboard leap from the top (file it under “didn’t get all of it.”) However, Zero got enough and dropped to the floor. However, Zero quickly recovered and headbutted Miguel. He gorilla slammed Miguel into the apron  and measured Miguel one more time. However, Miguel avoided a spear attempt and countered with some superkicks. However, Miguel leapt on Zero but Zero held firm. He hotshot Miguel from the powerbomb position. However, Zero lifted Miguel onto his shoulders but Miguel reversed it into a rollup for a quick roll up and the win.

Post-Match: Zero was frustrated and angry in the ring (don’t blame him.) Miguel did the old Rascalz’ wave and headed up the rampway to backstage.

We get more talk from Rae, Hannifin and Rehwoldt regarding the TNA Knockouts World Title and a recap package of the feud between Brookside and Black.

We go to the main show with the musical montage and right to our opening match

AJ Francis vs. Elijah

Francis entered the ring first as Rehwoldt extolled the virtues of Francis. Francis scaled to the top of the cage and posed. We then heard the guitar string and Elijah got the full introduction and his music a decent pop and the “walk with Elijah” chant to “Seven Nation Army.”

Francis started right at the bell  by hitting a leaping knee of his own for a two count. Francis dd not want to waste time and went for a Down Payment (chokeslam) but Elijah evaded it and hit a leaping knee strike of his own. Elijah followed it with a flying clothesline off the ropes after avoiding a clothesline. Elijah climbed to the top rope and did the “Walk with Elijah” rope walk into a leaping forearm smash. Elijah continued the offense with a stunner for a two count.

Elijah kept the offense going with a leaping forearm smash in the corner. However, Francis aught Elijah as he leapt from the top rope. Elijah escaped and attempted to throw Francis into the cage but Francis caught himself and, instead, launched a charging Elijah into the cage.  Francis started to maul Elijah repeatedly slamming Elijah into the  cage but Elijah avoided a Francis charge and Francis hit nothing but cage. Elijah scaled to the top rope but Francis caught him and gestured for a Down Payment but Elijah fended him and the two fought on the top rope until Elijah landed on the mat and tried to powerbomb Francis from the top rope. Francis tried to hold on but Elijah finally managed to powerbomb Francis to a two count.

Elijah climbed to the top again but Francis caught him.  Francis climbed to the top rope. The two started to brawl but Elijah threw a forearm and sent Francis crashing to the mat. Eliah hit a top rope elbow drop for a two count. Elijah gestured to the top of the cage and started to climb. Francis recovered and met him at the top of the cage.

Elijah attempted the “Walk with Elijah” at the top of the cage but Francis stopped him. They did the “yay/boo” punch trade on top of the cage. Francis hit a headbutt but the two started to brawl with Francis on top of the cage. Elijah got on the top and grabbed Francis, Elijah got a superplex off the top of the cage for two-and-a-fraction. However, while the two laid prone of the mat. Expressions was wheeled to the  ringside and started to yell at Elijah. However, Eliah had the where with all to avoid a TFL (Spear) and climbed to the top rope for the Drifter Destroyer. However, Francis got him on his shoulders and hit the Cash Out (fireman’s carry neckbreaker) for a two count.

Francis asked the referee to open the cage and escape. However, Elijah grabbed his leg and prevented that. He put Francis on his shoulders and hit the F5 (F flat??) for a two count. However, Elijah staggered to the door and Expression miraculously healed and slammed the cage door into Elijah. Francis hit the TFL for a two count. Francis was frustrated but signaled for the Down Payment (chokeslam) but Elijah grabbed the cage and fended off Francis and hit the Drifter Destroyer from the top rope. Elijah got a two count until Expressions interrupted the pin Elijah had enough and threw Expressions into the cage and the leaping knee strike. He focused on Francis and put him on the top turnbuckle but instead grabbed Expressions and threw him into the cage. He then he hit the Highwayman’s Farewell but Expressions recovered, got himself into position  and hit a moonsault. NOW, we get the Down Payment for the victory.

Post-Match: Francis climbed to the top of the cage to celebrate3. However, Home Town man came to ringside and handed Elijah his guitar. Francis was unaware and tried to help Expressions to this feet as Elijah climbed to the second turnbuckle. With the HTM getting the crowd riled, Elijah leapt from the second turnbuckle and “el kabonged” Francis.

We get a rundown of the card and focus on the Knockouts Tag title match again as Miller interviewed Allie. Allie tried everything to get a hold of Rosemary (even Ouija board, so it was comprehensive) and no luck but to no avail. Rosemary wouldn’t want her to give up the title so she got a partner. We’ll find out when the By Elegance Brand does,

We get some hype and highlights of the feud but that is interrupted by the Personal Concierge. They should not be locked in a cage like animals or felons, that should be for the people of Chicago who are stupid felons. They are going to win and become three-time champions, and then leave this town much like the Chicago Bears. They should see who is in the VIP section with them? The Green Bay Packers. The fans should be arrested by the police – the sexy police like Heather and M..by Elegance

TNA Knockouts Tag Team Title Bout: The By Elegance Brand (with Mr. Elegance in tow) vs. Allie and ???

Yup, the Brand are dressed by police – sexy police. They make their way to ringside and taunt the fans. We get Allie’s music next followed by…….Keira Hogan??? Um….okay, sure….Hogan is dressed in a pink princess like gear. Hannifan went over the history of Hogan in TNA and her history of holding the Tag titles.

The referee accosts the sexy police (arrest her, I say.) However, M and Alie start. Allie slugged away on M and hit a Thesz Press of the ropes. She also hit a knee lift off the ropes. M scurried to the ropes and tagged Heather. Allie did the same and tagged Heather. Heather started her onslaught on Heather with a superkick and a neckbreaker for a two count.

Allie tagged back into the match and they whipped Heather into the turnbuckles. Hogan hit a flying forearm into the corner and Allie hit a sliding clothesline. Hogan finished with a sliding dropkick for a two count.

Mr. Elegance got involved by climbing the cage and distracting the referee. That gave time for the PC to slide a knife stick to Heather and walloped Allie. Heather mauled Allie on the mat for a two count. Allie started to rally but Heather tagged M. The two threw Allie into the corner and M hit a shoulder block in the corner. M hit a sliding dropkick for a two count.

M continued to maul Allie with a vertical suplex for another two count and then hit the chinlock. Allie tried to rally but M hit a huge boot off the ropes for a two count, Hogan tried to rally the crowd but M mauled Allie in the corner and tagged Heather who hit the chinlock again. Allie finally escaped and fended off Ehater to get the hot tag to Hogan. Hogan was a house on well, Fire. She dropped both Brand members and hit a hip attack on Heather in the corner and the Rear View on M on the ropes. She hit a legdrop for two on M (leaping off M) for a two count. Heather interrupted the pin but Allie came into the ring with a code breaker. M got a cradle shock on Allie but Hogan came to the rescue and flung a charging M to the mat.

Whilst that was happening, The PC went to the table and grabbed the handcuffs from the Brand’s costumes. The referee saw it and the cuffs were dropped. However, Heather climbed through the cage (!!) and grabbed said handcuffs. She git I the cage but Allie grabbed her but Heather slammed her into the cage. Heather handcuffed Allie to the cage leaving Hogan to battle with M. Hogan hit a vertical suplex  and fended off M with a series of punches and a superkick. Hogan grabbed M and hit the Face the Music – Fisherman Neckbreaker for the quick win.

Post-Match: Allie escaped the cuffs and celebrate with Hogan. TNA President Carlos Silva gave the title to the champs.

We go to a nice tribute to Rebel (Allie’s was wearing a “Rebel” T-Shirt) and get a plug for IamALS.com/Rebel. From there, we go to the hype for the next match between Moose and Frankie Kazarian.

Escape the Cage: Moose vs. Frankie Kazarian

We get the violin intro and a complete violin version of Moose’s theme as he sat on a throne. He headed to the ring and the crowd still managed to chant to his theme. Kazarian was next and jaw3ed with the orchestral members. He kicked back in the throne and the orchestra accosted him verbally. Kazarian made his way to the ring and Hannifan said this is only the second cage match in Moose’s career whilst Kazarian has been in cage matches since 2004.

When the bell rang, Kazarian immediately made a beeline to climb out of the cage but Moose caught him and dragged him to the mat. That was the general theme for the opening minutes of the match. Kazarian tried repeatedly to escape whilst Moose caught him, only for Kazarian to escape. Rinse, repeat.

Moose finally got the upper hand by repeatedly running Kazarian into the  cage three times. Moose feigned climbing out the door but had it closed and continued to beat on Kazarian, including the 10-punch turnbuckles spot. However, Kazarian got the upper hand and ran Moose chest first into the turnbuckles. However, Moose no sold Kazarian punches, headbutted him and then climbed the turnbuckles to hit a reverse flying body press. Moose Hit the Stick (Spear) to drop Kazarian twice.

Moose tried to climb through the door but Kazarian flipped him off and Moose climbed back int the ring. However, Kazarian backdropped a charging Mose into the corner of the cage. Kazarian continued to beat on Moose but Moose..ummm..Moose’d up and no sold the punches. However, Moose attempted another spear that Kazarian avoided and Moose crashed into the cage.

There was a fan who was giving Kazarian the business about being in AEW and how Moose is TNA. Kazarian slammed Moose chest first again into the turnbuckles and taunted Moose with his chant of “Kaz.” Kazarian hit a vertical suplex and slugged away on Moose. Kazarian flipped over a Moose back drop attempt and hit the Angel’s Wings for a two count. The crowd started to chant for Moose as Kazarian put the bad mouth on him. Moose did once again Moose up and no sold Kazarian punches. He taunted Kazarian and headbutted him. Moose hit two running back elbows into the corner. He followed it with the urinagi and senton combination,

Moose tried to climb the cage but Kazarian grabbed him and hit the back stabber. He followed it with a springboard flying legdrop. Kazarian attempted the wing but Moose escaped. He also escaped KAZARIAN’S Fade to Black  and then  attempted the powerbomb. However, Kazarian escaped and the two trade slugs in the “yeah/boo” spot. Moose hit a running kick but Kazarian responded with a series of forearm shivers. He also avoided a Moose clothesline and hit a twisting neckbreaker.

Moose recovered and reversed another spring board legdrop and slammed Kazarian into the cage. However, a Kazarian clothesline sent both to the mat as a “TNA” chant emerged. They both made it to their feet and simultaneously tried to scale the cage on the same side. The two brawled along the way. Kazarian got a leg over the cage but Mosoe dragged him back inside the cage and Moose hit a Spanish Fly (!!!) from the top of the cage. A much louder “TNA” chant emerged followed by a “This is Awesome” chant (the move certainly deserved the chant.)

Moose tried to get through the cage door but Kazarian grabbed his leg. Moose tried to fight Kazarian but Kazarian held on to him. He then slingshotted Moose into the ring and hit a cutter. Kazarian crawled over to the door but now  Moose held on for dear life to prevent Kazarian to leave. The two traded shots and Moose attempted to Hit the Stick one more time. One can see what was coming next – and cue up Gilbert Godfried’s (RIP) “You fool!!” gif; Moose speared Kazarian through the door and Kazarian escaped with a win.

Post-Match: We see Kazarian struggle to get to his feet as Moose was still in the ring. We immediately cut to hype for the next match – a title match, no less. We get a replay of the Brookside vs. Black hype.

TNA Knockouts World Title: Xia Brookside vs. Elayna Black

Black is out first and got a pretty sizable pop (most notably from hailing from Chicago.) Hannifin said she had about 30 people of hers are coming to the match, including family (mom and grandmom, amongst others.) Brookside is next and taunted the crowd. She slowly made her way into the cage and did pose on the ropes. We get the stats on how many cage matches the two have been involved (one by Brookside, zero for Black.)

The two stated to jaw at each other as Black riled the crowd. Brookside took time to taunt the fans and the city of Chicago. When the two did lock up, Black got the other hand after a lengthy lockup. Black hit a go behind slam on the champion and the two continued to jaw at each other until Black slapped Brookside. Black started to maul Brookside and then snapmared her into a seated dropkick of the ropes.

Blak continued to beat on Brookside and hit a running forearm on Brookside off the ropes and then a hurincanrana off the ropes. Black followed it with two running knee strikes off the ropes. However, on the third time, Brookside evaded it and Black crashed into the cage and to the mat over the ropes. Brookside started to work Black off the cage, including two dropkicks into the cage. Meanwhile, we see Hartwell watching backstage. Hannifin noted that Hartwell went to Rae and said she wanted the winner.

In the ring, Brookside grabbed her belt she had used in matches and slugged Black, opening up a cut and using the point of the latch to dig into Black’s forehead. Brookside earned a “you sick (for unlawful carnal knowledge) chant.”  She used the belt and choked Black on the ropes with the belt wrapped around the challenger.

Brookside continued her assault on Black but only got a two count. Brookside used her fingernails to dig into the cut. She fastened Black to the cage via the belt and stated to pound away on Black, using another dropkick along the way. Once freed, Black was a victim of another clothesline off the ropes. By this pint, Black started to register on the Muta scale. Black tried to rally but a running back elbow missed and Black’s elbow crashed into the cage.

Brookside put the boots to Black in the corner. Brookside hit the Broken Wings (Meteora) and a Russian Leg sweep for a two count. Black tried to rally with a series of punches and managed to get Brookside on her shoulders. However,  brookside made her way to the corner and attempted to climb the cage. Black joined her and a belly to back suplex dropped both to the mat.

Black recovered and started to rally with a series of punches and clothesline. Another running knee strike followed by a gut wrench suplex for another two count. Brookside attempted hit the Black Out (double underhook twisting neckbreaker) but Brookside blocked it with a  Code Breaker and turned it into the Dark Side (DDT) but only for two count.

Brookside was stunned and started to maul Brookside but Black reversed it and NOW managed to thit the Blackout for a two count. Brookside and Black struggled to get to their feet. However, Brookside managed to grab some powder but Black avoided it and tried for a roll up for a two count. However, Brookside kicked out and Black went head first into the cage. A second powder throw was more successful and Brookside rolled up Black for the win.

Post-Match: Silva put the title on Brookside as Hartwell sat and smiled whilst she watched. Silva and the referee checked on Black as Brookside walked to the back, turning around to look at the ring and licked the blood off her hand (ewwwww..)

We go to another replay of the Hotch vs. Ali feud (including the meeting with Hotch’s wife and daughter.) It ended with the beat down during the match with John Skyler with Ali and Zero.

TNA International Title Match: Jason Hotch vs. Mustafa Ali

The wailing and drums precede Ali’s march to the ring, with Order Four dressed as old-style gangsters and molls (somewhere in the WWE, John Cena lifts his head – at the same time as Punk. . Ali is out in the same gear and “shoots” the Hotch chryon behind him. Hotch is next and he has gone back to his old nickname, “Top Notch.” The camera effects are out for Hotch and we get talk about Hotch’s family being there.

Hotch and Ali didn’t wait for the bell and immediately stated to attack. The two traded shots as Hotch threw Ali into the comer. Ali was flipped into he cage and his foot was caught in the cage as Hotch hit repeated superkicks on Ali in the tree of woe. Ali responded with his own superkick, once freed. Ali tried to climb the cage but Hotch caught him and hit a back suplex followed by a huge clothesline for a two count.

Hotch threw Ali into the cage and then used the cage to hit a Tornado DDT for a two count. Ali finally got the advantage by flinging Hotch face first into the turnbuckles. Ali beat on Hotch in the corner an put the badmouth on him. They both got on the top rope and Ali attempted a superplex. However, Hotch reversed it into a piledriver onto the turnbuckles and Ali crashed to the mat. That was unnecessarily scary. Hotch got a powerbomb from a sunset flip position. A “this is awesome” emerged as Hotch tried to keep the advantage. However, Ali got an eye rake, held on and then hit a tornado DDT near the top of the cage.

Meanwhile, Agent Zero grabbed the key to the cage and opened the door. However, Tasha Steelz closed it before Ali could exit. Mila Moore  got into Steelz’ face and paid for it with a punch. However, Hotch tried a running boot and kicked the door into Steelz’ head who collapsed to the mat. Hotch checked on Steelz and Skyler carried her to the back. That gave time Ali time to recover and leapt between the ropes and through the door to drop Hotch. Ali beat Hotch around the ring and into the cage.

However, Hotch reversed a powerbomb into a backdrop. He put Ali on the announce table and then climbed to the top of the cage. Ali covered and the two stated to brawl on the cage. Hotch got the better of it and Ali crashed to the floor. Hotch climbed to the top of the cage, sat for a moment and then leapt from the top to onto Ali and the table. A “This is awesome” and a “TNA”  chant emerged as both combatants writhed on the floor.

Ali got to this feet as we got a dueling “Ali/Jason Hotch” chant. Hotch stayed on the floor and started to bleed from the mouth. The ringside physician and staff tried to help Hotch and started to carry him. However, Ali started to verbally accost Ali’s family and grabbed a toy Hotch’s daughter had. Hotch saw it and waived off the help. Ali kicked around the toy and asked Moore for a lighter and attempted to set the toy on fire.

Hannifan left all objectivity as Hotch climbed back into he ring and tried to fight Ali. Ali hung Hotch in a tee of woe on the cage and Ai grabbed Hotch’s belt he wore and started to whip Hotch. Hotch collapsed to the mat. Ali put Hotch on the turnbuckles and lifted him to the top of the cage. However, Hotch kicked Ali to the mat but landed on his feet. Hotch, once again, leapt from the top of the cage and hit a double stomp for a two count.

Hotch grabbed the toy but Ali recovered and hit a spear on Hotch. Ali climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit his 450 splash for two-and-a-fraction. Ali was visibly upset and put the boots to Hotch and tried to pry the toy from Hotch’s hands. Ali climbed to the top rope again and NOW hit the 450 splash for the win.

Post-Match: Ali staggered around the ring and asked for the title. Skyler went back to the ring and accosted Ali to check on Hotch. Zero had to help Ali to the back. Skyler managed to drag Hotch to the opening as we got a tight shot on Hotch’s family. Skyler helped Hotch to his feet. Hotch asked for a moment and then returned the toy to his daughter before Skyler managed to help Hotch to the back,

We get an ad for “30 seconds” and then go to Miller at ringside with her special guest – Avery Styles.  A loud “Avery” chant emerged. Miller asked if he had something to share with the crowd. Styles said they know what TNA means to the Styles family and vice versa. Avery Styles won’t be what he wants to be without TNA. He is officially signed with TNA Wrestling.

Naturally, that brought out Kazarian. He grabbed the mic from Miller. As the King of TNA, let him be the first to welcome him to TNA. Kazarian said he and AJ Styles are like brothers (he covered Daniels and Samoa Joe, to boot.) Kazarian said there are a lot of snakes in the locker room – but not him. He wanted Styles to understand that there are a lot of people he should not trust; but, you can trust Kazarian.

Avery soaked in the cheers of the crowd as we quickly pivot to a replay of another highlight package between the feud between Alexander and Leon Slater. Rehwoldt went over the stakes, Amazing Red will still be the youngest X-Division champion and Austin Aries would still have the longest X-Division title all to himself.

X-Division Title (Last Man Standing) Leon Slater vs. Cedric Alexander

Slater is out first with the crowd chanting to the chorus of the song. The warning buzzer and Alisha Edwards tell us that you can’t beat the System. Alexnader comes out alone adorned in white (hmmm…blood is afoot??) Alexander taunted the crowd and got right into the ring. Hannifin went over some of the examples of champions being stricken from the record, including Antonio Inoki in the WWE(F) and Reggie Bush’s Heisman.

Alexander and Slater immediately started walloping each other with punches. Alexander got the best of it but Slater response with two running big boots. Slater attempted the 10-punch spot whilst both sat on the turnbuckles but Alexander blocked the 10^th punch. Slater reversed that into a hurincanrana. But, Alexander responded with a Michinoku Driver to a charging Slater. The two struggled for and advantage but Alexnader blocked another running boot in the ropes and kicked him in the hamstring. Slater recovered and leapt onto top rope after reversing an Alexander backdrop. Slater climbed the cage and hit a flying back elbow.

The two traded shots and go behind takedown. Alexand worried to hit a German suplex but Slater reversed it and got on the cage. However, Alexander caught a leaping Slater and lawn darted him into the cage. Slater started to bleed and struggled around the cage. Alexander slowed the action and beat on Slater in the corner and a dropkick to the back of the neck dropped Slater.

Alexander put the boots to Slater and taunted the fans. After repeated kicks, Slater managed to evade one and pick up Alexander into a Blue Thunder Bomb. Slater climbed the ropes but Alexander caught Slater and ran him into the cage, once again.

Alexander and Slater were on the ropes and Slater  chopped away on Alexander. However, Alexander had the counter and hit a top rope Michinoku Driver. The referee started to count to “10” but Slater got up at the count of eight. Alexander lifted Slater into the Lumbar Check but Slater reversed it into a Destroyer. Slater was a flat on fire and repeatedly ran Alexander into the cage.

Slater started to beat on Alexander and now Alexander was bleeding. Slater lifted Alexander on his shoulders and hit the Utopia (airplane toss.) Slater attempted the Swanton 450 but Alexnader moved. Slater rolled through it but Alexander caught him on the ropes. The two fought for the advantage and Slater managed to hit a top rope twisting suplex and both men were on the mat as the referee counted. Both got up at nine-and—a-fraction. Slater and Alexnader had a slap fight but Slater dropped Alxander with two superkicks to the front and the back of the head. Slater lifted Alexander and hit three Lumbar Checks and then climbed to the top of the top rope and NOW we get the Swanton 450. Alexander writhed on the mat as Slater stood over him. The referee counted to 10 and Slater regained the X-Division title (and his records intact.)

Post-Match: Slater was visibly moved as he grabbed the title and stood over Alexander. He got the crowd riled and then climbed to the top of the cage to celebrate.

We go backstage to Rae on the phone and talking to someone before a backstage hand said there was another attack. We run to see Elijah prone of the floor with Santino Marella  trying to help. Rae yelled at Marella that he was the Director of authority and needs to do something. She left the shot and Marella continued to help Elijah.

However, no time to linger, we got the Lethal Lockdown match:

Lethal Lockdown: The System (Bear Bronson, Brian Myers, Eddie and Alicia Edwards) vs. Fabian Aichner, K C Navarro, Ricky Sosa and Jada Stone

Bronson was out first (I guess white is the color de jour for the System components.) “Vini, Vidi, Vici” signals Aichner’s entrance. The two immediately stated to brawl. Aichner got the advantage with a Thesz Press of the ropes and a series of punches. The two tried to run the other into cage to no avail. Bronson hit an exploder suplex but Aichner no sold it. They both sold clotheslines and both dropped to the mat.
They got to their feet  but Bronson stopped an Aichner charge with a boot. Aichner recovered with a rolling slam into a moonsault. The countdown started and Myers hit the ring. The former tag champs took advantage of the numbers game and beat on Aichner. He hit a double suplex on Aichner. Myers whipped Aichner into the turnbuckles;

however, the countdown started and Navarro evened the odds.  Navarro hit a hurincanrana on Myers and blocked a Bronson throw into the cage and Bronson crashed into the cage. He hit a tilt-a-whirl DDT on Myers. Aichner and Navarro took turns throwing the other System components into the ring

The countdown started and now Eddie Edwards tilted the odds to the System. However, Navarro met him as Edwards tried to enter the cage. He dove between the ropes to drop Eddie and then threw him into the cage. However, a bleeding Bronson managed to beat on Aichner and Myers launched Navarro into the cage.

The countdown started AGAIN AND Ricky Sosa hit the ring. He hit a dropkick to drop Myers and fended off the System with a series of punches. He hit an enziguri on Bronson and a double foot stomp on Edwards. He also dropped Bronson with a cutter and then a powerslam on Myers. The crowd loudly did the “bang,bang/Sosa, Sosa” chant.

We got our final countdowns and Alisha Edwads came to the ring and startred to tant Sosa. Sosa blocked Alisha’s slap but the rest System pounced on Sosa. The heels now had the advantage as all the System took turns chopping away on Navarro. Finally, Stone hit the ring. However, Alisha closed the door and Bronson tried to block  her entrance. However, Stone avoided Bronson and climbed to the top of the cage and moonsaulted on the System.

As the cage roof lowered, Bronson grabbed the weapons (they were also suspended on the top of the cage.) With Lethal Lockdown officially started, all combatants rushed each other with all of the faces running the System into the cage. Navarro, Aichner and Sosa climbed to the tope and grabbed weapons. Sosa Waffled the System with a chair; Navarro grabbed a barbed wire bat on Bronson. Stone grabbed a kendo stick and attacked Bronson. At one point, Sosa got it btu was backdropped into the cage and part of the stick whizzed by the head of Hannifan.

Navarro frogsplashed Edwards from the top of the cage. The faces got the upper hand as Stone climbed to the top to grab another kendo stick. Navarro and Sosa grabbed Eddie Edwards for Aichner to leap on him but Alisha dropped both faces with a double low blow. Aichner got to the mat and was met with a low blow of his own. Stone grabbed the kendo stick and walloped Alisha. Stone grabbed the black bag and (sigh) thumbtacks. She got Alisha on her shoulders but Alisha escaped. Alisha climbed on to the turnbuckles but Stone grabbed her and went to the top with her. Stone hit a superplex (Stone seemed to get more of the thumbtacks than Alisha.)

Eddie check on Alisha but Aichner lowblowed him and walloped Myers with a trashcan. Eddwards was stuck in the corner and Aichner put the garbage can on him. Aichner hit the Van Terminator on him from one side of the cage to the other. However, Bronson recovered and walloped Aichner with the barbed wire bat. He also hi the Bear Down (Rikishi Driver) on Navarro. Bronson set up a barbed wire board on the turnbuckles. He picked up Navarro but Navarro escaped and Bronson barely avoided the board – at first. Sosa flew across the ring and hit the Head Shot (running uppercut) and Bronson was caught in the board.

Whilst that was happening, Myers grabbed Navarro and sat him on a chair. Myers hit the Roster Cut (running lariat.) Sosa recovered and hit Myers with the Blue Thunder Bang (Blue Thunder variation) into the thumbtacks. Sosa climbed the cage and grabbed some barbed wire. He wrapped it around his arm and hit the Head Shot on Myers. Alisha broke up the pin and Eddie hit Sosa with the Boston Knee Party. Eddie focused his attack on Sosa. He set some chairs in a row and grabbed Sosa. Edwards hit the package piledriver for the win.

Post-Match: The faces laid prone in the ring as the System struggled to get through the door and up the rampway.

We get hype for Bound For Glory and the Hall of Fame ceremony with ODB, Konnan and Amazing Red. Also, Destination X returns and is being held in Edmonton. We also get hype for TNA Impact this Thursday in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

But now, we get the main event. We go over the stakes for the Tag Titles and the fact that if he wins, Nic Nemeth can join Kurt Angle as the only wrestler to hold the TNA World Title and Tag Titles simultaneously. Hmmm…odd they said that twice – once in the pre-game and now. We get the tale of the tape and then we get:

TNA World Tag Titles: The Nemeth Brothers (Nic and Ryan) vs. The Hardys (Jeff and Matt)

The Nemeths are out first and strut to the ring in usual aplomb with gyrations aplenty. Nic has his world title with him. The lights drop and the piano music signals Matt Hardy to the rampway. Jeff’s music starts. Oh, and the Hardy fact is that the Hardy Brothers have a stronger brotherly bond than the Nemeths. As fearless leader says – huge, if true. The usual music comes and the crowd pops huge for them. Fun fact from Hannifan, Jeff Hardy is the only person on the card to compete in the first Lockdown card in 2005 (vs. Raven.) The Hardys instantly grabbed a table and pushed it into the ring.

The fight was on from the onset. Matt and Ryan paired whilst Jeff and Nic paired off. The Hardys threw the Nemeths repeatedly  into the cage and threw their jackets to the fans. A “let’s go, Hardys “ chant emerged as The Hardys hit  double back elbow on Ryan then hit a fist drop/flipping legdrop combo for a two count. The Hardys threw Nic into the corner and hit the (modified) Poetry in Motion on Nic for another two count. The Hardys tried to throw the Nemeth again into the cage but the Nemeths grabbed the ropes and tried to scale the cage. The Hardys pursued them and they brawled on the top rope. Nic hit a fame-asser on Matt for a two count until Ryan interrupted the pin.

Ryan choked Jeff on the ropes with his boot. Ryan hit a Flatliner on Matt and Nic followed with a Danger Zone for two-and-a-fraction Nic stated to maul Matt on the cage but Matt bit Nic in the hand. The Nemeths attacked Matt and hit a shoulder block in the corner. Ryan mocked Jeff’s dance and set up the table in the corner. Nic attempted a corner splash but Mat moved and Nic crashed into Ryan. Matt hit a back suplex and then attempted a Twist of Fate which Ryan blocked. However, they came off the ropes and simultaneously clotheslined the other.

Jeff grabbed Nic and hit the Twist of Fate but Nic caromed off the ropes and responded with a superkick. The Hardys and Nemeths started to brawl again with Matt hitting the declining turnbuckles smash on Ryan. Matt joined Jeff in beating Nic and hitting another Poetry in Motion followed by the Side Effect on Nic for a two count until Ryan interrupted the pin.

The Hardys took turn hitting Ryan and hit the Plot Twist (Twist of Fate into a Neckbreaker) for another two count. The Hardys mauled the Nemeths in the cage and set up the table in the ring (despite the crowd chanting “We Want Tables.” Rehwoldt was right to admonish the, the table was right here.) During that, Ryan lowblowed Matt for a two count until Jeff interrupted the pin,

Jeff grabbed Ryan and attempted another Twist of Fate but Ryan pushed Jeff into a Nic superkick. Ryan followed it with a leaping DDT. Matt interrupted the pin but Nic started to beat on Matt on the mat. Nic signaled for a superkick but Matt blocked a superkick into a Side Effect for a two count, Ryan grabbed Matt but Matt reversed a whip to the ropes with a clothesline. Ryan was the subject of a Twist of Fate courtesy of Matt. Matt put Ryan on the table and Jeff climbed to the top rope. He thought twice and then climbed to the top of the cage

Nic came to the rescue again and pushed Ryan off the table and the World Champ climbed to the top of the cage with Jeff. Nic pulled Jeff down but both fought on the top rope. Jeff rammed Nic into the cage but both feel and straddled themselves on the top rope. On the Matt, Jeff tried for another Twist of Fate but Ryan rolled him up for a two count. Matt was successful on his next attempt. Matt climbed to the top rope and hit a flying (more falling) elbow drop on Ryan on the table .Before he could get the pin, Nic grabbed Matt and hit (by and large) the Danger Zone for the victory.

Post -Match: The Nemeths celebrated with bottles of champagne (Ryan was grabbed them from the outside.) BUT HOLD EVERYTHING, before the Nemeths could get too long into the celebration, Slater’s music hit and here he comes down the rampway. He said he told people what he was going to do and he did it Actually, Chicago  did it with him.  His legacy in the X-Division is now cemented forever. Now there is one other thing he could think to go down in the TNA history books. At Bound For Glory, he is exercising Option C. He has a habit of saying things and then doing them. He will – he will – become the youngest World Champion in the company history – ya get him. He relinquished the X-Division title to Silva.

Nic tried to attack  Slater but Slater avoided him and knocked out Ryan. He came back with a superkick for Nic and dropped the champ. Slater grabbed the World Title and posed on the ropes as we go off the air.

Impactful Ruminations:

One: I will give TNA credit, their Pay-Per-Views are nice and compact and everything fits into a decent window of time. This was, by and far, a really solid show.

Two: I am excited to see Slater challenge for the World Title. I know I said the same thing about Santana but this is someone who is young that gets the business. He is – without no doubt – the future of the company and someone they should really consider not letting go. We said that with Hendry and Santana but they always had sense of backup. I don’t know if you could immediately fill the shoes of Slater.

Three: I am not a fan of plunder brawls and was not a fan of the Lethal Lockdown. Letting Stone do the thumbtack spot was not wise and I do think she ended up with far more thumbtacks in her than Edwards. Don’t force people into spots they can’t do.

Four: The Slater vs. Alexander match was solid and it spoke volumes of both combatants work. Alexander is a solid wrestler (mic skills notwithstanding) and held is own against Slater. Slater, as noted earlier, is a Bonafide superstar. He definitely is leading the youngsters in the division. The “young guns” in the Lethal Lockdown match are all solid and seemed odd that they would be jobbed. We can’t just keep saddling our wagon to the System. Despite them being called the “gatekeepers” (Not a ringing endorsement,) the real gatekeeper, I argue is…

Five: Kazarian. He played a great chicken – heel in the Escape the Cage match and used his guile to win. And now, he gets to work with Avery Styles. That shows trust in a guy who is dependable. Also, I don’t know who agented the match, but when you saw Kazarian against the cage door and Moose lining up across the ring from him, it doesn’t take a high Wonderlic score to know what was coming. That was way predictable. On the other hand, the top of the cage Spanish Fly was incredible.

Six: That might have been the best I have seen Black and Brookside wrestle. That was a crisp match with Brookside going into the dark spaces to win the match. Black really gave a good accounting of herself but now what? Hartwell gets the next crack at the belt (Bound for Glory?) And, given the reaction (non-Chicago crowd) from others, she would be a logical choice to hold the title. As well as she did tonight, I don’t know if you can build the Knockouts face side of the equation with Black.

Seven: I am not sure if the lack of mic work during the pre-game was a botch or not. The silence did help the Righteous match as Vincent pleaded and talked to BDE. The real tragedy is how far the Righteous plummeted. For that matter, Swann and BDE. That was good psychology by Vincent on his talking to BDE and to make him understand their point of view.

Eight: The Knockouts tag match seemed a bit disjointed. I was not really overwhelmed with the Hogan introduction as I was never really a fan of hers. The loss should cement M winning the TV KO title and how that gets handled is the bigger storyline. That could lead to some interesting story lines.

Nine: I would have liked to have seen a longer reign by Hotch but I guess they pigeonholed him to the tag division (which does need help.) If Ali holds onto the title – and Slater wins the world title – then you have the makings of a feud with multiple star matches. I am not a fan of huge bumps like Hotch took but it does help with the psychology of the match, DO not do that turnbuckle spot. That was unnecessary and scary.

10: Agent Zero is ready for a singles run. Fluke win by Miguel notwithstanding, you see the talent and the skill of Zero. Unleash him onto title runs and you have a potential monster heel. Also, Spider-Trey????

11: The feud is now over, hopefully and finally. Now, Francis can move to bigger and more prominent title shots. Expressions was perfect as the manager who miraculously heeled – old school heel tactics at its best.

12: I still don’t know who replaced Mitchell but he sounded familiar.

Lastly: Hannifan and Rehwoldt (who did their usual spectacular jobs tonight) talked about the history of wrestling at the Credit Union 1 arena (formerly UIC Pavillion.) Amongst the highlights was Starrcade 1987 and Chi-Town Rumble in 1989. One card not mentioned AWA Super Clash 3. Smart thinking, guys.

Keep Fighting the Good Fight.

Greetings, everyone, and welcome to another installment of TNA Impact. We are in the countdown to Lockdown (not the Lil’ Kim album or the Mick Foley book) but the last pay per view until Bound For Glory. We are at the last taping cycle at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA on the campus of Temple University. We have two wise owls on commentary with Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt, Gia Miller handles the backstage interviews and McKenzie Mitchell  is our (momentarily terrified) ring announcer (details later.) But fear not, I am here to guide you through this. So, sit back, relax, enjoy some German Chocolate Cake (sorry, that’s my birthday cake; but if you’re in the Houston area, stop by and I’ll save you a slice) and get ready for some Impactful Discourse. Shall we? We shall.

(As always, take some time, read, enjoy and comment on my fellow reviewers for this site. We appreciate every comment and view of our work. It means a lot to all of us. Now…..our feature presentation.)

Previously on Impact, we get highlights of the Order Four vs. BDE, Rich Swann and the returning Trey Miguel.  We also get highlights of Nic Nemeth defeat Jeff Hardy after blocking the Swanton Bomb and hitting the Danger Zone.

We go right to arial shots of Philadelphia and Mustafa Ali and Order Four in the ring. He greets the citizens of TNA and politely asked for quiet as he addressed the problem and crisis in TNA. He referred to the new TNA International Champion, Jason Hotch, who beat Ali for the title. Moreover, he did in front of his wife, daughter and in front of the fans in Philadelphia.
But Hotch is not a good man, he is not the man of the house – Ali is. The toys his daughter plays and the clothes his wife wears is because of him. Despite all that Ali did for him, Hotch stabbed him in the back. A “you deserve it” chant emerged. Ali disagreed what he deserves is loyql6y.

He turned to Hotch’s partner in the great hands, John Skyler. Ali said Skyler has been one of the most loyal people and tonight, he can prove it. He spoke to Daria Rae and tonight, Skyler faces Hotch. It will be for more than the International Title; it will be for loyalty. Because, in Ali we trust. Ali’s music played and Agent Zero opened the ropes for him and Mila Moore. Skyler and Tasha Steelz stood in the ring flummoxed about the situation.

We cut backstage to Hoth watching on the TV screen. Miller came to him and reiterated what we just saw and went over what Hotch is facing. How does Hotch feel about this? Hotch said he doesn’t know how to feel about this or could find the words. Skyler was his best friend and considers him family – his daughter calls him “Uncle John.” They have gone to hell and back together.

This is about Ali and he thinks he makes the rules but all is he does is talk too much (cue the Run DMC drop and page Maffew.) He is not going to fight Skyler because that is his brother. That brought Rae in to the shot. She said this might be new to him but he is going to face Skyler tonight. Because, what the SUIT says, goes. If he doesn’t he may face suspension and being stripped of his title. Rae walked off the shot and now it is Hotch and Miller adopting flummoxed looks.

We get a quick intro from Hannifan and Rehwoldt and go back to the ring to our first match:

Rich Swann vs. Mr. Elegance (with the By Elegance Brand in tow)

Swann danced his way to the ring and in the ring. He actually frightened Mitchell, who screamed as he came close to get the crowd riled, thinking he was going to collide with her. One thing that will get the crowd riled is the Personal Concierge, who wanted our attention twice. He may not be able to see the crowd but he can smell them – and the odor is formaldehyde, which is what they used in handling dead people. That’s appropriate because the crowd is a bunch of corpses. He introduced Mr. Elegance with the rest of the By Elegance Brand a few steps behind him. Mr. Elegance posed in the ring (without scaring Mitchell.)

Mr. Elegance started the match with a wide headlock and a shoulder block.  After a series of criss crosses, Swann flipped over Mr. E and hit a dropkick rebounding off the ropes. Swann tried to get the crowd riled (without scaring Mitchell.) However, M by Elegance got in the ring to distract him and Heather by Elegance attacked him, eventually hitting a tilt-a-whirl DDT. That gave Mr. Elegance a chance to hit a spinebuster. Mr. Elegance mauled Swann on the mat and started to wring the ears of Swann (honestly, never seen that previously.)

Mr. E continued the assault with a clothesline to the back of the head and then a  vertical suplex. He followed it with a long delayed suplex (really long) for another two count. Mr. Elegance grabbed a full nelson as Swann tried to escape. Swahn eventually escaped but was met with a series of knees to the abdomen and a pop-up forearm smash off the ropes.

Swann avoided running into the turnbuckles and backdropped over a leaping Mr. E. However, Mr. Elegance got behind Swann and hit a German suplex followed by a lariat for a two count. Mr. E continued the onslaught with a series of knees to the torso.

Swann started to rally by thwarting Mr. E with a series of kicks. He hit a rolling flying clothesline that dropped Mr. E and the rally was in full effect. Swann landed a series of punches and kicks and put Mr. E on the mat with a buzzsaw kick. Swann hit a rolling splash for a two count. Mr. E went to the apron and regained some momentum. He grabbed Swann by the arm and ran him into the ropes and then followed it by dropping Swann onto his knees after leaping over the ropes to the mat. Mr. E taunted Swann and set up for the Excusez-Moi (Swinging reverse STO into a DDT); however, in the midst of taunting the move, Swann managed to escape and grabbed a reverse roll up for the victory.

Post-Match: we got a replay of the pin but HOLD EVERYTHING, here is the Righteous standing on the rampway watching Swann and BDE as the By Elegance protested on the floor.

We get the rest of the card including the Lethal Lockdown advantage match between Brian Myers and Fabian Aichner, an eight-man tag match and the other semi-final of the Knockouts TV title tournament and that is…after the break.

When we return, we a glimpse of the brackets for the tournament and go right to the introductions

Knockouts TV Tournament Semi-Final: Heather By Elegance (with the By Elegance Brand in Tow) vs. Jada Stone

Heather sashayed her way to the ring with the By Elegance and posed on the turnbuckles. Stone did her standard acrobatic way to (and in) the ring and also posed on the turnbuckles. When the bell rang, Stone was momentarily distracted by the Brand but was aware to evade a charging Heather and hit a back kick to drop her opponent. Stone and Heather traded pin attempts  Heather  avoided a 619 attempt; Stone reciprocated by matrix dodging a clothesline into a headscissors into the corner. However, Heather evaded a charge by Stone into the corner. Stone recovered and hit a seated dropkick for a two count.

Stone leapt over the ropes and prepared herself for a springboard body press but Heather hit the ropes and Stone crashed to the mat. Heather posed and taunted the fans. She choked Stone on the ropes with her boot and mauled Stone in the corner.  Heather put the boots to Stone and repeatedly stomped her in the corner. After some effort, Heather hit a vertical suplex for a two count.

Stone tried to rally but Heather continue to maul Stone. She threw Stone into the corner and Stone crashed to the mat to the delight of the By Elegance brand. Heather followed that by throwing Stone to the mat hair first and hitting a strait jacket chin lock. Stone escaped with a hip toss and evaded a charge into the corner by Heather. Stone continued to rally with a clothesline  off the ropes and booted Heather in the corner. A split-legged moonsault got another two count. Stone attempted the Spark Stunner (and handspring stunner off the ropes) but Heather followed her and clotheslined her during the handspring.

Heather hit a neck twist her boots on the apron. Heather climbed to the top rope for the double stomp but Stone evaded it.  She grabbed a crucifix cradle for a two count. The two traded repeated cradle and pin attempts again with Stone getting the better with a double foot stomp of her own from a reverse cradle. Heather crawled to the apron but Stone continued to attack. Heather grabbed Stone and slugged her on the apron. The two started to trade shots and Stone got the better of the two. Stone tried a piledriver on the apron but Heather reversed it into a German Suplex on the apron.

Heather measured Stone and charged but Stone recovered to hit a hurincanrana on Heather to the floor. With M by Elegance screeching for Heather to recover, the two laid prone on the floor. The referee started to count but both wrestlers made it into the ring at the count of nine. Stone got in the ring first and hit the ropes and (barely) hit the Spark Stunner on Heather for the win and a trip to the finals.

Post-Match: Stone posed in the ring and got the crowd riled as Hannifan went over the brackets. The finals take place next week in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

We go to a backstage segment with Elayna Black in a brightly lit room. She said she doesn’t know why Santino Marella is making her do this but it is what it is. It is a zoom call with TNA Knockouts World Champ Xia Brookside. The champ said she has some nerve after what Black did last week in makeup (giving her a clown-adjacent make up look.) Black said she had some harmless fun at her expense because that’s what Black does. She thought Brookside was in need of some humility. When it comes to Lockdown, it is no longer fun and games – it is just her and Brookside.

Brookside said if Black thought what she did was humiliating; however, truthfully, it is just a desperate cry for attention. Since Black got to TNA, she has barking up every tree and uttering nonsense that she is the greatest Knockout in TNA history. If she thinks she can say that without holding the TNA title, she is simply lying to herself.

Black said the only thing that’s desperate is Brookside trying to hyper herself up when her days are numbered. Black’s claims of being the best Knockout in history will come true in her hometown of Chicago on Sunday. There’s nothing she won’t do to walk out with the TNA title. Brookside said if she did what Black did by walking around saying she is the best Knockout in history, she would be telling the truth. Lei Ying Lee found out the hard way and we’ll never see her again. She sent Wendy Choo packing back to NXT. Everyone who thought the had a chance against Brookside were left laying on the mat, just like Black will be. At Lockdown, her embarrassment will continue in front of her family and friends. Brookside promptly ended the meeting. Black said she can’t wait to shut this female dog.

We get a rundown of the rest of the card with the Lethal Lockdown advantage match…after the break.

We come back to Mr. Elegance staring into a mirror lamenting that he couldn’t believe he lost. The undefeated streak is done. Heather couldn’t believe he lost. M said this is unacceptable because it was supposed to be Heather vs. M in the finals of the tournament. The PC tried to be the voice of reason. He said at Lockdown the Brand will be the tag champs since Rosemary is MIA. Then, M (despite leaning and “looking” at Heather) will be the first Knockouts TV title holder (they turned PC to face M.) They have this and it will be the Empire of the Elegance as they wander out of the shot.

Lethal Lockdown Advantage Match: Brian Myers vs. Fabian Aichner

Myers sadly gets the “already in the ring” treatment as we get most of Aichner’s introduction. Aichner climbed into the ring and Myers instantly mauled him in the corner. Myers whipped Aichner hard into the turnbuckles and then hit a double forearm smash off the ropes. Hannifin gave the rules of the Lethal Lockdown match (think War Games.) Myers continued to beat on Aichner.

Aichner finally started a rally by hitting a back elbow to a charging Myers and then climbed on the second turnbuckle and hit a double axe handle. Myers escaped Aichner putting him on his shoulders but Aichner responded with a clothesline. Myers bailed to the floor but Aichner slid under the ropes and hit a dropkick. He followed it with a springboard reverse bodypress to the floor. Aichner threw Myers back into the ring. Aichner ran Myers into all four turnbuckles and got the 10-punch turnbuckle spot.

Aichner got another two count with a vertical suplex. Myers and Aichner started to brawl on the apron – Myers blocked another suplex attempt and landed a superkick. Aichner was prone on the floor and the referee started the count. Much like the previous match, Aichner just beat the count. Myers yelled about a slow count but mauled Aichner, choking him in the ropes with his leg. Myers followed that with a chinlock.

Aichner tried to rally but Myers hit a flying knee off the ropes for a two count before another choke on the ropes with his leg. Myers hit a belly-to-back suplex for another two count. Myers put the boots to Aichner in the corner before hitting another chinlock. Aichner escaped, hit the ropes and hit a hard charging bodypress of the ropes that folded Myers. Aichner continued to rally with a series of kicks and another springboard reverse body press.

Aichner got Myers on his shoulders and hit a rolling slam before leaping onto the turnbuckles and hitting a moonsault for a two count. Aichner got Myers into position for a powerbomb but Myers stomped on Aichner’s foot and then hit an enziguri. An implant DDT got a two count. Myers got to the corner and set Aichner for the Roster Cut (running lariat.) However, Aichner kicked Myers as he charged and then threw Myers to the floor. Aichner climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit a bodypress to the floor. Aichner hit a springboard DDT for two-and-a-fraction.

Aichner lifted into a reverse suplex and then locked La Fina (submission crossface.) Myers crawled toward the ropes and eventually grabbed it. On the referee break, Myers fell to the floor as Myes got  to his feet and threw Myers back into the ring again. However, as Aichner tried to climb back into the ring, Myers kicked the rope into Aichner’s groin. Myers hit the ropes and speared the stumbling Aichner for a two count.

Myers readied for another attempt at the Roster Cut but Aichner reversed it and ran Myers into the corner where the referee was. We were spared a ref bump; however, Myers blocked the referee’s vision and  hit a low blow with a reverse kick. NOW,  we get the Roster Cut for the victory.

Post-Match: Myers celebrated as Hannifan noted that the System now has the advantage in the Lethal Lockdown match on Sunday.

Speaking of advantages and disadvantages, it is now time for the A-Game Hydration TNA Injury Report. Jeff Hardy is dealing with lower back pain from his match last week against Nic Nemeth. He is not 100 percent but is cleared for action (which is good because he is in the main event.) The medical staff is getting ready for the potential rash of injuries from Sunday’s card as all matches are in a steel cage. Hannifan sarcastically and reluctantly threw it to Rehwoldt for our weekly report on Nic Nemeth. Remember how you felt on the best day of your life? Now, stretch that out, slap your mother with it and multiply it by a thousand because that’s how Nemeth feels right now.

We come back to a face time call to Harley Hudson from Traci Brooks. Traci asked how Harley it was going. Harley didn’t know where to start, but did so mentioning Daria telling Santino that she wanted to terminate Hudson’s contract. She has a match with Alisha Edwards and is pretty sure if she loses this match, she is done in TNA (that actually is what she said so we can drop the “pretty” in “pretty sure.”)  Hudson is scared and is feeling a lot of pressure.

Brooks responded that she is sorry all this is happening to her but the biggest thing she forgot is that she is a TNA Knockout and what it takes to be that – not everyone can be that. She talked about the history and what it has done for women’s wrestling. TNA gave her a contract. Brooks believes in her, as does the fans. The company believes her and she should believe in herself. If she puts that together with her strength and talent, she will be unstoppable. She needs to remember who she is.

Hudson agreed that and that fingers cross, she wins. Brooks said she believes in her and loves her. Hudson reciprocated and the call ended.

John Skyler vs. Jason Hotch

We go right from the call to the match as Skyler strikes the Order Four pose in the ring reluctantly. We get the old Hotch theme (Top Notch) as Hotch makes his way on the rampway and riles up the crowd. He made his way to the ring with camera effects and shakes hands with the crowd along ringside. Hotch and Skyler faced each other before Hotch grabbed the mic. He said Skyler is like family to him and that he opened his home to him and it is reciprocated. Both hands are being forced and the reality of it is that if he doesn’t defend the title, he will be stripped of it.

However, they don’t have to beat the crap out of each other but give the great fans of Philadelphia a match to show what TNA is (a “TNA” chant emerged.) The bell rang and sportsmanship is observed.  Hotch got the advantage with a wristlock but both wrestlers soon traded reverses and armlocks. Hotch took Skyler down with a tackle for a two count – Skyler di the same after a leg sweep.

The two locked up and Hotch got another headlock and then hit a hurincanrana after hitting the ropes. Skyler tried a headlock takedown but Hotch reversed it with a headscissors. Skyler mirrored the same moveset. Skyler got the advantage by throwing Hotch to the mat by his arm. Meanwhile, in a picture and picture, the rest of Order Four were watching with Ali getting annoyed and dispatched Mila Moore to the ring. Ali was visibly upset at the action but Moore got the house mic and admonished Hotch that this was not the assignment. “Mister” Ali didn’t send Skyler to the ring to wrestle Hotch. “Mister” Ali sent him there to take Hotch out. Skyler looked flummoxed while working the arm and the distraction gave Hotch an opportunity to armdrag Skyler and hit a powerslam. Hotch climbed to the top rope but Ali’s theme hit as extra servicemen ran to the ring and surrounded it. In the midst of the commotion, the referee threw out the match.

Skyler made his way to the floor as Hotch attacked the Servicemen when they climbed on the apron one at a time (should’ve made a collective effort.) Hotch thwarted all the extra servicemen until Agent Zero made his way and dropped Hotch. Ali made his way to the ring and stood over Hotch and verbally admonished Hotch. He grabbed the title and yelled “In Ali, we trust.” He continued to badmouth Hotch before throwing the title on Hotch. Ali and Zero left the ring as Hotch slowly regained his senses and we regained our capitalistic ways and went to commercials.

We come back to a vignette with the Righteous. Vincent said strength has never come from one flower. It’s always been in the garden. BDE is young lad who believes in strength in numbers. But, do the numbers believe in him? Lockdown isn’t a prison – it’s a doorway. And the only thing standing in his way is Rich Swann. Dutch said now he has a chance to remove that hurdle and open that door because they will show him the way. They’ll still get him there, some lessons are taught with open hands whilst others, well, maybe they’ll show him.

Vincent said the seeds have been planted so let’s see if he grows from it. For Dutch is Righteous and Vincent is many. Dig what he is saying?

Harley Hudson vs. Alisha Edwards (with Eddie Edwards in tow)

The warning buzzer and Alisha telling us that we can’t beat the System heralds the Edwards to ringside. We go to Hannifan and Rehwoldt who have a special guest with them – Rae. Hannifan went over the situation with Hudson and her potential firing. Rae complimented him on listening and greeting Rehwoldt and said he is a lovely guy. When pressed by Hannifan why Hudson is on the chopping block, Rae went over her wins and loss record and said it was bad for business.

Hudson came to the ring and struck her pose before remembering the situation and reverted back to being unsure of herself. She did some plyometric pushups and the bell rang. Alisha put the badmouth on her and started to shove Hudson. Hudson responded with a rollup for a two count. Hudson shoved Edwards down but Eddwards responded with a slap and a series of chops on the ropes.

Hudson responded with a series of forearms smashes and a shoulder block off the ropes. She got a series of rollups for a two count and a jaw breaker staggered Edwards to the ropes. Hudson slid under the ropes and grabbed Edwards’ legs, dropping her to the mat. Hudson spun Edwards around and hit a forearm smash on the apron. Hudson attacked Alisha on the ropes but a distraction by Eddie worked and Alisha ran Hudson to the ringpost.

Edwards threw Hudson back into the ring and taunted Hudson. Edwards chopped away in the corner and dropped Hudson with a series of boots and choked her in the corner with her boot. She continued to maul and taunted Hudson. She once again chopped away on Hudson in the corner and hit a running back elbow and a running sliding bodypress in the corner for another two count.

Edwards continued to maul Hudson in the corner.  Edwards taunted the crowd and was primed to hit another running back elbow but Hudson met her with a boot. Hudson fended off an Eddie Edwards distraction and avoided a charging Edwards. Hudson responded with a series of chops and punches. Hudson got ready to run the ropes but Alisha grabbed her hair and yanked her to the mat.

Edwards  mauled Hudson once again in the corner as Hannifan and Rae sparred on what Rae was doing both with Hudson and TNA, in general. Rae responded that since she took over, ticket sales have never been higher (well…..) Meanwhile, Hudson rallied again with a clothesline out of the corner and a running boot off the ropes. Hudson slammed Alisha into the turnbuckles and hit two hip attacks in the corner. Hudson lifted Edwards and hit an exploder suplex.

Hudson got  the crowd riled and hit a running back elbow. But, Edwards used a eye rake to thwart the rally. Edwards grabbed Hudson and hit the D-Lish (guillotine neckbreaker) for two-and-a-fraction. Alisha was visibly frustrated but put the badmouth on Hudson as Hudson started to (whatever the Liverpool version of Hulking up is.) She slapped Edwards but Edwards continued to attack. However, Edwards attempted a butterfly suplex but Hudson reversed it into rollup and the victory.

Post-Match: Alisha Edwards attacked Hudson and called for Eddie Edwards. Eddie picked up Hudson but Stone ran to ringside. Stone avoided Eddie and superkicked Alisha. Eddie tried to chase her but Stone ducked and Eddie flew through the ropes. Stone went to help Hudson and the two celebrated Hudson’s win in the ring as the Edwards threatened both of them as we are threatened with commercials.

We come back to Lockdown hype, most notably for the X-Division title match between Cedric Alexander vs. Leon Slater. We get segments of Alexander’s sit-down promo with Slater. We also get Slater’s promo last week on Alexander with the stipulation that if Alexander wins, Slater’s record is erased from history.

We get hype for two Hardy Parties (Friday in Milwaukee – Algonquin for “the good land”  – and Saturday in Chicago.) Lockdown is set for Sunday at 4PM CST. The Pre-game match has the Righteous vs. Swann and BDE and Trey Miguel vs. Special Agent Zero. On the main show, it is Alexander vs. Slater in a last man standing match, It is the By Elegance Brand challenging Allie and ??? for (what was DemonxBunny’s) TNA Knockouts Tag title, It is the International Match between Hotch and Ali, it is Black vs. Brookside for the TNA Knockouts World Title, it’s the Lethal Lockdown featuring the System (Bear Bronson, Myers and the Edwards’) vs. Aichner, Stone, Ricky Sosa and K C Navarro, Elijah vs. A J Francis, Moose vs. Frankie Kazarian in “Escape the Cage” match and the Hardys face the Nemeths for the TNA World Tag Team Title.

Eight Man Tag Action: The Nemeths (Nic and Ryan,) A J Francis and Frankie Kazarian vs. The Hardys (Matt and Jeff,) Elijah and Moose

We get the Nemeths theme as the brothers strut their way to ringside. We go to break and when we come back and the rest of the heels are in the ring. For the faces, Moose is already there. We hear the guitar strum and it’s Elijah (with the full introduction,) we get Matt Hardy in the goat mask and your Matter of Fact – Matt has more friends than the opponents combined. Jeff joined him on the rampway in his own goat mask. The two have separate music but when they hit the ring the normal music cues and they shake hands with the ringside fans.

Kazarian and Jeff Hardy start with Kazarian getting the initial advantage. However, Kazarian outthought himself after being thrown into the corner and leapt. Hardy did not charge but waited for him to land. Hardy then started to beat on “The King.” A bodysplash got a two count and Moose tagged into the match. Kazarian quickly bailed and tagged Ryan. Nemeth hit Moose, who no-sold it. Moose chopped Ryan and tagged Elijah. Elijah chopped Ryan and beat him in the corner. Elijah  grabbed an armlock and whipped Ryan into the corner. Elijah climbed o the top rope and hit the “Walk With Elijah” top rope walk into a forearm smash. Elijah followed that with an F5 for a two count until Kazarian interrupted the pin.

All eight combatants got involved in the fracas as the schmozapalooza started. All four faces hit the descending turnbuckle smash on their opponents who bailed to the ring and the faces celebrated in the ring. All four faces did the “Delete” chant and gesture. Someone threw a bottle into the ring (Kazarian, maybe?) the ref cleared the ring as the crowd chanted that they wanted tables (well, go to HomeGoods, they have plenty of them there.) On the floor, Elijah and Ryan started to brawl and Elijah threw Ryan into the ring steps. Elijah looked for something under the ring but Ryan recovered and attacked. However, Elijah regained the upper hand and hit Ryan with a forearm smash on the apron.

Ryan eye raked Elijah and tagged Kazarian, who was met with a huge back body drop. Elijah beat on Kazarian and tagged Matt. The two put the boots to Kazarian in the corner. Jeff tagged and the beatdown on Kazarian continued. Elijah tagged back in the match and a double back elbow got a two count, Elijah climbed the turnbuckle and hit another “walk with Elijah” rope walk and another forearm smash. However, Kazarian threw Elijah into the ropes and Francis grabbed Elijah by the hair to distract him. That gave Kazarian time to hit the ropes and land a dropkick. Kazarian started to beat on Elijah.

Kazarian beat on Elijah in the corner and grabbed a cravat hold. A loud “A J” sucks chant emerged as Kazarian cinched in the hold. Elijah made it to his feet and started to slug Kazarian in the torso. Elijah threw Kazarian into the ropes but Kazarian backflipped over Elijah; however, he was met with a sitout chokeslam.

Elijah and Kazarian were on the mat but Elijah got the hope crawl and tagged Moose (Kazarian tagged Nic.) Moose was on fire as he beat on Nic and hit a series of running forearms on Nic. On the last one, Ryan tried to save his brother but was met with the urinagi/senton combination from Moose. Another running elbow was met with a Nic elbow smash. However, Nic scaled the turnbuckles but Moose got him and hit the Go to Hell choke bomb on him for a two count.

Matt tagged into the match  and Matt hit a running forearm smash in the corner. Matt got on all fours and Moose hit the Poetry in Motion (!!) on Nic (Rehwoldt called it Poetry in “Moostion”.) Matt hit the Side Effect for a two count. Moose climbed to the second turnbuckle but Ryan distracted Matt. That gave Nic time to recover and slam Matt’s neck into the ropes and Nic hit the superkick. Ryan tagged and mauled Matt on the mat. Ryan taunted the Hardy dance and started to rake his forearm across Matt’s eyes.

Kazarian tagged  and continued to beat on Hardy. He attempted his own Twist of Fate but Matt pushed him to the ropes and the two hit simultaneous clothesline and dropped to the mat. Kazarian had the wherewithal to hold on to Matt’s leg to prevent the tag whilst tagging Francis. Francis put the boots to Matt (BTW, Francis is wearing classic Washington Commanders’ colors.) Francis hit a running splash on Hardy in the corner.  He got Hardy into the position and hit the Tennessee Whiskey running knee into the corner,

Francis ran into the ring and leveled the other faces to prevent a tag. Francis hit the World’s Strongest Slam on Matt and put Matt on the turnbuckles. Francis climbed the turnbuckles but Hardy fended off any offense and hit an avalanche Side Effect on Francis. Matt staggered around the ring but tagged Jeff. Jeff fended off the heels and hit the inverted atomic drop on both Nemeths (he completed the Wishbone legdrop, seated dropkick and elbow drop on Ryan.) Nic tried to regain the momentum but a corner charge was met with a back elbow. Both Nemeths gathered in the corner as Jeff climbed to the top and hit the Whisper in the Wind on the brothers.

Kazarian tried to stop Jeff with a kick but Moose sent him to the floor with a running big boot. He leapt  over the ropes to drop Kazarian. However, in the ring, Francis hit the TFL (spear) on Matt for a two count until Elijah interrupted the pin. Francis grabbed Elijah and attempted the Down Payment (chokeslam) but Elijah hit a knee strike to escape. Matt got back in the ring and hit the Twist of Fate on Francis. Naturally, Jeff recovered and climbed to the top and hit the Swanton Bomb for the victory.

Post-Match: The faces celebrated in the ring as Hannifan hyped Lockdown but Rehwoldt interrupted him that something happened backstage. We cut and see Alexander laid out in the back. Rehwoldt noted “First Moose, now Alexander, what the hell is happening?” and we go off the air.

Impactful Ruminations:

One: The main event was a “send the folks home happy” match. I don’t see the Nemeths seriously challenging the Hardys and taking the tag titles. The one thing that I am curious was the very last shot. Someone laid out Moose and Alexander. There are some interesting possibilities to who it could be if it does go anywhere.

Two: Hudson got the fluke victory as should be the case here. Edwards can stand to eat the pin since she is predominantly a mouthpiece (despite Hannifin reminding us she is a former tag-team titlist.) However, Hudson still seems unsure of herself in the ring. Actually, more inconsistent, there are moments where it clicks but then she seems stilted right after that. More reps would be great to make for a more consistent, fluid wrestling style.)

Three: M by Elegance should win the tournament next week. She is far more fluid than Stone who has good character and natural ability but still is having some difficulty in the ring. She literally had to look back and measure where she was for the Spark Stunner. For now, I would be content to have M win and have Stone pick up more work before challenging for the title. But, we still have a dearth of talent on the faces side so Stone is being thrust again into greatness.

Four: Myers got the win tonight (and after me balking about it last week.) He has the demeanor of an old-school heel and would fit in during the territories. Conventional wisdom would indicate that the heels won tonight; ergo, the faces go over during the Lethal Lockdown match.

Five: I don’t think anyone expected anything truly different in the Hotch vs. Skyler match. This does leave Skyler in a weird predicament. If they keep the title on Hotch, where does he fit? Does he get a new partner? Does he strike out alone (a great hand, per se)? Hotch looked really good in the moments he wrestled in the match.

Six: One thing about the Ali promo. It was fine but there is an interview on TNA social media with Ali that is much better than what we saw tonight. I said it a few weeks ago but I want to reiterate that I really don’t like it when companies save good promos for social media. That Ali interview really dictated the gravitas of what Ali was doing and what is going to happen to Hotch.

Seven: I feel like it is too late for Black to change her way of doing promos but Brookside is starting to creep into the same cadence in her speech. The program between the two is quite underwhelming. It’s a shame because Brookside was on a decent run up to this point.

Eight: I do hope that was not the last time we see Lee was in her match with Brookside. The division could really use her talent right now.

Nine: Speaking of disappearances, Rosemary makes the big return on Sunday, doesn’t she?

10: The Righteous cut a good promo – no surprise. But, have they fallen that far that they face Swann and BDE on Sunday. I wouldn’t put it past TNA to give Swann and BDE the victory. I am curious if they manage to bring BDE into the Righteous fold. It would give him something to do and hopefully score some wins.

11: Of course, all this would be far more intriguing if the Righteous were on the Washington Generals side of the Hardys Harlem Globetrotters. We really burned that too quickly.

12: I am not looking forward to the Lethal Lockdown match. I didn’t last year and it just seemed like gratuitous spots for no real reason.

13: It does show TNA knows who butters the bread when the world title is not the main event, but the Hardys tag title match is.

14: Something has been gnawing at me and it struck me what it was today about the announce crew (note, maybe it’s just me.) There are dozens of questions Miller could ask a wrestler but she continually asks the same one or two: “How are you feeling?” What is your mindset?” I know it’s pro wrestling but, much like interview cadence and natural feel of promos, varying the questions would give a more professional feel.

Lastly: Watch out, McKenzie!!!

Until Lockdown, Keep fighting the good fight.

What’s this? The app works? Well, I guess it’s time for another TNA Impact review. We are finishing up our taping from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. LeBron James is still not here, for that matter neither are former stars Allen Iverson, Clarence Weatherspoon, Hal Greer, Dolph Schayes, Wilt Chamberlain, Joel Embiid, Andrew Toney, Mike Gminski, Caldwell Jones, Bobby Jones, Julius Erving or even Darryl Dawkins (fun factoid: Dawkins was a celebrity judge at WrestleMania 2 for the boxing match between Roddy Piper and Mr. T.) However, Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt are here for the play-by-play announcing, Gia Miller has backstage interviews and McKenzie Mitchell lets us know who is who with ring announcing. Most importantly, you are here. So, let’s hit the lane and enjoy this slam dunk edition of some Impactful Discourse. Shall we? We shall.

(Note: The app is still not working for me. I had used it up to this point and it worked fine. I am probably going to go back and use the TV show until the Pay-Per-Views start again. This has been an intolerable situation but owe the site something. So, having seen a litany of highlights and what not, I will give the Impactful Discourse only this time. It will be in essay form versus the standard itemized list.  If somehow things start to magically work, I will give the full review. I profusely apologize for the whole situation.  Thank you for your indulgence. Also, take time to appreciate the good people who contribute to this fantastic site. They work just as hard and deserve the love and respect.)

I want to start with the Knockouts Division as the needle moved a bit. Xia Brookside beating Wendy Choo seemed like fait accompli (nice job by Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt and even Brookside for calling back Jacy Jayne’s Knockouts reign last year and not wanting a repeat.) Signing Choo would not be the worst idea in the world. It would replenish the faces side of the equation, especially with the exodus of Mara Sade and Jody Threat; admittedly, the loss of Sade would be felt more than Threat. Sade has all the boxes checked and a match with Brookside would have been great.

All this is compounded by the fact that we have a heel champion (and a pretty good one, at that.) Since TNA is aversive to heel vs. heel matchups, having a balance on both sides would have been beneficial. Especially, ones who are ready made to be a challenger and could carry a division.

Speaking of Brookside, the interview she gave with Gia Miller seemed somewhat robotic and might have been her weakest one she gave. It fluctuated to much between script reading and real feeling. The nonverbals are still there and her ringwork continues to improve, though. Hopefully, this was an off segment and nothing consistent.

TNA is trying to generate new challengers for Brookside; I will credit them that. However, that leads to this argument. Our fearless leader said sometimes wrestling can be Shakespeare, and that leads to one of my favorite quotes from the bard is “Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.” I think the last part relates to Harley Hudson and Elayna Black. With the face side at a negative, these two seemed to have been picked to help carry the division in the upper ranks. They have already set up an angle and narrative for Hudson as she is under the gun for not winning enough. She has not really been showcased well (the tag team with Myla Grace went nowhere for Grace’s exit.) I don’t know if she has the ability to handle it and that is the unknown that keeps it somewhat intriguing. Working with an established heel like Alisha Edwards is a good start. Edwards is a good hand and can work solidly. Her mic skills – triggering as they can be for someone who lived for a spell in Massachusetts towns – helped spark this match next week. To her credit, Hudson’s carried her part of the mic work well in the segment by getting Edwards to shut up and realizing this would be her chance to show what she is worth.  Let’s see if the follow through continues the momentum.

Black still has the mic struggles with the monotonous cadence in her speech. The ring work is okay. Some people say she worked better as an underdog face but here’s hoping she can generate something in her performance that can shoulder the greatness thrusted. I am curious if they address the pivot to being face. One thing that could help is pulling a ruse and pretending to be face whilst setting up for the heel return. The System did it earlier in the year so it might be too soon to try it again. I do find it odd that Hudson has an angle ready-made and developed for her; let’s hope Black can figure out to turn this into something of an upward trajectory.

News also broke this week that Gabby Forza signed a contract is part of TNA now. I have mixed emotions about that. The gimmick is very independent wrestling and not sure how it would fly here. I guess there’s an audience for it. What does impress me is her ring ability. She does fill in the role of Threat (and Dani Luna when she was a face) of a power wrestler. That match with Threat was great a couple of weeks ago. That really opened my eyes to her (and Threat, too,, to be honest.) I don’t know how to balance the two factors but she could be someone to add (and maybe get her some wins instead of spirited losses to Threat and Indi Hartwell.)

There is one other X-factor in the “heel/face” balance. Heather by Elegance  moved on to the semi-finals when she defeated the (now learned) lame duck Sade (side note, I did snicker during the TNA Injury Report when Sade was out indefinitely with an “abdominal injury.” ) That sets up both members (active, at least) of the By Elegance Brand in semis. Having read the spoilers for the next couple of weeks, there are developments coming. For spoiler free content; let’s say presuming Heather defeats Jada Stone  and M by Elegance defeats Hartwell. I have been championing M for future greatness for a while now. She even got a shout out from Seth Rollins (yes, her trainer, but still the name carries weight. See Booker T and Roxanne Perez.) Presuming you turn one of those face (preferably M) that would give the division a much needed boost and have someone who feels like she could carry the division.

Hartwell and Stone are already established. Stone is getting a good rub and they seemed sold on her – far more than I do. But, whilst she has not turned the corner for me; she has reached it. She actually had a good turn on the mic with the Hudson/Edwards segment as she hyped up Hudson and verbally went after Edwards. Hartwell is solid and set and one knows what one gets with her (one wonders if she does get a shot at the world title soon because it seemed like too big a get to have her churning away on the mid-card. Again, spoiler free content.)

Speaking of world titlists, Lei Ying Lee has been conspicuously absent since her loss to Brookside. She would be someone to retain and hopefully we don’t get the news that she has requested her release.

Now, to the men, the Nic Nemeth feud with Jeff Hardy  does nothing for me. The highlights of the segment did highlight Nemeth’s mic work and Hardy’s, well, artistic work. With the clamor for new angles and with an influx of new talent, the fact that we are getting these two in a world title program just seems like backwards logic. I’m sure the match will be solid but Hardy is being held together by some sort of MacGyver device I think. This just feels like a way to keep things going until they throw the dart and elevate someone else into the title contention (presumably, Leon Slater or one of the new folks they signed.)

It’s not like the Hardys have a serious contenders for the tag titles. That’s leads to the Righteous interview. Purposefully cryptic but find it curious what they mean by finding the forgotten and making them bloom. It was a good attempt to save face after the one-sided feud with the Hardys. If spoilers are correct, it does take them into an interesting turn and angle.  Even more curious was the show of respect between the two. One has to wonder what becomes of them and if anything changes in their dynamic in the company.

And now to the edgy side of things. The Mustafa Ali/Jason Hotch angle continuation carried a lot of the background between matches. Hotch is setting up for a great babyface run and harkens back to the faces of the 1980’s whilst spending time with family. Then, that promo hit. The kid was superfluous. I was a little distracted by her staring into the camera during parts of the segment (to be fair, it’s not like the kid had a semblance of training in front of the camera. But then, why include her?) Ali was really at his smarmy, sleazy best (worst?) here. His work with Hotch’s wife started strong as she sat there stone silent whilst Ali ran down what he did for Hotch. However, when Ali touched her, she lost me. Staying stone silent was not the right call. She might have held back not to trigger her daughter (but then again, why include the daughter?)

I get there’s been a lot of talk around about the lap touch. Ali is a heel and I get that is something he would do. But the whole thing could have been crafted so much better Why do it if that was her reaction? Why do it in front of the kid? Again, was the kid necessary if that was going to be end result of the segment. It seemed like forced edginess with two of the three parties not ready for it.

Hotch, however, did a great rection follow up on the next segment and confronted Ali. The lines seemed to be drawn with Ali, Mila Moore and Agent Zero  on one side with Hotch, Tasha Steelz on the other. The variable is John Skyler  who seemed hesitant to join his Great Hands partner in fear of his job (the spoilers indicate this gets carried out further in the next couple of weeks.) The logical answer would be Skyler does join his partner since Skyler does not strike me as one could be a legitimate threat for a title.

Speaking of young talent, I would be a little more upset by Brian Myers and Eddie Edwards beating K C Navarro and Fabian Aichner but it was by shenanigans so at least momentum is not killed. Prepare for multi-person matches as the (to use the vernacular here) young’uns take on the System. And, for spoilers, prepare for a return off the injury list soon.  I am curious who breaks loose and gets the vaunted championship opportunities (and for which ones.)

That gets dropped one title as we saw the further development of the rivalry between  Cedric Alexander and Slater. Now, I want to make one point. This was the best interview Alexander did. It was measured but sounded reasonably natural. He started calm and made very salient points to Tom Hannifan. Even when Slater entered the room and excused Hannifan, Alexander made salient points and only started to raise his voice at the end in a natural crescendo versus right from the onset. That is what we want and if we can get more than that, that would go a long way in turning Alexander into a wrestler I like to one I love watching work. His delivery of the last line about erasing Slater from history was well crafted. Slater was his usual excellent self. He signed a contract in January for TNA and they better reward him for it because he would be ready to go in WWE or AEW.

While the X-Division feud took an interesting turn, alas, we have more Elijah shenanigans in his feud with A J Francis.  Kudos to “Philly’s own” Home Town Man for getting the upset win on a banana peel and interference from the guitar strum of doom. Francis is doing yeoman’s work keeping these two relevant but I really don’t want to see any more of the Elijah vs. Francis feud. I get they need work and it was an original angle but they closed it way too soon if they are going to keep doing  this.

Frankie Kazarian’s feud with Moose  now has an “Escape the Cage” match in the future. Much like the aforementioned Francis and Elijah, they seem to be working for the sake of working. They seemed to be directionless for the time being so one might as well put them together. Moose’s promo about his titles in TNA was fine as weas Kazarian calling him a mascot versus a king like him. I would argue a king would not have to use a pay phone in 2026.

Lastly, despite all that has gone on and all the issues in the world, one thing remains constant, Nic Nemeth is in pristine shape.

Thank you again for understanding. Keep fighting the good fight. 

Greetings and welcome to another review of TNA Impact. Tonight, we start a brand new taping cycle with some big events on the horizon. We are in Philadelphia, PA at the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University. We have Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt on announce duties. Gia Miller returns for backstage interviews and McKenzie Mitchell tells who is who in the ring (and a special duty that we found out during the live feed.) There is a lot to get to so let’s sit back and get ready to go to the extrreee…I mean get ready for some Impactful Discourse. Shall we? We shall.

Gretings, one and all, and welcome to your weekly TNA Impact Review. We are still at the Broadview Center in Albany. Albany was once the home to Herman Melville of Moby Dick fame. I promise nothing will blow here as we have Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt  on commentary. Gia Miller  is still absent but no need to call Ismael since  McKenzie Mitchell is here to let us know who is who on ring introductions. So, no need to stab from hell’s heart or be obsessed with the great white one. We know not what is coming but whatever it be, we go in laughing and engaging in some Impactful Discourse? Shall we? We shall.

(side note: As always, take time to appreciate our fellow contributors. They put in great hours to get the content done. Show them the appropriate love and give them a read and some feedback. Thanks. And now, our feature presentation.) 

 We go right from an Albany intro to Elijah in the ring playing the riff from “Seven Nation Army” as the crowd chants “Walk with Elijah” to it. He stopped playing and the lights go out and we get the full intro of his partner, Moose (the fans promptly chant to his theme.)  Already in the ring, without introduction, are there opponents and the opening match starts:

Moose and Elijah vs. A J Francis (with Expressions in tow) and Frankie Kazarian

Kazarian and Elijah start, with Elijah getting the upper hand with a series of shoulder blocks and an arm lock. We also get the old-school rope walk followed by an elbow. Elijah tagged Moose and Kazarian immediately bailed to his corner and tagged Francis. Francis and Moose traded shoulder blocks. Moose grabbed the advantage when he ducked a Francis clothesline and then dropped him with a shoulder block.
Elijah tagged back into the match and hit the ropes but Expressions grabbed his leg for a distraction. Elijah immediately threatened Expressions and Francis hit a big boot. Francis followed it with the Tennessee Whiskey running knee strike to the corner. Kazarian tagged int o the match and got a quick two count. A chicken wing attempt was thwarted by Elijah. Elijah continued to rally as Kazarian tried a springboard twisting leg drop but was met with a leaping knee strike.

Eliah hot tagged Moose and Moose immediately chopped away on Kazarian and then dropped Francis from the apron. Returning to Kazarian, Moose hit a running back elbow followed by his urinagi and back senton spot for a two count. Francis got into the fracas and Moose promptly threw him over the top rope to the floor. Moose leapt over the ropes and dove onto Francis.

However, when Moose got back in the ring, Kazarian hit a backstabber and a sliding clothesline and NOW we get the springboard legdrop for a two count. Francis tagged back into the match. Francis attempted the Down Payment (chokeslam) but Moose escaped and pushed Francis into Kazarian, who fell to the floor.

Elijah tagged back into the match and charged Francis. Francis backdropped him to the apron but Elijah landed on his feet. He kicked Moose and started to climb to the top rope. Francis attempted another Down Payment but Elijah reversed that into another top rope walk; that is, until Expressions shook the ropes and Elijah lost his balance. Francis got him on his shoulders and hit the Cash Out (Death Valley Driver) for the win.

Post Match: Moose immediately went after Kazarian on the floor. Expressions, meanwhile, stole Elijah’s guitar and got ready to “el kabong” Elijah. However, Moose got back in the ring and grabbed the guitar. Moose headbutted Expressions into Elijah and hit the Highwayman’s Farewell (tombstone piledriver.) Moose and Elijah stood over Expressions and Elijah put his hat over Expression’s face.

We get the rest of the card (including the TNA World Title match in the main event) but next we get more action in the TNA Knockouts TV Title Tournament. Well, it’s after the break.

We come back to Mustafa Ali and the rest of Order Four flanking him. Ali said it’s a beautiful day (no it’s not, Bertha is playing havoc with East Texas.) Today is the day Mustafa Ali puts the power back into the people. The TNA roster will vote for who is the number one contender for his Ali’s International title. He even hired someone to watch the ballot box (smart.)

He explained the rules, only the active roster can vote (and only once) and cannot vote for themselves. May the best person win.

Now, we go to the ring for the next match:

TNA Knockouts TV Title Match: Wendy Choo vs. Elayna Black

Wendy is greeted by the ringside fans and we get her insert interview, which dovetailed Hannifan’s talk about her return to TNA. She said the last time she was here she caused some chaos but via therapy, she has come back a new person. As the former Evolve Woman’s champion, she knows how to hold the gold around her waist. Black is next and we get a rundown of her accomplishments and her history with Choo, which leads to her insert promo. In case we have been living under a rock, she wants to reintroduce herself: She is “The Only One” Elayna Black. As In, she is the only one that matters in the Knockouts Division. She is the only one that will be walking out of the tournament with the title and it doesn’t matter how many Knockouts she has to beat (well, four at least.) For that matter, the TNA Knockouts World Title will be hers, too.

Hannifan reiterated their history as Choo and Black locked into battle. Black got the initial upper hand with a knee to the torso and a snap mare. Black mockingly patted her on the head and taunted the crowd. Choo returned the favor with a snap mare and a head pat of her own. Choo got a headlock takedown and cinched it on the mat. Choo dropped Black with a shoulder block and reversed a clothesline into an armdrag and cradle for two,

Choo continued her attack with a drop kick as Black hit the floor. She jawed with the crowd and sat on the apron to taunt the crowd. Choo attempted to attack but Black grabbed Choo’s head and snapped it into the middle rope, sending Choo to the floor. When there, Black ran Choo into the apron. She continued to taunt Choo and hit a hard chop to the chest. Choo tried to rally but a clothesline ended that.

Black got back in the ring as did Choo. Black hit the rope asiste3d double stomp to the chest for a two count. Black slowed the action by choking Choo with her boot on the ropes. Black, however, missed a sliding back elbow on the ropes and Choo got a quick two count from the subsequent roll up. The rally was short lived as Black dropped her with a clothesline for two count. Black continued to trash talk Choo as she hit a chinlock and cinched it. Choo attempted to fight out of it abut Black threw her to the mat by her hair. NOW, Black hit the sliding back elbow on the ropes for another two count.

Black continued her assault with a leaping knee strike in the corner. Black worked the back with her knee – grabbing Choo’s arm back for extra leverage. Choo eventually arose and used a double armdrag to escape the hold. Choo dropped Black with a series of running chops and then an armbar short-arm clothesline. She followed with a cartwheel elbow strike in the corner and then a running boot. She also hit a running neckbreaker for two-and-a-fraction.

Black, however, escaped the Snooze Button (Full Nelson slam) with a series of elbows. However, Choo reversed the Black Out (DDT) with a Superkick. Black tried to climb the ropes but Choo kicked Black. Black, sitting on the turnbuckle, fell victim to a DDT for another two-and-a-fraction.

Black recovered and hit a running chop on the ropes and then a running knee strike. A belly-to-belly suplex got a two count. Choo recovered and both combatants traced punches with Black getting the upper hand eventually. Black hit the Black Out but Choo rolled out of the ring. Black  frustrated, climbed to the top turnbuckle and attempted to leap on Choo. However, Choo recovered and hit an uppercut and then climbed the turnbuckles for a superplex.  Both competitors writhed on the mat when the bell rang. Mitchell said the time limit had been reached and the match is a draw.

Post-Match: The crowd chanted “let them fight” as Choo wanted five more minutes. However, before any decision was made Xia Brookside ran to ringside and dragged Black to the floor. Brookside threw Black into the ring steps. Choo went after the TNA Knockouts champion and Brookside retreated up the rampway. However, Brookside ran back to the ring when Choo turned her back to check on Black. Brookside ran her into the ring steps. With both competitors down, Brookside posed with her belt held high and NOW headed backup the rampway to backstage. With the draw, M by Elegance advances to the semi-finals to face the winner of Indi Hartwell and Thea Hail.

We go back to ringside and Choo and Black quickly shake hands before Black headed up the rampway and stared at the title.

We quickly go backstage as Ali and Order Four are still monitoring the ballot box as Rosemary, Allie, Rich Swann, Ryan Nemeth and Cedric Alexander cast their votes individually. John Skyler wanted to count the votes but Ali admonished him for ruining the integrity. He wanted coffee all of Order Four flanked him. Skyler stood back and looked at the box. Mila Moore came back and said Skyler was doing a great job (hmmmnm.) Skyler looked impressed and happy as we get hype for the rest of the card and we get to hear from the System (after the break.)

After hype for Lockdown (August 23 in Chicago) we hear the warning buzzer and Alsiha Edwards telling us you can’t beat the System. That naturally brings the entire System to ringside. They pose to the hard camera and taunt the rest of the crowd. Hey, do we want to something? Sure, Alisha, tell us. Everyone loves a new toy or a new flavor of the month and are deemed the future of the sport until reality hits (she stood next to Bear Bronson as she said that.) She gave Bronson the mic and Bronson said reality is right. Last week, he didn’t just beat Ricky Sosa, he decimated him. He repeated it for the crowd. Guys like Sosa are nothing but a catchy song, or a meme or a joke; guys like Bronson are killers (easy…)

Brian Myers grabbed the mic and said pro wrestling is just like life – things change (okay, my brain into some odd areas there, thanks for bringing it back, Brian.) The roster comes and goes; but rest assured, the one thing that is constant is the dominance of the System. They are the gatekeepers of TNA Wrestling (well, Eric Young isn’t there, so someone has to do the job.)

Cedric Alexander shouted gatekeeper and they are the gatekeepers because if someone wants to be a success, they have to go through the System.. The list of survivors is short – ask Leon Slater or Fabian Aichner. The champ is right here (Alexander held the belt aloft.)

Eddie Edwards said the System isn’t just a faction, this is quality control for TNA. They decide who is real and who is ready. They decide who belongs in their ring. He hypes his wife’s match with Jada Stone later tonight in the TNA KO TV title tournament. It’s another chance to add some more gold for the System. So, when Stone comes out later tonight it might be the last time she is seen in a TNA ring, like Sosa.

That naturally brings out Sosa. He said they ere right that Bronson beat him last week. Sometimes. you lose and sometimes you win; but, you can’t keep “The Young Savage” down. The only reason why Bronson won was because of Myers’ interference. Edwards took umbrage with that and brought up Sosa’ rebuking the offer to join the System and losing out on a band of brothers that would watch his back. Now, he is standing all alone without help.

This naturally brought out Slater. Slater asked what their problem is as they stick their noses in everyone’s business. He asked if they were mad, saying no one has Sosa’s back. Slater has Sosa’s back. He said Sosa is right, the System can’t do anything without a scheme, shenanigan or plan. One that is clear to him is that a couple of them are in wrestling gear, as is Sosa and Slater. So, why don’t they go to ringside and get their left hands ready to smack the teeth out of the System right now in a tag match.

Eddie Edwards grabbed the mic and said if they want a match, they will talk to Daria about a tag match – next week in Philadelphia (womp, womp, sorry Albany.) Slater asked if Marella is listening because it doesn’t matter if it is Albany, Philadelphia, Mars or Jupiter; it will end the same way. Slater and Sos getting their hands on the System and they will go out with a “bang, Bang” Sosa said as his theme. All parties involved stared at each other as the crowd did the “bang, bang/Sosa, Sosa” chant as we go to break and the Hardy Compound match happens afterward.

We come back from break with more hype for Lock Down and then go to election central with Order Four and Daria Rae, who announces who Ali’s number one contender is – Jason Hotch. Order Four is elated but Ali glances at Hotch. Rae said “this is awkward” and quickly bolted out of frame. Ali continued to glare at Hotch until he started laughing. We know what is happening here, he said; the roster is playing a prank on him. Hotch doesn’t actually believe he has a shot at this, Ali asked. He thinks it might have been Nic Nemeth playing the joke. He wanted Hotch to track down Rae and let her know it is a rib and a sham. Hotch was going to say something but Ali asked why is he still here and to go get her. He reluctantly agreed and left the shot. We need to find a real number one contender, Ali said as they glanced around the room.

We actually go back not to compound as advertised but to another match:

BDE (with Rich Swann in tow) vs. Mr. Elegance (with the By Elegance Brand in tow)

Both get the “already in the ring” introduction. Mr. Elegance was wearing white gloves and managed to take one off (putting it in his trunks) but wearing the right glove. BDE got the quick upper hand with a series of kicks and a knee strike. Mr. Elegance avoided a corner charge by BDE but BDE responded with a dropkick. BDE tried for the Clip Cutter (springboard cutter) but Mr. Elegance swatted him away and hit a running clothesline and a series of knee strikes.

Mr. Elegance choked BDE on the ropes as the By Elegance Brand taunted him from the floor. He also started to paintbrush BDE with the right glove (which he did remove.) However, BDE escaped a vertical suplex, hit the ropes and hit a series of forearms and  corner splash. NOW we get the Clip Cutter for a two count. The crowd started to chant for BDE but Mr. Elegance reversed a throw and BDE hit the turnbuckles. However, BDE backdropped a charging Mr. E to the apron.

Mr. Elegance regained the advantage with left hand punch and then leapt over the ropes and hit a Codebreaker on BDE for a two count. Mr. Elegance mauled BDE on the mat as the rest of the Brand taunted the crowd. However, BDE met a charging Mr. E with a boot and then a rolling Codebreaker of his own. BDE climbed to the rope and hit diving splash for a two count until M by Elegance grabbed Mr. E’s boot and put it on the rope.

BDE grabbed Mr. Elegance by the jacket and lifted him to the apron. However, Mr. Elegance recovered and pushed BDE to the ropes and hit the Excuaez Moi (a swinging STO into a DDT) for the victory.

Post-Match: The By Elegance Brand celebrated on the rampway.

What to celebrate are injuries and it is time for the TNA Injury Report. Black is in evaluation after the attack earlier from Brookside. Rehwoldt had some breaking news – Nic Nemeth will never be on the injury list ever because he is in incredible condition. Moose is also in evaluation after a hip injury earlier tonight but is scheduled to not miss any time. Speaking of hips, Rehwoldt had another breaking story, Nemeth is in perfect condition and will swiveling his hips after he beats K C Navarro later tonight.

NOW, we get a shot of a dark road and singing. The Righteous are seen walking in the dark to the Hardy Compound. They approach the cast-iron gates and Vincent snapped his fingers to unlock and open them. They walk out of a room and Vincent said “everything blooms better with a little bit of sunshine.” He snapped his fingers and it becomes daylight. Dutch decrees he is Righteous as the small house has skeletons of around the sides of it. Vincent said that we are many – dig what he’s saying.

That instantly wakes up Matt Hardy with his dachshund on his chest. He just had a premonition and asked Vanguard-1 to let Brother Nero know that the Righteous are here. He also wanted Senor Benjamin summoned,, too, for the final Deletion.

We cut to the Righteous walking through a wooden area and stopping by a grave of some sort. We see Jeff’s daughter, Ever Moore Hardy, mimic the Righteous introduction and said the Hardys are coming and snapped her fingers. We cut to a shot of Matt walking through another part of the wooden area. The Righteous are making a stand in a dilapidated house. Dutch said it is not the Hardys miracle anymore but their revelation. Dutch reached for a glowing part of the ceiling and they are transported into a field as both the Righteous and Hardys start to walk toward each other.

Matt said it is now time for the final deletion and instantly the teams started to brawl – Jeff paired with Vincent and Matt paired with Dutch. Jeff hit a running clothesline off a dirt mound to drop Vincent and Matt said it is time for Dutch to be deleted on a dilapidated boat. Dutch reversed it and ran Matt’s head into the boat. Jeff joined his brother and attacked Dutch. They hit the Poetry in Motion on Dutch. However, Vincent entered the fracas and attacked the Hardys with the handle of a shovel.

Whilst the Hardys writhed on the ground, Dutch said to turn him on and then turn him loose. The Righteous grabbed the dingy and attempted to hit the Hardys with it until the Hardys disappeared. The Hardys materialized in a wrestling ring in a gym. The Righteous looked around befuddled but started to laugh until they were materialized to the same ring. The Hardys called for “Senor Spencer” and the referee got in the ring as the four, again, started brawling (paring off in the same manner.)

Vincent got the better of Jeff and hit the Orange Sunshine (Dutch assisted running cutter) until Matt interrupted the pin. Dutch slammed Matt face first into the mat but missed a corner charge as Jeff got back into the fray. Jeff hit a inverted kick and Matt hit the Twist of Fate on Vincent. The Hardys double suplexed Dutch. The Hardys started to celebrate and hit a Twist of Fate on Matt as Jeff climbed to the top rope but Vincent grabbed Jeff’s leg to prevent the Swanton Bomb.

Jeff went after Vincent and left Matt and Dutch in the ring. Matt hit another Twist of Fate but Dutch launched Matt at the two count. Dutch blocked another Twist of Fate attempt and threw Matt into the ropes into the Death Walks (Black Hole Slam.) Dutch pursued Matt out of the ring and pounded on Matt until Matt rallied by hitting Dutch with his shoe.

Matt beat on Dutch and attempted to run Dutch into the ringpost but Dutch reversed it. They headed out of frame. We jump cut to Jeff and Vincent brawling on the outside of the gym. Jeff ran Vincent into the wall of the gym but Vincent rebounded and crashed into Jeff. We jump cut back to daylight and the Righteous walking to an hold house whilst scenes of the Hardys youth were shown. The Righteous glance at the newspaper clippings of the Hardys.

Suddenly, it is night again and Dutch found himself poolside looking in the water. Matt ran behind him and bulldogged him into the water. We go to Rebel playing the piano and then The Hardys and the Righteous sitting around a campfire telling stories and highlights of their feud. They share a few laughs and we cut to Dutch as Wolfgang said that Vincent might not make it. He turned around and Vincent was gone.

Wolfgang and Dutch started to talk and Wolfgang said Vincent was obsolete. Dutch was confused and Wolfgang said Vincent was dead. Dutch said that was heavy news and asked if he had a cigarette. We cut to a coffin and inside was Vincent. Vincent suddenly sprung to life and put the poisonous “Lily from the Valley” into Dutch’s mouth, who promptly started frothing. The Hardys appeared on the side and threw Dutch into the ring. Matt said Hardys “sic ‘em” and all the Hardy progeny started to attack Dutch. Matt asked for the kids to disperse and Rebel appeared in the ring and hit a Twist of Fate. When Dutch lifted his head, Eevee was there and raised her hands and a series of orange confetti filled the shot. Rebel hit a Senton off the second turnbuckle.

Suddenly Vincent appeared in the ring next to Dutch. Matt stood over them with a bat. He said Vincent isn’t dead..yet. He said it is time to take a trip to p— pan city. He did the “eenie , meeny, mighty, moe” and got ready to hit Dutch with the bat. Dutch suddenly awoke and found himself standing in a room with a spinning umbrella. The umbrella was lowered and it was Willow (one of Jeff’s alter egos.) He said this felt like a Righteous Deletion and attacked Dutch with the umbrella and other objects.

We jump edit back to Dutch in the swimming pool and Rebel playing the piano. Dutch awoke and wondered what happened. Meanwhile, on a small hill, Jeff and Vincent started to brawl once again. The two traded shots until Vincent hit a DDT (on the grass? Doesn’t strike me as painful.) Vincent said the one thing we know about the Hardy compound is that hey have beautiful fireworks. He instantly grabbed a fireworks shooter on the ground. Vincent was ready to light the fuse until Matt saved the day. Both Hardys started to beat on Vincent until Dutch saved the day for his team.

Dutch said they tried to kill him but look what he found and held up a necklace. Vincent grabbed it and then the fireworks shooter. The Hardys started to walk toward the Righteous but Vincent (and Dutch who mysteriously got a shooter of his own ) started to shoot fireworks at the Hardys. The Hardys grabbed their own and the battle commenced. The Righteous got the better of it and the Hardys dropped to the ground.

Vincent told Dutch to finish this. They grabbed the necklace which had another “Lily from the Valley” and was going to jam it into Jeff’s mouth. Matt tried to stop them but Matt took the full brunt of the flower ingestion. Matt started to violently froth from the mouth. The Righteous grabbed the Hardys and started walking into the Hardys pond. They threw them into the water and Vincent put the Lily in the water.

However, the Hardys jump edited/revived and were now wearing goat masks. They took the masks off and said they needed another “Goat.” Jeff walked into the water and emerged in an all-white shirt and tie and said “anti-christ.” The two started to brawl with the Righteous and got the upper hand. They brawled near a large ground extractor. The Hardys put the Righteous on a table and Matt asked him to start the extractor. He raised the extracting claw and climbed on top of it. From there, Jef hit the Swanton Bomb onto the Righteous and “Senor Spencer” made the count and Matt said the Righteous have been deleted.

Post-ummm..match? Matt said the Righteous must be cleansed. They dragged them into the pond and dropped them there. Heading back to the ground, Matt said this opens up a whole new chapter for the Hardys and they are forever. Jeff added and then some and walked off frame.

We get some hype from Hannifan about the main event and the next match (another match in the TNA KO TV Title Tournament, which is next.) However, we cut to Hotch who finally made it to Rae’s office (that was a long time, did he grab a bite to eat.) He was about to knock on the door when Slater called for him and asked what he was doing. Hotch explained the situation to him.

Slater said he shouldn’t let Ali do hat to him. Slater said he voted for him and everyone in the locker room can see that it is Jason Hotch’s time. Slater said the only person in Hotch’s way is Hotch himself. Slater walked off shot and Hotch was conflicted until he got a call. He said he was so glad the person called and walked off frame.

We go back to ringside and get the next match

TNA Knockouts TV Title Tournament Match: Jada Stone vs. Alisha Edwards (with Eddie Edwards in tow)

Hannifan said he agreed with Slater and Hotch should challenge for the title. Meanwhile, we get the ever present warning buzzer and Alisha telling us that we can’t beat the system. The Edwards’ head to ring and we get the insert promo from Alisha. We are blessed yet again with Alisha asking if we want to something? That something is that this tournament is made for the Queen of the System. She is going to drop some knowledge on us (school us, Alisha, school us.) She was in the first Knockout Ultimate X match and was a former Knockouts Tag Team champion. Stone is just a stepping stone to the title and the whole division will know you can’t beat the System.

Stone is next and Hannifan said “The Spark” was one of the brightest spots for TNA in 2026. She said, in her insert promo, we might know much about her but when she finished in the tournament, we will know why she is called “the Spark.” She doesn’t just make history, she is the history (huh??) She can’t wait to show Edwards and the whole division why she is called “The Spark.”

The two locked up in a stalemate and then started to jaw with the other chin-to-chin (although Stone is small, say chin-to-sternum?) Edwards to gain the advantage by yanking Stone to the mat by her hair but Stone immediately arose and started to slug Edwards. Edwards connected with a kick but Stone matrix dodged a clothesline and turned that into a head scissors takedown. Stone hit two running back elbows in the corner and then a seated clothesline after a snap mare. A standing moonsault got a two count.

Edwards bailed to the floor and Eddie tried to give Alisha a pep talk but Stone hit a handspring kick that sent Alisha into Eddie’s arms on the floor. Stone climbed to the top turnbuckle and leapt. Eddie tossed Alisha aside but Eddie got the brunt of the flying bodypress. Alisha recovered and attacked Stone after the move and threw her in the ring. Alisha chopped away on Stone in the corner. Alisha also hit a powerslam off the ropes for a two count.

Edwards choked Stone on the ropes and when the referee admonished her, Eddie took time to taunt Stone. However, Stone started her rally with a series of clothesline out of the corner. She also cartwheeled out of a snap mare and booted Alisha when Edwards charged her in the corner. Stone climbed to the top and hit the split-legged moonsault for a two count. Stone got Edwards on her shoulders but an eye rake prevented any offense form happening. Stone hit the ropes but Alisha caught her with the D-Lish (DDT, not the usual D-Lish.) Edwards attempted to connect with a Double underhook suplex but Stone blocked it. Edwards walloped Stone but Stone came back with a superkick to drop Edwards. Stone attempted to hit her Spark Stunner (handspring stunner off the ropes) but Eddie Edwards grabbed Stone’s hands to drop her to the canvas. Edwards again tried for a double underhook suplex but Stone dropped Edwards and rolled on top of her for the pin and the victory.

Post-Match: Edwards was stunned as Stone celebrated around the ring. Edwards grabbed Stone and attacked her in the ring. Stone started to rally and threw Edwards into the ropes but Eddie grabbed his “ride or die” and dragged her to ringside. Stone celebrated on the turnbuckles. Stone advances in the tournament and faces Jody Threat.

We see Navarro and the Nemeths headed to ringside as we go to a quick break. When we go back, we see Ali walking with Order Four backstage as Ali is complimenting Moore on what she has done with Order Four. Hotch approached Ali. Ali asked if he took care of the thing he asked him to do. Hotch said not exactly. Ali paused and said he needed a moment alone with Hotch. Order Four reluctantly left. Ali said what he meant and was told to do so. Hotch said he was but then he ran into Slater and went over the talk. Ali said he doesn’t care what Slater said and asked again if he did what he supposed to do.

Hotch said he talked to his wife and told him all things he had to deal as a member of the faction. Hotch said he deserves this shot. It is not him looking out for him but him looking out for his family. They have been to bottom with him and now its time he brings them to the top with him and that it’s time. With all due respect, he will face Ali next week. Ali looked flummoxed as we go back to ringside action.

We get the hype for the main event which happens. Now

TNA World Title Match

Nic Nemeth vs. K C Navarro

Navarro is out first and shakes hand with the crowd. He has a Nemeth-inspired t-shirt that said “Blessing the Show.” Nemeth is out next. Nemeth strutted to ringside and taunted the crowds. The two started to jaw at each other and Nemeth slapped Navarro and told him he doesn’t belong here. Navarro responded with a superkick for a two count. Navarro tried for a series of quick rollups for two counts. However, Nemeth caught Navarro with a huge back elbow and Navarro dropped to the canvas. Nemeth choked Navarro on the ropes and raked his eyes. Nemeth also choked Navarro in the corner with his boot.

Nemeth continued to maul Navarro in the corner and verbally assaulted him about the futility of this endeavor. Navarro tried to rally but Nemeth kicked the left knee of Navarro (Hannifan pointing out that was the knee that was surgically repaired.) Nemeth continued to bad mouth Navarro but Navarro continued to attempt rallies only to be stopped by Nemeth. Nemeth mauled Navarro again in the corner.

Navarro finally got a prolonged rally and hit a tilt-a-whirl head scissors off the ropes. Navarro followed it with a running back elbow in the corner. Navarro snap mared Nemeth out of the corner and then hit a Natural Selection Stunner followed by a seated body press for another two count. Nemeth bailed to the floor and asked for time out. Navarro dove between the ropes and dropped Nemeth. Navarro threw Nemeth back into the ring and hit a frog splash from the top rope for a two count.

Nemeth ended this rally by avoiding the 305 (a 619 but over the ropes.) Navarro missed a shoulder block between the ropes and Nemeth hit a knee lift and then a neckbreaker between the ropes. Nemeth hit a sliding dropkick that sent Navarro to the floor. Nemeth went to the floor and slammed Navarro into the apron. Nemeth taunted the crowd but that gave Navarro time to recover and start another rally. Navarro booted Nemeth and slammed him into the apron.

Nemeth ended the rally again by again kicking the left leg. Nemeth grabbed a reversed leglock on the floor to work the leg some more. Nemeth got back into the ring as Navarro crawled into action. Nemeth mauled and choked Navarro into the corner. Nemeth hit a leaping elbow drop for another two count. Nemeth continued his assault with a cross face. Navarro tried another quick rollup for a two count but Navarro escaped and hit Navarro with a back elbow.

Nemeth hit another elbow drop and then grabbed a sleeper hold. The champion cinched in the hold. Navarro tried another rally but Nemeth threw Navarro to the mat by his hair. Nemeth gyrated and taunted Navarro and hit a corner splash. After strutting, Nemeth tried another corner splash but Navarro moved and Nemeth saddled the corner. Navarro tried to get to his feet and managed to hit a flying clothesline and a dropkick. Navarro hit a flying forearm in the corner and then managed to hit a tilt-a-whirl face first slam off the ropes for yet another two count.

Navarro went into the corner and tried to set up his finisher, the Blessing in Disguise, but Nemeth evaded it. Nemeth tried for a superkick but Navarro reversed that into a roll up for another two count. Navarro charged Nemeth in the corner but Nemeth moved and Navarro went shoulder first to the ring post. Nemeth tried for the Fame-asser but Navarro reversed it into a powerbomb for a two count as  a “this is awesome” chant emerged.

Both combatants were on the mat as Navarro tried another Blessing in Disguise but Nemeth blocked it. Navarro turned into a roll up for a two count and Nemeth got his own two count from a rollup. Navarro hit the Fame-Asser for a two count. Navarro sold the leg and tried to get the crowd riled. Navarro charged for another Blessing in Disguise but Nemeth hit a superkick. A “TNA” chant emerged.

Nemeth went back to yelling at Navarro and asking why won’t be die? Navarro slapped Nemeth and hit a dropkick. Navarro floundered to the ropes and NOW we get the 305 followed by the Code Red for a two count. Navarro attempted the Blessing in Disguise but Nemeth blocked it and Navarro went to the canvas. Nemeth hit the ropes and hit the Danger Zone for the pin.

Post-Match: TNA President climbed into the ring and presented Nemeth with the TNA World Title. We got a recap of the final moments as Nemeth posed on the turnbuckles as we go off the air.

Impactful Discourse:

One: I guess we are going to crib the Sami Zayn/Roman Reigns build up and result for the title match. That being said, it was a really good match. Navarro played the underdog perfectly and Nemeth was equally adroit in his role as the arrogant champion.

Two: I don’t know where this leaves Navarro in the scheme of things. He can definitely go but his comeback has been one signature win and a slew of near losses. A run at the X-Division title seems like a natural flow to things.

Three: Well, we buried the Righteous (well submerged them but you get the point.) This was about as one-sided a feud as I can imagine. IT’s a shame because the tag division is at a dearth of talent (compounding that, Saint and Sinner asked and got their release.) This leaves the Hardys with no real challenges on the horizon and a great team was jobbed.

Four: They may very well pull the trigger on M winning the knockouts title. The odd booking of Black continued as she taunted and played the heel versus Choo only to turn around and be the victim of a bigger (and better) heel in Brookside. I think M might pull this out.

Five: The opening match was there. Francis and Expressions are really jelling and make a great tandem. I also like when a finish is not the standard finisher. Francis really could use a solid run at a title.

Six: I guess we are going to see the implosion of Order Four finally. Hotch did a great job in his role as conflicted person and Ali nailed it perfectly as the ruthless boss. I thought it might be Skyler but Ali is such a great wrestler; I am curious what Hotch can truly do now that the storyline demands it.

Greetings all, and welcome to another review of TNA Impact. I am getting ready to head upstate from Houston but still within earshot of “the Space City.” Meanwhile, we are still upstate in Albany at the Broadview Center, still within earshot of New York City. While some wisenheimers call it “Smallbany,” we have big action ahead with Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt  telling us about it and McKenzie Miller is telling us who is who in action at “The Cradle of the Union.” So, let’s lift with our legs and not with our back, secure everything tightly, load up the U-Haul and get ready for some Impactful Discourse. Shall we? We shall.

Welcome, all, to another TNA Impact. We’re still in Albany, New York and halfway through our latest taping cycle. Fun factoid about Albany, it was the birthplace of the Schuyler sisters, one of them, Elizabeth, married Alexander Hamilton. The sisters were also widely praised in the iconic musical “Hamilton.” The Broadview Center is the room where it happens. Tom Hannifan and his right hand man Matt Rehwoldt give us the story of tonight and ensure we won’t ask “what’d I miss?” When we take a break in the action, Gia Miller gives us backstage happenings and McKenzie Miller lets us know what comes next with ring announcing. It is Non-stop action, after all; so, Meet me inside as this show tries to blow us all away and engage me, your obedient servant, in some Impactful Discourse. Shall we? We shall.

Greetings, all, and welcome to another version of TNA Impact on AMC. We lost some pretty big names and people who helped TNA achieve great success in the last couple of years. We need to take a broad view at what is left and how we can salvage the mass departures. And what better way to do that than at the Broadview Center in Albany, New York. Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt are at the announce table. Gia Miller is moving us along with backstage segments and McKenzie Mitchell tells us who is who in the ring. Let’s see if we can get the fireworks started a few days earlier.  We have an unknown future ahead, so let’s sit down  and navigate it together with some Impactful Discourse. Shall we? We shall.

Hey, greetings everyone and welcome to the TNA’s 24^th Anniversary, or should I say, Slammiversary. We are live at the Agganis Center on the campus of the University of Boston (which is in Boston. That seems like a no-brainer but Boston College is in Chestnut Hill. Why isn’t it Chestnut Hill College, huh?) Geography aside, we are in for a wicked good time (so we think.) Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt are calling the action (with a neat special guest during the pre-game show.) Gia Miller is a hub of activity working the crowd on the concourse and backstage  and McKenzie Miller spills the beans on who is in the ring. Let’s not wait another moment and let’s see what is Bruin in TNA, loyal patriots. So, let’s get comfy, put on our comfy red sox and engage in some Impactful Discourse? Shall We? We shall.

Greetings, all, and welcome to the final chapter of the Tommy Dreamer “era” on TNA Impact. Despite all the goings-on and shenanigans behind the scenes, we still have the premier pay-for-view for the company on Saturday, so let’s do the run up without getting too gassed in the altitude of Denver, Colorado. Despite the upheaval, we still have some breaths of fresh air with Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt at the announce table, Gia Miller continues to keep the airflow moving with backstage interviews and McKenzie Mitchell clears the air of who is in the ring. Now, sit back and relax; inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth and tune in to AMC (not the Oxygen channel) and engage in some Impactful Discourse. Shall we? We shall.

Well, we might have had a mass exodus from TNA but I am still here to give you another review of TNA Impact. We’re still in Denver at the Livestock Center CoBank Arena at the National Western Center. Fun factoid, Denver produces more beer than any city in the United States. Hopefully, we won’t need that much to enjoy this episode as Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt will let us know what is brewing, and when we hop to back stage segments we have Gia Miller handle those duties. McKenzie Mitchell will give us grains of knowledge of who is in the ring. Feeling down? I know what can cure whatever ales you. So grab a cold one because the action is red hot and get ready for some Impactful Discourse. Shall we? We shall.