wrestling / TV Reports
Ciocco’s TNA Impact Review 6.18.26
Image Credit: TNA
Loading...Impact Zone! It’s Thursday, which means that we are getting a new episode of the weekly delight known as Impact! Taking place during the taping sessions at the CoBank Arena in Denver, Colorado, tonight’s show features multiple 6-man tags, the return to the ring of Ricky Sosa, and a King’s Speech segment featuring Cedric Alexander, Leon Slater, and the King himself, Frankie Kazarian.
However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the changes that have transpired in TNA over the past week. The company not only granted Tessa Blanchard her request to leave (again), but Tommy Dreamer and Sami Callahan have parted ways with the company as well. Rumor has it that the company is looking to bring in Brian Armstrong AKA Brian James of VKM and 3LK fame (also known as the Road Dogg), and that TNA is also in talks to partner with OVW. Call me crazy, but I feel like they WERE partnered with OVW already? Or maybe that was in the recent past.
At any rate, it’s time to focus on more positive things, so let’s roll those Headlines!
So, how is everyone doing on this Thursday? I finished my marathon of Batman films with the Lego Batman film after failing to get to it last night before my other coverage responsibility. Also, the Phillies continue to piss me off.
But enough about me and enough about you, let’s get ready to brace for Impact!
Tonight, we are LIVE to Tape (but it’s not just taped, its Memorex!) from the CoBank Arena in Denver, Colorado. As always, Tom Hannifan and Matt Rehwoldt are on the call!
We open with the obligatory video package, featuring the matches and big moments from last week’s show.
I’M READY FOR YOU aka the title Sequence!
Tom Hannifan welcomes us to the show, and Xia Brookside is out to open the show. She gets a mic in the ring. Listen to all of you! You people actually think that I did something wrong. You all act like I committed some big unforgiveable crime, because I turned on poor little Lei Ying Lee! I hurt her feelings! The Angel Warriors was supposed to be about me becoming a star, but every single week, it became about Lee. She should have done this a long time ago.
But you want to know my favorite part? It was the look on her face, the puppy dog eyes, her whole world shattered! She loved it, and Lee didn’t even see it coming. Why? Because Lei Ying Lee is a dumbass! And at Slammiversary, I take what should have been mine a long time ago, the TNA Knockouts Championship!
But the Champion is here to confront her! Lee says she treated her like a sister and she fought beside her. But she sees who she is now. She is snake. No, no, no, she is a rat. She speaks in Mandarin, and Xia says she doesn’t even know what she just said. Lee says she doesn’t need a translator anymore, she said she isn’t waiting for Slammiversary, she is going to kick her ass right now, BITCH!
And we get a brawl! Fans boo when Security shows up and they chant LET THEM FIGHT! And I agree. They separate the ladies, but Lee ends up kicking some of the schmucks and suplexes another one. Brookside grabs Lee by the hair, but Lee fights her off and she looks to powerbomb her, but instead she heads to the top rope. Brookside shoves one of the schmucks in the way, and Lee hits him with a neck breaker from the top. Lucky guy, I tell you.
Gia Miller is in the back with the World Heavyweight Champion Mike Santana. Gia says that, per the order of Daria Rae, that Santana and Nemeth cannot lay hands on each other from bell to bell. Santana says he should have trusted his gut, because Nemeth showed him that he has the bitch in him. He is a pro, and he will work with him tonight, but at Slammiversary, he is going to rip his heart out and he will force him to eat it.
KC Navarro is here, and he says that he understands the situation between Santana and Nemeth, but tonight, they need to focus on Mustafa Ali and the Order-4. Santana says he knows what is best for business, and he will take care of that tonight.
Hannifan informs us that their match will open the show, next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Friendly reminder that Lockdown is coming to Chi-Town on August 23rd!
Matt cracks wise about the Bears, saying that unlike them, they can’t wait to get to Chicago. LMAO!
It’s time for Order…Order-4! Tom mentions that Ali’s title defense at Slammiversary is an open challenge, but depending on how this tag match breaks, Ali could find himself in the World Title match instead. Frankly, I rather like that for Ali.
TNA International Champion Mustafa Ali and The Great Hands vs. TNA World Champion Mike Santana, Nic Nemeth, and KC Navarro
The bell rings, and Santana and Skyler are going to start this. But no, Nemeth tags himself in instead. Nemeth wrestles Skyler to the mat and he grabs wrist control. He goes over and teases tagging in Santana, but he tags Navarro instead. KC has to get between them, which allows the Order-4 to attack them. The faces turn the tables, and Santana powerbombs Skyler out of the ring and onto Hotch and Ali!
THIS IS AWESOME chants, as we get a brawl around the ring side area. It’s down to Navarro and Skyler in the ring, where Navarro hits a dropkick. Skyler manages to tag in Hotch, as both him and Ali hit a double rolling neck breaker to Navarro. Ali with the pin for a two.
Ali chokes Navarro against the second rope, and Tasha Steelz sneaks in to choke Navarro. This happens again, except this time, the ref catches her, and in most dramatic fashion, he ejects both Tasha and Special Agent Zero. And not for nothing, but Rehwoldt is right, Zero did, well, zero there lol. Order-4 continue to work over Navarro, and Skyler clobbers Navarro with a lariat for a two.
Skyler pummels Navarro with punches as TNA+ decides to go to that break that was alluded to like two minutes ago. When we come back, we see the Great Hands take Santana off the apron, and they help Ali hit Navarro with a Triple Powerbomb! Ali with the pin, but KC is out at two. Navarro fights back with a cutter, and he tags in Santana because Nemeth was taken off the apron by Skyler.
Santana and Hotch are at it now, and Santana takes care of him and hits a Tope to Ali and Skyler on the floor! Back in the ring, and Santana wants to Spin the Block, but Nemeth tags himself in. He hits the Fameasser on Hotch, but Jason kicks out at two. Nemeth and Santana get into another argument, which again allows Order-4 to attack. The Great Hands hit Nemeth with an assist neck breaker from the top, but the pin is broken up by Navarro!
KC spikes Ali on the floor with a DDT, as the Great Hands go after Nemeth again, but Santana saves him from certain danger. Rolling Buck Fifty to both Skyler and Hotch, so Nemeth hits them both with the Danger Zone. Both Nemeth and Santana get the pin and the win for their team!
WINNERS: Mike Santana, Nic Nemeth, and KC Navarro
TIME: 9:40
THOUGHTS: Some high spots in this one. Ali and Navarro are low-key becoming one of my favorite feuds in TNA at the moment. Best of all, Nemeth and Santana didn’t disavow the Suit.
RATING: ***1/2
Post-match, the argument continues between Santana and Nemeth, but here is Ryan Nemeth to attack Santana! Navarro tries to stop Ryan from doing this, but Santana ends up laying out KC by accident! Nic hits Santana with the SUPERKICK. He stares at the World Title before collecting his CYS Trophy.
Matt runs down the rest of the card, and he lets us know that the King’s Speech is coming up next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
A friendly reminder that Slammiversary comes to Boston next Sunday, with a preshow time of 3PM and main show time at 4PM!
We see KC Navarro licking his wounds in the back. Here comes Nic Nemeth to check on him. KC says that Santana didn’t mean hit him. Ryan is here, and he says that KC deserved it! Santana is here, with Security holding him back. We get some bleeps, and Ryan and Nic take off. Santana asks if KC is good, and he says he is, and he tells Santana to worry about Slammiversary.
Frankie Kazarian is here for the King’s Speech! Welcome to a new edition of the greatest talk show in the land, the King’s Speech! He is our host, the King of TNA, Frankie Kazarian! He mentions that the Ultimate-X match is returning next Sunday and he is wearing an Ultimate-X shirt. He will tell us about it, because these morons up here don’t get any information. He created the Ultimate-X match, and he has participated in one more match than anyone else here. So just remember that, when you throw your grubby and filthy hands in the air, that this is all because of me. He thanks us before introducing the Boy from Bradford, Leon Slater!
Leon makes his way out, and Tom says he is being told that this is Slater’s contractual rematch. Well, that’s a little bit tilted I dare say. Frankie welcomes Leon to the show before introducing the X-Division Champion Cedric Alexander!
Alexander comes out with the title and he is all grins. Frankie says he has stools for the guys to sit on, but he rather they didn’t. Well alright then lol. Frankie asks Leon about being one day short of history, and he knows Leon is a big Frankie Kazarian fan, but this man (meaning Cedric) took that away from him.
Leon said he would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt, but Cedric interrupts with laughter and he says he is glad it hurt. Leon tells him to shut up before he comes over and slaps his face off. Frankie tells them to be gentlemen, but he is the only gentleman here lol.
Leon says that Cedric doesn’t understand what it is like to have his family watch him from 5,000 miles away, to have an entire culture on his back, but he isn’t making any excuses, because Alexander beat him fair and square.
Cedric says that’s because he is Prime Alexander! Everyone has told Leon since he came here that he has all the talent and all the promise in the World, but it doesn’t matter to him, because no one is going to remember Leon’s reign because he came up one day short.
Leon shoves Cedric and steals his title belt, as Frankie tries to break it up. He says you won’t give this to the Marks for free, so save it for Slammiversary. Speaking of Frankie talked to his good friend Daria Rae, and he has an announcement that HE will be entering the Ultimate-X match next Sunday! Tom mentions this will be the first time in 15 years that Frankie will partake in Ultimate-X.
The Injury Report comes to us courtesy of Zone*Ify!
Matt reminds us of the matches for tonight. Ricky Sosa will be in action, next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
AJ Francis is here post-break. Apparently, we are getting an Inside the Music special about the rise of this music mogul! He says he was hurt when Elijah didn’t want to collab with him. He knows that people want to make it in music, make it to the NFL, and become a professional wrestler, but he’s done all of that. When he was young, he read about Suge Knight, and he realized that was who he wanted to be. When Elijah didn’t want to work with him, it hurt him in his heart (points to it). So, he looked up his catalogue, and he now is a music mogul! He is the man who owns the music of the man who doesn’t deserve to be here! He wants to be the inspiration to other music moguls who have baby music moguls who know their rights. And if being a music mogul is wrong, then he doesn’t want to be right.
LMAO!
It’s Ricky Time!
Ricky Sosa vs. Dak Draper
Oh, hey, I remember Draper. I think he won Breakout Star in ROH years ago lol. Eric Young is here on commentary for this match.
Draper works a headlock at the bell. Sosa sends him off, but Draper with a shoulder tackle. Both men do leapfrogs, Draper trips Sosa, Dak does a cartwheel, but Ricky dropkicks him. Draper sends off Sosa, but Ricky jumps from the second rope and hits Draper with a crossbody for a two. Sosa looking for a suplex, but Draper escapes and kicks Sosa in the midsection. He kicks Sosa when he is down and clubs him in the back. Draper hits a knee drop to Sosa, but Sosa reverses his whip and hits a hip toss. That sends Draper from the ring, so Sosa takes off and hits a crossbody to Draper! Young gets up from the announce desk, but nothing comes of it.
Sosa on the apron, but Draper sweeps out his legs, and he catapults Sosa into the bottom rope. Draper with a lariat and he takes time to pose. Draper with a scoop slam, but he only gets a one. Draper looking another scoop slam, but Sosa sneaks out the back door and chops away. Sosa off the ropes, but he runs into a power slam from Draper which gets him a two. Draper with the gut wrench, but Sosa escapes and hits a Trouble in Paradise like kick. Release German from Sosa, and he lines up not one but two corner uppercuts. Draper cuts off a third one, but Sosa snaps off a Rana instead. Sosa heads to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick. He picks up Draper and hits the Blue Thunder Bang for the win.
WINNER: Ricky Sosa
TIME: 5:50
THOUGHTS: I know Sosa wasn’t losing this match, especially with the match coming up with Young next Sunday, but Draper got a LOT in this match. I’m not sure how I feel about that, honestly.
RATING: **1/2
The Elegance Brand are in the back and they are standing outside a door. The Personal Concierge works up the nerve to knock on the door, and Daria Rae steps out. He tells Daria that he heard there are spots open in Ultimate-X and he has the PERFECT person for a spot in Mr. Elegance. Ash reiterates that Mr. Elegance is PERFECT. Daria says she doesn’t go off of what the talent tells her, she goes off her own notes and reports. But she DOES agree to put him in the match. She takes off, and Indi Hartwell bumps into Ash. Indi asks if they have a problem, but Ash says she was going to wish Indi well in her match. Hartwell walks on, and they make fun of her.
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Friendly reminder that Slammiversary comes to us next Sunday from Boston. Another reminder that it starts at 3PM for the pre-show and 4PM for the main show.
It’s time for Knockouts action!
Elayna Black vs. Indi Hartwell
Mara Sade is here on commentary for this one.
Black talks smack to Hartwell at the bell, but Indi catches both her arms when she tries to smack her. She headbutts Black and sends her to the corner. Hartwell sends Black off, but she hooks the ropes and kicks Hartwell. Indi fires back with a big boot to the face for a two. Hartwell slams Black face first in the corner. Indi sends Elyana off, but Hartwell misses the charge and Black hits her from behind with an enziguri. She yells at the fans, and she slams Indi face first to the mat. Off the ropes comes Black with a double stomp for a two.
Black applies the dreaded chinlock, Hartwell gets to her feet, but Elyana takes her back down to the mat. Hartwell eventually counters with a snapmare, but Black lays her out with a lariat for a two. Black chokes Indi with her boot, but she misses a charge, and Hartwell rolls her up for a two. Indi lays in two clotheslines and hits a Spinebuster for a two.
The Personal Concierge and Ash are on the ramp. Hartwell is distracted, as Black hits her in the back of the head with an elbow. Now Black is distracted as she jaws with Ash. Ash climbs on the apron, but Sade pulls her off the apron. Amongst the confusion, Hartwell pins Black with a backslide!
WINNER: Indi Hartwell
TIME: 4:50
THOUGHTS: Fine for what it was. Interesting that in BOTH of the matches between Elyana and Indi that they never went beyond five minutes.
RATING: **1/2
Post-match, Ash and Black attack Hartwell, but Sade joins in to even up the odds. The heels take off, and apparently Hartwell has one of Ash’s heels lol.
We see Santino Marella in the back on his phone. Fabian Aichner is here, and he says that after what he has been through with the System, he is asking, Italian to Italian, for Santino to put him in the Ultimate-X match. Santino says that Daria put “Mr. Elephants” in the match earlier, so he gives Aichner what he wants. Nic Nemeth is here, and he kisses Saninto’s ass a bit before asking him to consider putting KC Navarro in the Ultimate-X match, and Santino agrees. Aichner wants to know what Nic’s problem is.
Tom lets us know that the System and the Hardys/Moose 6-man match is coming up next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Tom informs us that the field for Ultimate-X is set, as it will feature Alexander, Slater, Kazarian, Aichner, Navarro, and Mr. Elegance.
UPDATE: Apparently after the show, TNA posted on X that the Amazing Red will be in the Ultimate-X match. So, we now have SEVEN participants for the X-Division Title!
Gia says that tonight is the first time that we are seeing the Hardy’s after the Wicked Garden match, but Mike Santana hijacks the camera. He is sick and tired of Nic and his games, so he is calling him out for later tonight.
CAN’T STOP THE SYSTEM!
The Hardy’s make their entrance followed by Moose. Moose’s music plays, but it cuts off and continues playing the Hardy’s piano theme lol. Moose is also dressed up like a Broken Hardy, and that’s what you call team chemistry!
The System vs. The Broken Hardy’s and Moose
Eddie Edwards, Bear Bronson, and Brian Myers are representing the System with Alisha.
Moose wants to start this match with Eddie, but Edwards tags in Myers instead. Brian wants him to back off before he gets into the ring. Myers feigns a lock-up, but he wants BROKEN Matt instead, so Moose tags him in. Lock-up, Myers tries wrist control, but Matt looks at him lol. Matt takes the arm of Myers and DELETES his arm out of existence. Hardy beats on Myers in the corner, he kicks him in the gut, and then proceeds to DELETE him out of existence, turnbuckle by turnbuckle. Tag to Jeff, as they hit Myers with a double team face buster. Bronson is in, but the Hardy’s hit him with a double suplex and hit Poetry in Motion! Edddie takes his men to the floor and they look to regroup.
Myers gets into the ring, and he wants a test of strength with Jeff, but Hardy kicks him in the gut and he tags in Matt. Matt to the top, he does the Version AHHHHHHHHHHH finger taunt, and he hits a double axe to the arm of Myers. It’s Jeff’s turn now, and he classifies Myers arm as obsolete! Hell, even Moose gets in on the action! Moose takes a cheap shot at Eddie before tagging in Matt. Matt takes Myers to three of the four corners and rams his head into the top turnbuckle in each corner. Tag to Jeff, Matt catapults Myers into the bottom rope and Jeff hits a leg drop. Jeff with the pin, Myers is out at two.
Jeff corners Brian and he does the ten punches. Alisha gets on the apron and pushes Jeff away, which allows Eddie and Myers to attack Jeff. Bronson wails away on Jeff on the apron before he is returned to the ring. WE WANT TABLES chant as Eddie grabs Jeff by the nose, and he says I GOTCHA NOSE, JEFF!
Okay he didn’t actually say that, but let’s pretend he did.
TNA+ takes that short break that it is known for, and when we return, Eddie hits Jeff with a headbutt. Alisha chokes Jeff behind the ref’s back, and Matt is very perturbed. Eddie and Bronson hit a double team shoulder tackle to Jeff, and Eddie keeps shoving and slapping Moose. Moose losses it and he powerbombs Edwards on the ring apron! Bronson hits a scoop slam to Jeff and drops his ass on him. He looks very distraught, so he pounds away on Jeff before pinning him for a two.
Myers with the tag, and he launches Bronson into Jeff in their corner. Michinoku Driver from Brian, but Jeff is out at two. Myers with the dreaded chinlock, as we see Eddie crawling around the ring back to his corner. Jeff with a jawbreaker, but Myers with a back elbow. He takes the ref, allowing Bronson the chance to smack around Jeff. REF, YOU SUCK chants, and there are no lies there. Myers does a primal scream, but he ends up running into Jeff in the middle of the ring.
Eddie is still alive, and he grabs Jeff to try and keep him from the tag. He can’t, however, and now a wild Moose is on the run. He headbutts Eddie and hits Bronson with a lariat. Eddie headbutts him, but Moose smashes him with a lariat. He kicks Myers in the face, but here is Bronson. Moose takes him out of the ring, and he hits a slingshot crossbody! Back in the ring, and Moose hits Eddie with the Go to Hell, but Myers saves the match.
The System run the corner clothesline train on Moose, Myers with a sick kick, and Edwards with the Falcon Arrow for a two. Boston Knee Party, but Moose intercepts Eddie only to eat a Choke Bomb from Bronson. Matt hits him with the Side Effect, Myers takes out Matt, and Jeff hits Myers with the Twist of Fate! We cut to the entrance ramp, and we see The Righteous are here with a ladder! The Hardy’s hit the Plot Twist on Myers, Bronson gets taken to the floor, and he pulls Jeff out of the ring and headbutts him.
Alisha gets on the apron to taunt Moose, Eddie charges in, but he almost runs into her. Eddie ends up throwing Moose into the ropes, where Alisha hits him in the head with a kendo stick all behind the refs back of course. Eddie with the Boston Knee Party, and the System win it.
WINNERS: The System
TIME: 14:30
THOUGHTS: Fairly good match. Moose dressing up like the Hardy’s was a nice touch as he fit in very well with Matt and Jeff, but it didn’t matter against the System.
RATING: ***1/2
Post-match, the System celebrate, and Myers and Bronson turn their attention to Vincent and Dutch on the ramp.
Tom has been told that Mike Santana is making his way to the Impact Zone, and we’ll see if we get a wild brawl after the break.
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
We’re back, as we see Mike Santana make his way through the fans for the second time tonight. Santana has the mic. WHAT’S GOOD, DENVER? He isn’t wasting no more time, because the people want to see a fight, and that is what he is going to bring. He wants Nic to bring his bitch ass out here right now.
Nic’s music plays, but Ryan appears instead. He says everyone knows that his big brother is the best wrestler in the World, and he is the next TNA World Champion. Santana says, actually, your big brother is a bitch. Ryan says you take that back. The fans heckle him, so he says he won’t talk until they shut up. But he talks anyway, and he says his brother will be the next World Champion. HE’S A BITCH chants from the crowd, and Nic is here.
Nic says look at your face, you are too emotional, the fans feed off him. He will give Santana credit, he made the most of his 15 minutes, you made the most of your year. You should get a sticker for that, but you are on borrowed time, kid. You can call him whatever you want, but at Slam, you will call him Champion!
YOU’RE A BITCH chants, and Santana says from the look of things, you are still standing at the top of that ramp and not stepping into this ring so I can whoop your ass in front of all these great people. So, that still makes you a what?
Fans: A BITCH!
He rests his case. So, he will see Nic at Slammiversary, he is going to rip his head off, he will Spin the Block, and he will be World Heavyweight Champion!
Santana shows off his title as Nic motions he is going to win the title. And with that, we are done!
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