wrestling / TV Reports
Ciocco’s TNA Impact Review 7.16.26
Image Credit: TNA
Loading...Impact Zone! It’s Thursday Night, which can mean only one thing, and that is a brand-new edition of the delight known as Impact! Tonight’s show, emanating from the taped sessions in Albany, New York will see more of the first-round Knockouts TV Title tournament roll on. In addition, the X-Division Title will be on the line, big meaty men will slap big meat, and Mustafa Ali will deliver his State of the Order-4 address.
For more on these, let’s roll the Headlines!
So, how is everyone doing on this Thursday Night? I got to tell (if I haven’t already), that I am more of a winter person over a summer person. Even so, I can stand the temperatures being high during the course of June until August. However, combined with the wonderful (/s) Western PA swamp heat and a very bad air quality, this is just killing me over here. I hope everyone is managing to survive this crap until it passes again.
But enough about me and enough about you, let’s get ready to brace for Impact!
Impact is live (to tape!) from the Capital of New York, Albany! As are usually the case, Tom Hannifan and Matt Rehwoldt will be on the call!
We get highlights from last week’s show, starting with Xia’s successful defense of the Knockouts Title against Lei. This leads to highlights from the X-scramble that Fabian Aichner won, leading to his title shot tonight.
I’M READY FOR YOU aka the title sequence!
Tom welcomes us to the show and pimps that A-Game Hydration.
And we’re opening with the Knockouts TV Title tourney! Maggie comes out with both Heather by Elegance and the Personal Concierge! He looks like Super Calo lol.
Knockouts TV Title First Round Match: M by Elegance W/The Elegance Brand vs. Rosemary W/Allie
Inset promos from both women as they make their entrances. It does make it feel more personal. As a reminder, these matches have a 10-minute time limit.
The bell rings, and both ladies circle each other. Rosemary threatens M with the green mist, and she heads for the ropes. Rosemary goes on the attack and lands mounted punches in the corner before biting her head. Rosemary runs the ropes and locks on the Reverse STF. M screams like she in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but she grabs Rosemary’s hair to get free.
Undeterred, Rosemary continues the attack. While M takes the ref, Heather trips up Rosemary as she was running the ropes. M does a drive-by big boot to the head and takes time to pose on the apron. Back in the ring, and M chokes out Rosemary with her leg and taunts the fans. M chokes out Rosemary in the corner as we see Allie try to will Rosemary on. M goes back on the attack and connects with a snap suplex for a two.
Both ladies are back on their feet, and Rosemary rolls up M for a two. M fires back with a dropkick, sending Rosemary to the corner. Hammer throw, but Rosemary catches M with a boot and locks in the Tarantula! Rosemary attempts to get back into the ring, but M kicks her in the face, sending the Demon Assassin to the mat. M returns Rosemary to the ring and sits on her to pin her, but Rosemary is out at two.
Allie screams at M, but she doesn’t seem phased and she puts on the most dreaded chinlock. Rosemary is back to her feet, but M connects with a back kick and a kick to the side of the head for another two. M taunts Rosemary by grabbing her arm and scrapping her boot against her face. M gets too cocky and she hits the ropes, so Allie trips her up lol. Matt cries about contact lol.
Rosemary fires up with clotheslines and a sling blade. Corner elbow and an Exploder from the Demon Assassin. M ends up on the apron, Rosemary looking chokeslam, but she ends up hitting a clothesline instead. Rosemary taunts The Personal Concierge on the outside and returns M to the ring. Heather is on the apron, Allie rips her off the apron, and in the confusion, M throws champaign into the eyes of Rosemary. She rolls her up and takes it!
WINNER: M by Elegance
TIME: 7:50
THOUGHTS: I keep saying that M by Elegance has major singles star potential in this company, and while she didn’t show off her major athleticism tonight, she did a lot of great character work. And a win over Rosemary is nothing to sneeze at.
RATING: ***1/2
Tom runs down the rest of the card for tonight, and he lets us know that Moose and AJ Francis are coming up next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING? Yes, Alisha, I want to know why you try to kill my hearing. She says people are mistaken if they think the System is falling apart. Eddie says they had a bad night last week, but it happens, and they always rebound. Brian Myers tells us that Ricky Sosa got lucky last week, and he won’t get lucky again. Bear Bronson threatens to kill Ricky because Christmas has come six months early. It’s actually five, but don’t tell him that. Cedric says Prime Alexander is going to make Fabian Aichner look inferior compared to him. And Eddie says after tonight, everyone will be talking about the System.
Expressions is out, and he wants us to get off our fat asses and show respect for MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, AJ Francis! We see Frankie Kazarian at the commentary table, and he steals a fans popcorn and eats it, spitting it out everywhere lol.
AJ Francis W/Expressions vs. Moose
Francis attacks Moose as soon as he gets in the ring. He backs off so the ref can check on Moose, but that proves to be a mistake, as Moose lays in the clotheslines, a shoulder tackle, and a back splash.
Moose meets Francis on the floor, and AJ tries to send our favorite Canadian animal into the ring steps, but Francis ends up hitting the steps. Expressions tries to distract Moose, and Tom says he looks like Joel Gertner lol. Francis catches a charging Moose with a powerbomb on the apron! Frankie asks the guys if they want some popcorn.
Francis drops Moose against the bottom rope, allowing Expressions a chance to choke him out. Moose fights back, but Francis drops Moose to the mat. He ends up in the corner so Francis can hit the Tennessee Whiskey! Francis takes a moment to hype up with his manager, and he returns to the ring. Francis looking Down Payment, but Moose isn’t having it and he headbutts Francis! Frankie tells us again that the popcorn is great.
Both men trade, Moose to the corner, he jumps from the top rope, but Francis catches him with the TFL for a two! Francis heads to the top but he takes WAY too long, allowing Moose the chance to catch him out. He crotches Francis and hits a dropkick. Moose heads back up and he hits a ring rattling Superplex! The cover, but Francis kicks out at two.
Moose with a kick to the head of Francis and he lines him up and clotheslines him to the floor. Here comes Moose as he hits a crossbody block! Moose gets in Frankie’s face, and he smacks his popcorn out of his hands! That’s a party foul! Moose is back in the ring, and he lines up for the SPEAR, but Frankie pulls him out of the ring and rams him into the ring post in front of the referee, and that’s a DQ.
WINNER: Moose via DQ
TIME: 6:10
THOUGHTS: The match itself was fine, but you had to figure that, with Frankie at ringside, there was going to be shenanigans of some kind, and lo-and-behold, we got it.
RATING: ***
Post-match, Frankie continues beating up Moose, and he throws him to Francis, who hits a Down Payment. Expressions is even able to get in some cheap shots on the downed Moose.
Elayna Black is in the back. She says her TV Title match next week is against Wendy Choo. Choo-Choo! But she does have history with Wendy, and she does respect her. But she is standing in her way to what she said she was here for, which is to win gold in TNA. She is one of the best, no, the best Knockout in TNA.
Xia Brookside cackles and she says that this Knockouts Title proves that she is the best Knockout in this division. She tells her to go have her match with Wendy and to stay in her own lane. Black says that she knows that Brookside is jealous of her because she is everything that Xia can never be. She tells her bye and leaves, as Brookside stews over this.
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Order-4 are here post-break, as Mustafa Ali will deliver the State of the Order Adress. Hotch, Skylar, Tasha, and Agent Zero are here with him. Ali has the mic. Citizens of TNA, welcome to the state of the Order-Four Address! And standing behind me should be the most dominant faction in TNA history. Standing behind me is men and women who should be covered in gold, but apparently, only one of us got the memo. For the past year-and-a-half, he gave Jason, John, and Tasha everything, and all they gave him was problems. And look, he’s not mad, he’s just disappointed. Disappointed with their failures, and how content they are with their failures. He is a humble man, and he can admit when he needs help, and that is what he is doing. He has someone who will help them get their heads out of their asses. That is why it gives him great pride to introduce his Secretary of Internal Affairs, Miss Mila Moore.
Moore comes out doing her best Ms. Hancock look and also looks like early TNA Traci Brooks. She shakes the hands of everyone in the ring. She wants to thank Mr. Ali for the opportunity, and it is an honor to work with someone as esteemed as Mr. Ali. She was surprised when she got the call from him, but there was no way she could say no. And she will tell us right now, that in Ali, she trusts!
Ali really likes that, and he wants her to hold his International Title. What he wants to do is find the next number one contender for his title. And he is bringing the power to the people, but not these idiot fans, he is giving the power to everyone in the back. He will open up the floor to anyone that they feel is deserving of a shot at his International Title. All he has to say is, may the best man win! Miss Moore, welcome to Order-4, God Bless, and remember, in Ali, we trust!
Ali is always entertaining on the mic, especially as a heel, so this was a great promo.
The TNA Injury Report is brought to us by AMC!
Bronson and Sosa are coming to us, next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
The Righteous are here post-break. They walk around and don’t say anything. They look at a video message from the Hardy’s, who cordially invite them to the Hardy Compound for a DELIGHTFUL affair! Vincent and Dutch lock eyes and both nod and….
That’s it!
CAN’T STOP THE SYSTEM!
Bear Bronson W/Brian Myers vs. Ricky Sosa
The bell rings, as both men go at it right away. Myers is on commentary, and he says it’s been a long time since he’s done this, and he wants to know where Striker and Brown are. LMAO! Bronson with chops, but Sosa won’t back down as he chops Bronson. The Bear takes over with more chops, but Sosa uses misdirection and hits a pop-up dropkick! Sosa goes BANG BANG, but Bronson rolls out to the floor. Sosa follows him, but he eats a Blackhole Slam from Bronson.
Because we’re supposed to be at break, we can hear Myers say he’s dead lol. Bronson rolls Sosa into the ring and he mocks Ricky’s mannerisms. Bronson is back in, and Sosa tries to fight back, but Bronson stops him with Spinebuster for a two. Snap Suplex from Bronson, who heads to the top rope. He mocks Sosa again and he lands an elbow drop for a two. Myers complains about the headset, and Tom blames Frankie and his popcorn lol.
Sosa again tries to fight back, but Bronson hits a lariat to shut that down. Back splash from the Bear, but that’s another two. The guys shoutout Norman Smiley, as Bronson looks for a suplex, but Sosa counters with a nice twisting suplex/neck breaker looking move!
We “return from break” to see both men trading forearms from their knees. Both men back to their feet, and the forearm battle continues. Sosa blocks a discuss lariat with a flurry of kicks and a German! Sosa shows him how it’s done, and he hits a corner charge. Bronson off the ropes, and Sosa hits the Spanish Fly for a two! Mein Gott, Sosa is throwing Bronson around like he’s a Mini Luchador!
Sosa to the top rope, but here comes Bronson to cut him off. Myers shouts out Mike Tenay and Don West now as Sosa escapes from Bronson with an Enziguri! Corner Powerbomb and a single leg dropkick gets him a two. Bronson rolls out of the ring, and Myers tells him to stop screwing around. Sosa takes off and wipes out Bronson, and Myers says why would be jump out of a perfectly good ring? Myers distracts Sosa long enough that he jumps into the Choke Bomb from Bronson, but Ricky is out at two!
Bronson is very angry now, as he lays in body shots to Sosa. The straps are down, and Bronson picks up Sosa for the Bear Down, but Sosa escapes. Myers gets on the apron, but he gets knocked off by Sosa. Ricky looking Blue Thunder Bang, but Bronson hits Abyss’ Shock Treatment. The Bear Down finishes it for Bronson.
WINNER: Bear Bronson
TIME: 11:00
THOUGHTS: Sosa (along with Slater) got the better of the System last week, so in an effort to play the long game, Bronson winning here made total sense. The more of Sosa I see, the more I like, that kid has so much talent still to unearth and he’s damn strong.
RATING: ***1/2
We see Fabian and Cedric getting ready for the X-Division Title match later tonight. But up next, Harley Hudson will look to advance in the TV Tourney against NXT’s Thea Hail!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Elijah is packing up his guitar in the back, and Moose approaches him. Moose says he knows that Elijah saw what happened to him earlier thanks to Frankie and Francis, and he wants his help to take them out. Elijah says you don’t have to convince him, he is in!
TNA Knockouts TV Title Tourney First-Round Match: Harley Hudson vs. Thea Hail
Inset promos for both ladies. I love how excited Thea is in her promo. She’s one of the things I do miss about covering NXT, honestly.
Hail offers the hand at the bell, and Hudson shakes it. Early lock-up, Hail wrestles Hudson to the match. Go-behinds are traded, Hudson with a roll-up for a two. Hail grabs control of the arm of Hudson, she knocks her to the mat, and she does some kind of a dance lol. Hail with some arm drags and she stretches out Hudson. Harley reverses and uses her legs. Hudson with arm drags, she smacks her butt, and she hits a short leg drop for a two.
Hail to the apron, she kicks Hudson away. Thea floats back into the ring, but Hudson catches her out with a version of the Glam Slam for a two. Hail looks for another roll-up, but that’s just a two. Hudson scores with a headbutt, and she introduces her butt to Thea in the corner. Hudson with the Fallaway Slam and that’s a two.
Hudson sinches in an arm bar, but Hail escapes and catches Hudson with a kick. Hail tries to sneak under a clothesline from Hudson, but she ends up taking one anyway. Hudson fires off some punches and she is feeling herself. Hail with a backslide that Hudson escapes at a two. Hudson fires back with a big boot, but she misses the leg drop.
Both ladies come to center and trade strikes with neither backing down. Hudson misses a clothesline, allowing Hail to hit one and a headbutt. Back elbow in the corner followed by an Exploder for a two. Hudson goes to pick up Hail, but Thea goes back to her arm. Thea looking Sunset Flip, but Hudson sits down on her for a two. Over the knee neck breaker from Hudson, but Hail stays in it.
Hudson approaches Hail, but Thea hits a DDT for a two. Thea with the World’s Strongest Slam, but she misses her standing splash. Hail ends up in the ropes, Hudson to the top, and she misses the leg drop. Hail off the ropes and she scores with the Hail Drop for the win!
WINNER: Thea Hail
TIME: 6:35
THOUGHTS: Kind of surprised that Hail won this match, given that Hudson is a TNA talent, and she could have used a signature win over a former NXT North American Women’s Champion. But it is what it is, and Hudson will have her day. A fun match.
RATING: ***1/2
The Wanted Man is walking! We will hear from the World Heavyweight Champion, next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Nic Nemeth is here post-break. I like that he’s leaning more into the Shawn Michaels post-heel turn at the expense of Marty Jeneatty. How good does this look, he wants to know. You can’t be that jealous of me, you are looking at the best professional wrestler walking around. He isn’t just the TNA World Champion; he is the best damn thing happening around here. It’s not all bad news, because the World is chasing him, and everyone wants a piece of the Wanted Man and his title. You’re looking at greatness so acknowledge it. He is letting us know that when this title goes on the line, it’s big box office. It’s big money. It’s the World talking about this title here, and any opponent who thinks they have a chance lining up.
Despite being told to buzz off last week, KC Navarro is here! Nemeth says to cut his music, and he wants serious inquiries only. Navarro says he understands, but Nemeth says he doesn’t because he told him this is big boy business, no kids allowed here. Navarro goes to talk again, but Nic doesn’t want to hear it. He wants Navarro to do what’s best for everyone and get out of my ring!
KC leaves the ring, and Nic says he doesn’t give a damn what grown-up wants a shot at this title, because he will knock them down. Navarro says Nic is right, but sometimes, the thing that you love doesn’t love me back. KC has his family and his friends asking him why he keeps putting himself through this. He lost his tag team title shot with Nic; he lost his X-Division title shot. Maybe he thought he could inspire some kids who were bullied. But Nic holds the one thing that, if he gets his hands on it, would prove them all wrong, including Nemeth.
KC has lost a lot of things lately that have broken him but kicking Nic’s ass and taking that title would make him feel a lot better. He wants Nemeth to put the title on the line next week, and he will prove to everyone that he is capable of being the World Heavyweight Champion.
Nemeth says great job kid, that was inspirational. BUT, if you promise to take your loser ass away from me for good, FOR GOOD, then he will go talk to Daria and make the match for the World Title next week. But you got to do something for me, kid. You need to stop calling me, stop texting me, lose my number! If you blow this like you blow everything else, then you are out of my life for good!
Aichner and Alexander are still walking 500 miles in the back. The main event is coming up, next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
It’s X-Division Time!
TNA X-Division Title Match: Cedric Alexander (C) vs. Fabian Aichner
This marks Cedric’s first singles title defense, and this is the first time in six years that these men have met.
The bell rings and we get a lot of early posturing. Lock-up, and Aichner powers the Champion to the corner, who screams for the ref to BACK HIM OFF! Aichner with an arm drag and a quick pin for just one. Aichner with arm control, but Alexander backs up Aichner to the ropes. Alexander tries to pick the leg of Aichner, but Fabian sends him careening to the corner.
Cedric screams random non-sense, and he wants a test of strength. It’s a ruse, of course, as he goes for a side headlock. Aichner elbows his way free and taunts Cedric, who looks confused. Aichner picks Alexander out of the air, squats with him, hits a Green Bay Plunge and a moonsault! Aichner clotheslines Alexander out of the ring and to the floor.
During the “break”, Aichner chops Alexander around the ring. Fabian grabs an A-Game drink and takes a swig before pouring the rest of it on Cedric lol. Aichner returns Alexander to the ring, but Cedric shakes the ropes and drops Fabian to the apron. Apron SPEAR from Cedric and he psyches himself up. Cedric hits Fabian with an apron Exploder and he’s content to take the count-out win. Aichner makes it back in at the count of eight, so Alexander lays in body shots and gets a two on the pin.
Alexander with chops, as he stalks Aichner around the ring. Alexander with a kitchen sink, he wants to know if we want one more, but he goes for the abdominal stretch instead. Aichner finally escapes with a hip toss, and he goes on the offense. That is until he misses a springboard crossbody block, and Cedric hits a springboard dropkick and another one to the back for a two.
Aichner turns the tables with some offense, but he ends up on the apron. No problem, as he kicks Alexander away and scores with a springboard DDT! Alexander rolls out of the ring, but he isn’t safe, as Fabian leaps to the top and hits a crossbody block to Cedric on the floor! A fan at ring side is fired up, while back in the ring, Aichner leaps from rope to rope and hits the moonsault, but Cedric kicks out at two.
THIS IS AWESOME chants, as both men trade go-behinds. Lumbar Check, no, but Aichner runs into the Michinoku Driver for a two. Brain Buster from the Champion, but Aichner kicks out at 2.5! More chants for this being awesome as Cedric takes off his shirt, meaning this is serious business. He throws his shirt at Fabian, and he kicks Aichner around the ring and talks a lot of mad smack. Alexander eventually gets his foot caught and eats a big lariat.
Aichner sits Alexander on the top rope, but Cedric kicks Fabian from the top. Alexander flies, but he runs right into a dropkick from Aichner! Fabian looking for a powerbomb, but his back gives out. Alexander looking for the jackknife pin, but Aichner bridges out and powerbombs Alexander! The cover, but Cedric kicks out at two.
Alexander sends Aichner to the floor and takes the ref, and here is Eddie Edwards as he hits Aichner with the Boston Knee Party. Alexander returns Aichner to the ring, where he hits him with the Lumbar Check for the title retention!
WINNER: Cedric Alexander (And still!)
TIME: 14:40
THOUGHTS: A great main event match. No surprise given who was in the match, but it was just a little bit of validation.
RATING: ****1/4
Alexander and Edwards look to attack post-match, but here comes Ricky Sosa! They attack him, and Leon Slater is here! Eddie and Cedric end up on the floor, and Slater clears the corner and takes them out! The babyfaces hold the ring, and with that, we are done!
