wrestling / TV Reports
Ciocco’s TNA Impact Review 8.6.26
Image Credit: TNA
Loading...Impact Zone! It’s Thursday Night, which means we have a brand-new edition of the delight known as TNA Impact! Coming to us from the sessions that took place in Philadelphia at the Liacouras Center at Temple University, Impact will feature a Knockouts Title match, the next match in the Knockouts TV Title Tourney, and what should be a very “friendly” contract signing for the World Title match.
For more on this, let’s roll out the Headlines!
So, how is everyone going on this Thursday Night? I’m slowly counting down those days until September, when the Eagles and the Flyers return. It’s not that I am unhappy with the Phillies and especially not the Fever, but the Phillies are so wayward that it makes it hard to trust what they COULD do IF they make the playoffs.
But enough about me and enough about you, let’s get ready to brace for Impact!
Tonight, Impact is LIVE (to TAPE) from the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia! Tom Hannifan and Matt Rehwoldt are on the call.
Jason Hotch is walking in the back alongside his wife and hie daughter! We will celebrate him tonight!
I’M READY FOR YOU aka the Title Sequence!
It’s a Matt(er) of Fact that we are opening up with Matthew Hardy!
Matt Hardy W/Jeff Hardy vs. Ryan Nemeth W/TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth
Aimee Garcia is shown at ring side. Matthew goozles Ryan and takes him to the ropes before letting go. Hardy lays in some shots, but he turns his back, and Nemeth attacks from behind. Nemeth with a running dropkick in the corner to Hardy. Hardy counters back with a hammer throw and a corner clothesline. Hardy proceeds to DELETE Nemeth out of existence. Hardy with a corner Tiger Driver for a two.
Nemeth looks to regain his composure in the corner as Hardy screams DELETE! Hardy looking Twist of Fate, but Nemeth catches his leg and lands a thrust kick. Ryan for the pin, and he gets a two. Hardy looking to fight back, but Nemeth with a thrust chop to the windpipe and he rakes the face of Hardy against the top rope. Ryan heads to the corner and he taunts Jeff with his finger guns dance.
Nemeth with a Snapmare into the dreaded chinlock. Hardy back to his feet, and he takes out Nemeth with a big clothesline. Nemeth to his feet, but his strikes are blocked by Hardy. Hardy with another Lariat and he hits a neck breaker for a two. Side effect from Hardy follows for a two.
Hardy heads to the middle rope and he connects with the elbow, but Nemeth is out at two. Hardy talks to the DIEHARDYS, TOF attempt again, but Nemeth shoves Hardy off. Nic trips up Matt, which causes Jeff to attack Nic! Ryan is distracted by this, and he turns around into the Twist of Fate, and Hardy has DELETED Ryan Nemeth!
WINNER: Matt Hardy
TIME: 5:50
THOUGHTS: A perfectly meh match. Jeff and Nic fighting on the floor felt more interesting than this match, which never got out of first gear.
RATING: **3/4
Gia Miller has Knockouts World Champion Xia Brookside in the back. Gia says that after Xia attacked Elayna and Wendy, she has painted a bigger target on her back. Brookside said she will approach this match exactly the same way that she approaches every other match. As for Elayna Black, but Black herself is here in the flesh! Black tells Xia to keep talking, don’t stop talking because she is here. Xia says Elyana needs to watch what she does to Wendy tonight. Black says she doubts that, because she has known Wendy for a long time, and she knows Wendy can beat her. Xia says this is over and walks off.
Tom runs down the rest of the card for tonight. The third and final Quarterfinals match in the Knockouts TV Title tourney is coming up next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
We are back, as we see the events of last week’s main event, where Jason Hotch dethroned Mustafa Ali and won the International Title. To the here and the now, as the Hotch Family is staring at his title in the back. Gia rolls up and asks if she can get a word from Jason. She wants to know what this win means to him. Jason says it means everything to him. So many people have looked at him as a sidekick, and he hit the glass ceiling. But he proved them wrong. And this isn’t just his title; he wouldn’t be here without these two ladies (meaning his wife and daughter). BDE and Rich Swann are here, and they show love to Jason.
It’s time to get Elegant. Poor Personal Concierge is back to the Ronnie Milsap sunglasses again.
TNA Knockouts TV Title Tourney Quarterfinals Match: Mara Sade vs. Heather by Elegance
Heather and Mara lock-up at the bell. Tom says that the Personal concierge suffered a double Cornia injury. Roll-up by Sade for a two. Heather responds in kind with one of her own for a two. Heather works the arm of Sade, but Sade sends her off the top rope. Mara with a bulldog to Heather and she slides out of the ring and to the floor.
Sade is back and she hits a missile dropkick for a two. Heather rolls out to the apron, where Mara sweeps out the legs. Mara to the apron, but Heather catches her running in and flips her face-first into the ring post. Heather continues the attack on the floor before rolling Sade back into the ring.
Heather goes back to the bad arm of Sade, and she gouges the count to five before letting go. Heather twists the arm and sends Mara back down to the mat. Heather locks in a single arm lock. Heather falls back and she tries to torque the arm of Sade out of its socket. The groundwork continues by Heather, back to their feet and the arm abuse continues.
Back down to the ground, and Heather looks for an arm bar. Sade rolls over Heather for a pin for a two. Sade picks up Heather and powerbombs her into the corner! Both ladies get back to their feet, where strikes are traded. Off the ropes goes Heather, and Mara with a clothesline. A second one follows, and Mara with a corner splash. Sade mounts Heather and lands hands, and she is warned by the ref.
Sade with a standing powerbomb with the high stack, but Heather is out at two. Sade goes back to favoring her arm, and Heather strikes with a dropkick. Sade to the floor, Heather on the apron, but Sade catches her and drops her face first onto the apron. Sade off the steps and she connects with a dropkick.
Sade returns Heather to the ring, but she rolls out to the apron again. Heather snaps the bad arm off the top rope, and she hits a missile dropkick to the bad arm and she is moving on!
WINNER: Heather by Elegance
TIME: 8:50
THOUGHTS: The large amount of groundwork being done kind of felt like the match was dragging on. It was a decent finish, though, and Heather winning keeps the dream alive for an Elegance Brand Finals.
RATING: ***
Moose is in the back. He has gone by many nicknames in his career, including the God of Professional Wrestling, because no one who 6’6″ can do what he does. Frankie Kazarian might call himself the King of TNA, but he is the Face of TNA, and he is issuing a challenge to Kazarian for Lockdown. Let’s give the people what they want to see, and that is Frankie and Moose inside the cage. And Moose promises us that he will not hold back and he will take down the King of TNA. MOOSE!
Tom reminds us of what else is on tap for tonight. KC Navarro and Brian Myers will be up next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
More Hotch Family time in the back. Jason says that he has to take some photos and he walks off. Mustafa Ali walks in and takes a seat next to Jason’s wife. He says relax; you don’t need to be so tense. He knows that, when Jason’s contract came up, that Ali took care of it. And Ali isn’t mad, but he is disappointed that Hotch took his International Title. He tells Jason’s daughter than Daddy took something from me and now I have to get it back. He tells Jason’s wife that he has business to take care of and he needs to do what he needs to do. He puts his hand on her leg and says don’t worry, I’ll take care of you, too. Creepy AF there, Ali.
CAN’T STOP THE SYSTEM!
KC Navarro vs. Brian Myers w/Bear Bronson
The bell rings, and both made trade some smack talk. Lock-up, Navarro looking arm drag, but Myers won’t let go. No problem, as KC hits a Snap Rana and a dropkick, sending Myers to the floor. KC goes to run, but Bronson trips him up right in front of the referee. Daniel Spencer dramatically ejects Bronson. Bear argues this, and here is Ricky Sosa with a chair! He beats Bronson with the chair up the ramp!
Myers is back, but his hammer throw results in KC doing the Spider-Man pose between the ropes. He suckers in Myers and hits a 305! KC looking Blessing in Disguise, but here is Eddie Edwards! He spears KC, and that is a DQ.
WINNER: KC Navarro Via DQ
TIME: 2:10
THOUGHTS: Nothing but an angle thang.
RATING: N/R
Fabian Aichner is here to save the day, as the System hightail it. Here is Santino Marella! SONOFAGUN, he is sick of the system doing bad things! And if Fabian “Aichnerow” and “Edward Edwards” want to get involved, then he is making a tag team match right now!
The System vs. Fabian Aichner and KC Navarro
KC and Fabian attack the System on the ramp. The brawl leads back to the ring, where KC and Fabian hold serve. We “head out for the break” as Navarro mounts and punches Edwards in the corner. Alisha assaults the hearing of every fan in the arena, while Aichner does the ten punches to Eddie. Butterfly Suplex from Aichner for a two.
Aichner tags in Navarro, who heads to the top, poses for a bit, and comes down on the arm of Edwards with a double sledge. KC tags back out, and Aichner with a double axe handle of his own. Arm breaker from Aichner, and Eddie kicks out at two. Navarro with the tag, but Eddie stops him with a headbutt. Edwards tags in Myers, but KC meets him with an arm drag.
Myers cuts off KC by grabbing his hair and throwing him to the mat. Alisha talks that mad shit and then chokes out KC behind Spencer’s back. KC turns the tables and he tags in Aichner. Fabian stomps on the arm of Myers and pins him for a two. Edwards kicks Fabian in the back from the apron, Myers looks to take advantage, but Aichner hits a Powerslam for a two.
Aichner ends up spilling out to the floor thanks to Eddie. Edwards officially tags into the match, and he slaps Aichner around ringside. Edwards returns Aichner to the ring, and he chops Navarro off the apron. Eddie shakes his wrist for some reason and looks to suplex Aichner. Fabian has other ideas, though, and he hits a suplex instead.
Edwards rolls to the corner and tags in Myers. Brian cuts off Aichner from making a tag, and he sinks in a cross-face variation. Aichner to his feet, Myers with the hammer throw, but Aichner climbs the ropes, and he hits a moonsault to Myers, who just stood their completely dumbfounded.
Aichner with the tag, and Navarro pops off on both Eddie and Brian. Around the world goes KC, and he plants Eddie with a Satellite DDT for a two. Aichner with the tag, they look to do a double team move, but Myers shoves KC off the top rope. Edwards with a scoop slam to Aichner and he heads to the top. He takes WAY too long, and Aichner hits an Avalanche Butterfly Suplex! KC with the Splash, but Myers just BARELY saves Eddie!
Aichner with the Powerbomb to Myers! Boston Knee Party to Aichner. Eddie gets hit with a thrust kick! Alisha has a kendo stick, and Eddie uses it to smack KC! Edwards goes to the Book of Kevin Owens and hits Navarro with a Package Piledriver for the win!
WINNERS: The System
TIME: 11:15
THOUGHTS: KC and Fabian are a fun team, but the System always have the numbers game on their side. Arguably the best thing we have seen so far tonight at the end of hour one.
RATING: ***1/2
Post-match, the System circle Aichner and Navarro, but Sosa is back with his chair! The System cut and run.
It’s time for the AMC Injury Report, but Matt cuts off Tom to tell us that Nic Nemeth is the Kurt Russell to Kurt Russell, and there is no trouble in Little Hunk Town. In more serious news, Mara Sade suffered an abdominal injury, and Rosemary is still missing.
We see the Righteous walking in the back. The Hardys are waiting for them and Matt compliments them on surviving the Lake of Reincarnation.
Jeff: Somehow.
Matt says that they are brothers bounded in battle now. We get a four-way fist bump, and we will hear from Vincent and Dutch, next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Jason Hotch is walking and he is ANGRY! He screams at Mustafa Ali and he pins him up against the wall. Special Agent Zero gets in the way, and John Skylar says maybe this is a misunderstanding. Hotch says this was no mistake and Ali needs to keep his wife’s name of his mouth. Security break Order-4 up, and Tasha Steelz screams at Mila Moore. Ali says he wants his title rematch at Lockdown in Chicago, and Hotch says he will see him there. Ali throws in a parting quip about seeing Jason’s wife, which only makes Hotch angrier still.
The Righteous are Coming! Vincent and Dutch are here for a chat.
Vincent: Well, we died.
That’s Darby Allin’s thing, sir.
Or maybe they are changing. Vincent says that the Hardys may have thrown them into the Lake, but their vine never stops growing. Dutch says that water cleans the body and the soul, and there is something else that is in their vision.
Vincent says there is something bigger waiting beyond the Hardys. For months, they were teaching the Hardys exactly what they needed to learn. He shoved that Lily of the Valley into both Matt and Jeff’s throats, and he saw them change. And so, they are done with the Hardys for now.
Dutch says that a single flower can be trampled, but not an entire garden. The Forgotten outnumber the Celebrated. Vincent says if the World has forgotten your name, then good. Vincent and Dutch aren’t looking for opponents, they are looking for someone who is fading like a flower, and they want to give them hope and cause. Dutch says for they are RIGHTEOUS, and Vincent says that they are the many.
…My brain.
Harley Hudson and Jada Stone are talking about things in the back. Here comes Santino Marella. He asks Jada if he can speak to Harley alone. He asks how she is doing, and she says not good. Santino says that Daria Rae wants to terminate her contract because she doesn’t have the results.
Alisha Edwards is here to complain about how much she hates Ricky Sosa, Jada Stone, and even Harley Hudson. Stone is back and she heard her name, and she knows that Alisha isn’t talking smack to her. They argue, and Hudson steps in and asks Santino if beating a former KO Champion would be the results that Daria is looking for. Santino says yes.
Alisha does her usual DO YOU WANNA KNOW SOMETHING crap, but Harley screams at her NO. She is going to prove that she belongs here, and she is going to beat Alisha. Edwards says she doesn’t have time for her right now, but if she can close the gate on Hudson, then she just might do that.
…I have a migraine.
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Allie is wondering around in the back as we return. Set to some symphonic music, Allie walks from room to room. She walks into a red room and sees cards on the table. She picks two of them up and then stares at us. And it ends. Interesting.
It’s time for the Hometown Man to make Philly proud (or not)! He’s out wearing a Saquon Barkley Kelly green jersey, and Tom takes a shit on the Giants franchise lol.
AJ Francis vs. The Hometown Man
Francis hits the TFL as the bell rings! Francis takes the Barkley jersey and he spits on it. YOUSONOFABITCH! Francis looking Down Payment, but Elijah is here. This distracts Francis so much that the HTM rolls him up and he steals it!
WINNER: The Hometown Man
TIME: 45 seconds of unadulterated joy
THOUGHTS: I seriously have no idea what the fuck is going on here. I’m more upset that the Barkley jersey was disgraced.
RATING: WTF
We see the Tom Hannifan sit-down interview with Cedric Alexander from earlier today. Cedric says he is one of the absolute best wrestlers in the World, and this X-Division title proves that. Tom wants him to elaborate on that, and Alexander says that Tom has known him for a long time. When he wanted the ball, he wasn’t given it. When they did get the ball, he ran with it, and he proved everyone wrong.
Leon Slater walks in! He asks Tom if he can take over this interview, and Tom says sure and leaves. Leon says that since Cedric can’t keep his name out of his mouth, he can talk to him like a man. Leon says he pinned Cedric in the middle of the ring last week, and he wants to know why Cedric won’t give him an X-Division shot.
Alexander says that Leon is out of his mind. Alexander busted his ass to get to this point and win this title. He earned his chances. Slater has had everything handed to him. Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles catered to him. You can’t just come in here and accomplish what I have done in a decade in just two years. Alexander will not let Slater touch his X-Title ever again as long as he is the Champion. In fact, he is going to let Leon sit here and think about it until it sinks in and it makes sense to him. Cedric walks off, and Leon proceeds to sit-down and ponder what Alexander just told him.
The Knockouts Title is on the line, next!
BREAK IN PROGRESS!
Frankie Kazarian is on a pay phone in the back. He says one more day in Philly, it’s not dirty as Chicago, but it isn’t as cool as New York. Daria Rae is here, and Frankie hangs up his call. Rae says that Moose challenged Kazarian to a match in the cage at Lockdown. Kazarian mulls this over, and he says he’ll do it because it’s good for box office and ticket sales. But he wants to do it under his terms. Daria says what would that be, and Frankie wants an escape the cage match. Daria says she will get PR on it.
Kazarian turns his attention to us, and he tells Moose that there is a hierarchy in TNA. At the very bottom is the Face of TNA. Moose smiles and waves to the fans. And at the top is the King of TNA. He will teach Moose a lesson at Lockdown.
It’s time to Knockout someone out!
Knockouts World Title Match: Xia Brookside (C) vs. Wendy Choo
McKenzie Mitchell with the in-ring introductions for this match.
The bell rings, and Brookside stalls. Choo eggs her on, and Xia ends up taking Choo to the corner and wails away on Wendy. Choo screams and hits a Thesz Press to the Champion. Brookside to the floor, and she feigns being upset. Here comes Choo, who kicks Xia in the face from the apron as we “go to the break”.
Choo continues the offense during the break with a corner attack. Xia fights back and she plants Choo with a DDT for a two. Wendy chucks Xia to the corner, but Brookside with a self-defense boot and a running Enziguri for a two. Brookside grounds and pounds Choo and screams like a woman possessed. Choo starts to fight back, but Brookside takes Choo back to the mat and she stretches out both of Wendy’s arms.
Xia with a hold that LOOKS like a surfboard, but Xia kicks her in the back a couple of kicks. Choo has had enough, and she hits repeat clotheslines and a Cozy Lariat! Choo with the handspring forearm shiver! CHOO-CHOO says Wendy, and she hits the running neckbreaker for a two. Choo’s next move is countered with a double knee from the Champion that gets her a two.
Xia picks up Wendy in a DVD set-up, but Choo escapes and she applies a sleeper. Wendy with the Snooze Button, but Brookside kicks out at two. Choo looking for the Dirt Nap, Xia tries to get to the ropes, but Wendy pulls her back to the middle of the ring. Brookside drops to one knee; she’s back to her feet. but Xia is fading. Well, until she wasn’t, and she sends Choo careening into the ropes. Brookside with the Darkside, and she retains her title!
WINNER: Xia Brookside (And still!)
TIME: 9:40
THOUGHTS: A pretty good match. Even if you didn’t believe that Wendy would win the title, she still gave a great effort there, and she controlled most of the pace of this match. But Xia was resilient, and she found a way to retain her title.
RATING: ***1/2
Post-match, Xia celebrates with her title belt, but here comes Elayna Black! Black gets into the ring, and she comes face-to-face with Brookside. Xia shows off her title, and Elayna points at the invisible watch on her wrist.
ABRUPT BREAK IN PROGRESS FOR THE SAKE OF BEING ABRUPT!
Jeff Hardy is sitting on a couch and putting the finishing touches on a painting of his as we return. Nic Nemeth walks into the room. The Charismatic Enigma! It was pretty hard to find you hanging out here in the back. You can see the light, and that is why we are so different, because Nemeth only sees the dark. Hey, did you know that Jeff was a painter on the side! Next, we’ll find out you cut your own grass!
There is an entire world of wrestling out there, and it needs Nemeth. He knows that everyone needs a hobby, and hell, wrestling is the fifth best thing that Nic does. He knows what Jeff is trying to pull here but realize that Nic is the best in the World. He has never beaten Jeff Hardy, and he doesn’t know how that exists. Jeff isn’t listening to him, he just zones out and he doesn’t take this seriously. He bets Jeff has a nice life, and Nic says while he is in his own little world, the rest of the world is still going.
Nic still doesn’t understand how he has never beaten Jeff before, and he knows Hardy has been World Champion in the past, and he could be again, but not with Nic here. He wants Jeff to sign the contract so he can get the hell out of here. Nemeth signs the contract and then Jeff puts down his painting long enough to sign the contract. Nemeth complains that Jeff’s signature doesn’t even look authentic. He says he is out of here; Jeff can go back to the whatever the BLEEP he is doing. Nic walks away, Jeff looks into the abyss, and with that, we are done!
