wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s TNA Impact Review 4.11.24
Image Credit: TNA
Loading...Hello, everyone and welcome to our live Impact Wrestling coverage on 411! I’m Jeremy Thomas, and I apologize for the delay here. Himanshu is having some technical issues and thus you have me stepping in to cover the show. There’s a lot to cover and you all know what’s going on tonight, so let’s get to it.
As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.
* We’re kicking off as Alex Hammerstone and Josh Alexander are in a brawl! They’re trading shots at ringside and knock security away from stopping them. Hammerstone rolls Josh into the ring and knocks him down, but Alexander is right back up before security comes in and breaks them up. Hammerstone breaks free and gets some shots in before he’s backed off and shoved out of the ring, Alexander dives onto Hammerstone!
Tommy Dreamer is here and backs Alexander back, telling him to calm down and they have a whole show to do. He says he has something to say to Hammerstone and tells Josh to go into the back. Alexander isn’t pleased but Tommy pleased again and Alexander backs off and leaves.
Dreamer steps into the ring and tells Hammerstone that he needs to talk to him. He says he’s talking to Alex in front of the greatest wrestling fans in the world. He says Alexander is the face of TNA and did it through hard work and great matches and busting his ass each week. Dreamer says he’s the big reason Hammerstone is here because he’s everything Alexander is. He says Hammerstone had one of the best debuts in the company but is taking a shortcut. He says the Hammerstone name isn’t cemented as a legacy yet but could be. He says jumping guys from behind ain’t the way to go and says the crowd is the most honest out there and Hammerstone knows that. He says it’s about Hammerstone’s future and that when they meet they can have the best match, go in the back and top that. Dreamer says he loves Philly and let’s have a great show.
Dreamer turns to leave and Hammerstone attacks him! He puts Dreamer in the Rack and Josh runs out for the save. Hammerstone bailsand Alexander says their match at Rebellion is a Last Man Standing Match!
TNA Digital Media Championship Match
Crazzy Steve vs. Laredo Kid
Circle to start and lockup, Kid backed into the ropes. They break and then lock back up, headlock by Steve, Kid escapes and Steve into the ropes. He slides to the outside and mocks Kid, who comes out and Steve slides back in at the same time for a mindgame. Kid back in and Steve stomps him down, then picks him up for a big shot to the head.
Steve slaps at Kid’s head and backs him into the corner, whip across the ring. Steve charges into a boot and Kid off the top for a crossbody, then a rana off the ropes. He blocks a punch and chops him, up the ropes but steve pulls him down, Steve off the ropes for a clothesline to the back of the head. Steve with a kick to the side and then he puts Kid in the ropes to rip at the mask.
Steve backs off and then goes back in for a boot choke for four. He yells at Kid but Kid fires back, Steve with a kneelift and then a whip into the ropes, kneelift and a cover for two. Steve right into working the neck, he tries to rip the mask off and then knocks Kid to the mat. Side Russian legsweep into an Octopus-style submission, Kid manages to escape.
Steve tees off on Kid in the corner and grings the elbow into the face. Kid manages to take over and charges at Kid, gets put on the apron. A somersault into the ring but Kid with a roll-up for two. Kid with a couple roll-ups of his own, he dodges a charge in the corner for a forearm shot and Michinoku driver. Moonsaults off each turnbuckle, but Steve is up and crotches Kid for the third one. Kid in the Tree of Woe, Steve with a cannoball for a nearfall.
Steve targets Kid’s knee and then stomps him right in the face. He teases a neck snap and goes after the mask, but Kid fights back and gets Steve in the corner for repeated punches! He shoves the official and that’s the DQ.
Winner: Crazzy Steve
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Solid if not great match, there were a couple noticeable sloppy moments even if they covered well for it. I wasn’t mad at this by any stretch though.
* Kon is backstage locked up ahead of Monster’s Ball while PCO is still under his sheet.
* We get a quick add hyping Under Siege and Impact tapings, as well as Against All Odds on June 14th.
* Alex Shelley is backstage with Chris Sabin & KUSHIDA and says he can’t do it anymore, he feels like he needs to apologize. He says he owes KUSHIDA an apology especially and has been trying to do things his own way, but KUSHIDA threw in the towel in his best interests. He apologizes to Sabin as well, and says they’re better as a group. Sabin agrees and says they’re strong as a group and they haven’t had as much success individually. They have a group hug.
ABC vs. First Class
Swann and Austin start off and circle, but Francis tags in. Francis talks some shit and Austin calls for the test of strength. They go for it but Austin swerves into a headlock and gets put in the corner. Kicks but Francis swats him down and then tosses him in the corner, Swann tags in and is whipped into a splash.
Swann with shots to Ace, whip into the corner but Austin trips Swann and kicks him in the head, Bey tags in, tandem dropkick to the face and a two-count. Swann into the corner and eats a back elbow, Swann with a kick to the head as well. Big knife-edge chop, Ace tags in side Russian Legsweep set-up but Francis grabs Swann by the hair as he goes into the ropes. AJ knocked to the floor, Swann dives but gets caught, Ace to the apron for a kick to the head. Bey6 on the apron and takes out Swann, but Francis grabs him and plants him on the apron.
Ace back in the ring and Swann works him over with mounted punches, kick to the back. AJ tags in and chokes Ace against the middle rope, then pulls him back against the top rope. Shot to the back of the head, he charges in but Ace dodges and AJ gets crotches on the middle rope.
Swann tags in and nails Ace with a kick, then locks in a bow and arrow submission. Ace escapes but gets dropkicked down. AJ tags back in and takes Ace down, then hits a back elbow in the corner. He drives the shoulder in and Swann tags in, tossing Ace into a big boot. Splash by Swann gets two. AJ tags back in, bodyslam and cover for one.
Ace sent hard into the corner, but he fights back against AJ and goes for the tag but AJ blocks it. Ace tossed into the hostile corner but comes out with a bulldog! Both men down, the hot tags are made and Bey is on fire. He knocks Swann down off the ropes and then splashes him in the corner, spinebuster and cover but AJ breaks it up.
Ace is in now and blasts AJ, but AJ picks him up. Ace dives onto AJ and he catches him! Double bodyslam! Francis avalanches Bey in the corner and hits the Tennessee Whiskey. Swann goes for the 450 but Swann dodges, Swann gets blasted by both Ace and Bey with a superkick, enzuigiri neckbreaker but AJ comes in and hits a double suplex but Ace escaped. They BOTH pick AJ up for a DVD! Bey dives in AJ who went to the outside, they go for the one-two-sweet on Swann but Swann hits a neckbreaker counter and rolls Sabin up for three.
Winner: First Class
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Very good, as if anything less would be expected sfrom these guys. AJ plays the big man pretty decently when he has the opportunity to do his thing.
Joe Hendry is out after the match and says he wanted to give Swann the chance to explain why he aligned with Francis. But instead, Swann said something like this — and proceeds to rap “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and calls AJ “fat uncle Phil!” AJ isn’t happy about that, nor is Swann. The crowd chants “UNCLE PHIL!’ Hendry says he knows they have a busy schedule but he talked to Santino and at Rebellion he’s facing Swann one on one.
Santino is backstage and is heading somewhere by GPS when Ash By Elegance & George Iceman pull him over. He says they wanted to talk to him because Ash won last week but they didn’t get a chance to talk. George says Steph De Lander was competing in the 8-4-1 match in Ash’s place but Ash is ready and so they just need the contract. Santino says that’s not exactly how things work and it’s not gonna happen. Ash and George freak out.
* Mustafa Ali is backstage and finds Grizzled Young Veterans, saying an injustice is about to occur and Santino is still allowing Jake Something to have an X-Division title match. GYV say they don’t pick fights with someone like Jake unless it makes sense. Jake comes in and says the match is happening whether he and his goons like it or not. He walks off and the three start talking.
* Santino Marella is in the ring and talks about the 8-4-1 match and how the surprise entrant won with help, and it’s time to make the Knockouts Title match official. He welcomes Steph De Lander with Matt Cardona. Up next, he welcomes Jordynne Grace down.
Jordynne has chosen for Steph to sign the contract first but Cardona takes the match and says “All hail the Deathmatch King & Queen!” He demands a show of respect for Steph and says she’s won titles all over the world, and will win the TNA Knockouts Championship. Steph signs the contract.
Grace says that she appreciates that they’re both here and that it takes a lot of confidence to come back after all this time and think she’s going to roll over and let Steph take what she’s fought so hard for. She says she’s earned every accolade and is a three-time Knockouts Champion, the first-ever Queen of the Mountain, the first woman to win the Call Your Shot Gaunlet, the first-ever Digital Media Championship–
Matt points out that he beat her for it and Grace asks if Cardona is going to do all the talking. Steph gets the mic and says she’s had a busy year too and plenty of championships. She gets jumping on an opportunity, but Grace is distracted between the bodybuilding and the Royal Rumble, and her focus is not on the title.
Grace says repping TNA is always her top priority and she does that by defending the title against every challenger, even Steph. She wears so many hats because she priders herself on outworking everyone. And she knows that she’ll work harder than Steph at Rebellion and retain her title. And she knows that because she’s already beaten her, her boyfriend and her boyfriend’s wife! And she’s more than happy to do that again because she’s the Juggernaut, bitch!
Cardona says not to call her than and she says she wasn’t talking to Steph, bitch! She sings the contract, the hands are shaken and Grace doesn’t let go. Cardona pulls Grace into a headbutt by Grace but Grace attacks Steph. Cardona gets involved and gets knocked to the outside, Santino is down and Grace goes for a powerbomb but Cardona attacks and Grace is choke slammed through the table by Steph.
* Masha Slamvich is cutting a promo as Alisha, Eddie and Brian Myers come in and ask her if she’s thought about their offer. Eddie says she doesn’t have a partner for their title shot and she could team with Alisha and have a chance. Masha responds in Russian and leaves, confusing The System.
* Jonathan Gresham is in therapy and is asked why he feels why he needs to be behind a mask to feel hurt. He says he has three masks: the one he shows to the world, the one he shows friends and family, and the one he hasn’t been able to show to anyone. The person says that one is the truest reflection of who he is.
Moose vs. Trent Seven
Lockup to start, Trent backed into the corner and dodges a strike, hitting rapid-fire chops before being knocked down. Moose grabs Trent who fights back and slaps the chest, he hits a uranage and then lays in mounted punches. Moose whips Seven hard into the turnbuckle, then does it again. He charges in but Seven dodges and hits hard chops to the chest, staggering Moose. DDT by Seven! He goes for an Olympic Slam but Eddie with the distraction — and Baily pulls him off the apron!
Seven counters a uranage and goes for the Seven Star Lariat but Moose blocks it and hits a headbutt. He picks up Seven, talks trash — Sven with a chop and the Seven Star Lariat, cover gets two.
Seven goes for the Birminghqmmer, Moose slides off and hits a spear for three.
Winner: Moose
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: A perfectly acceptable squash match.
Bailey is surrounded by The System post-match and goes on the attack but gets knocked down. Time Machine come out! They clear The System from the ring to make the save.
* Backstage, The System is none too happy about what just happened and find Santino at Gorilla, telling him that he needs to do something about Time Machine. Myers says maybe they’ll do something about it and Santino puts forth a Tag Team Title match. Eddie and Brian protest but Bailey and Seven are okay with it. Santino makes the match.
As The System leave, Rosemary and Jessicka say they want to invoke their rematch close for the Knockout Tag Team Championships at Rebellion. Santino makes the match.
Jake Something vs. James Drake
James with a headlock to star and gets shot into the ropes, Jake runs him over multiple times off the ropes. James to the outside and Jake goes after him, Zack distracts him and James dives on Jake. James rolls Jake in and hits a shot to the head but Jake shrugs it off and asks for more. Another shot, the third sees Jake catch him by the throat but James knocks him down with a kick and covers for two.
Drake works over Jake and locks in a headlock, Jake gets to his feet and picks James up for a back suplex to break the headlock. Big fists to Drake and forearms, Drake hits a back elbow but Jake grabs him for a haymaker. He prepares to charge in but Zack goes for his foot and Drake hits a single-leg dropkick for a two-count.
Drake pounds on Jake in the corner, he gets backed off and Zack on the apron to choke Jake with the scarf. Deaner is out here and pulls Zack off the apron! Jake lariats James down and hits the Into the Void for three.
Winner: Jake Something
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: A short squash, it was fine for what it was but too short to mean anything.
Mustafa Ali is out here with his protesters and tries to get a “No To Jake” chant going to get Jake out of the X-Division. Jame dives over the ropes onto the protesters! And he grabs Ali, throwing him into the ring. Jake dodges a title belt shot, he goes for a powerbomb but the Veterans take him down. Deaner is in and tries to make the save but Ali nails him with the belt. Ali then nails a held Jake with the title.
* Kon and PCO are let out, that match is next.
Monsters Ball
Kon vs. PCO
PCO chant to start, and — they lock up. Break and they lock back up, jockeying for position before breaking the hold again. They go to opposite sides of the ring and grab weapons, PCO has a kendo stick and Kon has a chair. PCO swings with the stick but Kon blocks with the chair. PCO punches through the chair onto Kon and sends him to the outside, PCO dives through the ropes but Kon waffles him with a trash can!
PCO slams the can lid into PCO’s head and then hits him with a baking sheet, but PCO no sells it and kicks Kon. He grabs the sheet and another and smashes them into Kon’s head, then grabs the garbage can to waffle him. Suplex attempt but Kon blocks it, they trade chops on the outside and PCO hits the suplex on the outside. Big chop by PCO and a head slam into the apron, Kon battles back and knocks PCO down.
Kon gets the chair and nails a downed PCO with it, then picks him up for a measured shot to the head. He rolls PCO into the ring and grabs a kendo stick, pushing a trash can into the ring. He nails PCO in the back with the stick and chokes him with it. Kon grabs the trash can but drops it, decks PCO and then puts the can around PCO’s head, pushing him to the mat. He wraps a chain around his hand and punches the trash can several times, denting it. Stomp and a cover for two.
Kon to the outside for a table, which he sets up next to the ring. He decks PCO and grabs him, going for a powerbomb through the table — but PCO counters with a backdrop onto the apron! KOn dives through the ropes onto Kon and then grabs him, bringing him around the ring to slam him into the ringpost.
PCO grabs a table and sets it up, then grabs Kon but gets decked. PCO with a cookie sheet to the dome and he sets Kon on the table. PCO up top — DE-ANIMATOR THROUGH THE TABLE!
PCO rolls Kon into the ring and grabs him, but Kon with a low blow to stop his momentum. Kon nails PCO with the kendo stick repeatedly, he goes up top but PCO nails Kon and takes the kendo stick for shots to the skull. Kon falls off THROUGH the table!
PCO grabs a ladder and sets it in another ladder to make a surfance at ringside. He sets Kon on it and goes up top, but Kon is up and lays in punches — PCO goes back-first through the ladder! Kon rolls PCO i nthe ring and comes in with the bag of tacks. He spreads them on the mat and grabs a handful of tacks, putting them in PCO’s mouth! Jesus. PCO spits them in Kon’s face and hits a chokeslam into the takes. He pours tacks on Kon, De-Animator for the pin.
Winner: PCO
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: This kind of match isn’t my thing, but if it is you’ll probably like this. They both worked hard enough and the end result was logical, that’s about all I gotta say
And with that, we’re done for the night!
