IMPACTful Insights Reviewing the 05/09/24 episode of TNA Impact
TNA Impact comes our way tonight from Albany, New York at Washington Avenue Armory. After a recap of Under Siege from last Friday, the stage is set for Impact wrestling.
The System’s Celebration
As we enter the Washington Avenue Armory for Impact, instead of Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt bringing us in we have four cheerleaders (from the Albany Firebirds) atop the ring entrance to cheer the System as they come out to celebrate after a successful Under Siege. Brian Meyers starts it off letting everyone know everyone in the System has championship gold. Moose states that he’s been in many systems, but The System is the greatest system of all-time. Eddie Edwards starts praising his wife, Alicia Edwards. Going as far as to call her the greatest knockout of all-time. The boos got a little louder after that one. Alicia is handed the microphone next and shows on the big screen a special video that was made for the group. Broken Matt Hardy’s music hits and it breaks up the video celebration. Hardy hits the ring with a steel chair in hand and says the System won the battle, but not the war. Matt hardy continues on and Moose interrupts to say “You need to realize there are four of us and only one of you.” Hardy responds that he likes his odds. Hardy clears the System out with steel chair shots. Alicia enters the ring with a kendo stick, but Hardy takes it from her. But that buys the System just enough time to start their beatdown of Matt Hardy. Ryan Nemeth, the younger brother of Nic Nemeth hits the ring and starts to take out the System. They start a delete chant in the ring and the cheerleaders start to delete as well.
GRADE D
The celebration ran short. For the most part nothing new was said. It didn’t feel like much of a celebration, and I thought the System deserved a lot more time to bask in their Glory. That could have been a great segment, but instead it fell flat to me. Granted the crowd loves Broken matt hardy, it just kind of annoys me.
First Class vs the FBI
The Full-Blooded Italians make their way ringside as Ray Jazz and Zach Clayton will be wrestling in this one as Guido will be sitting this one out. AJ Francis and Rich Swann are out next with their typical arrogant vibe. They’re always doing the signal of making it rain, but yet there is never any money. Zach Clayton starts out first with Rich Homie Swann. Clayton off to a good start before Francis hit him in the back and turn the early tides. Francis comes in and has his way with Clayton for a while. A double clothesline allows Clayton to make the tag to Jazz. Jazz getting after First Class before Swann and Francis double team. Francis knocks Clayton to the outside and Swann knocks jazz sideways with a spinning kick. Jazz lands right in Francis’s hands where he delivers a flying clothesline on Jazz. Rich goes up top for a frog splash and First Class gets the win.
GRADE C-
Not much wrestling here. Very quick match that didn’t allow either team to show much. A showcase match here to make First Class look good, but it would have been nice to see a little more wrestling. Three of the guys in the ring can actually wrestle. Impact not off to a great start.
the Rascalz vs Jake Something and Cody Deaner
Zachary Wentz and Jake Something were both complaining to the Director of Authority Santino Marella for dealing with unfairness last Friday at Under Siege. As the complaints got louder, Marella said if you both want action, let’s have a tag team match. Wentz, already accompanied by his partner Trey Miguel was standing there. And Cody Deaner pops in to say the people will choose Something’s partner. First out are the Rascalz and Something and Deaner make their way to the ring separately. Deaner grabs the mic and says we can spice this match up a little bit. So, he asks the people if they want a standard tag match or an Albany tornado tag match. Apparently, this match is no tags, all four men at once with no count-outs or disqualifications. Jake Something is powerfully exploding on the Rascalz with powerslams and body slams. Miguel finally regains some traction buy slipping free on the outside and pushing Something into the ring post. Miguel makes his wake back into the ring as he and Wentz double team Deaner. Something makes his way back to his feet outside of the ring, but Wentz drills him with a front kick that puts Something back down. Deaner looks to the crowd for support to get some energy back. He starts to mount a comeback, but it’s broken up pretty quickly by the Rascalz. Miguel and Wentz hit Deaner with an array of moves that ends up with Miguel drop kicking a lying Deaner that Wentz had in a neck-stretch. Impressive! Something finally makes his way back up to the ring apron and as Miguel looks to attack, Something impressively throws him from inside the ring to outside the standing on the other side of the ropes. Wentz, for about the third time, lays Something out again with a kick to the face. Back in the ring Deaner looks for more pizzaz from the crowd. To no avail, but Something back in the ring finally nailing Miguel and Wentz with clotheslines and shoulder tackles. After wreaking some havoc, Something stands on the middle rope and pulls up the top rope as Deaner flies through and takes out both members of the Rascalz on the outside. Back in the ring a sit down powerbomb by Jake on Miguel was not enough to put the Rascalz away. Chants of this is awesome fill the arena. Miguel sprays Something with a can of spray paint on the outside and re-enters the ring to hit Deaner with a spine buster followed by a super kick and double stomp by Wentz to give the Rascalz the pinfall victory.
GRADE A+
After the match was over and the Rascalz were backpedaling and taunting Something and Deaner while celebrating their victory, Maclin comes from behind and takes them both out with a blind-sided clothesline. Interesting angle there. But an incredible match that showcased a bit of everything. Miguel and Wentz are two elite workers and Deaners gimmick, while goofy, is quite funny. Jake Something has brute strength while also not lacking athleticism. Fun match that felt like at any time it could go either way. Nice win for the Rascalz. Something doesn’t look bad in defeat here.
Gabby Laspisa Interviews Ash by Elegance
After Gabby introduces herself to the NY crowd, she starts to introduce Ash by Elegance. She is cut-off by Ash’s personal concierge. He says he does the introductions around here. Ash comes to the ring and after a serious of questions, Laspisa shows on the big screen when Ash tried to use jewel-knuckles to lay out Xia Brookside. Brookside actually got the roll-up victory that evening. Xia makes her way to the ring and a match was announced for next week with Brookside taking on Ash for the Jewel-knuckles.
GRADE C-
Outside of the personal concierge making me laugh, I’m just not getting behind this Ash by Elegance angle. Another non-wrestling segment that fell flat to me. Hopefully the match next week will be good. It can’t be much worse than this segment.
Jonathan Gresham vs Will Ferrara
The octopus comes to the ring with his long octopus mask on. But it’s his black mask on underneath it that is very eerie. It reminds me of the movie the Mask that starred Jim Carrey. Except this one is black and not green. Gresham having his way with Ferrara with a serious of holds and working hard on the lower legs. The referee abruptly starts getting ill in the middle of the match. Ferrara mounts a bit of offense with an elbow to Gresham in the corner. After a second attempt, Gresham hits Ferrara with a boot to the face. Gresham lands a beautiful springboard moonsault off the second rope. Goes back to work on Ferrara’s leg by banging his knee relentlessly into the ring. Gresham grabs Ferrara in a half-nelson and just like he did to Kushida at Under Siege, he spits black ink into his hand and puts his hand over his opponent’s mouth and takes him to the ground for the one-two-three.
Grade B+
The match itself was a solid B. Not long, but Gresham is a good worker, and his opponent could clearly sell. I gave it a B+ here because I absolutely love what they’re doing with Jonathan Gresham here. I think he has star power and could be a legitimate X-division or even world champion in TNA one day. A match with Gresham and Crazzy Steve down the road could be a lot of fun both guys know how to work and both guys are very dark.
Speedball Mountain vs ABC
(Winners will then separate and face each other in a one-on-one match to determine the number one contender for the X-division championship)
Mustafa Ali joins Hannifan and Rehwoldt at the commentary desk to watch who his potential opponent is for next months Against All Odds special. Speedball Mountain is out first, and they do their traditional bow of respect to each other atop the ring entrance. Their opponents for the evening are Chris Bey and Ace Austin. Two faces going head-to-head in this one. Mike Bailey and Chris Bey in the ring first, Bailey having his way with Bailey and he tags in Seven to get into the early action. Seven hits the assisted somersault with the help of Mike Bailey. Bey halts the momentum momentarily and gets Austin in the ring. Ace going to work on Bailey. Bailey lands a missile drop kick to Austin and gets Seven back in the ring. Seven lays out Austin and lands some heavy chops on Bey. Seven, with his flowing gray hair can still absolutely work as he lands a super plex off the top rope. Bailey looks for the shooting star press but comes up empty as Bey just out of the way. Ace gets back into the action with a drop kick off the top rope to nail Seven. Back in the ring, Bey having his way with bailey until speedball turns tables and lights him up with a combination of left-and-right kicks before finishing him off with a kick to the back of the head. As Austin makes his way back into the ring, we have Ace and Bailey miss each other with a plethora of kicks before they drill each other with simultaneous kicks landing on each other square in the jaw. After a few high-flying maneuvers on the outside, Austin confronts Ali at the commentary booth to let him know he’s coming for the X-division belt. Back rack in the ring, Bey gets taken out by a tornado kick and Seven lands a Birminghammer on Ace Austin. Bailey goes up top and land the ultimo weapon on Austin and Speedball Mountain get the pinfall victory.
GRADE B+
Solid match as would be expected from these guys. ABC showing a few cracks in their partnership with another loss. Bailey and Seven will meet on Impact in the next few weeks to determine the number one contender spot for Mustafa Ali’s X-division championship. That should be a fun match, but I expect Bailey to go over there. If my prediction is correct, Ali vs Bailey will be a treat at Against All Odds. Also, do Ace and Bey get back on track or is their partnership doomed to fail.
