Reviews

TNA Impact Review – June 5, 2025

By TJR Staff • Published Jun 06, 2025 18:46 EDT
TNA Impact June 5

A 6-man tag team match headlined this week’s TNA Impact, just 24 hours out from Against All Odds.

This week’s review column will be shorter, as I want to get to Against All Odds tonight. I will also provide quicker thoughts on the matches. This week’s show opened with the regular recap from last week’s episode, where new TNA Champion, Trick Williams, got the ire of TNA commentators and officials by not showing up to work at all. TNA International Champion, Steve Maclin, successfully defended his title in the main event against Matt Cardona.

TNA Impact 5/6/25 from the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ontario: Canada by Kristian Thompson

(Editor’s Note: This is being posted after Against All Odds aired, but the author Kristian Thompson didn’t see Against All Odds yet, so keep that in mind as you go through the review. Here’s Kristian!)

Match #1: Indi Hartwell vs Tasha Steelz w/ The Great Hands

Indi’s big singles debut in TNA comes the night before a monthly special and a few weeks after making her TNA debut in an 8-person tag. Make it make sense, please. Steelz was on the attack early as she jumped Indi from behind. She stomped on her in the corner then sent her face-first into the ring apron. Steelz hit some elbows on Hartwell for a 2 count. Hartwell fought back with some strikes but ran into a boot then a running punt from Steelz for 2. Steelz choked Hartwell out against the middle rope and sent her into the corner with a running uppercut. She nailed Sliced Bread out of the corner for 2. Steelz hit a Codebreaker for 2 again. Hartwell caught Steelz as she ran at her and hit a Uranage. She sent her off the ropes and into a spinebuster for 2. Steelz sent Hartwell into the middle turnbuckle. John Skyler was instructing Jason Hotch to attack Hartwell but he wasn’t interested. Steelz got distracted and ran into a big boot. Hartwell hit a Full Nelson Bomb for the win after 6 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Indi Hartwell

Analysis: **1/2 It was just an average match to give Indi a win in her first singles match. Steelz was on offense for most of it, and Indi won because of the dissension in Order 4. I’d rather see Indi get a dominating win in her first encounter, but at least she did win.

Mustafa Ali stormed to ringside after the match. He got into the ring and criticised Steelz. Ali tossed the referee around and then kicked Steelz. Jason Hotch got in his face to stop further damage. Ali backed down. Steelz still left with him, as did Skyler.

Analysis: They confirmed later it’s Ali vs Hotch at Against All Odds.

Mance Warner cut a quick pre-taped promo ahead of his TNA International Title shot at Against All Odds.

They showed vision of Xia Brookside and Rosemary ‘locked in solitary confinement for 24 hours ahead of their Monster’s Ball match.

John Skyler tried to reassure Steelz that everything was good with Order 4 backstage. Hotch confronted Ali. Ali wanted an apology and he accepted it without even letting Hotch speak. He told Hotch that he has the biggest match of his career at Against All Odds…against him.

Match #2: TNA X-Division Championship: Moose (c) w/ JDC vs Eric Young w/ The Northern Armory

Young stood on the groin of Moose as he sang the Canadian anthem in the corner for about 2 minutes to start the match off. Yes, that happened. Moose nailed the Go to Hell for 2. He clotheslined Young to the floor and hit a Uranage on the ring apron. Moose tossed Young into the steel ring steps. Young just made it back in the ring to avoid a count out. Moose missed a clothesline and tumbled to the floor so Young hit a dive through the ropes to wipe him out. Back in the ring, Young knocked Moose to the mat and nailed a crossbody from the top for 2. Moose avoided a piledriver and they had a chop-off. Young ran into a pump kick and Moose hit his crazy top rope crossbody. Young wasn’t down for long as he hit a neckbreaker for 2. Moose sent Young into the corner. He lined up a spear but Young rolled him up for 2. Young hit a clothesline to send Moose inside-out. He hit a very safe piledriver but JDC put Moose’s foot on the bottom rope. The Northern Armory ran into the ring then dived through the ropes to take him out. Moose hit a low blow behind the referee’s back. He nailed a soft spear to retain the title after 7 minutes.

Winner by pinfall AND STILL TNA X-Division Champion: Moose

Analysis: **1/2 It was an okay match between two veterans but that spear from Moose isn’t knocking your elderly relative over. It was more like a soft hug to Young’s mid-section. I’m not sure why they have randomly decided to try Young as a face but it might be because these tapings were in Canada.

That didn’t last long as Young pulled a fan, who wanted a high-5, from the crowd and beat him down. Icarus and Williams joined in.

Analysis: Back to heels. Got it.

Dani Luna cut a quick promo saying that while Spitfire is dead, she’s just getting started in TNA.

Joe Hendry was sitting down in an office. He was emotional about losing the TNA Championship. Hendry said he was proud of taking TNA to new heights. He said he let TNA down because the title is now with someone who doesn’t even work for TNA. Hendry said Trick Williams doesn’t appreciate the history of the TNA World Title. He wants another shot at Trick but he knows that’s not possible right now. Hendry said maybe he wasn’t cut out to be TNA’s top guy. Frankie Kazarian, who could somehow hear behind a closed door, walked in sarcastically clapping. He called Hendry embarrassing. Kaz said he was a better wrestler and man than Hendry. He said he will embarrass Hendry at Against All Odds.

Analysis: I thought we would see Hendry live.I was very distracted by the screen that kept flashing, which was in front of Hendry the whole time. Very annoying.

Match #3: Heather and M-By-Elegance w/ George Iceman vs Harley Hudson & Myla Grace

Two stupid women’s booking decisions in one night by TNA. You have 3 new wrestlers in the division and you’re having them face-off against each other, so there has to be a loser. I wonder why there hasn’t been any over new women in TNA for years! The fans popped for the hot tag for Grace as she hit a twisting suplex and a Saito suplex on Heather but M broke up the pin. Don’t start me on that name. Iceman got up on the ring apron. M hit a pump kick on the corner on Grace. Heather hit a Spanish Fly and M hit a moonsault for the win after 5 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: The Elegances

Analysis: **1/2 That was the most that the crowd has been into the show so far, so that’s a good sign for TNA with these new women. I didn’t expect Grace to get pinned but I guess they have to have the tag champs and M look strong after losing a bit lately. I don’t think it hurts Grace too much. I hope.

Match #4: Monster’s Ball: Xia Brookside vs Rosemary

Kudos to TNA, they have stuck to this storyline even though it has been quite drawn out and threaded through other feuds over the last few months. It has given a bit of character development to Brookside, who is the most generic babyface you could imagine. Her acting as she came down the ramp was a little too much, though. Rosemary was on top early and brought some weapons into the ring. She set up a trash can in the corner and tossed Brookside into it. Now was not the time for a commercial break but they scheduled one anyway.

(Commercial break)

A door was set up in one corner of the ring. Rosemary missed with a belt shot. She choked Brookside with the Upside Down with the belt around Brookside’s throat. Rosemary brought a couple of chairs into the ring and a staple gun. Brookside prevented getting shot with the gun and brought out a bag with hockey pucks. She tipped them all out but Rosemary shot her with the gun on the stomach. Brookside fought back with a Samoan Drop on top of the pucks for a 2 count. She bashed Rosemary over the back with an oven tray for another 2 count. Brookside wanted a DDT on the steel chair and nailed it for another nearfall. She set up 4 chairs facing each other. Brookside smacked Rosemary over the back a few times with a trash can lid. She thought about jumping on Rosemary on top of the chairs, but Rosemary sat up and speared her through the door. Rosemary dragged Brookside out of the rubble for a 2 count. She hit Xia over the head with a trash can lid. Rosemary put Brookside on top of the chairs and went to the top rope. Brookside sat up and blocked a mist spray with the lid. She hit the Brooksy Bomb into the chairs to win the match after 10 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Xia Brookside

Analysis: ***1/4 They worked hard and put together a fun match that worked to Rosemary’s strengths. It was a good way to end the feud.

There was a quick Rascalz segment disputing if the Nemeths were really brothers, as well as highlights from NXT where First Class screwed Mike Santana out of the TNA World Championship. Elijah then cut a pre-taped promo on Trick Williams. The build to that match has been so lazy. Then there was a Lei Ying Lee promo ahead of her Knockouts Title match. Is there anyone in the arena this week?

Santino Speaks

Santino faces Robert Stone for the Directory of Authority role at Against All Odds. He gave a heartfelt promo about missing lots of Arianna’s life by being involved in wrestling. Santino said TNA helped him fall back in love with wrestling. He said he would beat Stone for the locker room and the fans. The very-orange Stone interrupted with Victoria Crawford. He sarcastically called Santino a hero. Stone told Santino he was a loser, not a leader. He said TNA would soon be the Sheriff Stone show. Oh my, please no. Santino said he wasn’t going to sit back and watch Stone run TNA into the ground. He told Stone to get ready to go to hell. The crowd was going crazy.

Analysis: If Santino loses, I might stop watching for a bit. That’s how bad Stone is to watch. Santino was excellent as always. Great promo from him.

Masha Slamovich cut a quick pre-taped promo ahead of her clash with Lei Ying Lee. There’s no more predictable winner on the card than Masha.

The show had 8 minutes left for the main event after all the entrances. Not good.

Match #5: The Nemeths & Frankie Kazarian vs Matt Hardy, Leon Slater & Mike Santana

Slater and Hardy did Poetry in Motion on Ryan early. Santana hit a Cannonball. Kaz tagged in. Hardy tagged in and hit the diving elbow. He knocked Nic off the apron so Kaz took advantage of the distraction. Kaz backed Hardy into the corner and tagged in Nic. Ryan did some illegal interfering as the referee watched. Nic pummeled Hardy in the corner. Hardy fought out of a sleeper and nailed a jawbreaker then tagged in Slater. Ryan ran in and got a kick for his troubles. Slater used a handspring double back elbow to take out the champs. They bailed to the floor so Slater wiped them out with a crossbody over the top rope. Back in the ring, Slater avoided Danger Zone with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Kaz ran in and tossed Slater into the ring post. Nic tuned up the band for the superkick but ran into a leg lariat. Santana and Ryan tagged in. Santana took him down with multiple clotheslines. He hit a double rolling cutter on Ryan and Kaz. Santana covered Ryan for 2. Ryan ran into a rolling DVD for 2. I don’t think Ryan kicked out though. Hardy hit the Twist of Fate on Nic. Kaz got Hardy with a backstabber. He tried to vault Slater into the ring but Slater turned it into his own cutter. Ryan knocked Slater off the top rope. He rolled Santana up using his tights for 2. Santana ducked a clothesline and hit Spin the Block for the win after 7 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: Matt Hardy, Leon Slater & Mike Santana

Analysis: **3/4 That was an almighty rush but that’s no surprise seeing how much time in the show was spent on video packages to squeeze as much into the show as possible.

The face team celebrated as Impact went off the air.

Final Rating: 6.5/10

TNA maximized their air time to fit as much as they could that promoted Against All Odds on tonight’s show. It wasn’t filled with long matches but they were all very solid, with the women’s Monster’s Ball match being the best bout on the show. I would’ve preferred a face-off between Trick Williams and Elijah, because already it feels like the TNA World Championship is being treated disrespectfully by not having the champion on the show two weeks in a row now.

The next TNA monthly special is Against All Odds on June 6th. Here’s the final card with my predictions in bold:

* TNA World Championship: Trick Williams vs Elijah
* TNA Knockouts Championship: Masha Slamovich (c) vs Lei Ying Lee
* TNA World Tag Team Championships: The Nemeths (c) vs The Rascalz
* TNA International Championship: Steve Maclin (c) vs Mance Warner
* Joe Hendry vs Frankie Kazarian
* Santino Marella vs Robert Stone: Winner gets authority over TNA
* Mustafa Ali vs Jason Hotch
* The System vs Matt Hardy, Leon Slater & a mystery partner
* The Elegance Brand vs. Xia Brookside, Myla Grace & Harley Hudson (Countdown Match)

Any feedback or comments are welcome. My email address is [email protected] in case anybody wants to get in touch with me and my Twitter/X handle is @thomok6 as well. Thanks for reading!