Reviews

TNA Impact Review – March 13, 2025

By TJR Staff • Published 14th March 2025
TNA Impact March 13 review

The fighting TNA World Champion, Joe Hendry, put his title on the line again on this week’s Impact along with a big women’s tag team match.

The show opened with the regular recap of last week’s show, which included more goading from Mustafa Ali towards Mike Santana and a steel cage match being set up for Sacrifice.

TNA Impact Live 13.3.25 from Full Sail University in Orlando, FL

We are straight into the first match of the night after a reminder that Nic Nemeth and Leon Slater have been added to the face team for the 10-man tag match at Sacrifice.

Match #1: Eddie Edwards w/ Alisha vs Leon Slater

Edwards tried a cheap shot while Slater was making his entrance but Slater avoided it and hit a dropkick. Slater tried some punches in the corner but Edwards dropped him onto the top rope. Slater avoided a clothesline and sent Edwards to the outside with a hurricanrana. He missed a crossbody over the top rope, so Edwards chopped him down to the floor. Edwards tried to whip Slater into the steel ring steps, but Slater leapfrogged them then jumped back off the steps to connect with a running hurricanrana on the floor. Fantastic. Slater tried a slingshot cutter but Edwards cleverly yanked his left arm down against the top rope. Edwards tossed Slater into the steel steps. That looked very stiff. Edwards brought Slater back into the ring and tossed him into the corner, arm-first. He followed up by grounding Slater with a submission targeting the shoulder. Slater escaped but Edwards caught him with an overhead throw for 2. Edwards went back to the injured shoulder of Slater. Slater kipped up and nailed Edwards with a right hand then a kick to the face. He went up top and connected with a crossbody for 2. Slater went back to the top rope but Edwards quickly grabbed him to set up for the Backpack Stunner. Slater slipped off his back and rolled him up for 2. Edwards ducked under a clothesline and went for a Blue Thunder Bomb but Slater went for a handspring elbow. Edwards caught him in mid-air and drove him to the mat with the Blue Thunder Bomb for 2. They fought on the top rope again. Slater knocked Edwards down to the mat. Edwards avoided the Swanton 450 and nailed the Boston Knee Party to win the match clean after 9 ½ minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Eddie Edwards

Analysis: ***1/2 That was a very good start to the show. That’s better than any of the matches we saw last week. At some point, they have to start giving Slater some singles wins, but there’s no reason for the face team to have an advantage in a cage match (has there ever been an instance of this in wrestling history?) so Edwards winning here was fine.

Sami Callihan did his usual rambling selfie promo. He said he would end Mance Warner at Sacrifice. Warner and SDL interrupted. Who was filming then? SDL reminded Sami that if he touched Warner he would be fired. Warner tried to get Sami to strike him but they just had a face off.

Analysis: This has actually been a decent feud. Get the title in the mix though!

Match #2: NXT’s Wes Lee w/ Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe vs Laredo Kid

Time for Laredo Kid’s monthly appearance in TNA. The crowd love him and he’s barely on TV which is stupid. There was a lot of counter wrestling early. Kid hit a springboard moonsault on Lee on the outside. He nailed Lee with an open palm strike. Kid tossed Lee back into the ring and connected with a crossbody from the top for 2. Lee threw Kid into the middle turnbuckle. He stomped on him in the corner. The referee almost counted to 5. Lee hit a snapmare and a double stomp to the back. Kid avoided a strike in the corner. He went to the top but Lee cut him off and nailed a Brainbuster for 2. They exchanged forearms in the centre of the ring. Kid hit another palm strike and a diving neckbreaker. He hit a nice Superman forearm in the corner then a twisting splash from the middle rope. Kid hit a moonsault into an elbow drop from the middle rope for 2. Lee went for a powerbomb but Kid turned it into a hurricanrana with a pin for 2. Kid missed a splash in the corner. Lee hit 2 enziguiris to the back of the neck. Lee finished Kid off with the Cardiac Kick for the win after 7 ½ minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Wes Lee

Analysis: ***1/4 Another entertaining match so far this evening. The crowd loves Kid’s offense and Lee is always so crisp. They worked well together.

The Rascalz and Ace Austin showed up after the match. Trey Miguel asked Lee if he noticed that they showed up after the match because they weren’t cowards who attacked their opponents from behind. Miguel said they were coming for Lee’s team tomorrow night. Ace Austin said that Lee had crossed the line and Zac Wentz said he was sending them back to NXT.

Analysis: This has been a very good crossover feud and should be one of the better matches at Sacrifice tomorrow. I feel like the TNA guys will get the win on their show but I’m not 100% sure.

Spitfire was arguing with Santino Marella about something backstage. The Elegances came in and aired their grievances about being their personal concierges. Marella made a Handicap match for Sacrifice, Spitfire vs The Elegances and George Iceman for the Tag Titles.

Analysis: If The Elegances win, does that mean Iceman is officially a women’s tag champion? Please sign some new teams and allow us to move on from this feud. PLEASE.

Match #3: Xia Brookside vs Rosemary

I feel like they have done this match a lot of times over the last year. Brookside is popular yet only gets shortish matches with no real follow up. Give her a partner and put her in the tag division if they’re not giving her a singles push. There’s that many women in NXT that could do with some more air time on TNA; pick one of them. Brookside hit a suplex and a kick to the back early for a 2 count. Rosemary grabbed Xia by the throat and tossed her into the ropes then followed up with a hard clothesline. She continued the assault with right hands. Rosemary hit a splash in the corner and a T-Bone suplex for 2. Rosemary avoided a corner clothesline and trapped Xia in the Upside Down. She went to the top but Xia cut her off quickly. Brookside hit running knees in the corner. She hit a crossbody from the middle rope then a big kick that sent Rosemary to the outside. Brookside was frustrated that she couldn’t follow up with a cover. Rosemary got a steel chain from underneath the ring and brought it in. Brookside stood on her hand to prevent it. She picked up the chain and wrapped it around her fist. The referee pleaded with her not to use it. Rosemary spat the mist in her eyes and Brookside sold it hilariously by flailing out of the ring. Brookside won by DQ. The match lasted 6 minutes.

Winner by disqualification: Xia Brookside

Analysis: ** This was okay until the flat ending. The crowd’s noise was what I would call disappointed. The commentators moved straight to the next segment without even discussing it!

There was a vignette of Steve Maclin and Eric Young sitting around the fire and talking about respect. Surely it ends with Young screwing Maclin at Sacrifice and establishing himself as a 100% heel.

Match #4: JDC vs Cody Deaner

At this point, I can feel the show going downhill. Deaner cut a promo kissing up to the crowd. JDC told him he was better off just leaving the ring and losing by count out because he can’t beat him. Deaner asked the people what he should do. I yelled at the screen at this point for him to take the count out loss but the stupid TNA fans chanted otherwise. Deaner nailed JDC with a right hand. He tossed JDC into the corner and started the 10-punch sequence but JDC cut him off by dropping him on the top turnbuckle. JDC whipped Deaner hard against the opposing corner. Deaner fought back with some clotheslines in the corner and hit his 10 punches for a nearfall. JDC went for an Irish Whip but the referee almost got squashed by Deaner. JDC hit a thumb to the eye when the referee wasn’t looking and Falcon Arrow for the win. That was it? The match went 2 ½ minutes.

Winner by pinfall: JDC

Analysis: *1/2 That was a filler match, 24 hours before a PPV. Shocking. I would expect to see a match won with a Falcon Arrow on LFG or Evolve or one of those shows, not a company vying to be #2 in the wrestling market. It’s beyond lazy.

Match #5: Tessa Blanchard & Cora Jade vs Masha Slamovich & Lei Ying Lee

Thankfully, Tessa is here so the show is about to pick up. Putting two Knockouts feuds into a tag team is easy writing. Not sure why they couldn’t have used their creative brains in the last half hour of the show, but it is what it is. It’s also nice to see a KO feud not involving a title, even if it’s only brief. Jade and Slamovich started but Jade tagged straight out to Blanchard. Blanchard shoved Slamovich in the face and then slapped her. She missed a clothesline so Slamovich trapped her up into the ropes then connected with her own clothesline. Blanchard backed into the corner and Jade tagged in. Slamovich tagged in Lee. Lee is a fair bit shorter than Jade, which was surprising. Lee outsmarted Jade and hit a single-leg dropkick. She pummelled Jade in the corner with right hands then hit a suplex for a 2 count. Lee slipped off Jade’s shoulders. Blanchard feigned a cheap shot on the apron, so Lee turned around into a forearm from Jade. Jade knocked Masha off the ring apron then connected with a suplex on Lee. Blanchard tagged in to her usual reception. She hit a snapmare on Lee then a dropkick for 2. Blanchard unsuccessfully tried another cover. Jade tagged in again. They double-teamed Lee in the corner with kicks. Jade hit a forearm, then Blanchard levelled Lee with a big slap. The referee allowed a lot of double-teaming. Blanchard hit a double-knee face plant, like Magnum, but Jade only scored a 2 count. Lee and Jade ran into each other with clotheslines. Masha and Tessa tagged in for their sides. Slamovich was on fire with a double-team DDT/Flatliner for 2. Blanchard blocked Requiem and went for a cutter but ran into a big boot. Slamovich measured her for an uppercut in the corner. She put Blanchard on the top rope but Jade attacked her from behind with a step-up enziguiri. Lee came in and hit a spinning slam. She turned around into Magnum from Blanchard. Slamovich nailed the Busaiku knee on Blanchard. Lee and Jade exchanged strikes in the middle of the ring. Lee tossed her to the outside and then hit a knee drop from the apron. That was unique. Slamovich and Blanchard faced off again. They exchanged forearms. Tessa was selling a bit too much. Slamovich nailed a number of shots in a row. She picked Blanchard up onto her shoulders but Blanchard raked her eyes. Blanchard wanted the Buzzsaw but Lee came in with Thunderstruck. Jade ran in and blindsided Slamovich with the KO title. Blanchard rolled in and nailed Slamovich with the Buzzsaw for the win after 10 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: Cora Jade and Tessa Blanchard

Analysis: ***1/2 Despite some inconsistent moments, there was a lot to like there. It was action-packed and we got some ring time between Blanchard and Slamovich which is THE Knockouts match that has to happen this year. Everything about Blanchard just screams ‘star’. She is the absolute standout in the whole division and should carry the title for a long portion of 2025. I thought Lee looked comfortable in there with 3 women you would probably say outshine her. I think criticism of her in WWE/NXT was she could work a bit stiff or wasn’t as careful with her strikes as she could’ve been but it all looked pretty crisp tonight. Jade vs Slamovich should be a decent bout tomorrow night. Good work by all the ladies here.

Mustafa Ali and Mike Santana Summit

Tom Hannifan was the moderator here. He commented on Ali’s character assassination on Santana over the last few months. Ali didn’t like Hannifan’s tone. He said he doesn’t have an issue with Santana as a competitor but not as someone who can represent TNA. Ali doesn’t see Santana as a great leader that TNA needs. He said he could handle the pressure but Santana can’t. Santana spoke next. He said he had lived with pressure his entire life. They showed photos of Santana’s family and some highlights from his first run in TNA. Santana recounted his battles with The System and making Josh Alexander quit. Hannifan reminded Ali that no one has beaten Santana in 6 months. Ali said he withstood the pressure during his run as X-Division Champion. He told Santana that he doesn’t care about TNA and couldn’t carry the company on his shoulders. Ali told Santana he was an addict and a liability. Santana said he and everyone in the locker room were onto Ali. He said the fans could see through him. Santana said Ali was in TNA for himself. He said even his own people know it. Santana said he was an addict- an addict for the fans and TNA. He said he was proud to be in TNA and proud to rise from the bottom. Santana said at Sacrifice, the time for talking was over. Ali said there was a lot of tension in the room. He asked if Santana wanted a drink. Ali pulled out a bottle of wine. He said at Sacrifice, Santana will face adversity and break. Ali said Santana will let everyone down and break his daughter’s heart. Santana snapped and grabbed Ali. He went to strike Steelz but thought better of it. Ali attacked him from behind. The Great Hands put the boots to Santana. Ali poured a glass of wine for Santana and laid it on the ground for him.

Analysis: I can’t recall a TNA match in recent history where I was so torn on who might win. They have obviously built up Santana here to take a lot of personal shots so the fans want to see Ali get beaten at Sacrifice, but he’s so good that they might give him the win. It’s been a very good feud and both guys have impressed me.

There was a promo for a Joe Hendry YouTube show called ‘Immersed’. I had never heard of it but it looks like a 25-min documentary on his World Title win over Nic Nemeth. I might check it out over the weekend.

Frankie Kazarian, who pretty much carries a trophy around full-time, joined commentary for the main event. They have randomly chucked him in a match with Steve Maclin at Sacrifice.

Match #6: TNA World Championship: Joe Hendry vs A Mystery Opponent

This is not a match that they advertised during the week. Hendry had a microphone. The crowd was favourable as always. Hendry said he was excited to find out who his opponent was. Santino Marella joined Hendry and had a special opponent for Hendry but Ryan Nemeth’s music hit. Marella wasn’t impressed. Ryan said Nic would be back tomorrow at Sacrifice. Ryan said Nic hates Hendry as much as he does. He said Nic has granted him his contractually obligated rematch. I somehow don’t think he’s telling the truth.

Joe Hendry vs Ryan Nemeth

Hendry ducked a clothesline and nailed the Standing Ovation to win the match after 20 seconds.

Winner by pinfall AND STILL TNA World Champion: Joe Hendry

Analysis: SQUASH I laughed. Screw Ryan!

Match #7: TNA World Championship: Joe Hendry vs Hammerstone

Marella asked if Hendry minded working another match because Ryan was not the opponent he had in mind. He introduced Hammerstone. You could call this a return but it’s his last night in TNA and doesn’t have a new contract so you can guess the outcome. I’m a big fan of his and hope he does well wherever he ends up next.

(Commercial break)

The two men squared off. Hammerstone looked even more massive than usual. He backed Hendry into the corner with his strength. Hendry tried a side headlock but Hammerstone broke free with right hands to the ribs. Hendry tried a shoulder block but Hammerstone was too big to take down. He tried some chops to little effect. Hammerstone chopped him back and then nailed a kick to the gut. He knocked Hendry down with his own shoulder block. Hendry tried a knee strike which rocked Hammerstone. He wanted a suplex but Hammerstone tossed him shoulder-first into the ring post. Hendry went tumbling out of the ring. Hammerstone pummelled him with forearms to the back. He bounced Hendry off the apron. Hendry fought back with upper cuts. He tossed Hammerstone into the ring apron. Hammerstone rammed Hendry back-first into the apron. He continued to target Hendry’s back with a back suplex on the apron.

(Commercial break)

Hendry broke free from a submission as we returned to the action. He blocked an attack in the corner but ran into a spinebuster which got Hammerstone a 2 count. Hendry hit a jawbreaker. They exchanged upper cuts and forearms. Hendry got on top. He still couldn’t knock Hammerstone off his feet. Hammerstone hit an impressive single-leg dropkick. Hendry fought back with a big suplex that popped the fans. He took down Hammerstone with a clothesline then nailed a Fallaway slam. Hendry kipped up. Hammerstone fought free of the Standing Ovation. He wanted a chokeslam but settled with an overhead suplex. Hammerstone hit a nice powerslam for 2. He fought off Hendry’s shoulders and nailed a German suplex. Hammerstone hit a powerbomb with a bridge for 2. He transitioned perfectly into a Boston Crab. Hendry wasn’t quite in the centre of the ring. He crawled towards the ropes and made it to break the submission. Hammerstone called for the Nightmare Pendulum. Hendry rolled him up in a small package for 2. He blocked a German suplex and hit one of his own. Hendry hit the Attitude Adjustment. He finished Hammerstone off with the Standing Ovation to retain his championship after 12 minutes.

Winners by pinfall AND STILL TNA World Champion: Joe Hendry

Analysis: ***1/2 A very solid main event between two of my favourite TNA guys (if you can call Hammerstone that). Hammerstone had a good strategy of targeting the back so Hendry couldn’t hit his lifting moves, but Hendry showed his toughness by brushing it off and getting the job done.

The System and The Colons rushed the ring to beat down Hendry, 5 on 1. The Hardys, Elijah and Leon Slater ran down for the save. Kaz asked if Moose was wearing scrubs. There was a wild brawl inside and outside the ring. Moose tossed Jeff Hardy into Kaz. At least that stopped his commentary. Impact went off the air with the brawl continuing.

Analysis: A fun way to end the show. I’m looking forward to the cage match and of course Moose vs Jeff in the ladder match. That will probably be the stand out singles match just because Jeff will do something insane off a ladder.

Final Rating: 7/10

Thankfully, that was a much-improved TNA show this week. If you are one of my regular 3 readers, you will know that the last 2 weeks I have been disappointed by the lack of wrestling time (and I even recorded it!) so tonight was almost 10 minutes more in-ring action than the last fortnight. That’s the difference between a rushed match and something you can build to a solid match, which we saw tonight as I rated four matches over the 3-star level. Last week, no matches made that rating in my system. It was just a better-balanced show and, for example, when you put 4 of the better Knockouts (I’m including Cora for a second) in the same ring and give them 10 minutes, then you get a pretty good match. It’s not hard to do. You have one show per week so show your strengths, which in TNA is the wrestling, and then you get a well-built show that leads in to a very solid Sacrifice card. I don’t think any titles will change hands tomorrow but I think in the ladder match, cage match, KO World Title and Ali vs Santana, you have 4 very good matches capable of building a memorable show. And the 6-man tag team match could be a contender for match of the night. I’m looking forward to it and will return with my thoughts over the weekend.

The next TNA monthly special is Sacrifice on Friday, March 14th from El Paso, Texas. My predictions are in bold.

TNA X-Division Championship: Ladder Match: Moose (c) vs Jeff Hardy

TNA Knockouts World Championship:Masha Slamovich (c) vs NXT’s Cora Jade

TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championships: Handicap Match: Spitfire (c) vs Ash & Heather-by-Elegance and George Iceman

NXT’s Wes Lee, Tyson Dupont and Tyriek Igwe vs The Rascalz and Ace Austin

Tessa Blanchard vs Lei Ying Lee

Street Fight: Sami Callihan vs Mance Warner

Steel Cage War:Joe Hendry, Matt Hardy, Elijah, Leon Slater & Nic Nemeth vs The System & The Colons

Frankie Kazarian vs Steve Maclin

Countdown to Sacrifice: First Class vs Laredo Kid and Octagon Jr

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