Reviews

TNA Impact Review – May 1, 2025

By TJR Staff • Published 3rd May 2025
TNA Impact May 1

This week’s live TNA Impact featured The Hardys & Joe Hendry teaming up against The Nemeths & Frankie Kazarian in the main event.

I really enjoyed Sunday’s TNA Rebellion PPV. I gave it 7.75/10 and thought it had 3 matches at or above the 4-star mark. The match of the night for me was Mustafa Ali vs Mike Santana in a feud-ending Falls Count Anywhere match. The 6-man Ultimate X was surprisingly excellent, and the main event triple threat match for the TNA World Championship was also better than expected, despite being on the shorter side. The Knockouts Title match was the match I thought might steal the show, but the style of match that Masha Slamovich and Tessa Blanchard wrestled didn’t allow it to reach those heights.

TNA Impact Live 1/5/25 from the Galen Centre in Los Angeles, CA by Kristian Thompson

The opening video recapped Rebellion. You can read my review above if you missed it but I recommend watching at least those 3 matches.

I Believe We Will Hear from Joe Hendry

Hendry came out to one of the louder ovations I can recall him getting in TNA. The crowd was really fired up. Hendry said he told us he would retain his World Championship and he did. He said he was living the dream as TNA Champion who also wrestled at WrestleMania and appearing on NXT. Hendry recapped Rebellion and said it was a tough match against two of his biggest rivals. He said despite not being 100%, the fans believed in Hendry and he believed in himself so he got the job done. The crowd chanted “We Believe” for Hendry. Hendry said that would’ve been a fairy tale ending but he got attacked from behind by NXT’s Trick Williams. He called out Williams on NXT, but he didn’t show up. Hendry called out Williams again, and his music played, but Williams was only on the screen. Williams said he had an NXT Championship Contender’s Battle Royal to prepare for. He told Hendry to be careful in his main event match and not to get hurt. Hendry pumped up the 6-man tag team main event: Hendry and The Hardys vs Frankie Kazarian and The Nemeths.

Analysis: Great stuff from Hendry, who had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Hendry is a busy man, and Williams could take advantage of his injury.

Gia Miller was backstage with The Rascalz. She hyped up Zach Wentz’s X-Division title shot. Wentz reminded everyone that he pinned Moose in a 6-man tag on Sunday. Trey Miguel was excited for him.

The commentators recapped the Barbed Wire Massacre from two weeks ago. That was a brutal match that fit the Mance Warner/Sami Callihan feud perfectly. Sami Callihan was chatting with Santino Marella. Marella brought in Warner and SDL. Callihan was not happy. SDL was not happy that Warner missed a pay cheque by missing Rebellion. Callihan said they had the most violent match in TNA history. He offered Warner a handshake. Warner agreed with Callihan and they shook hands. Callihan said that they were done for now.

Analysis: At least they didn’t make them a tag team. Yet.

Match #1: Mike Santana vs Isaiah Moore

I’m unfamiliar with Moore which means he is losing. Anytime they say ‘Wrestler A is in Action’ you know it’s going to be a squash. Moore tried a roll up early. Santana swatted him into the corner. Moore hit a knee strike but Santana hit a rolling DVD, with a rough landing for Moore. Santana hit a cannonball and a sit-out powerbomb for the win in barely a minute.

Winners by pinfall: Mike Santana

Analysis: SQUASH The fans love Mike so I’m sure a 1-minute match isn’t going to bother them.

Santana told the fans that he climbed the mountain by beating Mustafa Ali on Sunday. He said it’s time for him to go after Joe Hendry and the World Championship. Santana said Hendry had something he needs (TNA title) and he’s coming for it.

Analysis: Like I said before, Hendry has a lot of men gunning for him. Not sure how a face vs face feud with Santana would go, but the match would be great.

The commentators recapped The Northern Armory’s post-match beatdown on Steve Maclin at Rebellion.

The TNA International Champion, Maclin, made his way to the ring. He had a very good title defense against Eric Young on Sunday. Judas Icarus and Travis Williams attacked him on the ramp before he could get into the ring. Young joined them with a steel chain. He whipped Maclin whilst his cronies held Maclin down. They tossed Maclin into the ring. Maclin took Williams down but the numbers wore him down. Young choked Maclin with the chain. He hung Maclin up again using the ropes. Security freed Maclin after a while. Young and friends retreated.

Analysis: Where are Maclin’s friends? No one will stand up for a war hero? Come on.

Santino Marella was furious at The Northern Armory backstage. Maclin tried to attack them but security held him back. Marella made another singles match for next week.

The commentators showed highlights of the botched ending to Ultimate X. They even tried to tell us that Leon Slater’s feet didn’t touch the ground with the title in his hands, despite the video showing exactly that. Zachary Wentz is owed a contractual rematch so that’s why he’s getting a shot now, along with the fact he pinned Moose on Sunday in a 6-man tag.

Match #2: TNA X-Division Championship: Moose w/ Alisha vs Zachary Wentz

Moose used his power game to dominate early. Wentz fought back with a dropkick and sent Moose to the floor and followed up with a twisting dive over the top rope.

(Commercial break)

Moose was in control as we returned from the break. He used the abdominal stretch to target Wentz’s injured ribs. Moose chopped Wentz hard against the ropes. He tossed him into the ropes but the challenger fought back with a handspring knee strike. Wentz tried some forearms but they didn’t faze the big man. His kicks were more effective and they sent Moose to the outside. Wentz nailed a PK on the apron and then hit a moonsault on Moose to the floor. The crowd was fired up. Wentz tossed Moose back inside the ring and nailed a twisting crossbody for 2. Moose avoided a dive from the top from Wentz and slammed him hard to the mat with a pop-up powerbomb for a close nearfall. He lined Wentz up for a spear but Wentz rolled him up for 2. Wentz countered a Uranage into an inside cradle for 2. Moose hit his ridiculous top tope crossbody and kipped up. He went for a powerbomb but Wentz countered into a Code Red and almost took the title. The crowd was going crazy at that nearfall. Moose tossed Wentz into the middle turnbuckle. He lined up a spear but Wentz turned it into an X-Factor. Wentz went up high and hit the Spinal Tap for 2. That was close. Moose avoided a UFO cutter and sent Wentz into the corner. Alisha held Wentz’s leg and he turned around into a spear from Moose as he retained his title after 9 minutes of TV time.

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

Analysis: ***3/4 That was a fantastic match, especially seeing as it was under 10 minutes. The crowd popped for some big near falls, which they did really well. Alisha’s cheating is getting a little tiring so it would be nice to see Moose getting some semi-clean wins to back up his talk.

There was an injury update that cleared both Joe Hendry and Leon Slater. They said Mustafa Ali was banged up but okay to compete. Tasha Steelz had an upper body injury after going through a table. I laughed at that one.

Gia Miller interviewed Mustafa Ali, but he looked very flustered and walked off. John Skyler spoke on his behalf. He told Miller that Ali hasn’t been the same since Sunday.

Cody Deaner Promo

I wish I didn’t have to cover this. Deaner said his TNA contract expires tonight. There’s plenty of WWE talent that just got released that they could replace him with. Deaner said he hasn’t won a match in over a year. He said winning wasn’t all about pinfalls. It literally is. The fans were giving him the ‘What?’ treatment even though he was trying to do a babyface promo. Deaner said he was proud of his 25-year career. That made me say ‘What?’ He spoke about his family. The fans yelled ‘What?’ louder. Then they chanted ‘He’s got kids’ but Deaner reminded them that that was someone else’s gimmick. Good line. Santino Marella said if Deaner could beat Eddie Edwards at Under Siege then he would renew his contract. Poor Eddie.

Analysis: I don’t like any of this. Deaner isn’t believable in any regard. He was fine as a heel ally in a stable but the fans were booing him as he gave a heartfelt promo.

Robert Stone from NXT and Alicia Fox, for some reason, came down to the ring. He forgot to introduce himself. Stone said Santino was under review because, for some reason, he has power in TNA. He should’ve just come back with his TNA gimmick. Stone said the higher-ups have put him in charge. He said if Santino made one mistake, he will be reporting it. Stone said his Deputy was Victoria Crawford FKA Alicia Fox. He said Crawford would face Masha Slamovich for the Knockouts Title at Under Siege, but he mucked up her name.

Analysis: That was brutal. Stone is okay in TNA but on a live mic he really struggled. I don’t think this is the kind of crossover we need between TNA and WWE. Stone doesn’t even work for TNA yet he’s in charge? Who makes that decision? This doesn’t bode well if this means more WWE involvement in 2025. At least it put an end to the Deaner segment.

Santino confronted Stone backstage. He was furious. Tessa Blanchard stormed in and said Santino had made TNA a joke. She said she was glad Stone was here to clean things up. Tessa said she was better than everyone else in TNA despite losing in her first title match in five years on Sunday.

Analysis: The awful segment continued.

Match #3: Jody Threat vs Maggie Lee

Lee seems to be trying to be an ally of the Elegance group. Threat outwrestled Lee early on. Lee hit a kick and scored a 1 count then followed up with right hands with Threat pinned to the mat. She chopped Threat in the corner then hit a nice pump kick for 2. It’s the referee with the ridiculously obvious 2 count style back again. Lee stretched Threat out then kicked her face-first into the mat. She used a bow and arrow submission but Threat popped into a splash for a surprise 2 count. Threat fought back with chops and her own pump kick. She hit her running knees against the middle rope and a German suplex for 2. Threat went to the top but Lee cut her off quickly and nailed a nice cutter from the top rope for a close 2 count. Threat popped off Lee’s shoulders for a roll up for 2. She clotheslined Lee in the corner. I never like that spot of hers because it looks so soft. Threat hit Pop Shove It for the win after 6 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Jody Threat

Analysis: *** They did a solid job for a shorter match that was hard-hitting. TNA has started bringing in some newer ladies, but my criticism is that they always lose. Threat would not be hurt whatsoever by a surprise loss here.

The Elegances and George Iceman yelled at Lee backstage after the match. Iceman said Lee needed a makeover. Yes, there will be a third fake blonde in the group.

Gia Miller interviewed Indi Hartwell on the stage. Hartwell is TNA’s newest signing and I bet she doesn’t lose on debut! Indi was a solid NXT wrestler who didn’t really get a clean run at a main roster story. Her music is awful, I’ll say that. Not a fan of the screamy stuff. Miller asked for Indi’s initial reaction to her welcome to TNA. Indi told the fans that she appreciated their support since arriving in TNA but also from all over social media since leaving WWE (she didn’t say that but you can tell). Indi said she wasn’t ‘a Knockout’, she’s ‘The Knockout’. Miller asked Indi who she wanted to face. Indi told her that she has a history with a lot of the roster. She said it was time to shake up TNA.

Analysis: This is a nice first promo from Indi, who has always been extremely likable. She’s Australian, too, so there are bonus points for being awesome.

Match #4: KC Navarro w/ AJ Francis vs Leon Slater

Good to see Slater wrestling after a nasty bump on Sunday where he dived from the top of the Ultimate X scaffolding and wasn’t caught properly except by AJ Francis. Slater gave KC a hard right hand and a chop early. He nailed a hard enziguiri and a handspring elbow. KC bailed to the floor so Slater tracked him down with a kick to the mid-section and tossed him into the ring post. KC swung around the post and poked Slater in the eye. He tried to throw Slater into the ring apron, but Slater used the bottom rope to hit a variation of the 619. AJ Francis held Slater’s leg as he went to the top rope so the referee ejected him. Good to see some competent officiating. KC hit an awesome spiking DDT for a 2 count. He tried to lock in a sleeper hold but Slater got to his feet and hit a hard running chop. Slater followed up with a twisting neckbreaker for a 2 count. KC rolled outside again so Slater measured a dive and landed on his feet. KC thought he crashed out so he turned around into a spinning kick. Slater threw him back in the ring and hit the Swanton 450 for the win after 5 minutes. Man, that’s such a cool move.

Winner by pinfall: Leon Slater

Analysis: **1/2 A short but exciting matchup between two young guys. Slater needs the wins to hopefully build up for a shot at Moose down the line.

TNA Knockouts World Champion, Masha Slamovich, addressed her Under Siege opponent, Victoria Crawford. Slamovich said she has fought all over the world over the last few years and wondered what Crawford has been doing. She said Crawford can challenger her but she’s not on her level.

Analysis: I have grave fears for that match. I don’t like this build to Under Siege so far at all.

Match #5: The Nemeths & Frankie Kazarian vs The Hardys & Joe Hendry

The Hardys and Hendry entrance was hilarious as it combined their music, with the Hardys clapping along and Hendry playing the Hardy theme on his guitar. Clever work there and Matt’s face was particularly entertaining on the Hendry claps. There was only 8 minutes left on the show when the match began. Jeff and Kaz started off but then everyone got involved and it was a huge brawl. Matt tossed Nic out and Hendry threw Ryan over the top rope. All the faces did the ‘Delete’ hand signals. The crowd was loving it all.

(Commercial break)

Matt Hardy was in control of Ryan Nemeth as we returned. He nailed a Side Effect and a top rope elbow drop for 2. Matt measured Ryan for a Twist of Fate but Ryan was saved by a cheap shot from Nic. Nic distracted the referee so Kaz hit a guillotine leg drop on Matt. Ryan took advantage and dragged Matt to the corner so he could tag Nic. The Nemeths double teamed Matt in the corner and tagged in Kaz. Kaz nailed Matt with a right hand. He wrenched at the neck and then dragged Matt by his hair to the mat. Kaz hit a springboard leg drop for 2. He talked trash to Hendry on the ring apron then turned around into a Legsweep from Matt. Matt tagged in Jeff and Kaz got the tag to Nic Nemeth. Jeff took down Nic with some clotheslines. He hit his low blow legdrop and a splash for 2. Ryan ran in and got a jaw breaker. Jeff kicked Nic into the corner and hit a stiff dropkick off the ropes for 2. That was so well sold. Jeff wanted the Twist of Fate but Nic turned it into a roll up with the tights for 2. Matt came in and they hit the Poetry in Motion. Matt nailed a Side Effect and Jeff hit a splash from the middle rope but Kaz broke up the pin. Everyone got involved. Hendry hit fallaways on all the heels. Kaz ran in with a tag title but Hendry ducked and Matt took down Kaz with a Twist of Fate. Hendry nailed the Standing Ovation on Nic but Trick Williams pulled him out of the ring. Jeff went up for the Swanton Bomb but Ryan knocked him off the top. Nic nailed the Danger Zone for the win after 7 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: The Nemeths & Frankie Kazarian

Analysis: *** That was a fun match to pop the crowd with all the favourite face spots but not long enough to have a classic main event match. The heels winning due to Trick made sense and it was fine booking.

Williams hit Hendry with the Trick Shot running knee after the match. He got in Hendry’s face as Impact went off the air.

Analysis: They continue to build to a singles match which is fine by me. I’m enjoying it. Trick is in full heel mode and doing well.

Final Rating: 6/10

It was a show that had a lot of enjoyable aspects but also some things that had you shaking your head in disappointment, especially the Robert Stone authority stuff. It’s just unnecessary. This is generally a weak time of the year for TNA, where we have just finished a main PPV, and there’s not another one until July, so they have these weaker monthly shows, sometimes where the main titles aren’t defended. I’m not sure if they’ll do Trick vs Hendry at Under Siege, but we will see. I enjoyed the X-Division title match and the main event. Threat vs Lee was also solid for a shorter women’s match and it was nice to see the formal introduction of Indi Hartwell.

The next TNA PLE is Under Siege on May 23 from the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ontario. Here’s the card so far:

* TNA Knockouts Championship: Masha Slamovich (c) vs Victoria Crawford
* Joe Hendry & Elijah vs Trick Williams & Frankie Kazarian
* Eddie Edwards vs Cody Deaner

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!