TNA Slammiversary 2025 Review
There were five title matches at TNA Slammiversary, along with the return of a TNA legend, AJ Styles.
It feels like we have been in this very place a number of times with TNA over the last 18 months. Excitement, hype, change. All for the momentum to slowly fade away after a few weeks through a variety of reasons. For me, the WWE partnership has obviously benefited the wrestlers on TNA. I’m less confident that it has improved views or ratings, and then there’s the fact that a WWE (NXT) wrestler has held the TNA World Championship for a few months.
With a stellar card and the return of AJ Styles, TNA must build on the groundswell of public support and push harder to sign bigger and better talent in the next few months. They could have many new eyes on their product tonight, just by that name AJ Styles alone. There’s a lot of intrigue online about his role at the show. Before writing, I was not aware of the crowd figure (I have completely avoided going online all day), but I believe it is edging towards the 7,000 mark. I don’t think that’s a number to get completely crazy about (AEW All In just had 25,000 people), but it will be TNA’s biggest crowd in ten years at least.
The Countdown to Slammiversary on YouTube had three matches and the regular talk-show style panel. You could tell that they were in a much larger venue than usual as the seats continued to fill up as the hour went on. In the first match, The Elegance Brand retained their Knockouts Tag Team Championships over The Iinspiration in 6 minutes. I thought The Iinspiration would be locks to win that much but perhaps they aren’t hanging around on a permanent basis. That was a shocker of a result to me. The crazed Eric Young called out The Home Town Man for an impromptu match, which Deaner won. Sigh. It’s getting silly now. The final match on the pre- show was Fourth Rope vs Jake Something, Steve Maclin & Mance Warner. Fourth Rope is a wrestling promotion I had never heard of before Enzo Amore popped up on TNA a fortnight ago. He has the much-hyped Zilla Fatu and Josh Bishop with him. They probably got the best ovation of the entire pre-show. Amore cut a long promo before the match with his usual shtick and some insults on his opponents. He had a few chuckle-worthy moments. Fourth Rope won the match in only 3 minutes when Amore pinned Something. That could’ve been a really interesting 15-minute match on the main card, but as usual, TNA is plagued by its inability to manage the time properly on its programming. Let’s hope that’s my last negative for the entire night. Overall, it was a very average pre-show when you look at the quality of the lineup.
TNA Slammiversary 2025 from the UBS Arena: Long Island, New York by Kristian Thompson
There was the national anthem and then a hype-video for the show. The announcer who does the narration for these has one of the best voices in sports. The video was a blend between old TNA highlights and current stars. Tom Hannifan and Matt Rehwoldt welcomed us to the show as the camera scanned a very-impressive looking TNA audience. I hope we get a figure later on.
Match #1: Mustafa Ali w/ Order 4 vs Cedric Alexander
This is a great choice to kick off the main show. They have some history together in WWE as part of the Cruiserweight division. They locked up and exchanged arm drags. Alexander fought out of a front facelock. He targeted the left shoulder but Ali reversed the pressure. Alexander took him off his feet. Ali hit a few arm drags but ran into a shoulder block for a 1 count for Alexander. They exchanged slaps on the chest. Ali hit a shoulder block and a Sunset Flip pin for 2. Alexander rolled him up for a nearfall. He slapped Ali on the chest again and sent him to the ring apron. Alexander hit a German suplex on the floor. He tossed Ali back into the ring then dragged him back out and hit another German. Ali snuck back in the ring and hit a suicide dive on Alexander as he was distracted by the Secret Service members. Ali over-rotated terribly and landed on his head after the impact on Alexander. Luckily, one of the SS members semi-caught him and he was okay but it could’ve been much worse. Back in the ring, Alexander avoided the 450 and tossed Ali into the middle turnbuckle. Alexander was getting frustrated at Order 4 and the SS surrounding the ring. They fought on the ring apron area. Ali went for a hurricanrana but Alexander hit a Michinoku Driver from the top rope onto the SS and The Great Hands who were standing at ringside. That has woken up the crowd a bit. Alexander threw Ali back in the ring and covered him for a 2 count. Ali avoided a powerbomb and hit a spinning kick then a DDT off the ropes. He rolled into the cover but changed him mind and went for a twisting moonsault. Ali missed with the connection and Alexander suplexed him into the bottom turnbuckle for a 2 count. Ali popped out of the Lumbar Check attempt. He pulled Alexander down by his hair and locked in the Sharpshooter. Alexander was able to crawl to the bottom rope without too much trouble. Ali started choking Alexander out with the ring apron material. He pulled the steel ring steps apart. Ali started to get that crazy look in his eyes. He wanted to powerbomb Alexander onto the steps but he broke free. Ali hit a superkick. He ran at Alexander who gave him a back body drop onto the steps! That looked nasty. They both took some time to recover. Alexander stalked Ali around the ring. Jason Hotch cut him off with a DDT on the floor. John Skyler tossed Ali back into the ring. Ali hit the 450 Splash but Alexander kicked out! The “TNA” chants were now in full effect. Tasha Steelz got in the ring and right in the referee’s face. The referee ejected her. Ali went for a rolling neckbreaker but Alexander caught him with a cutter. He nailed a German suplex and another. Ali ran at Alexander who tossed him over his head into the turnbuckle. Alexander knocked down an incoming Skyler. He clotheslined Hotch on the ring apron. Ali went for a dropkick but hit Skyler instead. Alexander hit the Lumbar Check but Ali kicked out at 2! They’ve now both hit their best shots and the match continues. Ali tossed Alexander into the middle turnbuckle. He climbed to the top rope but Alexander cut him off. Tasha Steelz came back and brought a steel chair in. The referee had lost control. Steelz tried to slap Ali but Alexander hit the Lumbar Check on her. Alexander was about to get up but Ali hit the most perfectly-timed 45- Splash you’ll ever see to win the match after 15 ½ minutes.
Winner by pinfall: Mustafa Ali
Analysis: ***3/4 There were some dicey moments early on, but they put together a gritty match that felt like a personal fight. The finish was just perfect. Ali winning is probably the right call. I’m not sure what length contract Alexander is on, so he might need to build up some wins before getting another shot at Ali.
Gia Miller was backstage with Joe Hendry and asked what his strategy was for tonight’s triple threat. Hendry said the entire world was watching and when the pressure is on, he will become a two-time TNA Champion.
Analysis: I don’t care who wins as long as it’s not Trick Williams. I’d even almost take Frankie Kazarian cashing in. Not quite, but nearly.
Match #2: The System & Matt Cardona vs Dark State
This is the only match on the card that I don’t care about and it shouldn’t have bumped the Knockouts Tag Title match to the pre-show. Cardona is from Long Island so he milked the crowd. I don’t know the names of the Dark State members by rote so we will see how we go here. There was a brawl before the match began. JDC did a tribute to Sabu but he put the chair far too close to the ropes before he dove over the top rope to wipe everyone out. Saquon Sugars tossed Brian Myers into the ring as the match officially began. Myers hit a Flatliner but missed a spear. Osiris Griffin hit a clothesline behind the referee’s back and tagged in. Griffin backed Myers into the corner. He slammed him hard into the opposite corner. Dion Lennox was next to tag in. He stomped on Myers a few times. Lennox hit a suplex but released Myers over his head. I’m not sure if that was intentional but it was a rough landing for Myers. Myers almost made the tag to JDC but Cutler James took him off the ring apron. Sugars tagged in again and pinned Myers for a 2 count. James tagged in next. He locked in a sleeper. Myers fought out of it with body shots. James took JDC and Edwards off the apron. He turned around and Myers nailed the spear. Myers finally reached out to tag Cardona. Sugars tagged in and ran at Cardona who got his knees up to block a corner splash. Cardona took the other Dark State members off the ring apron. He hit a Codebreaker on James. JDC and Edwards took Griffin over the top with a clothesline. Cardona nailed the Reboot on Sugars for 2. Sugars avoided Radio Silence and James hit a pump kick on Cardona. They hit a triple-powerbomb on Cardona and Edwards broke the pinfall up right at the last moment. Cardona fought out of the 4-man powerbomb attempt. Cardona tagged in JDC. They hit Sugars with a triple powerbomb. Myers nailed a top-rope elbow drop. JDC hit Down and Dirty from the top. Edwards rolled into the cover but the Dark State members fell on top of him to break the pinfall up. All 8 men brawled in the middle of the ring. Myers hit Lennox with a superkick. Edwards hit the Blue Thunder Bomb on Sugars who fell on top of Griffin. Cardona hit Radio Silence, then Edwards followed up with the Boston Knee Party for the win after 7 minutes.
Winners: The System & Matt Cardona
Analysis: *** It was a chaotic brawl that was fine for 7 minutes. They stacked a lot of action into that time frame. It didn’t need to go any longer than that. I’m not sure I see The System in full-face mode in TNA going forward, but we will see.
Match #3: Tessa Blanchard w/ Victoria Crawford vs Indi Hartwell
TNA have given a lot of TV time to this feud and have made it feel like a big deal. It’s rare for them to have a non-title women’s match on one of their main PLEs. Blanchard shoved Hartwell in the face to start the match. Hartwell didn’t like that and backed Blanchard into the corner. She tossed her into the opposite turnbuckle. Hartwell went to the next corner and stomped Blanchard. Blanchard went outside and sucked Hartwell in, hitting a dropkick when she tried to get back into the ring. Hartwell wanted a powerbomb on the floor but Blanchard used the ropes to pull herself off. Blanchard used her leg to slam Hartwell’s face on the apron. They went back into the ring and Blanchard hit a side kick for the first nearfall of the night. Blanchard targeted the left knee of Hartwell. She used a lateral press for a 2 count. Blanchard hit an open palm strike in the corner. She used a Dragon Screw off the ropes, then suplexed Hartwell by dumping her on her left knee. Blanchard swept Hartwell’s legs from under her for another 2 count. She bounced Hartwell’s head off the turnbuckle, then choked her out in the corner. Blanchard hit another open palm strike. Hartwell put Blanchard on the top rope for a superplex. Blanchard blocked it and went for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb but Hartwell held onto the ropes to block it. Blanchard wanted a reverse DDT off the middle rope but Hartwell blocked that too. Hartwell got the superplex at last. Both women got back to their feet at the count of 8. They exchanged strikes in the centre of the ring. Blanchard slowed Hartwell up with a knee to the ribs. Hartwell fought back with some clotheslines. She tossed Blanchard into the middle rope and nailed a kick to the head. Hartwell went back to the top for an elbow drop to the back for a 2 count. Blanchard went back to the knee. Hartwell fought out and rolled Blanchard up for a 2 count. Blanchard hit a superkick that knocked Hartwell to the outside. She followed up with a twisting senton over the top rope. Blanchard tossed Hartwell back into the ring for a nearfall. Hartwell fought out of a DDT attempt and nailed a spinebuster for 2. Blanchard fought out of a Full Nelson. She used a head scissors for 2. Blanchard hit a nice Tiger Bomb for 2. She went to the top looking for Magnum. Hartwell had it scouted and hit her finisher, Hurts Don’t It (can we please ditch that name?) but Blanchard kicked out at 2. She backed Blanchard into the corner with kicks. Hartwell put Blanchard on the top rope. Blanchard returned serve with shots to the back of the neck. She nailed a cutter from the top rope. Blanchard hit Magnum but Hartwell kicked out! The match was really heating up now. Blanchard hit a running boot. She slapped Hartwell in the face. Blanchard ran the ropes but Hartwell caught her with Hurts Don’t It against the ropes. She hit a regular version of the move to win the match after 15 minutes.
Winner by pinfall: Indi Hartwell
Analysis: ***1/4 It was a good match but probably didn’t hit the heights that they wanted to or that I expected. Some of the spots were not as smooth as they could’ve been but that also adds some grit to the encounter.
Indi Hartwell told Gia Miller she was coming for the Knockouts Title after the match. Blanchard snapped and attacked Hartwell. Miller tried to stop her but Blanchard slapped her. Blanchard beat Miller against the ring steps. Crawford held Hartwell back while Blanchard continued the beatdown.
Analysis: Miller is a wrestler, so this could be her first feud in TNA if she goes that route? Or it’s just an easy way to get heat on Blanchard after a loss.
The commentators had their serious voices on after what just happened. Hartwell helped Miller up the ramp. Santino Marella admonished Blanchard backstage. Blanchard wasn’t worried. She pushed Marella. Security escorted Blanchard out of the building.
Analysis: Easy heat for Blanchard. It is another loss for her, which I didn’t expect.
The Iinspiration confronted The Elegance Brand after their loss on the pre-show. They said they were bringing someone in to even up the odds.
Match #4: Title vs Title: TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich vs NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne w/ Fatal Influence
I’m surprised they’d have two women’s matches back-to-back. One woman will walk out with both titles after this. Slamovich hit a forearm. Jayne hit a running head scissors and a clothesline. Slamovich tripped Jayne against the middle rope and hit a clothesline. Jayne slipped out of the ring for a breather. Henley tossed Slamovich against the ring post on the outside. Jayne hit a cannonball from the ring apron to the floor. She rolled Slamovich in the ring and hit a diving elbow for 2. Jayne hit a hip attack in the corner. She stomped away at Slamovich. Henley choked her out with the referee dealing with Jayne. Jayne hit a cannonball in the corner for 2. Slamovich tried to fight back with chops but Jayne hit a Uranage. Jayne nailed some knee strikes and grounded Slamovich with a sleeper on the mat. Slamovich got to her feet and backed Jayne into the corner. Jayne still held on but Slamovich fell back with her weight down on Jayne to break the hold. They exchanged forearms. The “Let’s Go Masha”, “Let’s Go Jacy” chants were in effect. Slamovich hit a superkick then a running knee in the corner. She hit a big boot and a spinning heel kick for 2. Jayne blocked a Requiem attempt. She missed a running knee but Slamovich hit one of her own. Slamovich hit Air Raid Crash into the bottom turnbuckle for 2. She backed Jayne into the corner with forearm strikes. Slamovich put Jayne on the top rope. Jayne blocked the superplex attempt. She went for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb but Slamovich held onto the top rope. Jayne wrenched on her arm to make her fall into the turnbuckle. She hit a kick in the corner and a hurricanrana from the top. Jayne hit a Busaiku Knee for 2. Henley slipped Jayne the NXT Women’s Title. The referee stopped her and took it. Nyx gave Jayne the Knockouts Title and she blasted Slamovich over the head with it. Jayne made the cover but Slamovich kicked out at 2! She choked Slamovich in the corner with her foot. Jayne missed a cannonball. Slamovich hit the Busaiku Knee but Fatal Influence were up on the ring apron. Lei Ying Lee and Xia Brookside ran down to deal with them. Jayne went for a superkick on Slamovich but she ducked and Jayne nailed the referee. Slamovich hit the Snow Plow but there was no one to make the count. A new referee slid into the ring but Jayne kicked out at 2. Jayne blocked Requiem and stacked Masha up for a 2 count. Slamovich rolled Jayne up for 2. She ducked out of the way of Jayne’s rolling elbow. Slamovich used a modified inside cradle for 2. Jayne shoved Slamovich into the middle turnbuckle. She hit the rolling elbow strike for the win after 13 minutes
Winner by pinfall AND NEW TNA Knockouts Champion: Jacy Jayne
Analysis: *** It was just an average match that was interesting in the last few minutes but the result soured the match for me. Jayne is fine, but not at the caliber of holding both of these titles. TNA booking TNA wrestlers to lose championships on their own zone is a new kind of low.
TNA President Carlos Silva had to hand the title to Jayne after the match, just to make matters worse.
The official attendance was 7,623 people. So far, it’s been a decent show, but nothing that’s blown me away so far.
Match #5: TNA X-Division Championship: Moose (c) vs Leon Slater
They’ve been building this up for a long time so hopefully it’s a big career moment for Slater. Slater tried a quick attack in the corner and Moose hit Go to Hell straight away for a nearfall to knock the wind out of Slater’s sails. Slater avoided a powerbomb and sent Moose over the top rope. Moose scouted a crossbody and hit a big chop. He went for a spear but crashed into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Slater went for an Olympic Slam but Moose blocked it and whipped him hard into the middle turnbuckle. Moose chopped Slater down hard to the mat twice. Slater fought back with a weak chop so Moose kicked him down. Slater avoided a slam but ran into a huge Uranage. They battled on the ring apron. Slater kept trying to lift Moose even though Moose had targeted his back for the whole match. Moose wanted Go to Hell from the top to the floor, but Slater countered with a hurricanrana. Slater went for a senton over the top but Moose caught him at full speed with ridiculous ease. He walked him up the ramp, ready for a powerbomb but Slater used another hurricanrana to avoid it. They went back to ringside and Moose tossed him into the ring. Slater hit his ridiculous dive over the corner turnbuckle to wipe Moose out with a legdrop. Slater tossed Moose back into the ring. He ran into a pop-up powerbomb for a close 2 count. Moose almost took Slater’s head off with a clothesline. Slater blocked a chop and hit a few of his own. He ran the ropes with a few clotheslines but Moose wouldn’t go down. Moose took him down again with another big clothesline. He hit a Buckle Bomb. Slater bounced out of the corner and took Moose down to the mat with a clothesline of his own. They recovered in opposite corners. Moose lured him in and tossed Slater into the middle turnbuckle. He lined Slater up for a spear but Slater hit a leg lariat. Slater went up high but Moose recovered quickly enough to knock him down and back into the ring. Moose went for a spear but Slater turned it into an inside cradle. He tossed Slater into the top rope and hit a spear, which Slater sold brilliantly. Moose crawled into the cover but Slater kicked out at 2. He lined up another spear but Slater tossed him into the middle turnbuckle. Slater got Moose up with strength and hit Utopia. He nailed a better-looking spear than Moose can do. Slater went to the top and hit the Swanton 450 but Moose kicked out for the best nearfall of the evening. No one in TNA has ever kicked out of that. Slater was frustrated. He hit a running kick, then a side kick. Slater hit a superkick. He went for a springboard move but Moose speared him mid-air, driving him out of the ring, which probably saved him. Moose lined him up for a spear on the floor but Slater turned it into a Code Red. He rolled Moose back into the ring. Slater went back to the top rope but Moose rolled closer to the middle of the ring. He gave Slater the middle fingers. Slater leapt and nailed a massive Swanton half way across the ring. He went to the opposite corner and nailed his own Swanton 450 to win the title and become the youngest X-Division Champion of all time! The match went 16 minutes.
Winner by pinfall AND NEW TNA X-Division Champion: Leon Slater
Analysis: ***3/4 The feud deserved a very good match and we got one here, with an equally great moment crowning Slater champion. He’s so talented and athletic, you can’t help not get into his matches. That’s his best match in TNA because they gave him 15+ minutes with one of their best wrestlers. A fitting end (for now) to a great rivalry.
Carlos Silva gave Slater his championship after the match. Moose snatched it off Slater and insisted in doing up the belt on Slater’s waist. He paid Slater his respects.
Analysis: I thought that might be the moment we see AJ Styles come out and take the title off Moose, but it was a good moment between Moose and Slater after a hard battle.
AJ Styles Returns To TNA
Just as I said that, AJ Styles’ music hit and he made his way to the ring. Styles had his old TNA theme back. He was in TNA from the start until 2014 and had countless classic matches, becoming a real legend of TNA. Hannifan was marking out hard. Slater was marking out in the ring even harder. The fans were going crazy. Styles shook Slater’s hand. He got a microphone but the fans were chanting too loud for him to start speaking so he just let the moment sink in a bit. Styles asked if the fans missed him. They chanted for one more match. Styles said the lights are a little brighter and the crowd a little louder than the last time he was in TNA. He said the talent was better than it’s ever been in TNA. I’m not sure about that last comment. Styles said Slater earned this moment and this championship. He said he was not only impressed but Slater reminded him why he loves this business. Styles said the X Division is in phenomenal hands now. He told Slater the next step is to make his legacy. Styles raised Slater’s hand.
Analysis: A cool moment with AJ returning ‘home’. I didn’t think he was going to have a match tonight. I thought it was either stopping Moose from doing some heel stuff during the match or maybe confronting whoever wins the World Title match. He did have a line about having another match in TNA, which, of course, would be terrific.
Match #6: 4-Way Ladder match for the TNA World Tag Team Championships: The Nemeths (c) vs The Rascalz vs The Hardys vs First Class
Myron Reed has replaced Trey Miguel, who just couldn’t recover from his injury in time. The Nemeths brought two ladders down with them. All the ladders were yellow and red. TNA sponsored by Hulk Hogan? Maybe, brother. The Hardys took down the Nemeths with ladder shots. They bounced a ladder off Navarro and then Francis. The Rascalz came in and copped the same. There were probably around 10 ladders around the ring. Matt suplexed Nic onto a ladder. The Hardys set up a big ladder up in the ring and began climbing. Francis pushed the ladder and Matt and Jeff got hung up on the top rope. Reed hit a leg drop on Navarro. He went for a dive from the top but Francis tossed the ladder at him. Francis whipped Reed into the ladder set up in the corner. He hit a splash on Reed against the corner. Francis picked up Reed and the ladder at the same time. He rammed Jeff and Nic with the ladder. Francis hit the World’s Strongest Slam with Reed falling on the ladder. He tossed the ladder out of the ring and put Navarro on his shoulders. They tried to reach the titles from the middle of the ring. Wentz dropkicked Navarro off Francis from the top rope. Reed hit a Codebreaker on Francis in the corner. Wentz and Reed stood on a ladder in the corner and slammed it hard on Francis. Reed hit a crazy cutter from inside the ring over the top rope to the floor on Ryan. Wentz climbed to the top of the ladder but Francis was under it. Francis shoved the ladder and Wentz went crashing to the outside, on top of Navarro and they went through the ladder. Francis began to climb but Matt stopped him with a chair shot to the back then a Twist of Fate. Jeff nailed the Swanton. The Nemeths cut them off before they could take the titles down. Ryan hit the Hollywood Ending on Jeff, whilst Nic hit Danger Zone on Matt. Ryan got in someone named Johnny Damon’s face at ringside. Damon pushed Ryan into the steel steps. The Nemeths and the Rascalz battled on the ladder back in the ring. Navarro came back into the ring and knocked everyone off by tipping the ladder down. He started swinging a chair at anyone who moved. Navarro shifted the ladder into the corner. Jeff brought another ladder into the ring. Francis climbed the ladder in the corner and hit a moonsault from near the top rung. He wasn’t caught very well and landed hard on his knees. Francis moved the ladder into its correct position. He and KC began to climb. They were just about to touch the titles but The Rascalz pushed the ladder over to the outside and they crashed through another one at ringside. For some reason, Francis leapt off the ladder and he landed with his legs between the ladder at ringside in a terrible bump. I think if he just took the fall on the side he would’ve been fine. One lady at ringside was laughing hysterically at that, though! The Hardys and the Rascalz fought in the ring. Matt hit his Delete turnbuckle shots on Wentz. Jeff hit a Twist of Fate on Reed. Matt hit a Side Effect on Wentz. Jeff set two ladders up on steel steps at ringside, like a bridge. They put The Rascalz on top of the ladders. Jeff went to the top rope and took them out with a Swanton Bomb. The ladder didn’t break so the fans chanted for another Swanton, which of course he obliged. The ladder bent a bit but the Rascalz went flying off it to the floor. All of the bigger-sized ladders were broken so Jeff went to ringside and got a remote control. He pressed a button and a helicopter-style ladder appeared from the rafters. Jeff began to climb but the Nemeths attacked him from behind. Matt came in and cracked Ryan over the back with chair shots. Nic hit a superkick on Matt. Jeff pulled Nic down to the mat and into the turnbuckle. Matt nailed him with chair shots to the ribs. He brought in another chair and they both put the chairs around the necks of the Nemeths. The Hardys hit dual Twist of Fates on the Nemeths. Jeff started to scale the single ladder. He got to the top and retrieved the titles to win the match after 16 ½ minutes.
Winners AND NEW TNA World Tag Team Champions: The Hardys
Analysis: ***3/4 In 2025, it’s pretty hard to come up with some new spots in a ladder match but that doesn’t stop it being one of my favourite match types. I haven’t watched every ladder match in history, but I can’t recall seeing one of those types of ladders in a match before. I don’t think the Hardys had to win this match, but if it means they’re staying in TNA then I am all for it.
After the match, Bully Ray made his return! Bully stared at the Hardys from the stage then made his way to the ring. He signaled that he wanted the tag team titles. I think he’s missing a partner. Bully got a microphone and congratulated Matt and Jeff on the win and the match. He said they were one of the reasons why we have a record attendance tonight in TNA. Bully reminded everyone about the first ever tag team tables match with The Hardys 25 years ago. He said he is always hearing the talk about who is the greatest tag team of all time. Bully said it was The Road Warriors, but what about the most successful? He said he wanted to give wrestling fans one last greatest match of all time. Bully challenged The Hardys to a tag team match at Bound for Glory against Team 3D. The crowd asked where D’Von was. Bully said at BFG they were going to hear “D’Von…Get the tables!” one last time.
Analysis: The rumours have been around for a while, especially from Bully, about this. It will be a little slower than their previous matches and I’m not sure what type of match they will have, but it will be a fun nostalgic match I am sure.
Santino Marella came out to hype up the main event. He announced that Tessa Blanchard was suspended. Marella wanted to know everyone’s prediction for the main event. Frankie Kazarian came out and ran down the panel. He reminded everyone that he has a guaranteed World Title shot. Kaz told everyone he was joining commentary.
Trick Williams had a Gospel ensemble singing his theme which was better than his original theme. It felt like a big-time main event
Match #7: TNA World Championship: Trick Williams (c) vs Mike Santana vs Joe Hendry
The crowd chanted for Santana early on. Hendry and Santana struck Williams with right hands early on. They hit a double flap jack and tossed him from the ring. Santana and Hendry faced off. Hendry used a side headlock takedown. Santana used one too. They had some nice counters early on. Hendry tried a shoulder tackle but couldn’t knock Santana down. He ran the ropes and knocked him to the mat. Santana hit some arm drags. Hendry hit a hip toss. He ducked a Spin the Block attempt. Williams came back in with a double clothesline. He struck both opponents with right hands in opposite corners. Williams missed a splash on Hendry. He nailed a big boot though. Hendry tossed Santana to the floor. He ran into a Uranage from Williams for a 2 count. Williams mounted Hendry with right hands. He hit a modified Attitude Adjustment for 2. Williams kicked Santana off the ring apron. He chopped Hendry in the corner. Hendry returned serve. He hit a cheap shot to the throat. Williams locked in the guillotine. Hendry powered him up into a suplex. Impressive. Santana came back in with a German suplex to Hendry. He chopped away at Williams. Santana bounced off the ropes with a jumping clothesline. He hit a jumping kick on Williams in the corner. Santana took a little too long to follow up and Williams hit a leg lariat. Williams hit a flapjack for a 2 count. He clubbed Santana over the back with forearm shots. Williams put Santana on the top rope for a superplex. Santana blocked it and sent him to the mat with headbutts. He couldn’t follow up so Williams nailed him with an upper cut. Hendry came to the party and powerbombed him while Santana hit a Blockbuster. That’s always a cool-looking spot. All 3 men were struggling to get to their feet. They exchanged upper cuts. Williams blocked Spin the Block but Santana hit a Pump Kick. Santana went back for Spin the Block but Williams hit a Trick Kick that sent Santana out of the ring. Williams turned around and fought out of the Standing Ovation. Hendry ducked a leg lariat and hit a sidewalk slam. Hendry hit the Standing Ovation but Kaz pulled the referee out of the ring just before 3. Hannifan was screaming at Kaz for costing TNA the World Title. The referee sent Kaz to the back. Santana wiped out Williams with a dive to the floor. Hendry followed up with one of his own. He sent Santana back into the ring. Hendry tried to throw Williams back into the ring too, but his left knee gave way. The referee signalled for the doctors. We couldn’t see how he got hurt because the camera angles during those 2 dives didn’t catch it clearly. Hendry ducked Spin the Block but couldn’t avoid the rolling cutter. Santana hit Outlined in Chalk and a cannonball in the corner for 2. Some referees helped Williams to his feet. Hendry turned another Spin the Block attempt into a pop-up powerbomb. He hit the Attitude Adjustment. Hendry set up for the Standing Ovation and nailed it but Santana kicked out just before 3. The fans were still a bit shocked about what was happening to Williams. Santana told Hendry to bring it. Hendry went for another Standing Ovation but Santana blocked it. Hendry hit a few upper cuts that sent Santana into the ropes. Santana blasted off the ropes with Spin the Block. He sent Hendry off the ropes and nailed another Spin the Block. Santana went for the cover but Williams came back into the ring and tossed him out of the ring. Williams covered Hendry to retain the title. Trick was never injured. The match lasted 13 minutes.
Winner by pinfall: Trick Williams
Analysis: ***1/4 I didn’t see that one coming. Biggest TNA show in North America of all time, with two face challengers, one being from New York and having an NXT outsider hold the title and they…checks notes…keep the title on the NXT wrestler? I rarely get angry about wrestling results (what’s the point?) but this is rolling over, even for TNA’s standards. Their two main titles are now in NXT wrestlers’ hands. Is this building to a whole NXT vs TNA show at Bound for Glory? I don’t know but I would think that this result will do the exact opposite of what TNA need from a new fan base directly after this show. I’m disappointed for Santana mostly. He should have his name chalked on the title as I write this. The match was okay but at only 13 minutes, you can’t really build a classic match with that time length. It was the theme of the night, really.
Trick Williams celebrated as the TNA World Champion. That was the end of the show.
Final Rating: 7.25/10
It was solid wrestling all night long from TNA, but if you’re a TNA fan who watches week-in and week-out, who believed the hype that this was going to be their best show ever, you are probably feeling a little underwhelmed after Slammiversary. Nothing was bad, but every match (bar the 8-man tag) was between 13 and 16 minutes. I don’t need multiple 25-minute matches to rate them as classics, but a lot of the time TNA matches end just as they’re starting to get really good. On a 3-hour PLE, there’s no excuse for not giving your talent enough time to put the best performance on that they possibly can. I have listed 3-matches as 3.75* matches. I’ll probably go with the X-Division Championship match as my favourite as they have legitimately built a star, Moose bumped his backside off and they had a great moment with AJ Styles returning. NXT having both major TNA World Championships blows and I hate it, but I guess when you’re in business with WWE you just do what you’re told because they’re putting your name out there. We had one decent surprise in the return of Bully Ray to build up Team 3D vs The Hardys at Bound for Glory, but nothing monumental. I’m proud that TNA set a new North American attendance record tonight. I’m proud that they’ve hauled themselves up from the mat time and time again, but I’m not proud at how easily they bend the knee to WWE and allow their wrestlers to hold TNA titles. That might sound melodramatic, but I think that’s a disservice to TNA fans. They need to learn from the last 18 months and work even harder to get these sized crowds regularly in the future, by holding their talent and attracting even more. Having the 4th Rope involved might not be a bad start.
As I mentioned in my last TNA Impact review, I won’t be doing TV reviews moving forward due to a lack of time in my life. I still plan on reviewing the PLE shows.
Any feedback or comments are welcome. My email address is [email protected] in case anybody wants to get in touch with me and my X handle is @thomok6 as well. Thanks for reading!