TNA Victory Road 2024 Review

TNA ran its strongest card of the year at Victory Road as Nic Nemeth defended the TNA Championship against Moose, and Joe Hendry battled Josh Alexander.

Despite there only being two weeks between Emergence and Victory Road, TNA has put together a card full of interesting match-ups and potentially quality bouts. I’m looking forward to finally seeing Josh Alexander facing Joe Hendry. Usually, you don’t expect many (if any) title changes at these shows, however, I wouldn’t be surprised if we crown a few new champions tonight, just by how the storylines are going.

I did not watch the pre-show. Kushida beat Leon Slater in around 8 minutes and the team of Jake Something and Hammerstone defeated Eric Young and Steve Maclin in a 7-minute match. I would’ve preferred that to be added to the main show as those 3 guys are great and then there’s Young. That should’ve replaced the PCO tag match which on paper is just silly.

Victory Road was billed as the largest crowd for TNA in the US this year so I’m looking forward to a loud Impact Zone throughout the night. They had the usual decent video package to open the show, which showcased some of the matches. They showed Eric Young and Steve Maclin, even though they’ve already had their match which suggests that maybe their match was supposed to be on the main card.

TNA Victory Road 2024 from the Boeing Centre, San Antonio: TX

Match #1: The Hardys vs First Class

Here’s a token match for The Hardys to kick off the show and hype the crowd. This could’ve been a number 1 contenders’ match, but then First Class just lost to ABC again last night. Good to see some quality tag teams building up in TNA again. The logical pathway here is The Hardys winning the titles off a heel team like The System, if they were successful tonight. It’s Jeff and KC Navarro starting the match. KC did some funny dancing to mock Jeff. He tried a shoulder tackle but Jeff was too big for him to knock down. The crowd was taunting AJ Francis but I couldn’t quite work out what the chant was. Jeff hit a trio of jawbreakers on KC and danced in his face. He tagged Matt in and they hit Poetry in Motion on KC. Matt took him down with a tilt-awhirl slam for 2. Matt targeted the left shoulder of KC, who fought back with chops. Matt did his Delete head shots into the middle turnbuckle and hit a diving elbow across the neck of KC. AJ took a cheap shot at Matt from the apron. Matt tossed KC over the top rope but AJ caught him. Matt dropkicked the both of them. Back in the ring, KC tripped Matt up into the middle rope and nailed a dropkick. He tagged in Francis. They did a little double team work. AJ hit a bad-looking big boot and stood on top of Matt, squashing him. He choked Matt out against the middle rope and covered him for a 2 count. AJ tossed Matt into the corner and nailed a splash, then a big sidewalk slam for 2. He went to the top and mocked the Hardy hand signals then went for a Swanton but missed, however it still looked smooth. Matt and AJ tagged out. Jeff was on fire with clotheslines and his front-facing suplex for 2. Nice air on that suplex. Jeff nailed his legdrop to the mid-section and a dropkick for 2. He stacked up KC with a legdrop into a pin for a close 2 count. Jeff called for the Twist of Fate but AJ came in and nailed him with the World’s Strongest Slam. The referee was literally 2 metres away and the ring bounced as AJ hit the move, yet the ref was oblivious to the interference. Goodness me. AJ set up for the Swanton again but Matt came in for the save. The referee still didn’t notice the interference because he was looking at KC who was down injured. The Hardys nailed a double superplex on AJ from the top. Navarro went ¾ of the way across the ring with a Frog Splash on Jeff but Matt broke up the pin. Nice move there. The crowd called for the end of the match but Francis powered out of the Twist of Fate. He set up for the Down Payment on Matt but Jeff flew off the top to stop him. The Hardys fought out of a double Down Payment attempt and hit a double DDT on AJ. He rolled out of the ring. The referee continued to allow the double teaming. Jeff hit a Twist of Fate on KC and Matt hit a neckbreaker. Matt hit a Twist of Fate and Jeff ended it with a Swanton. The match lasted 10 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: The Hardys

Analysis: *** Good, fun opener that was soured by stupidity in the form of the referee. Either that or TNA just treats its fans like idiots or have been watching too much AEW. I hate to be a stickler but you can’t just allow constant interference in a tag team match without even attempting to tell the wrestlers to leave the ring. The crowd loves The Hardys every time they are on TNA and this was a smart choice for the opener. Jeff’s Swanton Bomb looks as good as ever after 25+ years.

There was a promo for Bound for Glory, which is TNA’s biggest PPV of the year. If Nic Nemeth defeats Moose tonight, there’s no clear heel challenger for him so I’m interested in the direction that TNA takes after tonight.

Match #2: X-Division Championship: Zachary Wentz (c) vs Mike Bailey

This is Bailey’s rematch after losing the title 2 weeks ago at Emergence. The only way that Wentz should lose this is if Wes Lee costs him, otherwise a 2-week reign is pointless. Or maybe they inject a personality into Bailey and turn him heel. Lee took out Trey Miguel this week which meant The Rascalz missed their NXT Tag Team Championship match on Tuesday. Wentz seemed distracted early on and Bailey took advantage with a dropkick. Wentz was frustrated and told Bailey to hit him harder. Bailey obliged with forearms and then broke free from a submission to roll up Wentz for 1. Wentz nailed a superkick that sent Bailey to the floor. He hit a suicida to the outside and wrenched down hard on Bailey’s arm from the ring apron. Wentz hit a high dropkick on Bailey for 2. Bailey sent Wentz over the top and hit a big boot to send him from the apron. He did his triangle moonsault to the outside which is always aesthetically pleasing Bailey hung Wentz over the top rope and did a double knee stomp across the back. Wentz sold it like a move of death and writhed in pain on the mat. Bailey used his legs to hit a modified Dragon Screw and then locked in a submission on the mat. Wentz was able to break the hold by getting to the ropes. The crowd was jeering Bailey a bit which is new to see. Wentz hit an atomic drop and then swept the feet out from Bailey. Bailey nailed his combo kicks to take Wentz down. He hit a kick to the back of Wentz and then missed the running SSP. Wentz caught Bailey in mid-air with a flapjack. He hit a running knee in the corner, then a running punt to the chest. They both missed running SSPs and then both connected with kicks to the chest. The referee counted them to 8 before they made it to their feet. They exchanged forearms and Wentz told Bailey to keep bringing it. Bailey turned the tables on Wentz and then they just pounded each other with forearms to the face. Wentz took Bailey over the top rope with a running crossbody. Bailey hit a pump kick on the outside and rolled in to break the referee’s count. Wentz struggled to get on the ring apron. Bailey tried to baseball slide Wentz’s feet from out from under him but Wentz jumped out of the way. Bailey hit a moonsault to the outside again. He rolled Wentz back into the ring and Wentz avoided Ultima Weapon. Wentz hit a running knee to the face. Bailey avoided a UFO cutter but Wentz stomped him on the mat. Wentz hit a PK from the ring apron then nailed a flying senton to the floor. He tossed Bailey back into ring but couldn’t follow up so Bailey swept his legs. Bailey hit a double knee stomp on Wentz on the ring apron. Ouch. Bailey went back in to stop the count, then followed up on the entrance ramp but Wentz nailed him with the headlock DDT which spiked Bailey. Bailey made it back into the ring at the count of 9. Wentz went for a Swanton but Bailey got his knees up. Bailey nailed another double knee stomp and then a thrust kick that sent Wentz inside-out. I don’t know the logistics of how you sell like that but many wrestlers should watch how good Wentz made that kick look. They battled on the top rope and Wentz got the best of it with a cutter off the top rope. Wentz covered quickly but Bailey got his shoulder up just before 3. Bailey blocked a kick but Wentz hammered away on him with right hands, sending him into the corner. He hit a running knee in the corner and brought him to the top rope. Bailey turned it into a sit out powerbomb. He nailed a perfect Shooting Star Press for a really close 2 count. Amazing air on the SSP there. Bailey nailed another thrust kick and then the Tornado Kick in the corner. He missed Ultima Weapon and Wentz rolled him up for 2. Wentz tried another roll up for another 2 count. He nailed a crazy flipping DDT that looked like The Fold for 2 again. Bailey blocked the headlock DDT and hit the Poisonrana. He set Wentz up in the corner for the Tornado Kick again but took too long and Wentz nailed the Busaiku Knee. He scored with the headlock DDT for only 2 again. This is turning into a fantastic match. Wentz nailed a superkick and went for the UFO cutter but Bailey countered it into a backstabber. What a move. Bailey hit the Flamingo Driver for the win after 19 minutes.

Winner by pinfall AND NEW TNA X-Division Champion: Mike Bailey

Match Rating: ****1/4 That was absolutely fantastic and you felt like they could’ve easily gone another 10 minutes plus. My only gripe is with the “Hit Me” stuff, which was a little silly, and I am a little peeved for Wentz that his first singles run was cut short after two weeks. He has Wes Lee at the NXT CW debut in a street fight so maybe they just wanted to make it about the personal rivalry and not involve a title. I’m not sure but a two-week reign doesn’t make much sense. These two guys made everything look so easy. So many of their moves involved their opponent landing on their head and all of those looked so believable. Hats off to both men.

Steph de Lander Segment

The Matt Cardona ownership of SDL angle continues. That probably makes some people uncomfortable but it’s TV and I can tell the difference between that and real life. SDL had a ‘Property of Matt Cardona’ shirt which probably also angered the same people. SDL took a microphone before the match began. She talked about her career being a dream so far. SDL put the crowd over for being sold out. She said that this feud between PCO and Cardona was hurting her mentally and physically. SDL said she needed neck surgery. Then the fans gave her the ‘What?’ treatment which seemed poor. She said Cardona was still her best friend despite being a jerk recently. SDL talked fondly about PCO then said this wasn’t a retirement but just a bump in the road. The fans chanted ‘Gore’ which again seemed in bad taste. Cardona now doesn’t have a tag team partner. The commentators used the SERIOUS voices. PCO took SDL to the back. Rhino was about to leave too but Cardona gave him a low blow kick against the middle rope. Cardona nailed Rhino with Radio Silence.

Analysis: There was no match which was fine with me because it didn’t really fit the show, in terms of quality.

Gia Miller interviewed Nic Nemeth backstage. Nemeth said you can feel the energy of the fans in the arena even in the back. He said Moose has his number but tonight he walks out your fighting TNA Champion.

Match #3: TNA Knockouts’ Tag Team Championships: Masha Slamovich & Tasha Steelz (c) vs Spitfire

Alisha is still not cleared so they’ve been allowed to sub in Tasha Steelz, who is a far superior wrestler. Alisha still walked out holding the title. This could be Dani Luna and Jody Threat’s last match as a tag team. If they lose, they must split up. Steelz ducked a clothesline early on and tagged in Slamovich. Threat wanted a piece of her so tagged in. She got the first real offense in with a flurry of clothesline in the corner and then an Exploder suplex. Luna tagged in and covered for a 2 count. She took a front face lock and tagged in Threat. They tried a double suplex on Masha but Steelz ran in to prevent it. She nailed a kick to the head of Threat and Slamovich hit a Brainbuster for 2. Slamovich hit a few running punts to the back of Threat for 2. She tagged Steelz in, who choked Threat out against the bottom rope. Threat tried crawling for a tag but Steelz cut her off. Steelz chopped away at Threat in the corner, then a running upper cut. She hit a PK for 2. Steelz raked the eyes of Threat, away from the referee so that she couldn’t see it. Slamovich tagged back in with a trio of suplexes. She covered Threat for another 2 count. Steelz tagged back in again. Slamovich fought them both off with right hands and dived across the ring to tag in Luna but fell just short. Steelz targeted the back of Threat with a seated senton. She locked in a modified Camel Clutch, then tried a roll up for 2. Steelz went for another roll up and again Threat kicked out. She sent Threat into the corner. Threat knocked Slamovich off the apron and hit a Tornado Suplex on Steelz, which allowed her to finally make the tag. Slamovich also tagged in. Luna kicked Steelz off the apron and then hit some clotheslines on Masha. She nailed a single-leg dropkick on Slamovich. Luna suplexed Steelz back into the ring. She caught Slamovich and hit a Fallaway slam on Slamovich into Steelz. Luna nailed a powerbomb on Slamovich for 2. She tagged in Threat and they set up for a double team finisher. Steelz dragged Luna to the outside. Slamovich tossed Threat into Steelz for a superkick. Slamovich hit a German suplex with a bridge for 2. Steelz and Slamovich set up for the Magic Killer but Luna ran in so Steelz hit a superkick on her. Slamovich hit the Snow Plow on Threat, but Luna tossed Steelz from an attempted Slice Bread into her to break up the pinfall. They tossed Luna from the ring and set up for the Magic Killer. She ran back in and stopped it. Spitfire tossed Steelz and Slamovich into each other. Threat hit the Pop Shove It on Slamovich. Luna with the Luna Landing on Steelz. They picked Slamovich up and nailed her with the Pressure Drop to win the titles back after 11 minutes.

Winners by pinfall AND NEW TNA Knockouts’ Tag Team Champions: Spitfire

Analysis: *** That was a good tag team match and the addition of Steelz certainly improved the match. Spitfire winning and staying together is obviously good for the division and the right move.

After the match, Alisha got into the ring and berated Slamovich for losing. Steelz ran in from behind and nailed a cutter on Slamovich.

Analysis: This might get Slamovich back into singles action. Steelz with Alisha would be fine as she’s doing nothing at present.

Match #4: Josh Alexander vs Joe Hendry

Alexander turned heel by hitting Hendry with a low blow during the main event of Slammiversary a few months back. Since then, they really haven’t had much to do with each other which has seemed odd but Hendry has been busy on TNA’s #1 promoter, NXT. The crowd was very vocal towards Hendry before the bell. Hendry said that Alexander questioned if he was ready to beat him or be the face of TNA. He said that how could he doubt himself when he has whole arenas across the country cheering for him. Matt Rehwoldt said Hendry had a cult of personality around him this year. CM Punk drop! Tom Hannifan called Josh Alexander the best wrestler on the planet, despite him being unable to beat Nic Nemeth two weeks ago. Alexander outwrestled Hendry early on. Hendry didn’t like the disrespect so he shoved Alexander back into the corner. The ‘Walking Wiener’ chants were back. Hendry took Alexander over with a few headlock takedowns. He hit a hip toss and sent Alexander into the corner with upper cuts. Hendry nailed his stalling suplex and carried Alexander around the ring, asking the fans whereabouts he should drop him. Hendry covered for a 2 count. Hendry tried to suplex Alexander onto the floor from the ring. Alexander blocked it and used the top ring rope to wrench down on Hendry’s arm. He hit his running crossbody to take Hendry off the ring apron. Alexander threw Hendry back into the ring and covered him for a 2 count. The fans chanted Hendry’s theme again. Hendry tried a sunset flip pin for 2. Alexander popped out and went straight for the ankle lock. Hendry rolled through and sent Alexander throat-first into the bottom rope. Hendry went for a clothesline but Alexander ducked and nailed a German suplex. Alexander tried a dropkick but Hendry sidestepped him. Hendry nailed the Fallaway slam and kipped up. Alexander blocked the Standing Ovation with a stiff right hand but then ran into a pop-up powerbomb. Hendry got another 2 count. Alexander bailed to the floor. He ducked a clothesline attempt and hit a big boot. Alexander tried tossing Hendry into the steel post but Joe hit a Trust Fall on the floor. Back in the ring, Hendry went for the Ego’s Edge but Alexander popped off his shoulders and hit one of his nasty backbreakers. Alexander wanted the C4 Spike but Hendry back body dropped him. Alexander bounced Hendry’s head off the top turnbuckle. He went to the top but Hendry cut him off with upper cuts. Hendry soaked in the crowd’s adulation. He should’ve just superplexed Alexander. Hendry recovered and nailed a Fallaway slam from the top rope! He quickly covered the Canadian for a 2 count. They hit duelling forearms/ upper cuts. The crowd was right into this match. They have chanted about 10 different chants already. The combatants continued to strike each other hard but Hendry won the battle with a chop to the mat. Alexander cleverly used his leg to trap Hendry’s ankle and lock in the ankle lock. The fans chanted “We believe” and Hendry used this to reach the bottom rope. Hendry trapped Alexander’s arms and tossed him into the bottom turnbuckle head-first. He stomped away at Alexander in the corner. Alexander shoved Hendry into the referee which took him down. He went for the C4 Spike but Hendry rolled out of it and locked in the ankle lock. Alexander tapped but the referee was down. Alexander broke free from the Standing Ovation attempt and nailed the low blow. Hendry sold it and then did his spin around and showed the crowd that he had protection. I think the cup had his own face on it. Hendry nailed the Standing Ovation. Alexander sold it perfectly. Hendry went back to the ankle lock. He sat down on Alexander’s neck to trap him and Josh tapped out. The match went 17 minutes.

Winner by submission: Joe Hendry

Analysis: **** I thought that was a very entertaining match. Hendry is not on Alexander’s level in terms of wrestling ability but Alexander’s work here made Hendry look at least on his level. The crowd was absolutely fantastic for the whole match. The only thing I didn’t like was Alexander losing with his own move. That’s two matches in a row now- first to Nemeth with the C4 Spike at Emergence and then tonight by pinfall. It fits the storyline for Hendry to get payback but it seems like a bit of a dig at Alexander. That probably kept it from rating it a little higher but I still thoroughly enjoyed the whole presentation of the match and the way they played off each other so well. It was never going to be a wrestling clinic but there was so much in the match to draw the fans in. Another 5 minutes would’ve been even better.

Match #5: TNA World Tag Team Championships: ABC (c) vs The System

It was Chris Bey and Brian Myers starting off the match. Bey got the early advantage and tagged Ace Austin in. Myers took over with a shot to the ribs and a shoulder thrust in the corner. Austin bounced off the opposite corner and targeted Myers’ left arm. He tagged in Bey and they hit a double hip toss. The referee allowed them to hit another few moves illegally, which is kind. Bey flew over the top and took Eddie Edwards out. Austin punted Myers in the chest from the ring apron. He went back into the ring and bounced off the opposite rope but Edwards pulled down the ropes so he went crashing to the floor. Bey went to pull himself back into the ring but Myers hit a spear through the ropes on the injured ribs. Cool spot there. Edwards tagged in and dropped some knees on Bey. There were some choice chants at The System from the crowd. Edwards tossed Bey hard against the turnbuckle. He stomped down hard on his ribs. Myers tagged in and Alisha choked Bey using the middle rope. Myers trapped Bey in a standing switch. He ran into a knee strike to the ribs. Edwards tagged in again and scored a 2 count. He nailed a big backbreaker then swatted Austin from the ring apron. Edwards hit a running forearm and tagged Myers in. Myers went back to the injured ribs. He moved into a sleeper hold. Bey hit a jaw breaker and broke free of Myers. He went to tag Austin but Edwards pulled him from the ring apron. Myers rolled Bey into the heel corner and tagged Edwards back in. Edwards chopped Bey down to the mat and scored a 2 count. Myers was back in and they nailed a double team backstabber for 2. That was unique. Edwards was legal again and hit a hard scoop slam then tagged out. He stomped down on the ribs of Bey and tagged Edwards again. Edwards took another cheap shot at Austin. He tried for a Tiger Bomb but Bey turned it into a sunset flip for 2. Bey nailed a kick on Edwards and Myers took Austin off the apron. Austin hit Myers with a roundhouse kick on the floor and then jumped back to the apron for the tag at last. Austin hit Edwards with a Russian Legsweep and a leg drop. He teed off on Edwards with a flurry of right hands and springboard spinning kick. Austin spiked Edwards and scored a 2 count. Myers got back into the ring but Bey nailed a double Art of Finesse on The System. Austin covered Edwards for a nearfall. Bey tagged in and hit a Superman Punch on Edwards. They went for the 1-2-Sweet but Edwards caught Bey in mid-air with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Austin nailed a spinning kick on Edwards. Myers took him down with a Roster Cut. Bey fought off Myers with right hands. Alisha tripped Bey up in the ropes. He turned around and ran into a spear from Myers. Edwards hit the Boston Knee Party to win the titles back after almost 16 minutes.

Winners AND NEW TNA World Tag Team Champions: The System

Analysis: ***1/2 It was solid but nothing special. The ending felt anti-climactic because The System had cheated so much in the match already that another double-team move really didn’t feel like a big deal. I also don’t think they need the tag titles. If it means that Bey and Austin can move back to singles action then I am okay with that, but I think this was a move to get the titles on The Hardys in the near future.

Match #6: TNA Knockouts’ Championship: Jordynne Grace vs NXT’s Wendy Choo

For the casual NXT fan, this is not the happy version of Wendy Choo but a much darker version. She has been aligned with Rosemary on NXT TV lately. Grace got a bigger reaction than usual as she is from Texas. She really needs a storyline. I liked the stare down with Guilia on NXT this week. Grace was on fire with a tilt awhirl suplex and a unique spinning slam for a 2 count. She avoided a shot from the loaded pillow and hit a DDT on the floor. Choo hit a Russian Legsweep on the pillow. She went to use it again but Grace’s grandmother, who was sitting in the front row, grabbed it off her. Grace hit a clothesline on Choo then celebrated with Grandma. She tossed Choo into the ring but Choo tied her up in the ropes and hit an axe kick. Choo nailed a kick to the ribs for a 1 count. She hit a snapmare and then wrenched at the neck of Grace using her legs. Choo choked Grace in the corner using her feet. She hit a nice cartwheel forearm in the corner and followed up with a big boot but Grace put her feet on the ropes. Wendy tied Grace upside down in the corner and nailed a dropkick for 2. Grace blocked a suplex attempt and they took the fight to the top turnbuckle. Choo hit a headbutt but Grace came back with an upper cut. Grace hauled Choo up onto her shoulders but Choo had a Cobra Clutch applied. Grace turned her body in mid-air as they crashed to the mat to break the hold. Grace hit the rolling DVD for 2. Choo blocked the Juggernaut Driver attempt. Grace pummelled her with clubbing blows to the back. Grace hit a backfist and a running slam that dropped Choo on her neck. Grace covered for a 2 count. She backed Choo into the corner and took her to the top again. She slapped Choo a few times. Choo tried a Sunset Flip Bomb but Grace held onto the ropes. Choo ran back to the top with a belly-to-belly suplex from the top rope! She nailed the Brainbuster for a 2 count. Nice follow up there. Choo missed a kick so Grace tried a Juggernaut Driver but Choo blocked it. Grace tossed her across the ring with a suplex for 2. Choo tried for the sleeper hold but Grace was right at the ropes. She hit a Full Nelson Bomb and went back to the sleeper. Choo locked a body scissors in. Grace got to her feet with Choo on her back. She drove Choo into the top turnbuckle. Grace powerbombed her hard out of the corner. She nailed the Juggernaut Driver for the win after almost 12 minutes.

Winner AND STILL TNA Knockouts’ Champion: Jordynne Grace

Analysis: ***3/4 That was surprisingly much better than I expected. Choo looked really good out there and I liked the power moves of both women. She certainly didn’t back down and that was easily the best match Grace has got out of any of the NXT women, even Roxy as their match just didn’t click. I liked it a lot.

Post-match Rosemary attacked Grace with the As Above, So Below DDT. Choo locked in the sleeper hold and Grace was out.

Analysis: I hope they have a bigger opponent for Grace than Rosemary at Bound for Glory but that looks like the direction we are headed.

Match #7: TNA World Championship: Nic Nemeth (c) vs Moose

Frankie Kazarian joined the commentary booth for the main event. Moose used his power to back Nemeth into the corner early. He missed an upper cut attempt and Nemeth hit a dropkick. There won’t be any mat wrestling in this one. Nemeth tried his 10 punches in the corner but Moose just went and nailed a powerbomb inside the first minute of the match. Moose taunted the fans then hit a Sky High out of the corner for a close 2 count. He tossed Nemeth into the steel ring post in the corner. Moose tried an abdominal stretch but Nemeth bit Moose’s hands to break the hold. Nemeth bounced off the ropes but Moose hit his beautiful dropkick that sent Nemeth out of the ring. They were talking up Kaz’s TNA title worth on commentary. I hope they go with Hendry at BFG and not Kaz, though. Nemeth launched Moose onto the entrance ramp with a back body drop. They got back into the ring and Moose tried a sleeper hold. Nemeth got to his feet and fought back with some body shots but Moose cut him down with one blow to the back. Nemeth sidestepped a Moose clothesline attempt and he went sailing over the top rope. Moose recovered with a pump kick on the floor. He wanted a powerbomb on the apron but Nemeth countered with a hurricanrana. Nemeth tried a running hurricanrana but Moose powerbombed him on the apron on the second attempt. Moose taunted Nemeth with arrogant kicks to the head. Nemeth fought back and clotheslined Moose over the top rope. They battled on the floor and Nemeth sent Moose into the steel ring post. He nailed a German suplex on the floor. Moose got to his feet and launched Nemeth through the timekeeper’s table with a powerbomb. The table exploded on impact. Moose set up for the spear but Nemeth sidestepped and sent him into the ring post. He nailed a superkick and the Fame Asser for 2. Kaz was getting annoying on commentary with his Tom Hannifan attacks. Alisha Edwards and JDC ran down to ringside to distract Nemeth. Nemeth jumped from the top but Moose caught him. Nemeth slipped over the shoulders of Moose and went for a sleeper. You could clearly hear him calling the next spot. Moose hit a snapmare but ran into a superkick. Moose held the ropes to avoid the Danger Zone. Moose hit a great spear for 2. He still doesn’t need to spin himself around though, that just looks dumb. Alisha slipped Moose the TNA title. Mike Santana showed up and took it off him. JDC and Santana fought to the back. Moose was distracted by all that so Nemeth hit the Danger Zone but Moose still kicked out. That’s a first in TNA. Kaz put over Alisha’s voice so if that’s not evidence that he’s a heel, well there won’t ever be any. Nemeth sent Moose from the top rope with a headbutt. Moose sprang back up with speed and nailed a superplex. He went for the powerbomb but Nemeth countered in mid-air with the Fame Asser. Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers ran down to the ring and pulled the referee out of the ring. Daniel Spencer was about to disqualify Moose but Nemeth pleaded with him not to. Spencer sent the tag champs to the back. They weren’t leaving so JBL turned up again and ringside and murdered Myers with the Clothesline from Hell. He gave another one to Edwards then walked through the crowd. Moose took advantage and hit a huge lariat. He lined up Nemeth and speared him almost through the canvas. Moose pinned Nemeth but he kicked out again before 3. Nemeth tried to fire up but Moose chopped him hard 3 times. They exchanged chops. Nemeth couldn’t knock Moose off his feet with clothesline so hit a superkick. Moose blocked a second superkick and nailed a headbutt. He bounced off the ropes and Nemeth sent him inside-out with a clothesline. Nemeth hit another superkick and the Danger Zone for the win after 17 minutes.

Winner by pinfall AND STILL TNA World Champion: Nic Nemeth

Analysis: **** Yes, it was overbooked and there were a million superkicks but the thing I liked about this match was that they were straight into it from the bell and continued on that pace for 17 minutes. It was intense because that’s what the storyline has called for. It made sense. This was much better than their Rebellion match (***1/4) and I’m happy that they got another chance to have a great match, which they did. Nice to see JBL show up again. That adds to the story and continues the intrigue. All of the Kaz commentary leads us to think that it’s Nemeth vs Kaz at BFG. Is that the big PPV match up? Not for me but I’ll let it play out.

Final Rating: 7.75/10

That’s the highest rating I’ve given a TNA show since Hard to Kill in January. On first thought, it felt like a better show than that but there were other factors I took into place then such as the rebrand, surprises, debuts etc. Tonight was just a great night of wrestling. The stories made sense and most of the booking worked. The crowd was excellent throughout the show and that certainly lifts match ratings when the fans help the match quality. There were 3 matches at the 4-star or above level and I went ***3/4 for Grace vs Choo. It felt really good at the time but I might need a second watch as I saw a few comments online about their chemistry. It felt like a hard-hitting match to me.

The X-Division Championship match shaded the TNA World Title match and Hendry/Alexander as match of the night. That was just a flurry of action and two guys pitted against each other who work at an electric pace and could’ve gone another 10 minutes without breaking a sweat. Hendry vs Alexander was great for entirely different reasons. The fans were invested, there was a good story and FINALLY some good Joe Hendry booking is emerging. And then the main event was really fun and at a great pace from the opening bell. There were really no slow or flat spots and the crowd was with them from the start.

The main show was under 3 hours which is always appreciated here in Australia where I am reviewing shows usually late at night.

The next TNA PPV is Bound for Glory on October 26th.

Hard to Kill: 8/10
Victory Road: 7.75/10
No Surrender: 6.75/10
Sacrifice: 7/10
Rebellion: 7/10
Under Siege: 6/10
Against All Odds: 7.5/10
Slammiversary: 7.5/10
Emergence: 6.75/10

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!