The first live TNA Impact in eight years will likely be a newsworthy one given last Sunday’s Genesis pay-per-view and last week’s announcement of an official WWE/TNA partnership.
New TNA World Champion Joe Hendry will be on the show following his victory over now-former champion Nic Nemeth on Sunday.
After making an appearance and getting involved in the TNA Tag Team title match, NXT Tag Team Champions Fraxiom (Axiom & Nathan Frazer) will defend their titles against The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel).
TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich will team with Knockouts Tag Team Champions Spitfire against Rosemary and Ash & Heather by Elegance following their respective title matches last Sunday.
In a non-title match, TNA Tag Team Champions The Hardys will face X-Division Champion Moose & JDC.
After defeating Jordynne Grace, Tessa Blanchard will make an appearance as will Josh Alexander who quit the promotion Sunday but is contractually obligated to appear per Santino Marella.
**********
After several minutes of live audio being tapped in on the TNA+ feed, Tom Hannifan eventually informed the truck of this, and the audio stopped. The cold open video package aired to start off the first live show in eight years, recapping the action from TNA Genesis 2025.
Santino Marella Teases Surprises, History-Making Show
Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt welcome the viewing audience at home to the special live episode from San Antonio, TX. After a slickly-produced opening camera shot, footage is shown of Gia Miller talking with the TNA Director of Authority, Santino Marella, who teased “a couple of surprises” for the show.
Joe Hendry Kicks Off Special Live Episode
From there, the usual “Cross the line” theme and accompanying opening video hit to formally open the show. Back inside the Impact Zone, the viral smash hit, “I Believe in Joe Hendry” plays as the brand new TNA World Champion Joe Hendry makes his way out to the ring.
Rehwoldt calls tonight the start of a new era led by Hendry. He and Hannifan are shown on camera to emphasize again how important tonight is to TNA, and how significant being live is. Hendry does the dramatic soap opera turn to the hard-camera as his entrance tune wraps up.
“Say his name, and he appears! Joe Hendry is your TNA World Champion!” are the first words to come out of Hendry’s mouth. Fans respond with a loud “You deserve it!” chant. Hendry thanks the fans, noting anytime he faced an uphill battle, they had his back.
He said the journey to the title was then, but this is now. He said he went to Santino Marella and told him that not only will he be a fighting champion, but he’ll put his title on-the-line against anyone, from anywhere. “And folks, trust me when I say anything can happen, because for the first time in eight years, TNA iMPACT is live!”
With that said, the theme for TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella hits and out he comes with a microphone in-hand. He congratulates Hendry and confirms his story about coming to him insisting he’ll be a fighting champion inside and outside of TNA.
He says he had an individual who took him up on his offer. So tonight in the main event, it’ll be Joe Hendry defending his title against “Alwayz Ready” Matt Cardona. “The Indy God” comes out with a big smile on his face. The opening segment wrapped up on that note.
Eric Young Wants To Help Josh Alexander, Steve Maclin Doesn’t
Footage of Josh Alexander quitting TNA at TNA Genesis 2025 is shown. Afterwards, a backstage digital exclusive from Sunday’s PPV is shown, with Eric Young asking how after all that, Alexander is really going to quit and leave. Alexander doesn’t say a word and walks off.
Back live, Steve Maclin is with Eric Young, and asked why he bothered wasting his time. Young said he saw something. Maclin said he did too, at one time, but not anymore. He reminds him of the despicable acts of Alexander as of late. Young says he wants to help him. Maclin makes it clear he does not.
Up walks “The Walking Weapon” himself. He says he’s not here to make excuses. He says he’s here to tell Young and Maclin he respects them both. He thanks them for everything over the years. He tries extending his hand for a shake, but doesn’t get any buyers.
Rehwoldt and Hannifan are shown on camera again to recap the Alexander situation. They promote a segment later in the show where we will learn more about Alexander’s status. They run down the rest of the lineup for tonight as the match graphics flash across the screen, and then the show heads into the first commercial of the evening.
Nic Nemeth To Addresses TNA Status Next Week
When the show returns, we see Gia Miller backstage talking to Ryan Nemeth, when his big brother Nic shows up. Nic Nemeth tells Miller that next week he will address his TNA status. Ryan then gets on Miller’s case, insisting she pre-screen her questions in the future, as not to upset his big bro.
Rosemary, Ash & Heather By Elegance defeated Spitfire (Dani Luna & Jody Threat) & Masha Slamovich
Inside the Impact Zone, George Iceman takes a cowboy hat and stomps on it to show the Texas crowd what he thinks of “The Lone Star State.” He then introduces the Knockout duo of Ash and Heather By Elegance. They come to the ring and are joined by their partner, Rosemary, who makes her way out next.
Their opponents, TNA Knockouts Tag-Team Champions Spitfire make their way out first. Dani Luna and Jody Threat come to the ring and stop at ringside. The entrance tune for their partner hits, and out comes TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich.
Six-Knockouts tag-team action kicks things off inside the ring on the first live episode of TNA Impact in eight years. Threat and Ash kick things off for their respective teams. Ash pushes and slaps Threat, and gets decked with a big right hand in response by Threat.
Threat goes to work on Ash in the corner with repeated shots. Threat works Ash over for a few more seconds before tagging in Luna. Luna scoops Threat up and bodyslams her onto Ash for a close two-count. Ash tags out and in comes Heather by Elegance.
She quickly decides against engaging, instead tagging Rosemary and quickly rolling out to the floor. Meanwhile, Luna shoulder tackles Rosemary and begins working over her arm. Luna makes the blind tag to Threat, and the two hit some double-team action on Rosemary, finishing with a seated splash for a two-count.
Rosemary fights back, snatching Threat up by the throat and muscling her into the corner with one arm. With her other free arm, Rosemary snatches up her own partner, Heather, by the jugular as well. She shouts some orders at her and then tags Ash in.
Ash takes out Threat with a clothesline after Heather snuck in a knee to the back on the ropes. Rosemary tags back in and grounds and pounds Threat before letting out a war-cry scream. She hits a big splash on Threat in the corner and then hits an exploder suplex for a two-count.
Masha Slamovich tags in and takes out any-and-everyone in sight with bullish offensive spurts and flurries. Threat tags in and takes over, hitting slams and drivers on everyone until she is kicked out of the ring. Slamovich hits a spinning kick on Ash and tags in Luna.
Ash rolls Luna up out of nowhere, but only gets two. Luna back suplexes Ash onto her elegant dome — three times in a row. As the action continues, the theme for WWE NXT Superstar Cora Jade hits. She makes her way down with a folder in her hand.
She hands it to Slamovich, who pulls out an X-ray photo of herself. Cora pulling a page out of Slamovich’s own playbook leads to Ash rolling up a distracted Slamovich for the win. After the match, the show heads into another commercial break.
Josh Alexander Addresses Quitting TNA Wrestling
When the show returns, Josh Alexander’s theme hits and “The Walking Weapon” makes his way out alongside Northern Armory associates Travis Williams and Judas Icarus. He gets on the mic and is booed Dominik Mysterio and Don Callis-style.
Alexander, who was promoted as being contractually obligated to appear, starts by thanking TNA for giving him the opportunity to address some things, “because I certainly didn’t have to.” He talks over the loud boos about how he wants to be remembered for the good times he had in TNA, not the past few months.
He says he’s been here six years and his son is now six years old. His son has only ever known him as a TNA wrestler. As a former champion and someone who risked it all to achieve his dream. On June 19, 2002, Alexander was 15 years old. He tuned into the first TNA broadcast and was inspired.
Fans start giving him the “What?” treatment along with more sustained booing as he tries to continue his Hulk Hogan at Saturday Night’s Main Event style fighting-against-the-grain promo. He says if you believe one thing, believe this — his time in TNA over the past six years has been a dream come true.
It’s now time for him to step away. “Guys, guys …relax.” He tells Judas and Travis not to worry because they have all the talent in the world. He talks about going to bat for the two with TNA management. He says The Motor City Machine Guns did as well.
He calls them the best up-and-coming tag-team in the world. “You can do this, just do it the right way. Because it’s gonna be without me.” They tell him he can’t quit. Alexander says he can and has. They tell him he doesn’t understand. He can’t leave. They then sneak-attack him.
As the two continue to beat down Alexander, Eric Young sprints out from the back to make the save. He tells them he knows they haven’t been around long enough to know what’s going on. “One, you don’t mess with Texas, and two, you don’t mess with Eric Young and ‘The Walking Weapon.'”
He tells him next week it’ll be Williams and Icarus against Young and Alexander. Hannifan says “let’s see if it gets made official.” He and Rehwoldt run down the remaining lineup for tonight as the match graphics flash across the screen, and then the show heads into another commercial break.
The Hardys defeated Moose & JDC
When the show returns, The System theme hits and out comes Moose and JDC, accompanied by Eddie Edwards, Brian Myers and Alisha Edwards. The duo head to the ring for the next match of the evening, as Hannifan and Rehwoldt talk about the last live Impact eight years ago featuring the debut of Moose.
After they settle inside the squared circle, their music pipes down, the iconic tune for the Hardys pipes in, and the San Antonio crowd goes insane as Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy make their way to the ring. The TNA Tag-Team Champions settle inside for their non-title match to loud “Hardy! Hardy!” chants.
As they head to opposite corners to pose for the fans, they are ambushed and attacked from behind by Moose and JDC. The System duo pound on The Hardys for a few seconds, but then the champs fight back. They put JDC and Moose in the same corner and hit their trademark Poetry in Motion spot.
Matt and JDC settle as the legal man starting the match off. Matt bounces JDC’s dome off the turnbuckles over-and-over again as fans chant “DELETE! DELETE!” He hits an elbow to the back of a standing JDC’s head after leaping off the middle rope. He looks for Twist of Fate, but JDC escapes.
A brief Alisha Edwards leads to a cheap shot from Moose to the back of Matt’s head. JDC follows up and then tags in Moose. The TNA X-Division Champion settles in the ring and picks up where JDC left off, taking it to Matt as fans loudly boo. Moose quickly tags back out and JDC takes back over.
JDC controls the action for a couple of minutes, but misses when going for Down ‘N’ Dirty. This buys Matt enough time to make the much-needed tag to Jeff. “The Charismatic Enigma” hits the ring off the hot tag and the crowd goes wild as he takes it to JDC and Moose by himself.
Alisha Edwards gets involved again, leading to another brief shift of offensive momentum, but it quickly swings back in the other direction. Jeff takes his shirt off and hits his trademark top-rope Swanton Bomb for the pinfall victory. The Hardys pose with their titles in the ring to the adoring crowd to wrap things up.
23 Is Just A Number … Or Is It?
The Hardys head over to say something to Hannifan and Rehwoldt, but as they do, the lights in the Impact Zone begin flickering.
The mysterious and cryptic 23 flashes on the big screens on the entrance ramp like they have the past several weeks, as a voice says “23 is just a number.” Hannifan points out that today is January 23, a.k.a. 1/23, as the show heads into another commercial break.
When the show returns, Sami Callihan makes his way down to the ring. Hannifan says a match was scheduled for right now, but Callihan has taking over. Callihan demands his music be cut and then immediately makes it clear he’s sick of waiting and mind games about this “23” mystery.
He tells 23 to get down here right now. Some music begins playing. Out comes Steph De Lander. The new TNA Digital Media Champion. She claims she won the title in the divorce. “What’s mine is mine and what’s his is mine!”
She says now that her husband is out the door, she wants to introduce us to her boyfriend. The lights go out. The 23 vignette plays again. “23 is just a number.” When the lights come back on, Mance Warner is in the ring. He attacks Callihan.
“The Southern Psycho” is in TNA and literally you can hear a pin drop for his highly-promoted debut. He takes De Lander’s title and the two make out, Edge-Lita style, to end the segment. The show heads into another a TNA Rebellion 2025 trailer.
Fraxiom (c) defeated The Rascalz to retain the NXT Tag-Team Championships
When the trailer wraps up, we return in the Impact Zone, where Hannifan and Rehwoldt introduce “The Liaison” Arianna Grace, who joins them on guest commentary. They hype up the NXT Tag-Team Champions Fraxiom defending against The Rascalz.
The bong hits begin as the lights go out. When they come back on, The Rascalz duo of Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz descend from their treehouse and head to the ring for their big inter-promotional title opportunity.
After they settle in the ring, the theme for NXT Tag-Team Champions hits, and out comes the Fraxiom duo of Axiom and Nathan Frazer. The “Tag Lines” tale of the tape style graphic flashes on the screen and then the bell sounds to get things started.
Miguel and Axiom kick things off for their respective teams. Miguel takes Axiom down and isolates his left arm. He cranks away at it, but Axiom flips around and escapes, launching Miguel across the ring with a big shot. He wraps up Miguel in a side-stretch after tagging in Frazer.
Frazer hits the ropes Bron Breakker-quick before launching himself knee-first into the open mid-section of Miguel. Rehwoldt encourages Grace to speak, and she does by talking about being friends with Fraxiom. Important contributions from “The Liaison” only, of course.
Fraxiom continue to utilize frequent tags, keeping a fresh man in the ring and keeping Miguel isolated on their side of the ring at all times. Minutes later, Wentz finally gets the hot tag and helps pick up the pace and shift the offensive momentum into The Rascalz’ favor.
Wentz hits a standing shooting star press for a close two-count. Fans react with a loud “This is Awesome!” chant as Wentz and Frazer continue to fly all over the ring in fast-forward-looking-fashion. Fraxiom hit a double-team spot on Miguel as the referee was checking on Wentz.
Frazer hits a super-plex on Wentz off the ropes. He rolls through and hoists him up again, hitting another as Axiom adds the contribution of a super kick on the way down. Frazer follows up with an immediate cover, but only gets two. Wentz fights back with a spinning knee to the chin off the ropes.
Everyone is down and recovering as the crowd shows them some more love. Wentz hits Axiom with an enormous kick that pops the crowd and commentary team-alike. He walks into a big shot from Axiom after that, but Miguel hits the ring and The Rascalz take over with some double-team spots.
Frazer goes for a springboard moonsault off the ropes, but is met with stereo super kicks from Rascalz on the way down. The Rascalz hit the Street Sweeper off the ropes double-team spot for a close two-count. WWE NXT Superstar and former member of The Rascalz, hits the ring.
Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe attack Wentz from behind as Lee distracts the referee. Fraxiom take over on Miguel in the ring. Axiom hits a Spanish Fly. Frazer follows up with his splash off the ropes for the win. Fraxiom retains. After the match, the show heads to another commercial break.
Mike Santana Interrupted By Returning Mustafa Ali
When the show returns, Mike Santana’s theme hits and he makes his trademark custom ring entrance through the crowd, as Tom Hannifan refers to him as the new standard in TNA. Santana settles in the ring and talks about beating Josh Alexander at TNA Genesis.
Santana boasts getting the torch of the standard of TNA passed to him by Alexander, and that he made him say those two magic words he claimed he never would, which, of course, were “I Quit.” Santana then makes his TNA World Championship aspirations clear.
It seemed like that was going to be it, but as Santana gets ready to leave, he is cut off by the familiar sounds of the entrance music of Mustafa Ali. Ali comes out and comes into the ring with Santana. Ali confirms he has signed with TNA. He says the company needs great leadership, and he is that leader.
Ali announces a campaign in which he becomes the next world heavyweight champion. Santana makes a crooked face while standing calmly in the corner taking this all in. Ali reminds us all that “In Ali, we trust!” His theme hits again. Ali side-stares Santana, smirks and exits the ring.
Tessa Blanchard Talks San Antonio & Blanchard Family History
Backstage, we see a shot of Tessa Blanchard’s locker room door, complete with the name plate on the door. A security guard knocks on the door and out she comes. The security guard waves the direction for her to walk, and informs her she’s next.
Tessa “Bill Goldberg” Blanchard is next. The show heads to another commercial break on that note. When the show returns, Tessa’s hip-hop theme, which mentions her name and diamond references, hits. She makes her way out to boos.
Blanchard talks about Texas, and San Antonio in particular, as a place her family made their name. She says the Blanchard’s own San Antonio. Her father, Tully Blanchard, is shown in the background smiling as she continues to talk.
She talks about her grandfather, Joe Blanchard, bringing the first wrestling to cable television “before WWE was even a thought.” Easy, they’re you’re partners now! She mocks San Antonio for not having a real sports team. She says the Spurs don’t count.
The only thing San Antonio is famous for is losing the Alamo. She talks about her family looking at her and seeing something greater than any Von Erich, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin or any Funk. “Tessa, you are going to be great.” She said most parents don’t do that. She says you have to pay the price to be great.
Fans can say whatever they want about her, “but you will never hear that Tessa Blanchard is not great. The standard here in TNA Wrestling has just been raised.
It is time to step up or shut up. At TNA Genesis, I took out the trash, and now it’s time to get back to business.” She claims Tessa Blanchard answers to no one and her music hits again to wrap things up.
Joe Hendry (c) defeated Matt Cardona to retain the TNA World Championship
It’s main event time!
The Tale of the Tape “Tag Lines” graphic flashes on the screen to set the stage for the main event of the evening. Frankie Kazarian’s theme hits and out comes the self-proclaimed “King of TNA” and Call Your Shot Gauntlet winner, with his trophy in-hand. He joins Hannifan and Rehwoldt on commentary.
From there, the “Alwayz Ready” theme hits and out comes “The Complete” Matt Cardona, as he is being called. Cardona settles inside the squared circle and poses on the ropes ahead of his big title opportunity in his return TNA appearance.
After Cardona settles inside the squared circle, the familiar sounds of Joe Hendry’s catchy-ass entrance tune plays to bring out the brand new TNA World Champion and face of the new era of TNA, Joe Hendry. The fans in San Antonio clearly believe, and are making as much known as he heads to the ring.
A fan holding up a “Joe Hendry believes in breakfast tacos” sign is shown on camera. Got to love the San Antonio creativity. McKenzie Mitchell is shown on-camera and handles the formal pre-match ring introductions for the champion and challenger.
Hannifan mentions #TNAWrestling is trending number one in Sports in America on X as the show heads into a quick pre-match commercial break. When the show returns, the bell sounds to get things started. Hendry over-powers Cardona off the initial lock up.
Kazarian talks on commentary for the second time since sitting down about being in a bad mood. He claims if JBL shows his face inside the Impact Zone, he might just knock him out. Meanwhile, Hendry goes to work with repeated chops to Cardona in the corner.
Cardona hits Hendry low and taunts the booing crowd in the Boeing Center. Hendry fights back and takes over. Hendry hits his trademark stalling suplex spot. “252 pounds of pure motivation” continues to work over Cardona, until “The Indy God” knocks him out of the ring and chokes him with his t-shirt.
As Cardona rubs it in the fans faces, he turns and leaps on Hendry, who catches him and Donkey Kong’s him off the hard part of the ring apron from the floor with an A.A. As Kazarian boats smelling good tonight on commentary, Cardona pokes Hendry in the eyes and takes over as the show heads into a mid-match commercial break.
When the show returns, Hannifan runs down the advertised lineup for next week’s show (see below), as Cardona continues to work over Hendry in the ring. Hendry begins to fight back, and stomps and claps to lead the fans in “We will rock you” sounding comeback background noise.
Cardona cuts Hendry’s comeback short, however, and the cheers quickly turn to loud droning boos. Cardona looks for the Re-Boot, but Hendry avoids it and begins fighting back again. He looks for a power bomb, but Cardona escapes and blasts Hendry in the throat.
He follows up with a missile dropkick and close-range DDT for a two-count. Cardona complains to the referee. He turns around and looks for Radio Silence, but Hendry avoids it. The referee gets bumped just as Hendry hits his Standing Ovation finisher. “That’s certainly a shame, isn’t it?” says Kazarian on commentary.
Kazarian claims this is where Hendry would normally grab brass knuckles, which Hannifan quickly points out is actually a page out of Kaz’s own playbook. Cardona blasts Hendry with a blatant low-blow while the referee was still down. Kaz says his monitor went out, so he didn’t see it. Rehwoldt didn’t either, of course.
Cardona rubs his hands together and eyes the TNA World Championship at the timekeepers table. He picks it up and continues his fixated stare at it as he heads to the ring. JBL comes out through the crowd and takes out Cardona with a Clothesline from Hell. Fans chant “JBL! JBL!”
Hendry is stuck confused at JBL’s actions. He turns around and is blasted by a recovered Cardona with the title. Cardona covers him just as the referee comes back to life. Hendry kicks out at two-and-a-half. Hendry fights back and hits a Standing Ovation seconds later for the win, getting the first defense of his TNA World Championship under his belt. That’s how the first live TNA Impact in eight years goes off the air.
Next Week:
* Eric Young & Josh Alexander vs. Travis Williams & Judas Icarus
* Mustafa Ali vs. TBA
* We’ll hear from Nic Nemeth
* Wes Lee vs. Ace Austin
Thanks for joining us and don’t forget to follow F4WOnline.com’s Matt Boone on Twitter/X.
