TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth will take on Matt Cardona in non-title action in one of the headlining matches of tonight’s edition of Impact.
As PCO prepares to face Cardona at Bound for Glory in a Monsters Ball bout, the two agreed to Pick Your Poison matches and the former selected Nemeth to face Cardona. Conversely, Cardona picked Rhino to take on PCO tonight in a no DQ bout with PCO’s Digital Media and International titles on the line.
This will be the first meeting in TNA between Nemeth and Cardona.
Ahead of their title match at the pay-per-view, Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace will come face-to-face with Masha Slamovich.
X-Division Champion “Speedball” Mike Bailey will defend against prospect Leon Slater after Slater won a three-way qualifying match last week.
Mike Santana will face Brian Myers of The System as their rivalry continues.
Former World Champion Steve Maclin will also appear tonight.
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PCO (c) defeated Rhino to retain his TNA Digital Media & International Heavyweight Championships in a Pick Your Poison match
After a recap package showing highlights from last week’s show, we shoot inside Skyway Studios in Nashville, TN., where Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt welcome us to this week’s show. The theme for Rhino hits and out comes the soon-to-be TNA Hall of Fame inductee for our opening match.
After “The War Machine” settles inside the squared circle, the theme for his opponent hits, and out comes TNA Digital Media & International Heavyweight Champion PCO. “The French-Canadian Frankenstein” heads to the ring to a big crowd reaction.
The bell sounds and these two immediately get after it in this, the first of two Pick Your Poison matches scheduled for tonight’s show. Rhino and PCO quickly end up on the floor at ringside, where Rhino runs and slams PCO into the ring barricade and ring apron.
PCO fights back and rams Rhino into the steel steps. Rhino gets back to his feet and the two trade stiff chops. Rhino hoists PCO up and slams him down spine-first over the steel ring steps. PCO gets hold of a steel chair and stabs Rhino in the mid-section with it before blasting him across the back with it.
The two fight to the ring apron. PCO has Rhino down and climbs up the top-rope. He attempts a senton but Rhino moves and PCO crashes onto the ring apron — hard. He also hit some steel chairs on the way down. Rhino takes over again from there, bashing PCO in the dome with a trash can.
PCO starts to fight back, chopping Rhino and sending him shoulder-first into the steel ring post. He rolls him back in the ring as fans in Nashville break out into a “PCO! PCO!” chant. PCO brings the trash can into the ring with him and smashes Rhino across the back and then over the top of the head with it.
“The French-Canadian Frankenstein” hoists “The War Machine” up and chokeslams him onto the trash can, which smooshes into a bent mess. Rhino rolls out to the floor. PCO hits the ropes to build up momentum and then dives through the ropes on the other side of the ring for a splash, only to be waffled by a perfectly-timed trash can shot from Rhino.
Back in the ring, PCO starts to fight back and take over again. He sends Rhino into a trash can stuffed between the ropes in the corner. He brings a steel folding chair into the ring and unfolds it. He sets Rhino’s upper-torso across it and begins climbing to the top-rope for a PCO-sault.
Rhino gets up before PCO takes flight, however, and brings him down the hard way, slamming him onto the unforgiving steel chair with authority. He goes for the cover, but only gets a count of two. A table is brought into the ring to the delight of the Nashville crowd.
PCO ends up putting Rhino through the table. He climbs to the top-rope and this time successfully connects with a PCO-sault for the win. Very fun, crowd-pleasing opening match from two salty veterans.
Gia Miller Interviews TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth
Backstage, we see Gia Miller standing by with her guest, current TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth. He talks about being a fighting champion and brings up his Pick Your Poison match later in the show against Matt Cardona.
He says he wanted to defend his TNA World Championship in the bout, but TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella told him he would be potentially compromising the TNA Bound For Glory 2024 main event.
He says Cardona used to be something special. He vows to steal the show and beat Cardona. After this wraps up, the show heads into the first commercial break of the evening.
Ash By Elegance defeated Brinley Reece
When the show returns, “The Liaison” between TNA Wrestling and WWE NXT, Arianna Grace, makes her way out with a microphone in-hand. She introduces another talent from WWE NXT, Brinley Reece. She makes her way out to the ring for our next match of the evening.
After Reece settles inside the squared circle, her music is cut off by the sounds of George Iceman’s voice. The personal concierge for Ash By Elegance tells Grace to hit the bricks and mentions being in Music City in Nashville.
He then rambles on before ultimately doing his job as the personal ring announcer for Ash By Elegance, and introduces her for her match against the aforementioned WWE NXT Superstar. She comes out to boos from the crowd and then the bell sounds to get things started.
The two take a moment before getting after it, and when they do, it is Reece who angers Ash after rubbing her lipstick off and smearing it around her face. Ash fights back and after landing a good shot, tries taunting with what Hannifan described as the worst push-ups ever.
Reece takes over and slams Ash, before dropping down for some push-ups of her own, complete with claps on the way down. Ash shifts the momentum in her favor and grabs a handful of Reece’s hair, before slapping a rear chin-lock on the WWE NXT Superstar.
As things progress, Reece ends up taking back over. She hoists Ash up seemingly with intentions of finishing her off, only for Iceman to hop on the apron and provide a match-altering distraction. Ash takes over as a result, hits her top-rope finisher and scores the pinfall victory.
Once the match wraps up, Iceman gets back on the mic and announces that next week, there will be a VIP Makeover Launch Party By Elegance for Heather Reckless. He offers a teaser now, and Ash drops down and smears lipstick all over Reece’s face until Xia Brookside runs out to chase her off. The show heads into another commercial break.
“Speedball” Mike Bailey (c) defeated Leon Slater to retain the TNA X-Division Championship
When the show returns, an odd stalker-style vignette airs with Rosemary and WWE NXT Superstar Wendy Choo following TNA Knockouts Tag-Team Champions Spitfire (Dani Luna & Jody Threat) around and about. Their match for the titles is made official for TNA Bound For Glory 2024.
Once the package wraps up, we return inside the Impact Zone where Leon Slater makes his way to the ring for our next match of the evening. After he settles inside the ring, the reigning and defending TNA X-Division Champion “Speedball” Mike Bailey makes his way out.
The bell sounds to get things started, and immediately we see Slater taking it to the champ with kicks and fast-paced offense. They start to mirror each other, kipping up simultaneously, before “Speedball” starts to take over.
Bailey slows down and grounds Slater, securing a hammer lock. The commentators talk about this going against Bailey’s usual approach to victory. Slater fights back with a power game of his own, and then the two each miss back-to-back dives to the floor on the other.
Slater trips Bailey in the ring from the floor, and then slingshot splashes on him for a two-count. Slater tries to fly over the top onto Bailey on the floor, but falls right into a well-timed kick from the educated feet of the champ.
Bailey follows up with a top-rope moonsault. He hammer-locks Slater’s arm against and then slams it into the steel ring post, as the show heads into a mid-match commercial break. When the show returns, we see both guys recovering as fans chant “Fight Forever! Fight Forever!”
Slater fights into the offensive lead, hitting a wild slingshot splash onto Bailey at ringside with one-arm, as he has been selling the arm that Bailey worked on with the hammer-lock and ring post shot earlier in the bout.
Back in the ring, Slater gets the crowd on his side as he stalks Bailey, waiting for him to get up. He charges at Bailey with vicious intentions, but Bailey catches him coming in. He goes back to the hammer-lock on Slater, focusing on the weakened limb of the determined challenger.
The two end up on the floor and in one quick motion, Bailey hops up to the ring apron, hits the ropes and launches himself high in the way for a moonsault onto Slater. Back in the ring, Slater looked for a top-rope high spot, but Slater moves and he lands on his feet.
Slater capitalizes with a standing Blue Thunder Bomb for a close two-count. After some more back-and-forth fast-paced, high-flying offense, things finally culminate with a flamingo driver by the champ for the pinfall victory.
An absolutely excellent title tilt on this week’s Impact, which Hannifan calls “an instant classic that unfolded right in front of our eyes.” He is speaking the truth. After the match, Bailey and Slater share a moment of mutual respect in front of an appreciative Nashville crowd.
As Bailey continues his celebration, a video package airs showing highlights of El Hijo Del Vikingo in action in the past. The package wraps up with the announcement that Vikingo will be challenging Bailey for the X-Division Championship at TNA Bound For Glory 2024. The announcement draws audible gasps from the Nashville crowd. Afterwards, the show heads into another commercial break.
The Hardys & ABC Ready For Next Week & Bound For Glory
When the show returns, we see a video package promoting the TNA World Tag-Team Championship Full Metal Mayhem three-way bout for TNA Bound For Glory 2024. After it wraps up, we see The Hardys and ABC backstage.
The two teams share mutual respect to each other after recently sharing the ring together. They announce that they’ve got one more stop before Bound For Glory, which is next week, where they will team up to take on The System.
They talk about having that business to handle, but then they will be opponents again at Bound For Glory. The Hardys mention how everyone says in the past tense that they are one of the best teams ever. They aim to prove they still are in what they claim could be their last-ever Tables, Ladders and Ch…Full Metal Mayhem match. ABC says they’re ready to take out another veteran duo.
Josh Alexander, Sinner & Saint Beat Down Steve Maclin
We return inside the Impact Zone, where Steve Maclin’s theme hits and he makes his way to the ring. He gets on the microphone and talks about having a talk with Eric Young. “The Walking Weapon” Josh Alexander comes out with Sinner & Saint.
Alexander asks if we’re really supposed to believe Maclin has had a complete change of heart after one talk with Eric Young. He says he’s spilled more blood in TNA than anyone in history. He says he’s the longest-reigning world champion in company history, the TNA poster boy and the heart-and-soul of the company.
He says at the blink of an eye, all the fans turned their backs on him. With that in mind, how does he believe that the fans are supposed to believe in a failure like Maclin. Maclin talks about his history with Alexander, and how he once told him he was not a failure, and not an outsider.
He was home grown. He stops talking briefly as he notices Sinner & Saint closely surrounding him at ringside with evil looks on their faces. Maclin says he and Alexander are nothing alike. Alexander says Maclin finally said something he agrees with.
Maclin says they say sometimes you have to check your ego. He says tonight is not one of those times, and then lunges at Sinner & Saint to start to a fight, which quickly goes bad for him. Alexander joins Sinner & Saint in a three-on-one beatdown.
They zip-tie his hands behind his back and then Alexander smacks him and hits him with a C4 Spike. Alexander vs. Maclin is official for TNA Bound For Glory 2024. The three leave him laying as the show heads into another commercial break.
Mike Santana Gets Laid Out By Moose
When we return, TNA/NXT Liaison Arianna Grace and TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella are backstage with the tumbler that will be used for the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match at TNA Bound For Glory 2024.
In comes Frankie Kazarian talking disrespectfully, prompting Marella to remind him that he’s the Director of Authority. After their verbal exchange, the brief backstage segment wraps up.
Back inside the Impact Zone, The System make their way out, back in their Mark Henry circa WWF 1996 red, white and blue matching jackets. They wish Brian Myers well and head to the back, as he heads to the ring.
Mike Santana’s entrance tune hits next and out he comes with a steel chair, which he wraps around his hand at ringside. The referee goes out to try and get it off him, but he blasts Myers with it.
In the ring, Santana blasts each member of The System, one-by-one, as they rush down to the ring to try and attack him. Santana unwraps the steel chain and uses it to connect with his Spin the Block finisher on Myers.
He gets on the mic and says he’s sick of everyone in The System. He calls out Moose from the back and challenges him to get his “baby-boy b*tch ass out here right now.” Fans break out in a “Baby-Boy B*tch!” chant, but Moose never shows up.
He heads to the back to look for him, but gets laid out with a baseball bat to the dome. Moose tells Santana to be careful what he wishes for and walks off leaving him laying. The show heads into another commercial break on that note.
Jordynne Grace, Masha Slamovich Face-To-Face
In a special room, we see TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace and her challenger for TNA Bound For Glory 2024, Masha Slamovich, seated at a table, with color-commentator Matthew Rehwoldt sitting in-between them.
The two talk about their history after Grace questions Slamovich crossing her out on a picture on her wall of victims. They stroll down memory lane, with Slamovich talking about having to sit idly by while Grace worked the WWE Royal Rumble.
Grace talks about Slamovich being a former undefeated queen of the Knockouts division, until Grace beat her. Then she beat her again. Then she beat her a third time. She knows that eats at Slamovich everyday. Slamovich assures Grace that one way or the other, no matter what, she is leaving Bound For Glory with the TNA Knockouts Championship. She walks off on that note.
Nic Nemeth defeated Matt Cardona in the Pick Your Poison main event
It’s main event time!
When we return, the lineup for next week’s TNA Bound For Glory 2024 “go-home” episode of the show is announced (see below), and then Frankie Kazarian’s theme hits. The self-proclaimed “King of TNA” makes his way out, to the dismay of Tom Hannifan, to join he and Matthew Rehwoldt on special guest commentary for the main event of the evening.
The theme for Matt Cardona hits and Mr. “Alwayz Ready” heads to the ring as Kazarian gives him praise for always being tan and in-shape. He settles inside the squared circle for our second of two Pick Your Poison matches on this week’s show.
We hear the trademark unzip and pleased-female moan, followed by the familiar sounds of the entrance theme song for the reigning TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth. He heads to the ring as the show heads into a quick pre-match commercial break.
When the show returns, Kazarian warns Hannifan for his recent comments about him on a past broadcast, informing him that if it weren’t for his good friend, Rehwoldt, he would beat his brains in right now. The focus shifts back to the offense in the ring, which sees Nemeth jump off to a strong offensive lead in the early goings.
The camera pans up the entrance aisle, where a line of security guards are shown standing side-by-side, blocking the entrance tunnel. Hannifan points out they are security brought by Cardona, who is fearful of PCO heading into their scheduled Monster’s Ball showdown at TNA Bound For Glory 2024.
Meanwhile, “The Indy God” starts to find some success, shifting the offensive momentum in the match in his favor. The crowd groans and boos as Cardona taunts them and Nemeth after settling into a comfortable offensive lead.
He sends Nemeth into the steel ring post and then in paranoid fashion, looks over his shoulder to make sure PCO is nowhere in sight. Cardona heads out to the floor and decks Nemeth with a boot to the jaw. Cardona looks for a piledriver to Nemeth on the floor, but Nemeth counters with a back body-drop.
On the ring apron, Cardona blasts Nemeth with a cheap shot thumb to the eye, before launching him off the apron into the steel ring steps with authority. On that note, the show heads into the final commercial break of the evening as the Pick Your Poison main event continues.
When the show returns, Kazarian makes multiple references to being a big part of the upcoming main event for the world title at TNA Bound For Glory, only for Hannifan to point out each time that Kazarian lost to Joe Hendry, and that it will be Hendry-Nemeth one-on-one for the title.
Kaz plays it off and keeps talking like it’s a fact that he’ll be involved regardless. Cardona has been controlling the offensive momentum since the return from the break, however he walks into a big super kick from the champ. Nemeth begins to take over, only for Cardona to sneak a low-blow to Nemeth without the referee noticing.
As Cardona backs up and prepares to finish off Nemeth, the lights in the building start blinking as thunder is heard rumbling. Out comes “The French-Canadian Frankenstein” himself, PCO. He takes out Cardona’s security guards one-by-one, as Cardona looks on in fear from the ring.
While distracted, Cardona stands by as Nemeth recovers and blasts him with his Danger Zone finisher. Nemeth makes the cover and gets the win. PCO picks up a lifeless Cardona and carries him over his shoulders to the back, as Hannifan questions where he is taking him.
Special Guest Referee Announced For TNA Bound For Glory Main Event
In the ring, Nemeth is celebrating his win when out of nowhere, Kazarian leaves his spot at the commentary desk and attacks the TNA World Champion from behind. We hear the familiar sounds of “I Believe In Joe Hendry” and the crowd explodes as the challenger for Nemeth’s title at TNA Bound For Glory hits the ring and makes the save for his opponent at next weekend’s pay-per-view.
The two beat down Kazarian and send him out of the ring. Kazarian gets on the microphone and asks the crowd if they enjoyed Nemeth and Hendry manhandling him. They make it clear that they did. Kazarian says he hopes they’re equally enthused about this next announcement.
“The King of TNA” pulls out a zebra-striped shirt and announces that he has been named the special guest referee / enforcer for the Nemeth vs. Hendry main evet for the TNA World Championship at TNA Bound For Glory 2024.
The crowd boos as Nemeth and Hendry play the confusion as this week’s show goes off the air on that note. Thanks for joining us and don’t forget to follow F4WOnline.com’s Matt Boone on Twitter/X.
Next Week:
* TNA Bound For Glory Dual Contract Signing
* The Hardys & ABC vs. The System
* Josh Alexander vs. Jonathan Gresham
* Wendy Choo vs. Jody Threat
* Ash By Elegance VIP Makeover Launch Party
