Tonight’s TNA Impact is the final stop before Friday’s Victory Road and will also include a look ahead to October’s Bound for Glory.
TNA Tag Team Champions The Hardys will come face-to-face with Team 3D ahead of their final meeting in October to negotiate their final terms for the match.
TNA International Champion Steve Maclin teams with former TNA World Champion Mr. Anderson against Jake Something and Frankie Kazarian.
A Call Your Shot gauntlet qualifier match will take place via a battle royal.
X-Division Champion Leon Slater teams with Cedric Alexander against The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel).
Jody Threat battles Victoria Crawford while the show is rounded out by a feature on Mike Santana.
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Taped from Minneapolis.
Tom Hannifan & Matthew Rehwoldt were on commentary.
Leon Slater & Cedric Alexander defeated The Rascals (Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz) (10:23)
Myron Reed, who is getting a title shot at the X-Division champion at Victory Road tomorrow night was on commentary. Miguel and Alexander exchanged chops, and Alexander hit a seated Miguel with a vicious dropkick to the back of the head. Miguel was double-teamed a lot in his opponents’ corner. Wentz got the tag and tried a pop-in lung blower, but Slater blocked it and kicked his opponent’s head. Slater got a near fall off a crossbody.
Wentz caught Slater with a handspring knee to take control. He got the tag to Miguel, who got a near fall off of a double team. Alexander eventually got the tag and took out Wentz with a release German suplex. Wentz blocked the Lumbar Check but got dropped with a Minchioku Driver for a near fall. Slater got the tag and dove into a knee from Wentz. Wentz hit a crucifix driver (set up with a superkick from Miguel) for a near fall. Wentz and Alexander went over the top, and Slater followed them out by hitting a dive on Wentz.
Back in the ring, Miguel caught Slater with a knee, and Wentz came off the top with a swanton for a near fall. The Rascals went for a double-team, but Alexander broke it up and started suplexing everyone like he was Brock Lesnar or something. Slater hit Miguel with a Swanton 450 and got the pinfall.
— Gia Miller interviewed Frankie Kazarian, who promised to make something out of Jake Something later tonight when they team up in the main event.
— On NXT Tuesday, TNA invaded and ruined the title for title match for the finish that literally everyone saw coming. ‘What happens next between TNA and NXT?” Probably TNA getting beaten down tomorrow night.
— Eric Young yelled at Santino Marella in the parking lot, and Marella made the match between Joe Hendry and Young for tomorrow night.
Victoria Crawford defeated Jody Threat (4:07)
Gia Miller apparently went to the TNA authorities and had Tessa Blanchard’s suspension lifted. Threat tossed Crawford to the mat with a Northern Lights suplex. Crawford looked terrible. Not everyone fired by WWE needs to be rescued by TNA. Crawford hit a boot for a near fall. Threat hit a bunch of chops and floored Crawford with a back elbow. Threat booted Crawford into the ropes and Crawford took a nasty bump into them. Threat dumped Crawford with a German suplex with Tessa Blanchard’s music played. Tessa returned and distracted Threat from the entrance stage. This allowed Crawford to hit an axe kick and get the pinfall.
— Joe Hendry gave a bit of backstory for his match with Eric Young tomorrow night at Victory Road.
— The System challenged Order 4 to leave both their factions in the back during tomorrow night’s Moose v. Mustafa Ali encounter.
Mance Warner won the Battle Royal to become #20 in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet at Bound for Glory (6:17)
This is a battle royal to qualify for another battle royal. The winner will be #20 in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet at Bound for Glory. The last person eliminated will be the first person in the gauntlet. The match will have both men’s division and knockout’s division performers.
AJ Francis did some mic work on his way to the ring and ran down his opponents. Rosemary gave him the mist and all the other competitors dumped Francis to the floor. Killer Kelly and Rosemary were eliminated. Ryan Nemeth eliminated Matt Cardona and The Home Town Man from the floor. It was later clarified that Nemeth went “through the ropes” which is why he could eliminate people from the floor. Nemeth also helped eliminate Xia Brookside from the floor. Léi Yǐng Lee lowbridged Nemeth to send him to the floor, leaving her one on one with Mance Warner. Warner booted Lee to the floor for the win. I wondered if Gail Kim found all of that believable. This was every modern battle royal where two people did spots while everyone else sold like they were dead until it was their turn to do spots.
— Mickie James and The Beautiful People will be inducted in the TNA Hall of Fame at Bound for Glory.
— A hype video for Mike Santana on his road to Bound for Glory. They’re doing their best to make Santana a big deal.
The Final Negotiation. Santino Marella brought out the Hardys and Team 3D. The crowd chanted “This is awesome!” before anything happened. Matt called The Hardys and Team 3D the greatest tag teams of all time, and Matt kept putting both teams over. Bully Ray said TNA was a “hot company” because of the Hardys. Did the Hardys make the deal that made TNA the NXT b-show? The fans chanted for a TLC match. The Hardys and Team 3D reminisced about all the times they nearly killed each other and openly wondered how Jeff was still alive. Bully Ray finally referred to his team as “The Dudley Boys” which got an ECW chant. The Hardys offer the Dudleys/Team 3D a shot at the TNA tag team title, which would make them “25 time tag team champions,” jumping ahead of all other tag teams in TNA. (I’d been assuming the titles were already on the line). Also the winner is the “greatest tag team of all time.” Bully and D-Von consult, and turn down the match. Again, I’m confused because I thought Bully Ray challenged The Hardys at the last ppv? The crowd chanted “TLC!” and Bully Ray brings up that The Hardys beat them in “the first ever tag team tables match,” which was “their match.” The Dudleys don’t just want a title match, they want a tables match. The Hardys agreed to the stipulation. Marella wanted both sides to sign a contract (which wouldn’t have had the table stipulation in it), but D-Von ripped up the contract. Instead both teams agreed with a handshake. This was the best thing on the show.
— Mustafa Ali is tired of the disrespect and the System, and Ali accepted Moose’s challenge to leave everyone else in the back for their main event. Ali ups the ante by adding the stipulation that the winner of the match gets his team the advantage in upcoming “Hardcore War” match at Bound for Glory. The System burst onto the scene and both sides stare each other down.
Countdown to Victory Road (8:30 EST start):
- Cedric Alexander v. Trey Miguel v. Zachary Wentz
- AJ Francis has Matt Hardy on the First Class Penthouse
Victory Road (9:00 EST start):
- Moose v. Mustafa Ali, winner gets the advantage in Hardcore War
- Hometown Man & Matt Cardona v. The Nemeths
- Mike Santana v. NXT’s Ridge Holland
- The Elegance Brand v. THe IInspiration for the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Titles
- Joe Hendry v. Eric Young
- Steve Maclin v. Frankie Kazarian for the International Title
- Leon Slater v. Myron Reed for the X-Division Title
No mention of the Knockouts World Title or the TNA World Champion on the card? This show is lacking a main event.
Steve Maclin & Mr. Ken Anderson defeated Frankie Kazarian & Jake Something (16:40)
Anderson tried the bit where they lowered the microphone, but I guess they left the microphone at the Impact Zone. Maclin improvised lowering the. mic from above Anderson’s head by standing behind him on a steel chair. Anderson honestly looked winded doing the “MR. ANDERSONNNNN!” gimmick, but they went to a commercial so he could catch his breath before the match started.
Something started out with Maclin and it didn’t go well for Something. Kazarian got the tag and the crowd chanted for Anderson. Anderson tagged in and squared off with Kazarian. Anderson took it to Kazarian, who made Anderson look good by bumping all over the place. Anderson and Maclin double-teamed Kazarian, and they sent both Kazarian and Something to the floor.
Back in the ring, Anderson and Maclin worked over Kazarian, until Kazarian caught Anderson with a face rake. This allowed the heels to take control. Something came in without making the tag and Hannifan freaked out on commentary. Kazarian hit a jumping leg drop for a near fall. Kazarian hit a snap suplex for another near fall. Something drew Maclin in the ring to allow another phantom tag, and Hannifan threw another fit on commentary. Kazarian worked Anderson over with a chinlock.
Anderson got the hot tag and Maclin took the fight to Something. Maclin hit a running knee on Kazarian and sent him down with a German suplex. Maclin hung Something upside down in the corner and charged, but Something avoided it. Kazarian floored Maclin with a clothesline. Something dropped Maclin with a short-arm clothesline. Maclin fought his way out of a chinlock and both men knocked each other down. After Anderson and Kazarian were tagged in, Kazarian went for the chicken wing. Anderson countered with a Green Bay Plunge for a near fall. Anderson went for his finish (the Mic Check), but Kazarian escaped.
Anderson countered a Fade to Black attempt from Kazarian and hit the Mic Check, but Something broke up the pin attempt. Something and Maclin brawled. Kazarian hit a back sapper and a sliding lariat on Anderson, then got a near fall off a springboard leg drop. The crowd was fully behind Anderson. Kazarian went for the Chicken Wing again, but Anderson countered into his own Chicken Wing. Something broke that up and got backdropped to the floor. Maclin got the tag, took out Something with a dive, then dropped Kazarian with an Olympic Slam. Everyone brawled in the ring again, and the babyface sent the heels into each other. Anderson hit Something with the Mic Check, and Maclin hit Kazarian with the KIA for the pinfall.
