TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth will put his title on the line against former champion Josh Alexander in a one-hour Iron Man match that headlines tonight’s Emergence streaming special.
The two went to battle recently in a 30-minute draw that put this rematch into motion.
TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace will team up with Spitfire (Jody Threat & Dani Luna) against Ash by Elegance and Knockouts Tag Team Champions The Malisha (Masha Slamovich & Alisha Edwards).
In a five-man Ultimate X match for the X-Division title, “Speedball” Mike Bailey will defend against Hammerstone, Jason Hotch, Zachary Wentz, Laredo Kid and NXT’s Riley Osborne.
In an eight-man tag, The System (Moose, Eddie Edwards, Brian Myers & JDC) will take on Matt & Jeff Hardy, Joe Hendry & Mike Santana.
In a clash of former World Champions, Steve Maclin goes one-on-one with Eric Young.
The pre-show features Frankie Kazarian against KUSHIDA, and PCO taking on a mystery “monster” supplied by Matt Cardona.
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Frankie Kazarian defeated KUSHIDA
“The King of TNA” Frankie Kazarian heads to the ring to kick off the Countdown to Emergence in the opening match of the evening. He makes a member of the ringside crew get on all fours so he can step on him to get into the ring.
“The Time Splitter” KUSHIDA heads out next to a good pop from the Louisville crowd, which begin chanting his name before the match begins. The bell sounds and things get started with Kazarian immediately stepping through the ropes to avoid the action.
Kazarian orders the ring announcer to formally introduce him as “The King of TNA.” KUSHIDA drills Kazarian with rapid-fire forearms and hits a splash off the ropes. He hits a hurricanrana to send Kazarian out to the floor to re-group.
He doesn’t get to do much re-grouping before KUSHIDA hits a kick through the ropes that launches Kazarian into the barricade. He follows up with a running knee off the apron onto Kazarian on the floor. Back in the ring, KUSHIDA decks Kazarian and covers him for a two-count.
Kazarian fights back, and connects with a short clothesline to shift the offensive momentum in his favor. He stops to taunt the crowd before going back to work on KUSHIDA. He hits a power slam and a slingshot leg-drop before stopping to taunt the crowd some more.
KUSHIDA begins no-selling some punches and pushing his forehead into Kazarian, but Kazarian sends him into the corner with authority and continues to work him over. KUSHIDA fights back with an attempted Hoover Board Lock, but Kazarian avoids it and locks in a Chicken Wing of his own.
KUSHIDA escapes, but Kazarian gets him back in it again. Once again he escapes, and this time connects with a Tanaka punch. KUSHIDA goes for the Hoover Board Lock while he and Kazarian are on the top-rope. Kazarian fights his way free and hops down on the floor.
KUSHIDA splashes on Kazarian from the top-rope to the floor and slaps a straight armbar on him at ringside. Kazarian hits a low blow to KUSHIDA through the ropes while the referee was distracted. Kazarian follows up with Fade To Black for the win.
AJ Francis & KC Navarro To Challenge For Tag-Team Titles Tonight
We shoot to Gia Miller backstage with AJ Francis. Francis is asked who will be replacing injured Rich Swann to take on ABC for the TNA Tag-Team Championships. KC Navarro comes into the picture and is revealed as his partner for the bout, which Santino Marella has confirmed for the show.
PCO (c) defeated Shera to retain the TNA Digital Media & International Heavyweight Championships
After we return inside the Impact Zone, “The Indian Lion” Shera is revealed to be PCO’s “Mystery Monster” for the title tilt against the TNA Digital Media & International Heavyweight Champion. PCO comes out next and starts the fight while still being introduced.
The two brawl on the floor near Steph De Lander, who is at ringside with “The French-Canadian Frankenstein.” He lays out Shera on the apron and comes off the top with a swanton on the way to the floor. Ouch. He and De Lander stop for an air-dry-hump that pops the crowd.
Back in the ring, with Shera laid out, PCO heads to the top-rope backwards. He leaps off with his PCO-sault for the pinfall victory. De Lander joins PCO in the ring with his two titles belts and the newlyweds celebrate his big win.
Zachary Wentz defeated “Speedball” Mike Bailey, Hammerstone, Jason Hotch, Laredo Kid and Riley Osborne to capture the TNA X-Division Championship
After the cold open video package wraps up, we shoot back inside the sold out building in Louisville, KY., where Hannifan and Rehwoldt begin introducing the competitors for our opening match. Kicking things off is the Ultimate X match for the TNA X-Division Championship.
The X-Factors graphic flashes on the screen and then the bell sounds to get things started. Hotch tries climbing immediately, but gets thrown to the floor by Hammerstone. Everyone gangs up on him, and he slides out of the ring. Osborne dives out to the floor and seemed to have an awkward landing.
Laredo Kid and Hotch hit crazy dives after that. He climbs to the top rope, but Hammerstone pushes him out to the floor with authority. Bailey hits rapid-fire kicks on Hammerstone, but Hammerstone hits a back suplex that folds him in half. He tries diving to Hammerstone on the floor, but Hammerstone catches him and slams him back into the ring.
Osborne flips over three of the guys and hits a tower power bomb spot to the floor. Crazy. Wentz hits a top-rope cutter to Osborne off the very tip-top-rope. Ouch. Wentz and Bailey climb up past the top-rope, getting close to the wire. Bailey gets kicked off and moonsaults onto a pile of bodies on the floor.
Wentz gets on the cables and Spiderman climbs towards the title. They monkey-bar kick each other off as everyone else ends up there as well. Hammerstone is left alone up there but ends up falling off himself. Fans chant “This is Awesome!” Bailey and Wentz trade super kicks.
Hammerstone throws them both to the floor. He tosses Osborne out as well. Laredo goes to the cables, but Hammerstone military presses him out to a pile of bodies on the floor. Hotch hits a low blow on Hammerstone. He hits a torture rack bomb to the big boy.
Laredo and Hotch head to the top-rope. Laredo jumps up and grabs the cables with his hands and leaps into a hurricanrana to Hotch off the top. Osborne gets up to the cables and hits a shooting star press off of it. Bailey hits the Ultimo Weapon off the ropes.
Wentz and Bailey hang onto the cable with their hands and legs, Spiderman style, and then hang by their legs and trade shots with their hands right next to the X-Division Championship. Bailey switches to a hand grip and Wentz knocks him off. Wentz unhooks the title. We have a new champion. Great match.
Steve Maclin defeated Eric Young
After Gia Miller interviews Josh Alexander about the Iron Man match backstage, we return inside the Impact Zone where Steve Maclin heads to the ring. Eric Young comes out next to a big pop and the two stare each other down as the bell sounds to get our next match started.
Fans chant “Holy sh*t!” before they do anything. They finally get physical, but stop and do another long glare at each other. Maclin starts to settle into the early offensive lead when things really get going. He hits a big back-breaker and then hangs Young upside down in the tree of woe in the corner.
Maclin backs up and charges forward with a spear that knocks Young down. He covers him, but only gets a count of two. The two start trading shots in the center of the ring. Young dares Maclin and Maclin hits him with looked like a super stiff shot that knocked Young half-way across the ring.
Maclin yells at Young that he asked for this. Young smiles and struggles back to his feet. Maclin puts his hands behind his back and lets Young have a cheap shot. Young knocks the hell out of him with a Stiffy LaRoux as well. The two end up in another wild striking exchange.
Maclin goes for a dive onto Young on the floor but Young ducks and Maclin crashes and burns hard on the ramp. They both head to the top. Young bites Maclin and throws him down. He hits a big flying elbow smash. He looks for a piledriver, but Maclin avoids it.
He tries it again and this time gets it. He covers him, but only gets two. Fans chant “One more time!” Young puts Maclin in position to do so, but Maclin reverses and covers Young and surprises him with a 1–2-3. Maclin gets the win seemingly out of nowhere. Were the fans in on that finish?!? Organic! The two shake hands after the match.
Jordynne Grace, Jody Threat & Dani Luna defeated Ash By Elegance, Masha Slamovich & Alisha Edwards
Nic Nemeth talks to Gia Miller backstage about stealing championships and girlfriends over the years. He talks about Josh Alexander winning the only Iron Man match in TNA. He says at the end of the day, he’s coming out on top tonight.
Back inside the Impact Zone, Masha Slamovich makes her way out. Her MAlisha tag-team partner, Alisha Edwards, comes out next. Ash By Elegance, accompanied by George Iceman, comes out after they do and the first team is settled in the ring for the next match of the show.
Spitfire duo Jody Threat and Dani Luna come out together next for the opposition, They settle in the ring and then the familiar sounds of Jordynne Grace’s theme hits to bring out “The Juggernaut.” The crowd gives the TNA Knockouts Champion a good pop coming out.
Upon the bell, all six square off and stare each other down, before quickly engaging in a wild striking exchange in three pairs of two. Grace sends Threat onto a pile of bodies on the floor, and then does the same with Luna. Grace waits for them to get up, but Alisha seems lifeless.
They all move over to the other side of the ring, and it seems like something not good is happening. Hannifan informs us on commentary that a ringside doctor is checking on Edwards now. Meanwhile, Grace and Ash go to work in the ring. A camera shot is shown of Edwards looking legitimately knocked out on the floor. Yikes.
Grace hits a big back-fist on Masha and hits a Samoa Joe-style Muscle Buster, the same move that won her the Match By Elegance bout on the go-home Impact last night. She goes for the cover, but only gets two. Alisha was helped to the back by Tommy Dreamer and TNA officials.
Moments later, Grace hits a big airplane spin and then an assisted suplex spot. Spitfire hits the ring and helps finish things up, getting the win. After the match, they throw Ash By Elegane out to the floor and celebrate in the ring.
ABC (c) defeated AJ Francis & KC Navarro to retain the TNA Tag-Team Championships
Backstage, Steph De Lander is with PCO. She announces she will be confronting Matt Cardona on Thursday’s Impact.
Inside the arena, First Class duo AJ Francis and KC Navarro make their way out for their big TNA Tag-Team Championship opportunity. The reigning champs, ABC duo Chris Bey and Ace Austin, come out next. The bell sounds and Francis and Austin kick things off for their respective teams.
Francis calls for a test of strength with Austin, with the joke being Austin likely can’t reach his hand. Austin steps to him and appears to be preparing his hand to reach up high, but instead slaps the taste out of Francis’ mouth. He angers the big man, who pummels Austin until he tags Bey in.
Bey struggles with the larger Francis at first as well. Navarro tags in and begins using his speed and high-flying style to get the crowd on its’ feet. Bey hits a back-breaker into a clothesline for a two-count. He tags in Austin and ABC hit a double arm-drag and another double-team spot for a two-count.
Navarro is knocked out to the floor, but Francis catches him. He goes for the Down Payment on Bey on the ring apron, but Bey ends up on his feet. In the ring, fans immediately start dogging Francis with loud “You can’t wrestle!” chants. Navarro and Austin tag in and mix it up.
Francis tries getting involved from the floor, and eats a kick from Austin on the apron for his efforts. Austin hits a brainbuster on Navarro and catches Francis coming in with a big kick. He tries to hoist Francis up, but collapses under the weight of Francis.
He tries again and this time gets him up and dumps him down. He slams Navarro down and covers him, but only gets two. Bey tags in and he and Austin hit a wild double-team move off the ropes. They try for the cover, but Francis breaks it up.
They try to double-suplex Francis, but Francis double-suplexes them instead. Fans get on Francis’ case again with a loud “You can’t wrestle!” chant. Another group of fans respond with “Yes he can!” chants. Very defensive people in ol’ Louisville.
Francis hits a huge Down Payment on Bey and goes for the cover, but doesn’t realize he’s not the legal man due to Navarro tagging himself in moments earlier. Navarro hits a big spot on Austin but Bey, who was the legal man for ABC and was playing possum, pops up and rolls him up for the win.
Moose, Brian Myers, Eddie Edwards & JDC defeated Joe Hendry, Mike Santana, Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy
The pre-match video package airs to get us ready for Joe Hendry, Mike Santana and The Hardy Boys against The System in eight-man tag-team action in our next match of the evening. Mike Santana comes out through the crowd and settles in the ring.
Joe Hendry’s theme hits and the crowd goes bonkers and sings along with “I Believe In Joe Hendry,” as a remix music video plays on the screen with Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy with giant geeky smiles on their faces standing next to Joe Hendry on the white backdrop doing the clapping gimmick.
They all come out together and then The System make their way out to big “F**k the System!” chants. The bell sounds and it will be Moose and Santana kicking things off for their respective teams. Moose decides against it and tags in JDC before anything happens. Santana takes the early offensive lead.
He clears the apron of all The System guys and asks the crowd if they want a Hardy. He tags in Matt and the “DELETE!” chants begin. He hits a poetry in motion off Matt’s back and Jeff comes in to hit one off of Santana’s. Fans randomly start loudly acapella singing “I Believe in Joe Hendry!” as the action continues.
Everyone ends up in the ring for a spot where Hendry and the Hardy’s hit a three-for-two suplex spot. They all stand with their backs to the hard camera before doing the hard turn and “Five Second Pose” stance Edge used to use. I guess that’s Hendry’s now, though.
For the next several minutes, The System members take turns getting heat on Matt Hardy, who is kept isolated in the ring. He eventually makes the much-needed tag to Jeff. Jeff takes the hot tag and sets the crowd ablaze as he takes it to The System. He hits a Whisper in the Wind to take out a bunch of them.
Fans break out in random “Davey Richards!” chants at Eddie Edwards and another loud “F**k The System!” chant as Moose works over Jeff. He tags in JDC and he picks up where Moose left off, taking it to Jeff. Fans start singing Hendry’s theme again out of the blue.
Hendry helps rally the crowd even more behind Jeff, who hits a Twist of Fate out of nowhere on Moose, who is now the legal man. This buys him enough time to make the hot tag to Hendry, who hits the ring with a ton of energy. He hits a fall-away slap on Edwards.
He avoids an Edwards middle rope splash and hits a fall-away slam on JDC. Myers goes to spear Hendry, but Hendry side-steps him and he takes out JDC. He hits another fall-away slam on Myers. Moose comes off the ropes but Hendry side-steps him as well.
Hendry connects with a pop-up power bomb on Edwards and goes for the cover, but only gets two. Fans chant “We believe!” and Hendry looks for the Standing Ovation. Edwards avoids it and the two collide into each other off the ropes. Hendry tags out.
Matt Hardy hits a Side Effect. Jeff hits a Swanton Bomb but JDC hits a Falcon Arrow. Hendry hits a Standing Ovation on him. Matt Hardy hits a Twist of Fate on Edwards for a close two-count. Moose broke it up. Matt goes after Edwards, but Edwards low-blows him and hits Boston Knee Party for the win. Moose yells into the camera afterwards that he’s coming to get what’s his.
Nic Nemeth (c) defeated Josh Alexander 3-2 to retain the TNA World Championship in a 60-Minute Iron Man Match
It’s main event time!
The pre-match video package airs to set the stage for our final match of the evening, which features Nic Nemeth putting his TNA World Championship on-the-line in an hour-long Iron Man match against “The Walking Weapon” Josh Alexander.
After the long entrances and introductions, this one gets off to a slow start, with the two clearly setting a pace early on and preparing for a long night. Nemeth controls Alexander on the mat and works on his arm. Fans chant “We want tables!” clearly not reading the mood of the bout at all.
They hit the mat and roll around again before quickly separating and staring at each other some more. Alexander gets a headlock takeover and controls Nemeth with his back on the mat. Alexander goes for an ankle lock, but Nemeth quickly scrambles to the ropes.
This same routine continues with fans singing “I believe in Nic Nemeth!” to entertain themselves during the lulls. Nemeth ends up catching Alexander by surprise with a roll-up for the first fall out of nowhere. With 48 minutes and change remaining, Nemeth goes up 1-0.
Alexander quickly jumps on Nemeth and puts the boots to him in the corner as things get started again. Nemeth lands a back elbow to Alexander to slow him down, but Alexander hits a back-breaker. He continues to focus on the lower back of Nemeth.
He connects with a big suplex and looks to tie things up with a cover, but Nemeth kicks out. Nemeth begins firing up and fighting back with repeated forearms, but a knee to the bread basket from Alexander slows him down. Fans chant “USA!” and Alexander taunts them by pointing to the Canadian logo on his knee pad.
The two go wild with fast-paced, back-and-forth spots and pin attempts as the crowd comes to life in the background. Nemeth ends up hitting a FameAsser and goes for the cover, but Alexander kicks out before the count of three. Nemeth looks for the Danger Zone, but Alexander avoids it.
Nemeth hits it anyways seconds later and covers him to go up two falls to nothing. It’s 2-0 with the defending champion in a comfortable lead at just over 20 minutes into the bout. The crowd are literally doing anything to entertain themselves ten minutes later.
At 30 minutes in, they’re doing the LA Knight chant, “Oh you didn’t know?” Road Dogg routine, random “Suplex City” chants. “We want Vickie!” chants for Nemeth’s old on-air WWE partner. Nemeth and Alexander slow chain-wrestling isn’t keeping them fully engaged, to say the least. Alexander hits a German suplex and holds on for another. And another. And another. As many elbows as Nemeth hit Jerry Lawler with yesteryear, Alexander hit him with that many German suplexes.
Nemeth fights back and he gets Alexander’s back. He begins the rolling German routine, dumping “The Walking Weapon” on his dome over-and-over again as well, as the crowd counts along with each one that connects. Nemeth, too, gets in the double-digit region.
Nemeth headbutts Alexander’s head gear off his head. Alexander trips Nemeth up with an ankle pick, Tony Ferguson-style. He looks for the ankle lock in the middle of the ring. Fans chant “Please don’t tap out!” at Nemeth as he crawls to the ropes. Alexander steps on the back of Nemeth’s head and yanks him back to the middle of the ring.
He sits down in the ankle lock and cranks away. Nemeth looked to be tapping, but instead was slamming his hand to the mat to scratch and crawl back to the ropes, where he gets the referee to force the hold to be broken. Alexander slams Nemeth’s leg on the ring apron to continue to soften it up.
Alexander and Nemeth bump the referee. With the referee down and Nemeth out of it, Alexander responds to fan chants of “We want tables!” by heading out to the ringside area and pulling a table out. He sets it up at ringside. He grabs Nemeth and looks for a C4 Spike through the table, but Nemeth counters with a back-body drop that sends Alexander bouncing off the corner of the ring apron, Shawn Michaels’ first-career-ending style on the casket. Ouch.
Back in the ring, Alexander hoists Nemeth upside down and hits a spinning tombstone. He covers him and the referee comes back to life to make the count, but Nemeth gets his shoulder up. Hannifan stresses on commentary that 40 minutes deep into the bout, Alexander still can’t score a single fall on Nemeth.
Alexander grabs a steel chair and heads into the ring with it. He gives it to the ref and decides against using it. The ref goes to get rid of it, but when he does, Alexander takes a foreign object out of his knee brace and knocks out Nemeth with it. He hides it and hits Nemeth with a C4 Spike. He covers him and gets his first fall.
It’s 2-1 now, and as the next fall gets going, Alexander immediately hits a leaping C4 Spike on Nemeth and covers him again to go up 2-2. It’s all tied up now with just over 15 minutes remaining. He can’t pick Nemeth up because he’s so lifeless, so Alexander tries simply covering him again. Nemeth kicks out.
Nemeth springs to life out of nowhere and hops on Alexander’s back with a sleeper hold. He squeezes away until Alexander falls backwards, Matt Hughes-Frank Trigg style. As they crash onto the mat, Nemeth lets go. Upon recovering, he slaps it right back on him and squeezes away. Alexander gets to his feet and runs forward, slamming Nemeth face-first into the turnbuckle.
This gets him off of him temporarily, but like the bad guy in a horror movie, Nemeth jumps back to life and leaps on him with another sleeper hold. This time Alexander goes for broke, climbing the ropes and both guys tumble over them and crash and burn out onto the floor way down below.
Just over 11 minutes remains as both guys are back to their feet trading shots. Nemeth headbutts Alexander, who then picks Nemeth up and dumps him on the floor with authority. Alexander rolls back in the ring, hoping to go up 3-2 with a count-out as a fall. The referee begins counting as Nemeth struggles to get back in the ring. He falls on 7, climbs back up at 8 and rolls into the ring just after 9.
He walks right into Alexander, who hooks him for another C4 Spike, but Nemeth avoids it and ends up back-body-dropping Alexander over the ropes, where he crashes through the table that was set up earlier. Nice. Hannifan says neither man can be disqualified for using a table because the referee was down and out when the table was set up. Boy, that is super technicality stuff. Is a DQ fall coming soon so that makes sense?
Back in the ring, Alexander hits another big C4 Spike and covers Nemeth. He comes within millimeters of another fall, but Nemeth gets his foot on the ropes. Now, the crowd who was doing random self-entertaining chants and singing earlier, is very loudly chanting “This is Awesome.” Damn right! Nemeth hits a DDT out of the blue and quickly covers Alexander, but only gets two.
Nemeth re-ties his boot before going back to work on Alexander in the corner. He runs into a big boot from “The Walking Weapon.” Alexander hops up on the middle rope and kicks Nemeth. Nemeth climbs up after him. Nemeth heads to the very top-rope and looks for a superplex. Alexander knocks him down. Alexander heads up to the top, but Nemeth pops up and stops him. This time, he hits a superplex.
Fans chant “One more time!” Yeah right. Nemeth goes for the cover, but Alexander kicks out. Just over five minutes remains and the fans break out in a “Five more minutes!” chant. Hannifan reminds us if this ends in a tie, we go to a sudden death overtime round. They trade shots and Alexander kicks Nemeth’s ankle out from under him.
He pulls his straps down, but while doing so, gets super kicked by Nemeth. Think that Judo dude taking his Gi off in a PRIDE fight with Wanderlei Silva and finding out the hard way it was a mistake. Similar stuff. Alexander fights back and hits a German release suplex. Fans chant “Three more minutes!” Alexander lawn-darts Nemeth into an exposed turnbuckle in the corner.
He hits Nemeth with Nemeth’s own Danger Zone finisher. He goes for the cover, but Nemeth kicks out. Alexander isn’t happy. Fans chant “Two more minutes!” Alexander looks for another C4 Spike, but struggles to get Nemeth up. Nemeth counters with a back-slam into a pin. Alexander kicks out.
Fans chant “One more minute!” Nemeth leaps into the air and catches Alexander with Danger Zone on the way down. He smacks himself in the face and hooks Alexander’s arms for a C4 Spike of his own. He connects with it and covers him. 1-2-3. Nemeth takes the lead 3-2 with 20 seconds remaining. Nemeth waits for Alexander to get up.
With 5 seconds remaining, Alexander crashes and falls back to the mat. The bell sounds. Nemeth is the iron man and still the TNA World Champion.
JBL Arrives In TNA
JBL comes out as Nic Nemeth is celebrating, to the shock of the crowd in Louisville. He gets close to Nemeth, leans into him and whispers something into his ear while wearing a cowboy hat and trench coat, like a cowboy Undertaker. He backs up, smiles, and exits the ring and heads to the back as Nemeth nods his head. Thanks for joining us, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter/X.
