Tag: TNA Rebellion

Nic Nemeth will look to add another title to his waist as he challenges Moose for the TNA World Championship in the main event of tonight’s Rebellion pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

In a Knockouts title match, Jordynne Grace will defend against Steph De Lander.

TNA Tag Team Champions The System (Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers) defend against Speedball Mountain (Trent Seven & Mike Bailey) while X-Division Champion Mustafa Ali defends against Jake Something.

In their trilogy bout, Hammerstone will take on Josh Alexander in a Last Man Standing match while veterans Eric Young and Frankie Kazarian attempt to settle their differences in a Full Metal Mayhem match.

The promotion is also teasing a “lights out” surprise at some point during the show in addition to former Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry against former World Champion Rich Swann.

The countdown show will see three bouts including a Knockouts Tag Team title defense, a Digital Media title defense, and a trios match.

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Leon Slater & ABC defeated The Rascalz

Trey and Slater started fast, Ace tagged in and pretty much immediately got taken down and double teamed by Trey and Wentz. Reed did a really nice Guillotine Legdrop to Ace when he was splayed on the middle rope. Slater tagged in and looked good until he got cut off and triple teamed with a series of fantastic moves. Slater made the hot tag to Bey and the expected 6-way broke out. ABC used the move formerly known as Chasing The Dragon on Reed for a 2 count and Reed hit a running flip dive over the post to ABC. Slater, not wanting to be shown up, did the exact same thing, which was much more spectacular, to all 3 Rascalz outside the ring. Reed ran across the ring, leaped over the top rope and gave Slater, who was on the apron, a Cutter to ABC, who were both on the floor. After more spectacular moves than I could keep track of, Slater pinned Reed with a 450 Splash. A really good and definitely fun match to kick the show off. 

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-Gia Miller interviewed AJ Francis and Rich Swann aka First Class about Swann’s match with Joe Hendry. Francis introduced the Man Boy Mafia, which included Shauniee Stylez, Tyrone, Block Boy JB and a woman whose name I didn’t get. Swann said they are about that flash and will kick Joe Hendry’s ass, with the closing line if you’re not First Class, you’re last.

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Laredo Kid pinned Crazzy Steve to win the Digital Media Championship

Another fast paced match to start the pre-show. The late-arriving crowd chanted for Steve until he began going for Laredo’s mask. After dropping to the floor when he was doing a headscissors hanging over the top floor, Steve was the victim of a nice Asai Moonsault. Back in the ring, Steve went for a cannonball in the corner, but Kid, who was hanging upside down, did a sit-up to avoid it. Steve did a superplex where he landed high, so he stayed down to sell his head and neck for a minute. Steve went to the top rope, Laredo followed him up and Steve went for the mask again, so Laredo bit him, hit the Spanish Fly (called the Laredo Fly) for the pin and the championship. Not a bad match at all, I always underestimate Crazzy Steve, possibly due to the wacky gimmick.

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-Gia Miller interviewed Steph De Lander about her match with Jordynne Grace. They mention Matt Cardona’s injury, saying he won’t be here tonight. De Lander said she will walk out tonight with the title. She doesn’t like or trust Jordynne, so she hired some help…The Good Hands. Hotch and Skylar said they’re still pulling for Mustafa Ali tonight, but they are here to support De Lander.

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Knockouts Tag Team Champions Spitfire w/Lars Frederiksen defeated Decay

Yes, this is the actual Lars Frederiksen of Rancid and not a random person using the name.

I love me some Rosemary and the crowd was with me, as they chanted for the Demon Assassin. Lars tried to get Rosemary to give up on the same hanging head scissors Crazzy Steve used and Rosemary backed him down before continuing the match. Threat and Luna worked over Rosemary for a few minutes until she tagged out to Havoc. Havoc dared Luna to run off the ropes and collide, but Luna was briefly smarter than that, as she grabbed a headlock. When that didn’t work, she tried running off the ropes, but ran right into a headbutt that was heard in Reno. Luna did a great job chopping down Havoc and eventually made the hot tag to Threat. Threat ran wild and while the crowd was chanting for Rosemary earlier, they popped big for Threat’s offense. Both Luna and Threat did Suicide Dives to Havoc, who was saved by the guardrail from going down and then Threat did a senton from the top rope to the floor. Threat went for another dive onto Rosemary, but she got cut off by Havoc, however the champs turned the table, carried Havoc from the middle rope across the ring and dropped her with a double powerbomb. Finally Luna pinned Rosemary after some kind of double team drop. The match was better than expected. Hopefully they can make their double team finish a little crisper because this was a little convoluted.

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-After the match, Masha Slammovich came out with her chain and was joined by Alisha Edwards and her kendo stick. Spitfire challenged them to get in the ring, but Masha and Alisha were happy to stand on the ramp and challenge.

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-Some of Mustafa Ali’s followers came out and said the match between Ali and Jake Something won’t be happening. The guy who had the microphone tripped over his feet getting into the ring and said Something doesn’t meet the qualifications for the X-Division. They sat in the ring for a protest. Cody Deaner stormed out to do what the three referees who came to the ring refused to do and that’s to get these guys out of the ring. Deaner said this was the people’s choice whether or not the match happened. Deaner asked the fans if he should let the guys sit in the ring and hold up the show or force them out of the ring so we can start the show. Shockingly they sided with violence. Deaner kicked one and gave the other a DDT into the crotch of the other one.

Onto the main show! They’re calling this a late-arriving crowd, but there are a lot of empty seats right on camera.

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-DJ Ashba played the national anthem on his electric guitar.

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X-Division Champion Mustafa Ali pinned Jake Something

Something is following in the steps of X-Division pioneers like Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash by being a heavyweight doing battle in the X-Division. Ali arrived at the arena in a private car and got a “Goldberg” entrance by being flanked by Secret Service. Just to be nitpicky, they showed the Secret Service following behind him through the backstage area and then, seconds later, when they came out, the Secret Service was in front of Ali.

Something used his immense size advantage to run over Ali and tackle the champ to the ground. Ali got a double thrust to the throat, but then got backdropped over the top rope to the floor. Ali discovered that the best offense was a good defense. First he moved out of Something’s way and Jake punched the ring steps. Then Ali ran and slid through the corner of the ring, Jake followed, but got caught and dropped with a DDT. Ali then got Something on the ramp and did a roll-through neckbreaker, which also sent some of the stage lighting crashing onto a staff member at ringside. The staff member was okay, but Ali was officially in control. I thought they messed up a swinging hurricarana, but instead it was Something blocking it, but rolling through and turning it into a sit-out powerbomb. Something paid tribute to another former X-Division Champion, Abyss, by hitting Shock Treatment for a near fall. They ended up in the corner, but Ali did a German Suplex to the ring apron. Suddenly the Secret Service interfered. One distracted the referee while the other three rolled Something into the ring and held them so Ali could hit a 450 Splash, but Something kicked out. Something began building momentum, so Ali scurried out of the ring, but Something did a tope, clear over the top rope to the pile. Something hit Into The Void inside the ring for a 2 count when Ali got his foot on the ropes. Finally Ali rolled up Something and grabbed the rope for assistance to get the pin.

A really great match to open the ppv. 

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-Former Buffalo Bill and Los Angeles Charger Shawne Merriman was shown ringside.

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Rich Swann w/AJ Francis vs Joe Hendry

Hendry used AI to edit AJ and Swann into his opening video package. Legitimately I thought Swann and AJ had edited it to mess with Hendry and wouldn’t have known differently had Tom Hannifan not said how great it was. Hendry cut a promo saying that this proves Swann and Francis are fans and have come down with a severe case of Hendry Mania. When you come down with Hendry Mania, it causes fans to chant “We Believe”.

Swann took over quickly thanks to a Francis distraction and shoved Hendry’s eyeball into the corner of the ring steps. Tom brought up Seth Rollins doing that to Rey Mysterio, which he was in WWE during. The fans chanted “Dollar Tree” at AJ while Swann worked the eye. Gotta say I’ve never used that phrase while talking about wrestling before. He didn’t seem picky about which eye, as he kicked at both sides of the head. Hendry fought out of a Guillotine and turned it into a suplex. Francis jumped on the apron and got knocked right off of it before back dropping Swann, who took a 360 bump. Francis yanked down the apron and Hendry tumbled outside and then got a chain from Shauniee Stylez, who was also at ringside. However, Shawne Merriman grabbed it and then got in the ring, challenging AJ to follow. AJ joined him, but Shawne backed him down…before knocking Hendry down with a nasty clothesline. The referee was distracted yelling at Francis to get down and Swann won with a Frog Splash.

I never liked Shawne Merriman. He was on the Bills when we were awful. Anyway the rest of the Manboy Mafia got in the ring and the girl grinded on Hendry’s dead body before they all celebrated together. This was the weakest match so far, but still nothing bad at all. 

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Frankie Kazarian defeated Eric Young in a Full Metal Mayhem Match

Full Metal Mayhem is essentially TNA’s version of TLC where all metal objects are legal, but since there were no titles involved, this was just a hardcore match. I would ask what the difference between this and Monster’s Ball or just a street fight would be, but there are too many examples of this in wrestling.

Kazarian tried to attack during EY’s entrance, but Young just cracked him with his hockey mask. Young suplexed a ladder onto Kazarian and then set up a ladder bridge, however Kaz turned the tables and sent Young face-first into it. A table got set up and both men teased giving the other a big move off the apron, but neither went through it. Kazarian yelled at the crowd to “Shut up and acknowledge me as your king”, which seems to be conflicting advice. Kazarian set Young on a ladder and went for a Springboard Legdrop, but Young moved out of the way. Young pulled out a baking tray and trash can lid, but then pulled out Abyss’ old nail covered board Janice. Both tried to shove each other’s face into the only weapon ever named after Dixie Carter’s Mom. Young did the Ric Flair flip over the top turnbuckle, but as he ran down the apron, Kazarian speared him through the ropes and through the table that had been set up previously. Back in the ring we got the “Yay”/”Boo” spot and then we had Dueling Baking Trays. Just gonna say this once, I am not a fan of people doing unprotected weapon shots to the head, even if it’s “just” a baking tray. Kazarian briefly wrapped a chain around Young’s neck and used a Crossface Chicken Wing, but Young broke free and used the chain to yank Kazarian off the top rope. Young put a metal trash can on Kazarian’s top half, did a few clotheslines and a top rope elbow and I gotta say they make aluminum trash cans sturdier than they used to because this one did not want to bend. Anyway, Kazarian used an Unprettier on a ladder and set up a table while the fans chanted for fire. Young blocked Kazarian from doing some kind of offensive maneuver and followed up to the top rope, but Kazarian blocked that and did a Flux Capacitor to Young for the pin. Unfortunately they didn’t get all the way over and Young crashed head-first through the edge of the table and was busted open hardway.

That was a really good match and different from everything we’ll see tonight.

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-Gia Miller interviewed Nic Nemeth about the match with Moose. Nemeth said his dad and family are in the crowd to see him. Nemeth said the roster, the crowd and the world is ready for him to become World Champion and plans to prove he is the best.

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-I mentioned the empty seats before, but it appears to be full now, so I guess it really was a late-arriving crowd.

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-Steve Maclin came out in his gear and had a copy of a new contract he got this morning. He said he got every demand he wanted in his contract. Good for him. However, there is one more demand he has, which is a match right here and now. Well, I mean he got everything else he wanted.

Santino Marella came out and said he has signed a brand new superstar, who is eager to get started and will make his debut right now against Maclin. Out came Mike Santana, who was in TNA as part of LAX 2.0 before AEW began. He was a former Impact Tag Team Champion with Ortiz and feuded with oVe, the original LAX and the Lucha Brothers during the dark period of Impact.

Mike Santana pinned Steve Maclin

This was such a surprise that they immediately put up a graphic for Mike Santana merchandise. Santana ran wild at the bell, including doing a tope where he nearly flew into the 2nd row, however Maclin posted him and dropped him on the ring apron to take over. In the ring, Santana was hung upside down in the corner, but sat up to avoid a charging Maclin and began his comeback with a rolling Cutter. Cutler hit the Busaiku Knee when Santana was going for Spin The Block, but Santana quickly cut him off again. Santana went for it again, but it got cut off again. Santana blocked KIA and finally hit Spin The Block for the win.

This was a big win for Santana, cleanly pinning a former World Champion in his first match. It would have been bigger had Maclin been protected more since losing the title, but it’s still a big win. The match itself was fine.

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-Gia Miller interviewed The System and started by asking Alisha if Masha is part of The System. Brian Myers was visibly frustrated that Gia immediately asked Alisha a question before their tag team title match. Anyway, Brian and Eddie vowed to beat Speedball Mountain. Then Moose had a spoiler alert for Nic Nemeth’s family…Moose will leave as World Champion. Plus he says he has a surprise for Nemeth and introduces The Predator John Abraham to be in his corner. Abraham played for the Jets, Cardinals and Falcons and had 133.5 sacks in his career. We are certainly full of non-wrestlers tonight.

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Tag Team Champions Brian Meyers & Eddie Edwards w/Alisha Edwards defeated Speedball Mountain

The match started and Trent Seven was looking out at the crowd, so while Meyers beat on Mike Bailey, Edwards knocked Seven off the apron. The challengers teamed up to take turns chopping Eddie as Tom Hannifan listed great teams to be the TNA Tag Team Champions and mentioned America’s Most Wanted. I know I am nit-picking, but AMW were never TNA Champions, they were NWA Tag Team Champions. I’d have been less nitpicky if Tom hadn’t mentioned these belts were created in 2007. Anyway, while I was ranting, Eddie dropped Seven knee-first on the ring steps to take over. Seven was able to make the tag and Bailey’s feet ran wild on both heels. Seven came in and gave Meyers a superplex and Bailey used a Shooting Star Headbutt (because Meyers was a little too far away) for a 2 count. The challengers went for a double team, but Edwards tripped Bailey and dragged him out of the ring as Meyers cut off Seven. Edwards used a Tiger Driver and transitioned that into a single-leg crab. Bailey tried to crawl in for the save, but got momentarily caught in a Crossface. Bailey got out of it, but instead of breaking up the submission on his partner immediately, he slowly built up to the spot where he kicked Edwards repeatedly to eventually break it up. If I was Seven, I wouldn’t have been thrilled. Seven tried to pick Edwards up for a Burning Hammer, but his knee went out. The champs hit a double team backpack Stunner/Top Rope Elbow, but Seven kicked out. Seven finally hit the Burning Hammer and Bailey hit the Shooting Star Knees to Edwards’ back, but Meyers speared Bailey on top of the pile, breaking up Seven’s pinfall attempt. Bailey ran down the apron for a dive to Meyers, but Brian hit a Spear to cut him off. In the ring, Seven tried to hold his own, but got pinned after a Roster Cut and Boston Knee Party.

This match was pretty damn good.

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Josh Alexander defeated Hammerstone in a Last Man Standing Match

This is their 3rd match, having split their first two matches.

Hammerstone came out wearing Alexander’s headgear as an elbow pad. This was a hard hitting match from the opening bell. Hammerstone popped right up from a German Suplex and used a Belly to Belly overhead suplex that Alexander got right back up from. Josh ended up on the apron and blocked a running boot and dropped Hammerstone with a power slam on the ring apron, but the former MLW Champion got up at 6. Alexander went to the top, but he got press slammed off and onto the ring apron. Hammerstone used a delayed vertical suplex on the floor for another count of 6. Hammerstone yelled that Josh should have stayed down, so Josh slapped him and used a half-nelson suplex on the ring apron. That apron sure is the MVP of this match. Hammerstone sold his neck, but got up at 8. Alexander used the figure four around the ring post, but Hammerstone wasn’t able to reach Alexander’s leg, but thankfully Alexander didn’t take a nasty bump on the floor. In the ring Hammerstone cracked Alexander in the ear with the headgear, which led to his ear getting busted open. I imagine it was hardway, since I can’t believe someone would blade their ear. Tom Hannifan did a great job explaining that Alexander wears headgear because of an ear injury earlier in his career, which is literally the first time I ever heard anyone explain that. Hammerstone laid Alexander’s head against the ring post and went for a running boot. I started typing “but Alexander moved” and then Alexander never moved and Hammerstone booted his head against the post. However Alexander got up at 8 and did a fantastic job selling how discombobulated he was. Alexander barely beat the count on a Torture Rack Drop and hit a Pump Kick, but Alexander laughed, tripped up his larger for and locked on an Ankle Lock. Alexander just wrecked Hammerstone’s leg and midsection, but Hammerstone blocked the C4 Spike. That may have been a bad idea because Alexander responded by kicking Hammerstone’s head off. Alexander reached under the ring and got a black bag, which was full of thumbtacks. At this point I am just waiting for Abyss to come out after all these references to him tonight. They fought on the middle rope, with Hammerstone doing a headbutt to the ear and bringing Alexander down with a Nightmare Pendulum into the thumbtacks. Honestly Hammerstone may have gotten the worst of them, as he had a bunch of tacks in his thighs, while Alexander seemed to have a lot fewer. Anyway, Josh got to his feet at 9 and Hammerstone grabbed the headgear as they fought to the ramp. Alexander hit a few blows to the head and a C4 Spike on the ramp for the win as Hammerstone’s last gasp led to him falling flat on his face. Alexander grabbed his headgear before walking off.

This was a fantastic match and, in my opinion, the best match of a very good show so far.

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-We got a video of Jonathan Grisham, which started with him in a board room and then he began talking about himself in the third person about how when he puts on a mask he becomes his true self. He began choking up ink before showing him in a mask on the other side of the room. This was weird, but kinda cool.

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Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace defeated Steph De Lander w/The Good Hands

Before the match began, George Iceman was in a skybox and introduced Ash By Elegance, who appeared to watch from the skybox. 

De Lander bullied Grace into the corner to start the match, since she is 8 inches taller, but Grace got out of it. They were on different pages early and Grace did a Suicide Dive where she pretty much landed on her head. From the apron, De Lander used a TKO that Grace went throat-first onto the top rope to take over. It settled down from here. Grace punched De Lander in the stomach and she responded by yelling at Grace to do it again. However, when Grace did it, she didn’t seem happy. Oh well, some people can’t be satisfied. Every time Grace would string together a few blows, De Lander would just knock her right down. Grace got on a rear naked choke and De Lander used up all her energy to try to stop her. De Lander’s hand dropped 3 times, but one of the Good Hands hopped on the apron to distract the referee. The other one threw the title belt to De Lander, but Grace ducked it, however Grace took out the referee with a spinning back fist. De Lander took out Grace with the title belt and one of the Good Hands took the referee’s shirt off, put it on and went for the cover, but the lights went out! When they came back on…PCO was in the ring and took out both Good Hands. I may have been disappointed in the lights out surprise, but the fans weren’t. They popped for it. De Lander tried to rub PCO’s chest, but PCO grabbed her throat for a chokeslam. Out ran Big Kon, who took out PCO when Grace got to her feet and got face-to-belly button with him. He shoved Grace down, so Grace punched him low. Kon, on his knees, was almost as tall as Grace. She picked Kon up for a Juggernaut Driver, but was cut off by Hotch and Skylar. Kon went to snap Grace’s neck, when the lights went out again and when they came back on, Sami Callihan was here! Callihan is back and he took out Kon and both Good Hands by himself. Callihan gave Hotch Cactus Driver 97. Callihan threw De Lander in the ring, where she got dropped by a Juggernaut Driver and a 2nd referee ran down for the 3 count. Where the Hell was this referee during the last 5 minutes?

Matthew Rehwaldt said the last 5 minutes were a fever dream and I would agree with him. This was definitely a different title match than we’ve been used to.

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-TNA Slammiversary was announced for July 20 in Montreal at Verdun Auditorium.

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World Champion Moose defeated Nic Nemeth

Nic’s father Don and brother Ryan were shown in the crowd. He said his entire family was here and I am not going to judge him, but after seeing Mark Briscoe’s entire family, I was expecting more than 2 people.

Nemeth used his speed early, which is weird because Moose is deceptively fast, but that’s what we’re going with. Nemeth threw Moose out of the ring and went for a dive, but he got caught and dropped outside the ring. Inside the ring, Nemeth is doing a great job selling, but throws Moose to the ramp. Moose went for a powerbomb, but Nemeth turned it into a hurricarana where Moose rolled into the ring. Nemeth went for a superkick, but Alisha grabbed his foot. The referee, who didn’t see her do it, just threw Alisha, Eddie and Meyers out of the ringside area. With the distraction, Nemeth hit a superkick for a near fall. Nemeth locks on a sleeper and covers Moose’s eye to the point where when Moose tried to climb to the middle rope, it took him 3 tries because he couldn’t see the rope and kept slipping on it. Eventually he got his foot to the middle rope and fell backwards, dropping Nemeth to the mat. They end up outside the ring where Nemeth does a Famouser off the ramp to the floor and then has to break land speed records to jump into the ring and break up the count, which was at 9. Speaking of 9, back in the ring, Nemeth hit 9 successive elbow drops, but Moose rolled to the floor to avoid the 10th. However Moose wasn’t too smart about it, as he rolled outside to lay on the ground, so Nemeth hit the 10th by diving off the ring apron. Moose hit a headbutt in the ring, called Nemeth a son of a bitch and then yanked Nemeth off the middle rope with a ring rocking Sky-High (sit out spinebuster). A series of reversals ended with a Moose power bomb in the ring and then he finally hit the power bomb on the ramp, which somehow took out not only the same lights Ali took out earlier, but also the video for a second. Nemeth barely dragged himself into the ring before the count of 10. Moose went for a moonsault that Nemeth side-stepped and used a leg lariat for a 2 count. They went into the “Yay”/”Boo” spot that evolved into dueling kicks to the head. Moose went head over heels on a clothesline that I don’t think he was supposed to do and Nemeth hit his own version of the Spear for a 2 count. Moose side stepped another superkick and hit his own version of the spear to retain the title. I think Moose may have hurt himself on that flip bump because the match got a little wonky towards the end.

This was a very good match, but not nearly as good as the Alex Shelley match in January. As The System came out to celebrate, the lights went out again and this time when they came back on, it was Broken Matt Hardy, making his return to TNA. This was unexpected, as he laid out Moose with a Twist Of Fate and led the crowd in chants of DELETE as the show faded to black.

Poor Moose, we’re currently 2-for-2 in 2024 with Moose’s ppv main event victories being interrupted by debuting stars.

-Thank you all for reading, if you enjoyed, please check out the Something Else Podcast Network, available on (almost) all your favorite streaming platforms where I (mostly) review classic wrestling!