TNA Sacrifice takes place tonight from the Alario Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Mike Santana is set to defend the TNA World Championship against Steve Maclin on the show.
Arianna Grace will defend the TNA Knockouts World Championship against Dani Luna and Lei Ying Lee in a triple threat.
Leon Slater will defend the TNA X-Division Championship against Eric Young.
Jeff Hardy will team with Vincent, who is replacing Matt Hardy, against Brian Myers and Cedric Alexander of The System.
In a no disqualification match, Elayna Black will take on Mara Sade.
Also booked for the show, Moose will wrestle Eddie Edwards, Mustafa Ali and Tasha Steelz will face Trey Miguel and Jada Stone in a mixed tag, and Elijah will team with The Home Town Man against Frankie Kazarian and AJ Francis.
On the pre-show, Tessa Blanchard will face Jody Threat, and Ryan Nemeth will take on BDE.
Our live coverage kicks off at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
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Live! From New Orleans, LA!
Pre Show.
BDE v. Ryan Nemeth
BDE hit a dive through the ropes while holding his phone so his 1.5 million followers could watch on one of his social media channels. Nemeth took control and hit a neckbreaker. Nemeth wore BDE down with a chinlock. BDE got a near fall with a sunset flip, but Nemeth popped back up and floored him with a clothesline. Nemeth hit a high angle DDT for a near fall.
BDE escaped a hangman’s neckbreaker and caught Nemeth with a springboard cutter. BDE came off the top with a frog splash, but Nemeth got his knees up, then rolled up BDE and hooked his tights.
Match Result: Nemeth pinned BDE (6:34).
— Trey Miguel and Mustafa Ali will face off for the TNA International Title at Rebellion.
The System Meet with The Rebellion
The members of The System met with the members of Order 4 to strike an accord. Rebellion will be the night that The System gets all the gold, with Edwards implying he’ll be cashing in his title shot at whoever the world champion is at Rebellion. Agent Zero will take out Moose for The System, and in return Eddie Edwards will give Ali the first title shot once he wins the TNA title for the third time.
But they still don’t trust each other.
Tessa Blanchard (w/ Mila Moore & Victoria Crawford) v. Jody Threat (w/ Myla Grace & Harley Hudson)
Threat was dominant early. Blanchard escaped a suplex attempt and clipped Threat’s knee, then went to work on the leg. Blanchard tied up Threat’s legs in a way I’ve never seen before, kind of like a standing figure-four. Threat escaped and Blanchard charged into a boot. Threat came back with a series of clotheslines and a pump kick. Threat squashed Blanchard against the middle rope, then dumped her with a release German suplex.
Threat evaded Blanchard and went to the middle ropes, but Blanchard snapped off a fierce dropkick. Blanchard pulled her out of the corner with a lungblower for a near fall. Threat tried to fight back, but Blanchard went back to the knee to slow her down.
Threat dropped Blanchard with a delayed vertical suplex. Threat yanked Blanchard up off the mat and dead-lifted her into a running powerbomb. Moore put Blanchard’s hand on the ropes to break up the count, which caused Grace and Hudson to get into it with Crawford on the floor. This distracted the referee, and in the chaos Moore slipped in the ring and hit Threat with her shoe. Blanchard finished off Threat with a hammerlock DDT.
Match Result: Blanchard pinned Threat (6:11).
After the match, all six women brawled, and Blanchard hog-tied Threat with some power cables and dragged her around the ring. All things considered, this was a great six minute match.
— A recap of how Steve Maclin went from fired to number 1 contender for the TNA World Title. After the video package aired to hype the world title match, Nic Nemeth called his shot for Rebellion. It’s Nic Nemeth v. whoever is the World Champion at Rebellion.
Main Show.
Leon Slater v. Eric Young for the X Division Championship
Young jumped “Slater” as he made his entrance, but it wasn’t Slater, but some poor schmuck Slater set up to get jumped. Slater came through the crowd and hit Young with a dive. They brawled around the ring with Slater gaining control.
They finally got in the ring to start the match, and Slater hit a 450 Swanton Bomb for a near fall just 30 seconds in. Slater was dominant in the early going, getting several near falls. Slater got a near fall off a handspring elbow. Slater knocked Young to the floor.
Young whipped Slater into the steps, then set him up for a piledriver. But Slater escaped by kicking Young in the face. Back in the ring, Slater went for a Styles Clash, but Young countered by biting Slater. Young hit his own Styles Clash for a near fall.
Young countered a move from Slater off the middle ropes with an avalanche wheelbarrow slam. Young slowed the pace of the match down on offense, hitting a move, then taunting the crowd. Slater fought back with forearms, but Young cut him off with a back elbow. Young delivered a hangman’s neckbreaker and got another near fall. Young raked Slater’s eyes, then hit a discus lariat.
Slater countered a piledriver attempt with a roll up, then started to speed up the pace of the match. Slater got a near fall after a spinning suplex. Young caught Slater out of the corner with a Death Valley Driver for two. Young dropped an elbow off the top rope for two.
Slater blocked a boot from Young. They exchanged “boo!/yay” punches, which ended with Slater giving Young a monster Blue Thunder Bomb. They fought out onto the apron, and Slater bit Young, then superkicked him back into the ring. They found out to the other side of the apron, where Young gave Slater a piledriver. Young dragged Slater back into the ring, but only got two.
Young tried for a piledriver off the top, but Slater escaped, then caught Young with a Styles Clash. Slater then hit another Swanton 450 to get the victory.
Match Result: Slater pinned Young with a Swanton 450 to retain (15:18).
This was the least excited I’ve been for a Leon Slater match and he still delivered a banger.
— The One Man Gang was shown in the crowd.
— Gia Miller interviewed Mike Santana, who called Steve Maclin “a manipulator and a real b!tch.” Santana got Maclin his job back, but as payment he’s going to rip out Maclin’s heart and feed it to him.
AJ Francis & Frankie Kazarian v. The Home Town Man & Elijah
The Home Town Man came out to Marti Gras music and masked Home Town Man fans throwing beads to the crowd. Elijah and Kazarian started out, while Home Town Man led the crowd in a “Who Dat?” chant.
Home Town Man and Elijah did a double rope-walk spot. The heels went to the floor to regroup, and Elijah used Homer as a springboard to hit them with a dive over the ropes.
Francis tripped up Homer as he ran the ropes, and Kazarian landed a springboard legdrop, allowing the heels to take control. Homer tried to fight out of the heel corner, but Francis squashed him with an avalanche in the corner. Francis charged into The Home Town Man with a knee, and Kazarian covered him for two.
Francis went for a chokeslam, but he held up Homer too long, and he escaped with a DDT. Elijah got the tag and went wild on Kazarian, leveling him with a boot. Elijah unloaded on Kazarian in the corner with chops and forearms, then hit a Twist & Shout for a near fall.
Elijah set himself up for a guillotine legdrop from Kazarian. Kazarian tried for the chickenwing, but Elijah escaped. Francis charged at Elijah, who got him up on his shoulders in the electric chair position, then turned that into a sit-out powerbomb for two. Elijah walked the ropes again to set up a Destroyer on Francis, but Francis countered into an Alabama Slam. Francis then cut Elijah in half with a spear, but that only got two.
Francis grabbed Elijah’s guitar, but Elijah ducked. The Home Town Man hit Franics with a crossbody off the top. Elijah got the guitar, but Kazarian took it away from Elijah, then smashed it against the ring steps. Elijah went after Francis and got thrown into the stairs. The Home Town Man went for a dive out of the ring, but Francis caught him and chokeslammed him on the ring apron. Kazarian then dropped Home Town Man with a Fade to Black.
Match Result: Francis & Kazarian won when Kazarian pinned The Home Town Man (11:20).
This was going good until the finish.
— Cedric Alexander and Brian Myers swear they had nothing to do with what happened to Matt Hardy last night on Impact.
Tommy Dreamer & Carlos Silva Addressed the Crowd
Dreamer told stories about his ECW heyday, like the Dudleys breaking Buelah’s neck in a building with no air conditioning. They brought Chris Bey, “the ultimate finesse, your girl’s favorite wrestler.” Bey talked about how TNA invests in young talent, bringing out the newest young talent TNA has signed: Ricky Sosa. Signing with TNA is the moment Sosa has been working for for five years. The crowd chanted “you deserve it!” A fan shouted “why should I care?” while Sosa was speaking, which threw Sosa off of his promo. The crowd then started chantingSosa’s chant (Bang! Bang! Sosa! Sosa!), which also threw him out again. He said that TNA was stepping into “Sosa Season.” Sosa signed his TNA contract.
The kid needs work on his promos. But other than the one fan being a jerk, the fans made Sosa feel like a big deal.
— Blanchard’s crew walked around the back, and Mila Moore was lured into Rosemary’s awful universe by the blood-covered bunny. Ugh. Someone in a gas mask snuck up behind her (apparently Havok, according to the commentators) and this is “To Be Continued…”
At least it was short.
Dani Luna v. Lei Ying Lee (w/ Xia Brookside) v. Arianna Grace (w/ Stacks) for the TNA Knockouts World Championship
Luna jumped Lee during the ring introductions. Grace dropped to the floor when Luna went after her. Lee chased Grace back into the ring and right into a suplex from Luna. Grace dropped to the floor again, and Lee hit Luna with a shotgun dropkick.
Grace pulled Luna out of the ring and smashed her head against the ring apron. Lee hit Grace with a dive, then tossed her back in the ring. Grace missed an elbowdrop on Lee. Lee hit her with a rolling necksnap, then mounted the corner to punch away at Grace.
Lee suplexed Grace out of the corner. Luna snatched up Lee in a choke, and Grace caught Luna with a surprise cradle for a near fall. Luna German suplexed both Grace and Lee out of the corner.
Luna slammed Lee. Luna ran the ropes, but Stacks pulled the ropes open so she jumped to the floor. Grace then attacked Lee in the ring, and hit a forearm strike for a near fall. Grace caught Lee with a neckbreaker, but Luna broke up the pin attempt. Luna leveled Grace with a forearm that sent her to the floor.
Luna just about killed Lee with a boot for a near fall. Luna went for a boot, but, if I can be serious for a minute, Lee countered into a half-crab. Grace then grabbed Lee in a cravat.
Grace caught Lee with a fisherman’s neckbreaker. Lee came back with the Warrior’s Way, but Luna broke up the pin attempt and everyone was down.
Lee leveled Grace with a right hand, then put Luna down with a kick. Grace flipped out of a powerbomb attempt, but walked into a spinning kick from Lee. Grace dropped the floor, but Luna caught Lee with a slingshot blue thunder bomb for two.
Brookside and Starks got into a fight on the floor, which Luna broke up. Luna hit Grace with a forearm. Grace came back with a DDT on Luna for a near fall. Grace then climbed to the top, but Luna caught her with a right hand. Luna set up Grace for an avalanche Samoan drop. Stacks tried to interfere, but Lee kicked Stacks to the mat, then suplexed Luna and Grace to the mat.
Lee went for the Warrior’s Way on Grace again, and Stacks interfered again. Brookside got in Stacks’ face, and Lee knocked out Grace and Stacks with a somersault cannonball.
This left Lee and Luna to square off one on one. They exchanged forearms mid-ring, with neither getting an advantage. Luna tried for a fallaway slam, but Lee escaped and hit a spin kick. Lee hit Luna with the Warrior’s Way and went for the cover, but Stacks dragged Luna out of the ring, and Grace stole the pinfall. Yes, it’s every finish to every triple threat match ever.
Match Result: Grace pinned Luna to retin the title (13:43).
The crowd rightfully booed the finish. If I had to rate all the performers in the match on who is ready to make a move up, Stacks and Grace are tied for last.
— Allie told Mara Sadé to follow the white rabbit. The rabbit led Sadé to Rosemary, and she asked Rosemary to make Michael B. Jordan interfere. Rosemary and Sadé will talk after Sadé match tonight.
Mustafa Ali & Tasha Steelz (w/ Order 4) v. Trey Miguel & Jada Stone
The best 60 seconds of this show so far was Migeul and Ali’s opening exchange. Ali hit Miguel with a step up rana, but Miguel landed on his feet and nearly took Ali’s head off with a kick. Steelz and Stone each tagged in. Stone took Steelz down with a tijeras, and Steelz came back with a step up rana. The match soon devolved into a cat fight, and Miguel and Ali dragged their partners into their corners to regroup.
Ali and Miguel squared up again, but Ali popped Stone with a cheap shot. Stone demanded the tag to face Ali in the ring. The crowd chanted “You f****d up!” I’m not sure if they meant Stone or Ali. Ali and Stone locked up, and Ali easily overpowered her. Ali back Stone up in the corner, but Stone caught him with a kick. Stone managed to hit Ali with a spinning DDT. Stone came off the top rope and sent Ali to the floor with a hurricanrana. Steelz charged at Stone, who ducked, which sent Steelz tumbling to the floor. Stone went for a dive, but the Great Hands stood in front of Steelz and Ali. So Miguel took them out with a dive.
Stone and Steelz fought on the floor. Steelz whipped Ali into the apron, but she slid on the mat and right into a DDT from Ali.
Back in the ring, Ali tried for an arrogant cover, but Stone kicked out. Steelz got the tag and struggled to hit Sliced Bread out of the corner, but she pulled it off. Steelz missed a charged in the corner, and both men got the tags.
Miguel came off the top with a dropkick on Ali. Miguel caught Ali with a fireman’s carry that he turned into a Shellshock. Steelz went after Miguel with chops, and he shrugged it off and dropped her with a side backbreaker.
Ali went for a superkick on Miguel, but Miguel ducked and Stone caught the kick. Miguel sent Ali into the middle buckle in that nasty bump that Ali always takes.
Ali hung up Miguel with a Dance with the Devil DDT on the ring apron. Steelz followed up with frog splash, but Miguel kicked out at two. Ali yanked Miguel off the middle ropes and into a cutter from Steelz for another near fall.
Miguel caught Ali with an up kick, then came off the top with a meteora. Steelz and Stone squared off again, and Stone hit a series of flying clotheslines and a forearm. Stone hit a running meteora then a split-legged moonsault for two. Ali got the tag and squared off with Stone again. Stone countered a double-team and hit Ali with a spinning DDT, then countered a backdrop attempt from Ali with a destroyer. Stone came off the top with moonsault onto the floor on both Ali and Steelz.
Stone went to the top again, but Ali cut her off, then set her up for a Splash Mountain off the top, but Stone countered that into a hurricanrana. Stone hit a twisting moonsault, but Ali kicked out at two and WHAT IS THIS MATCH.
Steelz grabbed the International Title belt. In the chaos, the Great Hands jumped Miguel and tied him up with zip ties. Without Miguel to help, Stone was left with Ali, and he killed her with a Dance with the Devil. Ali then crushed Stone with a 450.
Match Result: Ali and Steelz won with Ali pinned Stone after a 450 splash (15:15).
— Arianna Grace taunted Lei Ying Lee and Xia Brookside, so Santino Marella made Grace versus Brookside for the Knockouts Title for next week’s Impact. Stacks called Marella a horrible father.
Moose (w. Alisha Edwards) v. Eddie Edwards
Alisha and Eddie got into it before the match started. Eddie grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring. The referee wouldn’t start the match while Eddie had the kendo stick. Alisha grabbed the kneed stick from her husband, and Moose hit him with a kick to get the match underway.
And they brawled on the floor for a bit, until Agent Zero ran in and attacked Mose from behind, causing a disqualification.
Match Result: Moose by dq (0:31).
After the match, Agent Zero beat on Moose. Alisha jumped on Zero’s back, and Eddie had to pull his wife off of Zero’s back. Well, that was a whole lot of nothing.
— Steve Maclin is going to take everything from Mike Santana.
Elana Black v. Mara Sadé in a No Disqualification Match.
Sadé brought out a bedazzled bat. Black snatched the bat right away, but it didn’t come into play at all. Sadé and Black brawled around the ringside area. Black caught Sadé with a back elbow, then pulled a kendo stick out from under the ring and beat Sadé with it. Black pulled a stop sign from under the ring, but Sadé used the steps as a springboard to land a dropkick. Sadé celebrated, and Black hit under the ring.
Sadé went looking for Black under the ring, and when she found her, Black hit her in the gut with a fire extinguisher. Black set off the fire extinguisher in Sadé’s face and took control. Black rammed Sadé’s head into the steel steps, then tossed Sadé into the ring.
Black pulled a steel chair from under the ring. Black sent Sadé into the mat headfirst, then hit her with the chair. After some tepid offense, Black went to the floor to pull a table from under the ring. Black then changed her mind and put the table back to draw heat from the crowd. Black then went back to her tepid offense, slapping a chinlock on Sadé.
Sadé escaped the chinlock and got the bat. She hit Black with a bat, then caught her with a slingblade while the crowd chanted for tables. Sadé set up a chair for Black, then came off the ropes with a springboard crossbody for two.
Black came back with an enzuigiri, then dumped Sadé to the mat for two. Black then pulled out a sack filled with thumbtacks. Black went for the Blackout, but Sadé countered with a backdrop that mostly missed the thumbtacks, so Sadé followed up by slamming Black right into the tacks. Sadé finished Black off with the moonsault.
Match Result: Sadé pinned Black after a moonsault (9:37).
— The commentators take stock of the TNA World title situation, and Rehwoldt and Hannfian seem to think it’s Eddie Edwards cashing in his title shot at Rebellion… they ignore the promo from earlier where Nic Nemeth said he was cashing in his title shot at Rebellion.
Cedric Alexander & Brian Myers v. Vincent (of the Righteous) & Jeff Hardy
Vincent had his face painted like Jeff Hardy. Vincent and Jeff had great team chemistry early on, taking out both members of The System with Poetry in Motion, then catching them with stereo dives on the floor. The crowd was very into Jeff Hardy, as they always are.
Vincent went to the top, but Myers crotched him on the buckles. Alexander stomped on Vincent and taunted Jeff. Alexander cut off Vincent with a back elbow. The System double-teamed Vincent in the corner. Myers hit a suplex for a near fall, then wore Vincent down with a chinlock.
Vincent escaped the chinlock but ran into a high knee from Myers. More double-teaming from the heels, then Alexander chopped away at Vincent in the corner. Alexander hit a seated Vincent with a dropkick in the shoulder for a near fall.
Vincent caught Myers with a Russian Legsweep, the got the tag to Jeff. Jeff hit Alexander with forearms and a legdrop to the groin. Jeff went for the Twist of Fate, but Alexander pushed Hardy off into a spear from Myers. Alexander hit a Michinoku Driver on Jeff for a near fall. The System went for double team suplex, but Vincent made the save. Jeff gave Alexander a Twist of Fate into a twisting DDT from Vincent, but Myers broke up the pin attempt.
Alexander dumped Vincent with a release German suplex. Hardy hit Alexander with the Twist of Fate. Jeff hit the Swanton Bomb, but on the TNA-Tron, the picture changed to Dutch standing over a bloodied Matt Hardy, revealing the betrayal of the The Hardys by the Righteous. Distracted, Jeff falls victim to the Roster Cut from Myers, and the Lumbar Check from Alexander.
Match Result: Alexander and Myers by pinfall when Alexander pinned Hardy (8:44).
After the match, Vincent left Jeff Hardy alone in the ring. Hardy struggled to get back to his feet, encouraged by the crowd.
Rebellion So Far:
- The Hardys v. Bear Bronson & Brian Myers for the World Tag Team Title.
- Mustafa Ali v. Trey Miguel for the International Title.
- Leon Slater v. Cedric Alexander for the X Division Title.
- Elijah v. Frankie Kazarian
The Elegance Brand
The Concierge brought out the TNA Knockouts Tag Team champions and Mr. Elegance for an announcement. M announced that Ash is still bedridden from the stress of being called a “mark” by the crowd. She added that ODB should go back to the trailer park where she belongs.
Of course, this brings out ODB. Heather points out the math ain’t mathing for ODB, since there are two members of the Elegance Brand out there, but only one of ODB. And even though she could go 2-on-1, she’s a married woman, so she brings you Taryn Terrell (another former Knockout’s Champion) for help. Terrell looked 25, but her Wikipedia page says she’s 40. Mr. Elegance grabs the mic and points out the math still ain’t mathing, since with him there’s 3 members of the Elegance Brand but still only two of them. ODB had them “hit her music,” which brought out Mickie James. James called The Concierge “pickle d!ck” then led the charge of TNA legends against the Elegance Brand.
James and Terrell tripped up Mr. Elegance, then took out M and Heather. Then all three ladies took shots at Mr. Elegance. James hit Mr. Elegance low, and then ODB dumped him to the floor.
— Daria Rae warned Santino Marella that it was unprofesional to pick favorites in tonight’s main event.
Steve Maclin v. Mike Santana for the TNA World Championship
Maclin going from completely fired to top contender in two months should be an inspiration for anyone worried about whether stipulations matter.
But unfortunately, this match was derailed by an injury to Maclin very early on.
Maclin pie-faced Santana out of a lockup. Santana locked on a side headlock, but Maclin shrugged that off. Both men collided in the center of the ring with shoulder blocks, but neither guy got the advantage. Santana and Maclin exchanged slaps and strikes until Santana finally locked Maclin down with a superkick.
Maclin was rocked by the superkick and he went rubber-legged and dropped to the mat. Santana tried to set up Maclin for a forearm, but the ref got between them and threw up the “X” sign. A doctor came into the ring. The camera focused on Santana while another TNA trainer and Carlos Silva checked on Maclin. Maclin got to his feet, then dropped to his knee again. A fifth trainer person (another trainer I’d guess) came out, with Maclin now slumped against the bottom rope.
Eddie Edwards ran in and jumped Santana, and Maclin was helped to the back. Maclin was legit knocked out of the match by the superkick, and someone called an audible for Edwards to run in. Edwards gave Santana a back suplex on the apron.
Santana backdropped Edwards on the floor and set up a table. They got back in the ring, and Santana hit a discus lariat on Edwards, then dumped him to the floor again. Santana then came off the top with a frog splash.
Match Result: Mike Santana declared the winner by no contest. (There was no final bell to end the match, but the whole business from the start to Edwards going through the table was about 6-7 minutes. And no, I’m not just doing that “6-7” meme).
Santana looked disappointed as he celebrated in the ring to end the show.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, the angle to get there was pretty dumb, but the match between Santana and Maclin was shaping up to be a good one. This was an unfortunate end of the show. But TNA 100% did the right thing by protecting their talent and getting Maclin out of there.
The rest of the show was the usual mixed bag of solid to good to great in-ring action, with some head-scratching angles. I’d say the mixed tag is the best thing on the show and worth checking out. It probably set up the Miguel/Ali match at Rebellion to steal the show.
