TNA Impact is live tonight from the Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater will defend against Nic Nemeth.
The Knockouts World Championship will be on the line tonight as the new champion, Arianna Grace, looks to defend the title for the first time against number one contender Jody Threat.
Also advertised for the show is a four-way tag team match with the winner earning a shot at the TNA Tag Team titles with The System’s Brian Myers & Bear Bronson vs. Vincent & Dutch of The Righteous vs. BDE & Rich Swann vs. Sinner & Saint.
Frankie Kazarian will host The King’s Speech with special guest Elijah. We’ll hear from TNA World Champion Mike Santana on the show. Moose is also advertised. The Elegance Brand will address the heated confrontation between Ash by Elegance and Mickie James on last week’s episode. Elayna Black will face Mara Sade.
Our live coverage kicks off at 9 p.m.
Live! From Atlanta, Georgia.
Tom Hannifan & Matthew Rehwoldt were on commentary.
The cast of Mama June was in attendance, as well as Lilian Garcia. Truly, the celebrities are coming out for TNA Wrestling.
Arianna Grace (w/ Stacks) v. Jody Threat for the Knockouts Division Championship
Before the match could get underway, Tessa Blanchard and her crew made an entrance to observe the match. Blanchard joined the commentary team to add her expertise to the match. Blanchard admitted to jumping Jody Threat backstage last week.
Grace jumped Threat from behind during the ring introductions. Threat shrugged off the attack and hit a series of avalanche clotheslines in the corner while the camera showed the disinterested crowd. Dani Luna and Indi Hartwell soon emerged from the crowd to watch from ringside, and Lei Ying Lee and Xia Brookside watched from the entrance ramp.
If I can be serious for a minute, back in the ring Grace tried to apply a half crab and punched at Threat’s ribs (injured in last week’s backstage attack). Threat came back with a series of clotheslines and a pump kick. Threat hit a release German suplex. Threat hit a Michinoku Driver for two. Grace dropped to the floor and Hannifan noticed Hartwell for the first time (after she’d been a ringside for nearly the entire match). Threat hit a plancha on Starks on the floor.
Back in the ring, Grace and Threat fought over the Cobra, but the tug-of-war over the sock put too much strain on Threat’s injured ribs. Grace kicked Threat in the ribs and cradled her for the pinfall.
Match Result: Arianna Grace retained by pinfall (5:32).
Ugh. Just, ugh.
— Hannifan and Rehwoldt addressed the controversy from last week with Steve Maclin. Hannifan was disgusted and Rehwoldt said Maclin “crossed lines you don’t cross in this business” and he hoped Mike Santana kicks Maclin’s a$$.
— Gia Miller interviewed The Nemeths, and the mic didn’t work for the first half of the interview. Leon Slater might have gotten one over on Nic Nemeth on the pay-per-view, but Nemeth got the win back last week and will get the TNA title tonight. Also, Gia makes Ryan Nemeth sick.
The Elegance Brand Take the Ring
Ash is not with the rest of the Elegance Brand. She took a mental health day because she’s not a mark, despite what the fans think. The Elegance Brand ran down Mickie James. They then spot the cast of Mama June in the front row. Heather and M cut a promo on Mama June and told her to go stand in line at a food truck.
This brought out ODB from the crowd, dragging a cooler behind her. After some poor mic work, ODB single-handedly disposed off the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions, and dropped Mr. Elegance with a low kick. ODB handed out cocktails for the cast of Mama June to dump all over Heather and M, who “comically” oversold and slipped around on the floor.
— X Division Champion Leon Slater and TNA World Tag Team Champions Matt and Jeff Hardy exchanged pleasantries in the back.
Brian Myers & Bear Bronson v. Vincent & Dutch of The Righteous v. BDE & Rich Swann v. Sinner & Saint (Judas Icarus & Travis Williams)
The winners of this match will receive a future TNA Tag Team Championship opportunity.
BDE and Swann flew around with Sinner and Saint early, until Bear Bronson put a stop of that with a clothesline. Sinner and Saint hit Myers and Bronson with a pair of dives on the floor, and the BDE and Swann followed them out with a dive onto the four of them. Vincent teased a dive of his own as a distraction for Dutch to hit all six guys on the floor with a cannonball.
Vincent got a near fall on DBE with a flatliner. Bronson hit Vincent with a choke bomb for two. Bronson pounded on Vincent and mocked his snapping.
The System cut of Vincent from his partner and worked him over in the corner. Vincent countered a suplex attempt with a hangman’s neckbreaker, then got the tag to Swann.
BDE and Swann paired off with Sinner and Saint again. Swann rana’d Williams onto Icarus for a near fall. Icarus and Williams hit Swann with a series of strikes, and got a near fall off of a brainbuster. BDE got the tag and dropped Williams with a falcon arrow for two. Williams blocked a springboard cutter from BDE and both guys knocked each other out with a double clothesline.
Vincent got the tag and hit BDE with a Sliced Bread, but his pin attempt was broken up by literally everybody.
BDE and Swann hit Sinner and Saint with double springboard cutters. Myers hit Vincent with a clothesline and then BDE with a spear. Bronson then finished off BDE with a sit-out tombstone for the pinfall.
Match Result: Bear Bronson & Brian Myers won a future tag title show when Bronson pinned BDE (8:33).
This was mostly Sinner & Saint v. BDE & Swann. I seriously think TNA’s creative team overestimates the value of System.
— A Rosemary vignette with awful audio aired. She was making a list.
Moose Addressed The Crowd
Moose started out talking about the System, who aren’t really a family but just four guys who are jealous when someone else outshines them. Moose got sidetracked addressing Atlanta Falcons legends who were in the crowd. Back to TNA business, Moose promised to take out the System one-by-one, starting with Cedric Alexander in an Atlanta Street Fight next week. Moose used the tired line about Brian Myers being “Edge’s b!tch,” and Bear Bronson can’t even lace up Moose’s boots. Alisha Edwards took the mic from Moose before he could get to Edwards, but promised to support Moose while he destroys every member of the System. So Moose promised to beat up Eddie Edwards in front of his own wife and kick every member of the System out of The System.
THE TNA INJURY REPORT:
- Mustafa Ali is out and has not been seen since the casket match.
- Mickie James is out and remains under medical supervision (isn’t she retired?).
- Leon Slater is cleared, which is good since he’s in the main event.
— In the Bioflex Recovery Room, Rich Swann offered words of support to BDE. Trey Miguel also offered words of wisdom. Soon Order 4 (minus Mustafa Ali) arrived. Jason Hotch said BDE and Swann wasted their opportunity, and believed the Great Hands should have been in that match. Eventually Jada Stone (getting checked out by the Bioflex Recovery Room staff) and Tasha Steelz got into a shoving match.
Elayna Black v. Mara Sade
Sade hit a nice looking dropkick early on. Black took control when she tripped up Sade, who did a header into the apron. Black’s offense was uninspired. She tried to control Sade with a surfboard, but Sade fought out of it. Sade came back with a pair of clotheslines and a slingblade. Sade hit a springboard crossbody off the middle ropes for a near fall. Sade hit another dropkick to send Black to the floor, then followed her out with a plancha.
Sade came off the top with a dropkick for a near fall. Black came back with an enziguri, then hit a Canadian Destroyer for two. Sade dropped to the floor to grab a chair. The ref took the chair, but Black procured brass knuckles that were hidden in the turnbuckles. Sade went to suplex Black, but Black hit her with the knux to get the pinfall.
Match Result: Black pinned Sade. (approx 7 minutes)
— AJ Francis bragged about running off another opponent from TNA. And he doesn’t want to be in the loser town of Atlanta anyway. The Home Town Man won’t allow anyone to disparage his hometown, and the brawl was on.
The King’s Speech with Elijah
The biggest pop of the night might have been for AJ Styles. Kazarian mentioned AJ since the last time he was in Atlanta, he was at Raw honoring his retirement. Kazarian then brought out Elijah.
There were more audio problems here, first with Kazarian’s house mic that couldn’t be heard until it was adjusted, and Elijah was wearing a wireless/handheld mic that also couldn’t be heard at first.
But anyway, I think the idea here was that Kazarian would ask a question, and then the lights would drop and Elijah would ignore Kazarian and address the crowd, kind of like an internal monologue (like JD on “Scrubs”). Kazarian put over the Guitar Case Casket match as an “instant classic” and Elijah addressed the crowd, saying he “knew what Frankie was up to” like Kazarian wasn’t even there. Kazarian asked Elijah if he thought this would put him on the path to a title, and Elijah again ignored Kazarian and talked about how his feud with Ali was finished.
Eventually, Kazarian got in Elijah’s face, but they were distracted by AJ Francis and the Home Town Man, who brawled out onto the entrance stage (picking up from the previous segment). Francis chokeslammed the Home Town Man into the crowd (hopefully some plants), and Elijah went to check on the Home Town Man.
— In the back, (in what looked like another screwed up camera shot, but I think this was intentional), Eric Young said he hoped Leon Slater won tonight.
— Another segment with Rosemary, but this time with working audio. It started with Tommy Dreamer and Carlos Silva, but Rosemary made Dreamer disappear. Silva signed Rosemary to a new contract. Also there was someone in a pig or rabbit mask and a bloody jacket. “Project Lazarus has been approved,” Rosmary said, whatever that means.
Leon Slater v. Nic Nemeth (w/ Ryan Nemeth) for the X Division Championship
Nemeth took it to the mat early and got a near fall, then dropped Slater with a hangman’s neckbreaker. Slater fought back with chops. Slater hit Nemeth with a handspring elbow, and Nemeth dropped to the floor to regroup. Slater followed him out with a slingshot plancha.
As Slater was trying to get back in the ring, Ryan Nemeth tripped up Slater, and Nic took advantage to hit the Famouser for a near fall.
Slater started to fight back, and Nemeth dropped him with a kick to the knee. Nic choked Slater against the ropes, and then distracted the referee so his brother could get a shot on Slater. Slater whipped Nemeth into the turnbuckles chest-first, and both men were down.
Nemeth charged into a boot from Slater, and Slater hit him with a kick. Slater flopped into Nemeth’s body with a kick for a near fall. Slater tried to go to the top, but Nemeth tripped him up and hit a DDT for a near fall.
Slater avoided the Danger Zone and delivered a blue thunder bomb for a near fall. Slater went to the top rope again and went for the 450, but Nemeth avoided it. Nemeth tried for the Famouser again, but Slater countered that into a Styles Clash. Slater went for the 450, but Nemeth got his knees up and rolled up Slater for two.
Nemeth locked Slater in a sleeper with a body scissors. The crowd chanted “This is awesome!” Crowds are too easy these days. Slater got to his feet and drove Nemeth into the mat to break the hold.
Ryan Nemeth jumped up on the apron at ate a kick from Slater, allowing Nic to hit a superkick for a near fall. Nemeth tried to superplex Slater, but Slater countered into a twisting superplex of his own. Slater hit Nemeth with a Swanton 450 for a decisive victory.
Match Result: Slater pinned Nic Nemeth to retain after a Swanton 450 (11:57).
This was good but not great.
After the match, Eric Young ran out and attacked Slater. Young gave Slater a piledriver on the floor, then posed with the X Division title belt.
TNA World Champion Mike Santana Keeps it a Buck
Santana came out to the ring for a show-closing promo. Santana said that Steve Maclin had the opportunity to take accountability (I’m still not sure what Maclin needs to take accountability for. Picking a bad briefcase?). Santana demanded that Santino come out and reinstate Steve Maclin. Instead of Marella, we get Daria Rae, and she officially reinstates Steve Maclin. Well, that stipulation was pointless. But Daria Rae will decide when Santana faces Maclin.
This brings out Santino Marella, who said the date is set, and it’s at Sacrifice on March 27th in New Orleans. And it will be for the TNA World title.
Then Santana said it didn’t matter what Santino or Daria had to say, Maclin has a date with death when he steps in the building next week. That sounded aggressive.
The commentators looked disappointed for some reason, even though it seemed like they both wanted Maclin to catch a beating from Santana earlier in the night. After a video of the “highlights” of the night, Hannfian was disgusted that TNA gave Maclin his job back and a TNA title shot.
Next week on TNA Impact:
- Trey Miguel, BDE & Rich Swann v. Order 4
- AJ Francis v. Elijah
- Moose v. Cedric Alexander in a Street Fight.
Nobody can waste two hours of live TV like TNA.
