TNA IMPACT!

This was the final Impact before TNA Rebellion on Saturday and it had a lot to get through. Four matches, a contract signing, multiple backstage segments and another instalment of the Undead Realm made for a packed two hours. Not all of it landed, but the stuff that mattered hit hard enough to make Rebellion feel like a worthwhile event.

The contract signing between Mike Santana and Eddie Edwards was the highlight of the show. The promo work from both men was strong. Edwards leaning into the fact that he stayed with TNA through the darkest years while Santana left for AEW’s Inner Circle was a smart angle. Santana firing back by calling Edwards complacent and saying he left to test himself against the best in the world was equally effective. When Edwards brought up Santana’s daughter the mood shifted instantly, and the Cedric Alexander attack followed by Leon Slater’s save gave the segment a chaotic ending that felt organic rather than forced. Both men came out of this looking like credible main eventers heading into the title match.

The Hardys retaining the TNA World Tag Team Championship in a Tables Match against The Righteous was the main event and it was a fun brawl. Matt going through a table early on was a good false alarm since the rules required an offensive move to send someone through it. Jeff and Matt eventually combined to put Vincent through a table to retain. Dutch attacking Jeff after the match and sending him through another table was the right way to keep The Righteous looking dangerous and sets the stage for the Hardys to defend against Bear Bronson and Brian Myers at Rebellion. At this stage in their careers the Hardys are not going to have technical classics, but they still know how to work a stipulation match and the crowd was into it throughout.

Jada Stone beating Dani Luna was a good match that told a clear speed versus power story. Stone’s twisting corkscrew moonsault for the finish looked great and her momentum continues to build. Tasha Steelz laying her out with a clothesline after the bell keeps that feud ticking along. Reports suggest this may have been Luna’s last TNA appearance, which is a shame because she had potential in that roster.

Elayna Black over Myla Grace was short and felt rushed. The finish with The Blackout did not look particularly impactful and the match barely had time to breathe at under four minutes. Not everything on a go-home show needs to be a classic but this one could have done with another few minutes.

The AJ Francis segment where he confessed to attacking Nic Nemeth was entertaining in a way that only Francis can be. The story about turning down the Cleveland Browns to train as a wrestler for free was ridiculous and that is exactly the point. Francis is fully committed to his character and it works. Nemeth being cleared for Rebellion means that match should deliver.

The Elegance Brand beating down Taryn Terrell was effective heel work. Showing Mickie James and ODB already laid out backstage before the group attacked Terrell made them look calculated and vicious. Mr. Elegance taking out security added to the chaos. This is building nicely towards the Hardcore Country match at Rebellion.

Eric Young and Ricky Sosa is a classic veteran versus newcomer story and it works because Young is so good at being a slimy gatekeeper character. The sucker punch followed by the piledriver after Sosa had briefly fought back was a strong introduction to the feud.

The Undead Realm continues to be polarising. Rosemary bringing Abyss back into the fold is interesting from a lore perspective, but these segments can be hard to follow if you are not deeply invested in TNA’s supernatural storylines. Your mileage will vary.

Santino Marella getting suspended indefinitely after chasing Stacks into the women’s locker room was a storyline beat that felt like it belonged in a different era of wrestling. Indi Hartwell getting suspended too for bumping into Daria Rae at least sets up a potential programme between those two down the line.

Overall this was a solid go-home show that did its job. The Santana and Edwards contract signing was the standout segment, the Hardys Tables Match delivered as the main event, and most of the Rebellion card now has enough heat behind it to justify the price tag. TNA on AMC continues to be a consistent watch week to week, even if individual episodes can feel overstuffed with segments that do not always connect.