Himanshu's TNA Impact Review 8.29.24 (2024)

Hey there, TNA fans! It’s Thursday and that means it’s time for another episode of TNA iMPACT! I’m Himanshu (you can follow me on Twitter @Himanshu_Doi) and you know how this works. Tonight on iMPACT, Jordynne Grace and Ash square off in a “Match by Elegance”, Hammerstone is set to face Eric Young, Santana is determined to take down Eddie Edwards, Joe Hendry faces Brian Myers, TNA World Tag Team Champions Chris Bey and Ace Austin face Cody Deaner and Jake Something and more. So let’s jump right in!

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Date: August 29th, 2024
Location: Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matt Rehwoldt

Rich Swann hits a First Clash Splash for two. Rich Swann goes for a back handspring cutter but Bailey gets out of it and hits a moonsault double knees for two. Rich Swann hits a handspring cutter for two. Rich Swann kicks Bailey in the face. Swann goes for a moonsault but Bailey gets out of the way and hits a Spanish Fly for the win.

Result: Mike Bailey def. Rich Swann by pinfall to retain the TNA X-Division Championship
Rating: ***½
Reaction: Good match. While the result was never really in question especially with Emergence coming up, they made it interesting with AJ Francis being out there.

Gia Miller is backstage with Jordynne Grace and Grace says Ash is lucky that she gets not one but two opportunities. She said she doesn’t know what a Match by Elegance is but the result will be the same. She said she will still walk out the Knockouts World Champion.

Joe Hendry gets on the mic and says there are people who respect Brian Myers, and if they respect him, they should not chant “Edge’s bitch” and everyone started chanting it. He said if they respect him, they chant “We believe”.

Hendry hits an uppercut and a Sunset Flip for two. Myers hits a back elbow for two. Hendry hits uppercuts and Myers drops him with a drop-toe hold. Myers locks in a sleeper hold but Hendry fights out of it. Myers hits a superkick for two. Myers with a knee in the midsection and a belly-to-back suplex. Myers goes for a Spear but Hendry hits a pop-up cutter. Hendry hits punches and an uppercut and running back elbows followed by a Fallaway Slam. Hendry hits a clothesline followed by the Standing Ovation for the win.

Result: Joe Hendry def. Brian Myers by pinfall
Rating: ***
Reaction: The Hendry Train keeps on chugging. You’ve seen Hendry transition into a more serious competitor over the last couple of months or so, but that has not affected how over he is everywhere he goes and his entrance music gets an instant pop when it plays.

After the match, Eddie Edwards runs in and attacks Joe Hendry with Brian Myers but Santana’s music hits and he runs in through the crowd. Myers leaves the ring.

Eddie Edwards and Santana exchange chops. Eddie Edwards whips Santana in the corner but Santana flips over and hits a superkick. Santana hits the Rolling Buck 50 for two. Santana hits the OIC followed by a running senton to Edwards on the outside. Santana hits a Frog Splash on Eddie for two. Santana goes for Spin The Block but Eddie blocks it and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Eddie Edwards goes for a Tiger Driver but Santana fights out of it. Edwards hits a Tiger Bomb for two. Edwards removes his elbow pad and hits an elbow for two. Santana spits on Edwards and Edwards hits knees in Santana’s face. Edwards pulls down his knee pad and goes for a Boston Knee Party but Santana gets out of the way. Santana hits Spin The Block for the win.

Result: Santana def. Eddie Edwards by pinfall
Rating: ***¾
Reaction: That was an awesome way to segue from one match to the next. Santana has been doing fantastic work since coming to TNA and has really proved his mettle as a singles competitor.

Matt Cardona with a backstage promo and he says he is still not medically cleared to compete at Emergence. Santino Marella walks in and Matt Cardona said that it is his doctors that wouldn’t clear him. Santino said Cardona had promised him. Cardona said he is almost ready.

Kazarian joins the announce team for the next match.

Eric Young hits a Death Valley Driver for two. Eric Young goes for a Piledriver but Hammerstone gets out of it and hits a powerslam for two. Hammerstone goes for a Torture Rack but Eric Young gets out of it. Hammerstone hits a German Suplex followed by a powerbomb for two. Hammerstone whips Eric Young to the corner but Young flips over the turnbuckle and hits a forearm. Eric Young goes to the top rope but Hammerstone gets up and leaps over Hammerstone. Hammerstone hits a boot to the face followed by the Nightmare Pendulum for the win.

Result: Hammerstone def. Eric Young by pinfall
Rating: ***¼
Reaction: Solid win for Hammerstone. He’s going to be an asset for TNA and I’d love to see him higher up on the card.

Jake hits spears Ace in the corner and tags to Cody who hits an elbow for two and tags back to Jake. Jake hits a scoops slam and tags to Cody. Jake scoop slams Cody onto Ace for two. Ace rolls through and tags to Bey. Bey hits a running uppercut on Cody in the corner. Jake throws Bey in the corner but Bey hits an enzugiri. Jake hits a forearm smash. Jake Something clotheslines both Ace and Bey and throws Cody onto them from the top rope. Ace drives Jake face-first onto the apron. Ace and Bey hit the One-Two-Sweet onto Cody for the winner.

Result: ABC def. Cody Deaner and Jake Something by pinfall
Rating: ***¼
Reaction: If TNA is looking to make Cody Deaner and Jake Something a tag team then I hope they get a long run together rather than switching between singles and tag team. Jake adds something different to every match he’s in as he works really well with smaller guys. Having him work in multi-man matches like tag team matches also makes it believable for him to be taken out by two people rather than one.

After the match, First Class run out and hit a combination cutter on Ace and AJ hits the Down Payment on Bey to leave them both laying. First Class pose with the tag team titles.

Backstage, we see the personal concierge talking with Alisha and Masha.

Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt run down the card for Emergence.

The Personal Concierge sprays the hair spray in Jordynne’s eyes. He sets up the table with Ash. Ash goes to the top rope but Jordynne follows her. The Personal Concierge gives Ash the jewels and punches Jordynne. Jordynne catches her with the World’s Strongest Slam followed by the Vader Bomb for two. Jordynne Grace gets a protein shaker and pours diamonds out of it onto the ring. Ash with a drop toe hold onto the steel chair followed by a champagne bottle to the head for two. Ash chokes Jordynne with a string of roses. The Personal Concierge gets heels and is about to attack Jordynne but Rosemary comes up from behind and spears Ash and chases away the Personal Concierge. Jordynne covers Ash for two. Alisha runs in with a kendo stick but Jordynne spears her. Masha hits a package piledriver and Ash pins her for two. Spitfire run out and go after Alisha and Masha and hit stereo suicide dives. Ash on the top rope and Jordynne hits her with the steel chair followed by the Muscle Buster onto the table outside the ring for the win.

Result: Jordynne Grace def. Ash by Elegance by pinfall
Rating: ****¼
Reaction: That was really fun. TNA added their own twist to the regular hardcore match with all the customized weapons, much like they did with the Dot Combat match. The addition of Malisha and The Spitfires added to the tension in the match and the finish with the Muscle Buster through the table was great.

After the match, Jordynne Grace celebrates with Spitfire.

Matthew Rehwoldt in a sit-down interview with Josh Alexander and Nic Nemeth who will face off in a 60-minute Iron-man match at Emergence. Rehwoldt talks about Josh Alexander not going 5 more minutes. Alexander says everything is on his time. He says he is the flag bearer of this company. Rehwoldt asks Nic if he can handle the pressure. Nic Nemeth says he is honored. Nic Nemeth says he is intent on proving himself every week. Nic says he wonders why so many people know his name but not Josh’s. Nic Nemeth said Josh could’ve come straight to him and told him to fight him. He says he doesn’t think Josh has it anymore. Rehwoldt asks what has gone wrong. Josh says everything else is wrong but him. Josh says everyone in the back calls him champ and he doesn’t even have the belt. Josh names all the TNA legends and says he is above them all. He says what is wrong is people like him. He says Nemeth got a title shot in 3 months and lost. He says tomorrow he will take that belt right back where it belongs around his waist. Rehwoldt asks what Nic Nemeth is going to do. Nemeth says it doesn’t matter what he did in the past. Nemeth says weeks and months later he’s going to look him in the eye and tells him to fight. Nemeth says this is the one match he’s good at. Josh says he is the heart and soul and he says Nic is in for the hardest match of his life. Nic Nemeth says he used to be one of the best ever and now it’s him and it stays right there. He says he is staying the champion and he will fight to the death for it. He says every night counts and he is the champ and Josh is not. Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt run down the card for Emergence.

Reaction: A really strong segment to close the show. Josh Alexander proved once again how good of a talker he really is. They managed to have a compelling interview without relying on any of the old wrestling cliches. What they also managed to do was build hype for the match without doing the same old beatdown to close it. Both did really great work here.