TNA Impact 4/4/2024

TNA Impact 4/4/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/tna-impact-3282024.html

Nic Nemeth and Alex Shelley talk via taped promos. Nic said he did a lot but it was in one place. Alex agreed with this and said he wrestled in more places than he did. Nic said Alex has an advantage there. Alex implies that Nic didn't learn as much and limited himself by staying in one promotion. Nic said it will be a special match and they will beat up each other. Nic says Alex isn't him though. Alex says it's a generational class and Alex will find out why he's the king of a generation.

Old School Rules - Mustafa Ali vs Rhino

Old school rules means anything goes here. Rehwoldt agrees that is not old school rules. Joe Watson is at ringside. He played for the Philadelphia Flyers and they point him out.

They lock up and Ali is pushed back. Ali is shouldered over. Ali slides out and pulls his throat over the top rope. Ali takes a huge back body drop over the top rope and is chopped outside. Ali is thrown into the post.

Rhino throws weapons in the ring and the crowd chants ECW. Rehwoldt tells the crowd it's been 20 years and to move on. Ali chairs Rhino and grabs a copy of Joe Watson's book. He then throws it into the trash can. Watson laughs at it, killing the spot then Ali shows a picture of his magazine cover.

Rhino chops Ali in front of Watson. Rhino takes the book out of the trash can and poses with Watson. Rhino goes to get in the ring and has the rope kicked into his nuts. Ali coast to coast dropkicks the can into Rhino's face.  

Ali runs at Rhino and goes face first into a trash can. Rhino hits a corner spear then lariats him. The crowd asks for a tablethen asks for fire. So ungrateful. Rhino spinebusters him then Ali's guards disrupt him. Rhino fights them off and goes for a spear, but misses and goes into a table. Ali then wins it.

It was a short hardcore match. Not great or anything but kind of entertaining due to Ali and Joe Watson.

Ali poses after then Jake Something throws him back in the ring. Jake destroy's Ali's giant magazine cover. Jake goes for a powerbomb and Ali's guard breaks it up. That guard then gets a powerbomb.

Tasha Steelz and Hendry hype up Shelley vs Nemeth tonight.

Gia Miller interviews Hammerstone on the ramp. Hammer is wearing Josh Alexander's head gear on his arm. Gia said Hammer didn't respond to Josh's challenge and asks if he's afraid of him. Hammer said he has no reason to be afraid of him or even wrestle him. He said he can agree to another match. He said Josh's pain will feel like child's play to what he does with him. Hammer says their match will happen at Rebellion. He grabs the camera while doing this then hits the camera man with the headgear. Josh then puts the headgear on the camera man and calls him Josh Alexander. He then torture racks him.

The Rascalz come out. Trey calls it New York, but then says he knew it's Philly as he could smell it as he landed. He said Philly will have hosted the best team in wrestling after tonight in The Rascalz. Trey said he doesn't know who their opponents are and Wentz says to bring them out.

Little Guido say he wants to introduce the new FBI. He brings out Zack Clayton and Ray Jaz. Guido then introduces himself.

The Full Blooded Italians (Ray Jaz and Zack Clayton) vs The Rascalz

Ray flips out of a wristlock then Trey armdrags him. Trey doesn't pay attention and is taken down. Ray rolls him into a backdrop. Ray takes a ennzugiri > bottom rope codebreaker > neckbreaker > standing ssp for 2. Ray 2nd rope legdrops Trey's neck.

Zack comes in nad lariats Wentz. He then hits a double lariat. He powerslams Wentz for 2. The FBI hit a double elbow drop. Myron Reed comes out and spraypaints Guido into the face outside. Trey spinebusters Ray then Ray takes a superkick and a 2nd rope double stomp while in the catapult position. Ray is then pinned.

I didn't like this at all as The FBI jobbed on their debut for no reason at all.

Kevin Knight talks about the main tonight.

We go to a video that says Part One: Lies. Jonathan Gresham is in a meeting room and is asked about his progress. He said he realizes if he wants to say something and have people listen then he has to wear a mask. He said if you want to be honest, you have to live a lie. We see Gresham in various places and it ends.

Gia Miller interviews Trent Seven and Mike Bailey. Mike said Eddie Edwards used his buddies to beat him. The System then walks in. Eddie says they don't have what it takes to become champ and are dripping gold. Trent calls Moose big man and Moose said he doesn't deserve a shot at this and said it's not in his sight. Trent said he will just knock him out next week in a regular match and Moose said to be careful what you wish for.

Chris Bey vs Frankie Kazarian

Kaz tells the ring announcer to say that he is the king of TNA. Bey forearms Kaz off the apron then plancha's him. Bey hits mounted punches. Bey dropkicks him in the knee then double stomps his back. Bey hits corner punches. Bey forearms him over and Kaz punches him. Bey has his legs swept on the buckles and goes down.

Kaz gutwrench suplexes him and throws him out. Kaz backrackers him while Bey's on the 2nd rope then Kaz pulls both of Bey's arms back. Kaz dropkicks him then slams him. Kaz springboard legdrops him for 2.

Kaz misses a corner charge then Bey hits shots on him. Bey lariats him and spinning heel kicks him. Bey top rope lariats him then spinebusters. Bey's head is over the middle rope and Kaz legdrops it. Bey slingshot ddt's him for 2. Bey is slingshotted in and takes a cutter off of it for 2.

They go out and Bey is pushed into the post. The ref chests on Bey. Kaz grabs a chain, Ace takes it off of him and Kaz pretends Ace hit him with it. The ref warns Ace. Kaz throws Bey in and Bey tope con hilos him. Kaz kicks the rope into Bey's crotch. Kaz hits a samurai driver and wins it.

It was pretty average for the most part and went longer than it needed to. 

Masha Slamovich does a promo then Alisha Edwards walks in. She said Masha needs a tag partner and Alisha needs a tag partner for The System. She asks her what she thinks and tells her to think about it.

More wrestlers talk about Nemeth vs Shelley

Kon talks about his Monster's Ball match with PCO. He said they will go to war and you will hear bones break and monsters yelling. He said it will be talked about for years to come. He said it will be the day they danced with the devil. 

Xia Brookside vs Ash By Elegance

George Iceman does Ash's intro. He asks Xia who she is and tells her to get out of the ring. Xia asks who he is.

Ash has a punch blocked and Xia hits her. Ash then backs off. Xia hurricanrana's her off the ropes and single leg dropkicks her. Xia monkey flips her and Ash goes out to complain and stall. Xia grabs her by the hair and is tripped into the steps.

Ash handstand elbow drops her. Xia's head is banged off the buckles then Ash corner stomps her. Ash chokes her on the ropes. Xia crossbodies her then Ash clotheslines her. Ash hits mounted shots and slaps her. Ash throws her out then cutters her on the floor.

Xia hits forearms to the chest and hits lariats. Xia spinning headscissors her then running neckbreakers her for 2. Ash grabs the ring apron and George throws champagne in Xia's eyes. Ash then wins it.

This was real basic stuff and not that good. The finish of George throwing champagne in XIa's eyes was pretty lame. and hokey. 

Ace and Bey talk in the back. Ace says he hopes they can refocus on the tag titles now that Kaz is out of Bey's system. Bey doesn't get why he says this to him. Ace says picking a fight with Frankie wasn't a good idea. AJ Francis and Rich Swann come in. AJ asks if Bey has ever flown first class. Bey said he's flown first class in a championship experience. Bey asks him to put his money where his mouth is and offers to give him a POV experience in first class. Swann and AJ say if you aren't first class, you are last.   

Matt Cardona and Steph De Lander are interviewed. Matt doesn't like that Gia implies Steph need his help to win. Matt said she doesn't need the help. Matt says they are in TNA for buzz, money and gold. Steph said she beat 7 other knockouts last week so she should be the #1 contender. She said she is coming for Jordynne Grace at Rebellion and will take her belt. She said TNA is back and so are they.

Alex Shelley vs Nic Nemeth

They roll on the mat. Alex grabs a leg and Nic rolls him up. Alex takes him down by the arm then yanks his arm with his feet. Nic is sent into the post shoulder first.

We go to break and return. Alex baseball slides him then sends him into the post shoulder first. Nic's arm is banged off the post then Alex stomps the arm into the apron. Alex trips him and straightjacket chokes him then pulls him back onto his knees. Alex lariats him over the ropes to the floor then Nic's arm is sent into the post.

Alex tries to pull Nic into the post but is pulled into it instead. Nic throws him in then yanks on Alex's arm. Nic rakes him with his boot and stomps on him. Alex rolls him up for 2 then takes a back elbow. Nic hammerlocks him and Alex hits shots to the gut. Alex chinbreakers him then takes a dropkick.

Alex chopblocks him then Nic hits punches out of the headlock. Alex dragon screws him on the ropes. Alex figure fours him. Nic enzugiri's him and back elbows him. Nic hits lariats and splashes him. Nick neckbreakers him and hits elbow drops.

Shelly gets his knees up on an elbow drop attempt. Alex flatliners him into the 2nd buckle then tornado ddt's him for 2. Alex then puts him in the border city stretch. Nic rolls him up then takes an armbreaker. Nic jumping ddt's him for 2.

Nic superkicks him for 2. Alex blocks a zig zag then is rolled up in the border city stretch. Nic hits a zig zag and wins it.

This was long and really slow. I mean even if you sped this up, it was still slow. Alex worked the arm for most of the match and Nic did a lot of selling here. The problem when you hype up a match like this is that it has to meet the high expectations and it really didn't. I expected a much faster and more interesting match here and we didn't get that.

Overall thoughts: Not a real good episode of Impact. Nothing was bad but the matches were longer than they needed to be and weren't anything special. The FBI losing on their debut was stupid here. I did like the opener and Joe Watson being featured like he was this big superstar was unintentionally funny.