TNA Impact 7/18/2024

TNA Impact 7/18/2024

Last week's show is here:  https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/07/tna-impact-7112024.html

No Quarter Catch Crew (Charlie Dempsey, Tavion Heights and Myles Borne) vs KUSHIDA, Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz

Dempsey gets out of Wentz's wristlock andgets him down. Wentz backflips out of a wristlock and Dempsey euros him. Borne takes a double team that ends in a baseball slide. Trey back rolls Borne and basement dropkicks his arm. Borne hits a nice forearm on Trey then slams him.

Tav misses a senton and has his arm banged off the ropes. Tav fireman's carry throws Kush then karelin's lifts him for 2. Dempsey swinging backbreakers Kush. Kush hits a handspring double back elbow. Wentz hits a top rope double dropkick on Tav and Borne.

Borne leapfrogs and is pulled down. Wentz germans him then corner euros Dempsey. Wentz is thrown into dropkicks on opponents. Trey spinebusters Dempsey. The faces do a triple dropkick. The faces hit triple tope con hilos.

Kush his people as they come into the ring then he backrolls into a hoverboard lock on Tav. Dempsey kimura's Kush then Kush kimura's him. Trey armbars Tav at the same time and Wentz triangles Borne at the same time for triple submissions.

The faces all take triple stereo powerbombs. Kush hits leg kicks on Dempsey. Dempsey euros him and Kush pele kicks him. Dempsey takes a triple enzugiri/kick in the corner. Jonathan Gresham comes out and Kush goes after him. Dempsey takes a takes a springboard swanton + pedigree combo for 2.

Everyone fights in the ring. Wentz is double teamed then takes a high overhead belly to belly suplex. Dempsey double underhook suplexes Wentz and wins.

Thoughts: It was a decent opener here with some nice highlights. NQCC got the win here as needed over the makeshift team of Kushida/Rascalz. Kush also ended up leaving to go after Gresham, so that saved The Rascalz some while furthering the Gresham/Kush feud.

The Rascalz talk in the back. They argue over whether Wes is Des or Wes due to his NXT name being different. This is done That 70's Show style and they are all high. Wes is accused of being a hologram. They discuss smoking weed but Wes says no. Wes says The Rascalz should run wild on the NQCC at Slammiversary then they agree to smoke weed without saying it.

Thoughts: I really don't think drug use should be something that is pushed on these shows and I'm surprised WWE allowed this. 

Xia Brookside vs Alisha Edwards

Xia side headlocks her. AE wristlocks her. Xia flips out of it using the ropes then armdrags her off the ropes. Xia dropkicks her then Alisha backcrackers her while she's on the 2nd rope. Alisha stands on her hair and pulls her arms. Alisha powerslams her and hits mounted forearms.

Alisha bangs Xia's head off the mat with a headscissors. Alisha chops her then Xia hits flying lariats. Xia russian legsweeps her then corner crossbodies her.

Xia gets on the bottom rope and high kicks her. Xia 2nd rope crossbodies her for 2. Masha Slamovich interferes then Spitfire come out and attack Masha. XIa hits an iconoclasm on Alisha then bridge pins her to win.

Thoughts: It needed more time and wasn't anything special. These aren't two of the better or more athletic workers and this wasn't going to be great.

Mike Santana does a promo. He said he's aiming for the top spot and claiming the TNA Title. He says there's big pressure and says he thrives when the odds are stacked against him. He said JDC attacked him and cost him his purpose. He says JDC helped The System, who doesn't care about him. He says JDC to suffer the consequences. He says he's going to sink his teeth in and bite him.

We see clips earlier of Mustafa Ali being greeted by fans as he arrives. Mike Bailey grabs him through the car window.

Mike Bailey comes out to talk. He says him and Ali need to put an end to this right now. He says he's not leaving this ring until Ali fights him. Ali gets on the tron. He's with armed guards and says he will fight him tonight. He says he has to earn it though. He says if he can win the secret service gauntlet, he will fight him tonight. Ali says he'll see him real soon, maybe.

Ali's secret service guards some out.

Secret Service Gauntlet

Leg 1 - Mike superkicks a guard and pins him.

Leg 2 - Mike spin kicks one in the gut, axe kicks him and chest kicks him. Mike standing ssp's him and pins him.

Leg 3 - The guard backs off from a kick and slides out. Mike triangle moonsaults him outside.

Leg 4 - We go to break and return and are told Mike has beaten the last guard plus another.

Campaign Singh comes out. He says Mike must defeat him. Singh says the crowd is hostile. He gets on the apron and Mike kicks a guard who gets behind him.

Leg 5 - Singh hits shots on Mike then corner splashes him. Singh cobra clutch slams him. Singh backbreakers him. Mike spin kicks him then hits ultimate weapon. Mike then wins.

Leg 6 - Ali dresses up as an armed guard and hits him with a billy club from behind. Ali then pins him.

Thoughts: It was basically time filler and it was obvious some kind of shenanigans was going to go down here.

Mustafa Ali doe a promo with his guards. He says don't you love it when a plan comes together. Ali says his match with Mike at Slammiversary has been removed from the ballot. he said he has defeated Mike Bailey.

Santino Marella comes in. He tells him to never put his hands on an official again. He says the match is still on. He says if Ali doesn't show up, he will be stripped from the title and fired. Santino says he hopes Mike Bailey kicks his @ss. Ali says what happens to Mike is on Santino.

TNA Tag Titles  The System (Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers) vs The Hardy Boyz

Brian backs Matt up in the corner and shoves him. Matt shoves him back. Matt armbreakers Brian then Eddie takes a double hiptoss. Jeff jumps off of Matt's back and corner splashes Eddie. The heels are then lariated over the top. Jeff's head is banged off the buckles.

Brian suplexes Jeff. Jeff jawbreakers Eddie. Matt gets in. Helariats and slams Eddie. Eddie's head is banged off the buckles then Brian's is as well. Matt ddt's Eddie for 2. Matt pounds on both opponents. Matt takes a forearm from the side then a spear for 2.

We go to break and return. Brian back elbows Matt. Matt neckbreakers Eddie. Matt hits a side effect on Eddie. Jeff gets in and jumps off of Eddie's back to splash Brian. Jeff atomic drops Brian then legdrops him in the gut/crotch. Jeff hits whisper in the wind for 2. Matt hitsa twist of fate on Brian. JDC comes down and crotches Jeff on the top rope, causing a DQ.

Eddie pounds on Matt after. Jeff gets a chair put around his throat then the chair is sent into the post. Jeff is stretched out as JDC dances in the ring.

Thoughts: It was a decent match here with The Hardy's looking good. I knew they weren't doing a title change here and I was curious as to how they were going to do that.

Mike Santana vs JDC

Mike's got a bandage on his head. Mike goes after JDC and hits mounted punches. JDC walks away outside then JDC is belly to belly overhead suplexed on the floor. Jeff is being put in an ambulance backstage and we cut away from the match to show it. Reby Hardy is down and says The System attacked her.

We go back to the match. JDC hits punches on Mike and works his eyes. Mike's head is pushed into the turnbuckle connector. JDC chops and bites Mike. Mike hits chops and taking a flying knee out. JDC swings a chair at Mike and has is dropkicked into him.

They fight on their knees. JDC rakes at Mike's wound on his head. Mike hits corner attacks then suprkicks him. Mike death valley drivers him for 2. JDC hits an air raid crash on Mike for 2.

JDC super falcon arrows Mike. JDC is sent into the post. Mike chairs JDC and is disqualified.

Thoughts: Two DQ finishes in a row sucks but the match was solid as a hate filled match. they went after each other good here and Mike put over that he heated JDC well

Security tries to stop Mike after. He nails them then spinning lariats a busted open JDC outside.

Jordynne Grace does a taped interview. They talk about Ash By Elegance taking a vacation in The Bahamas while Grace defends her title. She said beating Trinity for the women's title was surreal. Grace says she's been waiting to show the world what she could do and was happy to be able to do it at The Royal Rumble.

She said Ash By Elegance thinks she's untouchable and says she wants to show her that she isn't. She said she's not worried about George Iceman in their match and wants to prove she's the best in the world.

George is talking to Ash on the phone. Rosemary gets up behind him and teases doing something but doesn't.

Satino Marella is in the ring for the Slammiversary contract signing. He brings out everyone in it. Nic Nemeth is not there. He calls Moose a coward champ and says he's looking forward to fighting Josh Alexander. Nic says he's rooting for Joe Hendry a little and tells Kaz to kiss his @ss.

Nic says he was in a back alley altercation and says he got injured during it. He says it's on him and him alone. He says he will be medically cleared in 2 days and will be at Slammiversary. He says good luck at Slammiversary as his opponents will need it. 

Kaz takes a while to sign the contract but does. Joe goes to sign and Moose grabs the contract. First Class come out. AJ says they are the main event of Slammiversary. He says Slammiversary is the biggest show they have had because he's in the main event.

AJ says there's only one double champ in this room and Lou Thesz has nothing on him. He says he's facing The French Canadian Frankenstein in French Canadia. He says there's 5 guys he respects in the match and then there's Joe Hendry. he say she doesn't believe. He says the 6-way will be a good first match but says to thank him for the house at the show. He says the main event will be PCO vs AJ Francis.

Santino tells AJ to get out. AJ says to make him get out. PCO then appears and hits AJ and Swann. PCO lariats AJ over the top rope. Everyone fights. Josh punches Moose then Moose tkaes a uranage from Joe through a table.

Thoughts: It was your usual contract signing with lots of chaos as expected. It did what it was supposed to and got AJ/PCO involved as well for extra points.

Overall thoughts: It felt like a long show and was an interesting mix of stuff. We got two solid matches in The Hardy's vs The System and Santana/JDC. Both should have been saved for the PPV though and are more appealing than the matches those people are in at the PPV. The opener was okay. The Gauntlet was what you would expect and was a waste of time. The contract signing at the end was chaos as expected. I feel like they dropped the ball on PCO/Steph's storyline as it's been good yet they haven't featured it much. Ash By Elegance being away for so long has hurt her storyline was Grace. I liked this show overall and thought it was an okay go home show for the PPV.