TNA, Impact Report, 1/18/24

Join us tonight for results from the first episode from TNA Wrestling since its return this January.  Tom Hannifan and Mathew Rewholdt are once again on the call.  Tonight will be the fallout show featuring the first television debut of Nic Nemeth. (formerly Dolph Ziggler)  Tonight’s show is being held at The Palms in Vegas.  The show is packed with a rowdy crowd.

The show begins with a highlight reel from last weekends Hard To Kill PPV.  Jordynne Grace won the TNA Knockouts Championship and Moose became the Men’s World Champion.  Ash By Elegance (Dana Brooke) debuted and the above stated Nic Nemeth.

Match 1.  X Division Scramble Match.  6 Way.  Kushida VS Trey Miguel VS Laredo Kid VS Mike Bailey VS Hijo Del Vikingo (Triple A Mega Champion, not on the line) VS Jake Something

This match can end by pinfall or submission.  All six combatants may enter the ring at the same time.  Bailey delivers some high risk moves to start the match.  Trey lightning spirals Kid.  Jake chokeslams Trey on Kid.  Vikingo and Jake have a strong style exchange mid ring.  Jake puts him down and then clears the ring of everyone else.  Vikingo recovers and lands a spin kick, but fails at delivering an inverted moonsault.  Jake catches him and tosses Vikingo to the floor.  Kushida locks on a hoverboard on Trey.  Vikingo recovers and breaks it up.  Kid spikes Vikingo and Spanish flies Bailey off the top.  Jake then plants Kid with into the void.  It is over.

Winner… Jake Something

Will Ospreay is interviewed backstage.  He will face Josh Alexander tonight in the main event.

Ash by Elegance has a vignette.  She is being portrayed as a glamour queen that can apparently wrestle.

Gisele Shaw cuts a backstage promo fresh off her win at Hard to Kill.  She has earned a shot whenever she wants at the Knockouts Champion, Jordynne Grace.  She is praised by Gail Kim for winning on her own.  Shaw seems annoyed, but she did let her words sink in before she walked off smugly.

Match 2.  Tasha Steelz VS Xia Brookside

The two go at it back and forth for the first two mins.  Steelz finally delivers 3 suplexes, to gain an advantage.  Xia bounces the ropes and trips Tasha and then double knees her into a neckbreaker.   Tasha counters with a chin breaker into a double knee of her own.  Xia blocks a cutter and Brooksey Bombs Tasha off the tope for the win.

Winner.  Xia Brookside

We get a clip from Hard to Kill.  AJ Francis is hilariously mocked in a song by Joe Hendry.  AJ is dubbed the Cheez It champion.  DJ Whooo Kid helped AJ get a measure of revenge in a post song attack.

Fast forward we see Joe backstage and a knocked out DJ Whoo Kid.  Hendry returned the beatdown.

Match 3.  The Grizzled Young Vets (James Drake and Zack Gibson) VS Frankie Kazarian and Eric Young

EY attacks Gibson to start the match.  Gibson counters and works his way over to Drake and tags him in.  EY bites Drake and tags in Kaz.  They double team James.  James sneaks away and blind tags Gibson.  Gibson drops the top rope and EY spills to the floor and the GYVs work him over.  Back in the ring, Kaz is trying to make a tag, but the Vets keep him in their corner.  They make frequent tags and are in complete control.  EY is losing his cool on the apron.  Kaz manages a rollup and then a backslide for 2.  He doesn’t make a tag though and Gibson takes him down with a lariat.  More double teaming continues.  Gibson starts working on the left leg with dragon leg sweep.  Drake tags in and is slammed by his partner on Kaz for another 2 count.  Drake settles into a headlock.  Kaz gets to his feet and mounts a comeback.  He takes out both members of GYV and finally makes the tag to EY, but no.  Drake pulls EY from the apron at the last second.  Drake lands a sliced bread on Kaz.  Young is now completely irate.  Kaz is dumped to the floor.  Drake dives on him.  GYV gloat on the floor.  Kaz gets back to his feet in the ring, but is mocked and dropped.  Drake misses a spin kick and EY tags in.  He goes bezerk and slams Drake and bites Gibson.  Drake kicks him in the back of the head.  Kaz enters and accidently hits EY.  Grit your Teeth by the GYVs on EY and it is over.

Winners.  The Grizzled Young Vets

Kaz is upset, but lets EY get to his feet.  He then clotheslines EY out of his shoes.  The fans start with an A$$hole chant.  Frankie then starts cussing at EY, saying this is supposed to be his year.  He then beats EY unmercifully.  The fans then start a you suck chant.  Kaz points at the TNA logo and soaks in the cursing fan chants as he exits up the ramp.

We get a clip from a night on the town after Moose’s World Title victory.  He is with Eddie and Alisha Edwards and Brian Myers.  They are in Vegas living it up.  The group is known as The System.  They talk about their great night and Moose says there will be no talk Nic Nemeth.  

Back in the Impact Zone, Nic Nemeth enters.  He is in a suit.  He grabs a mic and soaks in the crowd cheers.  He says TNA is back and he loves being part of it.  He says he has had 19 years in the business, but only in one world.  He says he is scared, nervous and excited.  He says it was no mistake he lined up with Moose first.  He says he will become TNA World Champion.  He says when he wins it will be the best night of his career, but he respects the men and women in the back too much to demand a title shot.  He says today is day 1.  He says he will earn everything he is given.  He says this will mean more because he will do it as Nic Nemeth.  Steve Maclin comes out in street clothes.  He walks right into the ring and grabs the mic.  He says he told himself the same things 3 years ago.  He says he worked from the bottom to the World Title.  Nic agrees with Maclin, but then Steve calls him a phony.   Nic tries to cut him off, but Maclin tells him to basically shut up.  Maclin says he won’t let Nic suck everything out of TNA.  He then says nobody will remember Nic Nemeth, but everyone will wonder what happened to Dolph Ziggler.  (what a great line)  Maclin then gets slapped and taken out by the zig zag.  I am not sure what they are calling that yet.  Nemeth walks off.

Jordynne Grace is interviewed backstage by Gia Miller.  She is the new World Champion.  Trinity walks in and congratulates her.  Trinity than says she wants a rematch next week.  Grace accepts.

Jai Vidal walks out and grabs the mic.  He says he got his start in Vegas.  The fans cheer for him, but he cuts them off.  He says looking at them is why he left Vegas.  PCO’s music hits.    This sets up a match.

Match 4.  Jai Vidal VS PCO

PCO lariats Vidal.  Vidal tries to escape.  PCO chokeslams him.  PCOsault and it is over.

Winner.. PCO

The Motor City Machine Guns cut a promo with Okada.  They will team up next week.  This will be a long awaited return for Okada.

Match 5.  Part 2.. Josh Alexander VS Will Ospreay

In late 2023 Ospreay won an incredible match with Josh Alexander.  They are running it back tonight.  The fans are ready for this dream match, they are lucky enough to see for the 2nd time.  The two start right where they left off with action to quick to call right from the onset.  This was the TNA match of the year for 2023.  Ospreay hits a vicious backbreaker to land the first big blow.  Josh recovers and delivers a crossbody that spills both men to the floor.  Ospreay gets German suplexed once, but avoids a series of them and rebounds with a backspring kick to the head.  Josh spills back to the floor.  Will goes for the dive, but Josh grabs the ankle into a ankle lock.  Ospreay reverses it to a tornado DDT on the floor.  Ospreay sets up a table.  The crowd loves this.  The two end up on the apron.  Josh blocks s storm driver.  They end up back in ring.  Ospreay lands a phenomenal forearm.  Ospreay kicks Josh repeatedly in the face.  Josh hooks leg and fishermans Will.  Will eats a powerbomb into a backbreaker.  The back and forth really is fantastic.  Ospreay recovers and chops Josh, but then Josh delivers another brutal backbreaker.  A dueling Walking Weapon/ Lets go Ospreay chant breaks out.  They end up on the apron again.   Josh jockey for position, but Ospreay lands a tiger driver on the table from the apron.  Officials run to check on the participants.  The match continues and the count begins.  Ospreay easily beats the count.  Josh makes it at 9.  Ospreay hits an Oz cutter after a dropkick.  Josh kicks out.  Josh collapses before Will can put him away.  Will picks him up, but Josh just crumbles.  Ospreay kicks Josh sheepishly.  Will gloats, allowing Josh to get back to his feet.  Josh and Will start going at it strong style.  Ospreay hits a Spanish fly.  Josh kicks out at two.  We get a fight forever chant.  Josh shoots an Oz cutter out of the air with a fist to the face.  They end up on the ramp fighting.  Will goes for the hitting blade, but misses.  Josh reverses an Oz cutter and piledrives Ospreay on the ramp.  This match has been non stop action.  Josh tosses Will back in the ring so he wouldn’t be counted out.  Josh puts Will on his shoulders and does a rolling senton off the top, into a ankle lock.  Osprey slips free, springing Josh into the 2nd rope face first.  They end up on the top again.  Will poison rannas Josh and then hidden blades him.  Josh somehow kicks out at 2.  Josh eats another hidden blade.  He follows up with a storm driver.  Josh kicks out again.  Will sets up another blade, but Josh clotheslines him.  They trade blows mid ring.  Josh turns Will inside out with a clothesline.  They reverse holds until Josh lands a Styles Clash.  Will kicks out at two.  The C4 spikc finally ends it for the Walking Weapon.

Winner by pinfall, Josh Alexander.  What a match.

Unreal ending.  Scott D’Amore enters the ring.  Scott just says Holy Shit, which the crowd repeats.  He cuts a heartfelt promo for the return of the promotion.  Both Alexander and Ospreay soak in the love.  D’Amore calls it the match of his life.  The two raise each other hands and embrace to end the show.