TNA IMPACT HITS & MISSES (1/25): Nic Nemeth vs. Zachary Wentz, plus Okada, Swann, Kazarian, Jordynne Grace, Mustafa Ali, Sabin & Shelley

TNA HITS AND MISSES
JANUARY 25, 2024
TAPED IN LAS VEGAS, NEV. AT PALMS CASINO RESORT
AIRED ON AXS TV

CROSS THE LINE INTRO – HIT

Alright, normally I skip the intro, but its nice to have Cross the Line return. I think it might be due for a remix or remaster, it feels very very aughts.

(1) CHRIS BEY (w/Ace Austin) vs. KEVIN KNIGHT – HIT

This was a great match, and happened really quick. Too, quick actually, it was a great example of what an X-Division match could and should be- just cut a bit too short. At one point, they cut to a celebrity in the audience, which both makes me realize that I watch too much wrestling because I didn’t recognize this pop culture person, AND a bit more importantly, TNA is attracting celebrity interest. The Grizzled Young Vets attacking and laying out ABC was a great next step for the unfolding feud. Also, is it just me, or does Chris Bey’s trunks remind anyone else of a Ben & Jerry’s carton?

ASH BY ELEGANCE VIGNETTE – HIT

I really like these, but I feel like they need another VO artist rather than the person they have doing the PPV. That guy is great for semi-philosophical musings on beating people up, it doesn’t quite work for this purpose.

FRANKIE KAZARIAN TO RICH SWANN BACKSTAGE – HIT

I love the fact that Frankie Kazarian came out and said “I’ll tell you next week!”, and then people kept asking him to explain himself. It’s a really simple thing, but I’m a simple man. Then it turned to Rich Swann and AJ Francis, but the emotional heart of this was that everyone was telling former World Champion that he needs to start looking out for himself.

(2) DIRTY DANGO & OLEG PRUDIUS (w/Alpha Bravo) vs. DANTE KING & DAMIAN DRAKE – MISS

I like it when my comedy wrestling is funny.

GRIZZLED YOUNG VETS BACKSTAGE – HIT

Alright, Grizzled Young Vets came out and laid out that they had dominated in Europe, and wanted to take over TNA, which prompted ABC. I really like the call that Santino pulled out, a best of three contest between the two. That means we’re going to get we’re getting a whole series of great matches between these two.

MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS WITH KAZUCHKA OKADA INTERVIEW WITH GIA MILLER – MINOR HIT

Back to promoting the show I’m already watching is not particularly great, but I’ll let it slide this time.

(3) JORDYNNE GRACE vs. TRINITY — TNA Knockouts Title match – HIT

Part of me really hates it when a big time match gets run again at the taping immediately following the PPV. However, the rest of me tells that part of me to shut up, sit down, and enjoy the match. While I don’t think this particular match was as strong of an outing as their bout at Hard to Kill, it was still really good. I mean, we’re not talking a huge difference, but it being the middle of the card really took the shine off of it. Giselle Shaw and the Shaw-entourage attacking at the end will build up the feud there.

THE SYSTEM VIGNETTE – MINOR HIT

I love me the System. Don’t love promoting the show I’m already watching.

JOSH ALEXANDER BACKSTAGE – HIT

Alright, I get that Josh Alexander loves TNA. Jade Chung must be a very understanding spouse. I’d be a bit jealous if my spouse if they waxed poetic about something besides me constantly. However, we were saved from more flowery language by Alan Angels who invited Alexander to his new talk show. TNA is really showing how much trust they have in Angels if they are giving him a regular segment. Frankly, I think he deserves it.

(4) NIC NEMETH vs. ZACHARY WENTZ (w/Trey Miguel) – HIT

Since I don’t watch WWE, so it’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen Nic Nemeth in the ring. Like a really long time. There was a lot of interference by Trey Miguel on this match, who was dressed like one of the skids from Letterkenny. It was a good match, but it also felt very WWE style. I have to wonder if Nemeth will run into the same issue that you occasionally see with WWE people that spent very little of their career in the Indies where they have trouble with in ring chemistry with people who didn’t spend some time in WWE. Wentz having been in the NXT system was a good choice of match, Miguel next week will be very telling.

CRAZZY STEVE BACKSTAGE – HIT

Alright, I’m not a huge fan of another ECW original going after the Digital Media Championship. Seriously, there’s been Tommy Dreamer, Bully Ray, and even Johnny Swinger. I mean, fine, I guess. Rhino is still good, but I’m not sure if that will elevate the title or help Crazzy Steve very much. I really dug this segment since it went from a pre-record to a backstage segment when Rhino hit. TNA does these little things like that, and while not quite cinema, it’s really interesting.

DECAY VIGNETTE – HIT

It was a breath of fresh air, if you could call the reek of Decay, fresh. The set they were using was a really cool black and white chapel. The contrast of the stark black and white to the warmer black with white a desaturated color of Decay was a really cool look. Both members of Decay have upgraded their looks with TNA upgrading their production values.

(5) MK ULTRA (Killer Kelly & Masha Slamovich) vs. DANI LUNA & JODY THREAT – MISS

What was this match? I mean, it’s nice to see that MK ULTRA stayed together even after losing the tag titles, but this was too quick of a win. Piling insult onto injury didn’t do much for Dani Luna and Jody Threat.

(6) KAZUCHKA OKADA & THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. THE SYSTEM (Moose & Brian Myers & Eddie Edwards w/Alisha Edwards) – HIT

Man, I hate to say it, but this is a mitigated hit. It felt like Motor City Machine Guns (w/ Kazuchka Okada) vs. The System (w/ Moose). It was still a great match. I mean, totally the match of the night. I just feel like for how much they pushed Okada, it felt like he would have had more in ring time. I mean, I guess I’m spoiled. He came in, did some big moves, but really that isn’t why he was here. Okada’s appearance was symbolic, his appearance was the final washing clean of the worst of the LOLTNA stench. More than anything else, Okada’s appearance showed that things have changed for the better.

MUSTAFA ALI VIGNETTE – HIT

Again, I’m not a fan of the main event not being the last thing on the show, but I’ll make an exception. I’m really digging what Mustafa Ali has been laying down recently. I don’t think he’ll be around for long, but it’s going to be a great ride while he is.

FINAL THOUGHTS – HIT

I was prepared for a sophomore slump with this episode, and we got a bit of it. The foot is off the gas, but that’s a good thing. They are playing the long game, and this episode was about as good as you could get. Though, I do wonder why at some points the crowd cheering “Fuck the System” was pretty clear, but at other times, they bleeped the phrase. That’s an interesting choice.

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