TNA IMPACT TV RESULTS (3/7): Lilly’s report on Ali vs. Knight, Luna vs. Slamovich

TNA IMPACT TV RESULTS
MARCH 7, 2024
NEW ORLEANS, LA AT ALARIO CENTER
AIRED ON AXS TV
REPORT BY DARRIN LILLY, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

-Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

-Video package on last week’s events.

-“Cross the Line” opening video.

-The show started with a nice aerial shot of New Orleans.

(1) MUSTAFA ALI vs. KEVIN KNIGHT

This was a non-title match. Ali came to the ring with his entourage. Knight caught Ali with a dropkick early. They traded chops. Knight delivered a splash for a two count. Ali dropped Knight throat-first on the ropes and went on the offensive. Ali got a two count after a DDT. There was a split chant for Ali. Knight gave Ali a rana off the top rope. Knight gave Ali a series of punches and a crossbody block. Knight leaped to the top rope, but Ali gave him a backstabber and scored a two count.

Ali kept yelling “You are not the champion that we need” and slapped Knight. Knight made a comeback, including a dive on the security force on the ramp. The Good Hands walked to the ring but were attacked by Chris Sabin and Kushida. Knight got a two count on Ali. The fight spilled into the ring. Ali gave Knight a DDT, but missed a 450 splash. Knight gave Ali a Sky High for a two count. Sabin and Jason Hotch fought over the belt. Ali dropkicked them off the apron. Ali hit Knight with the belt (beh9ind the ref’s back) and got the pin.

WINNER: Mustafa Ali in 8:00.

Ali and the Good Hands continued to attack Knight and Ali did a 450 splash on him. Alex Shelley ran to the ring for the save. Ali and crew fled.

(D.L.’s Take: Great way to start the show and to continue the feud with these sides. We’ll see if the opener is the match of the night for the second week in a row.)

-Video package with Xia Brookside, Tasha Steelz, and Jordynne Grace cutting promos talking about their Knockouts title match at Sacrifice. [c]

-The trainer check on Knight’s arm and said there was no way he could compete at Sacrifice. Alex Shelley said he could take Knight’s place and proposed having a Time Splitters reunion to face Ali’s team.

(2) ASH BY ELEGANCE vs. ANGEL BLUE

George Iceman introduced Ash and made her opponent get out of the ring. Ash strutted to the ring and posed inside. Ash wanted Blue to kiss her boot, but she didn’t. Ash came back with aggressive offense and stomped Blue in the corner. Ash rubbed Blue’s face into her boot and made George wipe her boot. Ash stood on Blue for a one count. Ash clotheslined Blue to the mat. Ash gave Blue an elbow and a suplex, followed by the Rarified Air for the pin. [c]

WINNER: Ash By Elegance in 2:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Another squash win to establish Ash as an arrogant heel. This was almost a copy of her debut match.)

-Steve Maclin promo. This looked to be cut via Zoom. He talked about Nic Nemeth not being around. He said if Nemeth isn’t showing up, then he isn’t showing up and that’s why he’s in a hotel room right now. A brawl broke out and the connection was lost. The camera revealed that Nemeth had attacked Maclin and left him laying.

(3) ALEX SHELLEY & KUSHIDA vs. THE GOOD HANDS (John Skyler & Jason Hotch)

The Good Hands did mic work on the way to the ring. Kushida and Hotch started the match. Kushida and Shelley double teamed the Good Hands, but the Hands eventually got the advantage on Kushida. [c]

Shelley made the hot tag and ran wild on the Hands, but they eventually regained the advantage. Shelley caused the Hands to run into each other and he made the tag to Kushida. Kushida and Shelley double teamed Skyler. Shelley accidentally kicked Kushida. Hotch gave Kushida a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Kushida and Skyler traded strikes. Kushida put Skyler in the Hoverboard Lock. Skyler tapped.

WINNERS: Kushida & Alex Shelley in 12:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Good tag team action.)

-Dirty Dango segment. Dango, Oleg Prudius, and Alpha Bravo were outside. Dango talked about them going into the TNA Hall of Fame. He said they were going from town to town to give young guys the rub. Dango talked about Josh Alexander and questioned why he wears head gear. He was glad to be in the main event tonight for the exposure, so people would join their wrestling school. He called himself Mr. Thursday Night. [c]

-The Good Hands apologized to Ali for losing. They said they considered it a fact-finding mission. Ali said they made him realize he underestimated the Time Splitters and he needed to re-think the upcoming six-man match. He brought in the Grizzled Young Vets and said they were better suited to face the Time Splitters. He dismissed the Good Hands.

(4) DANI LUNA (w/Jody Threat) vs. MASHA SLAMOVICH (w/Killer Kelly)

They wrestled on the mat early before Luna came back with a flurry of offense. Luna gave Masha a delayed suplex. Kelly choked Luna from the outside. Masha went on the attack. Masha put Luna in a submission hold on the mat. Masha gave Luna a series of clotheslines. Luna mounted a comeback. Luna powerbombed Masha for a two count. Masha gave Luna a Russian Leg Sweep for a two count. Luna rolled up Masha for a two count. Luna gave Masha a clothesline followed by a modified powerbomb and got the pin. [c]

WINNER: Dani Luna in 8:00.

(D.L.’s Take: This built to a good match and was a fine preview of their upcoming tag team title match at Sacrifice.)

-Replay of last week’s Sound Check segment with PCO interrupting the interview with Kon.

(5) PCO vs. ALAN ANGELS

Angels went on the attack early. Angels dropped PCO with a dropkick and a DDT. He missed a frog splash. PCO came back with a big boot and a clothesline. PCO chokeslammed Angels followed by a PCOsault for the pin.

WINNER: PCO in 2:00.

Kon attacked PCO with a steel chair on the ramp. Kon attacked Angels also and twisted his neck. PCO and Kon fought with chairs on the stage. They fought in the tunnel and to the back. [c]

(D.L.’s Take: Dominant win for PCO headed into his battle of the monsters with Kon. I’m glad Angels is getting more airtime, but I’d prefer he not get steamrolled like this.)

-Clip of Crazzy Steve beating Rhino to retain the Digital Media Title on Xplosion. This was followed by a Steve promo.

-Eric Young in-ring promo. He talked about his title match against Moose at Sacrifice. He talked about his own sacrifices for the company. He guaranteed that he will keep moving forward. He called Moose one of the best to ever do it. He said he plays for keeps and threw the mic down. Moose’s music played and he walked to the stage.

Moose said that Eric is truly a world class maniac and he had the idiot fans believing everything that comes out of his mouth. He said that Eric has been in TNA a long time and now his time is over at Sacrifice. Moose vowed to remain champion. He said they both love a good fight, so they shouldn’t wait until Sacrifice. He said they should give the people a New Orleans street fight. Moose teased getting in the ring, but said that’s not how The System works.

Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers (in suits) attacked Eric from behind. Moose gave Eric a spear. Fans chanted “System Sucks!” Alisha walked to the ring with a chain. Moose wrapped the chain around himself and gave Eric another spear. Fans chanted “F The System”. Moose was going to do it again, but ABC ran to the ring for the save. The System fled. [c]

(6) JOSH ALEXANDER vs. DIRTY DANGO (w/Oleg Prudius & Alpha Bravo)

Dango delivered his “Man, do I hate pro wrestling” catchphrase before the match. Alexander took Dango to the mat early. Dango put Alexander in a leglock. Alexander suplexed Dango. Alexander put Dango in an ankle lock, but he reached the ropes. [c]

Alexander went for another ankle lock, but Dango was able to escape. Dango used a distraction to knock Alexander off the apron to the floor. Alexander sold a leg injury. Dango gave Alexander a dragonscrew leg whip on the floor and continued to attack the leg. Back in the ring, Dango continued his attack and put Alexander in a leglock. Dango ran Alexander’s leg into the ring post. Alexander pulled Dango into the post.

Dango continued to go after Alexander’s leg when they returned to the ring. Alexander dropkicked Dango from the ropes. They traded punches. Alexander fought back and gave Dango a knee from the ropes for a two count. Dango legdropped Alexander and slammed him for a two count. Alexander gave Dango a series of three German suplexes and got a two count. They fought on the top rope and Alexander threw Dango over his head and to the floor. Alexander did a dive from the top rope on Dango and his crew.

Back in the ring, Dango gave Alexander a DDT. He missed a legdrop. Alexander put Dango in an ankle lock and Dango tapped.

WINNER: Josh Alexander in 15:00.

(D.L.’s Take: I wasn’t sure what to expect with this match, but this built to a really good match and had an exciting ending sequence. As the announcers pointed out, this was Dango’s best performance since coming to TNA. This was another example of wrestlers having their best match against Alexander. Alexander looked strong going into his rematch with Hammerstone at Sacrifice.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: An effective go-home show that did a good job of hyping the matches for Sacrifice on a short turnaround. They heated up the Moose vs. Eric Young title match and in the process helped to promote the ABC vs. The System tag team title match. The video package added some depth to the Knockouts triple threat match. The Team Ali vs. Time Splitters feud was advanced as well. An unusual, but good main event capped off the show.

Darrin Lilly is a Pro Wrestling Torch contributor who writes the weekly Impact Wrestling TV results and co-hosts the Impact Wrestling podcast for the site with John Laslo. You can find him on Instagram and Threads at dklstl or on You Tube at Darrin’s Wrestling World.