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TNA VICTORY ROAD PPV HITS & MISSES
SEPTEMBER 13, 2024
SAN ANTONIO, TX AT BOEING CENTER AT TECH PORT
AIRED LIVE ON TNA PLUS
BY JOHN LASLO, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
(1) MATT & JEFF HARDY vs. FIR$T CLA$$ (A.J. Francis & KC Navarro) – HIT
What’s this? Did I actually enjoy a Fir$t Cla$$ match? Yeah, I did. I’m actually really digging the new lineup. KC Navarro and AJ Francis work together really well. I think that the little bit of a size difference between Navarro and Rich Swann means that Francis can do a little bit more of the ‘big man’ thing, like catch Navarro out of the air and throwing him. It makes for a really great combination.
(2) ZACHARY WENTZ (c) vs. “SPEEDBALL” MIKE BAILEY — TNA X Division Title match – HIT
Match of the Year contender. Mike Bailey went in with a bit more seriousness than he normally has and was met by a more mature Zachary Wentz. I bemoaned Wentz’s return for quite a while because it felt like he brought down Trey Miguel with childishness and a bit of immaturity. Like those dudes who are still getting stoned in their mom’s basement while the rest of the friend group has gotten careers, spouses, and children. Wentz still has a bit of that, but the last month or so, he’s not the lovable loser anymore. He’s an adult, taking care of business. I love this for him.
(3) PCO & RHINO vs. MATT CARDONA & STEPH DE LANDER – HIT
Alright, TECHNICALLY this is a miss, since the match didn’t happen. However, I was moved to tears by Steph DeLander. She divided her speech up into kayfabe, shoot, kayfabe in away that delineated them all, but didn’t undermine any of the rest of it. Fantastic work, I hope she heals quickly.
(4) MASHA SLAMOVICH & TASHA STEELZ (w/Alisha Edwards) (c) vs. SPITFIRE (Dani Luna & Jody Threat) — TNA Knockouts Tag Team Title match – HIT
This was a fun little match, and adding Tasha Steelz as the replacement for Alisha Edwards was a bit of a surprise. It’s not who I would have gone with, but it works. I’m not surprised that Masha Slamovich got beaten or beat down at the end. She’s had the Knockouts Tag Title for a very long time, and it is about time that she left it. As far as signed talent goes, Slamovich should be the one to take the KO World title off of Jordynne Grace. A nice little run of destroying everyone in the company should build her back up nicely to do that.
(5) JOE HENDRY vs. JOSH ALEXANDER – HIT
This match really showed off how much Joe Hendry has improved. He’s always been a good hand, but with the training at the WWE Performance Center, he’s been able to finally get over the plateau he was on. This was a great match and even though it had a semi-comedic end, it was a really well paced match with a lot of technical skill by both men.
(6) ABC (Chris Bey & Ace Austin) (c) vs. THE SYSTEM (Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers w/Alisha Edwards) — TNA Tag Team Title match – HIT
Wow, oh, sorry guys. I know you went out there and did a good job. It’s just that this one did not stick in my head. I get it though, this place on the card is a breather so that the next couple matches could bring the emotions up again.The fact that this is not particularly memorable is a benefit not a drawback. Great work, but not one for the ages.
(7) JORDYNNE GRACE vs. WENDY CHOO — TNA Knockouts Title match – HIT
I really need to start watching NXT, and I really hope that the people from NXT have started paying attention, because this match was great. I apologize, Wendy Choo, I was unfamiliar with your game. Fantastic match start to finish. This was the kind of match that I expect from Jordynne Grace, high level with a high level opponent. Give me the best in the world against the best in the world. This was it.
SANTINO MARELLA BACKSTAGE WITH ARIANNA GRACE – HIT
Okay, I wasn’t expecting anybackstages during the PLE. I was kinda glad of this one. While not coming out and saying it, it was endearing to see Santino go all proud papa. As the father of adult children, you feel like that every time you see them living life successfully. You just don’t get to be embarrassing about it, even though you still feel that way.
(8) NIC NEMETH (c) vs. MOOSE — TNA World Title match – HIT
I’m glad we finally got the Moose and Nic Nemeth match, it always felt like it was a missing piece of the puzzle. While I was just going on about how Joe Hendry has really benefitted from his work in the Performance Center, Nemeth is the opposite. There’s a definite WWE style, and Nemeth is a master of it. Since coming to TNA, he’s been slowly knocking off that polish and allowing himself to get a more worldly style that gets its influence from all over. Excellent match, with Mike Santana making his presence known.
JBL SHOWS UP – MISS
JBL has go away heat with me. Makes me doubt my subscription fee.
FINAL THOUGHTS – HIT
This PLE was a redemption over Emergence. Emergence felt like a bunch of regular show main events, and with the exception of the Ultimate X, it felt phoned in. Victory Road was a return to form, with each match being very good to great, and one that was exceptional. This is what I want. I have no idea why TNA was treading water for the last month or two. If I had to guess, I think they were being extra hesitant with the NXT work, but are really going after it now.
NOTE: PWTorch VIP membership includes a weekly podcast dedicated to TNA called “PWT Impact Pod” hosted by Darrin Lilly & John Laslo, the author of this article. Check out details on upgrading to a VIP membership HERE. PWTorch VIP podcasts are compatible with Patreon, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most other iOS and Android apps.
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OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s TNA Impact Hit List: The Hardys vs. Brian Myers and Eddie Edwards, Ace Austin and Chris Bey vs. AJ Francis and KC Navarro in a tornado tag match, Heather Reckless vs. Gisele Shaw
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