TNA IMPACT HITS & MISSES (10/3): Joe Hendry vs. Kazarian, Laredo Kid vs. Greshem, Wentz & ABC vs. Bayley & Slater & Kushida, plus Santana, Alexander, more

TNA IMPACT HITS AND MISSES
SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
SAN ANTONIO, TEX. AT BOEING CENTER AT TECH POINT
AIRED ON AXS TV
BY JOHN LASLO, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

(1) JORDYNNE GRACE & SOL RUCA vs. ROSEMARY & WENDY CHOO- HIT

Started right off, very little recap this episode. Love it. This was a great match. I really dug how Sol Ruca and Jordynne Grace’s styles did not match, but complimented each other. A bit like oil and vinegar. However, it was a really short match.

FRANKIE KAZARIAN INTERVIEW WITH GIA MILLER – HIT

While I’m already invested in tonight’s show, I’m glad they are really selling the stakes.

(2) LAREDO KID vs. JONATHAN GRESHAM – HIT

This is a match I’ve wanted for a long time. I think that both of these wrestlers are under valued, and slept on talents.Jonathan Gresham does get his flowers from time to time, but honestly, I want to say that he should be higher on the card. This was a good match, and probably my high point of the night, but it was too short. I also really enjoyed how aggressive Gresham was at the end of the match, it seems like it might be leading to another evil Gresham run. I’d really like it if they played up the gimmick that he was constantly fighting off the darker side of his personality.

SANTANA TALKS THEN DELIVERS AN UNSEEN BEAT DOWN – MINOR HIT

I mean, fine. It felt like something out of a cartoon. Which can be fun sometimes, but the off screen beat down is a cop out in a wrestling show. I’m watching wrestling to SEE people pretend to beat up other people. I could imagine things myself any time I want. I mean, I just imagined Santana beating up Santa Claus. See, it’s not hard, and it’s not something that I need to pay to do. If Santana is going to beat up people, put it on camera!

(3) ZACHARY WENTZ & ABC (Chris Bey & Ace Austin) vs. “SPEEDBALL” MIKE BAILEY & LEON SLATER & KUSHIDA – MINOR HIT

This was a fun match, really showing off the X-Division. Wentz got a lot of spotlight time, which is unsurprising since he was going to be showcased on the NXT on CW premier. It was fun, but not a really impactful match.

DEANER INTERRUPTS HAMMERSTONE AND SOMETHING’S PUMP – HIT

I really want to see Deaner vs. Hammerstone, this is going to be fun.

(4) LEI YING LEE vs. HYAN – HIT

Great first match.Hyan was surprisingly competitive compared to a lot of other premier matches for people. Lei Ying Lee put on a great showing, and I was really glad to get familiar with her since I wasn’t familiar with her work. #SignHyan was trending that night, though, and I rather agree.

LEON SLATER APOLOGIZES TO SPEEDBALL – MINOR HIT

This felt like a passing the torch moment.

ABC AND THE HARDYS BACKSTAGE – MINOR HIT

Okay, I kinda want to see this match. Jeff Hardy is a delightful weirdo. While I’m not thrilled with the Hardys still in the ring, both of them are still very entertaining on the mic.

WADE KELLER PODCAST – TONY KHAN INTERVIEW CLASSIC

Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Podcast “Interview Classic” with Tony Khan: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

JOSH ALEXANDER ADDRESSES THE AUDIENCE – HIT

I’m enjoying the whole Josh Alexander heel turn. I love the Eric Young trying to redeem him. I love the influence he’s exerting on Sinner and Saint. I love the Steve Maclin face turn. Everything in this segment is building to something, and it is all delightful.

(5) XIA BROOKSIDE vs. HEATHER RECKLESS – MINOR HIT

A decent outing for both wrestlers. However, I would love to get a bit more direction for Xia Brookside. It seems like everything going on with Heather Reckless is just an extension of the already done Brookside and Ash by Elegance thing. I would rather have Brookside in an entirely new things.

(6) JOE HENDRY vs. FRANKIE KAZARIAN – MISS

This was a good match, but Nic Nemeth did a fine job at commentary as expected. The big problem with this is that Santino Marella overturned the results of the match. This is a HUGE issue for me. It’s almost like the last bit of kayfabe, right? The official’s live call in the match is LAW. It is a serious underpinning of pro-wrestling, it is basically what allows a heel wrestler to work. It’s what makes a corrupt official angle work. Over throwing the call opens the door to the adding of instant replays, tape review, and automatic counts. In the MLB they use lasers to determine strike zone, the NFL uses GPS to determine if a ball is in bounds or not. You can’t do a fast count when it’s a giant 1-2-3 on the screen. You can’t do an Eddie Guerrero chair spot with instant replay. You can’t brawl outside the ring for as long as you want if a big booming voice announces ‘TEN SECONDS’. It’s not a wise decision. They could, should, and probably will ignore this happening after Bound for Glory, but I do not like it.

FINAL THOUGHTS – HIT

My biggest complaint about all of this was that the matches were too short. That’s been an ongoing concern lately. Why is everything so short? It might be a vibes thing, I’d have to look it up, but I want to say that matches last year at this time were on average five minutes longer.

Stay right here and keep the flow going. We think you’ll like to read this next…

RECOMMENDED NEXT: TNA IMPACT TV RESULTS (9/26): Lilly’s report on Hendry vs. Kazarian, Grace & NXT Mystery Partner vs. Rosemary & Choo

OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s TNA Impact Hit List: Joe Hendry vs. Frankie Kazarian for a shot at the TNA Title at Bound For Glory, Rosemary and Wendy Choo vs. Jordynne Grace and Sol Ruca