TNA: Sacrifice - March 8, 2024
by Doc Allen
Live from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario. The venue is a small gym with some bleacher seating, they are touting a sold out crowd. Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt are on commentary.
Nic Nemeth vs. Steve Maclin
Lots of trash talk to start, followed by a quick burst. Nic takes a timeout, they restart with a friendly headlock exchange. Dropkick and Stinger Splash by Nemeth, but Maclin throws him into the buckles to gain the upper hand. Fans chant "Let's go, Nemeth" while he gets demolished. Nic desperately hits an Olympic Slam to buy some time to make a comeback. The crowd counts while Nic hits a series of elbow drops, completed by a flying elbow for only 2. Maclin back drops Nemeth outside for a hideous landing. Maclin hits a tope onto the ramp but then misses a flying headbutt. Nic answers with a Fame-asser for 2. Maclin reverses a hard Irish whip. Nic sits up out of a tree of woe, and Maclin misses a head of steam through the buckles into a production table! HE'S HARDCORE! HE'S HARDCORE! Nic hauls Maclin back to the ring, but gets surprised by Maclin's desperation Busaiku knee. Tombstone piledriver but Nemeth kicks out! Fans chant "This is awesome!" Maclin hits the K.I.A. but Nemeth rolls away from a cover. By the way, I can't tell if my computer is having technical issues or if it's TNA's fault, but the picture keeps freezing. Nemeth steals the KIA but Maclin kicks out! I'm getting a Lost Signal message from Triller TV, so I guess I know the technical problems aren't my fault. Nic hits a pair of superkicks and the Danger Zone (formerly the Zig Zag) and wins at 14:04. Good opener with well received false finishes.I was caught off guard by Maclin's big stunt bump. The continual technical problems took me out of it, but obviously that's not the wrestlers' faults, ***¼.Winner: Nic Nemeth
Backstage interview with TNA World Champion Moose and The System (Brian Myers, Alisha Edwards, and Eddie Edwards). They've their hands full tonight, with Myers and Edwards challenging for the tag titles and Moose defending against Eric Young.
TNA Tag Team Championship:
ABC © (Chris Bey and Ace Austin) vs. The System (Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers, with Alisha Edwards)
The stream is on the verge of becoming unwatchable, so who knows if I'll even finish this recap. Myers and Austin mix it up. Austin gets slugged in the jaw, so he hits a hammerlock takedown. Quick tag to Bey for a flurry of offense. Tag to Eddie, but ABC overwhelm him with a tandem suplex and stereo dropkicks. Myers nails Ace with a spear on the apron, Bey bails him out. Alisha steps in to shield her team from Bey's dive, and Eddie knocks him into the buckles. The System goes to work on Bey. Hot tag to Ace, who has recovered from the spear, and he runs wild, using his athleticism to confuse The System and plant Edwards for 2. ABC hits a suplex/crossbody combo, The System breaks up the pinfall. Match breaks down into drive-by attacks, everyone goes down for some applause. Alisha confronts Bey, who leaps over her for a plancha onto The System. ABC tries a double superplex, but Eddie breaks it up. Ace survives a 2 on 1 situation until Eddie's backpack stunner sets him up for Brian's flying elbow, Bey saves the match! The System flapjack Bey, Ace tries to go it alone, but Alisha trips him. Myers hits a DDT and Eddie finishes with the Boston Knee Party at 13:22! Terrifically chaotic action and last minute saves down the stretch, felt like it was time to change the titles, ***½.Winners and new TNA Tag Team Champions: The System
This is turning into one of the most cursed reviews I've attempted in a long time. I switched devices and the stream is still really glitchy. I guess I won't give up just yet, please hold your applause.
No Disqualifications:
Kon vs. PCO
Kon beats up a production crew member and cuts a promo boasting to be the baddest man in TNA. PCO gets a lights out entrance, but Kon gets right to work smashing him with a trash can. PCO isn't human so he doesn't have to sell and hits a side Russian leg sweep onto the can. Kon doesn't have to sell either and powers his way back into the brawl. PCO hits a diving senton and lands his head onto the ramp. They exchange unprotected chair shots to the head. Kon repeatedly slams PCO spine-first onto the stage. Kon tries a neck snap, but PCO counters with a chokeslam off the stage and through a table! Kon powers back to the ring as if he were a top babyface, but PCO greets him with an inverted DDT onto a pile of chairs. PCO hits his moonsault to win at 8:20. Better than you'd expect, they kept it short and brutal, **½.Winner: PCO
Earlier tonight, AJ Francis attacked Joe Hendry, costing him a match against Crazzy Steve. Later, AJ talks to the camera about how he wants to end Joe's success. Hendry challenges him to a match, security holds them apart. Santino Marella has no choice but to schedule their match for Impact. That'll show them.
TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship:
MK Ultra © (Masha Slamovich and Killer Kelly) vs. Spitfire (Jody Threat and Dani Luna)
MK Ultra ambush Spitfire during their entrance. Masha chokes Jody with a chain. Dani helps with a crossbody from the apron. Masha repays Luna with a suplex on the floor. The bell rings, and the wild brawl settles into a normal match, one of my biggest pet peeves in all of wrestling. MK Ultra enjoy immediate control of Jody. Dani wakes up from her nap to pull Masha from the ring, and Jody rolls up Kelly for the pinfall out of nowhere at 2:38. Not much of a match, but a suitable angle, probably should have been saved for television, ½*.Winners and new Knockouts Tag Team Champions: Spitfire
Masha shoves Kelly into the ring apron and leaves disgusted.
In case you were worried, my stream is working perfectly now. It's a Smarch miracle.
Hammerstone vs. Josh Alexander
These guys had a really good match at Hard to Kill and now they must fight again. Josh dodges a pump kick, and counters into a side headlock takedown. Hammerstone counters with a back suplex, but Josh refuses to let go of the headlock. Josh tries an ankle lock, Hammerstone escapes for a big back body drop. They exchange blows, Hammerstone pops up from a suplex to clothesline Josh outside. Hammerstone continues dominating with a powerbomb onto the ring frame. Josh hits some feisty chops, but Hammerstone attacks his spine again with a backbreaker. Hammerstone continues relentlessly working over the spine until Josh hits a desperate flying knee to the head. Josh mounts a gutsy babyface comeback. Josh delivers many rolling German suplexes (almost like Austin vs. Angle in 2001) until they both collapse. Fans chant "walking weapon!" Josh is up first and hits a sliding crossbody block through the ropes. Josh follows with a somersault senton dive. Fans chant "Canada!" Hammerstone fights out of an ankle lock and inadvertently crushes the ref in the buckles. Josh applies a grapevine ankle lock, Hammerstone taps, but the ref is sleeping. Hammerstone fakes a punch, only to kick Josh in his manhood. Hammerstone hits the Nightmare Pendulum and wins at 18:23. Extremely physical match full of the type of brutal action we used to see in WWE in the early 00's. It's a shame they had to job Alexander in Canada, but Hammerstone needed the win in order to establish a foothold in TNA. Great work all around, ****.Winner: Hammerstone
Backstage interview with Time Machine (KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley, and Chris Sabin). Sadly, Sabin and Shelley don't seem to be on the same page.
Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake) and X-Division Champion Mustafa Ali vs. Time Machine (KUSHIDA, Chris Sabin, and Alex Shelley)
Sabin and Shelley are at odd's end after they both lost their singles titles in the main events of the last two supercards. Sabin starts with Gibson. Quick tag to Drake, who gets caught in Time Machine's corner, prompting a 3 on 3 standoff. Ali tags himself in to square off against KUSHIDA. Ali dives into a tag to avoid Sabin. Time Machine triple teams Gibson with Tree of Woe dropkicks. Ali ducks Sabin again, this time allowing the GYV to overwhelm him with rapid attacks. After a prolonged beating, Sabin makes the hot tag to KUSHIDA for some house cleaning. Shelley helps with a plancha onto GYV. KUSHIDA tries a Hoverboard Lock, Ali escapes but springboards into KUSHIDA's closed fist. KUSHIDA reapplies the Hoverboard Lock, but Gibson breaks it up. KUSHIDA gives GYV double Hoverboard Locks! Ali makes the rescue, allowing GYV to hit the Doomsday Device, but KUSHIDA KICKS OUT! Sabin returns and finally gets his hands on Ali. Sabin flips Ali with a clothesline on the ramp. The match totally breaks down with all six guys in the ring. Time Machine take over with elaborate triple team moves. Shelley tags himself in at Sabin's expense, and Sabin inadvertently boots his partner in the face. Ali finishes Shelley with a 450 Splash at 14:11! This was the best kind of fast paced, innovative, athletic, and creative match that managed to combine big high spots with storytelling, ****¼.Winners: Mustafa Ali and Grizzled Young Vets
Ash by Elegance arrives to provide some mischief for the Knockouts title match.
TNA Knockouts Championship:
Jordynne Grace © vs. Xia Brookside vs. Tasha Steelz
Xia would like to shake hands, but Tasha is having none of that. Jordynne removes Tasha so Xia can get her handshake. Xia surprises Grace with a twisting headscissors takedown, but Tasha trips her to the floor. Grace and Xia attempt to work together, but Tasha knocks them into each other. Meanwhile, Ash might be getting wine drunk. Tasha works Grace over until Xia's distraction allows Grace to hit a Muscle Buster/clothesline combo! Grace They jockey for position until Tasha hits a flying bulldog combo on both opponents. Ash seems more interested in her adult beverages than the match. Grace dominates until Tasha sends her into the bucles with a drop toe hold. Xia assists Tasha in a blockbuster on Grace. Grace tries a double superplex but settles for a double swing. Xia tries an Octopus on Grace and slams her while locking Tasha's legs! Ash toasts them. They head to the apron where Grace suffers a backstabber into a Codebreaker. Xia knocks Grace's head into the ramp with a flying crossbody! Fans chant "TNA!" Tasha gets tossed into Ash, causing her to drop her champagne! Ash demands that her valet take her away, but he trips onto the ramp in an amusing botch. Seriously, I hope he's okay. Meanwhile, Xia powerbombs Tasha onto Grace for a good nearfall. Grace repays Xia with a Vader Bomb, but Tasha breaks the cover with a flying double stomp. Grace punches Xia into a Code Red and hits the Juggernaut Driver to win at 12:38! Highly ambitious spotfest that provided lots of excitement, ***½.Winner and still TNA Knockouts Champion: Jordynne Grace
TNA World Championship:
Moose © vs. Eric Young
Moose misses a head of steam into the buckles, allowing Eric to pummel him. Eric reverses an Irish whip into the ring post, but Moose recovers with a power slam on the floor. Eric counters with a back body drop onto the ramp, then hits a slingshot crossbody. Moose answers with a knee lift to the gut, and he unloads elbow shots to Young's taped ribs. Moose smells blood and slows things down to continue attacking the midsection. Moose misses a chop and hits the ring post, allowing Eric to target his injured hand. Moose fights through the injury to regain control and apply an abdominal stretch. Eric bites the hand to escape, but Moose cuts him off with an Uranage for 2. Eric smiles and asks for more punishment. Moose becomes unsettled but grabs a tight Bear Hug. Eric escapes, only to get stuck in a waistlock. Young escapes but is too injured to deliver a suplex. Moose nails a superplex, but Eric answers with a tight Brainbuster! DVD by Eric, but Moose kicks out! Eric blocks two superplexes and nails a flying elbow, but Moose kicks out! Moose counters into a Sky High Sitout Powerbomb for only 2! They bump foreheads and duke it out. Eric blocks a spear, but eats a back body drop. Pump kick by Moose, Eric answers with a lariat. Piledriver by Eric, but Moose gets a rope break! Moose blocks another piledriver and nails a spear, but ERIC KICKS OUT! They fight on the apron until Eric hits a brutal piledriver! Fans chant "TNA!" Eric hits his third piledriver on the floor. Eric signals a 4th piledriver but stops to dive onto the interfering System. Eric manages a Canadian Destroyer on Moose, but The System pulls the referee to ringside. Eric convinces the ref to toss The System instead of calling a DQ, but he gets jumped by Frankie Kazarian (disguised as a crew member). Moose hits the spear to win at 22:05. This totally surpassed all expectations I had beforehand. Eric gave Moose all he could handle and ultimately fell to a big time screwjob finish. This might have been a routine Moose title defense with a foregone conclusion, but they had everyone believing the title could change hands, ****.Winner and still TNA World Champion: Moose
Final Thoughts: Hey, did you hear that TNA is back and they don't suck anymore? Pass it on.
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