TNA iMPACT! Review - August 29, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

TNA X-Division Champion "Speedball" Mike Bailey def. Rich Swann

The winner of this match would not only capture the championship but would also go on to defend it in Ultimate X at Emergence. With that in mind, there was zero chance Swann was winning here, especially with Swann being recently suspended (I'm aware this was taped before that happened). Despite the predictable outcome, they delivered a very enjoyable outing and had great chemistry.

Joe Hendry def. Brian Myers

Hendry will team with Mike Santana and The Hardys against The System at Emergence, so this served as a preview of that. I totally forgot that these two once feuded over the TNA Digital Media Championship, that feels like a lifetime ago. They still work well together and thus this was a good match. Hendry will also be challenging Ethan Page for the NXT Championship at WWE NXT No Mercy this Sunday, so it would've been silly had he lost to Myers of all people before then.

Mike Santana def. Eddie Edwards

This was along the same lines as Hendry vs. Myers in that it served as additional hype for the eight-man tag team match at Emergence. Santana has been gradually building momentum for a while and he's found direction in this rivalry with The System. Edwards is obviously excellent in his own right, so they had a top-notch match. I'm curious if these back-to-back babyface wins mean The System is winning on Friday night.

Hammerstone def. Eric Young

This was a rematch from the Slammiversary pre-show. Young winning their original encounter was a bizarre call, so I'm glad Hammerstone was able to avenge that loss here. It was another solid match from them. Steve Maclin sat in on commentary, so it's possible he'll be Hammerstone's next feud. I thought Maclin went back to being a heel after his storyline with Santana ended? Will he be a babyface for this feud with Hammerstone?

TNA World Tag Team Champions ABC def. Cody Deaner and Jake Something (Non-Title)

Deaner and Something are in a strange spot because I don't recall them having a formal reunion. In fact, Something attacked Deaner at one point because he still felt betrayed from when Deaner left him years ago to join Violent by Design. They teamed here, but Something teased turning heel by not helping ABC when they were getting attacked afterward. I'm officially confused. At any rate, the match itself was decent. ABC vs. First Class for the TNA World Tag Team Championship would've been a logical addition to Emergence before Swann got suspended.

TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace def. Ash By Elegance in a Match By Elegance Match

I have no idea why this happened on iMPACT! and wasn't saved for Emergence, where they'll be doing a six-woman tag team match instead. That seems like ass-backwards booking to me. Nonetheless, they had a hell of a brawl here. It was essentially a Falls Count Anywhere match and I have to give Ash credit for really busting her ass. They used plenty of weapons and Ash took a Muscle Buster off the ring apron through a table on the outside for the finish. This was a blast.

TNA World Champion Nic Nemeth and Josh Alexander Faced Off

This was a pre-taped segment with Matthew Rehwoldt serving as the mediator. I was already looking forward to their TNA World Championship rematch, but this was an extremely strong segment that got me even more excited for it. Both men cut terrific promos and showed fantastic fire. It'd be quite the weekend if Alexander lost at Emergence only to show up at No Mercy and cost Hendry the NXT Championship.

Overall Show

The build for Emergence has been well done and this was a successful go-home show. They hit a home run with Grace vs. Ash and the closing segment with Nemeth and Alexander. The rest of the show featured above-average action and more hype for Friday night's event. TNA has put together a string of entertaining shows since Slammiversary and I hope they can keep the momentum going with Emergence.

SEE MORE: TNA Reviews