TNA iMPACT! Review - February 27, 2025

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Colons Confronted The System

Everyone in The System (except for Eddie Edwards, I believe) took turns addressing their various rivals and storylines. It was a bit of a lengthy segment, but I understand why it existed. Honestly, I don't know what The System gain from The Colons agreeing to having their backs since The System have more than enough members, but I suppose it gives The Colons some sense of direction for the time being.

Mike Santana def. Oro Mensah

It was cool to see Mensah "cross the line" over to TNA, not only because he's talented but also because he hasn't done anything on NXT TV since his mini feud with Ethan Page ended last summer. He put up a good fight in what was a quality contest with Santana. I liked Mustafa Ali's message for Santana afterward as the accusations of Santana "falling off the wagon" will surely give him a reason to want to get his hands on Ali.

Tessa Blanchard def. Kelsey Heather

Had Blanchard not gone through with the match, she would've been "fired" (in storyline). This was a simple squash to get her a win and an additional credibility boost, so it was wise to keep it on the shorter side. Blanchard disrespected Lei Ying Lee backstage later on, so a bout between the two was later made official for Sacrifice. I'm curious if we'll get Blanchard vs. Masha Slamovich for the TNA Knockouts World Championship at Rebellion or if they can somehow hold off on that until Slammiversary in the summer.

Steve Maclin def. KC Navarro

This could have been a fairly straightforward showcase for Maclin since Navarro's just a tag team guy at the moment, but I appreciated it being as competitive as it was. They worked well together and Navarro continues to make the most of every opportunity he gets. The Northern Armory were shown watching from the stage, so if Maclin vs. Eric Young isn't already official for Sacrifice, it should be soon.

TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Champions Spitfire def. Ash and Heather by Elegance

Per the stipulation, Ash and Heather have to serve as Spitfire's personal concierges for 24 hours. They showed some footage of that later in the show. I figured Ash and Heather had a chance of winning since they'd already lost to Spitfire once before, but the heels usually lose this sort of stipulation, so I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised. This was an enjoyable outing that benefited from higher stakes.

Mance Warner def. Sami Callihan by Disqualification

I thought it was weird the first one-on-one match in the feud between these two would be given away on iMPACT! and not saved for Sacrifice, and well, now we know why. Callihan got himself disqualified almost immediately and the crowd was hotter for the brawl that ensued than they would've been for the matchup itself. Santino Marella came out afterward to announce that they'll have a Street Fight at Sacrifice.

Frankie Kazarian def. Ace Austin

This was always going to be a nice match considering who was involved, but it felt totally inconsequential with Wes Lee and his crew at ringside. That telegraphed the finish from the get-go. It's interesting to note that Kazarian has been racking up wins in recent months, which might mean he'll be cashing in his Call Your Shot title opportunity soon. The Rascalz logically came to Austin's aid afterward to fend off the NXT stars.

The System (TNA X-Division Champion Moose, Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers) def. TNA World Tag Team Champions The Hardys and NXT Champion Oba Femi

The Hardys teaming with Femi on a TNA show was a surreal sight, to say the least. This didn't get a ton of time (if you don't include the commercial break), but it was entertaining while it lasted. The post-match chaos led to two matches being announced for Sacrifice: Moose defending the TNA X-Division Championship against Jeff Hardy in a Ladder match and The Colons teaming with the rest of The System to take on Joe Hendry, Elijah, Matt Hardy and two mystery partners in a 10-man tag team match.

Overall Show

The build to Sacrifice has been well done and the influx of notable names from NXT (Lee, Femi and Jade) has been refreshing. Most of this edition of iMPACT! featured basic booking, but the main event was a fun attraction. That combined with all of the Sacrifice developments made this a newsworthy show. The TNA and NXT working relationship has really rejuvenated both brands.

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