TNA iMPACT! Review - January 18, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Jake Something def. Laredo Kid, Kushida, Trey Miguel, "Speedball" Mike Bailey and AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo in an X-Division Scramble Match (AAA Mega Championship Was Not Defended)

This was the perfect match to kick off the new era of TNA iMPACT! as the X-Division has played a pivotal role in TNA's history since the company's launch. It was all action and everyone had a chance to shine, despite this not lasting long. Although the X-Division is about "no limits," I don't know if I'd classify Something an X-Division guy. That said, I'm not complaining about him picking up a big win. Here's hoping Vikingo sticks around and continues to make appearances as he has for AEW and Ring of Honor over the last year.

Xia Brookside def. Tasha Steelz

I was disappointed when WWE let Brookside go in 2022 as part of NXT UK's closure, but she's a nice pickup for TNA's Knockouts division. She had a impressive performance in the Ultimate X match at Hard to Kill and following that up with a win here was the way to go. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary about the match, but it was decent for the time they were allotted and Steelz (a former TNA Knockouts World Champion) was a notable name for her to beat in her singles debut for TNA.

Grizzled Young Vets def. Eric Young and Frankie Kazarian

Young and Kazarian were billed as the TNA Originals for their tag team match on the Hard to Kill pre-show, where they lost to The System. There was no need for them to be a regular team going forward, so I liked that Kazarian turned on Young afterward. It also freshens things up with his character as he felt directionless following his feud with Eddie Edward. The match was very good and I'm looking forward to Grizzled Young Vets making more appearances for TNA (assuming they've signed some sort of deal or intend to soon).

Nic Nemeth Attacked Steve Maclin

This crowd gave Nemeth a great reaction. It was refreshing to hear him cut a promo as himself for a change and not as his WWE persona Dolph Ziggler. This was a solid segment with Nemeth and Maclin setting up an eventual match, likely at TNA's next live special. Is Nemeth the biggest signing in TNA history (which he was hyped up as heading into Hard to Kill)? No, but he can be a strong asset to the company as they rebrand and there's plenty of exciting opponents for him to face off with on this roster.

PCO def. Jai Vidal

Vidal cut a promo trash-talking the Las Vegas crowd before PCO was "brought back to life" for an impromptu squash match. PCO made quick work of him as he should have, so this was what it needed to be. TNA is probably the best place for PCO at this stage of his career, so I'm not shocked he re-signed, but I am curious where he goes from here. He's a fan favorite, but his character has a certain ceiling and I don't think he needs to be involved in the world title picture at this point.

Josh Alexander def. Will Ospreay

It's awesome that TNA was able to get Ospreay again after he worked some of their shows a few months ago before he heads to AEW full-time soon. It's also awesome that he and Alexander got to run it back after their fantastic first encounter. This was equally excellent as they got a ton of time and the crowd was hot throughout. Alexander winning clean was the cherry on top. Alexander is obviously already established in this company, but this was huge for him, especially coming off his victory over Alex Hammerstone at Hard to Kill. Scott D'Amore's post-match promo addressing the audience about the return of TNA was a cool touch.

Overall Show

TNA technically died in 2017, but this was the first time the weekly show has been called TNA iMPACT! since 2011 according to the company, which is crazy. This show definitely delivered and I'd say it was entertaining enough to bring back old viewers or encourage new ones to tune in. As someone who never stopped watching IMPACT, I'd urge everyone to give the product a chance because it's consistently entertaining with a quality mix of top-notch matches and simple storylines. Two thumbs-up for this episode. There was no classic "Cross the Line" intro this week (it played as the show went off the air), but I'm pumped to hear it start the show next week.

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