TNA iMPACT! Review - March 21, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Jake Something def. Jason Hotch, Leon Slater, Chris Bey, Alan Angels and Kevin Knight in a TNA X-Division Championship No. 1 Contender's Scramble Match

This was referred to as a Rebellion Referendum, as organized by Mustafa Ali. It served as a nice showcase for the X-Division with it being all action as you'd expect. It didn't last very long, so not everyone had a chance to do much, but it was fun for what it was. Something winning was a slight surprise but not completely shocking. He was receiving a steady singles push for a while before losing to Frankie Kazarian a few weeks back, so this helped get him get back on track.

Time Splitters def. Grizzled Young Vets

Neither of these teams are doing much of anything at the moment, so I was down for the idea of them facing each other. Unsurprisingly, it was a very good match and I was glad they got as much time as they did. At least Shelley has direction with the heel turn he's likely headed toward, so I liked how he showed some more aggression here without teasing tension with Kushida.

TNA Digital Media Champion Crazzy Steve def. PCO

This was a decent match. On one hand, I feared PCO would win the title and Steve's run would end prematurely, so I was happy with the result and that it didn't end in a disqualification. On the other hand, I have zero interest in seeing the PCO vs. Kon feud continue. PCO seemingly finished the feud by beating Kon in that No Disqualification match (which exceeded my expectations), but apparently not. I guess we might be getting them in a Monster's Ball matchup after all, but if PCO wins again (and he should), then what's the point?

Eric Young Challenged Frankie Kazarian to a Full Metal Mayhem Match at Rebellion

I appreciated that this was kept short and sweet with Young getting straight to the point by challenging Kazarian to a Full Metal Mayhem match at Rebellion. He even stayed on the stage, indicating it wouldn't turn into an angle with Kazarian interrupting him. They can exchange words another time. I can't recall the last Full Metal Mayhem match we got in TNA (maybe Josh Alexander vs. Bully Ray from Hard to Kill 2023?), so I'm looking forward to that one.

Ash by Elegance def. Seleziya Sparx

The match was more of the same from Elegance as she made quick work of her unknown opponent, so this thankfully didn't overstay its welcome. There was nothing special about Ash's in-ring work in the final few years of her WWE run, so if that's still the case, it's smart to hide her weaknesses with this gimmick. Post-match, Xia Brookside made the save for Sparx, so Brookside appears to be Ash's first feud.

The System Confronted Nic Nemeth

Nemeth vs. Moose for the TNA World Championship was already announced for Rebellion, so this segment didn't break any new ground. It simply existed to build toward the bout, but it was pretty basic stuff. Moose's line about Nemeth never being able to beat "the system" throughout his career was a good one, but this was too short and barely scratched the surface of what it could have been.

TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace def. Tasha Steelz

I was surprised this was as short as it was. No, Steelz was never a legitimate threat to Grace, but you'd think they would've gotten more time with this being positioned as the main event. Nonetheless, they had a solid main event and it was cool to see the women get the main event spotlight. There was no indication afterward of what/who is next for Grace, so perhaps they're not rushing into Grace vs. Ash so soon after all (though it's possible Ash will beat Brookside on an upcoming episode and we'll get the match at Rebellion, anyway).

Overall Show

They fit more stuff into this show than usual and it resulted in the main event not getting a ton of time and that Nemeth-Moose segment being rushed, but otherwise, it was a thumbs-up edition of iMPACT!. Storyline are steadily progressing heading into Rebellion and we continue to get a great mix of mic work and enjoyable in-ring action. Rebellion will be TNA's first major event since the relaunch at Hard to Kill, so it's important they keep the momentum rolling.

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