‘TNA Wrestling’ Review (Aug 8th 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of TNA Wrestling, Let’s get straight into the review and see what went down on the show…
Match #1: Ultimate X Qualifying Match – Speedball Mike Bailey def. Jake Something and Trent Seven
The following is courtesy of tnawrestling.com:
After some quick teamwork from Seven and Bailey, they manage to dump Jake Something to the floor. Seven goes for the first pin on Bailey, and the two exchange pins back and forth. Jake grabs Trent’s leg and pulls him to the floor, prompting Bailey to attempt a Moonsault, but he accidentally takes out his partner in “Speedball Mountain.” Bailey eventually tries to dive on Jake, but Jake catches him and powerbombs him into the apron. Jake enters the ring and punches Trent right in the mouth. Trent momentarily turns things around, but Speedball intervenes, delivering a combo of kicks that ends with a Shooting Star on Jake. Bailey and Trent engage in a chop-off, but Jake breaks it up by bulldozing through them. Jake gains momentum, but Bailey shuts it down with a Poison Rana. Bailey tries to catch Trent on the top rope, but Trent reverses and drops Bailey with a huge move from the top. Seven attempts a Seven Star Lariat on Jake, but Jake is too big. Bailey jumps on Jake’s back, and Jake powerbombs Seven while Bailey is still on his back. Ultimately, Bailey catches Jake Something with the Ultima Weapon, qualifying for his own X Division championship title!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: KUSHIDA def. Jonathan Gresham
The following is courtesy of tnawrestling.com:
The match begins with a confused KUSHIDA circling Jonathan Gresham. They go back and forth, exchanging holds. Both competitors outsmart each other with each move, showcasing their technical prowess. Gresham takes control, hitting a combo of moves on KUSHIDA and attempting a suplex, but KUSHIDA fights back. Gresham deadlifts KUSHIDA and slams him down. KUSHIDA counters with a Dragon Screw and takes over the momentum. They grapple for a headlock, but KUSHIDA lands a Pele kick and locks in the Hoverboard Lock. Gresham manages to escape briefly, but KUSHIDA quickly locks it back in, forcing Gresham to tap out!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Rosemary vs. Jordynne Grace (No Contest)
The following is courtesy of tnawrestling.com:
The match begins with Jordynne Grace offering a handshake, but Rosemary pounces on Grace, pummeling her and gaining control right away. Grace turns things around when Rosemary attempts “As Above So Below,” overpowering her and taking her down with a combination of power and speed, culminating in a Vader Bomb. Grace goes for the Juggernaut Driver, but Rosemary evades, and Grace rolls through only to be hit by another spear from Rosemary. Rosemary tries for her finisher again, but Grace counters with a Death Valley Driver. Grace gets Rosemary to the top rope and delivers a stalling suplex from the second rope, then goes for the Juggernaut Jackhammer. However, Rosemary reverses and hits a German Suplex. As the match intensifies, Ash By Elegance appears ringside, and The Personal Consigliere distracts the referee while Ash lays both Knockouts out with a kendo stick. The referee sees this and calls the match, ending it in a no-contest.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Ultimate X Qualifying Match – Zachary Wentz def. KC Navarro and Dante Chen
The following is courtesy of tnawrestling.com:
The match begins with intense back-and-forth action, showcasing the essence of the X Division. Navarro and Chen take the center stage in the ring while Wentz is still on the floor. Chen gains momentum by taking down Navarro, but Wentz quickly reenters the fray. Chen manages to take down both Navarro and Wentz with a combination of moves, including a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Navarro. As Chen tries to maintain control over Wentz, Wentz counters with a front flip neckbreaker while Chen is holding Navarro. Gaining momentum, Wentz delivers a double stomp to Chen and follows up with a German suplex on Navarro. Wentz then catches Chen with a knee strike and nails the UFO Cutter on Navarro, securing the win!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Joe Hendry def. Wolfgang
The following is courtesy of tnawrestling.com:
Hendry takes control from the start, tossing Wolfgang out of the ring and following him to continue the assault. They exchange chops, but Wolfgang gains the upper hand by hot-shotting Hendry on the top rope. Wolfgang then pummels Hendry, beating him down and locking in a submission. Hendry fights out and lands a massive knee strike on Wolfgang, forcing him to retreat to the corner. Wolfgang attempts a leap at Hendry, but Hendry completely moves out of the way. Wolfgang recovers with a body check, sending Hendry to the floor, and continues to punish him by slamming him on the outside. Back in the ring, Wolfgang goes for a suplex, but Hendry counters with one of his own. Wolfgang briefly regains control with a Vader Bomb, but when he attempts a Swanton Bomb, he crashes and burns, landing straight into a Standing Ovation from Hendry, who secures the win!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
I’m sorry, but who the hell greenlit this whole DeLander/PCO/Cardona stuff? It feels like early-200os era WWE, when they were trying to recapture Raw is War era but doing it PG-style, bullshit. It’s terrible. Truly awful. DeLander is absolutely being wasted in this storyline. What was the point in having her on TNA programming just for this? Really. Godawful. As for the rest of the show…. Well, that is something to be grateful for. We did get some good matches across the board, with only the women’s match falling a little flat but that was ONLY down to the ridiculous use of a run-in to spoil proceedings. Good to see an NXT feud play out here in TNA too – makes things more interesting than just having random WWE performers turn up to answer challenges etc. without context. Overall a good show. If you skip the PCO/DeLander stuff of course. Though… what’s with Jonathan Gresham? Are we just dumping the last gimmick and going back to Mr. Octopus Head? Or are we heading into multiple-personality territory? WE’ll have to wait and see. If it’s the former then goddamn, that would be shambolic.
