TNA Impact live results: Nic Nemeth vs. Alex Shelley
On TNA Impact tonight, fans will be able to watch a first-time-ever matchup between two wrestling veterans.
Nic Nemeth vs. Alex Shelley headlines tonight’s Impact episode on AXS TV. The match was set up last week when Shelley interrupted a backstage interview with Nemeth. After Nemeth said he’d be honored to wrestle Shelley in the future, Shelley forced the issue and said he wanted to face Nemeth now.
Nemeth, the former Dolph Ziggler, is challenging Moose for the TNA World Championship at Rebellion.
Shelley lost the TNA World Championship to Moose at Hard to Kill this January and has been in the midst of a heel turn recently.
At the April 20 Rebellion pay-per-view, Mustafa Ali is defending his X-Division Championship against Jake Something. Ali will be in non-title action against Rhino tonight. It’s an Old School rules match, meaning there are no disqualifications or countouts.
Ash By Elegance vs. Xia Brookside and Chris Bey vs. Frankie Kazarian will also be airing on tonight’s show. Plus, The FBI make their return to TNA.
Nemeth vs. Shelley was hyped up to start the show with Nemeth saying that Shelley is respected around the world, while Shelley pointed out that he did a lot – but only in one place. Nemeth said that Shelley is a tough test for him because of how much world traveling he’s done and tapped folks out across the globe. This was an outstanding way to showcase the similarities and differences of both.
X-Division Champion Mustafa Ali walked out to face Rhino, the former ECW and TNA-era NWA World Champion. Rhino came out and slapped hands with former Philadelphia Flyer Joe Watson while TNA shilled his book on-screen.
X-Division Mustafa Ali defeated Rhino in an non-title Old School Rules match
Rhino overpowered Ali to start amidst an “ECW” chant. They walked and brawled on the floor before Rhino missed a chop on the post, which gave Ali an edge until Rhino tossed him around ringside. Rehwoldt buried an ECW chant saying it’s time to move on and it’s been 20 years while Rhino pulled out weapons. Ali grabbed a copy of Watson’s book and put it in a trash can. Okay, that’s a new one – and he pulled out a giant PWI cover, which makes two new spots in this one already. Rhino grabbed the book out of the trash for a photo op with Watson before just throwing it, which may actually have been funnier than Ali throwing it carefully into a trash can.
Ali set him up for a Van Terminator for two. The fans chant “this is awesome” and after seeing Billy Gunn vs. Jay White, it honestly is compared to that. Ali set up a corner gore into the trash can in a corner, but Rhino avoided it. Rhino hit a corner gore of his own before a table chant leads to Rhino obliging. Rhino took Ali down with a spinebuster before Ali’s secret service bump around for Rhino. Gore through the corner table missed and Ali scored a pin. All right – in theory, they shouldn’t book the X-Division champion to luck his way into a win against Rhino in 2024, but Philly was the place to do it.
As is modern-day TNA tradition, Jake Something came out to brawl with Ali and render the match result largely meaningless. Something broke the cover over Ali and then Something took out more of the secret service with a power bomb. The roster talked about how excited they are for Nemeth vs. Shelley tonight and this is a fine example of how you use the cards you have to make a match feel as big as possible.
Hammerstone promo
Gia Miller welcomed Hammerstone to the ramp for a chat with him adorning his arm in Josh Alexander’s headgear. Miller asked if he’s afraid of Alexander and he said just look at him – he has no reason to be afraid of him or even wrestle him. He tells Alexander that all of his injuries will feel like nothing when he’s through with him – at Rebellion.
Hammerstone grabbed the camera for the latter-half of the promo before taking out the camera guy with a forearm and camel clutch with the headgear before the torture rack. This was shot really nicely with them going back to the guy’s fallen camera to show the ill-effects of the torture rack.
– The Rascalz came out to call out Chicago, New York, and then finally Philly before Trey Miguel buried ECW’s tag teams before saying they’ll give Philly a chance to see a real tag team. The FBI came out with Guido and two new members of the FBI that he identifies as Zach Clayton and Ray Jazz.
The Rascalz (Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz) defeated The FBI (Ray Jaz and Zack Clayton)
Hannifan hyped up Jaz as being an all-American as he took down Miguel quickly. Miguel raked the face against the top rope, leading to Jaz hitting a Sicilian Slice off the second rope. Clayton tagged in for a double-team on Wentz, but Myron Reed returned to spray paint Guido in the face. It opened the door for a Miguel spinebuster and a double stomp/power bomb to win it.
– Part one of a series featuring Jonathan Gresham aired, showing him at a group meeting, saying he needs to wear a mask before quick, ominous cuts showed him in blue.
– Speedball Mountain chatted with Gia Miller about Bailey getting cheated out of a win last week against Edwards. Moose said that they’ve got the gold and Seven said they’ll get the tag titles and he’ll knock out Moose next week.
Frankie Kazarian defeated Chris Bey (w/ Ace Austin)
Kazarian played a nice heel to start things off, bullying Jade Chung that he is the King of TNA. Bey jumped Kaz on the apron and slugged him on the floor. Bey landed a slick sliding dropkick and double stomp before a forearm exchange between the two and Bey sent him down with a diving forearm. Bey went up top, but got tripped up and Kaz played bully heel. With him being so much stockier than Bey, it’s a good role for him in this match.
Kazarian ran him into the corner for an atomic drop/tree of woe and landed a backstabber. Kaz sent him down with a single leg dropkick and rope choke in front of Bey to rub it in. Kazarian grounded him with a surfboard before wanting a crossface chicken wing after the break ended that Bey avoided. Bey landed a slick spin wheel kick before a Stinger splash-style leaping uppercut in the corner. Kazarian hit the slingshot legdrop, but couldn’t land the slingshot DDT but Bey did and got two off of it.
Kazarian avoided the Art of Finesse before Kazarian threw him out for a slingshot cutter. This is an outstanding match and the best singles showcase Bey has had yet in TNA. Kaz wrapped a chain around his hand and Austin grabbed it, which the ref saw and kicked him out. Kaz bragged about it, but ate a Bey flip dive as a result. Bey walked in and ate a low blow before Fade to Black gives Kaz the win.
– MK Ultra’s issues on Xplosion were recapped before Masha Slamovich talked for a bit in Russian. Alisha Edwards told her that they need to be a team now that Killer Kelly is gone since she needs a title for The System.
– Josh Alexander talked about how much he admires Alex Shelley for traveling the world while Nemeth achieved great success in one place.
– Big Kon cut a promo about being one of two monsters that will fight in a Monster’s Ball match with PCO. That is seemingly set up for next week – which is odd as that feels like a PPV match.
Ash by Elegance defeated Xia Brookside
Brookside was out before Ash’s concierge came out and told everyone to leave because it’s history: it’s Ash’s fourth match in TNA. Tom Hannifan brought up the 8-4-1 match that Ash didn’t wrestle in before wishing harm on the concierge because he’s so annoying.
The match started with bickering before Brookside avoided a kick and then argued with her some more. Ash stalls on the floor and threatened to leave before eating an elbow by Brookside, who then threatened the concierge. Ash shoved her into the steps for a 9 count and then a two count mid-ring. Ash choked her on the rope and demanded the fans take photos of her. Ash landed a series of iffy kicks for a variety of two counts before a baseball slide to Brookside.
Ash cartwheeled on the floor before going back in to kill more time. Ash takes a break from cartwheeling to bow for a while and she wanted the somersault senton, but Xia wanted the Brooksie bomb. Ash avoided that, but couldn’t avoid a forearm flurry and flying clotheslines. Boy is this match a lot better with her on offense than Ash. Ash went face-first into the buckle before eating a neckbreaker for 2. Ash grabbed the ring skirt and the ref corrected it so the concierge could throw champagne in Brookside’s face and Ash…gets something resembling a cradle for the win.
– Ace Austin talked to Chris Bey about now that he lost, he needs to focus on the tag titles and hey, maybe it was a bad idea to fight Kazarian. AJ Francis entered and looked 20 feet tall next to Bey. He asks if he’d like to fly first class. Bey said he’s flown with Austin first-class a ton and they’d like a tag match against First Class instead.
– Backstage, Matt Cardona and Steph De Lander hyped up SDL’s power and say they want some money and gold.
– Official for next week’s card:
- Laredo Kid facing Crazzy Steve for the Digital Media Title
- Jordynne Grace/Steph De Lander contract signing for Rebellion
Nic Nemeth defeated Alex Shelley
Before the match, they hyped this up more. TNA is doing a lot like New Japan hyping things up with video packages and they’re doing so with Filmpic-style video to make things look even better in slow motion. It’s an impressive use of a smaller budget.
Hannifan hyped up Nemeth’s WWE accolades while Hannifan goes into Shelley’s experience in New Japan while pointing out that Nemeth is now the IWGP Global Champion. Nemeth worked him to the mat for a quick amateur-style two count. Nemeth got custom gear made for this one with an ECW logo-style Wanted F’N Man logo on the back and red, white and blue barb wire across his tights. Shelley sent him outside for an ad break.
Shelley landed a slick baseball slide before slamming Nemeth’s arm into the post as they talk about Shelley being a physical therapist and understanding anatomy better than anyone to damage it. Shelley worked heel and teased not stomping the arm before doing so as Rehwoldt talked about Shelley being broken since the No Surrender match. Shelley locked in a straightjacket choke mid-ring before Shelley got too cocky on the floor and is pulled into the post by Nemeth.
Nemeth grounded him with a chicken wing on the mat before Shelley escaped with elbows to the gut, but went down off a dropkick. A Nemeth superkick is met with a Shelley chop block that is turned into a figure four. Nemeth recovered with a boot to the face holding the rope before a pair of diving lariats and a Stinger splash in the corner. The heartstopper elbows hit, but Shelley countered the tenth elbow with his knees to damage that arm as well. Shelley turned a Fujiwara armbar into the Border City Stretch briefly, but Nemeth escaped it before going into the buckle with a flatliner.
A tornado DDT gets 2 for Shelley and then the Border City Stretch is locked in mid-ring! Nemeth got to the rope, but started to bite the hand of Shelley to escape the grip. Shelley avoided a jumping DDT with a pumphandle on the bad left arm, but Nemeth snaps a leaping DDT off close to the rope – allowing Shelley to get the rope at 2. Shelley avoided a superkick, but Sliced Bread was avoided and opened the door for a Nemeth superkick to get 2.
Nemeth avoided Shell Shock and Shelley avoided the Danger Zone before the BC Stretch is turned into a cradle for two. Shelley hit a superkick, but opened himself for the Danger Zone and a Nic Nemeth victory. This was a fantastic TV main event and another strong TNA match in a year full of them.