TNA Impact live results: Will Ospreay vs. Josh Alexander 2

Tonight, TNA Wrestling presents the first episode of Impact since the company’s name change.

A new era began at last Saturday’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view. New champions were crowned, new roster additions debuted, and Impact Wrestling officially crossed the line back to TNA. Tonight’s show will feature matches taped the day after Hard to Kill.

Will Ospreay and Josh Alexander clash in a highly anticipated rematch. Ospreay defeated Alexander in their first meeting last fall. Now Ospreay gets to accomplish his dream of competing in a TNA ring.

We’ll hear from Nic Nemeth (the former Dolph Ziggler) after he made his TNA debut at Hard to Kill. The PPV ended with Nemeth debuting and laying out new Impact World Champion Moose.

There will be an X-Division scramble match featuring KUSHIDA, Mike Bailey, Trey Miguel, El Hijo del Vikingo, Laredo Kid, and Jake Something, The winner will likely be in line for a shot at Chris Sabin’s X-Division title.

Xia Brookside vs. Tasha Steelz is also set for tonight, along with The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Eric Young & Frankie Kazarian.

TNA Impact opened with a recap of the excellent Hard to Kill PPV, running down all the matches, with the biggest news being Moose defeating Alex Shelley for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

Jake Something defeated KUSHIDA, Trey Miguel, Laredo Kid, Mike Bailey, El Hijo del Vikingo

This was an awesome match. No better way to start off the return of TNA than with the X-Division, and this showed why.

It did not take long for this to descend into chaos with Mike Bailey, Vikingo, and Laredo Kid hitting stereo dives to the floor onto everyone else. Trey Miguel played the annoying heel cutting off the babyfaces and avoiding all the high impact, pardon the pun, offence. Trey Miguel tied up the legs of Laredo Kid, but decided to slap KUSHIDA while doing it. This did not go well. KUSHIDA kicked him in the face.

Miguel still kept the legs of Kid tied and hit a lightning spiral though, and continued his submission attempt, but Jake Something came in and pulled him off. Something cleared the ring with some hard forearms but had a hard time keeping up with Vikingo, which to be fair, no one can. Vikingo went for his imploding hurricanrana but Something rolled through and powerbombed Vikingo over the ropes onto everyone on the floor.

Miguel hit a poisonrana on Something, and KUSHIDA locked the Hoverboard lock on Miguel, but Vikingo cut him off with a rope walk into a double stomp. Everyone exchanged some big moves and it ended after Laredo Kid hit Mike Bailey with a Spanish Fly and Something hit Into the Void on Kid for the win.

–Will Ospreay was backstage and cut a promo on Josh Alexander, and how the last time they faced off, Ospreay left him laying. He was back now for the three letters, TNA, and he was going to defeat Alexander once again. They still need to white balance their cameras.

–A hype video aired for Ash by Elegance. It is going to take a lot to sell me on this gimmick, but it’s nice to see Dana Brooke trying something completely different than what she was in WWE.

–Gisele Shaw cut a promo about winning the Ultimate X match, and said that Jordynne Grace needed to watch out. Gail Kim walked up and said that Shaw should think about doing things alone, because Shaw was able to win without the Shawntorage. Shaw brushed Kim off and walked away.

Xia Brookside defeated Tasha Steelz

Brookside earned the anger of Steelz in the first part of this match, ending with Steelz hitting a pump kick in frustration, as Brookside managed to frustrate every other attempt at offence in the early parts of the match. Steelz ended up hitting the three amigos, and started putting together some heat on the young babyface.

Steelz went for another suplex, but Brookside did a small package for a 2-count, and hit a head scissors. Brookside hit double knees to the back of Steelz in the corner. Steelz hit a jaw breaker followed by a code breaker for a 2-count. Steelz went to the top rope, but Brookside cut her off and hit the Brooksy Bomb off the top rope for the pinfall win.

–A recap of AJ Francis laying out Joe Hendry after Hendry’s music video aired.

–Joe Hendry was backstage, and talked about being chokeslammed by AJ Francis, he said that he didn’t blame Francis because he was the Cheez-it Champion, and had tons of challengers. Hendry said it wasn’t a total loss because he got a free laptop. The laptop was trashed though, so he said he was throwing it out with the rest of the garbage, and the camera zoomed out to show DJ WhooKid in a garbage can, moaning in pain.

The Grizzled Young Vets (James Drake & Zach Gibson) defeated Frankie Kazarian & Eric Young

This was a really solid tag match, and it was designed perfectly for the turn that came at the end. It also put over GYV as a dangerous team.

GYV immediately started working over the arm of Eric Young, showing their technical style of wrestling, but Young bit the fingers of Drake and tagged out to Kazarian who hit a flipping neckbreaker on Drake. Gibson blind tagged in, allowing Kazarian to be pulled from the ring, and Drake hit a tope suicidia on Kazarian.

Drake and Gibson worked over Kazarian for the next few minutes, showcasing their style, with hard strike and breaking down Kazarian bit by bit. Gibson hit a dragon screw on the leg of Kazarian, and Kazarian tried to fire back with a chop, but he got cut off with a hard strike from Gibson. Gibson slammed Drake on Kazarian for a 2-count.

Kazarian finally responded with a suplex when Gibson went for one, and was about to tag out, but Drake pulled Young from the apron. The timing on this was so perfect. Drake hit an assisted Sliced Bread #2 on Kazarian for a 2-count. I missed part of the finish here, as the news of Kazuchika Okada leaving NJPW was sent to me, and I was in shock, but I did see GYV hitting Grit Your Teeth on Eric Young for the win.

–The System were at a restaurant and talked about how everything was going to plan for them, with Moose getting his title win. This was a good segment.

–Nic Nemeth made his entrance, and looked overjoyed to be there. The fans chanted for him, and said them chanting “Nic!” was going to take some getting used to. Nemeth talked about being excited to be in TNA, and that he was there to prove himself. Steve Maclin came out and cut him off, saying that he was just a phony, and that he never took the top spot he supposedly wanted.

Maclin said that if they faced off against each other, all people would be asking was “Whatever happened to Dolph Ziggler?” and Nemeth hit Danger Zone (Zig Zag redubbed) to lay out Maclin. This segment was really good.

–Jordynne Grace was backstage with Gia Miller talking about winning the Knockout’s Championship. Trinity walked up and said that the rematch for the title would be happening next week on TNA Impact.

–Jai Vidal came down to the ring and talked about moving away from Las Vegas because it was filthy. Vidal said that no one could beat him up. PCO came out to interrupt.

PCO defeated Jai Vidal

PCO beat up Jai Vidal, contrary to Vidal’s claims.

–Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin were backstage, and Shelley talked about how they had a big six-man tag next week, and announced they would be teaming with Kazuchika Okada. Okada said that he would be returning to TNA next week. This is astonishing considering the announcement he is leaving NJPW just broke within the last hour, and here he is talking about a six-man tag on Impact next week.

Josh Alexander defeated Will Ospreay

This match was unbelievable and completely stole the show. This will be one of TNA’s best matches of the year, and potentially is one of their best matches ever. Alexander continues to be the best wrestler in TNA history, and Ospreay proves again that he is one of, if not the best, in the world. Outstanding match. This should be on the list for MOTY Candidates for 2024.

The fans were immediately hot for this, seeing as it is two of the best wrestlers in the world. Ospreay and Alexander did not waste time, with Ospreay hitting a hard chop and a standing moonsault for a 2-count. Alexander hit some hard chops of his own and hit a German suplex. Alexander was able to roll through and hit a second, but Ospreay grabbed the ropes before a third.

Ospreay hit the ropes and did a handspring kick that sent Alexander to the floor. Ospreay went for a tope, but Alexander moved then caught the PK. Alexander did an ankle lock on Ospreay on the floor, and Ospreay tried to grab anything to pull away and accidentally pulled a table out from under the ring. The hold broke, and Ospreay was able to hit a tornado DDT on the floor.

Ospreay then setup the table and tried to hit a bomb of some sort off the apron through the table, but Alexander fought out. Ospreay clotheslined Alexander back into the ring and hit a flying forearm for a near fall. Alexander and Ospreay exchanged suplex attempts, but Alexander was able to overpower and hit a vertical suplex on Ospreay.

Ospreay hit a run up kick on Alexander and a back flip before hitting an enziguri. Ospreay hit the ropes and sprung off, but Alexander caught him and hit a German suplex and then a powerbomb into a backbreaker. Ospreay chopped Alexander when they got up, but Alexander ate it and hit a standing backbreaker.

Ospreay and Alexander battled on the apron after this, and Ospreay was able to fire up and hit a Tiger Driver off the apron through the table. The crowd went insane as the referee checked on both. I am not sure why this was a DQ, but the referee decided to allow the match to continue, as he decided the fans deserved a definitive conclusion to the match. I like the explanation on commentary, at least.

Alexander made it back in at the count of 9 but immediately ate a coast-to-coast dropkick from Ospreay, who hit the OsCutter for a 2-count. Ospreay went for the Hidden Blade, but Alexander collapsed before Ospreay could hit it. Ospreay and Alexander exchanged some trash talk, and after a shotgun dropkick from Ospreay, who started to heel on Alexander at this point, looked shocked when Alexander fired up again. Ospreay hit a standing Spanish Fly for a 2-count and went for Stormbreaker, but Alexander countered out into a tombstone attempt. Ospreay countered into a Stundog Millionaire and went for the OsCutter again, but Alexander hit a huge forearm to drop Ospreay right out of the air.

Ospreay and Alexander ended up on the ramp, and Ospreay went for an OsCutter on the ramp, but Alexander cut him off and hit a piledriver on the ramp. Alexander hit a Green Bay Plunge off the middle ropes on Ospreay and locked on an ankle lock in the middle of the ring, but Ospreay refused to give up. Opsreay managed to hit a Cheeky Nandos kick on Alexander, hitting a poisonrana off the top rope on Alexander and a Hidden Blade for a 2-count. Rehwoldt said the Hidden Blade would make Jacob Frye proud, and I’m here for Assassin’s Creed references.

Ospreay hit a second Hidden Blade and a Storm Driver 93 on Alexander, but Alexander kicked out again. Ospreay ripped off his elbow pad and went for the Hidden Blade again, and Alexander hit a lariat instead. Alexander and Ospreay exchanged hard strikes and hit the ropes dodging each other until Alexander took Ospreay’s head off with a lariat and went for the C4 Spike, but Ospreay countered and went for the Styles Clash. Alexander countered into an ankle lock attempt, but Ospreay fought back, so Alexander pulled Ospreay up and hit a Styles Clash for a 2-count. Alexander rolled through the pin attempt and finally hit the C4 Spike for the win.

–Scott D’Amore came down to the ring after the match, talked about how awesome it was, and said that he watched Bruce Pritchard declare that TNA was dead years ago, and that it was guys like Alexander, and now Ospreay, who made sure the spirit of TNA continued, and now it was alive again. D’Amore said Ospreay was a TNA kid, and that “Uncle Allen at home (AJ Styles)” would have loved that match. This was an all time Scott D’Amore promo, putting over TNA, the wrestlers, and that they are far from finished.

Final Thoughts

This was an awesome episode to relaunch TNA Impact, and having Josh Alexander and Will Ospreay tear the house down was the perfect way to cap it off and show that this was not the old TNA, but one that is very much so in good hands, alive and well. They may never reach back to what they were, but my goodness, this promotion is fun to watch when they do shows like this.