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OSPREAY VS. ALEXANDER AND MORE: TNA IMPACT WRESTLING ON AXS TV REPORT

Welcome to the return of the TNA Impact Wrestling on AXS TV report!

The return edition opened with highlights from the Hard To Kill PPV in Las Vegas.

They showed TNA Champion Moose and The System in a limo preparing to celebrate Moose's big title win.

SCRAMBLE: KUSHIDA VS. TREY MIGUEL VS. LAREDO KID VS. MIKE BAILEY VS. EL HIJO DEL VIKINGO VS. JAKE SOMETHING

Everyone battled.  Something sent Miguel out of the ring.  Everyone went after Jake early on with the idea that they could take out the biggest guy.  KUSHIDA and Laredo went back and forth with some nice action.  Bailey drilled KUSHIDA to the floor.  He nailed a moonsault off the apron to the floor at the same time Vikingo and Laredo nailed suicide dives.  That brought up TNA chants.

Trey Miguel tried to take advantage by attacking everyone and locked Laredo in a Sharpshooter.  KUSHIDA attacked and nailed him with a kick.  He went for the Hoverboard Lock.  Miguel escaped and nailed the Lightning Spiral.  He locked the Muta Lock on Laredo.  Vikingo returned to the fray and fought back and forth with Something. He trapped Vikingo by stepping on his feet.  Vikingo nailed chops to no effect and was laid out.  

Something controlled the ring until being hit with a head scissors.  Vikingo went for an inverted flip into a rana off the top but was caught and powerbombed outside the ring by Something.  Big TNA chant.  KUSHIDA and Miguel battled back and forth until KUSHIDA cinched in the Hoverboard Lock.  Vikingo dove into the ring and wiped out KUSHIDA, then Miguel.  Bailey hit big moves and nailed a Spanish Fly on Laredo.  Something snatched Laredo and pinned him with the Black Hole Slam.

Your winner, Jake Something!

A fun, energetic bell to bell bout.

Gia Miller interviewed Will Ospreay about the main event.  He said he left Josh Alexander laying in his own ring last time when TNA needed him to defend it.  He said he was the best pro wrestler in the world.  It's time for Alexander to stand up and fulfill his destiny and this is his one chance to stand up and beat the best wrestler in the world, but he doesn't think Josh can do it.

They aired an Essence by Ash promo.

They showed footage of Gisele Shaw winning the Ultimat X at Hard To Kill.  Gisele cut a promo and said that she set out what she wanted to do.  She warned Jordynne Grace she was coming.  Gail Kim showed up and noted that when Savannah Evans and Jai Vidal weren't around, Shaw won on her own.  She said all they do is mess things up for her.  Shaw walked off.

TASHA STEELZ VS. XIA BROOKSIDE

This is Brookside's TV debut after officially signing with the company.  She is the daughter of legendary British star Robbie Brookside.

They battled back and forth in the ring, exchanging holds, before facing off.  Brookside took over and nailed a big monkey flip out of the corner for a two count.    She worked over Steelz with a side headlock but Steelz drilled her and followed up with a big boot.   Steelz worked her over with a side chinlock on the mat but Brookside made her way to her feet, trying to fire back.  Steelz cut her off and nailed a series of suplexes.  

Brookside surprised Steelz with an inside cradle for a two count.  She followed up with a head scissors and nailed a double knee strike to the back in the corner.  She scored several two counts.   Steelz came back and scored several two counts as well.  She went for a cutter but was sent into the corner.  She kicked off Xia and went to the ropes.  They battled untol Xia surprised her with a Backlund Bridge style pinfall and scored the pinfall.

Your winner, Xia Brookside!

They showed Frankie Kazarian and Eric Young walking to the ring.

They showed footage of the AJ Francis-Joe Hendry angle at Hard to Kill.  Joe Hendry cut a promo and said he was attacked and should be pretty upset, but he understands.  They paid for the air time and wanted to see people hear the song.  Plus, he's a Cheez-It Champion and people are coming for you when you have that title. He said he got a free laptop out of it but it was garbage so he was throwing it out with the rest of the trash and there was someone who was supposed to be Whoo Kid in the garbage.

THE GRIZZLED YOUNG VETS VS. KAZARIAN & ERIC YOUNG

Young and Zack Gibson battled back and forth.  The GYVs cut off Young and worked him over, tagging in and out.  Young bit James Drake's hand, allowing him the chance to tag out to Kazarian.  Kazarian nailed several right hands but a blind tag allowed him to be distracted and nailed with a dive on the floor.

Kazarian was worked over by Gibson, who slammed him into the apron and then nailed a strike as Kazarian rebounded off the ropes.  Gibson nailed a series of rights, sending Frankie to the mat.  He hit a sunset flip into the ring to try and turn the tide but Drake made another blind tag, hitting the ring to attack Kazarian.  He whipped Kazarian hard into the buckles.  Drake antagonized Young but was rolled up by Frankie for a two count.  He followed up with a small package for a two count.  Drake cut him off with a clothesline.

The GYVs continued to double-team Kazarian.  Gibson attacked his leg.  Kazarian fired back with chops but was beaten with forearms and uppercuts.  The crowd clapped to rally Kazarian.  Kazarian finally began firing with shots to battle out of their corner but was caught.  He sent Drake to the floor and reversed a Gibson suplex attempt.  Kazarian finally was able to make the hot tag to Young, only to witness Drake yanking Young off the apron.  There is some nice Midnight Express level heel tag team tactics going on here.

The GYVs continued to control the momentum, hitting a plancha to the floor on Kazarian.  Gibson began trash talking Kazarian, but that only fired him up.  They went back to the double team maneuvers but Kazarian escaped and made the hot tag FINALLY and Young went nuts cleaning house, getting near falls and biting people.  Gibson and Drake caught Young with a double-team enziguiri.  Kazarian hit the ring but accidentally nailed his own partner.  Young was wiped out and pinned.

Your winners, The Grizzled Young Veterans!

An excellent tag team bout from an in-ring psychology standpoint.

Kazarian attacked Young after the bout.  I didn't see THAT coming.  The crowd turned on him, chanting "A**hole."  He went to exit the ring, but returned and began stomping away at Young.   He yelled that this was supposed to be his year and nailed Young with a Fade To Black.

Somewhere in Vegas, Moose told The System that this celebration was about all of them.  He wanted to be known as the TNA Champion and wants the world to know to "Trust the System."

Nic Nemeth came to the ring wearing a suit, making his TNA TV debut.  He got a big reaction.  

The crowd chanted "Nic" and he joked that was going to take some getting used to.  He said there was something special in the air from start to finish at the Hard To Kill PPV and he loved every second of it.  The crowd chanted TNA and he said he loved it.  He's done 19 years and a hell of a lot of things in his career.  He said he was very fortunate to rack up a lot of accomplishments, but he did it all in one world.  He's excited, intimidated, nervous and excited but he picked his time and place to line up with the TNA Champion.  

Nemeth declared he was going to become TNA Champion and when he does, he's going to celebrate with all the fans and it's going to be the best night of his career.  He respect the locker room too much to walk in and demand a shot and get it.  Today is his day one, doing it all over again.  He has gone to the top in the past and will do it again, but this time is the first time he gets to do it as Nic Nemeth.

Steve Maclin walked out.  He said he agreed with Nemeth and when he came to TNA, he did the same, worked his way up.  He said that when he sees Nemeth, however, all he sees is a phony.  Nemeth said he's the guy who gives and gives but he never took it.  Now he's hear to take.  Nemeth tried to say something but Maclin cut him off.  He said Nemeth was here to suck the blood dry in TNA and go somewhere else.  He said this is Maclin's home and base of operations.  He said no one is going to ask about Nic Nemeth, they are just going to ask whatever the hell happened to Dolph Ziggler.  They squared off and Nemeth nailed him with the ZigZag.

Backstage, Gia Miller interviewed Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace.  She said it was an honor to be part of the PPV weekend.  She's at the top of her game and handed Trinity her first defeat.  Trinity showed up and told her she earned the title but Trinity gets a rematch next week.  Trinity said she gets to face her again, but Trinity will be running it back and taking the belt back.  Grace agreed.

Jai Vidal came to the ring as the announcers were plugging this weekend's TV Tapings.  Vidal said they broke out wrestling locally in Nevada.  The fans remind him of why he left such a disgusting place to begin with.  The crowd turned on Vidal, who told them they don't get to boo him.  He said there's not one person who could beat him up.

The lights went out and out came PCO and his handlers.    He did the same entrance from the PPV where they zapped him to life.

PCO VS. JAI VIDAL

It was a massacre.  PCO scored the pin with a chokeslam and the moonsault.

Your winner, PCO!

Backstage, The Motor City Machineguns cut a promo.  They pushed the six man tag with Kazuchika Okada next week against The System.  Okada said next week he returns to TNA.

WILL OSPREAY VS. JOSH ALEXANDER

They have around 30 minutes of TV time remaining, so this will be getting a lot of time.

They locked up and went back and forth, trying to outshine the other while grappling.  The crowd was singing for Ospreay and going back and forth with chants.   They faced off after going back and forth.  Ospreay gained control and sent him into the corner but Alexander elevated him over the top to the apron.  Ospreay went for a move but was knocked to the apron.  Alexander hit a bodypress on him and they crashed to the floor.

Alexander tossed him back into the ring and drilled him with a kick to the back.  He chopped Ospreay HARD in the corner and worked him over.  The crowd rallied Ospreay again.  Alexander ducked a strike and nailed a series of Germany suplexes.     Ospreay used the ropes to save himself and then drilled him with a kick, sending Alexander to the floor.  Ospreay set up for a dive but Josh moved.  Ospreay landed on the apron.  Josh snatched him in an anklelock and pulled him to the floor.  Ospreay, desperate, grabbed for whatever he could before kicking Josh into the ring post.  He nailed a tornado DDT, using the apron as a base.

Opreay set up a table on the floor.  They battled on the apron, chopping each other back and forth.  Ospreay knocked Josh into the ring and nailed a springboard forearm  for a two count.    Ospreay controlled the ring for some time.  He went for a suplex but Alexander blocked and turned it into a fisherman's buster.  They battled to their feet and exchanged forearms.  Ospreay kicked off a charge and nailed a great dropkick.  He went for a handspring elbow but was caught with a German suplex and a backbreaker for a two count.  

Ospreay fired away with chops.  Alexander fired back with a sideslam for a two count.     The crowd went back and forth with chants for the competitors.  Alexander pulled Ospreay up from the apron with a German suplex off the ropes but Ospreay blocked and pulled him to the apron.  They battled over the table until Ospreay nailed a superkick and hit a Tiger Driver through a table to the floor.  The crowd chanted, "Holy sh**!" and "TNA!"

They announced that the referee wasn't calling for the DQ because it was his discretion and he wanted to see a clear winner.  They said TNA management backstage was in agreement.  I liked that they had some internal logic to explain this.  

They were almost counted out and made their way back to the ring.  Ospreay nailed a missile dropkick and an OzCutter for a close two count.   Ospreay called for the Hidden Blade but before he could connect, Alexander collapsed out of exhaustion.  Ospreay pulled him up and drilled him back into the corner.  Ospreay set up again for the Hidden Blade but instead kicked at him and disrespected Alexander by acting like he was kicking dirt on him.  He nailed a series of kicks before drilling him in the corner.

Alexander exploded with strikes but was nailed with a Spanish Fly for a close two count.  The crowd chanted, "Fight forever."  Ospreay went for Stormbreaker but Alexander escaped only to be hit with the Stundog.  He went for the Ozcutter but Alexander drilled Ospreay in mid-air.  They were each two spent to capitalize and tried to fight to their feet as the audience chanted, "This is wrestling."

Alexander went out to the apron.  Ospreay went for a springboard move but was caught.  Ospreay charged and went for the Hidden Blade but missed.  Ospreay went for the Ozcutter on the ring ramp but was caught and hit with a tombstone on the ramp.  The crowd chanted for TNA.  They battled back to the ring, where Alexander nailed a Rolling Senton off the ropes for a two count.  Ospreay kicked up but Alexander locked on an anklelock.   Ospreay went for the ropes but Alexander pulled him to the center and stomped on the ankle before returning to the move.  Ospreay finally kicked him off and sent him into the buckles.  

Alexander charged but was kicked off.  They battled in the corner.  Ospreay nailed a reverse rana off the top into the ring, then followed up with the Hidden Blade.  Alexander kicked up at the last second.  Ospreay went for Stormbreaker.  Alexander escaped but was nailed with Hidden Blade and then a StormDriver '93, only to kick out again.  

They charged at each other and began drilling the living sh** out of each other with chops, slaps and strikes.  Alexander finally gets the better of the exchange.  He went for the C4 Spike but Ospreay slipped out and went for the Styles Clash.  Ospreay avoided it and hit the Styles Clash himself for a close two count.  Ospreay flipped Alexander the bird but was grabbed and hit with the C4 for the pin.

Your winner, Josh Alexander!

This was one hell of a bout.  Lots of big moves glued together by the idea that they were fighting to really beat the other.  Really great stuff.  If AEW doesn't level itself up with Will Ospreay as the nucleus of their company in the next year, I don't know what the say. Josh Alexander did a great job here a well.

The crowd chanted for TNA as Scott D'Amore came to the ring and said, "Holy sh**!"  The crowd chanted that in response.  He said that he's loved wrestling since he was 4 1/2 years old watching wrestling at his dying grandfather's hospital bedside.  He said over his career, he's seen it all and saw the lowest state the company was when he returned and how Bruce Prichard pronounced TNA dead years ago.  He said he watched the fans, Will Ospreay and Josh Alexander reach into the chest and manually pump the heart until it beat again.  He said it never died because of them and because it inspired so many talents who are in today's locker room.  TNA gave them something to live for and fight for.  Scott said that if he dropped dead tonight, he's happy because of the PPV and because TNA is back and that we saw two of the best in the world have the match of his life.  He said TNA is back and it's never, ever going away.

Ospreay and Alexander showed each other respect as the "Cross the Line" theme played.

 

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