Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Welcome to PWInsider.com’s TNA+ Xplosion coverage for August 15, 2025! This episode will also air on YouTube on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, if you can’t catch it on TNA+.
A match from the vault is shown: Steve Maclin vs. Eric Young from Emergence 2024. Below is my original coverage of the match:
Eric Young vs. Steve Maclin
They stare each other down after the bell rings for a bit before locking up for the first time ever. The lock up is broken and they stare each other down again. Another lock up. Another staredown. Another lock up and Young hits the ropes and tackles Maclin. Young gets in some shots in the corner. Maclin reverses and gets in some shots of his own. Young reverses and gets in some corner shots again.
Maclin gets control back and hits some big chops. Young takes back control and drags Maclin’s face over the ropes. Maclin shakes it off and hits an Olympic Slam for a two count. Young hits a corner flip and then gets in a series of shots before hitting a delayed Death Valley Driver for a two count.
Young climbs the ropes for a moonsault, but Maclin stops him. Young is in the Tree of Woe and Maclin hits a running shoulder strike for a two count. Maclin hits a backbreaker. He hits Young in the corner multiple times and puts him in the Tree of Woe again. He goes for a running shoulder strike again and hits it for a two count.
They exchange strikes in the center of the ring and then hit a double clothesline. They both get up at the same time. Young puts his hands behind his back and tells Maclin to hit him. Maclin obliges with a vicious forearm. Maclin shouts at Young that he’s the “blood of this place.” Young shoots up and Maclin puts his arms behind his back. Young hits Maclin with a big blow. Young tells Maclin to “stay down.” Maclin gets up and says “Never! Not for you!”
They go face-to-face and exchange strikes. Young gets tossed to the outside and Maclin goes for a dive between the bottom and second rope. Young moves and Maclin hits the floor hard. Young throws Maclin back in and goes to the top. Maclin meets him at the top. Young bites Maclin’s forehead and Maclin goes down. Young hits an elbow drop. He goes for a piledriver, but gets out of it.
Young goes for the piledriver again. Maclin almost gets out of it, but Young muscles into it for a two count. Young goes for another piledriver, but Maclin rolls into it for the win!
Winner: Steve Maclin
Eric Young is in disbelief after the match as Steve Maclin favors his shoulder (from the nasty dive). Young gets back into the ring and spins Maclin around. They stare each other down. Young offers a handshake and Maclin accepts.
The Don West “You’ve Got To Be Kidding Me!” Trending Topics of the Week:
5) Tickets are now on sale for Bound for Glory.
4) Joe Hendry took on Charlie Dempsey on NXT.
3) Trick Williams, Moose, Je’Von Evans, and Oba Femi took on DarkState on NXT.
2) Moose and AJ Francis visited with the Baltimore Ravens this week.
1) TNA Emergence is TONIGHT! Moose will take on NXT’s Trick Williams for the TNA World Championship.
Around the Ring with Gia Miller
This week’s guest on Around the Ring is Rich Swann. Swann has his guitar with him and he’s happy to be back. Gia Miller missed Swann. The entire locker room missed Swann and his guitar. Whenever Swann has his guitar, the whole roster participates in his songs. Swann talks about how he started playing the guitar. His brother wanted to play guitar, but couldn’t get it. Swann’s father was musically inclined and played multiple instruments by ear. Swann’s brother didn’t get that skill, but Rich did. Swann started off by playing “Come as You Are” by Nirvana by ear. His brother couldn’t believe it! Once Swann used the guitar to get into music other than rap. Swann and his friends would go to the library and check out different types of music to practice those songs. Miller suggests doing a “Around the Ring Karaoke.” Swann suggests having a TNA band since so many people are musically gifted.
In Case You Missed It
Leon Slater and The Hardys vs. Cedric Alexander and The Rascalz is shown from last night’s iMPACT! Below is my write up of the match:
TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater and TNA World Tag Team Champions The Hardys vs. Cedric Alexander and The Rascalz
Cedric Alexander and Leon Slater start things off. Alexander ducks a lock up and takes Slater down to the mat by the waist twice. Slater takes Alexander over on the third try. They exchange pin attempts and then shove each other. Alexander chops Slater and tags in Myron Reed. Slater sends Reed to the apron. Reed hits a scissors kick through the ropes. Reed climbs to the top rope, but Slater ducks and catches a superkick. Reed catches a Slater kick, but Slater hits a spin kick and tags in Matt Hardy. Matt climbs to the middle rope and hits an elbow strike on Reed. Hardy cranks Reed’s arm and tags in Jeff Hardy. The Hardys send Reed to the ropes and hits a back elbow. The Hardys hit a front senton/fist drop combination.
Slater tags in and kicks Reed after an atomic drop by Jeff for a two count. Matt tags in and kicks Reed in the gut. Matt DELETES Reed on the turnbuckles. Slater tags in and sends Reed to the ropes. Zachary Wentz makes a blind tag and Reed ducks under Slater and kicks him. Wentz hits a slingshot lungblower. Reed hits a lungblower on Slater, as well, and Wentz gets a two count. Wentz stretches Slater on the mat and rains down elbows for a two count. Wentz goes for a handspring knee, but Slater dodges it. Wentz hits a flurry of kicks and sends Slater to the ropes. Jeff tags in and Slater kicks Wentz. Jeff hits Poetry in Motion on Wentz with the help of Slater. Jeff hits a dropkick to Wentz’s back for a two count.
Jeff grabs a chinlock, but Wentz works out of it. Jeff clubs down on Wentz’s back and tags in Slater. Slater hits a leaping forearm on Wentz in the corner and tags in Matt. Matt kicks a seated Wentz and then hits a forearm. Matt slingshots Wentz into the middle rope throat-first for a two count. Matt drives Wentz to the corner and tags in Jeff. The Hardys kick Wentz and then Jeff clubs down on Wentz. Jeff hits a few shoulder attacks on Wentz and then whips him across the ring hard into the corner for a two count. Matt tags in and he snapmares Wentz. Matt grabs a chinlock, but Wentz works out of it with punches.
Matt sends Wentz to the corner. Wentz fights out of the corner and tags in Reed. Reed climbs to the top rope. Matt ducks him, but Reed hits a superkick and then lifts up Matt. Matt slips out and sends Reed to the apron. Reed hits a shoulder through the ropes and tries a sunset flip. Matt rolls out, but Reed hits a dropkick for a two count. Reed pulls Matt to the corner and tags in Alexander. Alexander suplexes Matt for a two count. Alexander elbows Matt in the head for a two count as the show goes to a commercial.
A TNA Emergence commercial airs.
Back from the break, Alexander has an arm stretch on Matt and elbows him. Wentz tags in and hits a slingshot senton for a two count. Wentz grabs a front facelock, but Matt strikes out of it. Wentz is sent to the ropes, but he takes out Matt’s leg and hits a standing moonsault for a two count. Wentz grabs a chinlock, but Matt punches out of it. Matt charges Wentz in the corner, but eats a boot. Wentz climbs to the top rope, but Matt cuts him off and joins him on the ropes. They exchange strikes until Matt hits some headbutts. Matt hits a superplex on Wentz and both men are slow to get up. Alexander and Jeff tag in.
Jeff comes in hot and tackles down Alexander three times and hits an inverted atomic drop. Jeff hits a double leg drop to Alexander’s midsection and then a dropkick for a two count. Alexander blocks a Twist of Fate, but eats a back elbow. Jeff hits Whisper in the Wind for a two count. Jeff goes for a jawbreaker, but Alexander blocks it with a knee. Slater and Reed tag in. Slater hits Reed with two clotheslines and a twisting suplex. Reed ducks a leg lariat. The Rascalz send Slater to the ropes, but Slater hits a handspring double back elbow for a two count on Reed. Reed pushes Slater off on the Twist of Slate attempt.
Wentz hits Slater with a handspring knee. Matt hits Wentz with the Side Effect. Alexander hits Matt with a running knee. Jeff hits a sitout gourdbuster on Alexander and then grabs Reed. Reed turns a suplex into a Stundog Millionaire. Reed blocks Utopia from Slater and lifts him up. Reed hits a hanging flatliner for a two count on Slater. Alexander tags in and tries to lift up Slater. Leon blocks it, but Alexander tries again. Slater slips out and goes for a Twist of Slate. Reed blocks it. The Hardys come in and they hit a triple Twist of Fate with Slater on Alexander and The Rascalz. Jeff tags in and climbs to the top rope. The Rascalz pull Alexander to safety.
Slater leaps off of Matt for a dive onto Alexander and The Rascalz. Alexander is rolled back into the ring. The Hardys hit Alexander with Poetry in Motion. Matt hits a Side Effect on Alexander. Hardy hits a splash off of the second rope on Alexander. Slater tags in and hits the Crossover on Alexander. The Rascalz break up the pin. The Rascalz hit The Hardys with stereo superkicks and then a flurry of running strikes in opposite corners. Reed holds the ropes open and Wentz tries a dive on The Hardys. The Hardys catch him, but Reed hits a dive onto them. Slater hits Big Play Slater on Reed and then climbs to the top rope. Alexander rolls out of the way of the Swanton 450. Slater goes for a handspring move on Alexander, but Cedric catches him and hits the Lumbar Check for the win!
Winners: Cedric Alexander and The Rascalz
Leon Slater and Cedric Alexander get in each other’s faces and jaw at each other as The Hardys and The Rascalz do the same ahead of their title matches tomorrow night at Emergence as the show fades to black.
Tom Hannifan and Gia Miller are on commentary for the main event.
The Home Town Man vs. Brian Johnson
On his way to the ring, Brian Johnson has a microphone. He says that everyone in TNA talks about going to war for TNA. Well, ever since Johnson came to TNA, it’s about time they changed into his image. Johnson is the meanest ever. Johnson is cold, calculated, and angry. Johnson will start the TNA change in the horrible state of Rhode Island. Johnson talks smack about Rhode Island before proclaiming that he’s from the best city in the United States - Philadelphia.
The Home Town Man comes out with Chip - the mascot from Rhode Island FC.
The Home Town Man and Brian Johnson lock up. Johnson drives The Home Town Man to the corner with the help of some mask pulling. Johnson hits a couple of chops, but The Home Town Man shakes them off and hits a flurry of punches. The Home Town Man stomps on a seated Johnson in the corner and then hits a spinning and spinning and spinning TKO for a two count. The Home Town Man rains down punches on Johnson in the corner from the middle rope. Johnson slips to the floor and jaws at Chip. Johnson trips up The Home Town Man on the apron and then gets back into the ring to rain down punches. Johnson hits three short clotheslines and then jaws at Chip some more. Johnson drives his knee into The Home Town Man’s back and grabs a chinlock. The Home Town Man fires up and strikes out of it, but Johnson clubs down on his back. The Home Town Man shakes it off and clotheslines Johnson.
The Home Town Man slams Johnson and then rains down punches into the corner from the middle rope. The Home Town Man hits the final punch in the middle of the ring for a two count. The Home Town Man pumps up the crowd and goes for a Sliced Bread. Johnson pushes The Home Town man away and then goes to the apron. Johnson hits a hanging neckbreaker and pins The Home Town Man with his feet on the ropes. The referee sees it and stops the count. Johnson goes to the floor and jaws at Chip again. Johnson gets back into the ring, but eats a Sliced Bread from The Home Town Man. The Home Town man makes the pin and gets the win!
Winner: The Home Town Man
The Home Town Man celebrates his win with Chip.
Thank you for checking out PWInsider.com’s coverage of TNA+ Xplosion! What did you think of this week’s show? Let me know at matt.tenhoeve@gmail.com and let’s talk about it. See you next time!
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
