TNA Impact: Hendry believes he can be World Champ; Nic Nemeth’s doubts fading?

Bob Kapur

TNA Impact: Hendry believes he can be World Champ; Nic Nemeth’s doubts fading?

On January 19th, Joe Hendry is looking to dethrone Nic Nemeth as the TNA World Champion. On Thursday night’s episode of Impact, Hendry’s momentum kept on rolling in that direction when he got the win over Nic and his brother Ryan, perhaps in a sign of things to come. While Hendry believes he will get the win, and TNA fans believe he should, Nic Nemeth isn’t quite convinced. Or is he? Because the look of despair after the match suggests he’s having doubts.

Match 1: Eric Young, Steve Maclin, and Jonathan Gresham vs. The System (JDC, Eddie Edwards, and Brian Myers) (w/ Alisha Edwards)

The match started off with some quick action with Gresham doing some flying, but the System eventually gained control after some dirty tactics. The isolated Young in their corner and beat him up for a while but he countered a Roster Cut attempt by Myers and hit a Death Valley Driver to make the big tag to Maclin.

Maclin used his power to throw around Curtis and Edwards, and nearly got the pin on JDC after a big Backbreaker, but Myers broke it up. This led to a Pier Six brawl and that cleared the ring of some bodies. This left Maclin alone in the ring with JDC and after a Crosshairs and a KIA, Maclin pinned JDC to end things.

After the match, the System attacked the winning team with steel chairs. They dispatched Young and Maclin and then hit Gresham with a Double Crucifix Slam. They then threw Gresham to the floor, where they wrapped a chair around his neck and threw him into the ring post whip-snapping his neck. Young and Maclin recovered to chase away the System, but the damage was already done, and they could only look on helplessly while Gresham clutched his neck and throat area in pain.

This felt a bit draggy at times, as there was nothing really memorable about the match. The post-match angle was fine. Not sure what Gresham’s contract situation is, but this is a good way to write him off TV if need be. As for everyone else, they’re all pretty much treading water right now and this match felt like it.

Winners: Eric Young, Steve Maclin, and Jonathan Gresham

A Joe Hendry video aired. This was a spotlight documentary where he told his life story from his childhood, to his short-lived music career to his amateur career in wrestling and martial arts, and his professional wrestling from the indies all the way up to today. They interspersed the interview with lots of photos and clips from his past. This was great. If you didn’t believe in Joe Hendry before this you would after it was finished. He challenges Nic Nemeth for the World Championship at Genesis on Jan 19th.

Savannah Evans came out for her match. After she got in the ring, Xia Brookside came out to the entrance ramp and asked that footage be shown on the TNA-Tron showing how Brookside got screwed over during their match at Turning Point. Brookside said that she was injured, so couldn’t face Evans tonight. But she knew someone else who Evans had injured and who was looking for revenge: Lei Ying Lee (formerly WWE’s Xia Li).

Match 2: Savannah Evans vs. Lei Ying Li

Li attacked with furious energy hitting Evans from all angles and from every section of the mat – both inside and outside the ring. A High Cross Body off the top nearly got her the win, but Evans kicked out. Li got caught when going for a big kick, and Evans planted her with a Spinebuster for a near-fall. After trying to wear LI out with a neck crank headlock, Evans flattened Li with a huge Clothesline. But instead of going for the pin, Evans went for a Full Nelson Bomb. Li escaped it and kind of hit Thunderstruck (a Spinning Tornado Kick) and despite it looking like it missed pretty bad it was enough to knock Evans down for the pin.

This wasn’t great. Evans is so limited and Li wasn’t able to do much or get anything out of her.

Winner: Lei Ying Lee

In the back, Jordynne Grace grabbed the microphone from Gia Miller who was mid-sentence, and challenged Tessa Blanchard to meet her in the ring later tonight.

The Flashback Moment of the night was the No Disqualification Match between Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett from Genesis 2009. They showed quite a lot of this – maybe this show should be shortened to 90 minutes instead of including this much filler? Angle won.

A quick psychedelic video aired with images and clips of Masha Slamovich looking all disturbed while Rosemary whispered her name over and over, showing that Rosemary is coming after her. This was trippy.

Match 3: Mike Santana vs. the Northern Armoury – Gauntlet Match

Judas Icarus was up first, and though he had a bit of success – including, at one point, knocking Santana off the top rope and sending him tumbling to the mat – he was ultimately just the appetizer course. It took a few minutes, but ultimately Santana hit him with Spin the Block for the pin.

Travis Williams was in next, and his story was very much the same as it was for Iscarius. He got some offense in for a while, and even did some damage to Santana’s arm. But Santana was just too much for him, and after a Topsy Turvy Bomb and a Sit-Out Powerbomb, Williams was covered for the 1-2-3.

Josh Alexander, leader of the Northern Armoury, was up next. But as he made his way to the ring, Icarus and Williams slid back into the ring and attacked Santana. Alexander joined them in the ring and they gave Santana a 3-on-1 beatdown. The referee disqualified Alexander, but just because the match ended didn’t mean the beating did. Rather, he picked up the battered Santana and planted him with the C-4 Spike, leaving him flat. Alexander then took back his headgear, and posed with his foot on Santana’s chest as the crowd booed him and his henchmen.

This was more an angle than a match, and it seems that this feud will continue until Alexander and Santana meet one-on-one – maybe in a hardcore match or some similar stipulation.

Winner, by disqualification: Mike Santana

George Iceman, the Stooge for the Elegance Duo, announced that next week they would host a pre-celebration in anticipation of Ash and Heather becoming the Knockouts Tag Team Championship.

In the back, Rosemary was cutting a promo against Masha Slamovich, saying that Masha was fearful of and therefore vulnerable to her. Raven – yes, that Raven – popped up and questioned whether Rosemary was ready to challenge for the title, having not won a championship match in many years. Rosemary got offended by the question and pulled out a knife and held it to Raven’s throat, insisting she was ready. Raven suggested that Rosemary agree to make her match against Masha a Raven’s Clockwork Orange House of Fun Match. Rosemary agreed. Quoth the Raven: Nevermore.

During their introduction for the next match, the Good Hands insulted the crowd. They did it boringly like everything else they do.

Match 4: The Good Hands (John Skyler and Jason Hotch) vs. The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Pete Wentz)

This was pretty standard TV match that went pretty much as you’d expect, with the Rascalz doing some impressive quick double-team moves, and the Good Hands plodding along with some traditional generic stuff. A nice move saw Miguel hit a nifty-looking Rotator DDT on Hotch. The Good Hands cheated to gain control and hit a double-team combo to get the win on Miguel. But the Rascalz out-tag-teamed them and hit their Feed Him to the Lions double-team move (a Meteora-Backstabber combo) for the easy and definitive win.

This was an inoffensive use of TV time. As the Rascalz are facing the Hardys for the Tag Team Championships next, a convincing win here was pretty much a forgone conclusion.

Winners: the Rascalz

Rhino was working out in the back when Frankie Kazarian walked in. Kazarian reminded Rhino that he still had the Call Your Shot Trophy and he’ll be watching Rhino’s match tonight, teasing he would capitalize on the opportunity if Rhino took out Nic Nemeth, and cash in for his title shot. Rhino did not look impressed.

In the back, Steve Maclin and Eric Young were not happy about what the System had done to Jonathan Gresham earlier. They said that they were declaring war against the System. Then, Fist Class (AJ Francis and AJ Navarro) barged in. First Class said that they were looking to get tag team gold, and to do start that journey, they would run through Maclin and Young. They said they would go talk to Director of Authority Santino Marella to make it happen. Young and Maclin were fine with that.

Alisha Edwards screeched her way to the ring along with Moose. Moose said that he will beat the living hell out of Ace Austin in their X-Division Championship match at Genesis. Moose told Alisha to throw his title belt out of the ring and called it an ugly piece of garbage. Moose said that at Genesis, he will be debuting a new X-Division title belt, one that is fit for him, the face of the franchise.

An angry Andrew Everett (I know… who?) stormed to the ring. He said that Moose just demonstrated why he should not be in the X-Division. Everett said that he always wanted to win the X-Division Championship because of what it represented, and that Moose doesn’t deserve to hold it. Moose was irritated by Everett and told him to leave the ring while he still could. Everett did not, and paid for it when Moose him with a Boot to the Head. Moose then told Everett they were going to have an X-Division Championship match right then and there.

Match 5: Moose (c) (w/ Alisha Edwards) vs. Andrew Everett – for the X-Division Championship

This wasn’t entirely a squash, as Everett got a few moves in there, including a Springboard Somersault Dive to the floor. But then Moose nearly killed him with a huge Chokeslam onto the apron – that looked and sounded absolutely gross. He followed that up with a Powerbomb on the apron, and that was evefn grosser. And then Moose hit another Powerbomb in the ring (not quite as gross, but still pretty gross). And in under 144 seconds (that’s two gross), Moose got the pin. Ace Austin, who faces Moose at Genesis, was shown watching this one in the back.

This was fun. Not for Everett. But to watch, yeah, it was fun.

Winner, and still X-Division Champion: Moose

Sami Callihan approached Santino Marella in the back and said that he and PCO were undefeated as a team so should be in consideration for a tag team title match. He suggested that they get a title shot against whoever holds the titles after Genesis. Marella had a different idea. He said PCO and Sami would face the Hardys next week in a non-title match, and if they won, they would be added into the Hardys-Rascalz match at Genesis. Sami agreed.

Jordynne Grace made her way to the ring, and cut a promo on Tessa Blanchard. She called out Tessa and challenged to fight her right then and there, saying that if Tessa feels like she owns the Knockouts division, she’d have to fight Grace for it.

Tessa ran into the ring and the fight was on. They brawled in the ring, waylaying each other until a squadron of security guards and referees ran in to break it up and separated them. It was announced that Grace and Blanchard will face each other at Genesis.

Match 6: Rhino and Joe Hendry vs. Nic Nemeth and Ryan Nemeth

Frankie Kazarian joined the commentary team for this one. Nic was able to stun Rhino with a big Dropkick, but any advantage the brothers had dissipated when Ryan was in there. He got beaten up by both Rhino and Hendry, including falling victim to a lengthy Stalling Suplex by Hendry.

Nic fared better when he got back in the ring thanks to some cheating by Ryan, and soon Rhino was in a little bit of trouble. Nic hit him with a series of big Elbow Smashes and then grounded him with a tight Headlock.
Rhino fought his way back up and caught Nic with a big Powerbomb, which gave him an opportunity to tag in Hendry. Hendry beat up both Nemeth brothers, sending Nic flying out of the ring with a Fallaway Slam. He hit a Running Cutter on Ryan, but Nic broke it up, leading to a 4-way brawl. Rhino hit a GORE! GORE! GORE! on Ryan, but Nic thwarted the pin attempt and he and Rhino battled to the floor. Hendry was alone with Ryan in the ring and after a Standing Ovation, it was all over but the singing.

This was a solid TV main event. Nemeth has been fine as champion, and his alliance with JBL adds some intrigue to what might happen at Genesis. But Hendry has been denied too long, and if he doesn’t win the title at Genesis, they risk the crowd losing faith in him. Time will tell.

Winners: Rhino and Joe Hendry

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