By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
TNA No Surrender
Streamed February 23, 2024 on TNA+ and TrillerTV.com
Las Vegas, Nevada at Sam’s Town Live
The attendance was maybe 800-1,000. The stage was to the side of the ring, which I prefer; I like to see the crowd opposite the hard camera for the fan reaction to the action. Tom Hannifan and Matt Rehwoldt provided commentary. Hannifan gave the result of Nic Nemeth’s challenging David Finaly for the IWGP Global Title, which took place earlier in the day in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
TNA No Surrender Pre-Show
1. “The Rascalz” Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz defeated Mike Bailey and Trent Seven at 8:11. All four brawled seconds into the match, and Bailey hit his springboard moonsault to the floor. In the ring, the Rascalz grounded Bailey and worked over his left ankle. Bailey did the splits; the Rascalz took turns kicking Mike. Bailey hit a second-rope missile dropkick at 4:00 but he sold the ankle injury. Seven got the hot tag and he hit a Dragon Suplex on Wentz, then he suplexed Miguel onto Zachary.
Bailey hit the Triangle Moonsault to the floor. Seven hit a top-rope superplex on Miguel. Bailey hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press on Trey for a nearfall at 6:00. Seven hit the “Seven-Star Lariat” on Trey for a nearfall. Trey hit a back suplex on Bailey, and Wentz hit a doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall, but Seven made the save and we got our first “TNA!” chant of the show. Wentz hit a running double knees on Seven. Bailey caught Wentz with a superkick. Tre distracted the ref, allowing Steve Maclin to run to ringside and chop block Bailey! Wentz applied a leglock on Bailey, who tapped out. Good action.
* Backstage, Frankie Kazarian said he’s going to win a No. 1 contender’s match tonight against Eric Young and be in the main event of Sacrifice.
2. “The System” Brian Myers and Eddie Edwards (w/Alicia Edwards) defeated “The Intergalactic Jet-Setters” Kushida and Kevin Knight at 8:48. Kushida and Myers opened. Knight entered and worked Myers’ left arm, then Kushida snapped Brian’s arm across the top rope. He applied a crossarm breaker on Edwards. Eddie dropped Kushida with a hard chop at 4:30. Knight tripped Edwards, and Rehwoldt was livid at the cheating by the faces. Knight hit a springboard double clothesline and he was fired up.
Knight hit a double Pele Kick at 6:00, then a Frankensteiner on Myers for a nearfall. Knight hit a dropkick on Myers, as Brian was on Kushida’s shoulders, to get a nearfall. Myers hit an implant DDT on Knight. Edwards hit a backpack stunner on Knight, and Myers immediately hit a top-rope elbow drop for a believable nearfall at 8:00. Myers hit a Roster Cut clothesline on Kevin, and Edwards hit the Boston Knee Party to Knight’s jaw for the pin. Good action.
TNA No Surrender Main Card
1. Eric Young defeated Frankie Kazarian to become No. 1 contender to the TNA Title at 9:22. Kazarian was introduced as “the King of TNA” and was booed. An intense lockup at the bell as Hannifan listed some of the history between these two over the 20+ years of TNA. Young hit a hip-toss across the ring. Kazarian hit a back suplex at 3:00. Frankie hit a snap suplex for a nearfall, but he missed a springboard legdrop. Young hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Young nailed a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall at 6:30. Kazarian hit a Slingshot DDT for a nearfall.
Kazarian went for the crossface chickenwing but Young avoided it. Frankie hit a slingshot stunner for a nearfall at 8:00. Kazarian hit a Lungblower, then the Fade To Black piledriver along his back for a nearfall, and he argued with the ref. It allowed Young to hit a Crucifix Driver for the pin! That came out of nowhere. You can really tell these two know each other well.
* Kazarian grabbed the ref by his belt and argued with him. The ref turned to leave, but Frankie grabbed him again, clotheslined him and stomped on him. This got some great heel heat. Eventually, other refs and security ran down to stop the assault.
* Backstage, Gia Miller interviewed the Grizzled Young Veterans.
2. “ABC” Ace Austin and Chris Bey defeated “Grizzled Young Veterans” James Drake and Zack Gibson to win the best-of-three series to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles at 17:48. Zack and Ace opened and Austin repeatedly stomped on Gibson’s chest. Drake entered and hit a dropkick. Drake snapped Ace’s left arm backward, and the GYV began working over Austin. Bey made the tag at 2:30 and hit a double crossbody block, then a doublestomp on Zack’s back. The GYV dropped Bey throat-first on the top rope, and they began working Chris over. Drake hit a standing neckbreaker at 6:00 and he kept Bey grounded. Drake choked Bey with his scarf while the ref was distracted.
Bey finally hit a swinging neckbreaker at 10::30 and he finally made the hot tag. Ace hit a series of chops and stomps in the corner on Drake. He hit a top-rope double dropkick, then he nailed the Fosbury Flop to the floor on Gibson. In the ring, he slammed Gibson’s face into the mat for a nearfall. Bey hit a frogsplash. ABC hit spin kicks on Drake. Ace hit a top-rope twisting senton for a nearfall at 13:00. Drake caught Bey and applied a sleeper in the center of the ring, while Gibson held onto Ace so Austin couldn’t make the save.
In an INSANE spot, Drake dove through the ropes to hit a Doomsday Device clothesline on Ace at 15:00, with Ace flipping off GIbson’s shoulders and landing (safely) on the floor. Bey hit a Fame-asser legdrop on Gibson. Gibson hit a Lungblower to Bey’s chest. Drake nailed a coast-to-coast missile dropkick for a believable nearfall at 17:00 and we got a loud “This is awesome!” chant. Ace used the scarf to choke Gibson! Bey hit a double Art of Finesse stunner, and Ace immediately hit The Fold overhead flipping neckbreaker for the pin. The last 10 minutes of this match were superb.
* Backstage, Maclin and the Rascalz were laughing and talking about their win. Maclin said we won’t see Nic Nemeth in TNA again. Seven and Bailey came up to them, ready to fight some more, but security separated them.
3. PCO defeated Kon via DQ at 3:53. I cannot pretend to care about this match but let’s see if they can change my mind. Several mad scientists wheeled PCO out on a gurney and revived him. They started fighting on the floor before getting into the ring. PCO dropped Kon with a hard clothesline; Kon has a bigger height advantage than I would have guessed. PCO went for a flip dive through the ropes, but Kon sidestepped it and PCO crashed at 2:00. They brawled some more on the floor. PCO missed the top-rope summersault onto the apron and he crashed to the floor. Kon grabbed a chair, hit PCO with it, and the ref called for the bell. Short and entertaining; I didn’t need this to be longer.
* Kon put PCO’s head in his arms and snapped his neck. He buried PCO under some chairs, then he beat up the timekeeper. PCO stood up from being buried, and he repeatedly hit chairshots across Kon’s back as they brawled up the ramp to the stage. Kon hit a low blow, and he got a zip-tie and tied PCO to the metal beams of the entry way. He put a chair around PCO’s head and did another neck snap. Decent post-match brawl.
* Backstage, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Kushida, and Kevin Knight talked. Shelley ordered them not to throw in the towel, no matter what… Shelley told Sabin he does NOT want him out there because Sabin is in the main event and needs to focus on that.
4. “MK Ultra” Masha Slamovich and KIller Kelly defeated “Decay” Rosemary and Havok to win the Knockouts Tag Team Titles at 7:26. All four immediately brawled to the floor, with Masha locking up with Havok. Masha hit a doublestomp on Rosemary’s chest for a nearfall at 2:00. Kelly hit some slaps on Rosemary. Rosemary and Kelly took turns sitting up with their opponent on their lap; I am not describing it well but it looked cool. Masha re-entered and hit some short-arm clotheslines on Rosemary at 5:00.
Havok made the hot tag and hit some clotheslines, then a headbutt on Kelly. Havok hit a running butt splash in the corner on both MK Ultra. Havok nailed a Death Valley Driver on Kelly for a nearfall. Decay hit a team slam on Kelly for a nearfall at 7:00 but Masha made the save. Masha nailed the Snow Plow driver on Rosemary out of nowhere for the pin. New champions! Surprisingly short but entertaining.
* Masha and Kelly continued attacking Decay, until Jody Threat and Dani Luna ran to ringside to make the save.
* Backstage, Moose told Brian Myers and Eddie Edwards to, under no circumstances, throw in the towel during his match.
5. Josh Alexander defeated Simon Gotch at 16:41. I think I can hear crickets when Gotch came to the ring; I can’t pretend to care about him, either. A feeling-out process early on, and Gotch rolled to the floor at 3:00 to regroup. He got back in the ring and they traded forearm strikes. Gotch caught him with a hard kneestrike to the chest, then he hit a senton on the apron at 5:30. He hit a running elbow drop from the apron to the floor. Rehwoldt said Simon was never allowed to be “off the reins” and show how vicious he could be (in his NXT/WWE run.) In the ring, Josh hit maybe four consecutive German Suplexes at 8:00. Gotch hit a senton for a nearfall. They began trading open-hand slaps to the face.
Josh hit a second-rope missile dropkick at 11:00. They traded forearm strikes on the ring apron, but Gotch missed a senton. Josh immediately hit his crossbody block in the ropes and they both tumbled to the floor. Both got back into the ring before the 10-count at 13:00. They immediately traded more forearm strikes, then simultaneous clotheslines. Alexander hit a Mafia Kick and was fired up. Josh hit an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall. Josh went for the C4 Spike Piledriver but Gotch blocked it, and Gotch tied up Josh on the mat, cranking back on the head, with Josh’s headgear falling off his ears. Josh escaped and applied an anklelock. He hit a backbreaker over his knee, then the C4 Spike for the pin. Well that topped all expectations.
* Backstage, AJ Francis approached Rich Swann. He said it must be hard, as a former TNA champion, to watch Josh Alexander racking up the wins. These two will have a match next week. Francis said they don’t have to be enemies. Interesting…
6. Moose (w/Brian Myers, Eddie Edwards, Alisha Edwards) defeated Alex Shelley (w/Kevin Knight, Kushida) in a No Surrender rules match to retain the TNA World Title at 20:08. The rules are simple: we have no pinfalls and this will only end when one of their cornermen throw in the towel. Also, interference could lead to a forfeit and a title change! Shelley charged at him and hit a series of punches in the corner. He targeted the left arm and stomped on the left elbow at 2:30. They fought on the floor, where Moose powerbombed Shelley onto the ring apron, but Moose was selling the pain in his arm. He bent Alex around the ring post. Shelley hit a chop block to the back of the left knee at 4:30.
Shelley trapped Moose’s leg in a folded chair and he stomped on it. Brian Myers threw the towel away from the ring, showing he’s not giving in. Moose struck the ring post at 6:30. Shelley went under the ring and got a wrench! It appears he is cranking on one of Moose’s fingers! Moose raked the eyes to escape. Moose trapped Shelley’s hand in a corner pad and he hit it with a chair at 8:30. Kushida had the towel and looked like he was considering throwing it in. Shelley and Moose finally re-entered the ring. Shelley hit a kick to the inner thigh in the corner, then he hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 10:30. Shelley again went under the ring and got a kendo stick, and he hit Moose’s damaged leg with it.
Shelley applied a half crab while using the kendo stick on the back of the knee. Moose hit a uranage and they were both down. Edwards tossed a trash can to Moose. However, Shelley powerbombed Moose onto the upside-down trash can at 14:00, so Moose’s back hit the flat bottom edge of the can. Shelley applied a Figure Four Leglock. Edwards handed Moose a kendo stick, which Moose used on Shelley until he got free of the hold. Myers and Edwards slid a table into the ring, and Moose set it up in the corner. Shelley hit a low blow uppercut at 16:00, and he locked in the Border City Stretch. Moose got to the ropes, but that doesn’t break the hold. Edwards handed Moose brass knuckles, which he used on Shelley’s head.
Moose charged at the table but Shelley moved, and Moose crashed through the table. Shelley tied up Moose on the mat and had a chain in Moose’s mouth. Knight got in the ring and leapt onto Myers and Edwards. Alicia got in the ring. The distraction allowed Moose to hit a spear at 18:30. He hit a second spear. Moose wrapped a steel chain around his shoulders and he hit a third spear! Kushida again looked like he was going to toss in the towel, and he tossed it in to end the match. However, Moose hit a fourth spear anyway. Good match; violent but never bloody or disgusting.
* The hype man for Ash by Elegance hit the ring! He introduced her, saying she’s going to be watching this match from ringside. She wore a dress and was definitely not dressed to wrestle.
7. Jordynne Grace defeated Gisele Shaw to retain the TNA Women’s title at 10:37. The bell rang and Gisele immediately rolled to the floor and tried to run. Grace caught her, and she hit a fallaway slam on the floor. In the ring, Shaw pulled the referee in front of her to protect herself, but then she was able to ram Jordynne’s head into the corner, and she took charge. Grace hit two bodyslams at 3:00, then a sideslam that dropped Gisele face-first to the mat. Gisele slammed Jordynne face-first on the mat, and she hit a top-rope corkscrew press for a nearfall. Grace hit a senton on the ring apron.
Grace tried to hit a pumphandle slam on the apron but Gisele blocked it. Shaw hit a Spanish Fly from the apron to the floor at 6:30! That couldn’t have felt good! Both women were down. Shaw rolled her into the ring and got a nearfall. Jordynne blocked a kneestrike and hit a spinebuster. Gisele hit a kneestrike. They began trading forearm strikes and Gisele hit a superkick. She went for a springboard stunner but Grace blocked it. Jordynne hit a spinning back fist, then the Juggernaut Driver/pumphandle powerbomb for the pin. That topped all reasonable expectations, too.
* Ash by Elegance and her hype man got up and stormed to the back. They wound up playing no factor in this match, which I wouldn’t have expected when they came out.
* Backstage, Jake Something was excited that the X Division is in the main event of a PPV for the first time since 2005. He made it clear he wants a title shot. We then had a really nice video package leading to our main event.
8. Mustafa Ali defeated Chris Sabin to win the X Division Title at 19:36. Four men in black suits and wearing sunglasses escorted Ali to ringside. Hannifan said no one has ever won the X Division title in their “official TNA debut.” The crowd was HOT before they locked up and I heard more pro-Ali chants than pro-Sabin. “Sources tell me Ali is polling very well in New Orleans tonight,” Rehwoldt said. Standing switches as they worked each other’s arms, and they traded deep armdrags and had a standoff at 2:00. Ali dropped him with a shoulder tackle. They both tried dropkicks and had another standoff. Sabin tied him in the surfboard position at 5:00. Ali did the “kick sand in your face” motion, which made Sabin angry, and Chris hit some punches.
Ali snapped Sabin’s throat across the top rope. Sabin hit a headscissors takedown on the ring apron, tossing Ali hard to the floor at 7:00. Back in the ring, Sabin hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall, and he grounded Ali. Ali hit a springboard 450 onto Sabin’s left elbow, and he tied up Sabin in an STF. Ali was now in charge, stomping on the arm, and he shouted, “you are not the champion we need!” Ali hit a superkick; Sabin hit an enzuigiri; Ali hit an enzuigiri, Sabin hit a running penalty kick, and they were both down at 11:00. Sabin hit a series of clotheslines and he was fired up. Sabin hit a second-rope leaping DDT for a nearfall.
Sabin got a Crucifix Driver for a nearfall, and he applied a crossface, but Ali reached the bottom rope at 13:30. Sabin hit some punches to the face, and Hannifan said he’s showing his frustration. They fought on the top rope; Sabin pushed Ali off, but Ali did a moonsault and landed on his feet on the floor. Sabin dove at Ali but Ali caught him with a dropkick. They got back into the ring; Ali charged at Chris but he hit head-first on the middle turnbuckle at 15:30.
They got up and traded forearm strikes. Sabin hit a top-rope crossbody block to the floor onto two security guards. Suddenly the “Good Hands” Jason Hotch and John Skyler appeared on the ramp and they came to ringside. Ali got a rollup for a believable nearfall at 17:30. Sabin nailed a clothesline, then the Cradle Shock for a believable nearfall. They fought on the ropes in the corner and Sabin set up for a second-rope Cradle Shock, but Ali escaped and got a sunset flip powerbomb. Ali then nailed a top-rope 450 Splash for the clean pin! That was really good, and I really didn’t expect that title change. Ali celebrated with the title belt as the show faded to black.
Final Thoughts: A show that consistently topped expectations. I admittedly wasn’t interested in Gotch or Gisele Shaw, but both matches topped expecations, and the Kon-PCO match was kept short and was physical. I’ll go with the main event for best match, ABC-GYV for second and Moose-Shelley for third.
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