By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
TNA Emergence
Louisville, Kentucky at Foresters Paristown Hall
Streamed live August 30, 2024 on TNA+
TNA Emergence Pre-Show
1. Frankie Kazarian vs. Kushida. Kushida hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor. In the ring, he hit the Shotei palm strike and a backbody drop at 2:00. Kazarian grounded Kushida and choked him in the ropes. Kazarian hit a bodyslam and a springboard guillotine legdrop for a nearfall at 4:00, and he tied up Kushida on the mat. Kushida hit a basement dropkick at 6:30. Kazarian went for a Crossface Chickenwing; Kushida flipped his body over to escape. Kazarian hit a Lungblower and again applied the Crossface Chickenwing. Kushida hit a straight punch to the jaw at 8:00. Kazarian hit a legdrop in the ropes. Kushida applied a crossarm breaker on the floor! Kazarian kicked the ropes, causing a low blow, as they got back into the ring. Kazarian then hit the Fade To Black piledriver along his back for the cheap pin. Solid opener.
Frankie Kazarian defeated Kushida at 9:57.
* Gia Miller interviewed AJ Francis, who acknowledged that Rich Swann isn’t here, and he told Rich “much love.” He then introduced KC Navarro as his partner for tonight. (KC is a fine cruiserweight, but it feels like AJ should have found someone bigger, and a bigger name, for this spot.)
2. Mahabali Shera vs. PCO (w/Steph De Lander). PCO charged at Shera at the bell, and the immediately fought to the floor. Shera hit a Mafia Kick and shoved PCO back into the ring. He hit a spinebuster for a nearfall. Shera kept jawing at SDL. He hit some punches but PCO was fired up and no-sold them. PCO hit a DDT at 3:30. PCO did a flip dive through the ropes; I don’t think he made any contact with Shera as he crashed back-first at ringside. PCO hit a top-rope summersault onto PCO, who was lying on the ring apron. PCO then hit the moonsault in the ring for the pin.
PCO defeated Mahabali Shera at 5:58.
TNA Emergence Pay-Per-View
1. Mike Bailey, Alexander Hammerstone, Laredo Kid, Jason Hotch, Zack Wentz, Riley Osborne in an Ultimate X match. Several guys hit kicks on Hammerston early on. Laredo Kid hit a dive. Jason Hotch hit an awesome flip dive to the floor and got a “holy shit!” chant. Bailey hit his Speedball kicks on Hammerstone; Hammerstone immediately hit a German Suplex. We had a nice spot where Hotch was suplexed to the floor onto Hammerstone. In the ring, Wentz hit a stunner on Riley at 3:00, and all six were down. Wentz and Bailey began climbing the scaffolding. Wentz kicked Bailey in the chest; Bailey hit a moonsault to the floor onto several guys. Several guys got close to the belt but all fell to the mat at 5:00.
Five guys fought in the ring. Hammerstone tossed Laredo Kid onto everyone on the floor. Hotch hit a low blow uppercut on Hammerstone at 7:30, then a powerbomb on him. Riley climbed the cables and flipped down onto several guys. Bailey hit the Ultima Weapon on Riley at 9:00. Bailey and Wentz climbed the cables to the center of the ring and fought upside down as the X Belt was hanging between them. Wentz kicked Bailey off the cable. Wentz then pulled down the X Division Title belt to win the match. Trey Miguel came to the ring to celebrate with him.
Zachary Wentz won the Ultimate X to win the X Division Title at 10:23.
* Josh Alexander spoke backstage to Gia Miller, saying he’s a true ironman, and he is going to embarrass Nic Nemeth. When we return to the ring, the Ultimate X scaffoldings are gone.
2. Steve Maclin vs. Eric Young. Another first-time-ever match, which is a bit surprising, as I think they were in NXT at about the same time, too. Hannifan stressed they hadn’t even touched in a ring before. An intense lockup but then they just glared at each other. Young hit some chops. Maclin hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 3:00. Young hit a Death Valley Driver. Maclin tied Young in the Tree of Woe and hit a spear on Eric’s exposed waist. He hit a backbreaker over his knee.
They traded punches. Young put his arms behind his back; Maclin dropped him with a stiff forearm at 7:00, but it fired up Eric. He dropped Maclin with a forearm. They brawled some more and Maclin hit a leaping knee. He went for a dive through the ropes, but Eric ducked him, and Steve crashed onto the entrance ramp. In the ring, Young hit a top-rope elbow drop. He nailed a piledriver for a nearfall at 9:00. Maclin got a jackknife cover out of nowhere for the pin! A good brawl. Steve continued to sell pain in his shoulder from crashing onto the floor. They shook hands afterwards.
Steve Maclin defeated Eric Young at 9:53.
* Nic Nemeth now spoke backstage to Gia Miller. He said he represents TNA as a fighting champion. He said no matter how many times he gets hit, he gets back up.
3. Masha Slamovich, Alisha Edwards, and Ash by Elegance vs. Jordynne Grace, Dani Luna, and Jody Threat. The Personal Concierge introduced Ash. All six brawled at the bell. Jody hit a flip dive to the floor on the heels. Dani dove through the ropes. It appears Alisha may legit be knocked out on the floor; the other five women brawled on the floor on the opposite side of the ring, away from Alisha. Medical staff checked on Alisha; Tommy Dreamer came out to check on her, too. In the ring, Jody hit a suplex on Ash for a nearfall at 2:30. Tommy carried Alisha to the back. Dani hit a powerbomb on Ash for a nearfall. (The way the cameras did NOT focus on Alisha tells me this was legit knockout.)
So, the match continued two-on-three. Masha and Ash took turns working over Dani Luna in their corner, with Ash hitting some chops and a handspring-back-elbow at 5:00. Jordynne got a hot tag and she bodyslammed Masha, then a stiff back elbow. Jordynne nailed a Muscle Buster for a nearfall, but Ash made the save. Jody hit her running double knees, then a German Suplex on Masha for a nearfall at 6:30. Masha suplexed Jody into the corner. Ash hit a snap suplex; this is just unusual with the heels having just two members and at a disadvantage. Threat hit an F5 to pin Ash.
Jordynne Grace, Dani Luna and Jody Threat defeated Masha Slamovich and Alisha Edwards and Ash by Elegance at 8:03.
4. “ABC” Ace Austin and Chris Bey vs. AJ Francis and KC Navarro for the TNA Tag Titles. Francis and Ace opened; AJ offered a knucklelock but Ace punched him! Ace couldn’t pick up Ace. Francis hit a shoulder tackle on Bey. Pink-haired KC entered at 2:30. Bey unloaded some hard chops on KC. KC hit his modified 619 on Bey and was booed. Bey hit a backbreaker over his knee and a clothesline for a nearfall. Ace entered and tied KC up on the mat. Francis, while on the apron, grabbed Bey’s hair. Bey dove through the ropes onto AJ at 6:00. However, KC hit an enzuigiri on Bey.
The heels now began working over Bey, and several fans chanted “you can’t wrestle!” at AJ. Bey hit a DDT on AJ. Ace and KC entered at 8:00, with Ace hitting a guillotine legdrop. Ace hit a brainbuster. He tried to get AJ on his back but his legs buckled. He did it again, and hit a Death Valley Driver on Francis! He slammed KC’s face into the mat for a nearfall. Francis hit a double suplex at 10:30! Ace hit a missile dropkick on Francis. Francis nailed a massive chokeslam on Bey, but the ref said AJ isn’t the legal man! Ace immediately hit The Fold on AJ. Meanwhile, Bey got an inside cradle on Navarro for the pin. Okay match; the winner was never in doubt.
“ABC” Ace Austin and Chris Bey defeated AJ Francis and KC Navarro for the TNA Tag Titles at 11:40.
5. Mike Santana, Joe Hendry, Jeff Hardy, and Matt Hardy vs. “The System” Moose, Johnny “Dirty Dango” Curtis, Eddie Edwards, and Brian Myers. Good to see Dango in action; he got legit knocked out at a Limitless Wrestling show a week ago. We heard a loud “F— the System!” chant at the bell. The System huddled on the floor, even though the bell had rang. Moose and Santana were to begin, but Dango tagged in before they locked up. Santana beat up Dango early on, hitting a back suplex at 3:00. Matt Hardy tagged in. Santana did the Poetry in Motion spot off of Matt’s back, then Jeff did Poetry in Motion off of Santana’s back. Dango was able to finally tag out to Eddie Edwards.
Eddie and Matt traded blows. The Hardys suplexed Eddie at 5:30. The Hardys and Hendry did a 3-on-2 suplex, and they did the ‘turn to the camera’ spot. “One in, one out!” Rehwoldt screamed in frustration. Santana hit some loud chops on Eddie. Santana hit a double missile dropkick, and he flipped Dango onto the heels on the floor at 7:30. Santana then hit a top-rope flip dive to the floor onto all the heels. All eight men began brawling in the ring. Matt Hardy set up for a Twist of Fate, but Eddie blocked it, and the heels began working over Matt in their corner. Jeff got a hot tag at 10:30 and hit some quick offense on Myers.
Jeff hit a top-rope Whisper in the Wind, then a Twist of Fate on Myers. He peeled off his shirt (screams!) and set up for the Swanton Bomb but Dirty Dango cut him off. The heels now began working over Jeff in their corner. Dango whipped Jeff into a corner and covered him for a nearfall at 14:00. Jeff finally hit a Twist of Fate on Moose. Hendry got the hot tag at 15:30 and he hit a fallaway slam on Eddie. He side-stepped Eddie’s dive onto him. Myers accidentally speared Curtis. Hendry hit another fallaway slam. Moose came off the top rope, but Hendry side-stepped that, too. The crowd chanted “We believe!”
Hendry went for the Standing Ovation but Eddie blocked it. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down at 17:30. Matt Hardy tagged in and hit a Side Effect. Moose hit a spear on Matt. Santana hit a clothesline on Moose. Jeff hit a face plant on Myers, then the Swanton Bomb on him. Curtis hit a Falcon Arrow on Jeff. Hendry hit the Standing Ovation on Curtis. Matt hit the Twist of Fate on Eddie, but Moose pulled Matt from the ring. Matt got back into the ring, but Eddie hit him with a low blow, then the Boston Knee Party for the cheap pin on Matt. A fun eight-man tag.
“The System” Moose and Johnny “Dirty Dango” Curtis and Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers defeated Mike Santana and Joe Hendy and Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy at 19:17.
* A commercial aired for Bound For Glory. Rehwoldt and Hannifan ran down the rules for an ironman match.
6. Nic Nemeth vs. Josh Alexander in an Iron Man Match for the TNA Championship. Standing switches to open. (A clock appeared on the screen but it didn’t start at the bell, so they just pulled it down. Unintentionally funny. Such a “TNA thing to do.” The clock reappeared at 5:00 but it was about 15 seconds off.) This has been an extended feeling-out process as they are definitely pacing themselves to go the hour. Nemeth hit a dropkick at 8:30; Josh immediately applied an anklelock and Nemeth scrambled to the ropes to break it. Josh went for an anklelock, but Nemeth rolled him up for a pin at 10:55, and Nic leads 1-0! The clock is on the screen again; it’s 10 seconds off but that’s fine. At least it’s close.
Josh hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 13:30. Josh hit a German Suplex at 15:30; Nemeth held onto the middle turnbuckle pad trying to fight it, and the pad ripped off. I’m sure the exposed corner will come into play later. Nemeth crashed hard into a corner and they were both down. Josh hit a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall at 18:30. They went to the floor, where Nemeth whipped Josh shoulder-first into the ring steps at 21:30; the clock has appeared again and is consistently 10 seconds behind. Nemeth hit a Rude Awakening in the ring and his series of elbow drops. They traded rollups, and Nic hit a Fame-asser for a nearfall. Nemeth nailed the Danger Zone (Zigzag) for a pin at 24:31, and is up 2-0!
Nic hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall and stayed in charge; Rehwoldt made my point that Nic could be “playing defense at this point but was staying aggressive. Josh applied an anklelock and he targeted the ankle, as we pass the 30:00 mark. Josh hit 10 consecutive rolling German Suplexes, finally releasing Nic after the last one at 32:00. Nic began hitting his own series of 10 German Suplexes! “What a sequence!” Hannifan shouted. They got up and traded forearm strikes at 35:00. Nemeth hit a headbutt, sending Josh’s headgear flying! Josh reapplied the anklelock. Nemeth really teased he would tap out — the commentators pointed up he would still be up if he tapped — but Nic reached the ropes at 37:00.
Josh continued to target the ankle on the mat. Josh pushed Nic into the ref at 40:00! Josh hit an Exploder Suplex and Nic appeared out. Josh got a table from under the ring and set it up on the floor. He set up for the C4 Spike, but Nemeth fought free. Back in the ring, Josh hit a tombstone piledriver for a believable nearfall at 43:00. Josh was livid; he rolled to the floor and grabbed a chair. The ref is now okay and he took the chair. Josh pulled a weapon out of his kneebrace and struck Nemeth with it! Alexander hit the C4 Spike to score a pin a 44:03, and it is 2-1.
Alexander immediately hit a second C4 Spike for a pin at 44:46, and it’s tied 2-2! He went for a pin but only got a nearfall. (He should have hit a third C4!) Nemeth jumped on Josh’s back and applied a sleeper; Josh fell backward to the mat to try and break the hold, but Nic quickly re-applied the sleeper. They started to climb the ropes but they fell over the top rope to the floor at 47:30, earning a “holy shit!” chant. They both were able to roll back into the ring before being counted out. They went right back to the floor, where Josh slammed him onto the thin mat at ringside; Nic barely avoided being counted out. Josh went for a C4 Spike, but Nic hit a backbody drop, sending Josh over the top rope and through the table at ringside at 50:00! It was now Josh who barely got in at the nine-count.
Josh hit a third C4 Spike for a believable nearfall, but Nic got a foot on the ropes! We got a “this is awesome!” chant. They fought again on the floor, where Josh hit some loud chops at 52:00. They got into the ring, where Nic immediately hit a DDT for a nearfall. Nic nailed a top-rope superplex for a nearfall at 55:00. (The clock reappeared and it’s still 10 seconds off.) Hannifan said we will go to sudden death if tied after an hour; I hadn’t paid attention to that part earlier. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Nemeth nailed a superkick for a nearfall as we’re under four minutes left. Josh hit a German Suplex but they were both down.
Josh tossed Nemeth into the exposed turnbuckle, and he hit his own Danger Zone for a believable nearfall at 58:00! Josh tried to hit another C4 Spike but Nic blocked it again. Nic hit a headbutt and another Danger Zone. Nemeth hit a C4 Spike piledriver for a pin at 59:49 to go up 3-2! Josh couldn’t get to his feet and the time limit expired! A very good match with tremendous pacing.
John Bradshaw Layfield walked to the ring, in his black trench coat and hat! They whispered at each other, and JBL rolled to the floor and left with no punches thrown.
Nic Nemeth defeated Josh Alexander to retain the TNA Title in an Iron Man match at 60:10.
Final Thoughts: This show was built around the main event and wow did it deliver. They should be very proud of that match and how they kept the crowd into it for the full hour. Ultimate X was a fun spectacle; adding Hammerstone to it allowed for some fun power moves. Maclin vs. Young was intense and takes third. The eight-man tag was fine and put together well. I really didn’t see what happened to Alisha; that dive to the floor came so early in the match, and I just assume she must have taken a knee to the head.
I wouldn’t say the crowd was into the main event for the full hour. They were amusing themselves with obnoxious chants, making it almost unbearable to watch. I’m not looking forward to the next few weeks of Impact if it’s the same people in attendance.