By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
TNA Sacrifice
March 14, 2025 in El Paso, Texas at El Paso County Coliseum
Streamed live on TNA+
The venue looks full and I’m guessing 2,000 to 3,000. Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt provided commentary. Hannifan noted later in the show that this was a sellout.
TNA Sacrifice Pre-Show
1. Laredo Kid and Octagon Jr. vs. “First Class” KC Navarro and AJ Francis. AJ got on the mic but the crowd drowned him out. He called the city “El Trash-o.” KC and Octagon Jr. opened, with Octagon Jr. dressed in shiny orange pants and a similar mask. Octagon dropped him with a jumping knee. Laredo hit a Michinoku Driver. KC nailed a flip dive to the floor on Laredo at 2:00. In the ring, FC kept Laredo in their corner. Octagon tagged in at 4:00 and hit some dropkicks and a clothesline.
Laredo hit a second-rope twisting senton. Octagon Jr. hit an Arabian Press for a nearfall, but AJ made the save. Laredo hit a top-rope flip dive to the floor on AJ, and Octagon hit a twisting dive to the floor on AJ. In the ring, KC sold pain in his knee and the ref checked on him. AJ slammed Laredo to the mat. KC hopped up (no injury!), twisted Laredo’s mask, hit a jumping knee, and scored the pin. Rehwoldt said he was thankful that KC wasn’t injured; Hannifan was annoyed with Matt for being so apologetic.
KC Navarro and AJ Francis defeated Laredo Kid and Octagon Jr. at 6:45.
* Gia Miller interviewed Arianna Grace backstage. Grace said that the Cora Jade-Masha Slamovich match will bring out the “true spirit of competition.” Tessa Blancha came up and she was frustrated that people are talking about that match, when they should be talking about her match. She berated Grace and she vowed to become the next TNA Knockouts champion.
* Hannifan went over the rules of the Wargames match. (Call it whatever you want… it’s a one-ring Wargames rules match.) We then went to a backstage segment, where The System and the Colons were confident they would win tonight.
* Back to the arena, Ryan Nemeth emerged from the back, wearing a suit. He was loudly booed. He reminded us that his BIG BROTHERRRrrrrrr will be returning tonight. He turned and left. That was it. Nice way to earn a paycheck!
* Backstage, Sami Callihan and Mance Warner were brawling. They came into the arena and made their way into the ring and I started my stopwatch when they emerged through the curtain. Hannifan said the match is not officially underway, but Sami threw chairs and garbage cans into the ring. We had a bell at 1:00 even to officially begin, but we are two minutes from the Sacrifice main show officially beginning.
TNA Sacrifice Main Show
1. Mance Warner (w/Steph De Lander) vs. Sami Callihan. They brawled at ringside, and Sami powerbombed Mance through a table at ringside at 3:00, right as the main show began. They got in the ring; Sami took a glossy poster and gave Mance a papercut between his fingers, earning a “you sick f—!” chant. He then did one on Mance’s lip. They traded forearm strikes. Mance crashed onto an open chair at 6:00. They each got staple guns and gave each other simultaneous staples to the forehead… then took turns with staples on their bodies. Sami eventually used the gun on the groin.
Sami stapled Mance’s tongue to the turnbuckle, then he hit a Death Valley Driver onto an open chair or a nearfall at 9:00, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. SDL handed Mance a screwdriver, but Sami blocked it being used, and Sami hit a stunner for a nearfall. SDL threw powder in Sami’s eyes at 11:30! Mance immediately hit a running knee to the side of the head for the pin.
Mance Warner defeated Sami Callihan at 11:48/official time of 10:47.
2. Lei Ying Lee vs. Tessa Blanchard. In the pre-show, Hannifan made a point of saying this was going to open the show. A female rapper sang Tessa to the ring. Tessa has the size advantage and they had an intense lockup to open. Lee hit a release German Suplex and an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall at 2:00, and Tessa begged off and got booed. They fought to the floor and Tessa was in charge as they got back in the ring. She hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall at 6:00, then she applied a rear-naked choke. Lee hit a jumping knee and some kicks.
Lee hit a fisherman’s suplex at 7:30 and a basement dropkick. She put Tessa on her shoulders, spun her around, and slammed her stomach-first to the mat. Tessa hit a slingshot press. Lee tied up a leg but Tessa immediately got to the ropes. Tessa nailed a superkick in the corner. Li hit a second-rope twisting brainbuster for a believable nearfall at 10:00, and this crowd was HOT. Tessa hit a stunner. She hit “Magnum” (leaping off the middle turnbuckle and hitting a Lungblower move to Lee’s jaw) to score the pin. That topped all expectations; the crowd was totally into this. That is about as good as Lee has looked.
Tessa Blanchard defeated Lei Ying Lee at 11:14.
* Backstage, Gia Miller interviewed Joe Hendry’s team for the cage match. Jeff Hardy also was there, and he vowed he was going to win the X Division Title from Moose. Nic Nemeth was fired up to be back. Elijah said this will be a war. Leon Slater said he’s walking out there with a team of legends. Matt Hardy said they are “an all-star team” and he said the heels will be deleted. (So… which one of these five is turning heel later? They are too chummy.) They walked away; Ryan Nemeth walked up and made sure Gia knew he made it here. She reminded him that he’s not in the match.
3. Ace Austin and “The Rascalz” Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz vs. Wes Lee, Tyson Dupont, and Tyriek Igwe in a Lucha Rules match. Wes was in the ring but rolled to the floor; no tags necessary. He got back in and fought Ace. Hannifan said TNA hasn’t been to El Paso for 11 years. (They’ve never been to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Just sayin’.) Zack hit a corkscrew press. Ace’s team hit stereo dives through the ropes at 2:00. In the ring, Dupont mounted Ace and punched him in the face. Lee hit a basement dropkick on Ace. Ace finally hit a double missile dropkick at 5:30 and he tagged in both Rascalz. Trey hit a spinebuster. Wentz hit a Meteora for a nearfall on Lee and we got a “This is awesome!” chant.
Lee hit a doublestomp on the back of Miguel’s head. Tyriek and Tyson slammed Trey to the mat. Trey hit a Meteora. Zack hit a handspring-back-jumping knee. Miguel hit a DDT to the floor on Lee at 8:30. The babyfaces pulled Lee into the ring and surrounded him. Ace hit the Fold on Lee. Zack then hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash and pinned Wes Lee. Really good action.
Ace Austin and “The Rascalz” Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz defeated Wes Lee, Tyson Dupont, and Tyriek Igwe at 9:54.
* Gia interviewed Steve Maclin backstage. Back in the arena, Eric Young walked to ringside and joined the commentary team.
4. Frankie Kazarian vs. Steve Maclin. Kazarian carried a trophy with him to the ring. They brawled to open and Maclin hit a sliding clothesline. Kazarian hit a Lungblower to the back and a springboard guillotine legdrop for a nearfall at 1:30, then a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Young claimed he has won more matches in TNA history than anyone else. (Possibly true?) Maclin hit a Thesz Press and an Angle Slam at 3:00. Maclin tied him in a Tree of Woe and hit a spear to the ribs. Frankie hit a slingshot DDT for a nearfall, and he went for a Crossface Chickenwing, but Steve blocked it. Frankie tied Maclin in a modified Figure Four on the mat at 5:00; Steve kicked free.
Maclin hit a SCUD dive through the ropes. In the ring, Maclin hit a running knee for a nearfall at 6:30. Kazarian again went for a Crossface Chickenwing; Maclin flipped over and got a nearfall. Kazarian again applied it on the mat in the center of the ring. Maclin stood up and threw them both through the ropes; they crashed on the floor with Frankie still having the Chickenwing locked on! Nice. Kazarian grabbed some brass knuckles! Eric Young jumped up, took them from Frankie, and hit Kazarian with them, and he pushed Frankie into the ring. Hannifan stressed that neither the ref nor Maclin saw it. Maclin immediately hit the KIA double-arm DDT and got the tainted pin. Rehwoldt noted that Young “had Maclin’s back.”
Steve Maclin defeated Frankie Kazarian at 8:49.
* Gia interviewed Dani Luna and Jody Threat backstage. Jody paced back and forth. They are eager to get their hands on the Personal Concierge. A commercial aired for “Queen of the Ring.”
* In the ring, the Personal Concierge tried to speak on the mic but the crowd drowned him out.
5. “Spitfire” Dani Luna and Jody Threat vs. The Personal Concierge, Heather By Elegance, and Ash By Elegance for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. Heather and Ash wore huge sombreros and Mexican-themed outfits. TPC took off his jacket; as expected, he is pasty white and has no physique to speak of. Dani and Ash opened. TPC tagged in at 1:30, grabbed Dani’s wrist, but tagged out before she could punch him. Dani hit a backbreaker over her knee on Heather. Dani and Jody hit some quick team moves on Heather. TPC started dancing on the floor for no apparent reason, as Dani fought Ash. In the ring, the heels worked over Dani in their corner, as the crowd chanted “Put your shirt on!” to The Personal Concierge.
The three-on-one beatdown continued for several minutes, as they kept Dani on the mat. Dani hit a suplex at 6:00 and she made the hot tag to Jody. She hit chops on both Ash and Heather. TPC jumped on Jody’s back but she shrugged him to the mat, and Jody hit a German Suplex on Ash, then an Exploder Suplex on Heather. Jody dove onto Heather and Ash at 7:30. Jody put Heather on her shoulders and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall, but TPC made the save. He danced again. Dani hit the team powerbomb on him. Heather hit a top-rope doublestomp on Jody’s back, and Ash made the cover for the pin. New champions! Well, the crowd was into it.
The Personal Concierge, Heather By Elegance, and Ash By Elegance defeated “Spitfire” Dani Luna and Jody Threat to win the Knockouts Tag Team Titles at 9:07.
* The lights went out and the crowd popped! Out of the back came Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson, and they made it clear they want a tag title shot.
* A nice video package aired of the feud that led to the next match!
6. Mustafa Ali (w/Tasha Steelz, Jason Hotch, John Skyler) vs. Mike Santana. Ali has four Secret Security agents again, plus The Great Hands and Tasha Steelz. Santana entered through the garage in a ‘low rider’ car; Hannifan said it was a 1964 Chevrolet Impala. MASSIVE pop for the hometown — scratch that — New York native of Puerto Rican heritage. Hannifan said that Santana has only had one pinfall loss in singles matches in the past year in TNA. Ali rolled to the floor and stalled. In the ring, they worked over each other’s left arm, and Santana hit a Death Valley Driver at 1:30. Mike hit two rolling suplexes but Ali blocked a third. Santana hit the Three Amigos rolling suplexes, swiveled his hips, and hit a flip dive to the floor on Ali at 3:00.
They traded chops at ringside. They fought on the ropes on the apron. Ali hit a top-rope 450 Splash onto Santana’s right arm as it was resting on the apron at 5:00! Rehwoldt immediately noted that is the arm he uses to hit the Spin The Block clothesline. In the ring, Ali got a rollup for a nearfall, but the ref saw Ali’s feet on the ropes. Mustafa applied a top hammerlock and kept Santana grounded. He switched to a crossface, but Santana grabbed a rope at 7:00. We got a “This is awesome!” chant. Ali dove through the ropes but Santana caught the head and hit a stunner onto the thin mat at ringside, earning a “Holy shit!” chant. They both dove into the ring right at the 10-count so we continued and we got an “este lucha!” chant.
Santana went for Spin the Block but Ali blocked it, and Mustafa hit a German Suplex, and they were both down at 10:00, and we got a “fight forever!” chant. Ali missed a 450 Splash but landed on his feet and he hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Ali again missed a 450 Splash. Santana hit a rolling kip-up stunner! He made an ‘Eddie gesture’ and hit a frogsplash for a believable nearfall at 12:00, but Ali bridged out. Santana hit a back suplex and they were both down. John Skyler hopped on the apron. Santana hit a Spin the Block on Jason Hotch. Tasha hopped on the apron and Santana barked at her; she slapped him. Ali rolled up Santana and grabbed the bottom rope for added leverage for the cheap pin out of nowhere. Great match, even with the screwjob finish.
Mustafa Ali defeated Mike Santana at 13:24.
* Ali slid a cup of beer into the ring to mock Santana and he walked away.
* Another highlight package for the next match, and Arianna Grace joined commentary. We had a ‘tale of the tape.’
7. Masha Slamovich vs. Cora Jade for the TNA Knockouts Title. Cora seems okay after getting knocked loopy the other week against Jordynne Grace. She attacked Masha from behind and we’re underway! She hit a doublestomp to the back for a nearfall at 2:00 and she kept Masha down in a headlock on the mat. Cora hit a superkick for a nearfall, then a suplex, and we have a sizable “Let’s go, Cora!” chant, which Rehwoldt noted. Masha dropped Cora into the middle turnbuckle and she hit a missile dropkick at 5:00, and they were both down. Masha hit a Helluva Kick and her rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall.
Masha set up for Requiem (piledriver) but Cora escaped. Cora hit a Canadian Destroyer on the ring apron at 7:00, earning a “Holy shit!” chant, and Masha collapsed to the floor. In the ring, Cora hit the Jaded double-arm DDT for a nearfall, but Masha got a foot on the ropes. They got up and traded chops and forearm strikes. Cora hit a knee to the shoulder. Masha grabbed her and hit Requiem for the pin. Good match. Glad to see Cora look good here, especially after how she seemingly got injured against Jordynne.
Masha Slamovich defeated Cora Jade at 9:27 to retain the TNA Knockouts Title at 9:27.
* Footage aired of Oba Femi vs. Moose from Tuesday’s NXT.
8. Moose (w/Alisha Edwards) vs. Jeff Hardy in a ladder match for the X Division Title. They both immediately went for ladders and they fought on the floor. Jeff hit a snap suplex on the floor at 1:30, then a basement dropkick on the floor. Jeff leapt off the apron and onto a ladder on top of Moose on the floor at 4:00. In the ring, Jeff climbed a ladder but Moose cracked a chair across the back, then hit a standing powerbomb at 5:30 and was booed. Moose powerbombed Jeff onto a horizontal ladder that was wedged in the corner, earning a “holy shit!” chant. Jeff dove to the floor on Moose at 8:30.
Jeff climbed the ladder and got a finger on the belt but Moose cut him off as they fought on the horizontal ladder; Jeff hit a Twist of Fate to the mat; that could have gone badly but they pulled it off. Moose tossed the ladders to the floor. (That’s not going to help you win!) Moose hit a top-rope superplex; Jeff hit a Twist of Fate; Moose hit a spear and they were both down at 11:30. Jeff flipped Moose over the ropes and onto a ladder that was leaning against the ring! Nice spot. Jeff set up a table on the floor and he rolled Moose onto it. He hit a top-rope Swanton Bomb onto Moose on the table; he came down a bit short of the table; his legs hit Moose but his head hit a folded chair on the floor. He hopped up and seemed okay.
Jeff set up a ladder in the ring and climbed it, but Alisa hit him with a kendo stick at 15:00, so he hit a Twist of Fate on her! Moose immediately hit a spear, sending Jeff through a table in the corner! Nice sequence. Moose took a long time climbing the ladder but he eventually pulled down the title to win. That was really good; that was Moose’s second really good match in four days.
Moose defeated Jeff Hardy to retain the X Division Title at 16:33.
* Backstage, Mike Santana ran up to Santino Marella and was angry about being robbed tonight. Santana gave him a rematch on Thursday, and The Good Hand and Steelz will be banned from ringside. The cage was being assembled, and Hannifan said Chavo Guerrero will be on Impact on Thursday. They ran a segment that today is “wrestling day in El Paso” from a presentation with a mayor or a similar level of public official.
* KC Navarro and AJ Francis came out onto the stage and they had drinks. We are clearly just killing time as the cage is set up. Finally, Octagon Jr. and Laredo Kid joined them on the stage; none of them are in wrestling gear anymore. They wound up brawling. AJ told them to “go back to where you came from.”
9. Orlando Colon, Eddie Colon, and “The System” JDC, Brian Myers, and Eddie Edwards vs. TNA World Champion Joe Hendry, Matt Hardy, Leon Slater, Nic Nemeth, and Elijah in a War Games-style cage match. Hannifan reiterated the rules, and yes, this is a War Games match, I don’t care what you call it. Eddie Edwards and Elijah were first. Elijah came out on the back of a horse! A real, live horse! (I would be fearful that the horse would be spooked by all the indoor noise.) He asked “Who wants to ride with Elijah?” He got off the horse and strummed his guitar and sang. He finally got in the ring and we finally got underway. I didn’t hear a bell so I started my stopwatch as they charged at each other and traded punches.
Hannifan said this is the first cage match in TNA since 2019 (which is mind-blowing as they used to have whole PPVs with different rules of cage matches.) Myers entered at 2:00, as the heels have the man-advantage. Eddie hit a Backpack Stunner and Myers hit an elbow drop. Nemeth entered and hit a DDT and neckbreaker combo. Orlando entered at 4:30 and he hit a suplex. Slater evened the teams at 6:00; Hannifan said 20-year-old Slater is now the youngest person to be in the headline match of a TNA special/PPV, beating Amazing Red’s record by 19 days. Eddie Colon entered. Matt Hardy entered at 8:00, so we have eight in the ring.
Matt hit the Plot Twist with Leon taking Jeff’s spot in that move. JDC was the final heel to enter and he powerbombed Slater into the cage wall at 9:30. Joe Hendry was last, and he got the big sing-along. Myers held the door, trying to keep Hendry out, but he got in and we had a bell at 10:53 to ‘officially’ begin. Hendry hit his fallaway slam and did his kip-up spot. Hendry hit a fallaway slam on Myers off the ropes. Basic brawling by everyone. Leon leapt off the top of the cage and hit the Swanton 450 Splash onto the five heels at 15:00. “Is this kid out of his damn mind?” Rehwoldt asked. Ryan Nemeth was at ringside. Hendry hit the Standing Ovation. JDC was dropped crotch-first across an open chair. Matt Hardy hit a Twist of Fate on JDC, who had a chair over his neck, and Matt scored the pin. A bit anticlimactic, but that Slater spot was awesome.
Joe Hendry, Matt Hardy, Leon Slater, Nic Nemeth, and Elijah defeated Orlando Colon, Eddie Colon, JDC, Brian Myers, and Eddie Edwards at 17:02.
* The five babyfaces celebrated in the ring and they started to leave. Suddenly it was just Nic Nemeth and Matt Hardy in the ring, and Nic attacked Matt! “What the hell?” Hannifan shouted. Ryan was in the cage, too, and the Nemeth brothers beat up Matt Hardy, who was now bleeding from the forehead. The beatdown continued as the show went off the air.
Final Thoughts: I figured someone was turning heel in that match; Elijah was the obvious pick and I considered Leon (which would have been a mistake.) I’ll go with Santana-Ali for best match. The storyline has been great, as Ali has been such a jerk. (I could have done without a pee-in-the-cup gag but otherwise it’s been a great build.) Jeff Hardy-Moose was superb, too, and that takes second. I might be alone on this, but I’ll go with Tessa-Lee for third, as Tessa is getting nuclear heat and Lee just really stepped up here.
TNA somehow always tops my expectations on their big shows. Sure, the 3-on-2 match had some eye-rolling stuff, but it wasn’t bad, and it was certainly watchable. The decision to lead off with Mance-Callihan worked as it got the crowd going right away. I’m not a guy who wants to see blood, but I doubt we had any staples in those staple guns; I didn’t see any blood from either man, so it was a tame hardcore match by today’s standards. The Kazarian-Maclin match was good and they did a good job of working Eric Young into that.
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