By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
TNA Thursday Night Impact (Episode 1,135)
Taped April 14-15 in Syracuse, New York, at Medical University Arena
Simulcast April 16, 2026, on AMC, AMC+, and TNA+
[Hour One] Impact opened with highlights from the Rebellion pay-per-view… The broadcast team was Tom Hannifan and Matt Rehwoldt, and McKenzie Mitchell was the ring announcer…
Nic Nemeth made his entrance and brought the Call Your Shot trophy with him. Nemeth praised former NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar, who was in his corner at Rebellion. Entrances for the opening match took place…
1. AJ Francis vs. KC Navarro. Late in the match, Nic Nemeth stood up at the broadcast table and distracted Francis, who had Navarro down. Francis went for a chokeslam, but Navarro countered with a huracanrana into a rollup to get the three count.
KC Navarro beat AJ Francis in 7:05.
After the match, Nemeth celebrated on the ramp with Navarro…
“The System” Bear Bronson, Cedric Alexander, Brian Myers, Eddie Edwards, and Alisha Edwards were shown walking backstage… [C]
Powell’s POV: My apologies for the late review. John Moore was a late scratch, so I had to cover the episode I’d already watched on Thursday night. Anyway, quality work from both wrestlers in the opening match, and a good return for Navarro following his long layoff from ACL surgery. I’m surprised Navarro got a measure of revenge on Francis so quickly.
EC3 delivered a backstage promo. He said Act One was inheriting a last name and beating everyone to become the TNA Champion. Act Two was exile. Act Three isn’t a comeback because that would require compliance. He said it’s a crusade to finish what he started. “Yeah, I guess you can say I’m back,” EC3 said…
“The System” Bear Bronson, Cedric Alexander, Brian Myers, Eddie Edwards, and Alisha Edwards made their entrance. Bronson and Myers showed off the TNA Tag Team Titles they won at Rebellion. Eddie spoke about how Moose couldn’t handle him winning the TNA World Championship, so he got involved in the match. “Do you wanna know something?” Alisha asked before delivering her comments, which included complaining about Moose. Cedric yelled a lot and said he’s owed an X Division Title shot.
X Division Champion Leon Slater came out and said he beat Alexander, which is why he had the title belt. Slater pointed out that he is on the verge of becoming the longest reigning X Division Champion in history.
Moose made his entrance and joined Slater on the ramp. Moose said Eddie lost a Rebellion because he’s a little bitch. He said everyone in the ring were bitches. Moose said everyone knows who wears the pants, meaning Eddie is Alisha’s bitch. He said Myers is Edge’s bitch. Moose said 30 Knockouts would back him up when he says she’s the biggest bitch in TNA. Alisha snapped back at Moose. Slater proposed that he and Moose face Eddie and Alexander.
Authority figure Daria Rae came out and shot down the match. She said Santino Marella was still suspended, so she was in charge. Slater and Moose agreed that Santino is a better general manager than Rae, who then booked them in a handicap match against all four male members of The System…
Jada Stone was shown warming up backstage, followed by a shot of Tasha Steelz with the rest of Order 4… [C] Highlights aired of Frankie Kazarian beating Elijah by hitting him with a kick to the balls while the referee was clearing a broken guitar from the ring…
Backstage, Elijah asked Daria Rae where Santino was. She said he was suspended. He asked for a rematch with Frankie Kazarian. She said she would make a phone call. Daria called Kazarian and said Elijah wanted a rematch. Kazarian laughed and said no. Daria thanked him and ended the call before telling Elijah that she didn’t think it would happen…
“Order 4” Mustafa Ali, Tasha Steelz, Agent Zero, Jason Hotch, and John Skylar made their entrance. Ali boasted about having a weapon of mass destruction behind him. He touted the other members of the faction and boasted that he was the new TNA International Champion.
Ali said TNA will finally have a champion who doesn’t need a second chance. He pointed to Mike Santana and Trey Miguel as wrestlers who had second chances, and said the Hardys were on their “second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh” chance.
Ali said he will provide a chance. Ali announced the TNA International Championship open challenge. He said that if anyone on the TNA roster or any independent wrestler wanted it, they could come and get it. He shifted the focus to Jada Stone being a thorn in their side. Ali said Steelz would kick her ass. Stone made her entrance…
2. Tasha Steelz (Mustafa Ali, Agent Zero, Jason Hotch, John Skylar) vs. Jada Stone. Steelz was in offensive control before an early break. [C] Stone went up top, but Ali provided a distraction. Moments later, Steelz performed a cutter that led to a near fall. Steelz tossed Stone to the floor. The referee stood over her to prevent the Order 4 members from interfering. The referee ejected Ali, Zero, Hotch, and Skylar. Stone returned to the ring and hit the Spark Stunner before getting the win…
Jada Stone beat Tasha Steelz in 13:30.
Powell’s POV: A quality match that went a bit longer than necessary. Stone is one of those wrestlers who impresses in the ring, yet really needs mic time to establish her character. Steelz is really good in the ring. I’m surprised she’s not positioned as a bigger player in the Knockouts Division these days.
An Undead Realm skit aired. Joseph Park appeared and said he helped get Rosemary her divorce. Park said he had to go. Rosemary asked where he was going. “Up north,” Park said. Get it? An unnamed Priestess was shown. Tessa Blanchard spotted a zombie woman (or something) and punched her, but the zombie no-sold it. Another spooky woman grabbed Blanchard from behind She escaped and threw more punches at zombie lady before running away…
Powell’s POV: Man, Joseph Park just missed his brother Abyss, who popped up last week and during Rebellion. What are the odds?!?
[Hour Two] [C] Backstage, Nic Nemeth praised KC Navarro. Ryan Nemeth showed up and was jealous of the attention Nic was giving Navarro. Bear Bronson, Brian Myers, Eddie Edwards, and Alisha Edwards showed up and taunted Nic for helping Navarro. Bronson got in Nemeth’s face. Nemeth said he wasn’t hard to find and would face him anytime, any place. After The System left, Ryan said he was going to call his mother. Navarro asked what Ryan’s problem was. “The whole place is crazy,” Nic responded…
TNA World Champion Mike Santana made his entrance through the crowd. Santana spoke about putting down every former world champion who has been thrown at him. He said he wanted to give someone he’d been watching for a long time an opportunity. He said this person was like him in that he took his life in his hands and changed it for the better. He said this man was filled with clarity and was in the best shape of his life. Santana introduced him.
Rich Swann walked out to a modest reaction and danced on the stage. Swann said he watched Santana battle his demons, pull himself up, and become the world champion. Swann asked Santana if he was sure he wanted to do this. Swann confirmed that he’s in the best shape of his life. He said he would give Swann every ounce of fire, heart, and desire, and would fight him all night long.
Santana asked the Syracuse crowd what they thought. There were cheers. Santana said the people had spoken. Santana said he couldn’t believe he was about to do what he needed to do. Santana said: “I’m about to summon this gawdawful evil woman, Daria Rae. Jesus Christ.” Santana said that if Daria wanted a world title match that would blow the roof off the place, then she knew what she had to do…
Powell’s POV: The crowd reaction to Swann was initially tepid. It got a little better as he spoke. I like the idea of Santana giving a title shot to someone who went through similar struggles. Hopefully, this match and the friendship with Santana will give the highly talented Swann a boost.
Hannifan read through the sponsored injury report. Trey Miguel needed seven stitches to close a cut on his right knee and was listed as out. The Hardys were out due to the wear and tear of their tables match on last week’s Impact, compounded by their match at Rebellion. Indi Hartwell is cleared to wrestle, but is still suspended. EC3 was fully cleared to wrestle tonight…
Eric Young was shown walking backstage. A separate shot aired of EC3, who Hannifan said he would be wrestling his first TNA match since 2020… [C]
A Lei Ying Lee video package aired. She said she didn’t know what pro wrestling was when she came to the United States. She said she didn’t speak English. Lee said she left her country for something completely new that she didn’t fully understand, but she believed in it. She said she fell in love with pro wrestling along the way.
Lee spoke about her friendship with Xia Brookside. She said they became best friends. Lee said that even when she lost the TNA Knockouts Title, Brookside encouraged her to get the title back. Lee got emotional and said everything changed last week, and she doesn’t understand why. She said she didn’t just lose the title, she lost her best friend…
Backstage, Gia Miller asked Xia Brookside why she turned on Lei Ying Lee. Brookside, who had been staring ahead with a blank look, turned and looked at Miller before walking away…
Powell’s POV: Lee did a nice job of telling her story and how Brookside befriended her before showing great emotion while questioning why Brookside turned on her.
EC3 made his entrance to his “Trouble, trouble, trouble” TNA theme. Eric Young attacked him from behind on the stage. Young brought EC3 to ringside, where EC3 fought back. The referee called for the opening bell once they were both in the ring…
3. EC3 vs. Eric Young. Young took the match back to the floor. EC3 battled back and rolled Young inside the ring. Young attacked EC3 when he followed. EC3 performed a Thesz Press and played to the fairly receptive crowd. Young raked EC3’s eyes. The referee scolded Young. EC3 charged and threw a clothesline. It took a couple of tries, but he ended up sending Young and the referee over the top rope to the floor.
EC3 fought Eric Young to a no-contest in 2:05.
After the match, EC3 grabbed a chair and swung it at Young, who ducked it, causing the chair to hit the ring post. Young put EC3 down and then wrapped the chair around his neck. Security came out and pulled the wrestlers apart. Eventually, Young shoved EC3 into the ring steps while the chair was still around his neck… [C]
Powell’s POV: A disappointing return for EC3. I wish the creative team had put some thought into it and reintroduced him with something big, given his history with the company. The match with Young was brief, and this live crowd is pretty flat for this being the first show of a double-taping. The chair spot at the end looked silly because EC3 had plenty of time to remove the chair from his neck before Young ran him into the steps. Hopefully, this was just a rough start to what I hope will be a successful run for EC3.
Another Undead Realm segment aired. Rosemary chatted with a masked man who carried an axe. It was a comically routine conversation, with Rosemary addressing him as Frank. Rosemary asked how his mother was doing. Frank said his mother was super and still makes “that meatloaf.” Frank was censored as he added that his mother “just got back from the Catalina F—ing Wine Mixer.” Hilarious.
Mara Sade and Allie were shown wandering elsewhere. They spotted The Priestess, who walked toward them and then disappeared before reappearing behind them. Victoria Crawford entered the picture. Allie said hi and introduced herself, but Crawford screamed and ran away after seeing the Priestess.
Tessa Blanchard entered a room where a smiling Rosemary was seated. Blanchard demanded that Rosemary show her how to leave the Undead Realm. Rosemary stood up and said no, and then they brawled. Blanchard tied a chain around Rosemary’s neck before leaving. The Priestess was shown walking in a hallway.
Blanchard found Crawford and Mila Moore. Meanwhile, Sade and Allie found a choking Rosemary and loosened the chain from around her neck. Allie wanted to know who Rosemary had a run-in with. Rosemary told her it was Blanchard. “That’s my friend,” Allie said of Rosemary before storming away. Rosemary showed Sade a lock of hair and said, “We never come out of a fight without a souvenir.”
“Sinister Minister” Jim Mitchell was shown laughing. Blanchard, Crawford, and Sade entered the room and asked him how to leave. Mitchell pointed them to a doorway. They walked through it and were teleported. The Priestess approached Mitchell, who looked her up and down before introducing himself. “You can just call me Devil Daddy,” Mitchell said before taking her hand and laughing…
Back in the dark arena, Hannifan asked what the hell was going on. A bunch of spooky imagery was shown, and Mitchell could be heard laughing. Smoke started to emerge from under one side of the ring, and then Blanchard, Crawford, and Moore crawled out. “They’re back,” Rehwoldt said.
There was more spooky imagery followed by more laughter from Mitchell. There was smoke on the stage, and then Rosemary and Sade walked out and fought with Blanchard, Crawford, and Moore. The heels got Rosemary in the ring and surrounded her. Rosemary yelled, and then the lights went out, followed by more spooky imagery.
Allie’s name appeared on the video screen. Allie stood on the stage and tilted her head like she did as The Bunny in AEW before heading to the ring. Allie superkicked Crawford and Moore, who both tumbled to the floor. Allie put Blanchard down with a Codebreaker, and then she joined her sidekicks on the floor. Allie, Rosemary, and Sade stood tall in the ring as the heels backed up the ramp…
Hannifan hyped the main event handicap match… [C]
Powell’s POV: It was all downhill after Frank’s glorious Step Brothers reference. Okay, being fair, Rosemary is a hell of a performer. She plays her part to perfection and is so charming that she makes this silliness watchable. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Allie character, so I’m happy to see her back. Likewise, it’s always good to see the Sinister Minister, and it’s a shame that the company hasn’t brought him back as a full-time manager. Although the Undead Realm cinematics have never been my cup of tea, this latest revival has been laid out really well in terms of spreading out several surprise appearances. That said, I wish the creative team would dedicate the same level of energy to the traditional product, especially when establishing new characters.
Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy delivered a backstage promo. Matt asked Vincent and Dutch if they were happy. Matt said they lost “those pesky” TNA Tag Team Titles. He said they dig what Vincent is laying down. He thanked Dutch for sacrificing him at Sacrifice. He said there’s nothing like a near-death experience to remind you that you are alive. Matt challenged Dutch to a singles match. Matt grabbed the camera and said, “How about I make you the sacrifice?” Matt delivered a rhyme that ended with the line, “It’s almost Broken season.” Jeff snapped his fingers, the screen went black, and then Jeff did his crazy Willow the Wisp laugh…
Entrances for the main event took place…
4. “The System” Bear Bronson, Cedric Alexander, Brian Myers, and Eddie Edwards (w/Alisha Edwards) vs. Moose and Leon Slater in a handicap match. It was another homecoming for Moose. Hannifan said Moose graduated from Syracuse University and spoke about his college football career.
Hannifan listed the following matches for next week’s Impact: Mike Santana vs. Rich Swann for the TNA World Championship, Matt Hardy vs. Dutch, Nic Nemeth vs. Bear Bronson, and Xia Brookside will speak for the first time since turning on Lei Ying Lee and costing her the Knockouts Title.
Late in the match, Moose was down on the floor while Slater put Bronson and Myers down. Alexander grabbed Slater and set up for a Lumbar Check, which Slater countered by rolling him into a pin for a two count. Alexander powered up Slater and hit the Lumbar Check on the second attempt before covering him for the three count.
“The System” Bear Bronson, Cedric Alexander, Brian Myers, and Eddie Edwards defeated Moose and Leon Slater in a handicap match in 7:55.
The System members celebrated their win and posed on the ramp. The broadcast team was shown at their desk, and they recapped highlights of the show’s matches, along with a clip of Allie, Rosemary, and Mara Sade clearing Tessa Blanchard, Victoria Crawford, and Mila Moore from the ring. The executive producer credits were shown while Hannifan and Rehwoldt agreed that Cedric Alexander could stand in the way of Leon Slater’s attempt to become the longest reigning X Division Champion in history…
Powell’s POV: Slater pinned Alexander clean at Rebellion, but Alexander pinning him in this main event means the company isn’t moving on from their feud over the X Division Title. I continue to hope that the creative forces will dedicate more time to establishing Alexander’s character. He’s currently the guy who yells in his promos and laughs a lot.
Overall, a mostly forgettable follow-up to Rebellion. EC3’s first match back in TNA was the most interesting thing advertised for the show, and it lasted two minutes. If you’re a fan of the Undead Realm, then you probably enjoyed this show more than I did. I will have more to say about Impact during my weekly audio review of TNA Impact for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
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