TNA Against All Odds
June 14, 2024
By: John Siino
Cicero Stadium in Cicero, Illinois
Commentary: Tom Hannifan & Matthew Rehwoldt
RESULTS
*Sami Callihan over Jonathan Gresham via pinfall (2:23)
*Knockouts World Tag Team Title: The Malisha (c) over The Hex via pinfall (7:59)
*Mike Santana & Steve Maclin over The Rascalz via pinfall (12:51) (Recommended)
*PCO over Rich Swann via pinfall (5:50)
*World Tag Team Title: Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers (c) over Ryan Nemeth & Nic Nemeth via pinfall (12:36)
*Frankie Kazarian over Joe Hendry via pinfall (7:26)
*X-Division Title: Mustafa Ali (c) over Trent Seven via submission (15:33) (Recommended)
*ABC over Eric Young & Josh Alexander via pinfall (18:17) (Recommended)
*Knockouts World Title: Jordynne Grace (c) over Tatum Paxley via pinfall (11:14) (Recommended)
*World Title: Moose (c) over Matt Hardy via pinfall (21:32)
Jonathan Gresham vs. Sami Callihan (Countdown to Against All Odds)
As all recent Jonathan Gresham matches have had, the referee is under a mask and gloves to prevent infection from Gresham’s mysterious but infectious Octopus ink. Sami Callihan goes to attack Gresham on the outside before the bell even rings and starts tossing him around and onto the ring, but Gresham is able to prevent a piledriver on the outside and snaps Callihan’s fingers while on the apron. They continue to brawl on the outside for a long time, as Gresham continues to target Callihan’s arm. Just when it looks like the match is about to start, Callihan sends Gresham into the ring, just so Gresham can exit back outside before the bell can ring. After about 9 minutes of this, they finally go in the ring and start the match.
Callihan, with one arm, goes after Gresham, hitting him with a leg drop. They start fighting against the ropes, as Gresham pulls off the referee’s mask and goes to put ink into Callihan’s mouth. KUSHIDA runs out in a lab coat and face mask and swabs some of the black ink from Gresham’s mask. Callihan takes advantage of this and hits Gresham with the Cactus Driver ’97 to get the pin and the win. KUSHIDA is shown putting the black ink into a tube.
Winner: Sami Callihan by pinfall at 2:23
That was pretty bad and I’m not looking forward to KUSHIDA doing wacky lab work segments to figure out the roots of the black ink.
Gia Miller gets words with The System who are all getting ready for their matches tonight before Miller asks Moose where his head is after visiting the Hardy Compound. Moose says all the fun and games are over and after he’s done with Matt Hardy will know to trust the fucking system.
TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championship: The Malisha (Masha Slamovich & Alisha Edwards) (c) vs. The Hex (Allysin Kay & Marti Belle) (Countdown to Against All Odds)
Masha Slamovich & Alisha Edwards are now going by The Malisha (Militia), starting tonight, and I’ll admit that’s a pretty clever name. Alisha & Allysin Kay go to start the match, but Kay quickly tags out and lets Marti Belle start the match. Kay & Belle stay in control now taking turns on Masha and going for pins. Alisha tags in and goes after Kay with chops in the corner as the crowd starts chanting ‘Fuck the system’. Kay & Masha start going at it, both taking each other down a double clothesline. All four start going at it now with Alisha talking trash into the crowd, before Belle takes her out with a facebuster. Masha is there to break up the count as all four still go at it until Alisha escapes out of a Hex Marks The Spot attempt. The match starts to fall apart a bit here as Belle slowly rolls up Alisha on the ropes for a two before they do hit Hex Marks The Spot, but Masha is there to break it up at the very last second, as the crowd boos and starts chanting that it was a three count. Alisha powerbombs Kay off the corner, before hitting a bulldog to Belle who was on Masha’s shoulders to get the pin and the win.
Winners: The Malisha (Alisha Edwards & Masha Slamovich) by pinfall at 7:59, to retain
Commentary mentions how Cicero Stadium is sold out, as we go into the main show.
Mike Santana & Steve Maclin vs. The Rascalz (Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz)
Mike Santana & Zachary Wentz start the match by testing each other by running the ropes. Santana & Steve Maclin are on the same page here tagging in and out and working on The Rascalz before Maclin & Wentz end up spilling to the outside. Trey Miguel starts working on Santana for a while, but he’s able to fight out and take out The Rascalz before tagging out to Maclin. The Rascalz are able to keep Maclin grounded, as Miguel starts working on Maclin’s leg until Santana runs in and smacks the hell out of Miguel’s back to break it up. After minutes of fighting them off, Maclin is finally able to make the hot tag to Santana who eventually takes out Miguel with a DDT off of Wentz for a two.
The Rascalz started double-teaming Maclin, hitting an assisted draping senton to Maclin off the ropes and getting a two count. All four keep going at it, as the crowd starts chanting ‘TNA’. The Rascalz super kicks Maclin to the outside, but Santana runs in and takes out Wentz in the corner with an Enziguri before Maclin can prevent Miguel from using his spray paint. Santana sets Miguel in the corner as Maclin hits him with the Crosshairs, and Santana hits Wentz with a Cannonball in the other corner. Maclin tosses Wentz into Santana who hits Spin the Block to get the pin and the win.
Winners: Mike Santana & Steve Maclin by pinfall at 12:51
Rich Swann (w/ AJ Francis) vs. PCO
AJ Francis gets on the mic before the match and calls Chicago the worst city in the world. He knows the crowd is asking why he is wearing a Chicago Bulls jersey, but he says it’s a Scottie Pippen jersey because he’s the Scottie Pippen of wrestling because Michael Jordan didn’t win anything until Pippen showed up and TNA didn’t become anything until Francis showed up. Swann starts the match by trying to dodge PCO who eventually is able to take him down with a big clothesline and chokeslam into the corner. Francis stops PCO by holding onto his leg which gives Swann the advantage to take control and send PCO spilling to the outside where Swann gives him a 450 Splash off of the apron. Back inside, Swann tries another 450, but PCO is able to roll out of the way and starts hulking up as Swann tries his best to punch away to no avail. PCO stays on top with a DDT and a leg drop off the ropes, but Francis is there to put Swann’s leg on the rope to break up the pin attempt. PCO goes to the apron, as Francis trips up PCO. The referee has to try to look away, in an attempted move that gives the AEW referees a run for their money. PCO hits a lung blower to Swann in the corner before knocking Francis off the apron and taking him out with a cannonball to the outside. PCO goes to the top rope and hits the PCO Sault to get the pin and the win.
Winner: PCO by pinfall at 5:50
Oui Ou Non
Steph De Lander makes her way down to the ring as she had promised an answer to PCO’s love letter. SDL says that a few weeks ago PCO gave her the letter that she has there to show off with the question ‘Oui ou Non’ as she knows everybody wants to know her answer if she’ll say yes or no and if she’ll swipe left or right. She finally reveals that her answer is ‘Oui’ which gets the crowd to chant along to it as PCO looks to be a bit surprised. I wonder if Mance Warner might make his way down to the iMPACT Zone.
TNA World Tag Team Championship: The System (Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers) (c) (w/ Alisha Edwards) vs. Nic Nemeth & Ryan Nemeth
This is only the second time that Ryan Nemeth & Nic Nemeth have teamed up together, with the first time being last night’s episode of TNA iMPACT as Ryan & Brian Myers started the match. After Alisha Edwards tries to get involved, Dirty Dango comes down and informs the referee who goes and ejects Alisha to the back as Dango now goes and stays in the Nemeth’s corner. The System stays in control of Nic here with Myers hitting a belly-to-back suplex for two. Ryan tags in is able to fight off both Myers & Eddie Edwards before Nic is there to break up a pin-attempt from Edwards who had hit a spear on Ryan. The match goes into a bit of a slow pace here with The System keeping Ryan down as the crowd chants against Edwards’ mohawk and chants ‘Oh, fuck Eddie Edwards’ to the rhythm of Seven Nation Army (Davie Portman approves). Moose makes his way down and gets in The System’s corner as Nic starts to fight them off. Edwards stops Nic off the corner and hits him with the Backpack Stunner as Myers is there with the top rope elbow drop, but Nic kicks out at two. Ryan holds onto Edwards’ leg, as The Nemeths start going after Edwards hitting him with the Danger Zone, but Moose is there to pull the referee out. As Moose & Dango start going at it, Nic takes out Moose with a cross body. Dango turns on Ryan and takes him out as Edwards follows with a Boston Knee Party to get the pin and the win.
Winners: The System (Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers) by pinfall at 12:36, to retain
Dango hugs The System, except Moose who sort of backs away, as it doesn’t look like Dango has actually joined the group.
Odds Against Them
Gia Miller is backstage with ABC and asks them if the ‘odds’ are ‘against them’ tonight since they lost last night. Ace Austin says The Nemeths are blood brothers but they got lucky, and tonight is where it matters. Chris Bey says two years ago, they teamed for the first time and tonight it begins again.
Frankie Kazarian vs. Joe Hendry
Joe Hendry gets on the mic before the match and addresses speculation if he was even showing up tonight, but he chose to be there in Chicago for TNA, alluding to some thinking he might be in Glasgow for WWE Clash of the Castle. Hendry calls Frankie Kazarian the Antonio Banderas of TNA as he’s been holding on for way too long and says he went from Desperado to the dad from Spy Kids, which naturally gets a ‘dad from Spy Kids’ chant. Despite being promoted and shown in the graphic, Ace Steel does not come out for this match to be in Hendry’s corner although commentary mentions Hendry has been training with him and brings up CM Punk. The commentary team also heavily implies Hendry possibly showing up ‘elsewhere’.
Kazarian is able to stop Hendry’s momentum with a guillotine leg drop and a clothesline. Kazarian stays in control going for pin attempts while holding Hendry down as the crowd breaks into a big ‘I believe in Joe Hendry’ chant which gives him enough strength to outpower into a suplex followed by a fall-away slam. They go back and forth a bit until Hendry counters Face to Black, as Kazarian counters a powerbomb and hits a backstabber but Hendry comes right back with a pop-up powerbomb for two. The match kind of ends out of nowhere when Kazarian pulls something out of his tights and punches Hendry during a belly-to-back suplex to get the pin and the flat win here.
Winner: Frankie Kazarian by pinfall at 7:26
The crowd isn’t too happy at the finish here as Kazarian continues to attack Hendry and puts him in a chicken wing before Ace Steel finally shows up to break it up. Kazarian pushes Steel off and Steel knocks out Kazarian with a right hook. Not much of a reaction here for Steel as the crowd then chants ‘Oh, cry me a river’.
TNA X-Division Championship: Mustafa Ali (c) vs. Trent Seven
Both Campaign Singh & ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey are barred from ringside for this match. During the introductions, Mustafa Ali got a big reaction here being announced from Chicago, Illinois but Trent Seven took the mic and mentioned the interview Ali had last night on iMPACT with Tom Hannifan, and even though the interview was finished, the cameras kept rolling. They go to the footage and it shows Ali yelling at his security where he says he doesn’t even live in Chicago and starts talking down on the city and says he calls the X-Division title a prop and a piece of shit that means nothing. The audio seems to be wonky for the viewers at home as well as the crowd here as we come back they chant ‘What did he say’. Yikes.
Seven attacks Ali as soon as the bell rings they start fighting outside of the ring. Ali starts yelling at Tom Hannifan for thinking he set up the video rolling last night, as Seven is there to protect him and sends Ali back inside the ring as the crowd chants ‘We still love you’ at Ali. Ali meets Seven with a dive to the outside, but he comes right back with a Dragon Suplex to the floor. Back inside Ali takes control until Seven catches him in the corner into a powerbomb for a two. The match starts to pick up with some good back-and-forth action, as the crowd starts to get back into it with Ali hitting a nasty-looking leg DDT off the corner. Seven stops Ali with a dragon suplex followed by a sit-out powerbomb for two. After Ali tosses Seven into the referee, he hits a low blow and a lariat but Seven still kicks out at two. They head to the top rope, but Ali is able to escape and hits a super kick. Seven is able to stop Ali and hits an avalanche Scoop Slam for a close two. They end up back at the top rope before they go crashing down to the floor with Ali bouncing off the apron. Seven just barely beats the ten count, but Ali is there to meet him with a 450 splash to Seven’s back, but only gets a two. Ali goes to grab the X-Division title, but the referee takes it away. Seven takes advantage and hits a low blow followed by the Birminghammer, but Ali is able to kick out at two. That almost got me. They head back to the top rope where Ali rakes Seven’s eyes, trips him off, and hits a 450 Splash to Seven’s leg before putting on the Sharpshooter (taking a shot at Mike Bailey) as Seven is forced to tap out.
Winner: Mustafa Ali by submission at 15:33, to retain
Kazarian Challenges Ace Steel
Frankie Kazarian in the back says he’s setting himself up for a World Title match but he won’t stand for someone like Ace Steel to knock him out. Santino Marella walks in and tells him to take it easy, but Kazarian says he wants a piece of Steel. Santino says this Thursday it’ll be Kazarian vs. Ace Steel in a Chicago Street Fight.
ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) vs. Eric Young & Josh Alexander
Eric Young & Chris Bey start the match, with Young wearing a singlet that Hannifan mentions was gifted by Josh Alexander when they toured in the UK and resembles the old Team Canada gear. The first couple of minutes of this match is a bit slow, testing each other out as commentary mentions both members of The North making some waves in the wrestling news lately alluding to Ethan Page in NXT. (A lot more WWE mentions than usual with this show, as expected with their new working relationship). The match picks up between Young & Ace Austin who tags out to Bey as ABC starts double-teaming him, to a ‘Super Eric’ chant.
Eventually Young makes the hot tag to ‘Super Josh’ as the crowd chants who is able to catch Bey off and sends him crashing to the other side of the ring with a release German Suplex. The crowd really picks up when Austin distracts the referee as Alexander & Bey go and grab each other down low to a big pop and holy shit chant. Alexander & Austin battle on the apron, where Austin is able to duck the crossbody attempt just for Alexander to snatch Austin by the ankle, as Bey is there to break it up with a dive. Young then follows with a dive himself to the outside. Austin & Alexander go at it in the ring as Alexander catches him into an ankle lock again, but Bey is able to break it up and join in on a double team from ABC to Alexander for a two. Alexander does a very impressive suplex to Bey while Austin is on his back, crashing down on him as well. Young follows this by having ABC in a Fireman’s Carry, but they escape and take him out with a super kick. All four go at it next with a bit of everything happening until Alexander catches Bey right into a vicious backbreaker for two. During all this confusion, Young knocks out Alexander by accident as ABC is able to hit The Art of Finesse & The Fold combo as Bey gets the pin and the win.
Winners: ABC (Chris Bey & Ace Austin) by pinfall at 18:17
Emergence & Victory Road
They go through the upcoming shows and clarify that Emergence will take place on August 30th in Louisville, Kentucky while September 13th in Cleveland, Ohio will be Victory Road.
TNA Knockouts World Championship: Jordynne Grace (c) vs. Tatum Paxley
As Jordynne Grace waits for her opponent in this open challenge, the crowd chants ‘We want Tessa / No we don’t’ before Tatum Paxley comes out representing NXT to a big good reaction from the crowd. Before the match can start, Ash by Elegance makes her way out and sits on the stage while her personal concierge, George Iceman serves her champagne. Tom Hannifan clarifies that he spent a lot of time in NXT and has friends there to confirm that Ash wasn’t invited to Battleground. Grace starts the first couple of minutes out powering Paxley and mounting her with punches as the crowd seems fully behind Grace. They take it to the outside where Paxley is able to take control by sending Grace into the ring post. Back inside, Grace is able to block the Psycho Trap by Paxley, but she comes right back with a single-leg Crab. They go back and forth in the corner before Grace is able to roll through, slam Paxley down, and hit the Vader Bomb that she calls Grace Under Pressure.
As Paxley blocks a Juggernaut Driver attempt, Grace sends her into the corner where she places her on the top rope and hits the Muscle Buster for two. They start going back and forth with pin attempts before Paxley heads to the top rope, just for Grace to join her up there as they start trading chops before Paxley hits a top rope spinning neckbreaker (The Labotamy) for two. Paxley starts going after Grace’s ear, as Hannifan said she had to get it stitched up today from her match against Roxanne Perez where Grace’s earring got caught in Roxanne’s fishnet to some unfortunate bloody results. Paxley is able to trap on a Guillotine, but she’s able to power out and hit a Jackhammer for two. Grace clubs away at Paxley, but she comes back with an Enziguri for two. Grace comes back with a back fist, Death Valley Driver, and hits the Juggernaut Driver for the pin and the win.
Winner: Jordynne Grace by pinfall at 11:14, to retain
Ash By Elegance runs in after the match and attacks Grace from behind with her bedazzled knuckles, but she is able to turn it around on her and toss Ash to the outside where Grace pours the champagne all over her.
TNA World Championship Broken Rules Match: Moose (c) (w/ Alisha Edwards, Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers) vs. Matt Hardy
Broken Rules basically means this match is No Disqualification. As soon as the match begins, The Nemeths run out and brawl with Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers all the way to the back, as it’s just Alisha Edwards out with Moose now. Matt Hardy goes right after Moose taking him out with a Twist of Fate, before hitting a Side Effect to him onto the apron. They head to the outside where Moose starts attacking Hardy with a trash can lid as Alisha tosses weapons into the ring. Moose grabs a ladder and sets it up against the apron as the ring is now filled with chairs. Hardy stops Moose with a low blow then goes on the attack with chair shots to the back. They go into the crowd and start fighting towards the back of the crowd. Unfortunately, the cameras aren’t able to catch most of the action and the crowd here concurs with ‘we can’t see’ chants.
They eventually make it back inside with Hardy in control, heading to the corner, getting into Hardy Boyz mode, and hitting an elbow drop from the ropes before calling for another Twist of Fate. Moose stops it and hits a standing Uranage for a two. Moose goes and brings a table into the ring and sets it up in the corner as they go back and forth stopping short of going through it before Moose tosses a chair right into Hardy’s face. Moose stacks up chairs in the middle of the ring and puts Hardy onto them with a superplex. Moose places a bunch more chairs standing up, but Hardy is able to catch him off the corner and powerbombs him right through them. There is one very loud person who does not like Alisha Edwards, and it’s not Braden Herrington. Hardy brings a mysterious box into the ring, but Moose stops him and reveals one of his old football helmets inside that he puts on. Hardy takes him to the outside, sets up a table, and reveals a Chicago Bears helmet that he attacks Moose with which prompts ‘CTE’ chants from the crowd. Hardy climbs a ladder and puts Moose through a table with a leg drop off of it. Back inside, Moose hits another Twist of Fate to Moose with the chair but Alisha is there to stop him with a kendo stick. Reby Sky, keyed as Rebecca Hardy, comes out and attacks Alisha taking her out with a Twist of Fate. Matt Hardy accidentally puts his wife through the table set up in the corner with a spear as Moose gets out of the way before Moose follows this with a spear of his own on Matt Hardy for the pin and the win.
Winner: Moose by pinfall at 21:32, to retain
Jeff Hardy Returns
The rest of The System runs out and continues to attack Matt & Rebecca Hardy before The Nemeths run back out, but The System takes him out as well. Joe Hendry runs out to try and help but he also gets taken out by The System. Jeff Hardy makes his return coming out to the classic WWE Hardy Boyz theme that AEW was able to use and helps take out The System, as The Hardys, The Nemeths & The Hendry stand tall to TNA chants.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This show was a big improvement from Under Siege, which was mostly a disaster and the sold-out crowd here definitely had more energy throughout the night even though you could still clearly hear some random hecklers (with one certain lady who tried to make herself heard all night, but mostly whenever Alisha Edwards was out there). Regardless, they were pretty animated and into the show for the majority of the night and probably one of the best crowds TNA has had in a while. The crowd seemed to have gotten deflated at the Hendry/Kazarian finish as they were totally for Hendry and having him lose like that out of nowhere with an ending that most of the crowd probably didn’t even catch, surely stopped the momentum. Not sure if they were counting on a big reaction for Ace Steele here in Cicero, because he honestly it felt totally flat and if that was the reason for the screwy finish, it was not worth it at all. If that wasn’t enough, the next match tried to air a segment to have the hometown crowd turn on Ali, that they couldn’t even hear and didn’t work whatsoever.
The show did start off hot with the Rascalz vs. Santana/Maclin and definitely picked back up during the second half of Ali vs. Seven where they really had me thinking Ali could drop the title. There was a lot of WWE chatter tonight on commentary, as would be expected, with them even acknowledging quotes from AJ Styles this week from Glasgow about the state of wrestling. The crowd as stated definitely helped some of the matches, such as ABC vs. Alexander & Young which could have struggled at times if the crowd wasn’t so into it. The crowd alone made that match a recommendation for me. It was pretty obvious that Tatum Paxley would be the one answering Jordynne’s Open Challenge after what happened at NXT Battleground, but it was still very cool and surreal to see a WWE talent on a TNA show. I hope they continue this, and have Natalya be the one next month to challenge Grace in Montreal for Slammiversary.
Overall, I recommend this show as a whole for the crowd alone, can’t state enough how much they made a difference, but the match quality for the most part was good tonight and the expected surprises at the very end made this a more noteworthy show than usual.
