TNA IMPACT Banger Alert: Perfect Opener, Shocking Returns, Not Many Complaints
Tonight's (January 22, 2025) live TNA iMPACT episode was exactly what the premiere should have been — a strong, engaging show that delivered from start to finish. This one was light years better than last week's AMC debut, and you can already see the positive shift in fan reactions online.
Opening with the Moose vs. Cedric Alexander match was a smart move. It was a very good, hard-hitting bout that showcased speed vs. power, with Moose selling his back injury from Genesis perfectly.
Cedric picked up the sneaky win with a reversal into a pin, and the post-match handshake added a nice touch of respect. Great way to kick things off and set a high-energy tone.
The first big hook (many of us have been waiting for) came in the Indi Hartwell vs. M By Elegance match.
Ash By Elegance played the ultimate face on the outside the entire time — guiding her group, looking frustrated with the cheap shots, and trying to keep things clean. It was so damn good and built real tension.
After the match, when Heather and M attacked Indi, Ash stepped in to stop them... only to shock everyone by turning heel! She blindsided Lei Ying Lee with a DDT, aligned with The Elegance Brand, and declared her comeback.
Then the OTHER big hook came!
The System's shocking ending was straight-up awesome — pure evil vibes and a massive game-changer! After the big buildup to revealing their new member (replacing the retiring JDC), they dropped the hammer: Bear Bronson joins as the fresh addition, but then Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers turn on JDC and Moose, beating them down.
Cedric Alexander rushes in like he's saving the day... only to smash Moose with a chair and officially join The System too! Now it's a reloaded, full-on heel faction with Edwards, Myers, Bronson, and Alexander looking unstoppable and ruthless.
The betrayal was brutal, the crowd popped huge for the swerve, and it sets up so much chaos ahead. New group looks so evil — TNA just leveled up their top heel stable! What a way to close the show.
The rest of the show had solid action too, like the Feast or Fired match and Jeff Hardy vs. Mustafa Ali in the main event. Everything flowed well, Elayna had a good first promo, no major lulls, and it felt like TNA course-corrected hard after last week.
What didn’t I like about tonight’s show? I really have to reach to find faults, which is odd, but if I must nitpick: Santana’s promo wasn’t anything special — a little flat and unimaginative, honestly — though that hardly matters because he’s insanely over right now.
Also, Carlos Silva was at it again, wasting valuable TV time that should’ve been used to showcase the talents.
A much bigger issue for me is the continued absence of Tessa Blanchard being featured, and that’s been the case for a while now—even though she remains one of the greatest female wrestlers of all time.
