When that teaser came at Bound for Glory that Impact Wrestling was returning to its roots of TNA Wrestling, I admit to questioning the thought process. However, seeing the energy and excitement in the weeks leading up to Hard to Kill those concerns melted away. Then after a strong pay-per-view, I witnessed the rebrand firsthand over two nights of television tapings at the Osceola Park in Kissimmee. I can now say with confidence they made the right move. TNA! TNA! TNA!
The company used the venue just a year prior, but there was something about seeing the set complete with the yellow and red color scheme, and tunnel and hearing those TNA chants again. Talk about goosebumps. So many memories started flooding back for TNA’s Orlando homecoming, thinking about all the shows I used to attend at the Universal Orlando. A lot of the promotion’s history can be traced to Central Florida. My wife remarked to me on the first night of the shows that she felt the nostalgia, especially seeing longtime talents like Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, and Frankie Kazarian.
Friday’s event proved extra special for Trinity Fatu. The former Knockouts champion had family in attendance for this homecoming. This Orlando native and former Orlando Magic dancer glowed a little more than usual as she teamed with current women’s title holder Jordynne Grace against Gisele Shaw and Savannah Evans. Following the match, Trinity spoke to the fans about what her TNA run has meant. It was a tearful goodbye, amid rumors of where she would end up next including going back to WWE. Claps could be heard from the TNA team when Trinity made her way backstage.
It may have been the last night for one performer, but for the former Dolph Ziggler, the tapings served as the continuation of a new chapter. Nic Nemeth worked Trey Miguel and advanced his feud with Steve Maclin. In a nice tribute to Trinity, and in typical Nic fashion, he wore Trin’s robe during their meet-and-greet after. The Grizzled Young Vets showed up and showed out in their Orlando return, this time under the TNA banner, with two great matches during Friday and Saturday against ABC Bullet Club tag team chants Chris Bey and Ace Austin. Their chemistry was on full display.
TNA Impact Tapings (Night 2)
Night 2 featured the TNA in-ring debut of the former Dana Brooke, now known as Ash by Elegance. The entrance, complete with George Iceman’s grand intro, made her come off as a big-time star. It’s too early to tell how fruitful this run will be, but it’s clear a lot of time and care is being put into Ash’s presentation. That alone is a step forward for the new signing. Speaking of fresh starts, it looks to be one for Simon Gotch. A strong return for the former Vaudevillian. Another AJ in AJ Francis certainly making an impact. The former Hit Rower had an entertaining segment with Joe Hendry.
It was fun experiencing high-production entrances at the events. At the top was PCO, whose Frankenstein-inspired visuals really added a lot. The same for the Decay and MK Ultra. Speaking of the female talent, Xia Brookside has come a long way since her first introduction to audiences in the WWE Mae Young Classic.
For me, a breakout during the tapings was Kevin Knight. The New Japan Pro Wrestling star really turned heads working with Alex Shelley and Kushida against The System. His interaction, particularly against TNA Champ Moose, made me want to see two from both of them.
In all, a good set of shows leading into the No Surrender event in the weeks to come. TNA is gaining momentum one fan at a time. I took someone who had never seen pro wrestling or been to a show before. She had the time of her life. So if you find them in your town, make sure to check them out and support this crew because they will give you your money’s worth.
