TNA iMPACT! June 25th, 2026 Results & Recap: Mike Santana Refuses To Stay Down, The Great Hands Join Slammiversary Ladder Match On The Final Stop Before Slammiversary

Last night’s TNA iMPACT! was the final stop before this Sunday’s TNA Slammiversary pay-per-view, and with the company celebrating 24 years of TNA from Boston, the show needed to feel like the last hard sell before one of the biggest nights on the calendar. Slammiversary will air at a special start time of 4PM EST, with Countdown to Slammiversary kicking off at 3PM EST, and last night’s episode had the job of tightening every major title match, adding final stipulations, and giving fans a reason to care about a card surrounded by real-life noise, roster movement, creative questions, contract rumors and expected surprises. The episode delivered a strong world title closing thread with Mike Santana and Nic Nemeth, a much-needed update to the tag title ladder match with The Great Hands being added, and a fun X-Division preview main event, but it also had some messy go-home booking, especially in the Knockouts division, where TNA tried to combine too many stories into one segment and made the division feel more cluttered than hotter.

Here are the full results

• Mara Sadé def. M By Elegance via disqualification
• AJ Francis def. Manny Lemons
• Xia Brookside def. Harley Hudson
• TNA X-Division Champion Cedric Alexander, Frankie Kazarian and Mr. Elegance def. Leon Slater, Fabian Aichner and KC Navarro

Breakdowns & Reactions

The Hardys, The Righteous and The System open the show

Last night opened with Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy bringing the Broken Hardys presentation back to the center of TNA’s tag team title picture. Matt talked about Wicked Gardens changing them, Jeff leaned into the idea that they had been “re-broken,” and The Righteous naturally interrupted because this feud has basically become its own long-running universe inside TNA.

The System then came out as the actual TNA World Tag Team Champions, with Brian Myers and Bear Bronson trying to pull the segment back toward the titles. That part was necessary, but it also showed the issue with this whole program. The champions are in the match, but The Hardys and The Righteous are still the emotional center of the story. Myers and Bronson should feel like the team everyone is chasing. Instead, they feel like the champions standing inside someone else’s feud.

The brawl worked as a go-home visual. Matt went after The Righteous, Jeff fought with the champions, a ladder was brought into the ring, and Jeff teased a dive before everyone retreated. That was the right image to open the show with. It sold the ladder match, it gave Jeff a danger spot without giving away too much, and it reminded viewers that Slammiversary is days away.

Grade: B

What worked

• The ladder visual gave the segment a true go-home feel.
• The Hardys and The Righteous still have strong chemistry in this strange, supernatural lane.
• The System got a chance to remind everyone they are the champions.

What didn’t work

• The tag champions still feel secondary.
• The tag division feels like it is being used to extend The Hardys vs. The Righteous instead of being treated like a full division.
• The titles should be the center of the match, not the accessory.

The Great Hands are added to the Slammiversary ladder match

Backstage, Daria Rae officially added The Great Hands to the TNA World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match, turning it into The System vs. The Hardys vs. The Righteous vs. The Great Hands.

This was one of the better announcements last night because Jason Hotch and John Skyler bring something the match badly needed: fresh movement, tag-team timing and a team that is not stuck inside the almost year-long Hardys/Righteous orbit. Before this, the ladder match felt like another chapter of that feud with the champions attached. Adding The Great Hands gives the match more life and gives fans another team that can actually use the ladder-match environment to stand out.

The issue is how casually it happened. They were just added. No qualifier. No major angle. No statement win. It was the right creative decision, but it did not feel earned on television.

Grade: B-

What worked

• The match instantly feels fresher.
• The Great Hands can add speed and structure to the ladder-match chaos.
• It gives another actual tag team a Slammiversary spotlight.

What didn’t work

• The explanation was thin.
• TNA still has not made the champions feel like the main focus.
• The tag division still feels like an afterthought outside of The Hardys and The Righteous.

Mara Sadé def. M By Elegance via disqualification

This was supposed to be Ash By Elegance vs. Mara Sadé, and that is where the problem started. Ash does not really wrestle regularly for TNA anymore, so setting up and advertising Ash vs. Mara last week felt pointless once last night made it clear they were never really giving that match.

Ash came out, had a meltdown after the crowd got under her skin, said she needed another mental health break, and forced M By Elegance to take her place. As a character idea, Ash ducking Mara and making someone else fight for her fits the spoiled, protected Elegance Brand act. As television execution, it came off like TNA advertised a match just to pull it away.

Mara and M worked a decent match once it got going. Mara brought energy early with strikes, a dropkick and a DDT out of the corner, while M used Heather’s distraction to take over. The match could have simply been Mara fighting through The Elegance Brand numbers game, but then Elayna Black appeared, Indi Hartwell got involved, Heather got involved, Rosemary and Allie ran down, and suddenly the match was not really about Mara anymore.

This is where TNA’s Knockouts booking hurt itself. The company tried to advance Ash/Mara, Indi/Elayna and Rosemary/Allie vs. The Elegance Brand all at once. On paper, everyone had a connection. On screen, it felt crowded. Mara got the DQ win, but the segment made her feel like one piece in a traffic jam.

Fans online seemed to have the same split reaction: the chaos looked active, but the direction felt messy. TNA leaned into the idea that the Knockouts division was in chaos, but chaos is not automatically good storytelling. Sometimes it just means too many people were thrown into the same segment because the show ran out of space.

Grade: C-

What worked

• Ash ducking the match fits her character.
• Mara showed good fire whenever the match focused on her.
• The Elegance Brand still gets easy heat.

What didn’t work

• Advertising Ash vs. Mara made the switch feel cheap.
• Too many feuds were combined into one segment.
• Mara, Indi, Elayna, Rosemary and Allie all needed clearer focus.
• The DQ finish protected people but did not elevate anyone.

Eric Young sends a warning to Ricky Sosa

Eric Young cut a promo about Ricky Sosa needing to learn the truth and understand that everything comes at a price. This was a standard veteran-versus-rising-name go-home promo. Young is still good at making simple material sound serious, and Sosa getting his first PPV match at Slammiversary gives the story a purpose.

The problem is that the segment felt more like a reminder than a hook. Young vs. Sosa makes sense. Young wants to humble him. Sosa wants to prove he belongs. But last night did not add much heat beyond restating the match.

Grade: C

What worked

• Young gave the match credibility.
• Sosa’s first PPV match gives the story a clean milestone.
• The tone fit Young’s current character.

What didn’t work

• It did not make the match feel more must-see.
• The story still feels underdeveloped compared to the bigger Slammiversary matches.
• It needed one stronger angle before Sunday.

AJ Francis def. Manny Lemons

AJ Francis got the kind of dominant win he needed before Slammiversary. Manny Lemons jumped him at the bell, but Francis quickly took over with power offense, including corner attacks, a big slam, TFL and Down Payment for the win. The match was exactly what it needed to be: short, direct and designed to make Francis look strong before Elijah.

After the match, Elijah appeared on the screen and said he was ready to take back everything. The feud is ridiculous, but at least it is clear. AJ Francis wants to own Elijah’s name, likeness and music. Elijah wants his identity back. That is goofy wrestling, but it has more definition than some of the more “serious” stories on the show.

Grade: C+

What worked

• Francis looked dominant.
• Elijah’s message kept the feud focused.
• The stipulation gives the match a clear hook.

What didn’t work

• The match itself was just a squash.
• The feud is still more entertaining concept than emotional story.
• Francis mocking Elijah works, but it can get repetitive fast.

Xia Brookside def. Harley Hudson

Xia Brookside jumped Harley Hudson before the bell, which was the right move for someone challenging Léi Yǐng Lee for the Knockouts World Championship at Slammiversary. Xia needed to look aggressive, and she did. She worked Harley over with stomps, corner offense, double knees and a submission stretch before avoiding Harley’s top-rope leg drop and finishing her with DarkSide.

Harley got enough offense to show personality, including armdrags, a hip attack, a big right hand and a few flashes of momentum, but this was Xia’s match. She needed the win and got it.

The post-match angle is where it got weaker. Xia attacked Harley after the bell, and Léi Yǐng Lee eventually came out to make the save. The problem was the urgency. For a babyface champion defending the Knockouts World Championship this Sunday, Lee needed to explode into that moment. Instead, Xia looked like the one driving the action, Harley looked like the victim, and Lee felt a step late.

This was a pattern last night: TNA had the right idea but did not always land the execution cleanly.

Grade: C+

What worked

• Xia looked aggressive before Slammiversary.
• Harley’s selling and comeback moments helped the match.
• DarkSide gave Xia a decisive win.

What didn’t work

• Lee’s save lacked urgency.
• The champion should have felt more fired up.
• Xia came out looking more active than the champion.

TNA Injury Report

The Injury Report pushed Ash By Elegance being out of action, Santana being evaluated after the World Title Summit, and the general danger surrounding Slammiversary with the ladder match and Ultimate X match ahead.

This was functional, but it also highlighted the weirdness of the Ash situation. Calling Ash “out of action” after she refused to wrestle only made the earlier bait-and-switch stand out more. The Santana part worked better because it tied directly into the show’s strongest angle.

Grade: C

What worked

• It tied multiple stories into Slammiversary.
• Santana’s medical update helped the world title angle.
• It sold the physical danger of Sunday’s card.

What didn’t work

• The Ash note felt like a cover for a match TNA never planned to deliver.
• It was more useful than exciting.
• It leaned into the show’s habit of over-explaining things.

Mike Santana and Nic Nemeth World Title Summit

This was the best serious segment of the night. Mike Santana and Nic Nemeth had the final words before their TNA World Championship match, with Carlos Silva and Gia Miller present. Nemeth played the veteran challenger who respects Santana only until it benefits him to cut deeper. Santana leaned into being the company guy, the champion who has made TNA his priority while Nemeth has had one foot in other places.

That contrast matters even more because of the reports surrounding Santana’s contract status heading into Slammiversary. Whether fans believe he is staying or leaving, that outside noise adds weight to the story. Santana defending the TNA World Championship against Nemeth already feels big, but the uncertainty around his future gives the match a sharper edge.

Nemeth crossed the line by bringing up Santana’s family and late father, Santana punched him, and Ryan Nemeth helped Nic attack the champion. Nic smashing Santana’s head into the table and title belt was the kind of final heat the match needed. It stripped away the respectful challenger act and made Nemeth feel like someone willing to sink low to win.

Grade: A-

What worked

• Santana felt like the heart of TNA.
• Nemeth finally felt like a real villain.
• Ryan Nemeth’s involvement gave Nic’s attack more heat.
• The segment made the world title match feel personal.

What didn’t work

• The hospital tease was dramatic but a little too quick to resolve later.
• Nemeth’s cheap-shot heat worked, but the story waited until the go-home show to fully sharpen him.
• The segment was strong enough that more of the build should have had this same edge.

Moose vs. Eddie Edwards becomes a No Surrender Match

Moose came out with JDC, and TNA officially made Moose vs. Eddie Edwards a No Surrender Match at Slammiversary. Eddie will have Alisha Edwards in his corner, Moose will have JDC in his corner, and the only way to win is for the opponent’s cornerman to throw in the towel.

On paper, that gives the match drama. Moose wants revenge because Eddie betrayed him and JDC. Eddie wants to prove The System is better without them. JDC has history with Eddie. Alisha is emotionally tied to the entire thing. There is logic here.

But is it really that deep? Not really.

The stipulation feels bigger than the feud has earned. Moose vs. Eddie should be a grudge match. It did not need to become a No Surrender match unless TNA had built this like a blood feud where one man has to be saved from himself. Instead, it feels like the company wanted another special stipulation on the Slammiversary card.

JDC being in Moose’s corner also feels strange because his retirement was treated like a big deal, and now he is already back on television in a major PPV angle less than a year later. Technically, standing in Moose’s corner is not the same as wrestling. Emotionally, it still makes the retirement feel less meaningful.

Grade: C+

What worked

• Moose and Eddie have a clear betrayal story.
• Alisha and JDC give the stipulation an actual finish mechanism.
• The towel stipulation adds suspense if TNA pays it off correctly.

What didn’t work

• The feud does not feel deep enough for the stipulation.
• JDC being back so soon after retirement feels weird.
• The segment tried to make the match feel bigger than the build has made it.

Ricky Sosa video package

Ricky Sosa was framed as someone looking to prove he deserves his place in TNA, with his first PPV match coming against Eric Young this Sunday. That is the strongest part of the story: Sosa has a milestone, and Young is the veteran test.

It was clean, but it was also another reminder segment. It helped Sosa, but it did not change the temperature of the match.

Grade: C

What worked

• Sosa’s first PPV match gives him a real story beat.
• The package positioned him as hungry.
• It gave the match simple stakes.

What didn’t work

• It did not feel urgent.
• Sosa needed a stronger live moment.
• Eric Young still feels like he is carrying most of the feud’s identity.

Cedric Alexander, Frankie Kazarian and Mr. Elegance def. Leon Slater, Fabian Aichner and KC Navarro

The six-man tag was the best match of the night from a pure in-ring standpoint. It previewed Sunday’s Ultimate X match and gave Cedric Alexander, Leon Slater, Frankie Kazarian, Mr. Elegance, Fabian Aichner and KC Navarro all a chance to show what they bring to that division.

Slater started fast by knocking Cedric off the apron and going after Kazarian. Aichner brought the power. Navarro brought speed and flash. Cedric turned the tide by dumping Navarro on his head. Mr. Elegance and Kazarian helped isolate Navarro and then Slater, cutting off tags and slowing down the pace.

Once Aichner got the hot tag, the match opened up. He caught Kazarian in mid-air, Navarro hit Code Red, Cedric hit a Michinoku Driver, Mr. Elegance hit Excusez Moi, and Slater connected with the Swanton 450 on Mr. Elegance. The finish was smart: Kazarian rolled up Slater right after the big move, stealing the win while keeping Slater dangerous.

This was exactly what the X-Division needed. It moved fast, gave everyone a role, and actually made Ultimate X feel like a chaotic match where any one mistake can cost somebody everything.

Grade: B+

What worked

• Best in-ring action of the night.
• Slater looked electric even in defeat.
• Kazarian stealing the pin fit his character.
• The match sold Ultimate X better than any promo could have.

What didn’t work

• Cedric, as champion, still feels like he could use a stronger spotlight.
• Seven people in Ultimate X is a lot to manage.
• Mr. Elegance being in this match still feels like more of a character fit than an athletic X-Division fit.

Mike Santana returns and refuses to let Nic Nemeth take his title by default

After the earlier attack, Nic Nemeth came out acting like Santana might not be medically cleared and wanted Carlos Silva to crown him the new TNA World Champion. That was the perfect heel follow-up because Nemeth caused the problem and immediately tried to benefit from it.

Then Ryan Nemeth appeared at the top of the ramp, only for Santana to come out, throw him aside and march straight toward Nic. Security and officials had to pull Santana back as Nemeth escaped. That was the right ending. Santana looked angry, bloodied and determined, and the image sold him as a champion who will not let Nemeth steal his moment before Sunday.

The only knock is that the hospital angle was resolved on the same episode. TNA teased Santana’s status, then brought him back before the show went off the air. That weakens the medical drama, but it helped the final image. Santana standing tall and ready to fight was stronger than ending with uncertainty.

Grade: A-

What worked

• Santana looked like the emotional centerpiece of TNA.
• Nemeth looked like a cowardly opportunist.
• The closing pull-apart gave the world title match the right final image.
• The segment made Slammiversary feel personal.

What didn’t work

• The hospital tease was resolved too quickly.
• The angle would have hit harder if the medical scare had more time to breathe.
• Ryan Nemeth’s involvement helps Nic, but it also risks making the challenger look too dependent on help.

Reports, departures and rumors hanging over Slammiversary

Last night did not exist in a vacuum. TNA is heading into Slammiversary with a lot of outside noise around the company. Mike Santana’s contract situation has become part of the larger conversation around the world title picture. TNA has also dealt with recent departures and backstage changes involving names like Steve Maclin, Tessa Blanchard, Sami Callihan, Myla Grace and Tommy Dreamer, while rumors around creative shakeups, surprise appearances, Amazing Red’s return, a possible former WWE champion appearing, a TNA Hall of Famer being involved, and continued sale/WWE partnership speculation have kept the company in the headlines.

That context makes Slammiversary feel important, but it also makes TNA feel unstable. The company has momentum, the AMC platform, a major anniversary show and a card with real upside. At the same time, the booking last night showed the same problem that has frustrated fans for weeks: TNA has good pieces, but not every division feels organized.

The world title story feels hot. The X-Division feels exciting. The tag title match looks better with The Great Hands added. But the Knockouts division feels crowded, the tag champions still feel secondary, and some stipulations feel like they were added because TNA wanted the card to look bigger instead of because the stories demanded them.

Best Match And Segment Of The Night

Best Match: Cedric Alexander, Frankie Kazarian and Mr. Elegance vs. Leon Slater, Fabian Aichner and KC Navarro

This was the most complete match on the show. It had pace, movement, character work and a finish that protected Slater while giving Kazarian momentum. It did more for Ultimate X than another talking segment would have done.

Best Segment: Mike Santana and Nic Nemeth’s World Title Summit/Closing Pull-Apart

Santana and Nemeth carried the emotional weight of last night. Nemeth finally became the villain the story needed, and Santana looked like the champion TNA should be building around. The closing angle gave Slammiversary its strongest final image.

Current TNA Slammiversary Card

• Mike Santana (c) vs. Nic Nemeth (TNA World Championship)
• Léi Yǐng Lee (c) vs. Xia Brookside (TNA Knockouts World Championship)
• Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Leon Slater vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Mr. Elegance vs. Fabian Aichner vs. KC Navarro vs. Amazing Red (Ultimate X Match for the TNA X-Division Championship)
• Mustafa Ali (c) vs. TBA (TNA International Championship Open Challenge)
• The System (c) vs. The Hardys vs. The Righteous vs. The Great Hands (TNA World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match)
• The Elegance Brand (c) vs. Rosemary and Allie (TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championship)
• Eddie Edwards w/Alisha Edwards vs. Moose w/Johnny Dango Curtis (No Surrender Match)
• AJ Francis vs. Elijah (Winner Receives Rights To Elijah’s Music And Likeness)
• Eric Young vs. Ricky Sosa
• Indi Hartwell vs. Mara Sadé vs. Elayna Black (Countdown To Slammiversary)

Final Thoughts

Last night’s TNA iMPACT! was a productive go-home show, but not a clean one. The Santana/Nemeth story hit hard, the X-Division delivered in the ring, and adding The Great Hands to the ladder match was the right move. Those were the parts that made Slammiversary feel bigger.

But the episode also showed TNA’s bad habits. The Knockouts segment was overstuffed. Ash By Elegance walking out of a match she was advertised for felt pointless because she is not really wrestling regularly anyway. Léi Yǐng Lee’s save lacked the urgency a champion should have. Moose vs. Eddie getting a No Surrender stipulation felt bigger than the story has earned. And the tag champions still feel like supporting characters in a match they should be leading.

The good news is that Slammiversary still has a strong card. The bad news is that TNA is leaning on stipulations, surprises and chaos to cover for storylines that needed more consistent week-to-week focus. Last night got the company to Sunday, but it did not fix everything on the way there.

Overall Show Grade: B-

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