TNA Wrestling returned with Hard to Kill, live on pay-per-view, and wasted little time setting the tone for what the brand will look like moving forward.

Every major championship was at stake, including the world title in a showdown between champion Alex Shelley and Moose, as well as the Knockouts World Championship as Trinity defended against top contender, Jordynne Grace.

What went down Saturday night in Las Vegas, live from the historic Palms Casino Resort, on the statement-making show?

Find out with this recap, including live grades and analysis, of the blockbuster extravaganza.

Match Card

Announced in advance of the pay-per-view were:

• TNA World Championship Match: Alex Shelley (c) vs. Moose
• Knockouts World Championship Match: Trinity (c) vs. Jordynne Grace
• Josh Alexander vs. Alex Hammerstone
• X-Division Championship Match: Chris Sabin (c) vs. Kushida vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo
• TNA World Tag Team Championship Match: ABC (c) vs. The Rascalz vs. Grizzled Young Vets vs. Mike Bailey and Laredo Kid
• Knockouts Ultimate X: Tasha Steelz vs. Alisha Edwards vs. Gisele Shaw vs. Jody Threat vs. Xia Brookside vs. Dani Luna
• PCO vs. Dirty Dango

Announced for the Countdown to Hard to Kill pre-show were:

• Rich Swann vs. Steve Maclin
• Eric Young and Frankie Kazarian vs. Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers
• Digital Media Championship: Tommy Dreamer (c) vs. Crazzy Steve

Rich Swann vs. Steve Maclin

The return of TNA kicked off Saturday night with a battle between two former world champions as part of the Countdown to Hard to Kill preshow.

Steve Maclin earned a momentum-building victory over Rich Swann in the opener, dodging a Phoenix Splash late, hanging his opponent up in the ropes, and delivering the Crosshairs.

His finisher, an underhook DDT known as KIA, put Swann away.

On the surface, it may have appeared a curious choice to trot two high-profile stars out in the first match of the pre-show but this set the tone for the rest of the show and gave Maclin the first win of the new TNA era of the company, a historic feat for him to hang his hat on.

Result

Maclin defeated Swann

Grade

B

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Swann paid homage to Flash Funk (aka 2 Cold Scorpio) with a bodysuit right out of 1997 WWE.
• This was a rematch from Hard To Kill 2023, where Swann defeated Maclin in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
• Matthew Rehwoldt referenced Desmond Wolfe (AEW's Nigel McGuinness), a nice ode to the previous era of TNA and one of its greatest in-ring competitors. 

Joe Hendry Interrupted AJ Francis

DJ Whoo Kid introduced AJ Francis, who claimed to have purchased time on the PPV broadcast to debut his new music video, "We Out$ide."

Instead, Joe Hendry interrupted and debuted a video of his own, which mocked Francis and his status as Cheez-It Champion.

Checks out.

It did not end well for Hendry, who took a shot to the back from DJ Whoo Kid's computer and was left lying to close things out.

This fun little bit of business introduced Francis to TNA and potentially set up his first feud with Hendry: no harm, no foul, and a productive segment.

Grade

C+

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Francis is going to get over big as a heel based on the crowd's reaction to him here.
• Hendry's videos are always fun and this was no different. Francis sold it well, too.

Eric Young and Frankie Kazarian vs. Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers

The System's Eddie Edwards and Brian Myers scored a win for their newly formed faction, defeating Eric Young and Frankie Kazarian in a hotly contested tag team contest.

The action was non-stop throughout and picked up late, with the hot tag to Kazarian.

The heels winning makes sense given what officials are attempting to do creatively with this new System faction, also including Alisha Edwards and Moose. Kazarian and Young will always be over with this audience so a loss here does not hurt them.

A good match and logical booking makes this an easy win.

Result

Edwards and Myers defeated Kazarian and Young

Grade

B

Top Moments and Takeaways

• The smoothness with which these pros continued to move, reverse, and counter never ceases to amaze. Myers, Edwards, Kazarian, and Young have wrestled a lot of matches over their careers and they still deliver.
• The finish was well done, giving The System a win that capitalized on a distraction of the babyfaces' own doing. It is nice to see heels who do not need to cheat to win. 

TNA Digital Media Championship: Tommy Dream vs. Crazzy Steve

Crazzy Steve settled his intensely personal rivalry with Tommy Dreamer over the TNA Digital Media Championship, capturing the title in a No Disqualification Match.

The prototypical hardcore match brimming with weaponry, including steel chairs and trash cans, it was no better or worse than the thousands of those matches we have seen Dreamer in over the years.

Steve, who fancies a fork as his signature weapon, shoved dozens of them into the shirt of Dreamer and delivered a cannonball in the corner, driving them into his opponent. He earned the win moments later.

Result

Crazzy Steve defeated Dreamer to win the title

Grade

C

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Tom Hannifan noted on commentary that Dreamer lost 40 pounds and hit his target weight for this match, a testament to how hard he continues to work at this point in his career.
• The finish was convoluted as all heck but it at least made sense within the context of Steve's fork gimmick. 

Knockouts Ultimate X Match

Tasha Steelz vs. Alisha Edwards vs. Gisele Shaw vs. Jody Threat vs. Xia Brookside vs. Dani Luna

"The Quintessential Knockout" Gisele Shaw earned a guaranteed shot at the Knockouts World Championship by way of her victory in Saturday's show-opening Ultimate X match.

A match that highlighted the attributes of its competitors and allowed all six women to shine a different points, it was a great way to kick off this show and propel the already revolutionary women's division forward in this new era.

Shaw is the most established character outside of Steelz so sans plans for the Boricua Badass, it is Shaw that makes the most sense to get the win here. Still, Luna was mighty impressive and Threat's unbridled energy is extraordinary.

Result

Shaw defeated Luna, Steelz, Edwards, Threat, and Brookside

Grade

B+

Top Moments and Takeaways

• The wealth of fresh faces in this match helps exponentially. As great as the Knockouts division is and has been over the last three or so years, it has needed some new blood and the involvement of Brookside, Luna, and Threat was welcome.
• Threat's energy is superb. Luna's power is impressive. They each bring something different to the match and were key contributors to the overall quality of this match.
• Shaw delivered a cool spear off the back of Luna, wiping out Threat as she hung from the cables.

PCO vs. Dirty Dango Becomes a Six-Man Tag Team Match

The originally scheduled match between PCO and Dirty Dango was altered shortly after it started, with interference from Oleg Prudius and Alpha Bravo causing a disqualification. Rhino made the save for PCO and TNA official Santino Marella announced a six-man tag, with Jake Something joining the babyfaces.

The match was a perfectly acceptable tag match that highlighted the babyfaces and got all six competitors on the show and involved.

It was harmless, even if it could be argued that it would have been better suited on the pre-show.

Result

PCO defeated Dirty Dango via DQ

PCO, Something, and Rhino def. Dango, Bravo, and Prudius

Grade

C

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Prudius accompanied Dirty Dango to the squared circle. Prudius is better known to longtime WWE fans as Vladimir Kozlov and is still in phenomenal shape.
• Dango's disdain for TNA Wrestling is such a fun part of his current character, which is one of the more original and interesting on wrestling TV. How WWE had this guy, with all of his natural charisma, and never capitalized on it is astonishing.

Knockouts Tag Team Championship Match: Decay vs. MK Ultra

MK Ultra's Masha Slamovich and Killer Kelly saw their reign as Knockouts Tag Team Champions come to an end Saturday in an unadvertised title defense against the returning Rosemary and Havok, known collectively as Decay.

The challengers answered the physicality and mind games of the champions with those of their own en route to winning the titles. In the process, they sent a message to the rest of the Knockouts tag team division that the most dangerous team in TNA is back.

A good match, with strong work from MK Ultra and great fire from Decay, it was one that probably would have benefited the card had it been announced in advance.

The creative decision to switch the titles is an interesting one in that the now former champions were such a great act, but it would not be surprising to see Kelly and Slamovich regain the gold in short order.

Result

Rosemary and Havok defeated MK Ultra to win the Knockouts Tag Team Championship

Grade

C+

Top Moments and Takeaways

• The commentary team sold the idea that this was a surprise addition to the card.
• MK Ultra has aura and is one of the best things about TNA Wrestling here in 2024.
• Decay is an act that will remain perpetually over. Rosemary has built equity with the audience and has to be considered one of the best and most influential Knockouts in the history of the company.

X-Division Championship Match: Chris Sabin vs. Kushida vs. El Hijo del Vikingo

Take three extraordinarily talented wrestlers, known and respected around the world, and put them in the ring with the X-Division Championship at stake.

Odds are, the match will be superb.

That was the case here as Chris Sabin retained his title against Kushida, known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and El Hijo del Vikingo of AAA and AEW fame.

A high-speed, action-packed title match saw each competitor test the others' stamina and endurance en route to Sabin downing his Time Machine friend and partner Kushida with the Cradle Shock for the win.

This was a great way to showcase the action that has long defined the division and more importantly, highlight the type of competition Sabin and his fellow TNA stars will encounter coming out of AAA.

Result

Sabin defeated Kushida and Vikingo to retain the X-Division Championship

Grade

A

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Hannifan and Rehwoldt are extraordinary commentators who explain the backgrounds of the competitors without lecturing or going too far into detail. It never comes across as "look how much I know" like commentators elsewhere.
• TNA's Scott D'Amore and AAA's Dorian Roldan announced a partnership between the two promotions, which allowed the involvement of Vikingo in tonight's broadcast, before the match.
• Like others earlier in the show, Chris Sabin continues to perform at an extremely high level. He is still one of the great wrestlers in the business at a time when so many are rushing to crown the hottest new thing with that title.

Josh Alexander vs. Alex Hammerstone

Alex Hammerstone helped carry Major League Wrestling into notoriety as one of the higher-profile independent companies in the business as their world champion. Now a free agent, he squared off with former TNA Wrestling world champ, "The Walking Weapon" Josh Alexander.

Anyone questioning whether Hammerstone can hang with the best in the business received an emphatic "yes" in the form of a great, physical, hard-hitting match full of the sort of counters and reversals you would not expect from competitors the size of the former MLW and TNA world champions.

Alexander won, ushering in this era of TNA with a C4 Spike that put his opponent down for the count.

Arguably, the match of the night to this point, but that should not be surprising considering Alexander's excellence.

Result

Alexander pinned Hammerstone

Grade

A

Top Moments and Takeaways

• This is the epitome of two big, strong pro wrestlers trying to out-physical the other. 
• The false finisher off of the Nightmare Pendulum from Hammerstone was great and preceded a barrage by the free agent.
• A great showcase for Hammerstone, who proved he may be a physical marvel but can straight go between bells. 

Four-Way Match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship

ABC (Ace Austin and Chris Bey) vs. The Rascalz (Zach Wentz and Trey Miguel) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (Zack Gibson and James Drake) vs. "Speedball" Mike Bailey and Laredo Kid

Bullet Club's Ace Austin and Chris Bey withstood the challenge of three extraordinarily talented tag teams at Hard to Kill, successfully defending their TNA World Tag Team Championship against Grizzled Young Veterans, The Rascalz, and the thrown-together team of Bailey and Laredo Kid.

The match was quite literally nonstop action from the opening bell to the closing, with incredible feats of athleticism and tag team chemistry on full display. The outcome was a bit of a surprise given the arrival of Gibson and Drake, but it essentially ended the feud with Miguel and Wentz for the time being and frees up ABC to battle GYV, if that is the direction that things are heading.

A great match in a string of them now and evidence of great things to come for the TNA tag team division.

Result

ABC defeated Grizzled Young Veterans, The Rascalz, and Mike Bailey and Laredo Kid to retain

Grade

A

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Weather prevented Trent Seven from teaming with Bailey here, a major disappointment as this would have been his first big PPV appearance with TNA.
• The array of talent in this match is as good as you will get in one ring, at one time, in any promotion. 
• Imagine having Bailey in there and he is one-half of the worst team in the match. That is how loaded this field of competitors is.

TNA Knockouts Championship Match: Trinity vs. Jordynne Grace

Trinity's reign as Knockouts Champion came to an end in what may have been the best match of her career and, potentially, the final one of her TNA Wrestling stint.

The champion entered the show amid rumors of a potential WWE return and, despite the outside noise, tore the house down with the vastly underrated Jordynne Grace.

Grace was ready for everything her opponent brought to the match, countering it with her power-based arsenal before delivering the Grace Driver for the pinfall victory.

The outcome makes sense in that it puts the title on a competitor who has worked her way back to the championship and has been as good as any of her peers since arriving in the company.

She is respected, popular, and the perfect foil for someone like Ash By Elegance (the former Dana Brooke), who made her debut at ringside for the championship match.

Result

Grace defeated Trinity to win the title

Grade

A

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Trinity has a star power about her that makes it no surprise whatsoever that WWE would be more than happy to have her back in its women's division.
  
• Everything that Trinity threw at Grace, the challenger had an answer for, usually in the form of some power move or strike. 
• Justified "this is awesome" chants from the fans in Las Vegas for this one.

TNA World Championship Match: Alex Shelley vs. Moose

The historic reign of Alex Shelley as TNA World Champion came to an end in the main event of the show as Moose won the top prize in the company for the second time.

He did so fighting from underneath for most of the match as he battled through an arm injury targeted by Shelley throughout.

The challenger's System teammates (Eddie Edwards, Brian Myers, Alisha Edwards, and former NFL running back D'Angelo Williams) attempted to interfere but were run out of the arena by Chris Sabin and Kushida.

Ultimately, Moose did not need any of them as he caught Shelley with a spear and won the title.

It was what came after it that will ultimately define the 2024 edition of Hard to Kill as Nic Nemeth (former World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler in WWE) made his TNA debut and cleared the ring of the heel before celebrating his arrival with the fans.

It was an electrifying moment that signified the beginning of a new era for the company and one that will have long-reaching effects on the promotion for the foreseeable future. Exactly what it needed amid the rebrand.

Result

Moose defeated Shelley to win the title

Grade

B+

Top Moments and Takeaways

• Shelley entered the match as the third-longest reigning TNA champion in company history at 216 days. That is almost unfathomable given how long the company has been in existence, but indicative of how fast-paced the booking of that title was at times. 
• The physical transformation of Moose throughout his TNA career has been nothing short of amazing. Hannifan revealed on commentary that the challenger entered the match with single-digit body fat.
• Shelley pounced on Moose for a quick pin attempt after delivering Shellshock on the arena floor, a smart move for a wily veteran. Too often, guys deliver big moves outside the ring, then just casually allow their opponent to get back in the ring uncontested. 
• Moose took a few big bumps on the entrance ramp that sounded painful, to say the least. 
• The eruption from the fans for Nemeth was otherworldly and felt like the perfect exclamation point on the night.

Overall Grade

Nic Nemeth's debut was the exclamation point on a show that was damn good even without the massive moment.

The second half of Hard to Kill was one of the best wrestling shows in recent memory, with the X-Division, tag team, Knockouts, and world title matches all delivering in a big way. Oh, and in between that array of show-stealers was the best match of the night: a fantastic battle between heavyweights featuring Josh Alexander and Alex Hammerstone.

The company promised a noteworthy night and delivered, with Nemeth and the debuting Ash By Elegance, but more important than all of it was the renewed energy around the product.

As Impact Wrestling, the shows were equally as good, with a roster of underrated stars hidden in the quiet consistency of the company.

The TNA rebrand has brought eyes to the show and, hopefully, will result in renewed interest for one of the business' best-kept secrets.

Big thumbs up for Hard to Kill.

Grade: A