I know what you’re thinking, “but Billy, TNA’s Bound For Glory event took place in Detroit, that’s a bit far away from Scotland” but fear not dear reader. The rumour has it if you say his name and he appears as Joe Hendry challenged Nic Nemeth for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. A historic event. Hendry has had remarkable rise, challenging for the NXT Championship earlier this year, a viral sensation, and one of our own.

Scotland is a small country but it is producing some of the most exciting and incredible talents in pro wrestling.

For full disclosure, this is the first full TNA event I have watched since Hard To Kill in January so it has been quite the gap in my TNA knowledge. Thankfully the TNA team have always been very helpful on their social media to keep people up to speed with all the goings on so I have a rough idea of the ins and outs of each match coming into this show.

The show kicked off with Ilona singing the US national anthem in a packed venue. USA! USA!

TNA X-Division Championship – Mike Bailey defeated El Hijo del Vikingo by pinfall to retain the TNA X-Division Championship.

Well bloody hell. The tradition of TNA opening a show with a crazy X Division match is alive and well. Vikingo looked to jam his knee in the opening exchange so Bailey went down a more technical route early on with a beauty of a twisting knee lock.

The tweak to the knee slowed down the match but I loved how it followed into Vikingo not quite being fast enough to hit is explosive moveset effectively with Bailey having a counter ready when called upon for the most part.

A Fisherman’s Buster followed up by graceful Shooting Star Press from Mike Bailey could only garner a two count before the match boiled down to a bit of a macho contest of chops exchanged with Bailey going low with a kick to the knee.

A shooting star double knee to the back of Vikingo got another near fall. Vikingo went for a 630 senton but Bailey made an exit to the outside so Vikingo walked the ropes and hit a corkscrew moonsault to the floor, which was incredible.

Vikingo dived off the ring post to hit a Canadian Destroyer to Bailey on the apron, insane. That looked to be it with Vikingo heading back to the top for a 630 senton but Bailey met him, and gave him a flip Fisherman’s Suplex off the top rope to retain the X Division Championship.

I think Vikingo gets a bit of a bad rap of doing flips for flips sake at times but the pace being slowed down due to the injury meant we got to see a more of what Vikingo can do. He shook off the worst of it as the match wore on and we got that fantastic array of dives but they were all placed to tell the story. Much like the fight stance and exchange in the opening it was an even contest, and it went through chapters of having a journey throughout with both using all the tools they had to try and keep the other down for three. Although Bailey is well loved in TNA, he wasn’t presented as an idiot so when there was an opening to exploit the injured knee he took it because all is fair within the confines of that square circle bell to bell. The hand shake at the start of the match allowed for the increased aggression to be fair game.

There was also the brilliant irony of Vikingo’s knee slowing him down with Mike Bailey’s prime source of offense being using his own knees that was a lovely.

An outstanding opening match.

TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championships – Spitfire (Dani Luna & Jody Threat) defeated Rosemary & Wendy Choo by pinfall to retain the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championships.

The match started fast with Spitfire showing their tag team dynamic, taking it to Rosemary and Wendy Choo but it wasn’t long before some spooky shenanigans occurred with Choo using her trusty pillow to cushion Rosemary from being thrown into the corner. Threat responded by giving the pillow a German Suplex out of the ring but the distraction was enough for Rosemary to recover and kick Jody Threat in the face to tag control.

Rosemary and Choo cut of the ring to put a hurting to Threat but a massive lariat gave her the space to tag in Dani Luna who ran wild with her power offense. Spitfire set up for a double dive but Choo dragged Threat out and in the melee saw Rosemary and Choo give Dani Luna a double DDT on the outside. Jody Threat responded with a dive from the top turnbuckle to the spooky duo below.

Rosemary struck with a spear to Dani Luna but broke their own count at two to exact further damage to Luna. It led to Luna give Rosemary and Choo a double powerbomb for their troubles. It went from bad to worse for the challengers with Threat giving them both a German Suplex following some miscommunication with Wendy Choo being put down for the count with an assisted sit out powerbomb.

Rosemary speared Wendy Choo after Spitfire made their exit to put her to sleep.

The tandem display from Spitfire was great, they match each others energy with the Jody Threat being a bit of a loose cannon with Luna able to focus it towards the greater good of the team. Action packed with the intrigue of Rosemary seemingly putting the blame on Wendy Choo even though she had the match won after the spear to Dani Luna. O, what a tangled web we weave.

Josh Alexander defeated Steve Maclin by submission.

Maclin met Josh Alexander on the ramp as the brawl began around the ring. Alexander got the advantage by whipping Maclin into the ringpost and locking on a Figure Four Leglock around the ringpost. Both finally got into the ring for the bell to sound.

Despite Alexander’s best efforts start strong he ran into an explosive lariat to even the playing field. Maclin missed a diving knee that allowed Josh Alexander to pounce with a powerbomb across Alexander’s own knee with the focus of ‘The Walking Weapon”s attacks being the back as the German Suplex reigned for five in a row. A slight hesitation allowed Maclin to do a standing switch had hit about ten of his own, I lost count to be honest, we’ll say ten.

They slugged it out to the apron with Alexander hoisting Maclin up for a front slam onto the apron that rattled the back of Steve Maclin. Alexander couldn’t take advantage with Maclin fighting back with an Olympic Slam, super plex, and Death Valley Driver but it couldn’t keep Josh Alexander down.

An errant foot knocked down the referee to allow Alexander to kick Maclin between the legs and zip tied his arms behind his back. During Alexander’s gloating Maclin got up and amazingly just fired up, threw his body at Alexander in the ring, outside the ring, and when the time came refused to let the referee release him from his bonds. Alexander hit a Tombstone but Maclin kicked out to the roar of the crowd. Maclin kept going but couldn’t escape the ankle lock, eventually passing out.

A highly charged and heated match from the get go. Josh Alexander casually clipping the zip ties and posing with one foot on Steve Maclin’s back while he is passed out is such bastardry, there is no redeeming quality to that. Maclin turned his head away from the referee before passing out which was a nice little moment in his character, like he didn’t want to admit defeat but his body had other ideas. The final stretch with Steve Maclin fighting with his arms behind his back was excellent. A hard hitting bout.

TNA Digital Media Championship/International Heavyweight Championship – Monster’s Ball – PCO defeated Matt Cardona by pinfall to retain the TNA Digital Media Championship and International Heavyweight Championship.

Cardona, donned in a Ghostbusters inspired attire immediately went on the defensive as the bell rang, trying to bait PCO into a vulnerable position. PCO crashed to the outside through the ropes but the inexperience in Monster Ball’s matches from Matt Cardona was evident as he asked for the referee to count out PCO.

PCO’s penchant for sick punishment continued with being backdropped on the ring steps to send his lower back crashing off the edge of the top step. He returned the favour by back dropping Cardona through a door set up in the corner.

A flying PCO collided with a metal bin to the face to give Cardona the advantage once more as he began to collect a slew of weapons, creating a structure with chairs and another door, sending PCO through it from the second turnbuckle to the construction below.

Cardona continued his tear, stuffing thumbtacks into the mouth of PCO and hitting a Broski Boot to the face of the monster but PCO took it, took the head slams into the thumbtack ridden mat, taking the thumbtacks being pushed one by one into his face. A Radio Silence from Cardona could only get a two count.

PCO ran through a door holding Cardona and retrieved another bag of thumbtacks but a low blow from Cardona allowed him to fetch a barbed wire bat. The swings had little effect with PCO grabbing Cardona by the throat for a chokeslam on the tacks and a moonsault later it was a win for The French Canadian Frankenstein.

A plunder filled bout that had your expected PCO madness, with the barbaric nature exclating throughout. After three doors being pulled out from under the ring by Matt Cardona, when he produced the barbed wire bat instead it rightly got a big reaction.

My only criticism is I would’ve loved the old school Monster’s Ball stipulation of the competitors being locked in isolation for 24 hours before the match so they enter on edge but I suppose with Cardona thinking himself above this kind of match it makes sense that he would refuse that and PCO just wants to destroy him regardless, he probably does the 24 hour isolation himself anyway for funsies.

Mike Santana defeated Moose w/JDC by pinfall.

Moose tried to evade a charging Santana early but was followed to the outside to take the fight to the big man. JDC provided a shield to allow Moose to powerbomb Santana on the outside to put the momentum into the hands of The System.

Santana continued to fight back, going for a corner cannonball but was smoothly caught into a powerbomb by Moose for a nearfall. Moose continued the beat down with Santana swinging defiantly. Moose went for a run up crossbody off the top rope but was ducked and left him poised for a roll through cutter by Santana that was glorious.

There was a callback to the earlier cannonball catch with Santana getting caught again on the outside but managed to turn Moose over for a hurricanrana, then following up with a springboard moonsault to have Moose on the backfoot.

A nasty Death Valley Driver into the corner and a Shooting Star Press wasn’t enough to keep Moose down for three. Moose retaliated with an attempted Sky High from the top rope that was bold even if it wasn’t pretty.

The battle continued to the apron with Moose muscling Santana up for powerbomb onto the hardest part of the ring to accept the count out victory but Santana slide in at the count of nine which was enough for JDC to bring in the chain wrapped around his fist. Despite it being a swing and miss, Moose managed to land a spear for another close two count.

Moose went for one more but Santana landed the discus lariat for the win. It was a slow burn at times but it was another hard hitting match that was highlighted by big moments. The through line of Santana being persistent and never giving up lead to a very satisfying victory.

TNA Knockouts World Championship – Masha Slamovich defeated Jordynne Grace by pinfall to win the TNA Knockouts World Championship.

Grace and Slamovich started the match trading holds, keeping it respectful and almost reserved, it didn’t take long for the two to start throwing their respective fortes. Masha picked up the pace to use her agility and speed advantage whereas Jordynne Grace went for power and hard impact.

Slamovich used her kicks to try and keep some distance between the two but the damage the champion had done to the knee with a slam to the ring post and follow up Dragon Screw took its toll. Slamovich locked in a Dragon Sleeper with a DDT twist but Grace powered up with a silky smooth Jackhammer for the near fall.

Masha whipped Grace off the turnbuckles with a hurricanrana, muscling up Jordynne with a Snow Plow but couldn’t hook the leg so could only gain a two count. Grace hit a Tombstone Wheelbarrow German Suplex, a move that I find hard to believe was possible but it definitely happened. A Kryptonite Krunch later it was another close but no cigar count for Jordynne Grace.

We saw the continued fight from Masha Slamovich, surviving a leg trap suplex, a Juggernaut Driver, then dragged herself to the ropes while locked into a knee lock. They battled to the top rope, Grace aiming for another Driver but Slamovich hit desperate headbutts to allow her to hit a superplex before driving Jordynne Grace to the matt with piledriver to win the TNA Knockouts World Championship.

An electric contest, Jordynne Grace threw everything at Masha Slamovich but the tenacity of Masha was on display as she kept fighting. It was very competitive. Jordynne Grace is an incredible wrestler and her strength is insane, the inversions and modifications she’s able to apply to established moves to make them look even more brutal is top tier. The emotion Masha showed as she battled on was great, it retained and pulsed the crowd support with every kick out.

TNA World Championship – Special Referee: Frankie Kazarian – Nic Nemeth defeated Joe Hendry by pinfall to retain the TNA World Championship.

The whole reason I’m sitting my butt down and watching this event was for this match, Joe Hendry has been the hot topic in pro wrestling. He has generated and cultivated every opportunity earned. Main eventing an NXT PLE, making his presence in WWE felt as soon as his music hit and he appeared, drawing eyes to TNA in the process like Jordynne Grace has also done with her visits to Orlando.

Hendry had campaigned for Eminem to appear on the lead up to the event in Detroit which went unanswered by the man himself but that didn’t stop Joe from entering with an 8 Mile instrumental remix of his theme and a Slim Shady appearance before we got the beloved entrance tones of I Believe In Joe Hendry.

After a feeling out back and forth, Hendry showed his intent by carrying Nemeth around in a vertical suplex position. Nemeth tried his snapping offense but Hendry had the answer early on, controlling the body positions to send Nemeth crashing down. The Standing Ovation was countered to keep the champion in the match.

Hendry launched Nemeth overhead for a Fallaway Slam off the second rope. As the two lay on the mat Frankie Kazarian went to cash in his Call Your Shot trophy which began the shenanigans. Hendry stopped him but walked into a Famouser from Nemeth, barely kicking out of a fast count.

The match continued with Hendry again getting the upper hand, knocking Nemeth out with a cutter on the apron, Kazarian tried to cash in again but JBL arrived to clothesline him. JBL whispered something to Joe Hendry on the outside, but as Hendry pulled him back he gave him a clothesline as well. Ryan Nemeth appeared and got punched in the face by Layfield as the Texan made his exit.

Hendry rolled into the ring but was prone for a DangerZone, the kick out had the crowd roar that they believed but it wasn’t enough, Nemeth avoided a Standing Ovation and hit one more DangerZone to take the win.

Before the silliness of Kazarian trying to cash in we were on track for a great match. The problem being there was a lack of intensity. Hendry is one of the most popular acts going right now but he didn’t have any beef with Nic Nemeth directly, he was going for gold and Nemeth happened to be the champion at the time. The Frankie Kazarian inclusion as the referee was possibly unneeded, the JBL appearance may’ve made the moment even bigger if Hendry hit that Standing Ovation as the audience were going wild and getting the win. There might be some bias on this side of the pond, but this was a perfect opportunity to capitalise on the momentum that Joe Hendry has garnered in 2024.

The big test now is will the fans lose interest in Joe Hendry? Much like Cody Rhodes losing at WrestleMania 40, it’s a delicate road to keep that momentum hot. In a silver lining, please give me Joe Hendry and John Bradshaw Layfield wailing fists and Fallaway Slams sooner rather than later.

I hope TNA isn’t doomed to repeat their error when they had that same opportunity with Samoa Joe back in 2007 but didn’t strike when the iron was hot with his 2008 title win maybe not hitting the heights it could have.

TNA World Tag Team Championships – Full Metal Mayhem – The Hardys (Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy) defeated The System (Brian Myers & Eddie Edwards), and ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) to win the TNA World Tag Team Championships.

The System bore the brunt of the opening flurry with ABC and The Hardys squashing and sending Edwards and Myers out of the ring. The System were hounded by their opponents into the crowd with Ace Austin giving Brian Myers a frog splash through a table. Eddie Edwards soon felt the wood with Matt Hardy crashing through his body with a leg drop off a ladder at ringside to neutralise The System.

The Hardys hit Twist of Fate into a neckbreaker to Chris Bey which looked so smooth. Ace Austin stopped The Hardys from ending the match early by pushing them off a ladder as ABC took control. Austin scaled a split ladder with Chris Bey holding on but was sent crashing thanks to Jeff Hardy’s intervention who went to work making a ladder scaffold in the ring.

The scaffold caused damaged to ABC and The Hardys, Matt and Chris Bey finding themselves being cracked with chairs with Ace Austin and Jeff headbutting each other to crash backfirst onto the ladder that was supporting their respective weights. It allowed The System to make their return and bring in the tables. Crashing The Hardys through the wood with stereo Side Effects off the apron. A conchairto to Ace Austin was stopped by Chris Bey who started swinging with a chair of his own.

Brian Myers replicated the famous spear off the ladder to a hanging Chris Bey ala WrestleMania X-Seven as The System were in the driver’s seat but The Hardys returned with Twist of Fate’s and a giant ladder which saw Jeff Hardy land through Brian Myers with a Swanton Bomb.

Alisha Edwards arrived to knock Ace Austin off a ladder but Matt Hardy gave her a Twist of Fate to take her out. Eddie Edwards was then given a double team powerbomb through a table on the outside which allowed Matt and Jeff to scale the ladder and take down the gold.

The crowd were subdued at times but rose up for the big spills and when the ladder was scaled, they came unglued when Edwards went through the table and they realised that The Hardys were about to become TNA Tag Team Champions once more. All three teams were showcased with a highlight reel of moments. Using the environment to make their existing moveset as devastating as possible. The imagi-nation graffiti weapons made for a kaleidoscopic psychedelic battleground and there was some nostalgic tributes of ladder matches gone by for those that are coming in as a returning fan of pro wrestling to possibly hook them back in.

I had a bloody good time watching this. Yeah we didn’t get the big Joe Hendry TNA World Title win, but it wasn’t enough to put a dampener on the whole show with the X Division and Knockouts World title matches being highlights but every match provided stand out moments. The Hardys winning the World Tag Team Titles provided a feel good ending as they may be a bit slower than they were in 1999 but they still elicit an emotional reaction regardless of the generation.

The presentation of the taglines before each match with Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt was excellent to keep casual viewers in the loop, I loved it when Mike Tenay and Don West would do this back in the day. It was a slick production with little downtime between matches. An excellent watch.