TNA Under Siege 2025 Review

Wrestling time again! TNA Under Siege!

A major TNA show held in Canada — and right now, with tensions between the two governments running high, the usual tongue-in-cheek rivalry between the countries is being taken a lot more seriously. TNA is even running a special USA vs. Canada event in a few days, but here it only lingers in the background as an unofficial theme. The show also landed at an unlucky moment — this Sunday is NXT Battleground, where the TNA World Champion will defend his title against NXT’s Trick Williams, so not all the titles are on the line tonight.

Pre-show

Robert Stone is slowly climbing his way toward seizing power in TNA. He managed to convince upper management that Director of Authority Santino Marella is unfit for the role, and in the meantime, he's been granted the provisional title of TNA Sheriff. Tonight, Stone’s client Tessa Blanchard is facing off against NXT envoy and Santino’s daughter, Arianna Grace — clearly one more step in his plan to take over. Both Stone and Marella come out to the ring to address the situation, and the discussion quickly devolves into threats: Tessa is one of the top women’s wrestling stars today, while Arianna, with all due respect, is only just starting her journey. Santino warns that if Robert and Tessa so much as try to mess with his daughter, they’ll have to deal not with Santino the Director of Authority… but with Santino the father!

Rosemary vs. Xia Brookside

For weeks, Rosemary has been lurking around Xia, trying to lure her into embracing her dark side. This match became another stage for that agenda. Rosemary kept provoking her opponent to show some aggression and… got exactly what she wanted! Brookside grabbed a leather belt and whipped her “mentor” into the mat! The referee disqualified her on the spot, but Xia wasn’t done! Security ran out to stop her — and got the belt too! Rosemary clearly took some damage, but judging by her expression, she was more than satisfied with the outcome.

No Contest

Main Show

Mike Santana vs. AJ Francis

If you ask me, Mike Santana should’ve been the #1 contender for the TNA World Title after beating Mustafa Ali. How exactly AJ Francis got in his way is a mystery… but hey, TNA doesn’t publish official rankings, so this is all just my personal fantasy booking — and let’s be honest, my fantasies don’t always line up with objective reality. Which is a shame, because many of my fantasie— wait, what were we talking about again? Ah, yes. Wrestling!

AJ’s music hits and he appears on the ramp, flanked by KC Navarro — and on crutches! He says he knows we were all dying to see him lay Santana out tonight, but unfortunately, he’s suffered a turf toe injury getting out of his limo too fast! Um… not sure I’m buying it. Convenient timing to avoid a real threat to his spot — but hey, injuries do happen in sports. AJ mocks the Canadian crowd and announces that taking his place in the match will be… KC Navarro! I think KC was just as surprised as I was, but he didn’t even have time to object before stepping into the ring.

And I’ve got to say — KC Navarro impressed the hell out of me. What was supposed to be a total squash turned into a gritty Cruiserweight vs. Heavyweight clash of the highest level! At one point KC backed Santana into the corner, nailed him with a kick, leaped to the top rope and hit a picture-perfect Frog Splash! The ref’s count went to two — and that was already more than anyone expected! Santana went for Spin the Block to end it, but Navarro dodged, rolled him up — again, just two! Navarro tried another top-rope move, but this time Mike caught him mid-air, tossed him into the corner with a Buckle Bomb, and followed up with a Cannonball — still only two! Finally, Santana dragged him up, landed STB on the second try, and got the pin.

Winner: Mike Santana

After the match, Santana helped Navarro up and offered a handshake — showing real respect. But… oh look! AJ Francis miraculously throws aside his crutch, hops into the ring, and clocks Santana with it! He orders Navarro to join in on the beatdown — and KC, clearly torn, ends up reluctantly obeying.

Gabby Laspisa fills in for Gia Miller, who's currently on vacation, stepping in as tonight’s backstage interviewer. She introduces Jaipaul Massey‑Singh, the CEO of the Brampton Board of Trade, seated in the crowd (the fans boo him — which, to be fair, he seems to enjoy), followed by Rod Power — a city council member, who also gets his fair share of "boos." Then she brings out Hammer — the mascot of Brampton’s local hockey team, the Honey Badgers — and this guy gets a huge pop from the crowd.

Next, we get a video package on Cody Deaner and the downward spiral of his career. In all of 2024, he hasn’t won a single match, and now that his contract is up, management sees no reason to re-sign him. Santino Marella gave him several chances. Deaner was so desperate, he even tried to join The System — only to get rejected by them, too. Now, Santino’s offering one final opportunity: if Cody can beat Eddie Edwards, a former World Champion, it might be enough to justify giving him a new deal.

Backstage, Deaner watches the video. He doesn’t look particularly hopeful. Eric Young, a Canadian legend and TNA Original — and someone with a complicated past with Deaner — walks up to him. Eric says he’s been in that exact same position. And look — he’s still here. They fist-bump, and Eric walks off.

Eddie Edwards (w/Alisha Edwards) vs. Cody Deaner

The stakes couldn’t be higher for Cody — and he fought like a man possessed! The action spilled to the outside, where Eddie — notorious for his antics with the fans — got into it with a guy at ringside… and Cody planted him with a Sliced Bread on the floor! Deaner rolled him back into the ring and nailed a top-rope Cross Body — but only got a two count.

Deaner went for the finish with a DDT, but then bam! — Alisha jumped up on the apron! The ref got distracted, and Eddie slipped on his heavy System ring, clocking Deaner with a loaded punch! Cover — but somehow, Cody kicked out at the very last millisecond!

Back-and-forth strikes! Deaner starts winning the exchange! Then — low blow from Alisha while Eddie distracts the ref! Boston Knee Party, cover… and just like that, Deaner’s last hope for a contract extension vanishes into thin air.

Winner: Eddie Edwards

What can I say? I feel bad for Deaner. I’ve always had a soft spot for him. But… wrestling is a competition. For someone to win, others have to lose. And if you keep losing, maybe you’re just not on the level you need to be to compete here. Sometimes, you have to accept that and walk away — so you can find a place where you can succeed.

The System make their way to the ring. Brian Myers sarcastically wishes Cody Deaner luck at his new job — at a gas station. JDC adds that nobody cares about Deaner — not his wife, not his kids, not even his country. Moose says he used to be a hero to all these idiots, and now he’s just another unemployed loser. “Just like every other Canadian in this building,” he sneers. With the American flag proudly stitched into The System’s gear, the crowd’s hatred reaches nuclear levels.

The Northern Armory are here!

Eric Young asks, “How long is this gonna keep happening?” The disrespect toward these people — toward this country? He reminds them that he and his team were born here, raised here, and they’re here to shut these arrogant American asses up! There are three of them, and three of you — and looks like you’ve got your own Honey Badger (was that a shot at Alisha?). You want a fight? You got it.

The Northern Armory vs. The System (JDC, Brian Myers & Moose)

Now look, The Northern Armory aren’t exactly saints — Eric Young literally poisoned his former best friend Steve Maclin not too long ago — but tonight, they’re on home turf, defending national pride, and the crowd is all in.

The match is every bit as chaotic and hard-hitting as you'd expect. At one point, Moose eats a Double Powerbomb. JDC and Myers are wiped out by Suicide Dives. Eric Young hits a Diving Elbow Drop on the X-Division Champion, but it only gets a two-count! Moose returns with a Spear (sadly, the commentators no longer shout "No Jackhammer needed!" — which always ruled), but Icarus breaks the pin. Myers tosses him out of the ring, Williams flattens Myers with a Lariat. JDC takes out Williams. Young knocks JDC off his feet. Another Spear from Moose — but EY blocks it! He hoists Moose up for a Death Valley Driver! Alisha pulls out a kendo stick. Hammer tries to stop her but gets whacked for his trouble! Now Moose has the stick — but the city councilman and board director (yes, those guys from the earlier segment) jump the rail and confiscate the weapon! Piledriver from Young, pinfall: 1... 2... 3!

Winners: The Northern Armory

In the crowd, we get a shot of two newly signed Knockouts: Harley Hudson and Myla Grace. Myla seems like a pretty standard wrestler so far, but Harley gives off strong vibes — unique style, lots of potential. That said… I haven’t seen enough of either to say anything definitive. We’ll see.

Backstage: Santino Marella is backstage with his daughter Ariana Grace, prepping her for her match tonight. The ever-careful father warns her that she’s up against a seasoned, dangerous opponent — Tessa Blanchard. Ariana agrees… but insists she’s got the upper hand. Why? Because Tessa underestimates her. “And tonight, I’m gonna kick her ass!” she says. Santino, stunned that his daughter even knows those words, nearly chokes on his accent.

Steve Maclin cuts a short promo. He was supposed to defend his International Championship tonight against Matt Cardona, but doctors haven’t cleared him after a skull injury he suffered in that brutal Dog Collar Match with Eric Young. Still, he promises to defend the title against Cardona this Thursday on Impact.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Ariana Grace w/ Santino Marella

The match hasn’t even started yet when Robert Stone shows up. He “regretfully” announces that, per the rules, Santino doesn’t have an official manager’s license — and thus, he must leave ringside. Technically, he’s right… but come on. When’s the last time anyone cared about this rule? It’s obviously just a tactic to rattle Santino and throw Ariana off her game. But credit where it’s due — the Director of Authority follows the rules and exits without incident.

As for the match… well, maybe Tessa did underestimate Ariana — but Ariana definitely overestimated herself. Sure, she’s bigger and stronger than Tessa, but Tessa’s fought and beaten men like Sami Callihan and Brian Cage. It’s going to take a lot more than size to beat her. Ariana did manage to hit an awesome Superplex off the top rope — but only got a two-count. She went for another from the top rope, but Tessa bit her (!), fought her off, and went for Magnum… only to nearly lose her balance and botch the move. So she hit a Buzzsaw Kick, then hit Magnum again — this time clean — and finally scored the pin.

Winner: Tessa Blanchard

Post-match, Santino comes back out to check on his daughter. But Robert Stone returns too, and wastes no time ordering Santino and his “loser daughter” out of the arena. Security “helps” Santino make the right call, and Stone uses the moment to introduce the next Knockouts Champion… Victoria Crawford!

Victoria Crawford w/Robert Stone vs. Masha Slamovich (c) (TNA Knockouts Championship)

You probably remember Victoria Crawford as Alicia Fox from WWE. Back in the Divas Era, she was billed as the most unpredictable woman on the roster — and she held her own even into the Women’s Evolution. She’s been mostly absent from wrestling for a few years, but it seems Stone talked her into a full-on comeback. And you know what? I’m glad. She looks great, has tons of experience, and clearly still has a few good years left in the tank.

The match starts evenly, both women battling toe to toe. Then — of course — Robert Stone gets involved. He tosses the championship belt into the corner and starts distracting the ref. Crawford instantly gets the plan and tries to use the belt — but the ref grabs the other end and they engage in a full-on tug-of-war. In the chaos, Masha accidentally knocks out the referee — and promptly eats the belt to the face. Stone yells at Victoria to finish the job. She tries to hit Masha’s own Package Piledriver, but Slamovich reverses into a Snowplow! The ref’s still down. No one to count the fall. Victoria rolls Masha up instead — just as the ref crawls back in — but only gets two! Requiem from Masha. One. Two. Three. Still champion.

Winner and still TNA Knockouts Champion: Masha Slamovich

To be honest, I think Victoria could’ve won if Robert Stone hadn’t tried to help. Yeah, yeah — no use speculating about what could’ve been… but I’d love to see a clean match between these two generations of women’s wrestling. No distractions. No shenanigans.

Before I could finish that thought, Masha grabbed a mic. She reminded everyone that she came to TNA to fight the best in the world. Now she wants a real challenger — someone as ruthless as she is. Someone like… Lei Ying Lee. She respects her and wants to put the title on the line. Lee comes out and accepts — but wait.

Robert Stone cuts her off. “Is this for real?” he asks. Wrestlers can’t just book their own matches. Only Sheriff Stone can do that! If Lei Ying Lee wants a title shot, she’ll have to earn it — this Thursday on Impact.

Commentators Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt pay tribute to the late Sabu, who passed away earlier this week. I only became a fan of ECW a few years after it shut down—and mainly thanks to the legacy its legends left in other promotions and in wrestling as a whole. Sabu, without a doubt, was one of the key figures and pioneers of extreme wrestling, and an inspiration for TNA’s X-Division. I’m endlessly grateful that I got to witness the final decade and a half of his career with my own eyes, admiring both his artistry and his self-sacrifice, in and out of the ring.

Nick and Ryan Nemeth (c) vs. Matt Hardy and Leon Slater (TNA World Tag Team Championship)

The Nemeth Brothers won the titles from the Hardys in a not-so-clean fashion (some would call a low blow pretty blatant cheating, but hey—if the ref didn’t see it, did it even happen?). Still, by contract, they owed the former champs a rematch. Through a few clever moves, they managed to schedule it for TNA Under Siege. The catch? Jeff Hardy is barred from entering Canada due to multiple DUI arrests—so Matt needed a new partner. Thankfully, many were eager to team with a Hardy Boy, and Leon Slater—an insanely talented British high-flyer who recently made TNA his home—stepped up.

I must say, Leon fit right in. You can’t really compare him to a young Jeff Hardy... and yet, you can’t not compare them. He’s incredibly athletic, acrobatic, and fearless in his spots. The Nemeths made the smart choice of isolating the younger Slater on their side of the ring, cutting Matt off from the action. That strategy worked for about 90% of the match—but eventually, Hardy got the hot tag and cleaned house.

He set up Poetry in Motion, but the move fell apart when Nic dragged his brother out of the corner. It didn’t help much—Slater hit Poetry in Motion anyway, launching himself from the top rope over the corner post and crashing down on both champs outside! The guy’s doing absolute madman stuff—true to the X-Division spirit! Back in the ring, Nic ate a Twist of Fate, followed by a 450 Swanton from Slater—pinfall—but Ryan broke it up! Matt went after him and turned his back to Nic, who hit him with the Danger Zone. Cover, three count, and the champs retained.

Winners and still TNA World Tag Team Champions: Nick and Ryan Nemeth

Backstage, Santino Marella and Ariana are reflecting on tonight’s loss. Santino praises her performance (and rightfully so!), but Ariana doesn’t seem to share the sentiment. Santino now wants to get Robert Stone in the ring. Ariana backs him up—but suggests they make it a mixed tag match: the two of them against Stone and Blanchard. Oh, I love family tag teams! Santino says he’ll lay something on Robert… it’s gonna be THE COBRA! Wait—if the Cobra counts as a third team member, woult it actually be a 2-on-3?

Trick Williams & Frankie Kazarian vs. Elijah & Joe Hendry

When the NXT–TNA partnership began, Trick Williams (then NXT Champion) and Joe Hendry (nowhere near the TNA title at the time) were—if not friends—at least on the same wavelength. Now, Joe Hendry is the reigning TNA World Champion, and Trick is a former NXT Champion, and things between them have soured. On this week’s NXT, Trick dropped a rap promo about Hendry (which I thought was actually pretty good), but Hendry fired back with a musical counterpunch that crushed him. Tonight they square off in a tag match—and this Sunday, they’ll meet at NXT Battleground, with the TNA World Championship on the line.

Kazarian and Trick aren’t partners by default, but they respect each other and seem to share the same vision of how to succeed. Hendry and Elijah have been growing closer lately—whether over music or just from constantly ending up side by side against bad guys.

This wasn’t a show-stealer by any means, though things started to heat up near the end. Elijah got the hot tag, and Kazarian wisely tagged out. Trick dove in from the ropes—but Elijah countered with a knee to the face in mid-air! Two-count only. Trick answered with the Trick Shot, but Hendry broke the pin! Kazarian re-entered and took out Hendry, grabbed Elijah’s guitar, and stashed it in his corner. Trick tagged him in, but Kaz missed his shot. Elijah hit the Highwayman Farewell! Cover—but Trick broke it up. Elijah rolled Kazarian up, but Trick distracted the ref. Then—Trick Shot… to Kazarian by mistake! Hendry tossed Trick out, landed the Standing Ovation on Kazarian, and that was it.

Winners: Elijah and Joe Hendry

To be honest, I’m not a fan of “warm-up” tag matches between a champion and his challenger—especially in the main event of a major show. These kinds of matches work better as closers for weekly TV. The PPV could’ve wrapped perfectly with the tag title bout, and Hendry vs. Trick could’ve waited just a couple more days, building suspense. But hey—no one’s made me head booker of a major promotion yet (for some reason). We’ll see on Sunday if Joe Hendry can defend his title as easily as he picked up the win tonight.