TNA Thursday Night iMPACT 5/28 Results: Xia Brookside Pins Lei Ying Lee to Earn TNA Knockouts Title Match

TNA “Thursday Night iMPACT” featured two Champions Challenge matches in the men’s and Knockouts divisions. KC Navarro will be getting a shot at the TNA International Championship, while Xia Brookside will get to settle her grudge with Lei Ying Lee in a future TNA Knockouts Championship match. Eddie Edwards of The System collided with Fabian Aichner. TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella and Stacks had a singles match.

Champions Challenge: Leon Slater, Eric Young, Frankie Kazarian, Elijah, and KC Navarro vs. Mike Santana, Mustafa Ali, Cedric Alexander, Brian Myers, and Bear Bronson

Biran Myers and Elijah got things started. Elijah walked the top rope and went old school on Myers. He then applied a rest hold to The System member. Mike Santana was tagged in, and he worked on the arm of Elijah. The two got into a pin exchange and reached a stalemate. Eric Young ambushed Santana and was shoved in the corner by Elijah. Frankie Kazarian made the blind tag but took a spinning back kick to the midsection. Santana then dropped Kazarian with a single-leg dropkick.

Elijah was the legal man again, and Mustafa Ali tagged himself in. The TNA International Champion chopped Elijah in the corner. He ran into a pop-up powerbomb before Cedric Alexander broke up the pin. Elijah popped Alexander with a right hand. Everyone started brawling in the ring. Ali went for a suicide dive, but Elijah chokeslammed him on the apron. Slater then took out all of his opponents with Big Play Slater.

Back from the commercial break, Bear Bronson and Elijah were the legal men. The System tried to triple-team Elijah, but Bronson was sent out of the ring. Elijah then hit a double suplex on Myers and Alexander. Myers went for a tag while Santana and Ali were arguing. Santana knocked Ali off the apron, forcing the tag. Santana hit an enzuigiri on Kazarian. He then planted Young with the Rolling Buck Fifty, followed by a dive to the outside. Santana went for Spin The Block, but Kazarian shoved him to the corner. Ali got a blind tag, and Santana hit another Rolling Buck Fifty. Ali hit a neckbreaker on Kazarian for a near fall.

As Santana and Ali were arguing, KC Navarro was tagged in, and he dove on his opponents. Navarro hit a tornado DDT on Ali. Navarro got caught in a figure-four, allowing Bronson to land a hip drop after reentering the fray. He lifted Navarro over his head and tossed him across the ring. Slater was tagged in, and he knocked The System off the apron. He then hit a spinning wheel kick on Ali before Alexander broke up the pin attempt. Kazarian hit a guillotine leg drop on Alexander. He then landed a slingshot DDT before Bronson took him out with a swinging powerslam.

Ali charged at Slater in the corner, but his head hit the turnbuckle. Slater then hit the Swanton 450, but Alisha Edwards put Ali’s foot on the bottom rope. Tasha Steelz tossed the TNA International Championship, but Ali whiffed on the swing. Navarro was tagged in, and he hit Blessing in Disguise on Ali to earn an international title shot.

Winners: KC Navarro, Leon Slater, Eric Young, Elijah, and Frankie Kazarian

Stacks Vows to Send Santino Marella to Retirement

Gia Miller was joined by Stacks and Arianna Grace. Grace criticized Santino Marella for throwing together a TNA Knockouts Championship match at the last minute. Stacks claimed he’d make everything right and force Marella to own up to his decision-making.

The Righteous Invite The Hardys to the Wicked Garden

A vignette aired of The Righteous inviting The Hardys to the “Wicked Garden.” They warned Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy that they won’t leave the garden the same.

Tessa Blanchard vs. Harley Hudson

Harley Hudson took Tessa Blanchard down to the mat with a shoulder block. Hudson delivered a big boot. Hudson then landed a leg drop on the apron. When she tried getting back in the ring, Blanchard caught her with a dropkick. Blanchard then targeted Hudson’s knee. She sent Harley crashing to the floor knee-first off a modified fisherman’s suplex.

Blanchard continued targeting her opponent’s leg in the ring. Hudson got hit with a knee to the body. Hudson had enough and delivered several strikes to Blanchard, who was against the ropes. Blanchard was dropped by a fallaway slam. Hudson landed a running knee strike in the corner for a two-count. Blanchard looked for a sunset flip, but she settled for a chop block. Hudson drove her opponent’s head into the turnbuckle. Hudson found herself perched on the middle rope before Blanchard hit a version of Magnum for a near fall.

Blanchard chopped the leg of Hudson and then connected with Buzzsaw for the victory.

Winner: Tessa Blanchard

Lei Ying Lee Scares Off The Personal Concierge

Lei Ying Lee was shadowboxing backstage when The Personal Concierge approached her. She told Lee not to mess things up before he was scared off.

Santino Marella vs. Stacks w/Arianna Grace

Santino Marella got a quick takedown on Stacks, who exited the ring and regrouped with Arianna Grace. Marella caught a kick and went for a pin attempt. He landed a snap suplex on the “NXT” star. Stacks ran into the turnbuckle and was hit with two arm drags.

Grace got on the apron before Marella forced Stacks back in the ring. Marella went for a standing headbutt, but Stacks got his knees up. Stacks sent Marella crashing into the turnbuckles. Marella fought back and hit two knees to the sternum. He went for the cobra, but Grace prevented him from striking. This allowed Stacks to pin Marella.

Winner: Stacks

After the match, Stacks attacked Marella before Indi Hartwell made the save. Hartwell grabbed the mic and reminded Grace that she’s still targeting her. She suggested a mixed tag team match on the spot before Daria Rae made her way out.

Rae decided to book Marella and Hartwell against Stacks and Arianna Grace for next week’s episode of “Thursday Night iMPACT.”

AJ Francis Demands Paperwork

AJ Francis was backstage asking an unidentified man about some paperwork. The man promised he’d have it done tomorrow. Francis threatened the man to get his paperwork done on Friday.

Eddie Edwards w/Alisha Edwards vs. Fabian Aichner

Fabian Aichner had Eddie Edwards in trouble early with a headlock takedown. Aichner ducked a clothesline and landed a springboard crossbody. Edwards avoided a baseball slide but ate a chop, followed by a clothesline.

Alisha Edwards distracted Aichner, allowing Eddie to trip his opponent on the top rope. The former TNA World Champion ran into a big boot. Aichner then landed a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Edwards hit a backpack stunner, but his opponent kicked out of a pin attempt. When the referee was distracted, Alisha choked Aichner over the rope.

Alisha grabbed a kendo stick, but the in-ring official caught her. Alisha was thrown out of the match. Back in the ring, Edwards went high-risk, but Aichner scaled the turnbuckle and hit a butterfly suplex. Other members of The System made their way down. Aichner took out Bear Bronson, Cedric Alexander, and Brian Myers with a dive. Aichner then hit a tornado DDT. The System laid out Aichner which caused the disqualification.

Winner via DQ: Fabian Aichner

Knockouts Champions Challenge: Lei Ying Lee and The Elegance Brand vs. Xia Brookside, Mara Sade (w/Keith Jardine), and Elayna Black

Xia Brookside had no interest in starting with Lei Ying Lee. Elayna Black was tagged in. Black also didn’t want to square off with the TNA Knockouts Champion, so Mara Sade got the tag. Lee and Sade traded pin attempts. M by Elegance tagged herself in and got hit with a sling blade for her efforts. Ash by Elegance was tagged in. Sade forced Black to become the legal woman of their team. Black hit a basement dropkick on Ash.

Black hit a running back elbow on Ash before Brookside made a blind tag. She delivered a dropkick and then stomped Ash in the corner. Ash turned things around and landed a running dropkick. M then went coast to coast, but the challengers broke up the pin. Sade dove on The Elegance Brand, while Lee wiped out Brookside and Black with a suicide dive.

Sade had Ash down on the mat and dropped three knee strikes. Ash was dumped back down to the mat with a scoop slam. M held onto Sade’s leg, allowing Ash to hit a Codebreaker for a near fall. The Elegance Brand refused to tag the TNA Knockouts Champion back in.

Sade got a tornado DDT on M by using Ash’s body as a launching pad. Lee and Sade dropped each other with simultaneous clotheslines. Mr. Elegance tried interfering, but Keith Jardine got in an ankle lock. Jardine then chased The Personal Concierge to the back. Mr. Elegance tripped Lee, allowing Brookside to hit Darkside for the victory.

Winners: Xia Brookside, Mara Sade, and Elayna Black