TNA Under Siege (May 3) Preview & Predictions
TNA UNDER SIEGE 2024
MAY 3, 2024
ALBANY ARMORY
ALBANY, NEW YORK
Watch: TNA+
TNA returns to live broadcasting this Friday. Under Siege will emanate from the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany, New York, and be headlined by a six-man tag pitting Matt Hardy, Trent Seven, and Mike Bailey against The System.
Under Siege looks like an okay show on paper – there’s some stuff that I really like but also stuff that I don’t and a clear knowledge that quite a few of the matches definitely won’t end cleanly.
COUNTDOWN TO UNDER SIEGE
THE FBI (LITTLE GUIDO, RAY JAZ & ZACK CLAYTON) VS. TBA, TBA & TBA
This new incarnation of the FBI debuted in TNA at the Philadelphia tapings earlier this year and to be honest, I quite like them. I’m not entirely sure on Zack Clayton’s Italian credentials but Guido and Ray Jaz have teamed in MLW together and overall, they feel like a fun, bottom-of-the-card unit.
Working an open challenge here, you’ve got to assume that the FBI are losing. But to whom? This would appear to be a good landing spot for a new act but I’ve got no read on who that is. Prediction: Sami Callihan or something.
COUNTDOWN TO UNDER SIEGE
ASH BY ELEGANCE (W/GEORGE ICEMAN) VS. HAVOK
Despite suffering her first loss in TNA last week to Xia Brookside, Ash By Elegance continues to be positioned towards the Knockouts title picture. It’s a shallow division, what can I say?
Anyway, this seems to be an easy way for Ash to get back in the win column. Based on the abilities of these two women, I suspect that this probably won’t be very good, but hopefully it’ll be short. Prediction: Ash By Elegance
JOE HENDRY VS. ZACHARY WENTZ (W/TREY MIGUEL)
Joe Hendry has been everywhere this week, getting genuine news traction in the UK thanks to his bid to reach No.1 in the Singles Chart with his entrance song. It’s been great to see him get so much support but I’d like all of these johnny-come-latelys to take notice of the fact I’ve always believed in Joe Hendry.
The affable Scot had a big angle with Rich Swann and AJ Francis on the Under Siege go-home show and continues to do good work in that feud. He takes a break from that here though to face Zachary Wentz in singles action.
With Hendry having a clear feud to resume after this show and Wentz often a losing post, there’s only one sensible outcome to this one. Prediction: Joe Hendry
JONATHAN GRESHAM VS. KUSHIDA
Under Siege marks Jonathan Gresham’s first match in the promotion since October 2023 and his first anywhere in the world in two-and-a-half months.
Gresham’s TNA return has been done so far through a series of backstage vignettes. These have depicted him as this tortured soul, who is trying to find the real him and grapple with needing his Octopus mask. Rather worryingly, the latest of these packages involved some black goo…
Although I can see a world where he loses and descends into his new heel persona, Gresham should be going over in his return match against a guy in KUSHIDA who can take a loss here. Prediction: Jonathan Gresham
ALEXANDER HAMMERSTONE VS. JAKE SOMETHING
I feel very conflicted about this match because on the one hand, it promises to deliver everything that I feel we don’t get enough of in modern Watch wrestling and then on the other its build encapsulates everything I hate.
On paper, this should be one of the best matches on the show. It’s two big, sweaty (not meaty, that word and chant should be consigned to the bin of history as a slight on the sport) men clobbering each other until one falls down. Alex Kane against Manders on last week’s ACTION Wrestling show delivered that in spades and these two men fit the same mould.
However, this only came about because TNA’s Director of Authority (yuck!) Santino Marella told Jake Something that he was at the back of the line because he was beaten by Mustafa Ali, even though the loss was because of enormous interference. I’m an anti-interference bastion, I know that, but all I’m asking for is a bit of logic in how you present these things.
As for the match, Hammerstone probably should go over as he’s still the newer act in the promotion. Prediction: Alexander Hammerstone
JORDYNNE GRACE & PCO VS. STEPH DE LANDER & KON
Much like no one needed a Sharknado 6 after Sharknado 5, no one needed this sequel after being subjected to one of the worst Knockouts title matches of all time at Rebellion.
Jordynne Grace is a good champion but the division is very shallow and there’s no better indication of that than Steph De Lander still being in the mix. Whether her schtick would work better if Matt Cardona was in this spot rather than Kon, I don’t know but also don’t really care to find out.
You would think that Grace and PCO should be done with these two and they put the feud to bed here but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that the heels will win to set some stuff up for the forthcoming TV. Prediction: Steph De Lander & Kon
JOSH ALEXANDER & ERIC YOUNG VS. FRANKIE KAZARIAN & STEVE MACLIN
One year ago at Under Siege, we seemed to witnessing the blossoming of a new star in Steve Maclin as he downed PCO in one of the bloodiest and most impressive spectacles of 2023. Now, both men are in tag team matches away from title pictures.
This tag team match should be much better than the other one though and is probably one of the best matches on paper on the entire show.
Frankie Kazarian and Eric Young seemed to have ended their feud at Rebellion but I was obviously wrong, as Young helped Josh Alexander defeat Kazarian on the post-PPV iMPACT. Maclin, meanwhile, looked to partner up with Kazarian to give him some back up in his ongoing feud with Mike Santana.
With Slammiversary taking place in a big building in Montreal, TNA needs their Canadians in prominent spots. Alexander should be in World title mix so he should be going over here, with Santana potentially mixing it up with Maclin in the post-match. Prediction: Josh Alexander & Eric Young
TNA DIGITAL MEDIA CHAMPIONSHIP
LAREDO KID (C) V RICH SWANN (W/AJ FRANCIS)
The graphic that TNA released for this match didn’t make it entirely clear that it was for Laredo Kid’s title but I’m working on the basis that it is.
If it is a title match, there’s no doubt in my mind that Rich Swann is winning. Kid claiming the title was a cool moment but he’s not a pushed act, whereas Swann and AJ Francis very much are and they have a feud with Joe Hendry that the belt could become a feature of.
Simple, effective booking. Prediction: Rich Swann
TNA KNOCKOUTS WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
SPITFIRE (DANI LUNA & JODY THREAT) (C) (W/LARS FREDERIKSEN) VS. ALISHA EDWARDS & MASHA SLAMOVICH
Talking of simple, effective booking, that’s exactly what this match is.
Masha Slamovich has a contractually obligated rematch (yuck) for these titles and with Killer Kelly away, she’s lined up Alisha Edwards as her new partner.
Edwards beat Dani Luna on the go-home show to give this some heat and to presumably sow the conventional seeds for Spitfire making another successful title defence here. Prediction: Spitfire
TNA X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
MUSTAFA ALI (C) V ACE AUSTIN
Aside from the Brother Ali memes of the past week, it’s very hard to get invested in Mustafa Ali’s TNA output knowing that none of his matches are going to end with clean finishes.
His bell-to-bell work is good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s painfully obvious that nothing really matters until his goons get involved or there’s an incident with the referee.
Ace Austin beat Trey Miguel on the go-home show to win this title shot and I think he’ll be a good foil for Ali’s style. However, Ali isn’t losing here and ultimately that means this will have a ceiling to it. Prediction: Mustafa Ali
BROKEN MATT HARDY & SPEEDBALL MOUNTAIN (MIKE BAILEY & TRENT SEVEN) VS. THE SYSTEM (MOOSE, BRIAN MYERS & EDDIE EDWARDS)
I said what I needed to say on Matt Hardy in my Rebellion review – he might sell a few tickets but there’s no juice for me left in the Broken gimmick and his in-ring work just isn’t passable enough anymore.
Hardy’s first TV angle in the promotion managed to turn me off even more though, as he was trying to make Nic Nemeth feel better about his title loss to Moose. The angle was corny as anything and it felt entirely wasted because the footage showed Moose pulling Nemeth’s shoulder off the mat rather than a ref error…
Anyway, that pep talk from Coach Hardy was supposed to put Nemeth in this main event match but he was taken out by The System. That accounted for Nemeth already being booked in Japan for Wrestling Dontaku and allowed Hardy to get slotted in for his in-ring return.
Hardy must be going into the World title mix, I mean why else would he be here, so his team has got to be going over. Joy. Prediction: Matt Hardy & Speedball Mountain
