TNA Impact 5/28/2026: 3 Things We Hated & 3 Things We Loved

Tonight's "TNA Impact" was heavy on action, including two "Champions Challenge" tag team matches to bookend the show. Both of those matches elicited a strong enough reaction from our crew to be covered down below, along with such developments as the state of the onscreen authority figures, the "Broken" Hardys vs. Righteous feud, and more.

In general, the Wrestling Inc. team at the wheel tonight felt that this was a pretty good episode of "Impact." There was a lot of wrestling, and most of it was enjoyable! Not all of the show will be covered here, but if there's anything we didn't have a strong opinion on, you can learn about it at our "TNA Impact" 5/28/2026 results page.

Now, without any further delay, let's get into everything that Wrestling Inc.'s writers loved and hated about the latest "Impact."

I've noticed a trend in TNA recently; I can't say that I'm a fan of it.

Former TNA World Champion EC3 returned to the company for the first time in six years. His comeback match resulted in a no contest. His follow-up faceoff then ended with him being piledriven through a table and a chair by Eric Young.

European standout Ricky Sosa officially signed with TNA in March. Just weeks later, TNA wrote Sosa off programming, courtesy of another piledriver from Young.

Tonight on "Impact," the newly-signed Fabian Aichner (FKA WWE's Giovanni Vinci) marked his TNA in-ring debut in a match against The System's Eddie Edwards. Similar to the above two men, however, his momentum was halted by an ambush, starting with Brian Myers' series of punches. Bear Bronson and Cedric Alexander followed suit, with Edwards then adding a superkick into the mix. Alexander finished off the attack with a Lumbar Check, after which the entire System stood tall over Aichner.

Not every new or returning babyface needs to emerge victorious in their first outing, but when the same scene plays it in back-to-back-to-back situations, it can be perceived as repetitive. And honestly, repetition can get a little boring.

Considering that Aichner spent over a year away from the wrestling scene, then spontaneously resurfaced, I expected something more exciting for his official return to in-ring action. Instead, he just suffered a four-on-one beatdown, with no immediate allies in sight for him to even the odds.

Hopefully, TNA creative has substantial and fresh long-term plans for him. Right now, though, they're just playing the same trick.

Written by Ella Jay

I don't have an extensive history with TNA Wrestling nor am I very familiar with matches that are exclusive to the promotion. The Men's Champions Challenge from this edition of "TNA Impact" was the first Champions Challenge that I had ever watched, and I have to admit that it made me a fan of the match type.

One of the things that I really like about this stipulation is that there's already built in stakes with a non-champion receiving a title match if they end up pinning a champion to win the match. It provides the competitors in the match with a nice chunk of television time, but requires very little storytelling or build. I think that ends up working incredibly well to TNA's advantage considering that some of the matches they book for weekly shows tend to feel a little bit random in my eyes and was certainly the case here.

In terms of the action of this particular Champions Challenge match, I found it to be quite fun to watch. It might've ended up being somewhere around the twenty minutes mark when all was said and done, but it certainly didn't feel like it was that long when watching it because of how the time flew with its fast pacing and enjoyable nature. I also didn't mind the choice of having Navarro pin Mustafa Ali to win a shot at his International Championship, as Navarro has been featured fairly regularly on the show since making his return and Ali has shown to defend against anyone and everyone who wishes to challenge him.

I typically have at least one complaint with "Impact" more often than not, but there wasn't anything about this I didn't really like. It kept me engaged as a viewer, and was just a great time from bell to bell.

Written by Olivia Quinlan

One of my WINC compatriots put it best when they said tonight: if the commentary team has to explain word-for-word why this match is happening, why? Why not build it up better?

If I recall correctly, this match was announced after a backstage confrontation between Tessa Blanchard and Harley Hudson last week. That verbal exchange was published on all of TNA's socials, but not executed on television. How come? These two are the perfect embodiments of carrying both the Knockouts singles and team team divisions. To me, it's disappointing because it deserved to have been featured live and in color on TV.

Now, let's turn towards the in-ring action itself. I thought this contest was superb. I've only seen a couple of Hudson's matches up until tonight, and enjoy her charisma. And of course Blanchard is one of my favorite wrestlers. Yeah, I know, she hasn't had the greatest track record outside of the ring. But her fighting abilities and strength are, no pun intended, "undeniable." These two gelled well together tonight. It was a great segue after the Men's Champions Challenge. I just don't see why TNA couldn't have promoted this match more ahead of this showcase.

Written by Brie Coder

If there's one thing "TNA Impact" has consistently produced well since moving to AMC, it's the cinematic segments. Rosemary's journey through the eerie and Undead Realm remains a notable example. Tonight, The Hardys and The Righteous created another one through their cryptic vignette, which teased a Wicked Garden Match.

Much like commentators Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt admitted, I'm not sure what a "wicked garden" is. I am, however, deeply interested to find out.

Tonight's video started with carnival-like music, spotlighting the eccentricity of "Broken" Matt Hardy and Brother Nero (aka Jeff Hardy). When the camera then panned to The Righteous' Vincent and Dutch, so did the sound. I can best describe that sound as dark and dramatic western music. Regardless of how you describe it, though, it served as a nice auditory contrast between the two teams, especially ones that are fairly similar in presentation otherwise.

In addition to the sense of sound, this segment successfully highlighted that of sight. We saw what I assume was a preview of the wicked garden. Beautiful flowers filled it, but according to The Righteous, they will eventually rot. And given their status as enemies, I also assume that The Righteous utilized that as a metaphor for The Hardys' potential fate in their feud.

All together, I thoroughly enjoyed the visuals, music, and symbolism put into this vignette. Looking ahead, I am still uncertain as to what exactly a Wicked Garden Match is, but if tonight's teaser is any indication, I have nothing but high hopes.

Written by Ella Jay

Father's Day is just around the corner. And tonight, "WWE NXT's" Stacks and his "lovely" lady Arianna Grace, did Santino Marella dirty. And for that, it's getting a hated.

First of all, the Director of Authority wasn't able to use his well-beloved Cobra to finish his future son-in-law off in the match. His daughter, Arianna, intercepted it. Then, after the match, she has the audacity to put her hands on her father? What kind of an evil daughter does that?!

Yes, I know this is all part of the on-screen game, but gosh darn it, Arianna, show some compassion towards your father. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have broken into the business. You wouldn't have received a shot at the Knockouts World Championship, and won it. What an ungrateful spoiled brat! But I love the family affair playing out.

As for Director of Operations Daria Rae, ooh, she gets under my skin. I love to hate her. And week by week, I do, more and more! Her bossy, cold, snake-like demeanor is best for business. Not to mention, it keeps things sizzling between her and Marella. They're the perfect odd couple. I'm looking forward to what happens on next week's show between the family.

Written by Brie Coder

The second of tonight's Champions Challenge matches featured Léi Yǐng Lee and the Elegance Brand on the champion side, while the challengers consisted of Mara Sadè, Elayna Black, and Xia Brookside. In the end, Brookside pinned her former tag partner Lee to earn a chance at the TNA Knockouts Championship.

Not being too well-versed in TNA's backlog, I wasn't familiar with the stipulation before tonight, but it won me over by the end of the show. It offers a chance for some interesting face-heel dynamics, and that was showcased in the main event, offering a variation on the "can they co-exist?" trope.

Heather by Elegance and M by Elegance both had strong showings in the match, as did most of the others involved. The end may have been predictable, but that's not always a bad thing, and it provided a significant step forward in the story between Brookside and Lee.

I think there could be some improvement made to Champions Challenge by making it an elimination match instead of having the first pin end it, as it would provide more incentive for the teammates to work together. In the future, TNA could elevate this stipulation to a pay-per-view or special event, add an elimination element to it, and use it to build out the immediate future for all of its championships in one night.

Written by Nick Miller