The surprises keep coming in the Knockouts Television Championship tournament.
When the bracket was revealed, three names stood above the rest to become the inaugural women’s TV champion. Indi Hartwell, Elayna Black, and Mara Sade felt like top candidates for the breakout moment. Black was bounced in the first round after a time-limit draw against Wendy Choo from NXT. Sade parted TNA as a free agent, so she was booked to eat the loss in the quarterfinals. Hartwell advanced to the semifinals to compete
on the latest episode of Impact (Aug. 13, 2026), but now she is eliminated.
First, context is necessary for the way the finish unfolded for Hartwell. Xia Brookside is in a beef with Elayna Black over the Knockouts Championship. Backstage, Black messed with Brookside’s makeup. Brookside had her eyes closed, so she didn’t notice the switcheroo. Upon seeing the finished job in the mirror, the champ snapped to start a fight.
Hartwell competed against M by Elegance. Despite the Elegance Brand ringside, this was a fair fight. There was a distraction on the finish, but it didn’t come from the Elegance Brand. Brookside and Black continued their brawl rumbling down the ramp. M took advantage of the chaos to ram Hartwell into the ring steps. M closed with a moonsault to win.
I’m surprised by that result. It goes to show that TNA is focused on creating a new star with this tournament. M advances to the final, and she awaits the winner from Heather by Elegance versus Jada Stone. M, Heather, and Stone are all rising prospects ready to break through in the Knockouts division.
Share your thoughts on Indi Hartwell losing in the Knockouts Television Championship tournament. Who do you think will become the inaugural champion? Catch on on full results from TNA Impact (here).
