TNA Impact (Aug. 27, 2026) often has a handful of moments each week that deserve attention. We’re going to try something new to highlight moments that stuck out in my eye. This isn’t a full recap. It is only reaction to a couple of moments from Thursday night. Let’s boogie with Elayna Black’s babyface promo, the surprise of Zoey Serrano (aka Zoey Stark), TNA pushing young blood, and the clean win from M by Elegance to become the inaugural TV champion.
Elayna Black babyface
I’ve been critical about
the push turning Elayna Black from heel to babyface when challenging Xia Brookside for the Knockouts Championship at Lockdown. It felt forced in an effort to give Black the match in her hometown of Chicago. There were little babyface hints, such as showing respect to Wendy Choo. Overall, Black still showed the same traits that make her a boo-able heel, such as arrogance and entitlement. Black lost to Brookside at the PPV. On Impact, Black delivered a backstage promo that addressed all those concerns. She expressed humility about karma for her past attitude. Black wants to inspire little girls who want to be wrestlers. And just like that, I now want to root for her character. Well done.
Zoey Serrano crosses the line
The wrestler formerly known as Zoey Stark in WWE made an impact on Thursday night with a surprise ambush on Indi Hartwell. Serrano crossed the line to sign with TNA. The moment was set up well. At Lockdown, TNA showed trash talk between Hartwell and Daria Rae, then they did a quick backstage scene teasing a friend of Daria’s coming to Impact. I didn’t connect the dots on that one, so Serrano’s arrival was a complete surprise. TNA was also smart in how they made it seem like a match between Hartwell and Daria was the angle. In reality, it was for Serrano to reunite with her old stablemate from WWE. Serrano has an immediate storyline, a hot feud with Hartwell brewing, and the opportunity to establish herself as a top player in the Knockouts division. All of that makes me interested in tuning in to see how it plays out.
Pushing young blood continues
Since the departure of Mike Santana and others, room opened on screen for TNA to push the young blood on the roster. We’ve seen increased time for Ricky Sosa, KC Navarro, and Jada Stone to name a few. Plus, Jason Hotch is breaking out away from Mustafa Ali. Best of all is Leon Slater leading the charge. Slater and Sosa challenged the Nemeths for the TNA world tag team titles in the main event of Impact. It was a hot performance from the challengers. Sosa receives experience against Nic Nemeth and his little brother, while Slater hypes up to wrestle Nemeth for the world title at Bound For Glory. All these youngsters give TNA a fresher vibe from week to week. That’s the type of excitement that keeps fans coming back for more.
Clean win for M by Elegance to become inaugural Knockouts Television Champion
Emphasis on clean win. The majority of wins from the Elegance Brand come via cheating. However, in this tournament, they started winning clean. I think that’s an important aspect to establish M and Heather beyond a comedy team. Eventually, they will be built up to Knockouts Championship contenders. These wins along the way help develop them as serious threats to the top over time. Sure, the cheating will have its place when needed, but it’s not a crutch to rely on anymore. As for the match between M and Stone, they delivered on the opportunity. That action sets the tone for what to expect in future TV title matches.
Catch up on full results from TNA Impact. Share your thoughts about the show. What were your favorite moments?
