Adam Copeland has praised AEW’s tag team division and teased the addition of a few former WWE stars.
Copeland, while speaking to “Westwood One Sports Night,” spoke enthusiastically about teaming up with Christian Cage once again and also praised AEW’s tag team division. He hinted at the arrival of two recently released WWE tag teams, The New Day and Motor City Machine Guns, stating that their addition would further bolster the division.
“When you look at this tag team division, to me, there’s no question it’s the best tag team division in the world. You just look at all of the possible matches, and it’s just like, man, it really is like a murderer’s row of tag teams. And then if you were to throw in teams like the New Day and Motor City Machine Guns on top of that, like, come on,” he said.
He compared the AEW tag team division to the late 80s and early 90s, when tag team wrestling was booming, arguing that AEW’s tag teams are as good as that era. Copeland even named a few other tag teams that he considers elite, despite them not teaming together very often.
“I hearken it back — different era, don’t get me wrong, and people will say what they want to say — but in terms of tag teams and looking at like just, okay, that’s a roster of tag teams. You think back to like Demolition, Rockers, Hart Foundation, British Bulldogs, Brain Busters, like so many great tag teams then, right? And that to me was kind of like the golden era of tag teams,” he added. “But you look at this roster and like you can get like two handfuls of really great teams, let alone teams that don’t necessarily always team, like, you know, the Hurt Syndicate or Jet Speed, and you chuck those into the mix too, and it’s like, come on, it’s awesome.”
It seems almost certain that The New Day will join AEW, with the likes of MJF, Swerve Strickland, and Bobby Lashley praising Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods while teasing their debut in the promotion.
AEW’s Shelton Benjamin has discussed if he has thought about quitting wrestling, as many of his peers from when he started out have retired.
Benjamin, who has been in the business for over 25 years, stated in an interview with “The Wrestling Classic” how he hasn’t pondered retirement. He said that he still feels like he can do it at a top level and is keen to do more in the business.
“I guess the biggest reason [why I haven’t thought of retiring] is I still feel like I have something to give. And when we talk about the other guys in my class like the industry, the company like really taxed them. Like they gave their lives to this business in in huge ways and you know they were in all these amazing matches for years and years on end. I’ve always had the same opportunities as them, but I haven’t I’ve had the opportunity to do the same type of thing, I haven’t had the same opportunities that they have. And quite frankly, I just feel like I still have a lot to give. And physically, I can still do it. So, why would I quit?” he asked.
The former WWE star said that he has asked his friends in the business to tell him if he has lost a step and if it’s time to hang up his boots. He added that he doesn’t have a clue how much longer he can wrestle, but is determined to give back to the business in any way he can.
Benjamin will likely continue to be a part of AEW for the foreseeable future, as he and his Hurt Syndicate partner, MVP, recently signed contract extensions with Tony Khan’s promotion.
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.TNA Wrestling
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
Hated: The disrespect in the Marella household is unbearable to watch
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
Loved: Knockouts deliver in the high-stakes main event
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.
KC Navarro has secured a future shot at the TNA International Championship following a key victory on the May 28, 2026 episode of TNA Impact.
The opportunity came during the Champions Challenge match, which featured a mix of current champions and challengers. The champions team included Mike Santana, Mustafa Ali, The System, and Cedric Alexander, while the challengers side consisted of Elijah, Leon Slater, KC Navarro, Frankie Kazarian, and Eric Young. The match carried a clear stipulation: any challenger who pinned a champion would earn a future title match against that specific champion.
Navarro capitalized on that opportunity in the closing moments. Leon Slater delivered a superkick to Mustafa Ali before tagging in Navarro. Navarro then executed his finishing move, Blessing in Disguise, to pin the reigning TNA International Champion and secure the win. With that fall, Navarro officially earned a championship match against Ali.
Mustafa Ali captured the TNA International Championship in April 2026 and has defended the title multiple times since then. His reign has seen consistent activity, making him one of the more visible champions on the roster in recent months.
While Navarro’s victory guarantees him a title opportunity, TNA has not yet confirmed when the match will take place. The result adds a new challenger to Ali’s list and sets up a fresh matchup for the International Championship.
The Champions Challenge format once again proved effective in creating immediate stakes, as the stipulation directly led to a new title contender. Navarro now moves into position for one of the biggest matches of his TNA career, with momentum on his side after pinning the champion in a multi-man setting.
TNA iMPACT Results – May 28, 2026 – Welcome to WrestlingAttitude’s coverage of TNA iMPACT on May 28, from the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California.
Men’s Champions Challenge Match: Mike Santana, Mustafa Ali, Brian Myers, Cedric Alexander & Bear Bronson vs. Leon Slater, Eric Young, KC Navarro, Elijah & Frankie Kazarian
The Champions Challenge brought out every titleholder in TNA, and their entrances alone ate up nearly ten minutes. The challengers didn’t even get a televised entrance before Elijah and Brian Myers opened things up. Elijah walked the ropes and took Myers down, and that was literally all that happened before the first commercial break.
Back from break, Santana was in and he and Elijah traded misses until they hit a respectful staredown. Eric Young had enough of the sportsmanship and punched Santana in the mouth. Kazarian tagged in off Elijah and immediately got dropkicked by Santana. Kazarian tagged Elijah right back in, but Mustafa Ali blind‑tagged himself into the match and the pace finally picked up.
Elijah caught Ali with a pop‑up powerbomb, but Cedric Alexander broke the pin. That triggered the first full‑ring brawl, with everyone piling in and throwing shots. Elijah chokeslammed Ali on the apron, and Leon Slater wiped out the champions’ side with a flipping dive over the ring post.
Another commercial break hit, and when we returned, Bronson and Elijah were trading punches. Alexander and Myers joined in for a triple‑team, but Elijah slipped out. Ali and Santana both reached for tags, so Santana knocked Ali off the apron and took the tag for himself. Santana fought Kazarian and Young — neither of whom seemed to be the legal man — and tossed them outside before diving on Young.
Santana went for a double stomp on Kazarian, but Kazarian moved. Ali blind‑tagged himself back in, and he and Santana immediately got in each other’s faces. KC Navarro flew in with a double dropkick off the ring post, then hit a 619 on Ali followed by a DDT for two.
Bronson tagged in and mauled Navarro, military‑pressing him and dropping him in the center of the ring. Ali tagged himself in again, but Navarro reached Slater, who blasted Ali with a spin kick. The match broke down again with bodies flying in and out of the ring. Slater hit a swanton 450 on Ali, but Alisha Edwards put Ali’s foot on the ropes to save him.
Ali grabbed the International Title belt, but the referee snatched it away. Navarro hit Blessing in Disguise and pinned Ali clean to earn himself a future International Title shot.
Winner: KC Navarro pinned Mustafa Ali to earn an International Title match
Backstage, Ariana Grace and Stacks were interviewed. Grace said she’s a far more worthy Knockouts Champion than Lei Ying Lee. Stacks said he’s sending Santino — and his smelly sock puppet — straight to the retirement home.
Tessa Blanchard vs. Harley Hudson
Harley Hudson tried to steal it right away with a quick roll‑up, but Blanchard kicked free and charged. Hudson cut her off with a shoulder block and a big boot, then slipped outside, yanked Blanchard under the ropes, and dropped a leg across her.
Blanchard answered by dropkicking Hudson to the floor and driving her left knee straight into the ground. She threw Hudson back inside and zeroed in on the knee, twisting it around the ropes and stomping it repeatedly. Blanchard tied Hudson up in an inverted nelson and went right back to punishing the leg, then cranked on a modified figure four. Hudson fought out with punches, and the match broke down into a slugfest.
Hudson managed a fallaway slam but was clearly hobbling. She hit a hip attack in the corner, but Blanchard kicked out with a scream. Hudson tried to set her up on the top rope, but Blanchard powered through the position. Blanchard hit double knees out of the corner, but Hudson still wouldn’t stay down. Hudson countered a suplex into a neckbreaker and set Blanchard in the corner, but Blanchard came firing out and drilled her with a Buzzsaw DDT to end it.
Winner: Tessa Blanchard
– Back from break, the Sommelier of the Elegance Brand warned Knockouts Champion Lei Ying Lee not to screw up their match later tonight.
Director of Authority Santino Marella vs. Stacks (w/ Ariana Grace)
Santino and Stacks locked up at the bell, with Santino tossing Stacks to the floor to regroup. Back inside, Stacks went for a kick, but Santino caught the leg and rolled him into a pin attempt. Santino shifted into technical mode, forcing Stacks to grab the ropes to escape an arm hold. Stacks whipped Santino into the corner but got arm‑dragged on the rebound. Santino fired off a few jabs and went for a splash, but Stacks got the knees up.
Santino asked for a timeout — Stacks ignored it and whipped him into the ropes. Stacks hit punches and a high knee to the gut for two. He went for a splash of his own, but this time Santino got his knees up. Santino fired up, drove Stacks into the corner with a shoulder, and pulled out the cobra… until Ariana Grace jumped onto the apron and snatched it away. That distraction let Stacks roll Santino up for the quick win.
Winner: Stacks
After the match, Grace screamed at her father while Stacks jumped him again. Indi Hartwell sprinted out to make the save, chased them off, grabbed a mic, and challenged them to a mixed tag match on the spot. That brought out Daria Rae, who reminded everyone that she makes the matches. She said the mixed tag will happen next week — and she’d love to watch Stacks beat up Santino again.
Backstage: AJ Francis Wants Paperwork
AJ Francis was shown backstage demanding paperwork from someone off‑camera. The person told him they’d have it tomorrow. AJ responded with a quick “Money, money, money,” and walked off.
Fabian Aichner vs. Eddie Edwards (w/ Alicia Edwards)
Eddie Edwards came out repping The System, and based on Fabian Aichner’s entrance music, he apparently moonlights as a Coldplay enthusiast. Once the bell rang and it became clear Aichner was not secretly Lars Sullivan, Edwards shoved him into the corner. Aichner grabbed a headlock, then hit a crossbody off the ropes and sent Edwards outside, only to miss a baseball slide.
Edwards went for a kick, Aichner caught it, and answered with a lariat. Back inside, Edwards whipped Aichner into the ropes and dropped a knee across his chest. He chopped Aichner in the corner and launched him off the turnbuckle. Aichner fired back with a big boot into a spinning backbreaker, then hit a suplex for two. He tried a powerbomb, but Edwards countered and drove him into the corner.
Edwards hit the backpack stunner, but Aichner kicked out. Alicia Edwards got involved, choking Aichner on the bottom rope. Edwards tossed him outside, and Alicia waved a kendo stick in his face — the referee saw it and immediately ejected her.
Edwards threw Aichner back inside and climbed the ropes, but Aichner scrambled up and hit a butterfly superplex for a near fall. That’s when The System — Myers, Bronson, and Alexander — marched down to replace Alicia. Aichner dove over the ropes and wiped them out, then returned to the ring, hit a DDT, and locked Edwards in a choke. The System stormed the ring to save Edwards, triggering the DQ.
Winner: Fabian Aichner via DQ
After the bell, Cedric Alexander drilled Aichner with a Lumbar Check. The System stood tall, posing over Aichner’s body to close the segment.
Knockouts Champions Challenge Match: Lei Ying Lee & The Elegance Brand vs. Mara Sade, Xia Brookside & Elayna Black
This was the women’s version of the Champions Challenge — Knockouts Champion Lei Ying Lee teaming with the Knockouts Tag Champions, Heather & M of the Elegance Brand, against an All‑Star trio that TNA didn’t bother announcing ahead of time. Same rules as the men’s match: pin a champion, earn a title shot.
Lee and Xia Brookside were supposed to start, but Brookside immediately tagged out, leaving Elayna Black to step in. Black wanted no part of Lee either, so Mara Sade tagged in. Sade tried a quick roll‑up, but Lee shut it down instantly.
M tagged in and immediately ate a sling blade from Sade. She recovered and tagged Heather, who sent Sade crashing into Black to force a tag. Black and Heather traded shots, with Black dropkicking Heather in the face and drop‑toeholding her into the ropes. Brookside tagged in and hit running knees in the corner.
Brookside stomped away until Heather countered with a dropkick and tagged M, who hit a coast‑to‑coast dropkick for two. Sade broke the pin and the match broke down into a brawl.
After the break, things reset with Sade and Heather in the ring. Sade hit heavy knees, but Heather kicked out. Sade went up top, but M yanked her down and Heather hit a lungblower. M tagged in and she and Heather double‑teamed Sade. M hit a senton, but Sade kicked out again. The Elegance Brand kept Sade isolated, refusing to tag in Lee, cycling in and out to keep control.
Sade finally hit a crossbody and Brookside tagged in — and Lee finally entered the match. Black tried to interfere, but Lee kicked her in the head and unloaded on Brookside in the corner. Lee hit an exploder suplex, but Brookside kicked out. Lee connected with the Warrior’s Way, but Black broke the pin. The Elegance Brand took out Black, Sade took out the Elegance Brand, and Lee and Sade collided with a double clothesline.
Mr. Elegance tried to interfere, but Keith Jardine appeared and slapped an ankle lock on him. In the ring, the numbers caught up to Lee — Brookside capitalized and pinned the Knockouts Champion clean in the middle of the ring.
Winner: Xia Brookside (earns a Knockouts Title shot)
And with that, the show went off the air.
–– Here is what’s in store for tonight’s show ––
Champions Challenge: Mike Santana, Mustafa Ali, Brian Myers, Cedric Alexander & Bear Bronson vs. Leon Slater, Eric Young, KC Navarro, Elijah & Frankie Kazarian
Eddie Edwards vs. Fabian Aichner
Santino Marella vs. Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
Tessa Blanchard vs. Harley Hudson
TNA iMPACT Preview – May 28, 2026
TNA World Tag Team Champions Bear Bronson and Brian Myers team with X‑Division Champion Cedric Alexander, International Champion Mustafa Ali, and TNA World Champion Mike Santana tonight. They face Eric Young, Frankie Kazarian, KC Navarro, Elijah, and former X‑Division Champion Leon Slater in the Men’s Champion Challenge. The Women’s Champion Challenge also returns, as Léi Yǐng Lee joins M By Elegance and Heather By Elegance to take on Mara Sadè, Elayna Black, and Xia Brookside. As a result, both divisions bring major star power to the show.
Fabian Aichner competes in his first match on Thursday Night Impact when he goes one‑on‑one with Eddie Edwards of The System. Aichner made his debut last week by interrupting The System while they bragged about their success. He then attacked the group and left them laid out. Because of that moment, his match with Edwards carries extra heat.
TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella steps into the ring against NXT Heritage Cup Champion Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo. Their tension has grown over the last few weeks due to the strained relationship between Marella and his daughter Arianna Grace. Last week, Marella, Stacks, and Grace argued after Grace caused the match between Indi Hartwell and Elayna Black to end in a no contest. Therefore, tonight’s match gives Marella and Stacks a chance to settle things.
Tessa Blanchard and Harley Hudson will also be in action as they face each other. Their match adds another layer to a busy night.
