TNA Wrestling has confirmed the full field for a high-stakes Call Your Shot Gauntlet Advantage Match on the October 8 edition of Thursday Night iMPACT!. The eight-man tag team bout will determine who receives the No. 1 and No. 20 entry positions in the upcoming Call Your Shot Gauntlet Match at Bound for Glory.

Elijah, Bear Bronson, Trey Miguel and Frankie Kazarian, accompanied by Avery Styles, will be on one side of the random-draw contest. They will face A.J. Francis, Brian Myers, Home Town Man and Joe Alonzo. With the teams formed through a random draw, the match creates an unusual combination of competitors who may have no traditional alliance heading into one of TNA’s most important annual events.

TNA announced that the October 8 match will decide the two pivotal entry numbers, stating:

“A random draw eight-man tag team match THURSDAY at 9/8c on @AMC_TV, @AMCPlus and TNA+, and 8 pm ET on @Sportsnet 360 will determine the number 1 and number 20 entries in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match at #TNABoundForGlory!”

For more background on this topic, read Atticus Cogar Challenges Joseph Sawyer Over GCW Title Absence as Sawyer Hints at Untold Details.

The episode airs on AMC and AMC+ and will serve as the go-home edition of iMPACT! before Bound for Glory. The Call Your Shot advantage bout joins two championship matches and another singles contest on the announced card.

Major Gauntlet Stakes on the Line

Entry position is central to the drama of a gauntlet match. The No. 1 entrant is tasked with beginning the contest and surviving every subsequent arrival in the field. It is a position that demands endurance, resilience and the ability to constantly adjust as fresh opposition enters the match.

The No. 20 position, by contrast, provides the latest possible arrival among the announced numbers at stake. A competitor receiving that slot will enter after the match has already developed, with an opportunity to assess the landscape while avoiding much of the early attrition.

TNA has made clear that the October 8 tag team match will determine both numbers. The announcement did not specify how the two entry positions will be allocated among the winning and losing sides, making the outcome itself the key issue heading into Thursday. Every wrestler in the match has an obvious incentive to pursue the best available path to Bound for Glory, while the random-draw format adds another layer of uncertainty to how the match will unfold.

Elijah, Bronson, Miguel and Kazarian bring together four distinct competitors in the same corner. Kazarian enters with Avery Styles at ringside, a factor that could be relevant in a crowded eight-man environment. Across the ring, Francis and Myers will join Home Town Man and Alonzo in a team equally shaped by the one-night nature of the pairing.

That setup means cooperation will be at a premium. Eight-man tags often reward a team that can efficiently isolate an opponent, make quick tags and avoid the confusion that comes with multiple bodies around the ring. In this case, however, the bigger picture cannot be ignored. The wrestlers are not only seeking a victory on iMPACT!; they are competing for positions that could substantially affect their respective routes through the Call Your Shot Gauntlet.

Random-Draw Teams Add a Different Dynamic

The phrase “random draw” is especially important to the match’s presentation. Rather than framing the contest as a straightforward collision between two established factions or regular tag teams, TNA has assembled a pair of temporary units for a specific prize.

That can produce difficult decisions once the bell rings. A wrestler might need to rely on partners with whom he has limited chemistry, all while knowing that the eventual gauntlet match will be an individual pursuit. Any competitor who earns a favorable entry number will ultimately do so for his own Bound for Glory opportunity, not for the benefit of the group that shared the ring with him on October 8.

For that reason, the immediate question is whether either quartet can establish enough cohesion to secure the result. The match’s stipulated reward makes every tag, save and momentum swing meaningful. A mistake in the closing stages could leave one side with the less desirable end of the entry-number equation and reshape the challenge awaiting them at Bound for Glory.

Francis, Myers, Home Town Man and Alonzo will attempt to capitalize on the draw that put them together, while Elijah, Bronson, Miguel and Kazarian look to do the same. Styles’ presence alongside Kazarian gives that side an additional person at ringside, though the announced match remains an eight-man tag team contest.

Championship Matches Also Set for iMPACT!

The Call Your Shot Gauntlet Advantage Match is one of several notable attractions confirmed for Thursday’s broadcast. The card will also feature M by Elegance defending the TNA Knockouts Television Championship against Elayna Black.

M by Elegance enters as champion, while Black has the opportunity to leave the go-home show with the title and significantly alter the Knockouts division heading into Bound for Glory. As with every championship defense this close to a major event, the result will be closely watched for its possible effect on the next phase of the title picture.

The TNA World Tag Team Championship will also be defended when the Nemeth Brothers, Ryan Nemeth and Nic Nemeth, put their titles on the line against The Hardys, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy. The bout brings two established brother teams together with the championships at the center of the matchup.

Ryan and Nic Nemeth have the task of turning back Matt and Jeff Hardy to remain champions. The Hardys, meanwhile, have a direct chance to capture the TNA World Tag Team Championship on the final episode of iMPACT! before Bound for Glory. The match gives the tag division a major spotlight on a show already built around consequential Bound for Glory positioning.

Elsewhere, K.C. Navarro is scheduled to face Fabian Aichner in singles action. With the October 8 episode functioning as the final stop before the pay-per-view, every bout on the lineup carries added importance for the competitors involved.

Updated October 8 iMPACT! Lineup

  • TNA Knockouts Television Championship: M by Elegance (c) vs. Elayna Black
  • TNA World Tag Team Championship: Nemeth Brothers, Ryan Nemeth and Nic Nemeth (c), vs. The Hardys, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy
  • Call Your Shot Gauntlet Advantage Match, Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Elijah, Bear Bronson, Trey Miguel and Frankie Kazarian, with Avery Styles, vs. A.J. Francis, Brian Myers, Home Town Man and Joe Alonzo
  • Singles Match: K.C. Navarro vs. Fabian Aichner

Bound for Glory is drawing closer, and TNA’s October 8 broadcast has been positioned as a decisive final chapter before the event. The Call Your Shot Gauntlet Advantage Match will be particularly important because its ramifications extend beyond a single television victory. By the end of the night, the No. 1 and No. 20 slots for the gauntlet will be determined, giving the road to the Call Your Shot prize a clearer shape.

Thursday Night iMPACT! airs Thursday, October 8 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC, AMC+ and TNA+, with a separate 8 p.m. ET airing on Sportsnet 360.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.