Impact Wrestling – July 29, 2021: I Wouldn’t Get Used To It
Impact Wrestling
Date: July 29, 2021
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Matt Striker, D’Lo Brown
We’re back with more Bullet Club Civil War this week as Jay White’s Japanese contingent doesn’t think much of the Elite. That contingent might have gained someone new in Chris Bey this week, which could make for something interesting going forward. White felt like a star last week and hopefully he can keep that up this time. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
The opening recap looks at Jay White showing up and going after the Elite, with Chris Bey saving him to end the show.
Scott D’Amore has something big planned for tonight but says everyone is asking him for something. Tommy Dreamer comes up to ask about the #1 contendership but D’Amore walks away on the phone.
Good Brothers vs. Chris Bey/Jay White
Non-title and they’re starting fast this week. White and Anderson start things off with the feeling out process until White chops away in the corner. Bey comes in for the kicks to the ribs into a nice dropkick. Anderson drives him into the corner though and it’s off to Gallows for the delayed vertical suplex.
Gallows’ elbow gives Anderson three straight near falls and we hit the chinlock. A side slam gives Gallows two and we’re off to another chinlock. Bey fights up and hits a high crossbody, allowing White to come back in and clean house. White twists Anderson’s knee around but it’s back to Bey, who charges into a kick to the face. The Magic Killer is broken up but Gallows kicks White down again. A chokeslam plants Bey and the Magic Killer finishes him at 8:57.
Rating: C. One week they give Bey the big moment, the next week he’s jobbing to the Good Brothers. That’s quite the logical booking and a great way to keep Bey looking strong, but at the same time you don’t want the new champions jobbing either. The logical solution would be to not make this match so soon, but I guess that was too complicated.
Fire N Flava promise to win their Knockouts Tag Team Titles back but Fallah Bahh comes in to ask about teaming up at Homecoming. Kiera Hogan accepts….but he meant Tasha Steelz. Tasha agrees because SHE didn’t get pinned at Slammiversary. She does remind Bahh that it’s a tournament, not a dance. Hogan isn’t pleased.
Here’s what’s coming tonight.
Kaleb With A K vs. Taylor Wilde
Tenille Dashwood is here with Kaleb With A K. Wilde grabs a rollup for two but gets run over for her efforts. The running crotch attack only hits ropes though and Wilde snaps off a flying headscissors. Kaleb With A K gets two off a superkick but gets sent outside for a tornado DDT. Back in and a poisonrana into a bridging German suplex gives Wilde the pin at 4:11.
Rating: C-. Wilde looked pretty good here and it’s not like she beat anything more than a goofy manager. That’s a fine way to build her up for a match against Dashwood, which may or may not be the biggest deal. Wilde hasn’t done much since returning but at least she is getting something here.
Chris Bey takes blame for the loss as his first match in the Bullet Club. Jay White says not so fast on being part of the team, because that wasn’t up to Bullet Club standards. He can have another chance though.
Josh Alexander wants competition so Scott D’Amore gives him Black Taurus for the X-Division Title at Homecoming. That’s cool with Alexander.
Deonna Purrazzo has a lot of challengers coming up so she is training with an Invicta FC Champion. She’ll be in the Homecoming Tournament on Sunday as well.
Fallah Bahh/No Way/FinJuice vs. Ace Austin/Madman Fulton/Shera/Rohit Raju
Fulton can’t slam Bahh to start so he gets thrown into the corner. The good guys take turns splashing Fulton until Bahh hits the big one. A splash/legdrop combination gets two but this time it’s Bahh being taken into the wrong corner. Austin hammers away but Bahh sits on his chest to get a breather.
Finlay comes in to clean house until Shera runs him over to cut everything off. FinJuice double dropkicks Shera outside as everything breaks down. We hit the parade of secondary finishers until Austin kicks Bahh outside. That means the big running flip dive onto the pile for the huge crash to put most everyone down. Back in and Finlay hits a brainbuster onto the knee to pin Raju at 6:42.
Rating: C. This was the kind of match that can work out but you’re only going to get so far with so little time. What are you supposed to do with eight people in less than seven minutes? FinJuice has grown on me a good bit in recent weeks and it would be nice to have them around longer term. It’s not like the division is overflowing with teams at the moments anyway.
Don Callis finally lets Gia Miller talk to Kenny Omega, who thinks she is a fan getting an autograph (ok point for a funny bit). Tommy Dreamer pops up to announce a #1 contenders battle royal with the winner facing Omega at Emergence.
The Drama King is coming.
FinJuice want the Tag Team Titles but Chris Bey and Jay White jump them. White crushes David Finlay with an anvil case and shouts that Finlay will never beat him again.
Here is the Elite for a chat, with Don Callis not being thrilled with the fans reminding him that he got fired. After Kenny Omega calms him down a bit, we hear about how great things have been going for the team as of late. Callis isn’t worried about what Omega has to do anytime soon and promises that Omega will be ready for anyone, anywhere.
Cue Sami Callihan to interrupt (Callis: “Back to Dayton you piece of trash.”) to say he’ll jump off a cliff if he has to listen to these people any longer. Omega has been complaining about working to death but he should be thankful that Callihan didn’t beat him to death at Slammiversary. Callihan promises to win the battle royal in two weeks, but next week he’s getting some partners to face Omega and the Good Brothers. Callis says bring it so here is Frankie Kazarian of all people to go after the Elite, with Callihan running in to clear the ring. I’ve heard worse ideas.
Callihan and Kazarian go to the back and run into Tommy Dreamer, who promises to find them a partner. Whispering ensues, with Callihan saying the person will never go for it. Dreamer promises to get it done.
We see Su Yung, now with Kimber Lee in Yung facepaint. Lee says her time has come.
Brian Myers and Sam Beale are ready for the Homecoming Tournament, because Brian Myers is going to get Beulah McGillicutty to be his partner. Beale even has her number….but it’s the ECW Hotline. Not to worry though as Myers calls Francine, who is appreciative but wants to know why she is Myers’ second or third choice. Myers: “How did you know that???” Believe it or not, she’s watching the show right now, and how did Myers get her number anyway? Beale: “I thought this was a pre-taped interview.”
Violent By Design vs. Rich Swann/Willie Mack
Rhino/Deaner for the team here, with everyone else at ringside. Mack and Swann put Rhino on the floor to start and elbow Deaner down without much trouble. We take an early break and come back with Mack raking Deaner’s chest in the corner before Swann comes in for two. Deaner avoids a charge in the corner though and it’s Rhino coming in to beat Swann down in the corner. A powerslam gives Deaner two but he has to pull a diving Swann out of the air to cut off a tag attempt (that was good).
The tag goes through a few seconds later though and it’s Swann coming back in to clean house. There’s the standing moonsault for two on Deaner but Rhino is back in for a belly to back suplex/neckbreaker combination to drop Mack. Back up and Swann comes in off a blind tag and hits the handspring cutter for two on Rhino. Mack is back in for a Stunner to Rhino, setting up the 450 to give Swann the pin at 10:42.
Rating: C. Another match where they did what they needed to do and moved on. Violent By Design was never going to be some big, top level team for very long but they are now formal champions. A win over them means a little something, as Swann and Mack need to establish themselves as contenders if that’s where they’re going. Not a great match or anything but again, it did what it was supposed to do.
We go to Swinger’s Palace where Johnny Swinger is taking bets on the main event. Chelsea Green and Matt Cardona come in, with Swinger hitting on Green for a bit. The discussion turns to the Homecoming Tournament, with Alisha Edwards suggesting a Swinger’s Palace team. Jordynne Grace and Petey Williams, in Scott Steiner gear, come in to do the Steiner Math lines but W. Morrissey (who Swinger thinks is Big John Studd) comes in to be confused. Morrissey tells Alisha to warn him about what is coming for Eddie Edwards at Homecoming.
Eddie Edwards talks about how he has a wife who loves him but W. Morrissey has no one. They are meeting in a hardcore match at Homecoming and Edwards is ready to prove himself. Tommy Dreamer comes in to ask Edwards to team with Sami Callihan and Frankie Kazarian next week. This turns into another Dreamer story about reluctantly teaming with someone and Eddie is in. They needed this segment after Callihan and Edwards’ history.
Here’s what’s coming at Homecoming.
Chris Sabin vs. Moose
Slammiversary rematch. Sabin rolls him up for an early two to start and takes Moose down by the leg. A sunset flip out of the corner gets two and Sabin pulls him into the Figure Four. That’s broken up and they head outside, where Moose swinging him head first into the steps. Sabin is rocked so Moose steps on his head like a villain should back inside. Back up and Moose hits a heck of a dropkick to rock Sabin again as the fans are split.
Moose throws some water on Sabin and rakes his eyes, so Sabin bites his finger. Sabin ducks a chop which only hits post and a big springboard dive drops Moose again. Back in and a running enziguri gives Sabin one and it’s time to Hulk Up. That’s fine with Sabin, who kicks him in the face a few times. A top rope tornado DDT gives Sabin two but the Cradle Shock is broken up. Lights Out gives Moose the pin at 8:21.
Rating: B-. These two work well together and this was more good stuff. It was fine for a TV main event and I wouldn’t be opposed to a rubber match at Emergence. There is something to be said about putting two people together and letting them have a nice feud, which is where the talent can take over. Solid main event here, and that’s always a good sign.
Post match Sabin hits Moose with a missile dropkick and unloads on him again, with security breaking it up to end the show.
Overall Rating: C. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m liking a lot of what Impact is doing lately. They are having some good stories and angles, with a few things that are actually holding my attention. The show still isn’t good a lot of the time, but they have enough going on to make me want to see where it is going. That has not been the case in awhile, and though I don’t buy it as the new norm, it is nice while it is lasting.
Results
Good Brothers b. Jay White/Chris Bey – Magic Killer to Bey
Taylor Wilde b. Kaleb With A K – German suplex
Fallah Bahh/No Way/FinJuice b. Rohit Raju/Shera/Madman Fulton/Ace Austin – Brainbuster onto the knee to Raju
Willie Mack/Rich Swann b. Violent By Design – 450 to Rhino
Moose b. Chris Sabin – Lights Out
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