Impact Wrestling – August 5, 2021: When Did They Get Good?

Impact Wrestling
Date: August 5, 2021
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: D’Lo Brown, Matt Striker

We’re still in the middle of the Kenny Omega Era and that means he needs a new #1 contender. That is what we get to find out next week, but for now we still have some more things to cover first. Since this is modern wrestling, the Bullet Club is involved, as Jay White and company are fighting against the Elite, including a six man tag this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Chris Bey vs. Juice Robinson

Jay White and David Finlay are here too. Bey dropkicks him into the corner at the bell and Robinson gets stomped down in a hurry. Robinson gets sent outside and something like a 619 on the mat takes him down again. Back in and Robinson catches Bey’s kick to the ribs, only to get pulled into a sleeper. Robinson slips out so Bey hits a Fameasser for two. Robinson is back with a spinebuster for a breather and they’re both down for a bit. The Cannonball crushes Bey in the corner as Finlay beats up White on the ramp. Bey has had it with this and hits the Art of Finesse for the pin at 5:17.

Rating: C. This was a showcase win for Bey, who gets back on track after his surprising loss. Robinson in a pretty one sided match was quite weird to see but at least they had a point with Bey. I could go for more of White later in the night though as he is one of the few people to have gotten my attention around here as of late.

Post match, White officially gives Bey the Bullet Club shirt.

The Elite isn’t worried about tonight’s six man tag because they’re that much better. Violent By Design comes in to say they are enacting their rematch clause at Emergence. The Good Brothers aren’t scared.

Fire N Flava insist everything is fine and they’re prove it tonight.

Here’s what’s coming tonight.

Video on Homecoming, with the debuting Matthew Rehwoldt (Aiden English) and Deonna Purrazzo winning the tournament.

Here is Matthew Rehwoldt, in a crown (Fans: “YOU STILL SUCK!”), to introduce his queen, Deonna Purrazzo. Fans: “NO ONE LIKES YOU!” Purrazzo lists off her accolades and gets a “NO ONE CARES” chant. Cue Mickie James to interrupt, with Purrazzo being annoyed at her spotlight being stolen. Mickie wants to get the contract for Empower signed but Purrazzo wants to know her opponent first. Cue Melina of all people and both of them sign the contract. Purrazzo introduces herself as the Virtuosa but Melina says she’s looking forward to taking the title.

Taylor Wilde accuses Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb With A K of reporting her as a suspicious person and tried to get her in trouble with immigration last week. She wants Dashwood next week.

Kimber Lee, now looking evil like Su Yung, sits next to Yung (who she refers to as “Mother”) and asks if she can take a soul.

Jake Something vs. Trey Miguel vs. Rohit Raju vs. Daivari

The winner gets an X-Division Title shot and Shera is here with Raju. It’s a brawl to start and Raju hits a dive onto something and Daivari. Miguel dives onto them as well, leaving everyone but Something to sit on the apron. Something hits a running crossbody against the ropes to all of them as we take a break.

Back with Daivari and Raju double teaming Something against the ropes until Something shrugs them off without much effort. Miguel is back in with some dropkicks, setting up a slugout with Raju. The Muta Lock has Raju in more trouble….and Miguel manages a swinging neckbreaker on Daivari at the same time without breaking the hold. Something comes back in to break it up but Daivari is back in with a missile dropkick. Not that it matters as Something is back with the swinging Boss Man Slam to finish Daivari at 8:09.

Rating: C. This is how you have a match like this as they didn’t spend a lot of time on crazy spots and just got to the point. What matters here is getting Something into the title picture, which is at least some….never mind. Josh Alexander has cleared out the division so bringing in someone fresh is the best thing that they can do at this point. I doubt he wins the title, but at least it’s a fresh match.

Post break, Rohit Raju and Shera yell at Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green.

Josh Alexander is ready for a match with Jake Something because Jake earned the shot. Daivari comes in and gets a non-title match next week for the chance at a future title shot.

Fire N Flava vs. Jordynne Grace/Rachael Ellering

Grace and Ellering have matching gear. Fire n Flava jump them to start to little avail as they get shouldered down in a hurry. The bell rings and Grace hits a spinebuster for two on Steelz as the fans are behind Grace and Ellering. A backsplash gives Ellering two but Steelz slips out of Grace’s MuscleBuster. That’s enough to get Grace down into the corner for some stomping from Hogan, setting up a chinlock from Steelz.

Grace is right back up with a double snap suplex and the hot tag brings Ellering back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and some running knees in the corner rock Hogan. Ellering gets two off a Vader Bomb but Hogan is back with a superkick for two of her own. Steelz gets sent back outside and it’s the assisted swinging Rock Bottom to finish Hogan at 5:22.

Rating: C-. Another loss for Fire N Flava here, but at least Grace and Ellering are starting to feel more like a team. It’s almost like putting these wrestlers together with no backstory or history and expecting them to instantly click isn’t a good idea. They’re getting better at this, but thankfully the division doesn’t have many teams to clear out at the moment.

Post match Hogan and Steelz stare each other down until Savannah Evans (rather tall woman) comes in to lay Hogan out. Steelz stands by and watches before leaving with Evans. So much for Fire N Flava.

Frankie Kazarian says he’ll come after the Elite no matter where they are and he’s coming for them tonight. He isn’t worried about Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards, because it’s about getting to the Elite.

Violent By Design tells Scott D’Amore about the Tag Team Title match at Emergence but Willie Mack and Rich Swann walk out of his office. We’ll make it a three way match at Emergence instead.

Steve Maclin vs. Jah-C

Maclin jumps Jah-C for turning his back on him and the beating is on in a hurry. Jah-C gets stomped down in the corner and then gets tied in the Tree of Woe. A spear gets two, with Maclin pulling him up. Maclin does it again for a bonus, setting up the reverse inverted sitout DDT driver (NAME THAT ALREADY) for the pin at 2:28.

Post match the beatdown stays on, with Maclin grabbing a chair. Petey Williams comes in for the save to continue Maclin’s first actual competition.

It’s time for All About Me, with Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb With A K in a neck brace. This week’s guest is Dr. Ross Forman, Impact’s resident doctor. Forman asks Kaleb With A K about his injuries and then suggests a specialist. That’s it for Forman, so here is Scott D’Amore instead. We hear about the accusations from Taylor Wilde, but she’ll drop the investigations in exchange for a match with Dashwood. Date to be determined.

We look back at Moose vs. Chris Sabin from last week.

Chris Sabin says he has been in wrestling for 21 years but no one has ever made him as emotional as Moose. The difference is that Sabin is a former World Champion and he’s going to win the battle royal, meaning he can win the title again.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Elite vs. Sami Callihan/Eddie Edwards/Frankie Kazarian

Don Callis is here with the Elite and handles Kenny Omega’s introduction, as usual listing off all of the wrestlers beneath him. The brawl is on before the bell and everyone heads to the floor for the sake of violence. Callihan and Omega get inside to officially start but it’s off to Kazarian for a clothesline instead. The springboard legdrop gets two on Omega as Striker screws up by saying that Homecoming was last night. Omega gets in the Kitaro Crusher and we take a break.

Back with Gallows working on Kazarian, allowing Omega to choke on the ropes. Kazarian springboards his way to freedom though and the hot tag brings in Eddie to pick up the pace. Omega breaks up a middle rope hurricanrana though and an elbow drop gets two. It’s back to Gallows for the chinlock before the Good Brothers knock the other two off the apron. The triple splash gives Gallows two but Gallows charges into a boot in the corner.

A middle rope dropkick allows the tag to Callihan to start cleaning house. Everything breaks down and we hit the parade of secondary finishers, including the belly to back/neckbreaker combination for two on Callihan. There’s the spinebuster to plant Edwards but he’s back with a Blue Thunder Bomb to Anderson. Callihan piledrives Omega on the apron and it’s the Boston Knee Party to finish Anderson at 12:57.

Rating: B-. This was your standard main event six man, which is going to work most of the time. They are lining up a bunch of possible challengers for Omega and a battle royal is as good of a way to pull one out in a hurry as you are going to have. I can’t imagine Omega loses the Impact World Title before he loses the AEW World Title, but it is a good idea to get rid of one challenger.

Post match, everyone else leaves so W. Morrissey runs in to lay Edwards out to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I’ve been saying this for a few weeks now but Impact is doing a nice job of putting things together and then executing them. It wasn’t a blow away show but it advanced stories and helped boost things up for Emergence. Impact is in a groove now and I could go for that for a pretty long time to come.

Results
Chris Bey b. Juice Robinson – Art of Finesse
Jake Something b. Trey Miguel, Rohit Raju and Daivari – Swinging Boss Man Slam to Daivari
Jordynne Grace/Rachael Ellering b. Fire N Flava – Assisted swinging Rock Bottom to Hogan
Steve Maclin b. Jah-C – Lifting sitout implant reverse DDT
Sami Callihan/Frankie Kazarian/Eddie Edwards b. Elite – Boston Knee Party to Anderson

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.