Impact Wrestling – June 10, 2021: That’s A Hard One To Do

Impact Wrestling
Date: June 10, 2021
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Josh Matthews, D’Lo Brown

It’s the go home show for Against All Odds and that means it is time to focus on Moose vs. Kenny Omega for the World Title. Other than that though, we could use some build for the rest of the car. The rest of the card could use some attention of its own and odds are we might get that this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Scott D’Amore is in the ring and brings in AEW owner Tony Khan. Tony thanks him for the welcome but here is Don Callis to join them with the smug starting fast. Callis knows that Kenny Omega is the greatest investment in Khan’s portfolio but there has been talk of Sami Callihan being involved in the title match with Moose. Callihan is blackballed all over this country but D’Amore brings up the Good Brothers interfering and causing chaos all over the place too.

Callis doesn’t go for it, instead talking about how Callihan is such a problem for the wrestling business. D’Amore says Moose vs. Omega will headline Against All Odds and Khan says they can have the match at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. That’s cool with Callis, but D’Amore says that the winner can face Callihan at Slammiversary. This is NOT cool with Callis but the music is already playing. They got the point over here pretty clearly so well done.

Commentary goes over what we just heard.

Here is what is coming tonight and at Against All Odds.

The Elite isn’t happy so they talk about putting a bounty on Sami Callihan. Scott D’Amore comes in to say instead of that, we can have the Good Brothers vs. Callihan/any partner in a street fight at Against All Odds (it’s going to be Tommy Dreamer). Callis mentions murder as a solution.

Brian Myers teaches Sam Beale about how to cut a promo. This turns into Beale praising Matt Cardona in a mock promo but Myers yells at him a lot.

Sami Callihan interrupts Scott D’Amore to rant about the tag match. He doesn’t know who he’ll get as a partner…and here’s Tommy Dreamer. I WASN’T BEING SERIOUS PEOPLE!!! Dreamer has been against all odds his entire career and since they both hate Don Callis, he’ll be the partner. And yeah Callihan will probably turn on him because everyone else does. Callihan says deal and promises to beat Dreamer up if he messes things up. D’Amore reminds Dreamer that he is his boss, but Dreamer doesn’t seem too impressed.

Rosemary vs. Havok

If Havok wins, she is added to the Against All Odds Knockouts Title match. Rosemary wastes no time in hitting a pair of spears for two. Some right hands have Havok in more trouble and something like a Last Chancery makes it worse. Havok finally gets up and powers her into the corner, setting up the hip attack. We take a break and come back with Havok grabbing a full nelson. That’s broken up in a hurry and Rosemary nails a spear for two. Back up and Havok misses a big swing, allowing Rosemary to hit a fourth spear for the pin at 4:17.

Rating: D+. Well that happened. This was little more than a squash outside of that full nelson. Rosemary shrugged off what Havok did to her and hit four spears for the pin. The stipulation was a bit unnecessary but it did a nice job of making Rosemary look like a bigger threat to Purrazzo before their title match.

Post match Rosemary and Havok look at each other but Deonna Purrazzo, Kimber Lee and Susan come out to beat both of them down. Purrazzo and Lee grab holds so Susan grabs the mic….and wants Tasha Steelz out here to face Lee RIGHT NOW. Sure.

Tasha Steelz vs. Kimber Lee

Kiera Hogan is here in Steelz’s corner. Steelz starts fast with a dropkick into the corner but a springboard hurricanrana is countered into a buckle bomb. Lee hammers away on the mat and we hit the reverse chinlock. Some choking in the corner keeps Steelz down and Lee tosses her outside in a heap. Back in and Lee grabs a side slam for two as Hogan starts yelling again. Some rolling suplexes into a delayed suplex gets two on Steelz but a Swanton only hits knees. Lee misses a spinwheel kick and gets caught in a spinning Falcon Arrow for the pin at 5:46.

Rating: C-. Lee got to showcase herself a bit here and the match was fine enough considering the circumstances. Fire N Flava are desperately in need of challengers and at least Lee and Susan are a fresh team. I’m not exactly expecting a title change, but it should be a good enough match given who is in there.

Another brawl breaks out post match, with Rosemary and Havok coming in to clean house. Hogan, after being caught by Rosemary: “H*** no!” Hogan, after turning around to see Havok: “D***!” A double chokeslam leaves Hogan laying and a triple threat seems likely.

Steve Maclin talks about everything he has gone through and his back is against the wall again. I’m moderately intrigued by this.

Josh Alexander waited for sixteen years to have a chance like he had last week. Now he’s looking forward to the five way #1 contenders match but here are Ace Austin and Madman Fulton to interrupt. Austin says watch the tag match tonight, but he is the only person Alexander has to watch out for.

Petey Williams/Trey Miguel vs. Chris Bey/Rohit Raju

Williams fights out of a headlock to start and hits a dropkick to the back. The Sharpshooter goes on in a hurry but Raju is in the ropes just as fast. Bey and Trey come in to pick up the pace, but neither can actually hit anything. Miguel kicks him in the ropes so it’s back to Williams for two off a double backbreaker. Bey offers a distraction though and Raju knocks Williams outside. A sitout gordbuster gets two on Williams and it’s back to Bey for a knee in the corner.

Williams can’t fight out of the corner as Raju cuts him off with a belly to back suplex. Bey gets shoved into Raju and the hot tag brings in Miguel to pick up the pace all over again. An Indian Deathlock has Bey down and Miguel adds a northern lights suplex for two on Raju at the same time. A snap German suplex drops Raju again as Williams and Bey fight to the floor. That leaves Miguel to kick away at Raju, who comes back with a jumping knee to the face. Williams is back in with his slingshot Codebreaker though and the Hourglass makes Raju tap at 7:24.

Rating: B-. This is what you’re looking for in the X-Division and it worked here too. They didn’t bother trying to build anything up and the whole match was all about one spot after another. There was a nice section in the middle with Williams having to fight his way out of the corner but this was all about the fast pace and it worked well.

Post match here are Ace Austin and Madman Fulton to wreck Miguel and Williams. Josh Alexander comes in and it’s a huge brawl, with Williams hitting a super Canadian Destroyer to knock Fulton silly (ok that was cool).

Willie Mack is ready to beat up W. Morrissey in a No DQ match tonight. Rich Swann wants Swann to save a piece for him on Sunday. Mack says cool, but he wants to do this on his own tonight, which is cool with Swann.

It’s time for All About Me with Tenille Dashwood, with Rachael Ellering getting to ask the questions this week. Jordynne Grace is here too though because she is Ellering’s partner and they do things together. Kaleb With A K pulls out a shirt, which Grace doesn’t approve of, but it’s for Tenille instead. Rachael is getting a bit sick of this because it’s disrespectful to the two of them. Grace challenges Tenille for Against All Odds and is off to get the match made before she can give an answer.

We look at Crazzy Steve beating Deaner on Before The Impact.

Violent By Design is ready for the Tag Team Title match at Against All Odds. Eric Young tells Deaner to not disappoint him and Deaner looks scared. Tonight, Joe Doering is ready for Eddie Edwards because he wants to take out Impact’s heart.

Joe Doering vs. Eddie Edwards

Violent By Design is here with Doering but Eddie is on his own. Doering shoves him down without much trouble to start and then hits a hard running shoulder. The neck crank goes on early and Doering elbows Eddie in the face for two. Eddie manages to muscle Doering up for a suplex and a low bridge puts the monster on the floor. That’s enough though as Deaner comes in for the DQ at 3:47.

Rating: C-. I could go for watching Eddie every week but Doering is just a boring monster. He plays his role well enough but it’s not like we’ve ever been given anything to make us care about him. The stable needs someone like him though and having him dominate a legend like Eddie made sense. Keeping it short was a good idea, but it wasn’t exactly much to see.

Post match the beating is on but Satoshi Kojima comes in for the brawl with Doering. The good guys clear the ring to stand tall.

Video on Moose vs. Kenny Omega, focusing on Moose wanting the elusive World Title.

The announcers talk about the World Title match.

Against All Odds rundown.

W. Morrissey vs. Willie Mack

No DQ. Morrissey powers him into the corner for a variety of choking to start and a knee to the ribs. Brown calls it a kitchen sink and actually EXPLAINS THE NAME OF THE MOVE, saying it’s like everything has been thrown at you, even the kitchen sink. Fair enough. Mack gets knocked down again and we take an early break. Back with Morrissey choking on the floor but Mack sends him into the steps.

Mack finds a chain for a shot to the leg and ribs, followed by a chair to the back. They head inside with Mack hitting a running splash in the corner, setting up the Cannonball. Morrissey is right back up with a big boot and it’s time to chair Mack in the back a few times. The chain is wrapped around Mack’s eyes and then underneath his nose to make it….worse? Maybe?

Some more chair shots to the back have Mack down again and Morrissey uses said chair to choke him in the corner. A big splash misses though and Mack kicks him in the head. There’s the standing moonsault for two and Mack gets in his own chair shots to the back. The Six Star only hits chair but so does Morrissey’s elbow. Back up and Morrissey kicks the chair into Mack’s face for the pin at 14:09.

Rating: C. This was a good way to make Morrissey look like a monster but it wasn’t exactly getting to a higher level. Instead, we got a bunch of chair shots and some chain stuff, which was only so interesting. Morrissey taking out Mack again does set him up for Rich Swann though, and that’s the idea here. Just fine a more interesting way to do it.

Post match Morrissey goes after Mack again but Swann runs in for the save. Security keeps them apart but Swann manages a chair shot to send him outside. A lot of staring ends as Josh rapid fire plugs Against All Odds to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The wrestling itself ranged from pretty good to not so great, but they accomplished their goal of setting up Against All Odds. That’s actually a heck of a trick given how it feels like little more than a stepping stone on the way to Slammiversary. We got a nice enough go home show here though, even if you don’t really need to see anything here.

Results

Rosemary b. Havok – Spear

Tasha Steelz b. Kimber Lee – Spinning Falcon Arrow

Trey Miguel/Petey Williams b. Rohit Raju/Chris Bey – Hourglass to Raju

Eddie Edwards b. Joe Doering via DQ when Deaner interfered

W. Morrissey b. Willie Mack – Big boot into a chair

 

 

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Impact Wrestling – January 26, 2021: How Many Years Too Late?

Impact Wrestling
Date: January 26, 2021
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: D’Lo Brown, Matt Striker

We’re on the way to both Rebellion and No Surrender, meaning things are going to slowly start taking shape. That is not a bad thing either, as Impact is a lot better when they have a focus. Odds are we’re coming up on Moose vs. Rich Swann for the World Title, which should be something good. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Matt Hardy and Private Party invading last week and becoming #1 contenders to the Tag Team Titles.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Rich Swann for a chat. Swann talks about everything that he did to get back here and now he has a target on his back. For now though he has something to take care of so he would like Tommy Dreamer to come out here right now. Swann talks about No Surrender being on February 13, which happens to be Dreamer’s 50th birthday. He watched Dreamer back in the land of extreme and now wants to repay the favor by giving Dreamer a shot at the title.

Cue Sami Callihan to say this is Dreamer trying to get himself over as usual. Swann lost to Kenny Omega and embarrassed the company. Sami is the heart and soul of the company and deserves a title shot. Cue Chris Bey to say that February 13 is his birthday as well so he should get a title shot. Now it’s Moose coming out everyone is scared to challenge for his title so he’s here to interject. Swann has never beaten him and Moose knows he remembers when Moose nearly decapitated Willie Mack.

Yeah Swann remembers, but Moose said the title shot was on his time. The No Surrender match is already set so now it’s on Swann’s time. Cue Willie Mack to Stun Bey and go after Moose, with Striker not exactly being excited about the whole thing. The villains bail and the six man seems imminent for later. Sami makes the lights go out and here’s Ken Shamrock to jump Swann, Mack and Dreamer with the rest of the villains joining him in the beatdown.

Post break, Swann and company are ready for a match tonight, with Dreamer promising to “UFC Shamrock’s a**.” They go to see Scott D’Amore, who says they look terrible. The match is on but D’Amore thinks they need a fourth. Now Impact’s resident mathematician Scott Steiner isn’t available, but D’Amore has an idea. There is someone in his office and the trio looks very pleased.

Here’s what’s coming tonight and at No Surrender.

Matt Cardona/Josh Alexander vs. Ace Austin/Madman Fulton

Fallout from an interview gone bad last week. Alexander goes for Fulton’s ankle to start and gets kicked into the corner for his efforts. Austin comes in and gets planted down in a hurry before it’s off to Cardona (with the bright lime green trunks). A clothesline puts Austin on the floor and Alexander backdrops Cardona onto the two of them for a big crash. We take a break and come back with Alexander getting caught in a side slam/middle rope legdrop combination. Austin drives a knee into the back and pulls Alexander into the corner as we’re firmly in the tag formula.

A claw legsweep gives Fulton two but Alexander manages to kick him into Austin, allowing the hot tag to Cardona. That means the middle rope dropkick to rock Austin but it’s too early for the Reboot. Instead Cardona settles for two off a slingshot splash but Fulton makes the save and drags Austin to the corner. Everything breaks down and Alexander slugs away on Fulton to knock the monster to his knees. Cardona charges at Austin, who launches him into a Rough Ryder (going to need a new name) to finish Fulton at 10:18.

Rating: C. This took some time to get going and I’m still not big on a lot of what Cardona does in the ring, but he looked smooth here. Maybe he can get somewhere on his own and if that is case, great for him for proving himself right after all the years in WWE. It’s also nice to see more of Austin, who I would like to see move up the ladder around here. The same is true of Alexander, even if he is still playing second fiddle in a tag team.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Matt Hardy debuts at Genesis 2011 against Rob Van Dam. It’s only his entrance and this only lasts about a minute.

Rohit Raju is all fired up to win the X-Division Title back but he needs someone (off camera) to help him. Whoever it is seems to agree.

It’s time for the weekly visit from Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone. They care about each other, just like Khan cares about the wrestling fans. He sees Impact as his own fantasy wrestling league. Last week he was in the zone with Matt Hardy, Jerry Lynn and Matt Hardy and now Private Party might win the Impact Wrestling Tag Team Titles. They would have to beat the Good Brothers, who happen to be on Dynamite tomorrow night! Schiavone runs down the Dynamite card and Khan talks about Beach Break.

Brian Myers runs into Matt Cardona in the back and doesn’t seem impressed. Myers leaves and Cardona says that was a bad move.

Eddie Edwards vs. Brian Myers

Eddie, who is rather banged up from Barbed Wire Massacre, sends him over to the ropes to start and we get a clean break. The referee yells at Myers over a possible hair pull so Eddie snaps off a belly to belly to the floor. There’s a suicide dive to take Myers down as it’s all Eddie so far. Back in and Myers rolls right back to the floor, where he gets in a shot to Eddie’s bad arm.

Myers stomps away in the corner and trips Eddie down but he comes back with some clotheslines. As Striker says that whoever is in D’Amore’s office will be the next Lex Luger at the Great American Mall (I believe he means Mall of America, as again Striker isn’t as smart as he tries to sound), Eddie hits a Backpack Stunner. Myers grabs a Downward Spiral and loads up his clothesline, only to charge into a thumb to the eye. Eddie drives him down with the thumb in the eye and gets DQ’ed at 6:14.

Rating: C. I haven’t been big on Myers since he started getting pushed but this worked out well enough. Granted that might be due to Eddie Edwards being in there, but at least we didn’t have to see Myers win another match with a clothesline. Eddie going more heelish could be interesting, assuming they actually pull the full trigger this time around.

Fire and Flava want their celebration to be awesome and hope they sold enough tickets. Johnny Swinger walks by with a group of women, saying the palace is this way. Kiera Hogan says she has the worst idea.

Matt Hardy praises Private Party for their win last week but they did it because of him. They are ready to win the Tag Team Titles at No Surrender but are also going to win the battle royal to get the AEW Tag Team Title shot at Revolution. He’ll even throw in a bonus by not taking as much off the top of their checks! It’s time to go be winners.

Tenille Dashwood vs. Rosemary

Dashwood has Kaleb With A K with her while Rosemary, with far less face paint than usual, has Crazzy Steve. Rosemary runs her over to start but Kaleb gets up for a distraction, allowing Dashwood to unload with the camera bag for two. Dashwood grabs a neckbreaker over the apron to send Rosemary outside, where she punches Kaleb in the face.

That earns her a trip back inside, where Rosemary grabs the Upside Down. With that broken up, Dashwood runs her over for two more. The seated full nelson goes on but Rosemary fights up and runs her over with a clothesline. There’s a fall away slam to send Dashwood flying but the spear only hits corner. Not that it matters as As Above, So Below finishes Dashwood at 4:55.

Rating: C-. I’m not sure what the problem here was but Rosemary looked rather different here, seeming a bit slower and without the same spark in her eyes. She hasn’t looked the same since returning from her knee injury, but that has been a long time now. This didn’t work so well for her, and hopefully that isn’t the new norm.

XXXL is glad to be back when Rosemary and Crazzy Steve come up. Larry lays out Steve so Rosemary barks at both of them.

We go to Swinger’s Palace, where John E. Bravo is dealing Blackjack to Fallah Bahh, who loses quite a bit. Fire and Flava come in and want them to go the party, including the Swingerellas, who can serve drinks. Fallah Bahh can’t come because he has no money, which makes Swinger (in an extreme closeup) laugh at him. The sad Bahh is left alone.

Deonna Purrazzo brags to Kimber Lee and Susan about retaining the Knockouts Title. Lee and Susan brag about beating Jazz and Jordynne Grace, who pop in to issue the challenge. Grace calls Susan Susie, who does not like the old name. The match is on for next week.

And now it’s Fire and Flava Fest, with Alisha as emcee and promising to praise her homies. The only guests here are a referee, John E. Bravo, Johnny Swinger and the Swingerellas. Alisha introduces Fire and Flava, with Kiera Hogan (the Fire) loudly bragging about their win. Tasha Steelz (that would be the Flava) talks about how they promised they would be here and it’s time to star the party. The six guests aren’t exactly making that much noise, with the referee saying this is a dumpster fire. Hogan: “YOUR OUTFIT IS A DUMPSTER FIRE!”

It’s time for the Swingerellas to hand out the food, which means some boxed sandwiches. Bravo complains about the bread so it’s time for the booze, which Alisha spits out after one sip. Hold on though as there is a Marshmallow Man at ringside, which Steelz knows is Fallah Bahh. Actually it’s Nevaeh, who decks Steelz. Havok pops up and clotheslines Hogan but can’t quite put her through the table. Catering is destroyed and Alisha declares Havok and Nevaeh the winners. Of what isn’t clear, but they win.

James Storm and Chris Sabin have a drink and agree that while they might not be the Motor City Machine Guns or Beer Money, they’re something. Now they need the Tag Team Titles. Storm likes the idea so let’s have some shots.

Fire and Flava aren’t thrilled with what happened so here’s the referee, who complains that he got nothing of what he was promised and wants a refund. That’s not happening…..and we spent two weeks to set up a FYRE FEST JOKE??? It was old a year and a half ago when AEW did it and now we had a ten minute segment to set it up in 2021????

Joe Doering vs. Cousin Jake

The rest of Violent By Design is at ringside. Jake goes right at Doering to start and gets knocked out of the corner. A slam sets up a rebound elbow drop to keep Jake in trouble but Doering misses a crossbody. Jake tries a dive over the top but Doering kind of knocks him away. Back in and Jake hits a running shoulder to the ribs in the corner but walks into the crossbody. A big clothesline finishes Jake at 3:13.

Rating: D+. Doering is a huge guy but he feels like the latest giant monster who is going to cause trouble for a bit. I don’t particularly need to see the trope again, but maybe Doering can learn to do something other than sneer and make things better. It just feels like something that has been done so many times before and it isn’t thrilling here.

Post match the beatdown is on and they load up the Pillmanizing (with Striker saying the word with WAY too much enthusiasm and explaining who it is named after) but Young says hang on. They leave Jake with a Violent By Design shirt and walk away.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Moose/Chris Bey/Ken Shamrock/Sami Callihan vs. Rich Swann/Willie Mack/Tommy Dreamer/???

The mystery partner is…..Trey Miguel, who has not been around in about two months. Striker: “For me, on a personal level, this is exciting.” Bey tags himself in to take Moose’s place, because he wants to face Dreamer. That doesn’t last long so it’s off to Swann for a rolling splash/elbow combination to keep Bey down. We take a break and come back with Bey still in trouble but he manages to get Swann over for the tag off to Sami.

The package piledriver is broken up and Swann snaps off a headscissors. Mack comes in to run Sami over and hit a standing moonsault. A dropkick takes out Mack’s knee though and Shamrock comes in to take over. Sami’s shoulder to the ribs makes Mack’s eyes bug out and the villains take turns beating him up. Mack punches Bey in the jaw to escape the corner but another dropkick takes his knee out again. Sami grabs a standing leglock and Moose powerbombs Bey onto Mack for two.

Since Bey can’t keep anything going tonight, Mack nails him with a pip up right hand, allowing the hot tag off to Miguel. The pace picks up in a hurry, including an atomic drop into something like a jumping Stunner/Codebreaker on Sami. Shamrock suplexes Miguel hard though and everything breaks down. Sami powerbombs Miguel but walks into a cutter from Dreamer. Moose spears Mack but gets missile dropkicked by Miguel. A hard suplex puts Miguel down again but he snaps off a hurricanrana to pin Sami at 12:18.

Rating: C+. This was a pretty standard main event formula match and it worked out well. The main point was the return of Trey Miguel though and that was quite the success. He has an energy to him that you aren’t going to see in most people around here and I’m glad to have him back. Now just let him win something for a change, because otherwise it’s the same problem all over again.

Post match Shamrock and Callihan are left alone, so Shamrock ankle locks the referee to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. The ending helped, but this was a flat show otherwise with almost nothing important or energetic throughout the show. The lack of AEW praise for the most part helped, but man they aren’t doing themselves any favors. Tommy Dreamer gets a World Title shot? The Edgeheads Explode? Eric Young gets another low level goon? A freaking Fyre Fest joke? I need a lot more than that to make two hours work and as fun as Miguel is, he isn’t enough to fix all that.

Results

Matt Cardona/Josh Alexander b. Ace Austin/Madman Fulton – Pop up Rough Ryder to Fulton

Brian Myers b. Eddie Edwards via DQ when Edwards poked him in the eye

Rosemary b. Tenille Dashwood – As Above So Below

Joe Doering b. Cousin Jake – Running clothesline

Trey Miguel/Tommy Dreamer/Rich Swann/Willie Mack b. Moose/Sami Callihan/Ken Shamrock/Chris Bey – Hurricanrana to Callihan

 

 

 

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Hard To Kill 2021 Preview

We’re back with another Impact pay per view, even though the point seems to be to make another company’s World Champion look good. This time around the focal point is the invading Kenny Omega, will will team with the Good Brothers against Impact World Champion Rich Swann, Chris Sabin and Moose, after Alex Shelley was forced out of the show for unclear reasons. The rest of the card looks ok so let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Brian Myers vs. Josh Alexander

This was thrown in this week on Impact since every pay per view needs a pre-show match these days. Myers beat Alexander via DQ and bragged about it so we’re having this for the sake of shutting him up. I’m not sure what Impact sees in Myers but there are far worse places he could be than in the pre-show match. Alexander is going to need a boost soon so we could have something going here.

I’m going to take Alexander here as there is no reason for this to drag on for another match. As much as he has been featured, Myers isn’t being pushed to the moon so they aren’t likely to give him anything here. The match will likely be on about the same level as a regular TV match and that’s all it needs to be given where they are here. It probably didn’t need to be here, but Alexander can get your attention well enough.

Eric Young/Deaner/Joe Doering vs. Tommy Dreamer/Rhino/Cousin Jake

It isn’t a good sign when my first reaction to a match is “at least they’re keeping it all here” but that’s about as good as I can go with this. We have Dreamer being Dreamer, the epic Deaners split, Doering (he was big in Japan, right up there with Jesse and the Rippers) and Young as some kind of mastermind because this company loves him very much. It’s also Old School rules, because they can’t say Extreme and Dreamer can’t do much else.

I’ll go with Young and company as for some reason this seems to be one of the upcoming big things. Young is tolerable enough in some spots, though the love affair with Doering isn’t exactly doing much for me. Adding in the turned Deaner isn’t going to make things better, but if they can keep all of this stuff crammed into one match, it could be a lot worse than what we’re getting.

Eddie Edwards vs. Sami Callihan

This feud MUST continue and this time it’s Barbed Wire Massacre because when you think Edwards, you need something like this thrown in. I know this is viewed as some legendary rivalry but it feels like they are just warming it up because neither has anything to do. Edwards is able to carry almost anything to at least watchable, but as soon as I heard the barbed wire deal, I could hear Josh Matthews with his machine gun delivery taking away any impact it might have.

Give me Callihan to win, likely thanks to Ken Shamrock because we need another evil alliance to triumph. Shamrock and Callihan are somewhat intriguing, but I don’t need a Barbed Wire Massacre to make it work. The match should be good enough and odds are Alisha will get involved, but I’ve been over this feud for a good while now because it ran out of steam years ago.

Ethan Page vs. Karate Man

We continue with the “why is this a thing” section, but in this case Page has so much charisma that he can manage to face himself and make it work. I’m going to assume this is a cinematic match and Page’s way out of the promotion, but you never know with something like this. The Karate Man stuff alone is always worth a look, but I’m almost scared of what to see here.

Since they’re facing each other, I’ll go with Karate Man to win and get rid of Page once and for all, which should make your head spin at least a little bit. There is a chance that we could be in for some good jokes here and under the right circumstances, this could be one of the best things on the entire show. Page is awesome at his goofy stuff, and hopefully he gets to showcase himself well on the way out.

X-Division Title: Manik(c) vs. Chris Bey vs. Rohit Raju

This is part of one of those stories that works out well almost every time because it’s a classic. Bey and Raju are convinced that Manik is TJP (because Manik is TJP) but can’t beat him or prove it, meaning their frustration factor has increased about 17 fold. Now it’s a free for all for the title, which opens up a few interesting doors as they could go in a few different directions.

I think they’ll play it safe here and have Manik retain the title because there are more places to go with something like this. Manik is someone who can have a good match with anyone and Bey is one of the better young stars around here. Raju has been rather nice as well lately, so we could be in for something good. This might be the match with the most promise on the whole show and I can’t say I’m surprised.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Nevaeh/Havok vs. Kiera Hogan/Tasha Steelz

Who would have thought that a tournament for the vacant titles would come down to two of the only regular teams who happened to be feuding for weeks before the tournament started? Hogan and Steelz have done a nice job of being the most annoying heels imaginable, which made Havok and Nevaeh grabbing them by their throats that much better. This was almost a guarantee for the final, so at least they’re doing the logical thing.

I’ll take Havok and Nevaeh to win here as you need some faces to win on this show. It isn’t the most intriguing match on the show but it was the only way to go to get to the tournament finals. I’m not sure how far these titles can go as WWE hasn’t been able to make theirs work for years now. The match will be the same thing that we’ve seen several times between them now but….yay belts?

Rosemary/Crazzy Steve vs. Tenille Dashwood/Kaleb With A K

This seems to have been added near the last minute and I’m still trying to make myself care about Dashwood. The Instagram deal is fine, but it feels like something you would see at a tiny independent promotion because it’s that easy of a story. There is no doubt that the talent is there, but for some reason it isn’t clicking. You can only get so far with something like this though and I think we’ve reached her current limit.

I don’t see a reason for Kaleb With A K and Dashwood to win here, even though they need it a lot more. Rosemary seems to be building up something with Susan, so unless she interferes and costs them the match, I don’t see a reason to have Rosemary and Steve lose here. The match itself should be another TV level match, which is quite the trend for most of this show.

Knockouts Title: Deonna Purrazzo(c) vs. Taya Valkyrie

The Knockouts singles division has done well enough for itself in recent months and Purrazzo is awesome as the technical wizard champion. Valkyrie is almost the old guard in a way, despite her title reign not even feeling all that long ago. While her big reign is over, Valkyrie can go in the ring with anyone and Purrazzo is one of the best things going in the company today.

Purrazzo being one of the best things going today is more than enough to keep the title on her here. Beating Valkyrie is more along the lines of beating a challenger of the month, but she just happens to be a really successful challenger of the month. It means something to beat her though and Purrazzo can continue her reign with another rather nice win added to her list.

Kenny Omega/Good Brothers vs. Rich Swann/Chris Sabin/Moose

This whole invasion (if that’s what you call Omega and Omega alone showing up from AEW) is making me think of Lando Calrissian saying “this deal is getting worse all the time”. So far, the highlight of the feud for Impact is their World Champion escaping with a pin over their Tag Team Champion. Omega and Don Callis have been treated as stars who are gracing Impact with their presence. I know it gives Impact exposure, but this is feeling more like New Japan coming to Ring of Honor every day (and that’s not a good thing).

Of course Omega and the Good Brothers win here, because why would they lose here? I know this is probably heading towards Omega taking the Impact World Title, as that is the best way to continue making Impact look like they don’t compare to AEW in any way. Yes AEW is more important and Omega is a bigger star, but sweet goodness could Impact look much worse so far?

Overall Thoughts

This show looks pretty dreadful on paper as there is nothing of note to look forward to. I’m sure some of the matches will work as Impact tends to shine when they just go to the ring and focus on the wrestling, but nothing on here really jumps out. Hopefully the show winds up working, because this feels like they have almost no reason to do this show other than they have to. It will likely be good enough, but they need to work on spicing things up.

 

 

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Impact Wrestling – January 5, 2021: The Playground Games

Impact Wrestling
Date: January 5, 2021
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Madison Rayne

It’s time to get back to the regular shows but we are also on the way to both Genesis and Hard To Kill. That means we could be seeing some good stuff around here, though the idea of building towards two shows at once is rarely something that works out all that well. Maybe they can fix that tonight though as Kenny Omega is here. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of Kenny Omega and Don Callis joining forces with the Good Brothers against the Motor City Machine Guns and Rich Swann.

Opening sequence.

Ace Austin vs. Blake Christian vs. KC Navarro vs. Crazzy Steve

Madman Fulton is here with Austin and this is a preview of the Super X Cup at Genesis. Austin chills on the floor to start so the other two rub Steve’s chest. That’s a little too much for Austin, who pulls Steve to the floor so Christian and Navarro start going rather fast. Christian kicks Austin in the face but Austin sends him into the corner. Steve ties Navarro in the upside down Figure Four necklock over the ropes but Navarro is right back with a headscissors.

Navarro takes Austin out, only to have Christian shove him off the top to the floor. Christian’s big flip dive to the floor takes Navarro down but Austin cuts Christian off. That lets Navarro get back inside to dive onto Christian for a change, so Austin flips onto both of them at once. Back in and Navarro hits a running neckbreaker for two on Austin and Christian adds a standing Spanish Fly. Christian’s springboard frog splash gets two on Austin with Steve making the save. Steve Death Valley Drives Navarro into the other two in the corner and a middle rope DDT is enough to give Steve the pin on Navarro at 7:06.

Rating: C+. This was your old school X-Division spot fest, meaning there was almost no way to have anyone stand out and someone won in the end. That being said, it’s also a rather entertaining match because it is non-stop action from bell to bell. They kept things moving and didn’t stay out there too long, which is what matters most in something like this. It’s junk food, but it’s good junk food.

Kenny Omega’s bus is here so make sure you watch the whole show to see what he does!

Here’s what’s coming up tonight.

Sami Callihan hacks the feed and talks about how he is ready for Eddie Edwards. Eddie is trying to say that the good guys win in the end but tonight, Sami is proving the bad guys win. Thumbs up, thumbs down.

We get another paid advertisement from Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone. They’re here to help those less fortunate, meaning Impact Wrestling. We hear the Dynamite card and Khan goes into a rant against Don Callis, saying that he does everything for AEW except wrestling. Callis is a parasite but Khan is a patron of wrestling. He’ll be back to buy another ad next week because his grandmother gave him $100 in a Christmas card and he wants to spend it on something fun (Schiavone isn’t even trying to hide his laughter at that one).

The Good Brothers and Don Callis think Kenny Omega’s is so big. His belt that is. They’re ready for Hard To Kill because they’re friends with chemistry, which is more than the Guns and Swann have ever had.

Here are Cousin Jake and Rhino, with Jake wanting Cody Deaner back because they’re family.

Cousin Jake/Rhino vs. Cody Deaner/Joe Doering

Before the match, Eric Young says Deaner answers to him these days because Deaner has seen the truth. Cody hammers on Jake to start and seems far more intense than he has ever been before. Doering comes in as we hear about how awesome is he again, mainly because he was in Japan. We take a break and come back with Jake still in trouble in the corner. Jake manages to backflip out of a belly to back though and brings in Rhino to hammer away. The offense lasts about ten seconds before it’s already back to Jake though and Cody hits him low. The Deaner DDT finishes Jake at 7:31.

Rating: D+. There wasn’t much drama to this as you have a new heel able so they aren’t going to lose on their first match together. Doering is still his usual self but I can go with something that gets rid of one of the redneck Deaners. It’s not like the team was anything of value in the first place so this is an improvement. Not much of one, but an improvement.

Post match Jake and Rhino get beaten down even more….until Tommy Dreamer comes out with the kendo sticks for the same. Dreamer issues the challenge for the Old School rules match at Hard To Kill. Eric Young and Tommy Dreamer in the same angle and match. Happy freaking new year.

Matthew Palmer didn’t drive this far to become a security guard so he is here to face Moose. If he lasts three minutes, people will know who Matthew Palmer is.

Acey Romero comes in to see Johnny Swinger, who has his own office. Romero says Crazzy Steve sent him to see Swinger about John E. Bravo being framed. Swinger says go ask the Knockouts.

Here are Deonna Purrazzo and Kimber Lee for a chat. Deonna doesn’t understand why Taya Valkyrie has a problem with them. Taya is blaming them for all of her problems, but what happens when Purrazzo takes her out? Cue Taya and Rosemary, who says she is the longest reigning Knockouts Champion ever, and she hasn’t lost any focus on that title. Deonna says Taya has already lost everything she has and her husband isn’t even here anymore. When will Rosemary turn on her too? The only thing she has left is the record but Taya knows Purrazzo is scared of what is coming at Hard To Kill. Just a quick push towards the match.

Rohit Raju tells Chris Bey that his New Year’s resolution is to forgive, so he forgives Bey for costing him the X-Division Title. Bey isn’t impressed but Raju thinks they need to get together and take Manik out.

Post break Raju and Bey go find TJP, who hasn’t seen Manik. They want a tag match against Manik and TJP but he isn’t interested.

Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb With A K comes up to Rosemary and understands what it’s like to split with a partner like Rosemary is going to split with Taya soon. Rosemary isn’t interested.

Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: Jazz/Jordynne Grace vs. Havok/Nevaeh

Nevaeh and Grace start things off with Grace working on a headlock to take Nevaeh down. That’s broken up so Havok comes in for the hoss fight, with Grace being knocked into the corner. Jazz comes in to slap Havok and stomp away in the corner. Havok sends her into the corner and hands it off to Nevaeh for the running splash.

That’s broken up in a hurry so Grace comes back in for a double back elbow to the face. Jazz is in just as fast and leaves Grace hanging on a tag (how rude) but suplexes Nevaeh down. The neck crank doesn’t last long as Nevaeh makes the comeback in a hurry. A double tag brings in Havok to powerbomb Grace for two as everything breaks down. The Tombstone finishes Jazz at 9:49 to send Havok and Nevaeh to Hard to Kill.

Rating: C-. This tournament has been ok at best and it isn’t exactly thrilling when the finals wind up being two of the only regular teams in the whole thing. Granted I’d rather have that than two random teams who have no history fighting for some historic titles. Grace continues to look like a star, but this was the right choice.

Rich Swann and the Motor City Machine Guns aren’t impressed by Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers. This company was founded on people like the three of them (Swann was 11 years old when the company was founded) and they aren’t letting this happen. Swann talks about how the letters on this title doesn’t say AEW because it says Impact Wrestling World Champion. They’re going to show the three of them that pain is temporary but pride is forever. Shelley is ready to go fight right now so they head to the parking lot.

After walking around security (It took them a month to figure that out?), the trio gets jumped from behind by Omega and the Good Brothers, with Callis shouting a lot. Omega says they were easy to kill and gets in a few more stomps before heading back onto the bus. In other words, Omega and company again look like the smart ones while the good guys are presented as complete morons.

Jazz asks Grace what happened but Grace says it was her fault. Everything is ok and Grace praises Jazz for being awesome. They should face each other at Genesis and the match is on. Grace wasn’t exactly great on the talking here.

Deonna Purrazzo and Kimber Lee ask James Mitchell if he has taken care of Su Yung. Cue…..Susan, who wears glasses and a business suit. Our villains aren’t sure what to do.

Moose vs. Matthew Palmer

Non-title with a three minute time limit. Palmer slugs away to start but gets planted with a standing Rock Bottom (as Josh puts it). The slow beating continues as we’re already down to a minute and a half left. Palmer is tossed around but gets in a jumping knee to the face. Moose kicks him in the face and loads up the spear but here’s Willie Mack for a distraction, allowing the clock to run out at 3:00.

Rating: D. You can only get so much out of something like this and they did a fine enough job of advancing Mack vs. Moose by having Moose humiliated. Palmer was any warm body here and that’s all he needed to be. I’m still not sure what the endgame is with Moose as TNA World Champion and the longer it goes, the more I don’t think Impact knows either.

Ethan Page is on a psychiatrist’s couch but the doctor keeps speaking in what sound like motivational poster cliches. Page thinks everyone around here is out to get him and yells at the doctor for not listening. It’s Karate Man, who calls Page a b****. They argue a bit and the match is made for Hard To Kill.

Here’s what’s coming at Genesis, Hard To Kill and next week.

Eddie Edwards vs. Sami Callihan

They start fighting during the entrances with Sami getting in a few chair shots. Eddie is back with some headbutts but chops the post by mistake. Sami steps over him for a low blow and we take a break before the bell. Back with Eddie getting in his own chair shot as the bell still hasn’t rung. Sami grabs the timekeeper’s hammer and knocks the chair into Eddie’s head.

The chair is thrown at Eddie’s head but Eddie headbutts his way out of a suplex through said chair. Eddie charges into a t-bone suplex through the chair though and they finally head inside for the bell. The slugout is on but Eddie shoves the referee down, allowing Sami to get in some more shots. They rake each others’ eyes and the referee is knocked down again, drawing the double DQ at 1:13.

Post match Eddie grabs Sami’s bat and stalks him but Sami pulls out the hacking phone to show Alisha Edwards trapped in a cage. Eddie goes after her but it’s Ken Shamrock jumping him from behind. Sami comes in and they wrap Eddie in barbed wire for a baseball bat shot to the face. Alisha is blamed as the villains leave to end the show. I really could go with this feud being done for good already as it isn’t quite as epic as Impact thinks it is.

Overall Rating: C-. The AEW addition to the show is rapidly dwindling in value as this show is becoming AEW’s playground. It’s starting to feel like when New Japan would come to Ring of Honor and that’s not a good idea. The rest of the show was the usual hit or miss effort, as there isn’t a big story or feud to point to at the moment. The show is just kind of coming and going most weeks as AEW is treated like this divine intervention that only serves the other company. Not a terrible show, but the sooner Omega and pals are gone, the better it is likely to be.

Results

Crazzy Steve b. KC Navarro, Ace Austin and Blake Christian – Middle rope DDT to Navarro

Cody Deaner/Joe Doering b. Cousin Jake/Rhino – Deaner DDT to Jake

Havok/Nevaeh b. Jazz/Jordynne Grace – Tombstone to Jazz

Matthew Palmer b. Moose – Time expired

Eddie Edwards vs. Sami Callihan went to a double DQ when the referee was knocked down

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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Impact Wrestling – December 1, 2020: Why Would They Do That?

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

 

Impact Wrestling
Date: December 1, 2020
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Madison Rayne, Josh Matthews

So now that we know who shot the manager (yes the manager), it is now time to move towards Hard To Kill, meaning there are some stories that need to be set up. Last week’s show ended with Sami Callihan and Ken Shamrock being move evil than usual and we also have the Knockouts Tag Team Titles tournament. We could use something a little better than that so let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Bob Ryder.

Opening recap.

Motor City Machine Guns vs. XXXL

XXL jumps them to start but get low bridged to the floor for a dive from Sabin. Granted the two of them don’t go down but Sabin did hit the dive. Back in and we settle down to Sabin hammering on Larry, as Madison brings up a good point: why isn’t Lawrence D in jail after he SHOT JOHN E. BRAVO? My guess would be something about this match being shot before that segment but there is a good chance they won’t follow up on it anyway.

Acey comes in to slam Sabin but everything breaks down with the Guns kicking both of them down. A double shoulder drops Shelley though and it’s time to stomp away again. Larry gets two off a low superkick but Sabin comes in for the save sans tag. The standing Sliced Bread allows the tag to Sabin so house can be cleaned in a hurry.

Sabin gets driven into the corner though and it’s a backbreaker/running elbow combination for two. Everything breaks down and Larry misses a top rope splash, meaning it’s time for the superkicks. Acey gets knocked to the floor and some running kicks in the corner rock Larry. Skull And Bones (though I’m not sure they still call it that) finishes Larry at 9:23.

Rating: C+. I wouldn’t have bet on this one being so good but the Guns know how to put something like this together rather well and got the best out of the big guys. The Guns might not be the next top stars of the division but if their job is to have make other teams look better than they can otherwise, they’ll have a job around here for a long time to come. Now just figure out something with the Larry/Lawrence deal, please.

Here’s what’s coming tonight.

We look back at Sami Callihan and Ken Shamrock attacking Eddie Edwards last week.

Scott D’Amore, with a bunch of security, suspends Ken Shamrock, who really doesn’t seem happy. Revenge is sworn.

John E. Bravo yells at XXXL, screaming that Larry D. should be in jail. Tommy Dreamer, now in a police shirt, comes in to say he’s going to arrest Larry. Since this is ridiculous, Larry asks about Dreamer’s authority. Dreamer pulls out….nothing actually, with Larry pointing out that he isn’t holding a badge. That doesn’t matter, because Dreamer wasn’t a real judge or lawyer but he knows Larry shot Bravo. Larry says he was set up so Dreamer wants to go downtown to straighten things out. A right hand drops Dreamer and XXXL leaves, with Bravo coming in to scream over Dreamer’s unconscious body. Oh the humanity.

Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: Killer Kelly/Renee Michelle vs. Jazz/Jordynne Grace

Jazz, now bald, and Renee (Drake Maverick’s wife) are making their debuts. Grace headlocks Kelly down to start so Kelly does the same for a standoff. It’s off to Michelle vs. Jazz, with the latter taking her down without much effort. Grace comes back in for a double shoulder to Michelle, who manages to send Grace to the apron. We take a break and come back with Michelle chinlocking Grace.

Kelly comes in to kick Grace in the chest but Grace powers her way out of another choke. The hot tag brings in Jazz to take over on Kelly before handing it right back to Grace. Kelly hits a running dropkick in the corner but can’t get Grace in a fireman’s carry. The Grace Driver connects with Michelle having to make a save. Everything breaks down and the Jazz Stinger finishes Michelle at 12:23.

Rating: C-. It was as exciting as a match featuring Jazz as some legendary partner was going to be. This wasn’t designed to be anything competitive and while Grace and Jazz are kind of a random team, it makes more sense to have them go forward. Michelle and Kelly were just kind of there for the most part and I’m not sure if they are going to be sticking around.

Flashback Moment of the Week: the Motor City Machine Guns retain the Tag Team Titles over Generation Me (Young Bucks) at Final Resolution 2010.

Ethan Page knows everyone saw him lose to Swoggle last week but he has a plan to fix it all. As for Karl Anderson, why does he think it was Page who took out Doc Gallows? Well he did, so Anderson can face Page at Final Resolution. If Page wins, the North can have a title shot. Josh Alexander spends the entire time looking at Page like he has lost his mind.

A nervous Alisha doesn’t seem to care about Tenille Dashwood’s plans for them…because she needs to jump onto Sami Callihan’s back and choke him as hard as she can. Security breaks it up but Sami blows her a kiss.

Johnny Swinger vs. Cody Deaner

Cody clotheslines him out of the corner as commentary goes over everything Tommy Dreamer does around here. Cue Eric Young and Joe Doering to jump Cousin Jake and then Cody for the DQ at 47 seconds.

Post match we get the same beatdown and the same beatdown. We also get the same lack of an explanation of WHO THE HECK JOE DOERING IS (on this show that is, as they only explained it at Turning Point). I’m already not a fan of Young and this is making it even worse.

Deonna Purrazzo and Kimber Lee come up to James Mitchell to ask if he has turned Su Yung into Susie yet. It isn’t that easy so the women offer to get Yung in the ring.

The Deaners rant about Young and Doering because Cody was there to drive Young around when he started wrestling. Next week, Cody is proving he isn’t a nobody. Good luck with that kind of acting performance.

Here are Deonna Purrazzo and Kimber Lee for a chat. Purrazzo says Su Yung can get her rematch right now so here’s Yung….and here’s James Mitchell as Lee and Purrazzo bail. Mitchell talks about how Yung has been a thorn in his side for too long so it’s time to pay. Cue the Bridesmaids so Purrazzo and Lee jump Yung from behind. Yung loads up the mist but Purrazzo hits her in the throat in a smart move. Cosa Nostra knocks Yung out and the Bridesmaids take her away. I liked it.

Moose comes up to Chris Bey in the back and wishes him luck against Swann. Bey says he knows what’s going on here: Moose is nice to him now and gets the first World Title shot. Moose says not quite, because he just hurts people. You take power instead of giving it and when Moose wants the title, he’s taking it too.

Karl Anderson says Ethan Page is on for Final Resolution.

X-Division Title: Rohit Raju vs. Crazzy Steve

Steve is challenging and needs to put his stuffed monkey on the post to start. Raju jumps him from behind and gets punched out to the floor for his efforts. Back in and Steve tries a full nelson before twisting Raju’s neck around. A figure four necklock over the ropes has Raju in trouble but he’s right back with a jumping Downward Spiral.

We take a break and come back with Raju biting Steve’s head in the corner, followed by a fisherman’s suplex for two. Raju hammers away and gets two more off a snap suplex. The armbar doesn’t last long so Raju kicks him down instead. Steve gets in a shot to the face though and a high crossbody gets two. Raju is back with a jumping knee to the face but Steve pulls him down into an Octopus on the mat. The feet in the ropes are good for the break so Steve tries a sunset flip. Raju sits down on it though and grabs the rope to retain at 11:41.

Rating: C. I still can’t get over how much Raju has improved this year. He has gone from someone who has absolutely nothing to offer around here to someone who gives you a perfectly acceptable match more often than not. Throw in some good promos and they have a little something with him. That’s not much, but the improvement is near remarkable.

Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan are looking forward to winning the Tag Team Titles and having all the money. Fallah Bahh comes in to say they stole the money and he has seen the video from last week. The women say they don’t have the money and hide it behind their backs, while saying they’ll have it next week. Bahh leaves and Johnny Swinger comes up to proposition them. It doesn’t go well.

Brian Myers comes up to mock Crazzy Steve and TJP for their plan not working. TJP challenges Myers and it’s accepted for some point in the future.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Willie Mack vs. Chris Bey

We even get a Lucha Underground reference during Mack’s entrance. Bey slaps him in the face so Mack does the same, setting up a nipple twist in the corner. The Thesz press into the right hands keep Bey in trouble but Mack gets sent outside. That’s fine with Mack, who drops him back first onto the apron. Bey knocks him off the apron to tweak the knee though and we take a break.

Back with Bey cranking on said knee and chop blocking him down to cut off the comeback attempt. The half crab doesn’t last long as Mack gets up and blasts him with a clothesline. The swinging slam connects but Mack’s knee is barely holding up. A knee drop gets two on Bey, even though it bangs up Mack’s knee even more. Bey takes out the knee again though and slaps Mack in the face. That just earns him the Stunner to give Mack the pin at 12:57.

Rating: C+. Other than a pretty odd choice for an ending, this worked out well. Granted that shouldn’t be much of a surprise given that the two guys are both rather talented and good at this wrestling thing. Bey shouldn’t be losing on the way to a title shot, but it’s not like he’s the really big threat to the World Title anyway. He shouldn’t be losing, but you’re almost never going to get logical booking.

Post match Moose comes in to jump Mack but Rich Swann makes the save. Bey uses the distraction to take Swann down though and poses to end the show. So….yeah Bey is the #1 contender for Final Resolution and Moose is the big final boss so Mack won here because….Impact?

Overall Rating: C. Well it was better than last week, though that isn’t exactly saying much. Above all else, the biggest improvement was focusing on the stories that aren’t built around….well everything that the Bravo story is built around. The Dreamer stuff is becoming an internal joke and that kind of sort of makes things better, though it still is a low level tag wrestler shooting a manager while an alleged legend investigates, so how much good can come from it? The rest of the show was better, but it’s still not exactly a thrilling show.

Results

Motor City Machine Guns b. XXXL – Skull And Bones to Larry D.

Jazz/Jordynne Grace b. Killer Kelly/Renee Michelle – Jazz Stinger to Michelle

Cody Deaner b. Johnny Swinger via DQ when Eric Young interfered

Rohit Raju b. Crazzy Steve – Rollup while grabbing the rope

Willie Mack b. Chris Bey – Stunner

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Impact Wrestling – November 24, 2020: Remember When This Was Good?

IMG Credit: Impact Wrestling

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 24, 2020
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Matt Striker, Josh Matthews

The show has taken a bit of a weird turn in recent weeks and that’s not exactly the best news. The big story this week seems to be Wrestler’s Court as Detective Dreamer continues to try and find who shot John E. Bravo. Other than that, we have the continuing issues of Eric Young and Joe Doering, because the world was waiting for more Doering. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Scott D’Amore tries to get John E. Bravo’s doctor to pull the plug but is relieved (I think?) to hear that he’s in stable condition. The doctor says it might not be the same Bravo when he wakes up. D’Amore doesn’t seem crushed but promises justice.

Knockouts Tag Team Tournament First Round: Kiera Hogan/Tasha Steelz vs. Sea Stars

The Stars are sisters Delmi Exo and Ashley Vox. Exo and Hogan start things off with the much bigger Exo taking her to the mat for a Gator Roll. A sunset flip gets two on Hogan, which certainly does not seem to please her. Vox comes in for a running neckbreaker and it’s off to Steelz, who suckers Vox in without much trouble. Vox’s dropkick gets two but it’s a spinebuster to give Steelz two.

The running forearm in the corner allows the tag back to Hogan for a running kick to the face. Vox slugs away and hits a running headbutt, allowing the hot tag to Exo. House is cleaned, including a northern lights suplex and some running elbows in the corner. It’s back to Vox for an Air Raid Crash for two on Hogan but Steelz cuts Vox off. A fisherman’s neckbreaker finishes Exo at 7:11.

Rating: C-. The Stars were fine for a one off opponent and they seem to have teamed together somewhat extensively before. They weren’t about to win here over one of the tournament favorites though, making this more of a showcase than a competitive match. Not great, but the Stars sticking around wouldn’t be the worst idea.

Jordynne Grace is with her new mystery partner…..Jazz, who doesn’t think winning the tournament is going to be that hard. Jazz isn’t quite the major announcement but she does have a resume.

Here is what is coming tonight.

The North is rather pleased that Doc Gallows is going to be out of action for 4-6 weeks. Josh Alexander isn’t sure what this means for the Tag Team Titles but Ethan Page says he has this.

And now, Wrestler’s Court with Johnny Swinger being accused of shooting John E. Bravo. Madison Rayne is his attorney as this is being presented like People’s Court, complete with voice over. Swinger: “Best house I ever drew.” Madison tells him to be quiet as we meet the prosecutor: D’Lo Brown from the Nation Of Litigation. Tommy Dreamer is judge of course (the Innovator of Jurisprudence) and he does his old pose on the way to the bench, which is an anvil case.

Madison says this isn’t fair because Dreamer was the investigator so Dreamer and Brown switch places. That means Brown gets a powdered wig and Dreamer wants the chest protector. Brown suggests that Dreamer better recognize, so Dreamer thanks the honorable Uncle Phil and starts in on his opening statement. Dreamer says this is an easy case if you look at all of the facts. Madison’s opening statement: Swinger is too stupid to have pulled this off.

We go to the first witness with Fallah Bahh, who says Swinger did it out of jealousy for not being the best man. Then Cody Deaner talks about finding the gun in Swinger’s fanny pack. Acey Romero, in a Nasty Boys shirt, says he found Swinger’s fingerprints on the gun….along with the Deaners’, Dreamer’s, just about everyone else here, Greg Valentine’s and Ron Simmons’ (Brown: “D***! Always wanted to do that.”) Swinger tries to offer Brown beer and Rayne looks ready to jump out of a window. More on this later, as I want to jump out of a higher window.

Here’s Rohit Raju to complain about everyone who has been complaining about his title reign. They hide behind their keyboards like a bunch of losers, but for now it’s time for the Defeat Rohit Challenge.

X-Division Title: Rohit Raju vs. Suicide

Raju is defending. Hold on though as Raju doesn’t believe that it’s really Suicide because he’s smarter than that. Therefore, this one is non-title.

Rohit Raju vs. Suicide

Non-title. Suicide starts fast with the armdrag into a dropkick but gets knocked to the floor for his efforts. Back from a break with Raju working on the mask and then elbowing Suicide down for two. Some quick choking lets Raju go for the mask again, followed by some chops against the rope. Suicide can’t get the Black Widow as Raju belly to back suplexes his way to freedom. A neckbreaker puts Suicide down and Raju gets the mask off. For some reason we don’t look at his face but here’s TJP to make the idea clear for us. The guy, whose face we still don’t see, grabs a sunset flip for the pin at 8:07.

Rating: C-. It’s an angle that has been done time after time and that is the case because it has worked every time. You can see why Raju would go for the trap and then fall for it, possibly to the point where he is willing to give TJP another shot for the sake of some revenge. That makes sense and it worked fine here.

It’s Crazzy Steve.

Sami Callihan fires Ken Shamrock up but here’s Moose to say Shamrock is going after the secondary World Title. Moose respects Shamrock, but if he wins the title, Moose is coming to beat him again. Sami has to hold Shamrock back.

Kaleb With A K and Tenille Dashwood are seeing which glasses work best for her but here’s Alisha to come in and say they need to tag again. Dashwood doesn’t quite say no but she certainly doesn’t seem thrilled. I’d hope Alisha is smarter than this.

Kimber Lee vs. Killer Kelly

Deonna Purrazzo and Renee Michelle are the seconds here. Lee stomps away in the corner and throws Kelly down. A figure four with the legs has Kelly down again but she gets back up with a headbutt. Kelly hits a running basement dropkick in the corner but Lee is back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. The Swanton finishes Kelly at 3:08.

Rating: D+. Kelly has never quite impressed me in the few times I’ve seen her but she did well enough here. You can only get so far with this kind of a match in the first place but it was more about getting her feet wet than anything else. Lee needed a win too as she has been little more than Purrazzo’s lackey for a long time.

Post match here’s Susie to say that Lee and Purrazzo hurt her friend and that’s bad. Now her friend is here to hurt them. Cue Su Yung to wreck the two of them (as Susie, albeit with her back to the ring, stands on the stage), with Purrazzo and Lee bailing.

Alex Shelley is back and the Motor City Machine Guns have a three step process: 1. XXXL, 2. The North, 3. The Good Brothers and the Tag Team Titles. Simple enough.

Rich Swann is sorry for what Willie Mack had to go through last week but Mack says he’s always been fighting. Chris Bey comes in to say he wants a title shot and calls Mack a loser. The threat of violence has Bey out the door.

Here’s Ethan Page to face an opponent of Karl Anderson’s choosing, but here’s Anderson for a chat first. Anderson says we’ve been having a Good Brothers Party as of late. Doc Gallows is hurt right now though because of Page so now if Page wins, the North gets a Tag Team Title shot. Anderson never rolls alone and has an opponent, who is Phenomenal. And this is what we get.

Ethan Page vs. AJ Swoggle

That would be the Wee-nomenal AJ Swoggle. He comes out to AJ’s old music (nice to hear that again) and does look a good bit like Styles. Page gets on his knees to start so Swoggle hits AJ’s Phenomenal Blitz for a nice touch. A Josh Alexander distraction lets Page kick him down though and Page gets in a running shoulder as well. Page seems to load up his own Styles Clash but Swoggle bites the leg to escape. Swoggle kicks him down and after Anderson gets rid of Alexander, a rollup finishes Page at 2:28. It was fine for a one off joke, but on the same show as Wrestlers’ Court, this might not have been the best place.

Post match Page looks ready to break down.

It’s back to Wrestlers’ Court where Rayne looks frustrated at having to question Swinger, so Dreamer gets his chance. Dreamer asks if Swinger thought he could get away with this, so Swinger brags about how awesome he is. Swinger: “I’m the OJ Simpson of professional wrestling daddy!” Dreamer asks when he last read a newspaper. Swinger: “1991 daddy. Something happen since then?” A dejected Madison says the defense rests and, after a break, Dreamer calls James Mitchell.

Dreamer asks about virgin blood, which is highly prized for its powers. That gets Dreamer’s attention, but we cut to Rosemary as the next witness (being sworn in on the Necronomicon). She won’t answer about when she was first attracted to Bravo because that’s a bit personal. Dreamer asks if she ever loved Bravo, which is a no. Of course she didn’t love him but she couldn’t resist the power of the virgin blood which would have made her the most powerful creature in the realm.

Cue Bravo, still in his hospital gown, to say Rosemary is the worst thing that ever happened to him. Bravo knows who shot him though because he could smell it. Post break, Larry D. is on the stand and Dreamer has him hooked up to a lie detector. Larry says he didn’t shoot Bravo, but Dreamer uses cologne to turn him into Lawrence D., who did in fact shoot him. Brown declares Johnny Swinger not guilty. Counting the break, this got over fifteen minutes. I think that speaks for itself.

Fallah Bahh vs. Daivari

Wait, so Bahh can be in Wrestlers’ Court and wrestle later but I have to listen to Matt Striker instead of Madison Rayne on commentary? Joe Doering and Eric Young come in to jump Bahh for the DQ at 32 seconds.

Post match Young says this world is sick and they are the cure. Cue Rhino to go after Doering but he gets beaten down as well.

TJP comes up to Crazzy Steve and Swoggle but Brian Myers comes in to mock all three of them. To recap: the last few segments have been an AJ Styles parody, Wrestlers’ Court, Eric Young and his monster that maybe .4% of the fans will know anything about and Curt Hawkins. This show has fallen WAY downhill and it’s just getting worse.

Kimber Lee and Deonna Purrazzo ask James Mitchell to turn their Su Yung problem into a Susie problem. He’ll do it, for a price.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Ken Shamrock vs. Rich Swann

Shamrock is challenging and has Sami Callihan in his corner. Swann rolls away to start but Sami grabs his leg so Shamrock can get in a cheap shot. That’s good for an early ejection and Swann uses the distraction to hit a dropkick. Shamrock knocks him down with a hard shot though and it’s time to work on Swann’s leg. Back up and Shamrock hits Swann in the face, because Shamrock doesn’t make things more complicated than he needs to. Some stomps to the hand keep Swann in trouble and it’s a front facelock to make it worse.

We take a break and come back with Swann hitting some clotheslines. Shamrock kicks him down though and we hit the chinlock. Swann fights up and hits a few kicks to the head with a big one putting Shamrock down. Rolling Thunder gets two and a sunset flip is good for the same, only to have Shamrock reverse into a triangle. That’s switched into a cross armbreaker but Swann’s foot is under the rope. Swann kicks away some more, only to get pulled into the ankle lock. That’s reversed into a quick victory roll to retain the title at 13:41.

Rating: B-. Swann was doing what he could here and the strikes managed to slow Shamrock down just enough. Shamrock was still coming off like a monster though, which says a lot about someone at his age. He’s rather effective at this kind of thing and believe it or not I could go for more of him doing this kind of thing.

Post match Sami comes back out for a package piledriver on Swann. Callihan grabs the baseball bat but here’s Eddie Edwards for the failed save attempt. The beatdown is on with Sami hitting Eddie in the face with the bat to bust him open. D’Lo Brown comes out to yell at Sami and gets taken out with the bat as well. More officials come out to yell to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. Remember a few months ago when Impact was on a roll and putting on good shows? Well forget all of that because this was really bad stuff with the good main event not being able to come close to saving it. This show felt like it was two shows pasted together with WAY too much time being spent on Tommy Dreamer and the Wacky Shooting Mystery. Just like last time with Wrestlers’ Court, I’m sure they had a lot of fun shooting it but that thing got more time than the World Title match.

You can do comedy in spurts (like the Swoggle thing, which was in and out in about five minutes, including pre-match promo) but when it’s the biggest part of the show like this, it loses its, pardon the intentional pun, impact. A lot of this show felt like it was for the wrestlers instead of the audience and that isn’t how something like this is supposed to work.

Results

Kiera Hogan/Tasha Steelz b. Sea Stars – Fisherman’s neckbreaker to Exo

Suicide b. Rohit Raju – Sunset flip

Kimber Lee b. Killer Kelly – Swanton

AJ Swoggle b. Ethan Page – Rollup

Fallah Bahh b. Daivari via DQ when Joe Doering interfered

Rich Swann b. Ken Shamrock – Victory roll

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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




Impact Wrestling – November 17, 2020: It’s Like New Day, Yes It Is

IMG Credit: WWE

Impact Wrestling
Date: November 22, 2020
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Madison Rayne, Josh Matthews

We’re done with Turning Point and now things are starting to get a little more interesting. There were two title changes on the show as the Good Brothers and Deonna Purrazzo won the Tag Team and Knockouts Titles (you can figure out which did which). Other than that, the hunt is still on for John E. Bravo’s shooter. Let’s get to it.

Here is Turning Point if you need a recap.

The opening video looks at Turning Point, which did feel like an important show.

Opening sequence.

Moose vs. Willie Mack

Non-title, No DQ and a rematch from Turning Point where Moose won but had the decision overturned for attacking after the bell. They charge at each other to start with Mack hammering away and hitting a dropkick into the corner. There’s the Cannonball to send Moose outside but he tosses Mack over the barricade. Moose whips him into the barricade for a bonus and says this is for Rich Swann. Back in and Moose misses a dropkick but nips right back up.

The second dropkick works and it’s time to stomp away on Mack. There’s a hard whip into the corner but Moose misses a charge into the buckle. The slugout is on with Mack hitting the Samoan drop into the standing moonsault. The Stunner doesn’t work so Mack goes with the swinging slam. Mack misses the Six Star frog splash and Moose nails the spear (now called Lights Out, which is as generic of a name as you can get, as opposed to the good No Jackhammer Needed). Moose hammers away with right hands on the mat until the referee stops it at 10:09.

Rating: C. These two work well together with Moose handing out quite the beating to him in both matches. Mack as the buddy of Swann and taking the beating to set up the title match is a good way to go, though you would expect the bigger guy to be the one waiting after the little buddy was beaten down. Either way, Moose looked great and that’s the point of something like this.

Post match beats on him again. Remember when Eric Young did something like this a few weeks ago and it was nowhere near as effective? Just an observation.

Here’s what’s coming tonight.

We go to the Tree House where the Rascalz are sad about being evicted. They remember when Wentz and Gail Kim went to see the Jonas Brothers. Gail pops in….but it’s just a story apparently as Wentz doesn’t remember that. Then there was the time when Moose popped in and beat all of them up. Then the lights go out because they haven’t paid the light bill. See? It must have been Moose.

The Deaners come in to see Detective Dreamer, who is narrowing down his suspects. Cody suggests that Tommy search Johnny Swinger’s fanny pack (where they found a gun at Turning Point).

Suicide vs. Gio

And never mind as here are Eric Young and Joe Doering (who debuted at Turning Point) to jump Gio for the DQ at 41 seconds.

Post match, Young says this is what he promised and the world belongs to them.

Deonna Purrazzo says her and Kimber Lee’s plan has come together perfectly. Now it’s time to win the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. The lights go out and Su Yung has left a message saying bad things happen next week.

Heath and Rhino are in the back with Heath talking about his contract. Rhino tells him to go make it work and walks out of the room to run into Eric Young and Joe Doering. Rhino says it’s not happening with them here so they beat him down. Heath comes out and Eric points Doering at him, with the two of them going into the room. Pain seems imminent.

Brian Myers vs. Crazzy Steve

Fallout from Steve saving Swoggle at Turning Point. Steve drives him outside to start and then snaps off a headscissors back inside. An upside down Figure Four necklock over the ropes has Myers in more trouble and they fight to the apron as the announcers talk about the Knockouts Tag Team Titles tournament. We take a break and come back with Myers slapping on a chinlock to keep Steve in trouble.

A suplex gets two on Steve and Myers isn’t happy with the kickout. That means we hit another chinlock, followed by a sleeper to mix it up a bit. Steve breaks it up and sends him into the corner for some clotheslines, followed by the running senton for two. A Russian legsweep into something like an Octopus Hold on the mat sends Myers straight to the ropes, as he should be doing. Myers pokes him in the eye to get out of a belly to back suplex though and it’s a running clothesline for the pin at 9:08.

Rating: D+. Myers continues to be just kind of there for the most part but at least he’s doing something other than whining about how he should have been used better in WWE. Granted I’m not entirely sure what that new character is, but he’s getting a chance and that’s better than some others do. Steve is just kind of there, but I’ve seen a lot worse.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Madison Rayne/Gail Kim b. Brooke Tessmacher/Tara to win the Knockouts Tag Team Titles on the November 3, 2011 Impact.

Here are the brackets for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles Tournament:

Tenille Dashwood/Alisha

Havok/Nevaeh

Killer Kelly/Renee Michelle

Jordynne Grace/TBA

Kiera Hogan/Tasha Steelz

Sea Stars

Deonna Purrazzo/Kimber Lee

Taya Valkyrie/Rosemary

Johnny Swinger comes in to see Tommy Dreamer and asks to see what’s in the fanny pack. Swinger: “You mean the pharmacy pack daddy?” It’s a gun, so Dreamer declares him guilty before saying we’re bringing back WRESTLERS’ COURT next week. If he’s guilty, why are they going to court?

Knockouts Tag Team Titles Tournament First Round: Alisha/Tenille Dashwood vs. Nevaeh/Havok

Kaleb With A K is here with Dashwood/Alisha. Nevaeh gets sent into the corner and caught with a running clothesline from Alisha. A double suplex takes Nevaeh down again and it’s Dashwood staying in to kick away at the ribs. Dashwood hits a clothesline into a chinlock, though she does make sure to hit a smile for the photos. Nevaeh fights up and the double tag brings in Alisha, who walks into a spinning release Rock Bottom from Havok.

Alisha gets whipped hard into the corner, though Dashwood is distracted by another photo shoot. Back up and Alisha gets in her own whip into the corner, setting up a sliding clothesline. Everything breaks down and Dashwood is sent outside. Alisha is back up with a middle rope X Factor on Nevaeh but Havok catches her in a wheelbarrow, with Nevaeh adding a cutter for the pin at 6:37.

Rating: C-. The tournament could be a bit of a slog as there are only so many teams, but Nevaeh/Havok should be one of the better options available. You can probably guess the finals from here but there are enough possibilities out there to make it interesting and that’s always a good sign. Dashwood and Alisha shouldn’t have been a threat and they didn’t waste time with anything else, so at least it’s off to a good start.

Jordynne Grace is on the phone with her mystery partner, who was retired but agreed to team with her anyway. That could be interesting.

Hernandez vs. Fallah Bahh

They charge at each other to start until Bahh takes him down with a crossbody. Hernandez gets to the apron and scores with a slingshot shoulder though, sending Bahh outside. That means a big dive to crush Bahh as they’re going with the power stuff so far. Back in and Hernandez hits a big clothesline and we’re off to the neck crank.

That lasts as long as the common neck crank with Bahh fighting up and sending him into the corner for the splash. The running hip attack makes it worse but Hernandez is up at two. The Samoan drop is broken up though and Hernandez knocks him down, setting up the top rope splash for the pin at 3:35.

Rating: D+. Now this really needs to be the end of the feud as it wasn’t interesting in the first place and has dragged on FAR too long. I’m not sure why they went with Hernandez winning here as he isn’t exactly presented as anything important, but he does have a bigger history. Then again Bahh hasn’t had a chance, and this wasn’t much better.

Rohit Raju brags to Scott D’Amore about retaining at Turning Point, making D’Amore long for Austin Aries. Raju leaves and TJP comes up, with D’Amore saying it’s so frustrating that TJP can’t ever have another title shot. All D’Amore can think of is what would Dusty Rhodes do. How would he find a way for ANYONE BUT TJP to get a title shot? TJP gets the hint as D’Amore rides away, like a day as midnight approaches.

Video on the Good Brothers winning the Tag Team Titles.

Ethan Page comes up to Scott D’Amore, with the Good Brothers, demanding a title shot. Karl Anderson suggests that Page face a PHENOMENAL opponent, which is cool with Page, as long as it means a title shot when he wins. D’Amore makes the match and insider lingo abounds.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Trey Miguel/Rich Swann vs. Dez/Wentz

It’s the Rascalz’ farewell match. The dancing is on before the match as they’re all friends, though Wentz winces a bit when trying to match everyone else in the splits. We take a break and come back with the opening bell, as Wentz drives Trey into the corner. Wentz reverses a wristlock into a headlock and they fight over wrist control again. They both miss some shots to the face and try dropkicks at the same time, setting up stereo nipups into a standoff.

Dez and Swann come in to shove each other away off an exchange of lockups. Both guys stick a few landings, with Trey saying he can’t do that. Swann catches him with a shot to the face and it’s Trey coming in, only to be sent into the corner for some rapid fire double teaming. We take a break and come back with Wentz kicking Trey in the face, followed by a DDT. Trey is fine enough to get over for a hot tag to Swann though and it’s time to clean house.

Everything breaks down and Swann’s standing shooting star press gets two. All four wind up on their knees in the middle of the ring for a circle slugout. Everyone hits a kick to the face and they’re all down again. Dez and Wentz finally take over on Swann with the rapid fire kicks and the Hot Fire Flame connects.

Trey superkicks Dez into the corner for the save though and everyone is down again. Wentz gets caught in the corner for a Cheeky Nandos kick from Trey and Swann adds the frog splash to Dez. That’s broken up by Wentz, who shouts at Swann a lot. Another Hot Fire Flame misses and Trey hits Dez with the top rope Meteora. Swann kicks Wentz in the back of the head for the pin at 15:48.

Rating: B. It was a good and fast paced match and I’m sad to see the team go. I’ve been a fan of them since the day they debuted but at the same time, they have never won a title around here and you can only get so far without picking up some gold. The company is going to need some help to make up for them being gone, but you kind of have to move on at some point and the Rascalz need to do that at the moment.

Post match everyone hugs and cries, with the Rascalz leaving their jackets on the top rope.

The Rascalz and Swann go backstage and hug….but Sami Callihan and Ken Shamrock jump them for the big beatdown. It’s better than the New Day split, though not quite as emotional.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event and post match beatdown worked well but the rest of the show was pretty hit or miss. This week’s show was far from bad and the focus on the Rascalz worked, but other than that it’s a show meant to build towards things later. That doesn’t make for the best show, though at least it feels like a one off rather than a trend. It helps that they have a good angle to go out on so hopefully it picks up next week.

Results

Moose b. Willie Mack via referee stoppage

Gio b. Suicide via DQ when Joe Doering interfered

Brian Myers b. Crazzy Steve – Running clothesline

Nevaeh/Havok b. Alisha/Tenille Dashwood – Wheelbarrow cutter to Alisha

Hernandez b. Fallah Bahh – Top rope splash

Rich Swann/Trey Miguel b. Dez/Wentz – Kick to the back of Wentz’s head

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2004 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2019/08/26/new-book-and-e-book-kbs-complete-2004-monday-night-raw-reviews/

And check out my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

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