Rebellion 2024
Date: April 20, 2024
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Paradise, Nevada
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re back to the main pay per views and that should make for an interesting night. The big main event is Moose defending the World Title against Nic Nemeth, but we also have Josh Alexander vs. Hammerstone in a Last Man Standing rubber match. Other than that we have the usual array of title matches so let’s get to it.

Pre-Show: Rascalz vs. Leon Slater/ABC

Slater takes Miguel down to start and runs him over without much trouble. It’s quickly off to Wentz vs. Austin with the former dragging Austin into the Rascalz corner. Austin fights out of trouble and brings Slater back in but Wentz drops him in a hurry. The standing moonsault gives Slater two but Austin fights up without much effort. It’s off to Bey (hometown boy) to clean house, including a springboard spinning kick to the head.

Everything breaks down and Reed hits a double cutter on ABC, setting up the big flip dive over the post. Slater hits his own big dive, only to miss a 450 back inside. All six get inside to slug it out with the Rascalz getting the better of things. Reed hits his running diving cutter to the floor and we hit the parade of strikes to the head. Bey cutters Reed and Slater’s Swanton 450 is good for the pin at 9:04.

Rating: B. Take six talented stars and let them go insane with one spot after another for the sake of warming the crowd up. It was good stuff for what it was supposed to be and the ABC gets back on track. I had a good time with this and that’s not bad for a makeshift team of heroes against the established villains.

Pre-Show: Digital Media Title: Crazzy Steve vs. Laredo Kid

Kid is challenging in a rematch after getting disqualified in his first shot. Kid starts fast and takes him into the corner for an early two. Steve gets smart by going for the mask (how he got under Kid’s skin last time) and the Upside Down makes it worse for Kid. That’s broken up and Kid sends him outside for the middle rope moonsault to stagger Steve.

Back in and Steve hammers away but misses a charge into the corner. Kid strikes away and hits a Michinoku Driver for two of his own. Steve catches him up top for a superplex but goes up top, only to get caught with a bite to the head. A super Spanish Fly gives Kid the pin and the title at 6:45.

Rating: C+. They kept things moving here but the important part is that Kid FINALLY won something. Kid has been treated as the guy who might be able to do something around here for a very long time though he had never actually won anything of note. This isn’t the most important title in the world, but it’s him accomplishing something and that will help going forward.

Pre-Show: Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Decay vs. Spitfire

Spitfire is defending and has Lars Frederiksen with them. Rosemary and Luna start things off with Rosemary taking her into the corner for some biting. The Upside Down has Luna in more trouble but it’s off to Threat for a front facelock. With that broken up, Havok comes in for an exchange of shoulders with Luna. Some kicks to the leg put Havok down and a basement clothesline drops her again.

Havok pops back up and hits Luna in the face, allowing the tag back to Rosemary. That doesn’t last long either as the tag brings Threat back in to clean house. Everything breaks down and Threat hits a big flip dive onto Decay at ringside. Lars tells Threat to do it again but Havok cuts her off. A double powerbomb brings Havok down and it’s an assisted sitout spinebuster to finish Rosemary and retain at 10:34.

Rating: C+. These teams have traded the titles so it’s nice to see the champs retain for a change. They got a bit of time to work with here and Spitfire continues to work well together despite not being a team for very long. I’m not sure what is next for Decay, but given the lack of depth in the division, they probably won’t be away from the titles for very long.

Lars poses with the champs.

DJ Ashba plays a rock version of the national anthem.

The opening video shows the people on the card walking through the streets of Las Vegas before shifting to looks at the people in the arena. Nic Nemeth: “F*** the System.”

X-Division Title: Jake Something vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali, with his secret service is defending and gets shoved down by the much larger Something to start. Something cranks on the hand and tells Ali to bring it before running Ali over. They go to the corner, with Ali being laid on top and kicked in the ribs and Something catching him on the shoulder in an impressive feat. A hard clothesline gives Something two and they head outside, where his big chop only hits steps.

Back in and a rolling neckbreaker hits Something, followed by another on the ramp. Something crawls back in and gets caught with another neckbreaker for two. A DDT sets up the standing moonsault but Something wakes up and counters a hurricanrana into a sitout powerbomb.

Something gets two off a Rack Attack so he loads up a superbomb. That’s broken up with a hard shot and Ali German suplexes him onto the apron. The secret service’s distraction lets Ali hit the 450 for two. Something dives onto Ali and the goons and grabs Into The Void for two, with Ali putting his foot on the rope. The desperate Ali goes to the eyes to escape a powerbomb and grabs a rollup, and the rope, to retain at 11:37.

Rating: B-. Ali continues to be a nice mixture of talent and cheating and it’s making for a good title run. TNA has turned him into quite the featured attraction and he feels like a heck of a star. There is a good chance that Ali is going to hold onto the title for a good while and that is not a bad thing. On the other hand you have Something, who is another name who really needs to win something at some point. He shouldn’t have won here, but it needs to happen sooner or later.

We recap First Class coming together and Joe Hendry not being thrilled with them. Therefore, it’s time for Hendry vs. Rich Swann.

Joe Hendry vs. Rich Swann

AJ Francis is here with Swann. Hendry’s video features First Class doing his arm wave, which is proof that the team are fans of his. Swann tries to start fast but gets caught in a fireman’s carry drop for a big crash. They head outside where a Francis distraction lets Swann send Hendry into the steps to take over.

We get violent with Hendry’s eye being sent into the corner of the steps and Swann tears away at it back inside. Swann grabs the double arm crank until Hendry fights up for the comeback. Hold on though as Francis low bridges him and is handed a chain by a “Tik Tok legend”. Former NFL star Shawne Merriman cuts that off and gets in the ring for a staredown with Francis…before decking Hendry. Swann’s frog splash is enough to finish Hendry at 7:26.

Rating: C. Other than the Merriman stuff, this could have been on any given episode of Impact. What matters here is getting First Class a win as the team hasn’t been around very long and needs to do something to establish themselves. If nothing else, major points to Francis for turning his career from a joke into something resembling decent. That’s more than I would have expected and he deserves the credit. Throw in Swann to do the wrestling and it’s a nice combination.

We recap Eric Young vs. Frankie Kazarian. They were partners for a bit before breaking up and getting in a feud. Young got a World Title shot but Kazarian cost him the match and gave him a beating. Now it’s time for Full Metal Mayhem for some violence.

Eric Young vs. Frankie Kazarian

Full Metal Mayhem, meaning TLC but with pins/submissions. They start fast and head outside, with Young taking over and dropping a ladder onto him. Kazarian catches Young setting up a table but can’t hit Fade To Black. They get up onto the apron, where Young bites the hand but gets caught with a Fameasser over the middle rope. A slingshot DDT gives Kazarian two so he throws a ladder at Young for a nasty knockdown.

Young is back up with a hard whip into the ladder in the corner and various metal objects to the head have Kazarian in more trouble. Janice (the board with nails) is whipped out but the big swing misses, as does Kazarian trying to drive him face first into the nails. A spear off the apron and through the table at ringside doesn’t miss for Kazarian though and they’re both down on the floor.

They pull themselves up so Kazarian can get two back inside and it’s time for a slugout. We get a nasty exchange of cookie sheets to the head (those things are dented) until Young grabs a Death Valley Driver for two. Kazarian is back up with a chain to choke away in the corner before tying Young up for the chickenwing.

That’s broken up and Young puts him in a trashcan for the top rope elbow and a near fall. Kazarian’s Unprettier onto a bridged ladder gets the same and it’s time for a table. That takes WAY too long and Young fights off of it and catches him on top but Kazarian grabs a Flux Capacitor. They land in the general area of the table, with Young’s head slamming into the edge (and busting him open) for the pin at 15:17.

Rating: B. They beat the living daylights out of each other here and it was a violent brawl, though that ending was absolutely cringe inducing. Hopefully Young is ok, as you could see the blood flowing immediately. Other than that, it felt like two people wanting to hut each other and Kazarian gets a big win to hopefully end the feud once and for all.

Nic Nemeth is ready to be World Champion.

Here is Steve Maclin for a chat. He has a new contract and got everything he wanted, except for a match tonight. Cue Santino Marella to say we have a new star who just signed in the back. It’s time for his debut match.

Steve Maclin vs. Mike Santana

As in Santana of AEW/LAX fame. Santana strikes away to start and knocks Maclin outside rather quickly. The big flip dive takes Maclin down again but he sends Santana face first into the apron. We hit the chinlock back inside, followed by a running clothesline for two on Santana. The chinlock goes on again before Santana gets tied in the Tree of Woe.

The running shoulder misses and Santana grabs a rolling cutter. A Death Valley Driver gives Santana two but Maclin runs him over. The Jar Headbutt gives Maclin two and a Falcon Arrow gets the same. Now the running shoulder in the corner gets two but Santana is back with Spin The Block (discus lariat) for the pin at 8:04.

Rating: C+. Nice return for Santana here as he looked in good shape and was hitting some nice stuff. That being said, he felt like he was doing the same moves you see in almost every match and that isn’t likely to make him feel like a major star. Maybe he has something else, but at least he won and looked strong in his debut.

We look back at Spitfire retaining the Knockouts Tag Team Titles on the pre-show. Alisha Edwards and Masha Slamovich came out for the staredown.

The System is ready to retain their titles, with Moose bringing in NFL star John Abraham to have his back.

Tag Team Titles: The System vs. Speedball Mountain

The System, with Alisha Edwards, is defending. Myers and Bailey start things off with Bailey firing off the kicks so Myers brings in Edwards. That’s fine with Bailey, who kicks him down as well and hands it off to Seven. They head outside where Seven is sent knee first into the steps as the champs take over for the first time. Myers works on the bad knee back inside but Seven gets in a shot of his own, allowing the tag to Bailey. House is cleaned but Myers shoves Bailey off the top.

Seven hobbles over to chop Myers on top and a superplex sets up Bailey’s shooting star press for two. The tornado kick is broken up by Edwards, who sends Bailey into a table at ringside to cut him off. Edwards takes out Seven’s knee again and hits a tiger driver into a half crab. Bailey superkicks Myers down but his kicks to the chest can’t break the hold.

The bouncing kicks finally break it up, allowing Bailey to hit the springboard moonsault to Myers on the floor. Back in and a spinning kick to the face knocks Edwards into a dragon suplex for two. Seven’s knee gives out on the Birminghammer attempt though and Seven is sent into Bailey.

The Backpack Stunner/top rope elbow gives Edwards two on Seven and everyone needs a breather. Seven is back up with the Seven Star lariat to put Myers on the floor, leaving Eddie to get caught in the Birminghammer/top rope knee combination. Myers makes another save and spears Bailey out of the air on the floor. Back in and the Roster Cut into the Boston Knee Party to Seven retains the titles at 12:57.

Rating: B. This got some time and the champs get a win to keep establishing their reign. Edwards and Myers are a good example of a combination that was throwhen together and happened to win. It wasn’t a great match but it did well enough and had some strong action while it lasted.

We recap Hammerstone vs. Josh Alexander. While Alexander beat him the first time, Hammerstone came back and cheated to win while stealing Alexander’s headgear. Now it’s about revenge and violence in a Last Man Standing match.

Josh Alexander vs. Hammerstone

Last Man Standing. Alexander starts fast and drives him into the corner but Hammerstone uses the power to take over. A German suplex drops Hammerstone though and Alexander plants him on the apron. Hammerstone isn’t having that and does the same thing to Alexander, leaving him down for a change.

They slug it out on the floor with Hammerstone getting the better of things but it’s way too early for a ten count. Hammerstone picks him back up on the apron, where Alexander grabs a half and half suplex to put them both down again. Alexander gets smart by going after the leg and even grabs a Hartbreaker around the post.

With that broken up, Hammerstone grabs the headgear and blasts Hammerstone in the face for a rather near ten. Back up and Hammerstone grabs the torture rack to slow him down, only to reverse into the ankle lock to put Hammerstone down for a change. That’s broken up so Alexander hammers away but can’t hit the C4 Spike.

With nothing else working, it’s time for the thumbtacks and they go up top. Hammerstone Nightmare Pendulums Alexander into the tacks for nine and let’s grab the headgear. They fight to the ramp where Alexander hits another half and half, followed by the C4 Spike for the win at 20:07.

Rating: B. Another match where two guys beat the fire out of each other until one of them couldn’t get up. That is something that works rather well most of the time and I wanted to see Alexander get his revenge. At the same time, Hammerstone feels like someone who could be a big deal around here and losing a series to Alexander is only so much of a good start. That being said, all he has to do is wreck some people and he should be fine sooner than later. Solid fight here.

Jonathan Gresham is still in therapy but seems to accept the octopus mask as his other side.

We recap Jordynne Grace defending the Knockouts Title against Steph de Lander. Grace needed a new challenger and de Lander, as a replacement, won the 8-4-1 match to get the title shot. De Lander’s friend Matt Cardona helped put Grace through a table but now Cardona is out with a torn pectoral muscle, so it’s one on one.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Steph de Lander

Grace is defending and Ash By Elegance is watching in a box. De Lander has the Good Hands to uneven things a bit more. Grace charges at her to start but the much taller de Lander drives the champ into the corner. Some shots to the ribs don’t do much to Grace so they head outside, with de Lander staggering away. Back in and a TKO onto the top rope cuts Grace off and de Lander hammers away to keep Grace down. De Lander picks her up but Grace slips into a sleeper.

That’s broken up as well so de Lander sits her on top for a running big boot. Another whip into the corner has Grace in trouble but she comes back with another sleeper. This time de Lander can’t break it up and they go to the mat but the Good Hands offer a distraction. Grace lets go and accidentally hits the referee, allowing de Lander to get in a hard shot for…no cover as the referee is still down. Jon Skyler takes the referee’s shirt and puts it on for two…and the lights go out.

PCO is here to block the three count (ignore that Grace and de Lander have both moved away so there’s no cover, and apparently Skyler just laid there with his arm up until PCO appeared) and take out the Good Hands without much trouble. De Lander hits on PCO but gets grabbed by the throat, only to have Kon run in for the save (because this feud is still going).

Grace kicks Kon low and lifts him up but the Good Hands make the save this time. Kon goes after Grace’s neck but the lights go out again (come on already) and Sami Callihan is back. The Good Hands are cleared out and the Juggernaut Driver connects, with another referee coming in to count the pin at 12:40.

Rating: C. I have no idea what to think of this but when my first reaction is “WOW” because everything was so nuts, it’s probably not a great sign. They had that much interference and screwiness and not only did the referee just stay out for all of it, but then another referee just runs out there for the count? Total insanity and the match stopped about halfway through. De Lander overpowering Grace was a different way to go as I could go for getting the title off of Grace for a bit. I know she hasn’t been champion long, but she feels like she has been champion so often that it is hard to care about what she is doing again.

Slammiversary is in Montreal on July 20.

We recap Moose vs. Nic Nemeth for the World Title. Nemeth debuted back in January and wants to shake things up. Moose doesn’t care for that and is ready to keep his title.

TNA World Title: Nic Nemeth vs. Moose

Moose, with the System and John Abraham, is defending. Nemeth takes him down without much trouble but Moose powers up. They go outside with Nemeth being sent into the post, followed by a pump kick back inside. Moose gets backdropped onto the ramp though and Nemeth fires back, including the running DDT for two. Alisha Edwards breaks up the superkick, which is enough for the System to be ejected and even things way up.

Nemeth grabs a sleeper but gets driven into the corner a few times. That doesn’t break things up, so Moose goes up and crashes back down to finally get out. They head back outside with Moose loading up the steps but Nemeth manages a Fameasser for a much needed breather. A neckbreaker puts Moose down back inside and Nemeth drops the series of elbows.

The top rope elbow gets two but Moore is back with a Sky High for the same. Nemeth rolls him up for some near falls until Moose plants him with a powerbomb for two more. They go to the ramp, where Moose hits a heck of a powerbomb for a nine count. Back in and Moose tries a moonsault so Nemeth loads up a superkick…but Moose leaves it WAY too short so Nemeth doesn’t even throw the kick.

A Rough Ryder (not a Fameasser Tom) gets two and Moose tries to flip out of a clothesline but can’t quite stick the landing. An actual Fameasser gives Nemeth two and a spear hits Moose for the same. Nemeth misses a superkick so Moose hits a spear (and flips forward, despite Nemeth standing still, giving us another weird visual) for the pin (while picking Nemeth’s shoulder up during the cover) to retain at 17:25.

Rating: C-. I don’t know what was going on here but they were on different planets at times, with some of those spots feeling like they were designed to be jokes rather than attempts at getting them right. Maybe it was bad chemistry or something but this really did not work. Not a good main event, though at least it wasn’t crazy long like Moose vs. Eric Young.

Post match the System comes out to celebrate but a weird video starts playing. It keeps saying LIGHTS OUT and the lights go out (might be a bit more effective if it didn’t happen three or four times tonight)….and it’s Broken Matt Hardy. He takes out Moose and poses with the title to end the show. Oh sweet goodness that’s not a good way to end the show. Bringing back the TNA name was one thing, but bringing back this stuff, which was known for being so campy and ridiculous, just makes my head hurt. It’s ok to move on and do something else, and Matt Hardy is the definition of NOT moving forward.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was going along pretty well but those last two matches did not do this any favors. The Knockouts Title match was a circus and the main event didn’t click at all, but the real story here will be the returns. You had three returns, with Santana doing just fine, Callihan being back and doing the same hardcore stuff he always does, but the focus here is on Hardy.

There is a really good chance that he is going to be a big time player in TNA going forward and…egads can we not? The Broken stuff was fun for about five minutes but then it took over TNA and became the Hardys’ playground. I know it has its audience, but after seeing TNA come a VERY long way, it’s really disappointing to see the chance of Hardy getting even more attention and doing his wacky stuff as he approaches 50 years old.

Overall, this was a pretty good show with some high points, but it was so up and down that it was hard to really like it. You know the people who are going to give you good action in TNA and that was the case here, but some of the decisions and moves that are made around here are just hard to sit through. That very well may be the case with the Hardy return and I’m almost scared of where this is going.

Results
ABC/Leon Slater b. Rascalz – Swanton 450 to Reed
Laredo Kid b. Crazzy Steve – Super Spanish Fly
Spitfire b. Decay – Assisted sitout spinebuster to Rosemary
Mustafa Ali b. Jake Something – Rollup while holding the rope
Rich Swann b. Joe Hendry – Frog splash
Frankie Kazarian b. Eric Young – Flux Capacitor through a table
Mike Santana b. Steve Maclin – Spin The Block
System b. Speedball Mountain – Boston Knee Party to Seven
Josh Alexander b. Hammerstone when Hammerstone couldn’t answer the ten count
Jordynne Grace b. Steph de Lander – Juggernaut Driver
Moose b. Nic Nemeth – Spear

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: April 11, 2024
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

There have been some rather good wrestling matches around here lately and that has been great to see. This time around isn’t going to have anything to do with that, as the main event is a Monster’s Ball match between PCO and Kon. That should be enough to carry things but we also have just over a week before Rebellion. Let’s get to it.

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

We are joined in the arena with Hammerstone brawling with Josh Alexander. Security tries to break it up but Alexander hits the big flip dive onto everyone. Cue Tommy Dreamer to be the voice of reason and he actually manages to get the bleeding Alexander to leave. Dreamer gets in the ring and talks to Hammerstone about how Alexander is the face of this company.

Dreamer is the reason Hammerstone is here and now Hammerstone is taking a shortcut. Hammerstone doesn’t need to go down that path because his legacy is not set yet. The fans chant ECW at Dreamer because it’s his legacy, so go have the best match at Rebellion and tell everyone to top that. Dreamer tells the fans that this will be a great show and goes to leave, only to be jumped by Hammerstone. Alexander runs back in for the save before saying the match at Rebellion will be Last Man Standing. Good way to go, as seeing Dreamer in pain is always fun.

Opening sequence.

We run down the card.

Digital Media Title: Laredo Kid vs. Crazzy Steve

Steve is defending and goes right for the mask. Kid lunges at him and Steve knocks him into the corner to take over. A springboard something is broken up, with Steve nailing a clothesline to the back of the head. The neck crank goes on, with Steve switching it into something like an Octopus hold on the mat. Kid fights up and knocks him into the corner to start the comeback, setting up a pair of moonsaults. The top rope version is broken up and Steve pulls him down to start with the stomping. Steve goes for the mask again so Kid jumps him. The referee tries to break it up and gets shoved down, with Kid getting DQ’d at 8:34.

Rating: C. I continue to be confused by Laredo Kid, who feels like he should be a big star but he never actually wins anything. That was the case again here, but odds are we are going to be seeing this match again. At some point Kid needs to win a title of some kind and he seems to be potentially having another chance soon.

Alex Shelley apologizes to Chris Sabin and Kushida, who seem cool with things.

ABC vs. First Class

Austin grabs a headlock on Francis to start and is powered into the corner for his efforts. Swann comes in but Austin trips him down for a kick to the back. It’s off to Bey for a double dropkick but Francis gets in a cheap shot as we take a break. Back with Austin still in trouble as everything breaks down. Francis hits his world’s strongest slam/fireman’s carry drop on both of the ABC (that’s nuts) to take over. We settle down to a double kick to Swann, followed by a big flip dive to Francis on the floor. The 1-2-Sweet is broken up though and Swann grabs a rollup with tights for the pin at 11:02.

Rating: C+. ABC is a team who can work well with anyone but it was cool to see Swann and Francis working well together. Francis might not be the biggest star in the world but he is getting somewhere with this new stuff. The power/speed team works for First Class and they can be annoying enough to back it up. Not bad, assuming they can keep it going.

Post match here is Joe Hendry to explain the problem with First Class. This results in a slightly changed version of the Fresh Prince Of Bel Air theme, including Francis being called a fat Uncle Phil. At Rebellion, it’s Hendry vs. Swann.

Ash By Elegance and her handler think Ash should get the Knockouts Title shot at Rebellion because Steph de Lander was filling in for her. No.

Mustafa Ali complains to the Grizzled Young Veterans about Jake Something getting an X-Division Title shot. Something comes in to say the match is happening.

It’s time for the contract signing between Jordynne Grace and Steph de Lander, with Santino Marella running things. Cue de Lander, with Matt “Qdoba” and Grace, with Cardona hyping de Lander up. De Lander signs but Grace says she’s not laying down that easily. Grace lists off her resume, with Cardona bringing up that he beat her for the Digital Media Title. Grace asks if de Lander is going to say anything or just let Cardona talk for her.

De Lander says her resume is too long to list and thinks Grace is too focused on other things. Like the Royal Rumble! With that odd reference to a one off match two and a half months ago, Grace talks about how she’s beaten Cardona, de Lander and Cardona’s wife. Grace: “I’m the juggernaut b****.” Cardona: “DON’T YOU TALK TO HER LIKE THAT!” Grace: “I wasn’t talking to her, b****.” With that, Grace signs and the brawl is on, with Cardona getting in a cheap shot. De Lander chokeslams Grace through the table. Of all the contract signings I’ve seen in wrestling, this was the most recent.

The System interrupts Masha Slamovich and ask her about teaming with Alicia Edwards again. Masha answers in Russian and no one knows what that means.

Jonathan Gresham is still in group therapy and talks about wearing three different masks. One of them is never seen, with the group leader saying that’s the truest reflection of who he is. We see the octopus mask, with a voice talking about seeing a tree and being told to cut it down.

Moose vs. Trent Seven

Non-title and the System is here with Moose, while Mike bailey is here to counter them. Seven fires off chops in the corner to start and is promptly release Rock Bottomed down. Some hard whips into the corner have Seven in more trouble but he chops his way to freedom. A DDT plants Moose again and Bailey cuts off Eddie Edwards’ interference. Bop and Bang puts Moose down but he escapes the Birminghammer. The spear finishes Seven at 3:55.

Rating: C+. They kept this moving and that’s what it should have been. Moose is on his way to a huge title match next week and there is no reason to have him get into a long match here against Seven. It was far from a squash and they did a nice job of making Seven look good in short order.

Post match the beatdown is on but Time Machine makes the save.

Post break the System yells at Santino Marella, who makes the System vs. the Motor City Machine Guns for the Tag Team Titles next week. The winners of that face Speedball Mountain at Rebellion. With all of those people gone, Decay comes in to say they want their rematch for the Knockouts Tag Team Titles at Rebellion. Works as well.

Jake Something vs. James Drake

Zack Gibson is here too. Something powers Drake into the corner to start but Gibson gets in a cheap shot to take over. The chinlock goes on but Something fights up with a hard forearm. Gibson offers another distraction though, allowing Drake to hit a running dropkick in the corner. Cue Deaner to cut off Gibson so Something can hit Into The Void for the pin at 3:52.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here but Something setting the win on the way to the title match is what matters most. At the same time they kept Deaner vs. the Grizzled Young Veterans going, though I’m not sure where they’re heading with that. Not a great match here, but an efficient one.

Post match Mustafa Ali comes out to rant about how the X-Division need limits and Something defies those limits. Something goes after him but the Grizzled Young Veterans make the save. Deaner’s save attempt is broken up as well and the villains stand tall.

Kon vs. PCO

Monster’s Ball, meaning street fight/anything goes. PCO grabs the kendo stick so Kon uses a chair as a shield in a smart move. With Kon sent outside, PCO loads up a dive but gets knocked out of the air with a trashcan. We take a break and come back with PCO in a trashcan so Kon can beat on him with a chain. A table is set up at ringside but PCO fights back and puts Kon on it, setting up the big flip dive from the top.

Back in and Kon gets in some more shots but goes up top, allowing PCO to knock him through another table at ringside. That’s not enough to keep Kon down either, as he gets up and sends PCO face first into a bridged ladder. An Iconoclasm sends PCO through the ladder and now it’s time for thumbtacks. Kon puts the tacks into PCO’s mouth, which just wakes him up for a chokeslam onto the tacks. The PCOsault onto Kon onto the tacks finishes for PCO at 14:15.

Rating: B-. Sometimes you need to have two people beat the fire out of each other to blow off a feud and that is what they did here. It was a good way to wreck Kon for good, though he’ll be fine in a bodyguard role sooner than later. Good main event here as it felt like a clash of the titans, though PCO needs to do something fresh rather soon.

Overall Rating: C+. Good enough show here with the main event being the highlight. It was a show that added a few things to Rebellion while also cranking up some of the matches that were already made for the pay per view. In other words it was another efficient Impact, which is where they tend to shine.

Results
Crazzy Steve b. Laredo Kid via DQ when Kid shoved the referee
First Class b. ABC – Rollup with tights to Bey
Moose b. Trent Seven – Spear
PCO b. Kon – PCOsault

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: March 28, 2024
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We are less than a month away from Revolution and that means the card needs to start being filled in. The top matches have already been announced but there are still some things that can be added in advance. TNA has been doing rather well in recent weeks and it would be nice to see that continue. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Xia Brookside vs. Ash By Elegance vs. Dani Luna vs. Alisha Edwards vs. Havok vs. Jody Threat vs. Masha Slamovich vs. Rosemary

For a Knockouts Title shot at Rebellion and this is an 8-4-1 match, meaning we start with an eight woman tag (Ash/Brookside/Rosemary/Luna vs. Havok/Threat/Slamovich/Alisha). The winning team then has a four way and the winner gets the title shot. Hold on though as Elegance has a toothache and is out. Therefore we have a replacement in the form of the returning Steph de Lander.

De Lander starts with Havok, who scares her over for an early tag to Rosemary. Havok is sent into de Lander so it’s off to Alisha, who is powered down by Luna. A bulldog gives Alisha two and Slamovich comes in to take over on Luna. Threat gets to fire off some clotheslines in the corner to Brookside, who is back with a running headscissors. Everything breaks down and Luna hits a slingshot Blue Thunder Bomb for two on Slamovich.

They trade rollups for two each until Luna small packages her for the pin at 5:16. So now it’s Luna vs. Rosemary vs. Brookside vs. de Lander for the title shot. Hold on though as Slamovich jumps Luna and sends her into the post to leave her laying. Brookside is sent crashing into Ash (at ringside) so Ash posts her hard. That’s enough for an elimination and we go back to the ring where Matt Cardona runs in to hit Radio Silence on Rosemary. A sitout TKO gives de Lander the pin and the title shot at 8:10.

Rating: C. This is an interesting concept in theory but there is only so much that you can do with an eight minute match that runs two falls and had a bunch of stuff on the outside. The final four were only in the ring together for a staredown before three people interfered. De Lander and Cardona being back is a big deal, though I’m not sure if this was the best way to bring them back as the match was kind of all over the place and rushing through with the limited time they had.

We look at Chris Sabin and Steve Maclin getting into it earlier this week to set up a match tonight.

The Motor City Machine Guns and Kushida are in the back with Sabin being glad the tension is over. Alex Shelley gets offended by the idea of Sabin having issues over a singles match and leaves.

Ace Austin isn’t happy with Chris Bey going after the X-Division Title last week when they have a rematch for the Tag Team Titles coming up. Bey brings up Austin facing Frankie Kazarian so he’ll go find Kazarian too.

The Grizzled Young Veterans call out Deaner, who comes out to say he can face either of them right now. Deaner puts it up to the people and Zack Gibson gets the call. Well actually we’ll make that both so Deaner goes after both of them. Sure.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Deaner

Deaner slugs away to start and it goes as well as you would expect to start. Drake knocks him down and it’s off to Gibson, who is caught in an atomic drop. The Deaner DDT is broken up and it’s a cheap shot from Drake on the apron. Grit Your Teeth finishes Deaner at 2:22.

Nic Nemeth…is interrupted by Alex Shelley, who knows how to beat the System. Shelley praises Nemeth, who says he’d be honored to give Shelley the first title shot after he beats Moose. Shelley would rather do it tonight so they’ll try to get it set up.

Here is Josh Alexander who wants to get revenge on Hammerstone. He has an open contract for tonight and calls Hammerstone out but gets….Tracy Williams instead. Williams is ready to fight because he has been wanting his opportunity around here. If Hammerstone doesn’t want to fight, Williams will do it. Works for Alexander.

Josh Alexander vs. Tracy Williams

They both try a hold to start but it just leads to a standoff. Alexander loads up a suplex and they go over the top to crash out to the floor. Back up and Alexander hits his running crossbody to send Williams outside again and we take a break. We come back with Williams blocking a C4 Spike attempt and dropping Alexander instead. A butterfly superplex sets up an armbar on Alexander, who bails straight to the ropes.

Alexander is back with a Regal Roll into an ankle lock but Williams makes the ropes this time. That earns Williams a powerbomb backbreaker for two but he breaks up another C4 Spike. Williams DDTs him onto the turnbuckle and hits a Death Valley Driver into the crossface. They trade shots to the face until Alexander rolls into the C4 Spike to put Williams away at 10:24.

Rating: B-. This was the weekly good match of the show and that’s a nice tradition to have. Williams coming in, even for a one shot, is a fine addition and I could go for having him around more often. He’s the kind of wrestler who can work well with anyone and it gives Alexander another boost before his likely showdown with Hammerstone at Rebellion. Should Williams stick around, he should work out well as he has the skill to back up the pretty intense promo he had here.

Post match, respect is shown but here is Hammerstone (looking very Brock Lesnarish) to jump them both. Williams gets torture racked.

Mustafa Ali is happy to be on the cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated but tells Santino Marella that he shouldn’t be defending the X-Division Title against Jake Something. Ali mocks the name, with Santino saying anyone with any name can be X-Division Champion. Like Rhino! Ali wants to know what kind of a name that is. Ali: “He’s behind me isn’t he?” Rhino pops in and gets an Old School Rules match with Ali next week.

Mike Bailey vs. Eddie Edwards

Trent Seven, Alisha Edwards and Brian Myers are all here too. Bailey kicks away to start and knocks Eddie outside for the dive. Chopping ensues but a Myers distraction lets Edwards take over with some chops of his own. Back in and Bailey fights up with a kick to the chest but gets poked in the eyes for his efforts. A middle rope dropkick works a bit better for Bailey and he kicks Eddie down, setting up a running shooting star press.

Bailey kicks him outside for a corkscrew Asai moonsault, only to miss the tornado kick back inside. Eddie’s Backpack Stunner gets two but Bailey is back with the very rapid fire kicks. The moonsault knees hit Eddie but Myers offers a distraction. Seven cuts him off, leaving Bailey to kick Eddie in the head. Alisha’s distraction doesn’t work though the Ultimate Weapon misses anyway. The Boston Knee Party finishes for Eddie at 10:56.

Rating: B-. Another good match here, though the ending was a bit weird as it looked like Eddie just beat him clean. I’m not sure how that makes me more interested in seeing the title match but at least it was a singles match rather than a tag match. That being said, seeing Bailey lose after doing all of his ridiculous kicks is often soothing and that was the case again here.

PCO wants Kon in a Monster’s Ball match.

The FBI is coming next week. For those of you keeping track, it is only a mere 23 years after ECW ended.

Frankie Kazarian is ready to end Eric Young for good but Chris Bey comes in to say he wants Kazarian next week.

We look at Rich Swann joining forces with AJ Francis.

Here are Francis and Swann for a chat. They are collectively known as First Class, with Francis getting to mock the Philadelphia Eagles. Swann talks about how he is a former World Champion but he has been in a slump lately. Francis was the only person there for him and he offered to take Swann to even higher heights than ever before.

Swann wasn’t sure, but then he was about to get his first win in a long time. Joe Hendry made that blind tag and stole the win though and Swann was crushed. Then he saw Francis again and the persistence impressed him. Swann won his World Title when there was no one around, so he doesn’t need these people. If you’re not First Class, you’re last.

Laredo Kid talks about his history in wrestling and making it up the ladder. He tries to have success everywhere he goes but after winning a big match over El Hijo del Vikingo, he had a serious internal injury and almost died. It made him want to work harder and now he is coming for Crazzy Steve’s Digital Media Title.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Chris Sabin vs. Steve Maclin

Sabin snaps off an armdrag to start and then does it again for a bonus. The wristlock doesn’t work so Sabin armdrags him into an armbar as the slow start continues. Maclin fights up and they go to the floor, where Sabin sends him shoulder first into the post. Back in and Sabin grabs another armbar, with Maclin not being able to roll his way out of trouble. Instead Maclin sends him into the buckle for the escape and we take a break.

We come back with Maclin loading up a superplex but Sabin breaks it up and hits a missile dropkick. A neckbreaker sends Maclin into the corner and a quick DDT gives Sabin two. Sabin stays smart with a crossface but Maclin gets out to the floor. Maclin knees him out of the air for two but the spear in the corner misses.

Instead Maclin grabs Mayhem For All for two and they’re both down. The Jar Headbutt misses as well and they slug it out until Maclin forearms him to the floor. Maclin’s Scud misses on the floor and they’re both down again. After barely beating the count, Maclin charges into a tornado DDT to give Sabin two. Maclin catches him on top though and now the spear hits in the corner. The KIA finishes Sabin clean at 15:23.

Rating: B. It’s strange to see Sabin losing clean like this but it does give Maclin the big win that he has been needing for more than a bit. I’m not sure what Maclin is being built up for but it doesn’t likely mean anything good for Sabin and company. Sabin is still capable of having a good match with anyone though and beating him is a big deal for Maclin, so well done if that is the direction things seem to be going.

Overall Rating: B. I liked this show a good bit as they advanced some things for Rebellion and had the good action to back it up. While there is still a long way to go before the pay per view, there are enough stories that have me wondering where things are going. Good show here, which is a pretty longstanding tradition around here.

Results
Steph de Lander b. Xia Brookside, Dani Luna, Alisha Edwards, Havok, Jody Threat, Masha Slamovich and Rosemary – Sitout TKO to Rosemary
Grizzled Young Veterans b. Deaner – Grit Your Teeth
Josh Alexander b. Tracy Williams – C4 Spike
Eddie Edwards b. Mike Bailey – Boston Knee Party
Steve Maclin b. Chris Sabin – KIA

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: February 29, 2024
Location: Alario Center, Westwego, Louisiana
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

We’re officially out of the Scott D’Amore era as the show he set up, No Surrender, has come and gone. That means we are on the way to Sacrifice and we should be in for a big showdown with Moose defending the World Title against Eric Young. Other than that, Mustafa Ali is the new X-Division Champion after beating Chris Sabin. The rest of the card will need to be built so let’s get to it.

Here is No Surrender if you need a recap.

In Memory of Ole Anderson and Mike Jones (Virgil).

No Surrender recap.

Opening sequence.

Mike Bailey vs. Steve Maclin

Trent Seven and the Rascalz are here too. Bailey firs off the bouncing kicks to start and they’re already on the floor for a strike off. Both of them have to dive back in to beat the count, where Maclin hits a clothesline to the floor. The Rascalz get in a chop block to put Bailey down and it’s Maclin working on the leg back inside. The spear in the corner only hits post though and Bailey kicks him in the face.

A springboard flip dive drops Maclin on the floor and shows you what Bailey thinks about selling a banged up leg. They strike it out on the apron until Bailey’s moonsault knees only hit said apron. Maclin spears him down to the floor and Mayhem For All gets two on Bailey. Seven offers a distraction of his own, allowing Bailey to fire off some kicks. The tornado kick is blocked though and Maclin hits a buckle bomb. Bailey shrugs that off and hits a poisonrana but misses the Ultimate Weapon. KIA gives Maclin the pin at 7:34.

Rating: C+. And that is the kind of Bailey match that drives me nuts. He had his leg worked on for a good bit and then started jumping around and doing all of his flips and kicks. It takes me out of the match every single time and that was certainly the case again here. The action was good but I didn’t enjoy it, with the blame being pretty firmly on Bailey.

Post match Maclin calls out Nic Nemeth, who pops up on screen to show off his new IWGP Global Title. The match is made for Sacrifice.

We look at Eric Young becoming #1 contender to the World Title by beating Frankie Kazarian at No Surrender. Then Kazarian beat the fire out of an official.

Earlier today, Frankie Kazarian was told he was suspended and couldn’t come in. This led to a threat to Santino Marella.

Laredo Kid vs. Jake Something

Something gets caught with an early headscissors to put him outside, where Kid’s dive is countered into a sitout powerbomb. Back in and Into The Void is blocked, allowing Kid to hit a missile dropkick. A running flipping DDT gives Kid one and a middle rope moonsault gets two. Back up and Into The Void plants Kid for the pin at 3:07.

Rating: C+. It was a fast paced match and Something continues to feel like someone who should be a big deal if he was given the chance. For some reason that doesn’t ever actually take place but it’s nice to have another tease. At the same time, Kid is one of the better hands around and he made Something look rather good here.

Alan Angels is late to this week’s Sound Check, with special guest Kon. There is extra security around here but Kon isn’t impressed by Angels trying to be his friend. Kon isn’t scared of PCO, who shows up to wreck Angels and glaring at Kon, who isn’t scared. They both pull back punches and the camera cuts.

AJ Francis/Deaner vs. Joe Hendry/Rich Swann

Before the match, Hendry talks about how this is Francis’ in-ring debut and he won’t want to flop. We want this to be a good start, so Hendry doesn’t want anyone to chant AJ SUCKS. He knows the fans want to chant WE BELIEVE though and we’re ready to go. Francis knocks Hendry off the apron to start and we take a break less than a minute in.

Back with Hendry coming in for a double elbow to Deaner, followed by some rhythmic chops. Deaner knocks him into the corner though and Francis comes in to plant him hard. Hendry manages to get Francis onto his shoulders but can’t hold him up, instead settling for a DDT. Everything breaks down and Swann takes out Francis, leaving Hendry to hit Deaner with the Standing Ovation for the pin at 9:21.

Rating: C. The break didn’t help things here but there is only so much you’re going to get out of a team with Deaner and Francis. The good thing is TNA isn’t treating Francis as anything serious and at least he is losing when he gets in the ring. Hendry still needs something better to do, but I’ll take he and Swann getting on the show.

Decay are in New Orleans to get the Knockouts Tag Team Titles back.

Hammerstone has officially signed with TNA. Cool.

Josh Alexander is ready for his rematch with Hammerstone at Sacrifice. Dirty Dango and company interrupt to plug his wrestling academy, so Alexander says he’ll get the match made.

Here are the Good Hands to introduce Mustafa Ali (while thinking we’re in Mississippi) for his X-Division Championship celebration. Ali says the people have accepted change and made the X-Division great again. Cue Chris Sabin to interrupt, with Ali giving him the floor. Sabin talks about how they are both champions and that’s where the similarities end.

To Sabin, change is about making things better but for Ali, change is about himself. Ali says the Good Hands are here to support change, but at No Surrender, no one supported Sabin. That’s fine with Sabin, who is here to fight. The brawl is on, with Kevin Knight and Kushida running in to even things out and clear the ring.

Here is Ash By Elegance with a huge announcement: next week she is having her SECOND MATCH! You’re welcome.

Mustafa Ali is livid about what happened and promises consequences.

Tasha Steelz vs. Xia Brookside

For a Knockouts Title shot at Sacrifice. Steelz takes her into the corner to start as Jordynne Grace is watching from the back. A headbutt puts Brookside down for two and Steelz stomps down in the corner. The chinlock goes on as they’re not wasting time here. Brookside fights up and makes the clothesline comeback, including Broken Wings in the corner. The Brooksie Bomb is blocked though, with Brookside settling with sending her outside. A running neckbreaker hits Steelz on the floor but they brawl for the double countout at 5:18.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to go very far and odds are the ending sets up the triple threat at Sacrifice. The problem here was they billed it as a rubber match which is true, but it’s only so interesting when I don’t think the three matches added up to twenty minutes. That doesn’t make for the most interesting series and we didn’t even have a winner. Not exactly inspiring stuff.

Post match Grace comes out to say she’ll fight them both at Sacrifice.

Rhino promises to Gore Gore Gore Crazzy Steve.

Sacrifice rundown.

ABC/Eric Young vs. The System

Moose bails from Young to start so Young bites Myers’ arm. ABC comes in for a double armdrag for two on Myers, followed by Bey armdragging Edwards into an armbar. Edwards gets stuck in the corner for a series of running elbows to the face and a near fall but he manages to drop Bey. Now Moose is willing to come in and the villains start taking turns on Bey. Back up and Bey flips out of a suplex, allowing Austin to come back in for a dropkick. Moose cuts Austin off on the apron though and we take a break.

We come back with Moose coming in to stomp away before knocking the System off the apron. Austin gets over for the tag to Bey but the referee doesn’t see it (always works) so the beating continues. A front facelock doesn’t last long for Myers so Austin kicks him in the face, allowing the tag off to Young.

Everything breaks down and Bey gets to kick Moose out to the floor. Bey’s big running flip dive is pulled out of the air for a powerbomb but Young is right there with the suicide dive. Back in and ABC kick away at Moose, with the 1-2-Sweet connecting and Edwards making the save. Austin kicks Myers to the floor but Moose cuts him off. The Backpack Stunner hits Bey and Myers’ top rope elbow connects to finish Bey at 17:13.

Rating: B. This was a good example of having two feuds put together at once, assuming Myers/Edwards get the Tag Team Title shot at Sacrifice. That’s the kind of match that makes sense and does a lot of good, especially with such a quick turnaround between the big shows. The action worked well here too and they can still do more to set up Young vs. Moose next week.

Overall Rating: B-. They were walking quite the fine line here as they had this and one more show to set up Sacrifice. The show isn’t quite a sequel to No Surrender but it’s the next step in a lot of things. That didn’t leave them much time to get things ready, but thankfully a lot of the setup was already done. That left us with a pretty good show, with the main event as the highlight, as it often is. If you can get Bailey to sell his injuries a bit more, the show could be that much better, but this did what was needed.

Results
Steve Maclin b. Mike Bailey – KIA
Jake Something b. Laredo Kid – Into The Void
Joe Hendry/Rich Swann b. AJ Francis/Deaner – Standing Ovation to Deaner
Tasha Steelz vs. Xia Brookside went to a double countout
The System b. Eric Young/ABC – Top rope elbow to Young

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

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AND

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Impact Wrestling
Date: January 18, 2024
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

It’s a regular show for the first time in a good while and in this case that means it’s the first weekly show back under the TNA name. We have some new champions, with Moose as the new World Champion and Jordynne Grace as the new Knockouts Champion. That should be more than enough to carry things for a few weeks, but we also have Josh Alexander vs. Will Ospreay II. Let’s get to it.

Here is Hard To Kill if you need a recap.

We open with a long Hard To Kill recap, capped off by the debut of Nic Nemeth.

Kushida vs. Jake Something vs. Trey Miguel vs. Laredo Kid vs. Mike Bailey vs. El Hijo del Vikingo

One fall to a finish. Kushida gets the idea of a bunch of people going after Something but Miguel gets tossed instead. Triple dives take down the villains on the floor before Miguel hits the Lightning Spiral on Kushida. Something is back in to shrug off chops from Vikingo, who is powerbombed over the top onto a bunch of people. Kushida cartwheels into a basement dropkick to Miguel but Vikingo is back in to break up the Hoverboard Lock. Not that it matters as Something comes back in with Into The Void to finish Kid at 5:34.

Rating: C+. This would have been better off as a four way or a triple threat for the sake of giving the match some more space to breathe. They were going for the idea of “total nonstop action” here and that’s a fun way to start. It’s something Impact had been doing for months now and it worked here too. Something continues to look and feel like a force, but having him win something that matters would be nice.

Will Ospreay is ready to beat Josh Alexander again and talks about how TNA made him a wrestler. This was a talk into the camera promo and Ospreay had some fire.

Video on Ash By Elegance, which looks like a perfume commercial.

We look at Gisele Shaw winning Ultimate X at Hard To Kill.

Shaw did what she said she would do and now Jordynne Grace needs to keep her eyes open. Gail Kim comes in to say this is what Shaw can do on her own, but Shaw walks away.

Tasha Steelz vs. Xia Brookside

Brookside rolls out of a wristlock to start and snaps off a hurricanrana. Steelz is back up with a poke to the eye and a headbutt for two. The chinlock goes on before Steelz grabs Three Amigos, which thankfully doesn’t include an Eddie dance. Brookside is back up with a headscissors and a running neckbreaker for one. Steelz’s Codebreaker gets two but Brookside catches her on top with an Iconoclasm into a bridging pin (the Brooksie Bomb) at 5:06.

Rating: C. Nothing exactly great here but it was a way to get Brookside a win to establish herself a little bit here. Brookside is someone who did well during her time in NXT UK but that doesn’t exactly make her a household name. Let her get her feet wet here and she should be off to a nice start.

We look at Joe Hendry’s music video about AJ Francis, which earned him a beating thanks to a laptop shot to the back from DJ Who Kid.

Hendry isn’t happy with the beatdown but again brings up Francis being the Cheez-It Champion, which is the point of the music video. We’ll call it all even, as he even has a new laptop….and has apparently taken out Who Kid.

Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Frankie Kazarian/Eric Young

Young goes right after Gibson to start but Drake comes in to work on his arm instead. Kazarian comes in and gets pulled to the floor, where a dive takes him out. We take a break and come back with Kazarian getting pulled back into the corner to cut off a tag attempt. Kazarian suplexes his way out of trouble but Drake pulls Young off the apron in a smart move. Some running shots in the corner rock Kazarian but he ducks an elbow and gets over to Young for the fast tag. Everything breaks down and Grit Your Teeth (double Codebreaker) finishes Young at 9:44.

Rating: C. Much like Brookside, this was a nice way to have the newcomers get a win over some established names. The Veterans are a good team but they’re brand new around here and need to show what they can do. Beating some former World Champions, even if they’re not a regular team, should accomplish that just fine.

Post match a frustrated Kazarian turns on Young, ending their partnership after…five days. Kazarian yells at him a good bit, saying this was supposed to be Kazarian’s year and nailing a Fade To Black.

The System celebrated Moose’s World Title win in Las Vegas. It’s a new beginning for all of them and Moose is only going to be known as World Champion.

Here is Nic Nemeth for a chat. Hard To Kill was a special moment and TNA is back. After the required chant (Nemeth: “I love that.”), Nemeth talks about how he’s intimidated, scared and excited. He picked his time and place and wound up face to face with the TNA World Champion.

Now he’s going to win the TNA World Title and celebrate with everyone in this crowd. He’s gotten to the top before and now he’s going to do it again st Nic Nemeth. Cue Steve Maclin to interrupt, saying it’s his turn to talk. This is his area of operations and all people are going to ask is what happened to Dolph Ziggler. The fight is on and Nemeth drops him in a hurry. That sets up his first big match and gave him a nice intro promo.

Jordynne Grace is happy with her win over Trinity, who interrupts her. Trinity is taking her rematch next week.

Here is Jai Vidal to say he hates this place and no one here can beat him up.

PCO vs. Jai Vidal

PCO knocks him into the corner to start, followed by the chokeslam and PCOsault for the pin at 1:25.

The Motor City Machine Guns talk about knowing Kazuchika Okada, who they want to face the System next week. Okada pops in to say he’s back.

Josh Alexander vs. Will Ospreay

Ospreay flips out of a wristlock to start and takes him down, which is good for an early standoff. Alexander’s running shoulder just makes Ospreay nip up, where he can chop Alexander down and hit a standing shooting star press for two. A backbreaker gives Ospreay two but Alexander breaks up a springboard. The running crossbody on the apron sends Ospreay out to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Alexander winning a fight over a suplex and hitting a powerbomb onto the knee for two. A regular backbreaker sends Ospreay to the apron, meaning it’s time to fight over a drive through the table (because there’s a table at ringside). Ospreay hits a tiger driver through said table and we pause for the medics to check on both of them. The referee says we’re continuing but Alexander has to beat the count….where Ospreay hits a springboard missile dropkick to the ribs.

The Oscutter gets two but the Hidden Blade misses. We take another break and come back with Alexander hitting a Tombstone on the ramp. They get back in with Alexander getting two off a super Regal Roll, setting up the ankle lock. Ospreay rolls it into the corner, setting up the Cheeky Nandos Kick.

A super poisonrana sets up the Hidden Blade to give Ospreay two and they both need a breather. Another Hidden Blade sets up the Storm Driver 93 for two more and another breather. A third Hidden Blade is cut off and Alexander runs through him with a clothesline. The C4 Spike is countered but so is Ospreay’s Styles Clash, with Alexander hitting one of his own for two. Now the C4 Spike can finish Ospreay at 22:45.

Rating: A-. This was a heck of a match and it gave Alexander the big win that he has been needing. Ospreay is one of the best in the world at the moment and it means a lot for someone to get that kind of a win over him. Alexander hung in there with him the entire way and then dropped Ospreay on his head for the pin. Great match here and worth a look.

Post match Scott D’Amore comes out and talks about his love for wrestling and how this place was declared dead. Now there is blood pumping through its veins and it has inspired people like Will Ospreay and Trey Miguel and Tasha Steelz. TNA is back and it’s never going away. The old Cross The Line theme plays us out.

Overall Rating: B. This is a show where the main event is going to be the big focal point and not much else is going to matter. The main event more than stole the show and I had a good enough time with the rest of the night. It was a good follow up to Hard To Kill as they were pushing the idea that TNA is back, but it really just felt like the same Impact with a different color scheme. If they can keep that going then they’ll be in a good place, and it started with this show being pretty awesome.

Results
Jake Something b. Kushida, Trey Miguel, Laredo Kid, Mike Bailey and El Hijo del Vikingo – Into The Void to Kid
Xia Brookside b. Tasha Steelz – Brooksie Bomb
Grizzled Young Veterans b. Eric Young/Frankie Kazarian – Grit Your Teeth to Young
PCO b. Jai Vidal – PCOsault
Josh Alexander b. Will Ospreay – C4 Spike

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.

Hard To Kill 2024
Date: January 13, 2024
Location: Palms Casino Resort, Paradise, Nevada
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

Somehow, the big story here is the name of the promotion, as Impact Wrestling is gone and TNA Wrestling is back. Other than that, we have a pretty stacked card with a variety of title matches, plus the promise of a major name debuting. That could be multiple people, which opens up some interesting doors. Let’s get to it.

There is a new set, with the old school tunnel entrances coming diagonally down to the ramp.

Pre-Show: Rich Swann vs. Steve Maclin

Feeling out process to start and Swann, in what looks to be Flash Funk tribute gear, shakes his knees. Swann sends him to the floor for an early dive, followed by a middle rope crossbody for two back inside. Maclin gets in a hard forearm though and a backbreaker makes it worse.

Back up and Swann charges into a release Rock Bottom out of the corner for two more. Swann manages to strike away and kicks him in the head for two. Maclin is able to catch him in the corner though and something close to a Twist of Fate gets two more. That doesn’t slow Swann down as he’s right back with a kick of his own, setting up the 450 for another near fall.

Maclin is right back up to knock him off the top and it’s a top rope headbutt for two. There’s another backbreaker to plant Swann and we hit the Boston crab. The rope is grabbed for the break so Swann comes back with a Lethal Injection into a Trouble In Paradise for a rather near fall. The Phoenix splash misses though and Maclin grabs the KIA for the pin at 10:13.

Rating: B-. I can always go for a match that might not reinvent the wheel but is done well. That’s what we had here with two talented wrestlers who got the chance to do a few things and showcase their abilities. Maclin getting reheated isn’t a bad idea and we might be seeing just that in the new TNA.

Here is DJ Who Kid to bring out AJ Francis (formerly known as Top Dolla in WWE). He insults some fans for being broke and then introduces his new music video…which is interrupted by Joe Hendry. We get some introductions but Hendry has a video for Francis! The video focuses on Francis losing quite a bit, falling over the top rope, and absolutely loving Cheez-Its. Back in the arena and Who hits Hendry with a laptop, meaning the double teaming is on. This show hasn’t been the friendliest to the good guys so far.

Pre-Show: The System vs. Eric Young/Frankie Kazarian

The System would be Brian Myers/Eddie Edwards with Alisha Edwards (their stable mates Moose and DeAngelo Williams (former NFL player) aren’t here). Kazarian and Myers start things off but it’s almost immediately off to Young. They grapple into the corner before we get another Kazarian vs. Edwards slugout. Everything breaks down and the System is sent outside but Myers grabs Young’s boot from the floor so the beating can be on back inside.

Young fights out of the backpack Stunner and a double knockdown allow the double tag. Kazarian gets to clean house, including a Backstabber to Edwards and a slingshot cutter to Myers. Edwards is back up with the backpack Stunner into a running elbow for two as everything breaks down. An Unprettier hits Myers and Young adds a top rope elbow for two. Young gets backdropped to the floor, meaning it’s the Roster Cut into the Boston Knee Party for the pin on Young at 8:05.

Rating: C+. The match was ok but having the heel stable just suddenly being a thing is kind of weird. It felt like I missed the team being formed and that makes for kind of a strange situation. At the same time, the people involved are more than talented enough to make this work and what we got went well. Young and Kazarian are more than fine enough to slot in here as a makeshift team to get the System over, but I’m going to need more of an introduction.

Pre-Show: Digital Media Title: Crazzy Steve vs. Tommy Dreamer

Dreamer is defending in a No DQ match. Steve punches him in the face but Dreamer is back with a clothesline out of the corner. A running knee sends Steve outside and there’s a suplex on the floor. Dreamer chokes with a towel and it’s time for some chairs inside. Steve gets in a chair shot to the back and then does it again for good measure. Some choking with the chair ensues and we hit the neck crank.

It’s time for the fork but Dreamer blocks the stabbing and slugs away. That doesn’t last long as Steve cutters him into a chair to take over again. Dreamer is back with a non-chair cutter of his own and some kind of a reverse suplex gets two. That’s not going to work for Steve though as he sends Dreamer face first into a trashcan in the corner. With Dreamer down, Steve tapes his hands together and whips out another fork…..and then a bunch of forks, which he puts under Dreamer’s shirt. The Cannonball crushes Dreamer again and Belladonna’s Kiss gives Steve the title at 11:10.

Rating: C+. The only thing that mattered here was getting the title off of Dreamer and onto Steve. He’s been ready to win something for months now and they pulled the trigger here. Dreamer never once felt like a long term champion and they didn’t bother doing anything crazy. Not exactly a great match, but it got the result they needed and that’s what mattered.

The show proper looks at the rebirth of TNA, with Eric Young narrating a walk through Las Vegas. Young comes into the arena and says this means everything to us, which is why they’re risking it all. With the roster gathered on the stage, he says WE ARE TNA WRESTLING and they are HARD TO KILL.

Tasha Steelz vs. Alisha Edwards vs. Gisele Shaw vs. Dani Luna vs. Jody Threat vs. Xia Brookside

Ultimate X or a future Knockouts Title shot and Brookside is a surprise entrant. Some people go for the corner to start and are quickly cut off by everyone else, as tends to be the case in these matches. Brookside, Threat and Luna are left in the ring but Steelz is back in to take over. Brookside fires off some clotheslines but Shaw kicks her in the face as it’s still way too early for anyone to get much momentum.

Threat beats up Edwards and Luna at the same time until the latter is back with a fall away slam. More suplexes abound and there’s a dive to take out Shaw on the floor. Threat climbs the structure and dives onto a bunch of people before going up again….this time with Alisha on her back. Alisha falls off and Threat does as well, leaving everyone to get a breather.

Back in and Luna and Threat hit some powerbombs to bring people down again. Brookside gets to the wires but gets pulled down in a crash, leaving Alisha to get in a crawl of her own. That’s broken up so Alisha grabs a DDT for a breather. Alisha whips out a kendo stick to start beating on people but Threat plants Brookside and Alisha at the same time. That’s enough for Threat to go up, only to have Shaw jump off of Luna for a spear and the big knockout. Luna Steelz and Shaw all go up at once, with Shaw knocking the other two down and winning at 12:01.

Rating: B-. These matches are basically TNA’s version of the ladder match, meaning there is very little in the way of telling a story or anything more than people going nuts with spots until someone wins. Shaw going over makes sense, as she has been around the title picture for a long time now. At some point she needs to win the thing though, and that might be where we are heading now.

We run down the rest of the card.

We look at the Joe Hendry/AJ Francis/DJ Who Kid segment from the pre-show.

Francis and DJ Who Kid are happy with what they did.

PCO vs. Dirty Dango

Dango has Oleg Prudius and Alpha Bravo with him. After Dango says he hates TNA Wrestling, some orderlies wheel PCO into the arena and electrify him back to life. As you do. Dango hammers away to start but PCO sends him outside for the running flip dive. Back in and the PCOsault is loaded up but Bravo comes in for the DQ at 1:26.

Post match the beatdown is on but Rhino comes in for the save. Cue Santino Marella (because they had to keep HIM) to make it a six man tag with one more addition.

PCO/Rhino/Jake Something vs. Alpha Bravo/Dirty Dango/Oleg Prudius

The brawl is on to start and the ring is quickly cleared, with PCO moonsaulting onto a bunch of people. The DeAnimator hits Dango and we settle down to Something coming in to beat up Dango even further. A hard clothesline puts Dango down again and it’s Rhino coming in to a nice reaction. Prudius gets in a cheap shot from the apron though and Bravo gets to come in and choke away.

The villains start taking turns on Rhino in the corner, which doesn’t last long as he gets back up and makes it over to Something. House is quickly cleaned and PCO is back in for the middle rope legdrop. Rhino and Prudius slug it out but Dango breaks up the Gore attempt. Bravo gets Gores anyway and Something powerbombs Dango onto him to make it worse. PCOsault finishes Bravo at 7:25.

Rating: C. This felt like an Impact match and not much more, but in theory this is relaunch for the brand so it’s time to get as many people on the show as possible. On the good hand, one of them is Something but on the other hand, Santino is still there. Not a bad match at all, and I could always go for more PCO insanity.

Earlier today, an unseen woman arrived.

Knockouts Tag Team Titles: MK Ultra vs. Decay

This is a bonus match with the returning Decay challenging. Havok sends Slamovich into the corner to start and Rosemary comes in with a clothesline. Rosemary’s German suplex gets two but Slamovich manages a knockdown of her own. Slamovich slams Kelly onto Rosemary for two and a PK gets the same.

A kick to the face lets Kelly crawl onto Rosemary, who snaps and hammers away on her instead. Havok gets to come back in and clean house but gets caught with a kick to the head. The Snow Plow gives Slamovich one and she can’t believe the kickout. Havok hits a double chokeslam and it’s a chokebomb/running hair plant to pin Kelly for the titles at 6:18.

Rating: C. The match was fine enough, but it runs into the same problem that these titles have always had: there is little story here, as the titles are so often just thrown into random matches like this one. Why are Rosemary and Havok back to their old selves? Eh who cares, but they’re the champs again. That’s the problem with these titles most of the time and that was on display again here.

TNA is working with the NFL Alumni Association for a health program.

We look at Steve Maclin beating Rich Swann on the pre-show.

Maclin says that was the first of many.

Here are TNA executive Scott D’Amore and AAA President Dorian Roldan. The two companies are going to be working together and they’re both rather happy. A highlight reel ensues and they sign the deal.

X-Division Title: El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Kushida vs. Chris Sabin

Sabin (and only Sabin) is defending. The triple lockup doesn’t go anywhere to start so they snap of armdrags instead, leaving us with a standoff. Kushida sends them both down and then out to the floor, setting up a dive to take out Sabin. Back in and Vikingo hits a springboard hurricanrana, followed by the top rope inverted hurricanrana to take Kushida out of the corner.

Sabin is back up with some German suplexes and we get the triple submission, with Sabin letting go to kick Kushida down. Back up and Kushida ties up Vikingo’s arm and suplexes Sabin at the same time. That’s all broken up and Vikingo gets to clear the ring, setting up a moonsault out to the floor to take both of them down.

Back in and a triple clothesline leaves everyone down, with Vikingo getting up first. He stomps down onto Sabin’s ribs but Kushida is back in with the Hoverboard Lock. That’s broken up but Vikingo has to break up one to Sabin as well. Sabin and Vikingo slug it out until Vikingo is sent to the ramp for a springboard Canadian Destroyer. Back in and Sabin German superplexes Kushida down and grabs Cradle Shock to retain at 13:04.

Rating: B+. This was all action as they went nuts for about thirteen minutes straight. There were some very fun spots in there with people flying all over the place until Sabin retained. Kushida being a regular around here made a title change feel possible and that made things more interesting. Best match of the night by far here and rather good stuff.

Newcomer Alex Hammerstone has issued an open challenge and Josh Alexander has accepted.

Josh Alexander vs. Alex Hammerstone

Alexander goes after the powerhouse Hammerstone’s leg to start but the ankle lock is kicked out to the floor. That means Hammerstone can take Alexander out with a slingshot dive but Alexander is right back with another shot to the leg. A dragon screw legwhip takes Hammerstone down but the ankle lock is broken up again. Some chops in the corner make Hammerstone mad and he sends Alexander flying. He right back with a Regal Roll into a middle rope knee to the back of the head, but the ankle lock is broken up again.

Some boots to the face just annoy Hammerstone and he gorilla presses Alexander into a swinging release Rock Bottom. The tweaked knee is still fine enough to powerslam Alexander but he snaps on the ankle lock again. This time a grapevine goes on as well but Hammerstone gets to the rope. Alexander is back up with a quick Nightmare Pendulum (a suplex dropped forward into a Rock Bottom, his usual finisher) for two.

Alexander is smart enough to get over to the rope to avoid the cover so Hammerstone Death Valley Drivers him on the apron. A missile dropkick gives Hammerstone two as the fans certainly approve. Alexander’s discus forearm is shrugged off and Hammerstone powerbombs him for two. Alexander is back with a small package into the C4 Spike for the quick pin at 14:46.

Rating: B. This was the hard hitting fight that you might have expected if you’re familiar with Hammerstone. On the other hand, those who aren’t so familiar with him got a heck of an introduction, as he took one of TNA’s best to a great fight. This was the showcase match for Alexander and it worked very well. Good stuff here and Hammerstone looked like a star.

Video on the four way for the Tag Team Titles, with a new team getting a shot.

Tag Team Titles: ABC vs. Rascalz vs. Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Laredo Kid/Mike Bailey

ABC is defending and Kid is replacing Trent Seven who had travel issues. Austin and Gibson start things off with neither being able to get very far. Drake comes in and gets double armdragged by the champs, with Bailey and Kid coming in to take over on Miguel. Everything breaks down and all our get in for the major staredown.

We settle down to Bailey’s bouncing kicks having Gibson in trouble but Drake’s cheap shot lets the Veterans take over. Bailey gets elbowed in the face for two and we hit the chinlock. The Rascalz and the Veterans get in an argument, allowing Bailey to kick his way to freedom. Kid comes back in and gets to clean house, including a super Michinoku Driver for two on Wentz.

ABC gets to come in and fire off a series of kicks, including a kick to the head/torture rack neckbreaker for two on Wentz. The Veterans are back in with a double kick for two more on Wentz, followed by a Doomsday Device. The cover is broken up as commentary says they can’t remember who is legal. Bailey is back in with a super poisonrana to Drake and the Ultimate Weapon connects, with the Rascalz making the save. A superkick/double stomp combination gives Wentz two and we get the ABC vs. Rascalz slugout. The 1-2-Sweet finishes Miguel to retain the titles at 14:16.

Rating: B-. They had another almost all action match here but this time there were so many people out there that it was hard to keep track of everything. At the end of the day, this was all about the Rascalz vs. ABC and that’s how it wound up, but that didn’t make the other teams seem that important. I’ll take more of the ABC as the champions though, as they really are one of the best teams going today.

We recap the Knockouts Title match, with Trinity defending against Call Your Shot winner Jordynne Grace. That’s pretty much the whole story.

Ash By Excellence (Dana Brooke) is in the front row as the mystery woman from earlier.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Trinity

Trinity is defending and they shake hands to start. Grace easily powers her up against the ropes to start but the threat of a kick Grace backing up. For some reason Trinity tries a test of strength but she does show some intelligence with a mule kick. Grace picks her up and plants her back down for two, followed by a World’s Strongest Slam for the same. It’s too early for the Juggernaut Driver so Trinity is back with a crossbody.

Grace knees her in the face and hits an Alley Oop for two more. Trinity needs a breather but Grace runs her over with a suicide dive into a Jackhammer on the floor for a nasty crash. Trinity manages a shot of her own and they head back inside for a strike off. Grace gets dropped so Trinity hits a split legged moonsault for two more. A full nelson puts Trinity back down but she makes the rope for the break.

With the holds not working, Grace grabs a MuscleBuster for two more. The Rear View puts Grace down for two and they head to the apron for something like a Heatseeker Pedigree from Trinity. A sitout powerbomb into Starstruck has Grace in more trouble…until she muscles Trinity up into a German suplex. The Juggernaut Driver gives Grace the title at 14:34.

Rating: B-. Grace getting the title back is a nice moment and the good thing is she has all kinds of challengers waiting for her. I know Grace has held the title before, but she feels like she has come more than a few feet since her most recent title reign. Trinity has held the title for a good while now and has only been so interesting. There is a good chance that she is back in WWE sooner than later and at least she had a decent one to go out on.

We recap Moose challenging Alex Shelley for the World Title. Much like the previous match, this is a Call Your Show cash in so there is only so much of a story.

TNA World Title: Alex Shelley vs. Moose

Shelley is defending. Moose’s offer of a handshake goes nowhere so Shelley sends him into the corner. A missed charge sends Moose into the post and we hit the logical armbar. Moose isn’t having that and hits a hard dropkick out to the floor to take over. Shelley gets rammed into the barricade and chopped against the ropes but he strikes away anyway. Moose’s arm gets stomped on the apron and the bad arm gets snapped back inside.

The good arm is enough to knock Shelley down though and Moose starts in on Shelley’s arm for a change. Some hard chops connect, with Shelley telling Moose to do it harder. Moose’s powerbomb is countered into a DDT and a dropkick sends him into the corner. A missed charge sends Moose outside and there’s a baseball slide into the barricade. Sliced Bread on the floor doesn’t work but Moose gets rammed into the post. Shelley drops him again with Shell Shock but can’t follow up, meaning we get a nine count.

Back in and Shelley forearms away, setting up a quickly broken Border City Stretch. The arm is good enough for Moose to hit a powerbomb for two and a needed breather. A quick Sliced Bread gives Shelley two and here is the System to interrupt. Chris Sabin and Kushida make the save but DeAngelo Williams stays at ringside.

They fight to the ramp where Shelley plants Moose down by the arm, meaning it’s time to go back inside and stay on the arm even longer. Moose’s headbutt doesn’t get him very far as Shelley blasts him with a clothesline. Shell Shock is loaded up but Moose shoves him off and hits the spear for the pin and the title at 21:29.

Rating: B. There is something classic about power vs. speed and in this case we had the bonus of Shelley wisely picking at the arm throughout. It’s a classic story that worked well again here, with a title change to cap off the show. Moose can be a heck of a juggernaut when he is given the chance and that is more or less what he did here. It might not be a classic, but it felt like a big deal and that is the most important part.

Post match Nic Nemeth sneaks in and superkicks Moose, setting up what used to be called the Zig Zag. Nemeth rips off his shirt to reveal a TNA shirt as the crowd approves to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show was about the rebirth of TNA and for the most part, it went pretty well. I would assume they were treating this as a jump on point for fans, hence having so many people on the show. That worked in that there was some very good action, but there was a good bit that could have been cut to make the show flow a bit better.

Other than that, you have quite a few title changes to go with the solid wrestling, which made the show an entertaining effort. Things will be interesting on Thursday, but for now at least, TNA is starting well with everything they have going on. The good thing is they aren’t starting from scratch and Impact was doing well, but it’s still pretty new for almost everything going on. That’s a weird setup, though they’re off to a good start.

Results
Steve Maclin b. Rich Swann – KIA
The System b. Eric Young/Frankie Kazarian – Boston Knee Party to Young
Crazzy Steve b. Tommy Dreamer – Belladonna’s Kiss
Gisele Shaw won Ultimate X
PCO b. Dirty Dango via DQ when Alpha Bravo interfered
PCO/Rhino/Jake Something b. Alpha Bravo/Dirty Dango/
Decay b. MK Ultra – Sitout chokebomb/running hair plant combination to Kelly
Chris Sabin b. Kushida and El Hijo del Vikingo – Cradle Shock to Sabin
Josh Alexander b. Alex Hammerstone – C4 Spike
ABC b. Rascalz, Grizzled Young Veterans and Laredo Kid/Mike Bailey – 1-2-Sweet to Miguel
Jordynne Grace b. Trinity – Juggernaut Driver
Moose b. Alex Shelley – Spear

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Impact Wrestling
Date: December 7, 2023
Location: Showcase Complex, Monterrey, Mexico
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

The different kinds of shows continue for Impact as they are in Mexico for a co-promoted show with AAA. That won’t be the normal kind of show but at least we can see and hear from the wrestlers. That could make for some different kinds of situations, though Impact needs to build some things up for their upcoming shows. Let’s get to it.

Note that I do not follow AAA very closely so I apologize in advance for missing any names, character history or storyline points.

Opening sequence.

Trinity/Chris Sabin vs. Chik Tormenta/Dinamico

Tormenta drives Trinity into the corner to start and runs her over with a shoulder. Trinity takes her down with a headscissors and it’s off to the men, who take turns posing on the ropes. They take turns escaping covers until Sabin armdrags him down for a breather. A cheap shot knocks Trinity off the apron though and Dinamico grabs a neckbreaker for two on Sabin.

Back up and Sabin manages a knockdown, allowing the tag off to Trinity to pick up the pace. Sabin backbreaker Tormenta into Trinity’s split legged moonsault but Dinamico makes the save. A double superkick puts Tormenta down and the Bully Bomb into a rollup gives Trinity the pin at 7:55.

Rating: C+. Fun opener here with the men and women getting to mix together for a bit of a change of pace. It was good to get some of the champions back in the ring after some time away and it made for some good stuff. Tormenta and Dinamico weren’t the most interesting opponents but they made Sabin and Trinity sweat a bit, which is all they really needed to do.

Josh Alexander wants the World Title back and while he lost at Bound For Glory, he knew he gave everything he had. Then his five year old asked where the title was so now he needs to get back to the top. Now he and Zack Sabre Jr. are challenging the Motor City Machine Guns for the Tag Team Titles at Final Resolution because the standard is back.

Eddie Edwards vs. Myzteziz Jr. vs. Latigo

Commentary is nice enough to mention that Latigo is wearing black here as he and Myzteziz double team Edwards to start. Latigo turns on Myzteziz almost immediately so Edwards can get in a running knee, meaning the double teaming has Myzteziz in trouble for a change. Double choking in the corner ensues but Latigo stops to yell at the fans. That’s enough for Myzteziz to fight back and hit a pair of dives to the floor. Edwards stays on the floor so Myzteziz can headscissor Latigo back outside.

Naturally that means a big Myzteziz dive to take both of them down but Latigo frog splashes Edwards for two. Latigo hits a middle rope Canadian Destroyer to plant Myzteziz on the ramp and Edwards adds a suplex to make it worse. Back in and Myzteziz takes out Latigo, only to walk into a sitout powerbomb. Myzteziz grabs the referee’s arm at two for a unique save before taking out Latigo. A powerslam and shooting star press give Myzteziz the pin on Edwards at 11:42.

Rating: B-. This didn’t feel like anything out of the ordinary but they did things rather well throughout. Myzteziz had a good come from behind win and beats a former Impact World Champion in the process. Latigo didn’t really stand out here, but the whole thing went well for what felt like a cold match.

Trey Miguel is ready to beat Mike Bailey at Final Resolution.

The Motor City Machine Guns are ready for Josh Alexander and Zack Sabre Jr. at Final Resolution.

Jordynne Grace/Sexy Star vs. Deonna Purrazzo/Maravilla

Grace and Purrazzo trade rollups for two each to start and that’s a standoff. Star and Maravilla come in for a standoff of their own and we take a break. Back with Purrazzo working on Star’s arm before Maravilla comes in to kick Star down. Purrazzo gets in her own kick but a missed charge allows Grace to come in and clean house. Everything breaks down and Star gives Purrazzo an electric chair driver. That’s broken up so Star hits a dive onto Purrazzo on the floor. Back in and the Juggernaut Driver finishes Maravilla at 11:37.

Rating: C+. Things picked up at the end but there wasn’t much to say about this one. Star got beaten down for a good while but other than that, it was just waiting for Grace to come in and clean house. It worked well enough and did give us a Grace vs. Purrazzo preview, but it wasn’t exactly action packed.

Scott D’Amore and the roster is ready to wrestle in Monterrey.

Brian Myers/Black Taurus vs. Tommy Dreamer/Laredo Kid

Myers and Kid start things off with the former rolling away. A shoulder puts Kid down but he’s back up with a running dropkick to put Myers outside. We pause for Myers to tease fighting some fans before it’s off to Taurus vs. Dreamer. Taurus starts in on the arm but Dreamer brings in Kid to work on Taurus’ arm for a change. Dreamer clears the ring and teases a dive, which is thankfully cut off.

Kid makes the save and some beer to the face (Rehwoldt: “A cerveza to the face-a!”) has Taurus down again. Back in and Taurus work son Dreamer’s arm before handing it off to Myers for the chinlock. A DDT gives Myers two but the Roster Cut misses, allowing Dreamer to grab the cutter. Kid comes back in to clean house, including a poisonrana to Taurus. Everything breaks down and Myers tries a dive, which Dreamer cuts off with a cookie sheet to the head. That leaves Kid to grab a sunset bomb for the pin at 10:37.

Rating: C+. Another completely watchable match and at least Dreamer didn’t get the pin. Ignoring the random weapon being thrown in and it was mostly a match with people you (at least mostly) see on Impact. This was a good example of a match where they didn’t try to reinvent the wheel and just did their stuff, which was good enough for a special show like this one.

Post match Dreamer puts Taurus through a table. That seemed unnecessary.

Trinity and Jordynne Grace are ready to work together at Final Resolution but they’ll fight at Hard To Kill.

Josh Alexander/Octagon Jr. vs. Moose/Toxin

Alexander shoulders Toxin down to start and the ankle lock goes on early. Octagon comes in and can’t manage to take down the much bigger Moose. Instead a spinning crossbody puts Moose down but he’s right back up with a fall away slam. Moose slams Toxin onto Octagon and it’s time to go after Octagon’s mask.

Another knockdown has Octagon in trouble and we take a break. Back with Alexander coming in off the hot tag and German suplexing Moose. A backbreaker hits Toxin as everything breaks down. Octagon 450s Toxin with Moose making the save. There’s a dropkick for two on Alexander with Octagon making the save this time.

Octagon is back up with a slingshot corkscrew splash for two on Moose but Toxin suplexes Alexander into the corner. Alexander grabs a spinning torture rack slam to Toxin and Octagon missile dropkicks Moose. Back up and Moose sends Octagon into the corner, setting up the spear for the pin at 16:15.

Rating: B-. This was one of the better matches of the night as Alexander and Moose have enough of a history to keep things interesting. Octagon and Toxin were more than good enough to hold up their end and the match got enough time to build up. The ending might have been a bit flat, but Moose getting the momentum on the way to Hard To Kill is what matters most.

Tommy Dreamer is ready to face Deaner at Final Resolution.

Coming to Impact at Snake Eyes on January 14: Kazuchika Okada. Well there’s a surprise.

Motor City Machine Guns/El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Los Vipers/Trey Miguel

Los Vipers are Latigo/Toxin. Shelley works on Miguel’s arm to start, including wrapping it around the rope. They chop it out until Shelley takes him down by the arm. Latigo and Sabin come in to pick up the pace by…having Latigo grab a wristlock. Sabin sends him outside though and we take a break.

Back with Shelley grabbing a Figure Four on Miguel but Toxin makes the fast save. Latigo grabs a weird limb tying up hold on Shelley until Vikingo breaks it up. Miguel’s slingshot double stomp gets two on Sabin but Vikingo comes in for the save to clean house. A frog splash gets two with Toxin making the save.

Latigo saves Toxin from a crossface but the Guns grab stereo crossfaces on Los Vipers. Miguel makes the save and gets a staredown with Vikingo. Miguel’s poisonrana gets two and frustration is setting in. Vikingo flips Miguel into a knee to the face and the middle rope phoenix splash finishes at 17:08.

Rating: B. As has been the case before, there are matches where you know things are going to go well because of who is involved. That was the case again here and they came pretty close to tearing the house down. The Guns can work with anyone and Vikingo and Miguel were more than making the rest work. Rather solid main event here and the best thing on the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is a good example of “take what you can get” as we haven’t seen much from Impact in a few weeks. The wrestlers got to be in the ring and talk about their upcoming matches, which at least set some things up for Final Resolution. It’s far from optimal, but this is better than having a Best Of show or some other weird show. The action was good throughout too, with the main event being a pretty strong match. Good show here, but not really necessary viewing unless you’re missing Impact pretty badly.

Results
Chris Sabin/Trinity b. Chik Tormenta/Dinamico – Rollup to Tormenta
Myzteziz Jr. b. Latigo and Eddie Edwards – Shooting star press to Edwards
Jordynne Grace/Sexy Star b. Deonna Purrazzo/Maravilla – Juggernaut Driver to Maravilla
Tommy Dreamer/Laredo Kid b. Brian Myers/Black Taurus – Sunset bomb to Myers
Moose/Toxin b. Octagon Jr./Josh Alexander – Spear to Octagon Jr.
Motor City Machine Guns/El Hijo del Vikingo b. Los Vipers/

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Impact Wrestling
Date: November 16, 2023
Location: Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois
Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

Things got more interesting last week as we are on the slow road towards Hard To Kill and the return of TNA. Last week saw a heck of a main event as Alex Shelley successfully defended the World Title against Jonathan Gresham. He’ll probably need a new challenger before he faces Moose in January though and we might find out who that is tonight. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Tag Team Titles: Kenny King/Sheldon Jean vs. ABC

ABC is defending. King and Austin start things off with the latter working on a hammerlock. Austin gets taken down for a headlock on the mat but is right back up with a headlock takeover of his own. The champs take King into the corner for some kicks to the head but Jean pulls Bey to the floor. A posting has Bey in more trouble and the beating continues back inside.

Bey avoids a charge though and it’s back to Austin to pick up the pace. A springboard spinning kick to the face gives Austin two on King but Jean is there to break up the 1-2-Sweet. Instead King grabs a tiger driver for two as everything breaks down. Jean’s pop up neckbreaker gets two on Bey, who is right back with a running flip dive onto King. The 1-2 Sweet retains the titles at 7:23.

Rating: C+. This was nice while it lasted but it didn’t last that long. There is only so much that you can get out of a match with just over seven minutes, even if ABC is as good as they are. King and Jean are a nice combination as well, but they were little more than a quick challenger of the week on the way to the champs’ next serious competition.

MK Ultra control the Knockouts division and are here to reshape your reality.

Moose vs. Heath

Brian Myers is here with Moose. They slug it out to start until Heath rolls him up for two. That’s enough for Moose to bail to the floor and Heath sends him into various objects. Back in and Moose sends him hard over the top for a crash, followed by some choking inside. Heath manages to hurricanrana his way out of a powerbomb attempt though and Moose is outside again.

There’s a dive to take him down and a leg lariat connects for Heath back inside. A powerslam gives Heath two but Myers offers a distraction, allowing Moose to hit the release Rock Bottom. Another one is countered but Myers throws the briefcase in and blocks the Wake Up Call. Moose spears Heath down for the pin at 5:56.

Rating: C+. That makes two matches that could have been something but then wound up getting off too soon. About six minutes is hardly enough time to get anywhere and that was on display here. I still like a lot of what Heath has been doing lately by playing it more straight and that could take him somewhere, wherever that may be.

Post match the beatdown is on until Rhino makes the save.

Post break Moose and Myers accuse Rhino of being jealous. Therefore, Moose vs. Rhino at Final Resolution.

Rascalz vs. Laredo Kid/Black Taurus/Juventud Guerrera

Lucha Rules with Konnan on commentary. Kid and Miguel get things going with the former snapping off a running hurricanrana. Taurus comes in for a superkick but the Rascalz take it to the floor. Back in and a double elbow drops Kid for two, followed by the choking on the ropes. Miguel hits Three Amigos for two, leaving commentary to wonder if that was a tribute to Eddie Guerrero or not.

Juventud dropkicks Miguel and Kid knocks him down for two more. A distraction lets the Rascalz snap Kid’s throat across the middle rope as the villains take over. Kid manages a sunset bomb to Miguel and Juventud gets the tag for a high crossbody. One heck of a clothesline hits Miguel (the other Rascalz are allowed to do something if they’re interested) and Taurus adds a pop up Samoan drop.

The 450 is broken up though and Kid gets catapulted into a superkick. A triple dropkick gets two on Kid with Guerrera making the save. Reed is back up with his running jumping cutter over the top to the floor (that always looks good), followed by a slingshot Codebreaker to Juventud. Another cutter hits Taurus but he’s back up with a spear. The spinning piledriver finishes Reed at 11:54.

Rating: B. This was exactly as advertised and they had a nearly nonstop match that went about twelve minutes. That’s not something you see every day and it was quite the showcase. I’m a bit surprised to see the Rascalz lose though, especially with Reed taking the fall. He only debuted last week and he’s already losing here, which isn’t a great first match. Those cutters looked very good, but then he got pinned a few moments later so there wasn’t much of an impact.

Steve Maclin/KiLynn King vs. Jordynne Grace/Bully Ray

Ray locks up with Maclin to start before Ray runs him down without too much trouble. Maclin takes over on the arm and hands it off to King to stay on said arm. That doesn’t last long either as Ray takes over on King’s arm and cranks away a bit as well. Grace comes in to fire off some forearms but King muscles her into the corner, which isn’t something you see very often.

That’s shrugged of as well and it’s back to Ray, who goes up for some reason. That earns him a distraction from Maclin so King can take Ray down for two. Ray spears Maclin so it’s back to the women with Grace taking over. A Vader Bomb gives Grace two and King accidentally kicks Maclin in the face as everything breaks down. The Juggernaut Driver finishes King at 6:50.

Rating: B-. I’m not sure why but this feud is kind of working for me. Ray is still bouncing back and forth between good and bad but he’s making it work well enough. It’s also nice to see King move into something more prominent as she’s good enough to hang in the role. At the same time, Maclin shifting into this kind of a role rather than in the main event suits him better, making this an oddly interesting story.

Post match Ray teases hitting Grace with the Call Your Shot gauntlet trophy but hands it over. Ray even shows respect, much to commentary’s shock.

Trinity vs. Sonny Kiss

Non-title. Feeling out process to start as they flip around to escape wristlocks. Neither can grab a hurricanrana or hit a dropkick, meaning it’s time for some dancing. They take turns with the wiggling in the other’s face before Trinity hits a high crossbody for two. Kiss is back with a spinning wheelbarrow slam for two, followed by a standing moonsault for the same. There’s a handspring elbow in the corner as the fans are split.

Trinity is back up with a springboard spinning kick to the face, followed by the splits splash for two more. The split legged moonsault gives Trinity two more and some frustration is setting in. Kiss is back up and puts Trinity on the middle rope for a running flip kick to the ribs (that looked good). Not that it matters though as Trinity is back up with a Bubba Bomb for the pin at 8:02.

Rating: C+. This was a way to get Kiss into a singles match and it worked well here, as the athleticism was certainly on display. That being said, with the Trinity vs. Jordynne Grace match all set for Hard To Kill, it’s hard to imagine Trinity losing a match on the way there. Good stuff here, even with a not so shocking ending.

The Motor City Machine Guns are ready for Josh Alexander/Zack Sabre Jr. at Final Resolution.

Will Ospreay vs. Josh Alexander

Ospreay’s IWGP UK (or United States) Title isn’t on the line. Alexander takes him down to start but a hurricanrana sends him outside. We take a break and come back with Ospreay chopping away in the corner, only to have Alexander knock him right back down. The ankle lock goes on before Alexander switches it over into a quickly broken Sharpshooter. Ospreay is back up with a running boot to the face and a backbreaker gets two.

It’s too early for the Oscutter so Ospreay sends him face first into the buckle instead. Ospreay’s hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb backbreaker for two. That’s enough for Ospreay to roll outside and there’s the running crossbody to the back to put him on the floor. Back in and Alexander whips him into the corner a few times as Ospreay’s back is getting banged up.

We hit the chinlock but Ospreay bites the hands for a rather creative escape. Ospreay hits a handspring kick to the head and there’s a springboard forearm for two. Some chops in the corner just fire Alexander up and a spinning torture rack slam puts Ospreay down again. A super Regal Roll gives Alexander two more but Ospreay is right back with a sitout powerbomb.

The Cheeky Nandos Kick rocks Alexander again but Ospreay misses a corkscrew moonsault and bangs up his leg. Alexander is right back with the ankle lock and neither of Ospreay’s escapes last very long. Ospreay makes the rope for the real escape and a small package gets two. Now the Oscutter can connect for two but the leg gives out on the Hidden Blade. They bang their heads together and trade forearms until Alexander grabs Rolling Chaos Theory for two.

The ankle lock goes on again and Ospreay gets out again, setting up a Spanish Fly for another near fall. Ospreay hits another Oscutter and tries the Stormbreaker, which is reversed into a piledriver to give Alexander another near fall. The Hidden Blade and Storm Driver 93 give Ospreay two each so another Hidden Blade into the Stormbreaker finishes Alexander at 25:04.

Rating: A-. This was what you would have expected from these two and then some as they had a heck of a match. What mattered here was having Ospreay in an Impact ring and get in a big showcase match, which is why you put Alexander in there with him. It’s a little strange to see Alexander take another fall so soon after the Bound For Glory loss but at least it came in a great one. Outstanding match here and one of the best Impact has had in a long time.

Overall Rating: B. The show took some time to get going but eventually things got rolling and the great main event capped it off. It was a rather good show and makes me want to see more Impact, though I’m still scared to see what might happen when it’s TNA again. Anyway, I can certainly take an awesome main event and a slate of good matches up and down the card otherwise. Good show, as tends to be the case when Impact is feeling things.

Results
ABC b. Kenny King/Sheldon Jean – 1-2-3 Sweet to Jean
Moose b. Heath – Spear
Black Taurus/Laredo Kid/Juventud Guerrera b. Rascalz – Spinning piledriver to Reed
Bully Ray/Jordynne Grace b. Steve Maclin/KiLynn King – Juggernaut Driver to King
Trinity b. Sonny Kiss – Bubba Bomb
Will Ospreay b. Josh Alexander – Stormbreaker

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Impact Wrestling
Date: August 24, 2023
Location: Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re done with Multiverse United and other than some good matches, there wasn’t much taking place. Now we are on the way to Emergence and it means we need to firm up a lot of the card. The good thing is that most of the card seems to be set up and now we get to hammer home everything else. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with PCO coming to the ring to beat up Shera and Raj Singh, who had apparently talked trash on Before The Impact. The destruction doesn’t take long, including a Deanimator to put Singh through a table. Bully Ray pops up on the screen to say that he’s not leaving his hotel room, meaning PCO can’t find him. Ray says he’s the biggest star ever around here and PCO is going to learn that Ray is the one to take him out.

Opening sequence.

Trinity vs. Jody Threat

Non-title and threat takes her down into a quickly broken armbar to start. Trinity’s headlock doesn’t work either as Threat sends her hard into the corner for some clotheslines. Back up and Threat wins a slugout, only to have Trinity come back with her bulldog into the corner. It’s Threat’s chance for a comeback with a spear, followed by running knees to the back. Threat gets two off a Michinoku Driver but the F5 is countered into an X Factor to give Trinity two of her own. Something like a Bubba Bomb into a rollup finishes Threat at 5:32.

Rating: C. Trinity wasn’t about to lose on the way towards such a huge title defense so this was more about keeping her even with Deonna Purrazzo after last week. Trinity has established herself as one of the stars of the division and that is nice to see after being away from the ring for so long. Not a bad match, but it kind of came and went.

Jake Something is ready for Sanada at Emergence.

In Memory Of Terry Funk. They had to wait twenty minutes for that?

Multiverse United recap.

Josh Alexander was back in the ring for the first time in five months at Multiverse United and now he wants the World Title back. First though, he has Emergence, but he’ll be watching tonight’s World Title match.

Deaner vs. Laredo Kid

Kon is here with Deaner, who grabs a headlock to start. Kid takes it out to the floor but gets yelled at by Kon, allowing Deaner to hit a clothesline. Back in and Deaner twists the neck before sending said neck into the corner for two. A neckbreaker gets two and Deaner shouts that no one cares about Kid. I uh, wouldn’t talk much man. Deaner misses a charge in the corner and Kid gets two off a driver. Kid goes up top but dives down onto Kon (who hadn’t even done anything) instead. Back in and the Antidote finishes Kid at 4:24.

Rating: C. The action was fine but as usual, it’s almost impossible to care about Deaner’s lame….well existence really. He’s been the same “I’m crazy and evil” guy for months and it still isn’t interesting. Kid could have been anyone here and that’s a shame given how good he really has been almost every time he’s here.

Post match Deaner says that Eric Young tried to start this and it earned him a knife in the heart. Then Young decided to rise again (which apparently is something he can just do) but he doesn’t realize that Deaner is in control because HE IS THE DESIGN. Deaner: “YOU! ME! NO DQ!” Well that’s anticlimactic.

We get a video that looks like it’s from 1999 (complete with pop ups, featuring a variety of wrestling name drops) about how Johnny Swinger is ready for the Digital Media title. As usual, this was rather funny.

PCO looks for Bully Ray and screams a lot.

ABC vs. Good Hands

Before the match, John Skyler talks about how they don’t like being called Good Hands For Hire and insults Chicago a lot. Austin hammer and headlocks Skyler to start until an elbow to the face breaks that up. Hotch comes in and gets knocked away without much trouble. Bey comes in and takes Hotch down for two as things settle a bit. A kick to the back has Hotch in more trouble and we take a break.

Back with Austin cutting off Hotch to block a tag attempt but getting sent into the post for his efforts. A double elbow gets two on Austin and it’s time to work on the arm that went into the post. Skyler ties the arm up in between his own legs or some cranking. Austin’s legs are fine enough to kick his way out of trouble though and it’s back to Bey to take them both down.

A slingshot DDT gets two on Skyler and everything breaks down. Austin’s bad arm is snapped over the top and the Favor (Samoan drop/Blockbuster combination) gets two with Bey making the save. A springboard Fameasser drops Skyler again and the 1-2-Sweet finishes Hotch at 14:01.

Rating: B. This is one of the places where Impact really shines. You had two talented teams who have an issue with each other. They were given almost fifteen minutes and had a clean match with the good guys winning. It’s a great example of not making things too complicated and letting the wrestlers do their things. Very nice match here.

Subculture is ready for the Rascalz.

We get what sounds like a movie trailer for Joe Hendry and Yuya Uemura’s tag match on the Countdown to Emergence.

Video on Trinity vs. Deonna Purrazzo, including their issues with the Coven.

Samuray del Sol vs. Chris Sabin

The fans do the LUCHA dance to start and the two (the wrestlers, not the fans, as there are more than two of them) of them take time to get going. Sabin gets sent outside and then gets sent outside again, allowing Sol to flip backwards into some posing. Back in and Sabin runs him over for a change before starting in on the leg.

Sol misses an enziguri and gets pulled into an STF, sending him straight to the ropes. Sabin ties the leg up again but lets go as it’s not exactly getting him anywhere. We take a break and come back with Sabin working on something like an abdominal stretch on the mat. Sabin ties up the legs and cranks on both arms at the same time as he’s mixing up the holds tonight.

Sol is back up with a crossbody but the Salida del Sol is blocked. Sabin powerbombs him for two and rolls straight into an STF in the middle of the ring. That’s escaped as well and Sol pops up with the Salida del Sol to send Sabin outside. The springboard flip dive connects but Sol’s leg gives out back inside. That’s enough for the Cradle Shock to give Sabin the pin at 17:38.

Rating: B. Remember how the previous match was two wrestlers having a good match? What’s what they did again here and it worked, again. Sabin can wrestle with anyone and Sol showed what he could do multiple times in WWE. I could go with having him around more often and he probably earned a job here if he wants one.

We get the last part of the sitdown interview with Crazzy Steve. He talks about how Tom Rehwoldt is the best at what he does and Steve needs him to help carry his message. Steve talks about how he isn’t crazy but he’s tired of being abandoned and forgotten. If he can’t be the antidote to evil, then maybe he needs to be the plague. Tom says Steve is hurting his hand as Steve goes on about how cruelty is the causal blindness to the pain of others.

Steve says Tom is going to help him tell the people something but Tom calls in security to break it up. Steve breaks up the set and shouts TELL THEM. Steve takes down a member of security and seems to spray mist on him and shouts TELL THEM again. He grabs the camera and says he’s comfortable being evil and the psychopath in the story, but remember the chapter where you f****** made him. It takes a lot to make me interested in something from a longstanding middle of the road star like Crazzy Steve and they have done it in the last three weeks. Nicely done.

MK Ultra, in a mix of English and Russian, say they’re not scared of their first title defense because the more teams coming after them, the more toys to play with. Or maybe more control and pain. Chains are included.

Video on Eddie Edwards vs. Frankie Kazarian, with both o their wives getting involved. We also see the door to the Killer Kowalski School Of Professional Wrestling door closing. That could be interesting.

Emergence rundown.

PCO goes to Bully Ray’s hotel but can’t find him. Why he only looked in the lobby isn’t clear but it might explain the failure.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Brian Myers vs. Alex Shelley

Shelley is defending and we get the Big Match Intros. Myers takes him into the corner to start and slaps Shelley in the face, earning himself a rollup to give Shelley two. Shelley starts cranking on the arm and has Myers wincing quite a bit. Myers is sent to the apron and they fall outside, with Shelley being sent into the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Shelley fighting out of a chinlock. Myers misses a charge into the post and Shelley gets a needed breather. Shelley knocks him down again and it’s a Downward Spiral into the buckle. The Border City Stretch goes on but Myers slips out and hits the implant DDT. Myers gets two more off a spear but Shelley kicks him in the face and hits Sliced Bread #2. The kickout sends Myers right back into the Border City Stretch though and Shelley retains at 14:32.

Rating: B. I kept waiting on something screwy to happen but instead they went with the clean ending again. As usual, there’s no shame in losing to the World Champion and Myers looked good in defeat. That’s about all you can ask for out of something like this and the fact that it was another good match made things even better.

Post match Moose and Bully Ray run in for the beatdown but Kushida and Josh Alexander make the save. We cut to the back where Lio Rush has jumped Chris Sabin. The good guys fight back and the brawl continues to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Maybe it’s that I’m so used to having other wrestling shows be full of interference and shenanigans, but my goodness it was SO refreshing to have a show with clean wrestling and storylines being advanced. This is the definition of a show that doesn’t overthink things and let the talented wrestlers showcase themselves. Awesome show here and a good example of why I have so much fun with this show a lot of the time.

Results
Trinity b. Jody Threat – Rollup
Deaner b. Laredo Kid – Antidote
ABC b. Good Hands – 1-2-Sweet to Hotch
Chris Sabin b. Samuray del Sol – Cradle Shock
Alex Shelley b. Brian Myers – Border City Stretch

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

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Impact Wrestling
Date: August 10, 2023
Location: Cicero Stadium, Cicero, Illinois
Commentators: Matthew Rehwoldt, Tom Hannifan

We’re still on the way to Emergence and the card is starting to come together. That being said, we also have Multiverse United coming up in less than two weeks and that card could use some build of its own. Other than that, we have a new monster heel group, though Lio Rush might not be all in. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Tag Team #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Rich Swann/Sami Callihan vs. Bullet Club

Bey takes Swann into the corner to start so Austin can hit a running kick in the corner. Swann gets over to Sami for the tag though and it’s the shoulder breaker into a kick to Austin’s head. Bey is kicked down and the Cactus Driver drops Austin on the apron as the Club is in early trouble.

Bey gets in a shot of his own to put Callihan down and we take a break. Back with Swann being knocked to the floor but Bey’s clothesline hits post. The tag brings Callihan in for a Death Valley Driver before it’s already back to Swann. Bey’s brainbuster is escaped and Austin kicks Bey in the head by mistake.

That doesn’t seem to matter as Swann is sent outside for a double superkick to Callihan. 1-2-Sweet gets two with Swann making a diving save. Austin hits a spinning kick to Callihan’s head and adds a double stomp but cue the Good Hands to break up the cover. Austin gets dropped by Skyler and Callihan (who didn’t see Skyler) hits the Cactus Driver for the pin at 15:16.

Rating: B-. Nice match here, though Austin being fine after a Cactus Driver on the apron was the required eye roll inducing spot. Other than that, this already makes things equal to or even more interesting than anything WWE has had in its tag division in a few months. There are actual teams having issues and a story here, which is more than a lot of places have to offer. Good action too and that makes for a solid opener.

Santino Marella is in the back when the Coven comes in to interrupt (Wilde: “Just the muggle we’re looking for.”). They want the next shot at the Knockouts Tag Team Titles, but here are the Death Dollz to say they want the shot instead. Reasons of “we’re awesome” don’t convince him, so they have a huddle. Santino joins the huddle, and suggests listing off some of their previous wins. Jessicka lists them off, in a Santino accent, and Santino thinks about it. Cue MK Ultra, to say they’ll take them all. This was hilarious.

Bhupinder Gujjar vs. Dirty Dango

Alpha Bravo is here with Dango. Gujjar takes him into the corner to start but Dango elbows him in the face. Some knees to the back set up a chinlock but Gujjar fights up and gets two off a spinebuster. Bravo breaks up the Gargoyle Spear though and Dango hits a reverse layout DDT for the pin at 3:54.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to go very far but it’s good to see Dango getting some wins. I’m not sure how well he fits with Bravo, but at least Dango has a goon with him, which feels rather appropriate. Other than that, Gujjar continues to be a person who exists and not much more, which is kind of a shame as he isn’t bad.

Post match Dango insults the fans until Jake Something interrupts. Something doesn’t like hearing how much Dango hates wrestling so he can get out of here He threatens to make Dango leave but it doesn’t get that far, as Dango leaves on his own. Dango tries a cheap shot and is quickly knocked outside.

The Design talks about Eric Young running off for greener pastures and then coming back. Deaner is NOT a failure and Young will be destroyed.

Johnny Swinger thinks Simon Diamond is back but gets interrupted by Kenny King and Sheldon Jean. King says Swinger is old and talks about how being the Digital Medical Champion means more than being the World Champion. Swinger: “What’s the internet daddy?”

Alisha Edwards vs. Jody Threat

Eddie Edwards is here with Alisha. Threat forearms away to start but gets caught in the ropes for a pull down by the hair. Edwards chokes away on the ropes as Eddie gets in some quality yelling. Threat fights up but Eddie trips her down, only to have Frankie Kazarian jump him from behind. The distraction lets Threat hit Pop Shove It (I think? It’s an F5.) for the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C. Not much to this one as Edwards is still gearing up for her showdown with Traci Brooks. Other than that, it was Threat getting another win to continue boosting her up, as she is starting to feel like one of the gang around here. Other than that, this was another step in Eddie vs. Kazarian and not much more.

Post match Kazarian pulls back the kendo stick to hit Eddie but hits Alisha on the back swing by mistake. Alisha goes straight to the mat like she’s been shot.

Deonna Purrazzo wants KiLynn King next week.

Mike Bailey vs. Kushida

Kushida drops to the mat and tries to pull Bailey down before settling for a wristdrag. A kick to the chest drops Bailey again but the fans are split. The bouncing kicks don’t do much to Kushida, who sends Bailey outside. Back in and we hit the surfboard to keep Bailey in trouble a bit longer. They chop it out until Bailey is knocked outside for a shoulder first ram into the post.

We take a break and come back with Kushida tying up the legs and cranking away with an Indian deathlock (with commentary pointing out that since Kushida had taken out the arm, Bailey would start using his legs so Kushida is staying ahead of him). Back up and the leg is fine enough to hit a springboard moonsault (of course), only to miss something off the top.

Bailey strikes him down and tries the standing moonsault but gets caught in an armbar. That’s reversed into a cross armbreaker but Kushida makes the rope. Bailey kicks him in the face so Kushida hits him in his, only to have Bailey knee him in the face for two. The tornado kick looks to set up the Ultimate Weapon but Kushida pulls him down and hits Back To The Future for the pin at 17:55.

Rating: B. This is one of those setups where you know it is going to be at least good give all of the circumstances. That being said, Bailey’s knee nonsense continues as Kushida worked it over and then bailey was right back up with the springboard moonsault. Other than that, Kushida seems to be on the road to an X-Division Title showdown and that should be very good whenever it happens.

Crazzy Steve has a sitdown interview with Matthew Rehwoldt, with Steve saying he needs his help. Steve has been trying to get Havok and Rosemary back, but now everyone, including Black Taurus, is turning their backs on him. That is normal for him as he has been abandoned before, including his vision, as he is legally blind. He’s been doing this for 21 years and you can imagine what that kind of pressure his bad vision puts on him. When asked about family, Steve says that’s a very interesting story and more on that later. This was surprisingly interesting and I could go for a part two.

We look at Subculture defending the Tag Team Titles in the UK.

Subculture has their eyes on the #1 contenders tournament.

Joe Hendry pops up behind two fans, but they were actually summoning Yuya Uemura, complete with his own song. Hendry wants an explanation and they seem to like the idea of winning the Tag Team Titles together.

Team 3D will be back at Impact 1000. Cool.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Moose/Brian Myers/Bully Ray vs. Black Taurus/Laredo Kid/Samuray del Sol

Hold on though as we cut to the back where del Sol (better known as Kalisto) has been attacked by Lio Rush. We take a break and start the match 3-2, with Myers teasing a test of strength with Taurus, only to grab a headlock instead. Taurus runs him over instead so it’s off to Moose vs. Kid, with the latter headscissoring him to the floor. Back in and Taurus shoulders Ray down but Myers pulls Ray to safety as we take a break.

We come back with Taurus having to fight away from Ray and handing it back to Kid. A tornado DDT plants Moose and there’s a hurricanrana to Ray. Back up and Ray takes Kid down though, allowing Myers to stomp away. Ray goes for Kid’s mask….and PCO is back. Moose is tossed outside and Myers gets crushed with a flip dive, leaving Ray to get chased to the back. Kid frog splashes Myers for a VERY slow two, allowing Moose to take Taurus down. Myers hits the Roster Cut to finish Kid at 16:38.

Rating: C+. Kid and Taurus looked awesome here and it was nice to have the two of them get this much shine. At the end of the day, the villains had to win here before their big eight man tag at Emergence. Other than that, it wasn’t exactly a great match but they kept it moving well enough to hold my interest, so well done.

Post match Ray runs through the back and steals a car. PCO gets to said car but Ray speeds off, leaving PCO screaming to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. The wrestling was good enough to carry the show here, even if they’re in a weird time as Emergence is coming but is only so big of a show. The whole thing isn’t looking like the biggest even in the world but after that we are on the road to Bound for Glory. For now they need to make the best out of their limited possibilities and it went well enough this week.

Results
Sami Callihan/Rich Swann b. Bullet Club – Cactus Driver 97 to Austin
Dirty Dango b. Bhupinder Gujjar – Reverse layout DDT
Jody Threat b. Alisha Edwards – Pop Shove It
Kushida b. Mike Bailey – Back To The Future
Brian Myers/Moose/Bully Ray b. Black Taurus/Laredo Kid – Roster cut to Kid

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

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AND

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