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

It’s a big show this week after the two weeks of big shows as the World Title is on the line again. This time it’s Eric Young challenging Eddie Edwards because this company sees something in Young as a major star. I’m not sure what that something is but I’ve yet to actually see it. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Sami Callihan vs. Rob Van Dam

Katie Forbes is here with Van Dam but her gyrating distracts Rob, allowing Sami to knock him off the apron. Rob gets sent into the barricade as Josh asks if Father Time has finally caught up with Van Dam. Josh can be a little slow on the uptake at times. They get back in and Katie’s need for attention lets Sami kick him in the face again. Katie finally does something right by grabbing Sami’s foot but the slingshot legdrop only hits apron. Another trip puts Sami down as Madison thinks Katie might cause Van Dam a lot of trouble.

Now the spinning kick to the back over the barricade connects and it’s a faceplant back inside. Rolling Thunder hits knees though and a low cutter drops Van Dam again. Katie gets on the apron AGAIN but this time it actually works as Rob hits a running kick to the back of the head. The split legged moonsault connects but the Five Star takes way too long. A hanging cutter out of the corner plants Van Dam for two so Katie just comes in this time. Even commentary is begging for the referee to eject her as Rob gets a rollup, which Sami reverses for the pin at 7:22.

Rating: C-. Katie got annoying here and that’s what they were going for. I could see them doing something where Katie is the reason Van Dam is losing and he refuses to admit that he’s gotten old. It could go a few ways and if it means Katie is off TV for a little bit, I guess I can just suffer through the horrible, tragic loss.

Post match Katie yells at Sami so Rob jumps him from behind. Katie adds a running hip attack in the corner and holds the chair over the face for a running dropkick from Rob.

The announcers preview the show.

Hernandez beats Fallah Bahh at arm wrestling and gets paid. Reno Scum comes in and wants the money for looking for Heath. There’s no sign of him but Hernandez says no pay until they beat Rhino.

Rosemary, Taya Valkyrie and John E. Bravo rant about everything going on with the three of them as of late.

And now, Wrestle House.

Everyone is trying to get Johnny Swinger out of a room because Crazzy Steve got to dress him (thanks to winning last week). Susie promises not to make fun of him so he finally comes out, dressed like a clown. Swinger: “Matt Borne is laughing at me.” Tommy Dreamer comes in and makes Bravo the referee between Rosemary and Taya.

Reno Scum vs. Rhino

The brawl starts in the aisle with Rhino fighting away but getting caught in the corner. Some right hands to the face have Rhino in trouble as we take a break. Back with Rhino being sent into the corner so Luster can punch him down. A falling headbutt gets two and we hit the chinlock. Thornstowe’s cheap shot from the floor cuts off the comeback so Rhino goes outside and Gores Thornstowe down. The referee gets distracted….and the cameraman (ahuh) comes in with the Wake Up Call to Luster, giving Rhino the pin at 7:14.

Rating: D+. It’s not like there is anything else of note for Heath to do so letting him team with Rhino again is fine enough. Rhino has been doing nothing but playing the hits for years around here so it’s not like it’s taking apart some other big story. That and the Heath4Impact stuff is a lot better than VINCE DIDN’T USE ME RIGHT.

Post match Scott D’Amore sends security out to get rid of Heath.

An EC3 promo interrupts Moose. EC3 says Moose can come find him, or the TNA World Title will be sent back to him piece by piece. Moose freaks out and tells a production worker to call the cops. After Moose leaves, the guy reveals a Control The Narrative shirt so that isn’t likely working.

Karl Anderson tells some guys a story about Doc Gallows falling asleep in a bar when the Rascalz are told to come over. They can’t because they have Ace Austin and Madman Fulton tonight. The Good Brothers don’t seem to mind and plug their future beer.

Back at Wrestle House, Swinger tries to tell Bravo that if he plays his cards right, he could get Taya and Rosemary. Bravo doesn’t listen to Swinger, who leaves.

The Deaners and XXXL get in a fight over the beer and we go cinematic as they fight around the house. Dreamer gets in a plug for Impact and a ping pong match breaks out breaks out between Cody and Acey. Larry punches the wall by mistake, followed by the ping pong ball going into Cody’s mouth. Cody is thrown into a trashcan but comes back to slug away at Acey…who is knocked into an elevator. Cody takes the stairs and then steals a bicycle, allowing him to miss a clothesline on Acey.

Back upstairs, Cody gets a long running start (as in long enough for Acey to get back upstairs and talk to Larry) but the charge misses, allowing Acey to pull Larry out of the way. Cody is back and they fight into XXXl’s room, where they find the beer bottles. A DDT plants Larry, which turns him into Lawrence. Jake knocks him out but Susie pops in. The violence brings out a flash of Su Yung, allowing Susie to walk out…with very bloody hands. Dreamer names her the winner and runs off. This stuff is such goofy fun.

Rascalz vs. Madman Fulton/Ace Austin

Dez and Wentz for the Rascalz. Dez rolls away from Fulton to start and gets on the monster’s nerves with a slap to the face. More escapism allows the tag off to Wentz for some double team striking to put Fulton down for two. Fulton finally gets back up and stomps away at Wentz’ back, allowing Austin to slingshot in with a legdrop.

The playing card cuts the finger and it’s back to Fulton for some corner choking. The referee yells at him, allowing the tag to Dez who gets to kick away at everyone. That ticks Fulton off and he misses a charge out to the floor. Wentz hits a dive over the top onto Fulton and Dez hits the Final Flash to finish Austin at 4:51.

Rating: C+. This didn’t have much time, which is a shame as I like everyone involved in the match. It’s nice to see the Rascalz get a pin, though it is kind of amazing to see how far down Ace has fallen since Slammiversary. They didn’t have a lot of time here but we got some good stuff out of what they had.

Post match the Motor City Machine Guns come out and praise the Rascalz for a bit. This turns into a challenge for a title match to next week but Ace and Fulton jump the Rascalz from behind. The Guns make the save.

Deonna Purrazzo is annoyed at how under dressed people are for her black tie celebration. No Willie Mack, shoelaces do not count. Purrazzo is annoyed but asks Kimber Lee to be her security for the match.

Rohit Raju is admiring the X-Division Title. TJP comes up to ask about a title shot but Raju says he has to beat Chris Bey. That sets off some rhyming and TJP leaves.

Rosemary vs. Taya Valkyrie

John E. Bravo is referee. Taya starts the trash talk by calling Rosemary an emo kid who shops at Hot Topic. Rosemary comes back by mocking Slam Town and the slapping begins. Bravo breaks up the brawl so Taya kicks her in the chest to set up the running hip attack. More yelling at Bravo lets Rosemary drive her into the corner and then hit a spear. A lot of yelling ensues but a double kick to the head sets up a double knockdown. Both of them miss charges into the corner but Taya grabs the Road To Valhalla for the pin at 3:35.

Rating: C-. It was weird to see a Wrestle House match go this long but it helps that you had two of the better options in the ring. This worked out well enough, though I’m surprised that it actually had a clean finish. They needed to have something definitive like this so this was not only surprising, but kind of necessary.

Post match Bravo tries to check on Rosemary but she shoves him away. Bravo whips out a ring and says he can manage Taya and marry Rosemary too. Everyone is stunned and Taya gives her blessing. Rosemary: “You do know we’re a demon right?” Rosemary accepts. Kylie Rae says that’s sweet but can we get back to the Impact Zone now? Taya says sure and they get in the ring.

The Deaners are very banged up and want beer, but they realize there was only one bottle under Larry’s bed. We cut to Crazzy Steve who admits he took the beer because he couldn’t read the labels. Back in the ring, Taya is congratulated for finding an activity they all liked. They all touch hands and warp away. I guess they ran out of taping.

The ring is surrounded and Kimber Lee introduces Deonna Purrazzo for her celebration. We start with a toast and Purrazzo talks about how she has painted a masterpiece since she debuted. No one is ruining her night but here is Jordynne Grace to congratulate her on her wins. Enjoy the title reign, because it isn’t going to last. Cue Tenille Dashwood, who says it’s great that everyone is here for her return. Tenille is coming for the title but Grace goes to get in her face. The Wrestle House Crew appears in the ring and Susie and Kylie Rae clear the ring with ease. Rae winds up with the Knockouts Title.

Brian Myers is ready to offer Willie Mack a handshake next week. Moose comes in to ask if Myers has seen EC3 so Myers sends him down the hall.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Eddie Edwards vs. Eric Young

Eric is challenging and wears a mask to the ring because…well it isn’t like anything else makes him stand out. Eddie isn’t waiting but charges into an elbow to start. He’s fine enough to snap off an overhead belly to belly for two and there’s a chop in the corner. Eddie snaps the throat across the top to send Young outside and we take a break. Back in and Eddie punches him to the apron and they both go outside.

That goes fine for Eddie as they go back up to the apron, where Young snaps off a neckbreaker to take over. Back in again and another neckbreaker gives Young two and it’s time to stomp away. Another neckbreaker gets another two and we hit the neck crank. A heck of a forearm rocks Eddie but he snaps off the Blue Thunder Bomb to put both guys down. Eddie strikes him into the corner but Young gets up and chokes him from the middle rope. The Backpack Stunner gets Eddie out of trouble and an enziguri in the corner rocks Eric again.

Young knocks him off the top though and the top rope elbow gets two. They strike it out and Eddie kicks him off the apron to the floor. Eddie dives onto hit but hurts his knee on the landing. Back in and Eddie gets two off the tiger driver with a grab of the knee messing up the cover. Eric rolls to the floor from the threat of the Boston Knee Party so Eddie hits a dive, messing up the knee even more. Back in and Young grabs the title, which is quickly taken away. That lets Young hit Eddie with the hockey mask, setting up the piledriver for the pin and the title at 15:41.

Rating: C. I think my thoughts on Eric Young are well known enough at this point so allow me to say GAH! Of all the people they have available on this roster, they pick ERIC YOUNG to win the World Title? Are people really that fascinated by his big bugged out eyes and calling himself a maniac that he should be the top man in the promotion? This is rather frustrating as Eddie hadn’t even been champion long, but I guess Young is more interesting because….I really have no idea actually. Uh, Canada? I guess? Maybe?

Post match Young stays on Eddie by cranking on the knee until security breaks it up.

Post copyright notice, Moose finds a stalker style collection of photos of himself, including some from yesterday and at his hotel. A bunch of threads come together over a map, where Moose says he needs to go. He pulls down the board and finds a message behind it saying YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a weird show overall as they were jumping all over the place. I kind of liked that though, as you had a nice mixture of stuff as they seem to be on a fresh taping cycle. The show was rather energetic and I liked some of it, aside from the result of the main event. That being said, more Kylie, Rosemary, Rascalz and Dashwood are certainly good things so hopefully they keep this up next time.

Results

Sami Callihan b. Rob Van Dam – Rollup

Rhino b. Reno Scum – Wake Up Call to Luster the Legend

Rascalz b. Madman Fulton/Ace Austin – Final Flash to Austin

Taya Valkyrie b. Rosemary – Road To Valhalla

Eric Young b. Eddie Edwards – Piledriver

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

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

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: August 25, 2020
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Madison Rayne, Josh Matthews

It’s the second and final night of Emergence and that means we’re in for a big match. This time around it’s going to be a thirty minute Iron Man match for the Knockouts Title as Deonna Purrazzo defends against Jordynne Grace. The World Title is on the line as well, plus the usual Wrestle House shenanigans. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Eddie Edwards vs. ???

Eddie is defending against….Rob Van Dam with Katie Forbes. Yeah that’s a little better than Brian Myers. Eddie goes to the arm to start and snaps off an overhead belly to belly. They head outside in a hurry with Rob sending him into the barricade but a kiss from Katie slows things down. Eddie hits a suicide dive but another distraction lets Rob get in a posting. That means the spinning kick to the back as Eddie is on the barricade, meaning Katie needs to dance.

They bother heading back in for a change with Rob sending him throat first into the middle rope. The split legged moonsault gives Rob two but the Blue Thunder Bomb plants Van Dam again. Eddie grabs the tiger driver for two more as Madison insists that Rob and Katie owe her a couch. Rob shoves him off the top for a crotching and Rolling Thunder connects. The Five Star misses though and the Boston Knee Party retains the title at 7:51.

Rating: C. Not as good as you would expect, but then again why would you have any kind of expectations for Van Dam in 2020? Watching him wrestle is better than watching Katie do anything though so at least there was a minor positive. Unfortunately for Eddie this seems to be leading to an Eric Young match and….I’m really not sure why.

Post match Eric Young runs in and jumps Eddie from behind. Eric shouts NEXT WEEK because the World Title goes through him.

Here’s what else is coming tonight.

And now, Wrestle House.

The Deaners are throwing a toga party and insult Johnny Swinger.

We cut to Swinger, who is in his leopard print toga. Crazzy Steve isn’t sure about this, but Swinger says follow his lead and they’ll have every woman in the house.

The party is on with a lot of dancing and drunkenness. Kylie Rae is rather happy and sober but Taya isn’t happy with her for still being #1 contender. The Deaners and XXXL bury the hatchet over the beer, followed by Steve getting powder thrown in his eyes. Steve says he’s blind and it’s Swinger’s fault. Match time and we’ll even make it a blindfold match with the loser having to dress like the winner next week. Tommy Dreamer: “Let’s get to it.”

Crazzy Steve vs. Johnny Swinger

Cousin Jake is referee. Steve honks his horn a bunch and Swinger falls for it, allowing Steve to beat him up. Swinger does the point for the crowd noise thing but they send him into an empty corner, allowing Steve to get the pin at 1:23.

Eddie Edwards goes Eric Young hunting and quotes Batman, saying we can get nuts.

Rhino thinks you should vote Heath4Impact. And then he’ll get to Reno Scum.

Here’s Eddie in the ring to say Eric is trying to send a message. He can have the title shot next week but let’s get nuts right now. Cue Eric to say everything is by design, but maybe it wasn’t a single, solitary act of violence. We’ll do everything next week. That’s fine with Eddie, but he isn’t waiting until next week to give Eric his beating. Referees and Scott D’Amore come out for the save and D’Amore gets shoved down. Eric says he has Eddie right where he wants him.

Rohit Raju talks about how it took him a long way to get to this title but he made it work despite not being the popular guy or knowing the right people. Now he is giving people opportunities, but it is his time.

It’s off to Locker Room Talk, with the Rascalz now serving as Madison Rayne’s co-hosts. After some references to smoking, Madman Fulton and Ace Austin come in as this week’s guests. They don’t like being asked about the losses to the Good Brothers and violence seems imminent. They wind up walking out instead, leaving Madison to turn down an invitation to the Tree House.

Sami Callihan says last week was 2020 in a nutshell. He would have won the World Title last week if Rob Van Dam hadn’t jumped him. Then Van Dam lost tonight because Sami is in his head. Next week, Sami is going to be waiting in the ring so Van Dam can come see him.

We get a long video on EC3’s successes in Impact Wrestling and winning the World Title over and over. As long as the TNA World Title exists, he can never be free. Moose is hiding behind words and is a false idol. Now he is coming for Moose and to change everything. You have been warned.

Brian Myers vs. Willie Mack

They go with the grappling to start as Josh suggests that Madison Rayne hasn’t wrestled more than thirty minutes combined in her life. Thankfully Madison calls him out for not really having a career as Mack shoulders Myers down hard. Myers comes back with a chop and choking on the ropes, followed by a kick to the back for two.

Mack’s running hurricanrana into a dropkick sends Myers into the corner and it’s time to shove it out. A double leg takedown has Mack in trouble and Myers sends him throat first into the top rope. We hit the chinlock and then a reverse chinlock to take things in another direction. Mack fights up but is elbowed straight back down as Myers is getting frustrated.

The third chinlock goes on but Mack is back up with a heck of a Pounce for the double knockdown. Mack’s spinning slam into a jumping legdrop gets two. The Samoan drop into the standing moonsault gets the same but Myers breaks up a superplex attempt. That means a top rope elbow can give Myers two, followed by an enziguri for the same. Back up and Myers slips out of a Rock Bottom and grabs an O’Connor roll with trunks for the pin at 9:43.

Rating: C. Not too bad here and Myers needs a win to give him some credibility around here. You can’t get very far coasting off a tag team with Zack Ryder from last year so the win could give Myers some much needed capital. Mack will be fine as it was a cheating win, though he has been in a bad way as of late and needs a win of his own.

Heath says we have one week to get Heath4Impact trending so he can team with Rhino against Reno Scum next week.

It’s back to Wrestle House with the Deaners thinking that Lawrence D. is the Stefan to Larry D.’s Steve Urkel. Allie gets in Rosemary’s face and accuses her of using Lawrence to hurt John E. Bravo. Dreamer asks Bravo about it but he says Rosemary isn’t his girl.

Lawrence is laying on a table for Rosemary, who gets a bit sick at the sight of him. Rosemary, after taking his hand away from her face, says it wasn’t supposed to go this far but here’s an angry Bravo to interrupt. Bravo slaps him and that turns Lawrence back into Larry. Match time.

Larry D. vs. John E. Bravo

Acey Romero is defending and a shot to the face drops Bravo. The Best Hand In The House finishes him at 34 seconds.

Rosemary tries to console Bravo, who admits he has feelings for her. Taya comes up and is stunned and blames Rosemary for everything. Next week, they fight for everything, including Bravo.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Knockouts Title: Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Purrazzo is defending in a thirty minute Iron Man match. They lock up to start and Purrazzo even goes to the mat without it being broken. Grace goes to the wristlock and powers Purrazzo down by the arm. Purrazzo reverses into one of her own and is taken down in a hurry. A headlock takeover works a bit better for the champ but it’s reverses into a headscissors. Purrazzo nips up and gives graceful bow before getting shouldered down. A faceplant sets up a half crab on the champ, sending her over to the rope as we take a break.

Back with no falls and Grace sending her hard into the corner. There’s no clock but Josh says we have a little over twenty minutes left. Some hard whips to the corner have Purrazzo in trouble but they head outside where she gets in a pump kick for a breather. The clock shows eighteen minutes left as Purrazzo finally starts in on the arm. The arm gets draped over the top rope and it’s off to a standing armbar. Grace gets her foot in the ropes for the break and we hit fifteen minutes to go. Purrazzo hits a short arm clothesline and we take a break.

Back with Purrazzo cranking on the arm even more, which is so interesting that we got to a full screen replay of Grace’s arm being stomped on the steps during the commercial. Purrazzo takes her down by the arm with nine minutes left and the cranking continues with eight minutes left. Grace comes back with some forearms and puts her on top for a running palm strike into a superplex. They pull themselves up so Grace can win the slugout, setting up back to back backsplashes or two.

The rear naked choke goes on and Purrazzo is out for the first fall with….a need for a clock but Josh says about 4:30 to go. Back up and Purrazzo gets a Downward Spiral into a Koji Clutch but Grace makes the rope again. We have two minutes left and they strike it out until Purrazzo has to elbow out of the Grace Driver.

Grace runs over the referee and now the Grace Driver connects for no count. That means a check on the ref so Purrazzo gets in a belt shot to tie it up at about a minute left. Purrazzo covers for two and grabs the armbar, which is broken up with a rollup. A bridging German suplex gives Purrazzo two and the Fujiwara armbar makes Grace tap with two seconds left.

Rating: B-. It was good enough but this felt like they were going off of a textbook of how to have an Iron Man match instead of doing anything interesting or unique. It isn’t bad by any means (the production value was, with the clock being up for about five seconds at a time and not even a scoreboard) but they were treating this like some kind of an epic and it was just a match that got more time than most.

Overall Rating: C+. I wasn’t feeling this one as the show probably didn’t need to go two weeks. The Wrestle House stuff took away from the special feeling as well as that is as goofy as you can get (in a rather entertaining way). The main event was nice but it’s nothing worth going out of your way to see. Not a bad show, but it definitely didn’t feel like a big night.

 

Results

Eddie Edwards b. Rob Van Dam – Boston Knee Party

Crazzy Steve b. Johnny Swinger – Rollup

Brian Myers b. Willie Mack – O’Connor roll with trunks

Larry D. b. John E. Bravo – Best Hand In The House

Deonna Purrazzo b. Jordynne Grace 2-1

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

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

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: August 18, 2020
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Madison Rayne, Josh Matthews

It’s time for the next big special show and this one is going on for two weeks. The show is called Emergence, which seems like they came up with the name by looking at shows on network TV which has nothing to do with wrestling. This week’s big match is the Good Brothers vs. Ace Austin/Madman Fulton, which doesn’t seem to have the most drama. Let’s get to it.

The opening video suggests a new beginning for everything and runs down the bigger matches.

Opening sequence.

X-Division Title: Rohit Raju vs. TJP vs. Chris Bey

Bey is defending and has Raju in his back pocket so Fallah Bahh is here with TJP to even things up a bit. TJP dives onto both of them to start fast with only Raju joining him inside. A headscissors sends Raju outside so Bey takes his place to send TJP to the apron. Bey hits a springboard elbow to the back and it’s Raju coming in again to start the double teaming. TJP counters a whip to the apron and gets the leglock on Bey and the Octopus on Raju at the same time.

Raju escapes so TJP suplexes him for two without letting go of Bey. TJP has to fight out of another double team, this time grabbing the Gory Stretch/Billy Goat’s Curse combination. With that rather complex hold broken up, Raju jumps TJP from behind and the double teaming is on again. TJP ducks a shot so Bey knocks Raju to the floor and walks into a Tombstone. Raju is back up so TJP has to cut him off on top and grabs a superplex. The Octopus has Bey in trouble and he puts the same thing on Raju at the same time (ok we get the point).

A suplex drops Raju and they’re all down for a second. Raju is sent outside again so Bey kicks TJP in the face a few times. An over the shoulder backbreaker spun into a DDT gets two on TJP but he’s right back with the double chickenwing gutbuster. Raju makes the save so TJP grabs an armbar on Bey, with Raju blocking the tap. Bey gets caught in the ropes, with TJP going up after him. That’s broken up by Raju, with Bey falling into the Tree of Woe. Raju shoves TJP down…. hits the Alberto double stomp on Bey for the pin and the title at 10:47.

Rating: B-. I like the ending as it was the first time that Raju has shown…well anything of note in his time in Impact. It makes sense and sends them to a few different options in the future, including TJP getting another shot. Bey will be fine and can get back into the title hunt immediately so there isn’t much of a worry there. If nothing else, nice job on trying someone new as a star, which is certainly a good idea given all of the current situations.

And now, Wrestle House.

A puppet dog (who seems to be voiced by Father James Mitchell) and a stuffed monkey talk about Taya Valkyrie vs. Kylie Rae later tonight. The monkey agrees to cheer for Taya…and the dog leaves, revealing John E. Bravo as the voice (vs. the monkey as played by Crazzy Steve).

Steve thinks people are losing their minds from being stuck in here and he loves it.

Larry D. has cologne made of ring rust and Acey Romero doesn’t like his changes. Oh and it’s LAWRENCE D. now.

The Good Brothers say Ace Austin and Madman Fulton have their attention. They’ve lit a fire in them and tonight, they can thank the Brothers for making them famous.

Here’s what to expect on the show.

TNA World Title: Moose vs. Trey Miguel

Trey is challenging after Moose thought he was Suicide last week. After the Big Match Intros, Trey tries the chops and is knocked down in a hurry. We take a break thirty seconds in (erg) and come back with Moose hitting a running uppercut in the corner. Trey tries a very springboardy wristdrag but gets stopped with straight power. A dropkick puts Trey on the floor and Moose drops him face first onto the apron.

Back in and Moose sends him flying with a toss into the corner and there’s a fall away slam into a nipup. Moose grabs the ear and throws Trey down again. Trey can barely even breathe but manages some chops, only to be run over with a hard shoulder. A rip at the face has Trey in even more trouble, allowing Moose to shout that this was supposed to be Suicide.

Trey gets in a superkick and a dropkick to the back puts Moose down for the first time. Moose pops up and tries a delayed suplex but Trey reverses into a DDT. That’s enough to send Moose outside, where he catches the flip dive and swings Trey into the barricade. A powerbomb onto the apron gives Moose a nine count but the spear (now called Lights Out) finishes Trey to retain at 12:15.

Rating: C+. Good stuff here, but at some point Trey has to actually win something. He keeps getting these big singles matches and loses all of them. It’s fine to put him out there because he’s good enough to make it work, but he never even won the X-Division title. Granted maybe that’s just me being a big Rascalz fan and wanting them to win SOMETHING but it is eventually going to take away any hope of seeing him win.

Post match EC3 runs out and drops Moose with a reverse DDT. EC3 steals the title to crank things up.

Reno Scum gives Hernandez his money back and he gives them their cut. He has more work for them later so come see him again.

Eric Young talks about how he’s done everything around here and this is his purest form. He won’t be pushed aside or swept under the rug. It takes more than two years of non-existence to get rid of him. Not another “WWE didn’t use me right so let me show you what I can do!” character.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Eric Young b. Kurt Angle in a stretcher match from Impact, May 11, 2015. That was around the time when I never needed to see Young again so thanks for that people.

Willie Mack isn’t cool with Eric Young retiring Rich Swann. Brian Myers comes in and steals interviewer Jimmy Jacobs for his own sitdown interview. Myers is sick of being told he’s just a good hand and having his career in the hands of a seventy year old man who sits in on production meetings. Mack, not happy with having his interview stolen, jumps Myers and the camera falls down. As I said a minute ago: Not another “WWE didn’t use me right so let me show you what I can do!” character.

Heath doesn’t like Joe Biden picking his running mate on a Tuesday because that’s Impact Wrestling day. Now let’s get Heath4Impact trending so he can help Rhino. He needs some more time to fill in his promo so he reminds us that he does still have kids. At least this and EC3’s “we’re not in the bad WWE anymore” characters are being done a little better. Or at least differently.

Good Brothers vs. Ace Austin/Madman Fulton

Anderson elbows Austin in the head to start and fights out of the corner without much effort. Gallows comes in and drives an elbow in Austin’s face in the corner before handing it right back to Anderson. This time Austin drags him over for the tag to Fulton and the choking is on in a hurry. A corner dropkick gives Austin two so Anderson drags him over for the tag back to Gallows.

It’s off to Fulton as well and we get the monster showdown. They slug it out with Gallows getting the better of it (of course) until Fulton brings Austin in again. A single right hand puts Austin into the corner for the flying kick from Anderson. Fulton offers a distraction though and Anderson gets hit in the back of the head to put him in trouble for a change. Fulton suplexes Anderson onto Austin’s raised knees and we hit the armbar. That’s not enough for Austin as he cuts the fingers with the card, which is a good signature move.

What isn’t the best signature is the suplex onto the raised knees as Fulton does it again, but the third attempt is escaped so Gallows can come back in. House is cleaned and Fulton is sent outside. He’s back in to save Austin from the Magic Killer though, plus to pull Gallows outside for a posting. Austin sits on the top so Fulton can send Anderson face first into the knees (they REALLY like that idea). Fulton pulls Gallows off the apron but gets sent over the barricade. That’s enough for the hot tag to Gallows and the Magic Killer finishes Austin at 10:47.

Rating: C. This was your get to know you win for the Brothers, who haven’t had the big win yet. That being said, it might be better to keep them out of the ring except for more important matches as they lose a lot of their star power once they’re done talking. They’re good in the ring, but you can only get so much out of a team who is obsessed with sending people onto Austin’s knees for some reason. It’s a fine match, but who are the Brothers supposed to face in big matches?

The Deaners’ beer has been stolen and it’s time for a whodunit. Johnny Swinger insists that he is straightedge….before admitting that he’s just on probation. Acey comes up to go into the refrigerator so the Deaners accuse him. A fight is imminent but Susie reminds them of their truth. Rosemary hits on Lawrence, much to Bravo’s dismay. Jake and Susie still seem to appreciate each other.

Taya Valkyrie vs. Kylie Rae

Rosemary is referee. Kylie offers a friendly handshake but gets shoved down instead. Taya gets taken down and Kylie is rather pleased, only to get sent into the corner. The threat of a superkick sends Taya into the corner but she comes back with a kick to the head of her own. Kylie is sent into the corner again and Taya even bites her finger a bit.

Choking ensues on the ropes and Taya mocks her for being #1 contender. Kylie is right back with an armdrag into a low superkick for two but Taya suplexes her down for the same. The kickout has Taya screaming but she almost runs into Rosemary. Kylie hits the superkick for the pin at 4:49.

Rating: C-. I think we’ve established that Rae is the better of the two here but there isn’t much else that they can do with this setup. The idea still works on its own but there does come a point where they need to be back in the arena for actual matches. I’m sure they’ll have some way to get them out of this, though I’m just not sure how long it is going to take.

Post match Rosemary tells Lawrence she’ll see him next week. Lawrence tells Acey he can borrow some ring rust. Steve says that he’s blind but even he can see that Bravo is blowing it. The Deaners still want their beer back.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Tag Team Titles: The North vs. Motor City Machine Guns

The Guns are defending in the North’s rematch after losing the titles a few weeks back. Josh Alexander and Chris Sabin start things off with the former running him over without much effort. Sabin is right back up with shots to the head and avoids Ethan Page’s cheap shot from the apron. Everything breaks down though and Page hits a tilt-a-whirl faceplant on Sabin.

We settle down to Sabin getting sent face first into the corner and punched in the face by Page. Sabin fights out of some double teaming though and brings in Alex Shelley to clean house. Shelley dropkicks Alexander’s knee and Sabin kicks him into a DDT so the champs are dominating as we take a break.

Back with Shelley kicking Alexander down again and grabbing a half crab to stay on the leg. Alexander kicks him away though and Page gets in a heck of a right hand from the floor. It’s back to Page for some knees between the shoulders as Shelley is in trouble for a change. Now it’s Alexander’s chance to crank on the leg but they can’t get the hand off suplex as Shelley knees his way to freedom.

Shelley sends Alexander to the apron so Sabin can drop him face first. Sabin comes in off the hot tag and kicks Alexander from the apron, followed by a springboard missile dropkick to Page. Everything breaks down and it’s another missile dropkick into a Downward Spiral to plant Page again. The assisted double Sliced Bread gets two on Page but Alexander breaks up the ASCS Rush so Page can get a rather cocky two.

Sabin rolls Page up for two with Alexander not being able to make the save in a callback to how they won the titles. Everyone is down until Page superkicks Shelley, only to have Sabin come in with the tornado DDT to Page. The Dream Sequence puts Alexander on the floor and it’s the Skull and Bones to finish Page at 17:11.

Rating: B. Another good match between two good teams here and that is hardly a surprise. I’m not sure where the North goes from here other than either splitting up or facing the Good Brothers in a match that would take some work to set up. The Guns are going to need someone to face too and right now, the tag division isn’t all that deep, at least not in the way things have been put together as of late. Then again the Rascalz vs. the Guns has me rather interested so that would work just fine.

Overall Rating: B-. As usual, Impact is better when they have something more down to earth going on, which is where Wrestle House held it back a bit. They can’t exactly make this feel like an important show with the usual shenanigans going on, but at the same time I’m assuming the Wrestle House stuff exists so their in-arena material can last that much longer. Anyway, pretty good show, but not a great one.

Results

Rohit Raju b. Chris Bey and TJP – Top rope double stomp to Bey

Moose b. Trey Miguel – Lights Out

Good Brothers b. Ace Austin/Madman Fulton – Magic Killer to Austin

Kylie Rae b. Taya Valkyrie – Superkick

Motor City Machine Guns b. The North – Skull and Bones to Page

 

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

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

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: August 11, 2020
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Madison Rayne, Josh Matthews

We are coming up on Emergence and that could make for some good stuff around here. It might be a little soon after Slammiversary but the question now is what will actually take place on the two weeks of specials. Throw in Wrestle House and we could be in for some good stuff. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap, focusing entirely on Rich Swann’s retirement and Eric Young attacking him last week.

We open in the back with Willie Mack attacking Eric Young. Security can’t break them up and they fight into the arena, eventually getting into the ring where referees and security break it up. Mack says they’re scheduled to have a match tonight so let’s do it right now. Young says on his time and tries to leave but Mack goes after him. They get inside and the bell rings.

Eric Young vs. Willie Mack

Young stomps away to start but Mack hits a running elbow in the corner. The Stunner over the top rope slows Mack down but he sends Eric outside without much trouble. There’s the slingshot dive to take Young down again as Mack is all fired up. Young bites him in the head to get out of trouble on the top, setting up the top rope elbow for two. Some shots to the back of Mack’s head get two but Mack pulls him out of the air for a northern lights suplex. Young knocks him down in a hurry though and we hit the chinlock.

Mack fights up again with the swinging slam into the legdrop. The standing moonsault gives Mack two and they’re both down. The Stunner is countered with a rake of the eyes but Mack grabs the Stunner. There’s no cover though as Mack goes for a chair instead and lays it over (not around) Young’s leg. That takes too long though and Young crotches him on top, setting up the piledriver for the pin at 8:32.

Rating: C. This went well enough and it protected Mack to have the match won but go for revenge instead of the pin. That’s what he should be doing and it keeps Young strong, which has to appeal to someone….somewhere I guess. It’s a good enough story and if we get Swann’s big emotional return to the ring (maybe at Bound For Glory), they’ll be as fine as you can be in an Eric Young story.

Here’s what’s coming up tonight.

The Good Brothers go hunting for Ace Austin and Madman Fulton.

It’s time for Wrestle House. Taya Valkyrie and John E. Bravo call everyone into the main room so they can watch her greatest hits, as determined by a house vote of course. Kylie Rae thinks the votes may have been fraudulent and Cody just drinks. Various people make excuses to go away and we start looking at Taya’s Impact debut.

Johnny Swinger tells Crazzy Steve a story about Lord Littlebrooke but Steve is staring at Rosemary. Steve thanks him for being a good mentor and goes to sit next to Rosemary. She offers to pick back up where they left off and brings up Decay. Steve accuses her of being jealous of Taya with Bravo and Rosemary glares.

We cut to elsewhere in the house, where Cody and Alisha are getting Jake and Susie ready for their date, presumably with each other.

Reno Scum jump Rhino and take Hernandez’s money.

Kimber Lee vs. Jordynne Grace

Grace runs her over a few times to start and gets two off the side slam. Some hard whips into the corner don’t have Lee in that much trouble as she avoids a charge. Back from a break with Lee cranking on Grace’s knee and then chopping away in the corner. A suplex doesn’t work as Grace reverses into one of her own, setting up a spinebuster for two on Lee. They go to a pinfall reversal sequence for some near falls until Lee grabs a German suplex for two. Madison leaves commentary to do Locker Room Talk as Lee headbutts Grace off the top, only to have her Swanton hit knees. The rear naked choke finishes Lee at 8:27.

Rating: C-. Grace getting some wins with the choke would look to set up some kind of a big match against Deonna Purrazzo for the title later on. That’s a good idea as you can only do so much with Grace’s power and it is quite the relief to see that she is getting to expand her horizons a bit. Lee continues to just be kind of there, but it could be worse.

It’s time for Locker Room Talk, with Rayne knowing how happy everyone is to have it back. They even have their first sponsor: the Heath4Impact campaign, as Heath needs to be on the show. Rayne: “His money is as good as anyone’s.” That brings us to the guests: Rob Van Dam and Katie Forbes, with the latter dancing in.

Madison is glad to have them back in their, ahem, natural state but they can’t control themselves and Madison walks out. They decide to have their own show, with Katie asking Rob for his favorite things about her. He likes quite a bit, but here’s Sami Callihan out of nowhere to jump him. Katie helps Rob though and the double beatdown is on.

Trey surprises the other Rascalz by wearing the Suicide mask but here’s Moose, who doesn’t like Wentz’s EC3 hoodie. Moose glares at him but gives Suicide a TNA Title shot next week without knowing who he is.

Back to Wrestle House, with Rosemary ignoring Taya’s matches and thinking about the jealousy thing Steve mentioned. She uses some magic to get Larry D.’s attention and Larry seems interested. Alisha gives Susie dating advice as she sits down to dinner with Jake. Susie mentions some stomach issues, which was the only excuse Alisha could think of to get her out of the Taya watchalong earlier. Back in the main room, Larry can’t stop staring at Rosemary. Acey asks what’s wrong and offers popcorn, but Larry says there are things more important than food. That means it’s MATCH TIME!

Larry D. vs. Acey Romero

Cody is referee. Romero promises to show tough love and hits a jumping clothesline. A running dropkick drops Larry again but the backsplash misses. The Best Hand In The House finishes Acey at 1:28.

Larry dedicates his win to Rosemary.

Deonna Purrazzo challenges Jordynne Grace to a 30 minute Iron Woman match at Emergence.

Video on the North vs. the Motor City Machine Guns. The Guns came back for the North and took the Tag Team Titles. Now the North wants them back.

Nevaeh/Jessika Havok vs. Tasha Steelz/Kiera Hogan

No DQ and Steelz/Hogan jump them from behind during the entrance. They head inside for the opening bell and Havok pulls Steelz out of the air to slam her down. Havok elbows Steelz out of the corner for a running knee as Hogan blasts Nevaeh with some kind of club. Nevaeh is fine enough to save Havok from a double teaming and snaps off a suplex to Steelz. Havok misses a charge and goes knees first into the steps on the floor, allowing Hogan to save Steelz again.

A running basement dropkick in the corner hits Nevaeh for two and it’s time to choke on the ropes. Havok makes a save and Nevaeh snaps off a suplex to Hogan, meaning it’s time to set up a table on the floor. All four wind up back inside for the slugout until everyone but Havok is kicked down. Havok isn’t about to be double suplexed but she can be low bridged out to the apron. A few kicks put her through the table and a fisherman’s neckbreaker finishes Nevaeh at 7:50.

Rating: C. The match was fine but it’s still a story that doesn’t exactly offer the biggest thrills. They treated it like the big blowoff though and that’s the best thing they could have done here. It wasn’t much of a feud between the two teams but at least they had someone win instead of just having them stop fighting.

The Good Brothers ask Scott D’Amore where Fulton and Austin are and promise to hold the ring until they get here. D’Amore is getting Hall and Nash vibes.

EC3 pops up on screen in front of Moose, promising to destroy him. That is the warning.

Suicide vs. Dez

It isn’t clear if this is still Trey, but Wentz is with Dez. They fight over wrist control to start but here are the Good Brothers to take out Dez for the DQ at 1:04.

The Good Brothers beat up everyone involved and it’s time to call out Fulton and Austin. The two of them pop up on screen to say they aren’t in the arena tonight. Austin will fight, but they’ll do it on his time (second use of that line tonight). Say the first night of Emergence. The Brothers are down.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Eddie Edwards b. Cody on Impact, October 2, 2016.

Rohit Raju comes in to warn Chris Bey that he might have to defend the X-Division Title against TJP at Emergence. Fallah Bahh will be there too, so put Raju in to make it a triple threat and protect the title. Bey seems to agree.

Brian Myers is still coming to be a professional.

Back to Wrestle House and Jake says he thought of Susie as the Undead Bride for so long. That turns her into Su Yung for a bit and this time Jake is the one with the bad stomach. Alisha comes in and wonders what happened, with Susie suggesting Alisha gave her bad advice. You know what that means.

Susie vs. Alisha Edwards

Steve is referee and Alisha doesn’t like the bad advice suggestion. Alisha shoves her away and gets slapped, triggering the catfight. A double clothesline puts both of them down, sending Steve into a count of seven, nine, potato. Back up and Alisha hits a clothesline but Susie gets a rollup for the pin at 1:55.

Post match Taya comes in to say it’s time to go watch her match of winning the Knockouts Title. Kylie smiles a lot and says they would all rather go to sleep. Taya calls her a loser and Susie points out that Kylie has beaten her twice. Dreamer pops up for MATCH TIME but Rosemary threatens him (ok good for a chuckle). Taya says next week.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here’s Eddie Edwards to say he’ll face Eric Young right now, so get out here. It’s Brian Myers instead and he’ll take the title shot right now. In his hands, that title becomes a championship.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Eddie Edwards vs. Brian Myers

Eddie is defending and chases Myers into the ropes to start. Some stomps in the corner have Myers in trouble as Josh reminds us of Myers’ completely forgotten Tag Team Title reign. Myers’ headlock doesn’t last long so he goes with choking on the ropes instead. Eddie sends him outside though and we take a break.

Back with Eddie hitting an atomic drop into an overhead belly to belly. Myers grabs him for a posting though and sends him back first into the apron. A knee to the chest gives Myers two and we hit the chinlock. With that broken up, Myers kicks at the head and slaps on another chinlock, this time with a knee to the back. This time Eddie fights up and sends him outside for the suicide dive but comes up holding his knee.

Myers whips him back into the barricade for a near countout but Eddie gets back in without much drama. Eddie snaps off a suplex and hits some forearms, followed by the Backpack Stunner for two. Myers’ implant DDT gets the same but Eddie superkicks him into a tiger driver for another near fall. The Boston Knee Party misses but then connects to retain at 10:24.

Rating: C. This was as good of a match as you were going to get with someone best known as Curt Hawkins getting a World Title shot. I know he’s not the same guy anymore, but you’re going to need to give me something more than calling him the professional to shake his reputation. He’s fine in the ring and knows how to talk, but fans are going to see him as Hawkins for a good while and this wasn’t exactly the match to shake that feeling. It wasn’t bad, but it was only so interesting with zero drama.

Eddie celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. The weekly World Title matches are starting to take a bit of a toll on the show. I like the idea behind them but you can only get so far with the lack of drama and feeling like we need to check an item off a list every week. Then you have the Wrestle House stuff, which is entertaining enough for something different but at some point it needs to go somewhere. The show was fine, but they’ll need Emergence to work to give us something a little more substantial.

Results

Eric Young b. Willie Mack – Piledriver

Jordynne Grace b. Kimber Lee – Rear naked choke

Larry D. b. Acey Romero – Best Hand In The House

Tasha Steelz/Kiera Hogan b. Nevaeh/Jessika Havok – Fisherman’s neckbreaker to Nevaeh

Dez b. Suicide via DQ when the Good Brothers interfered

Susie b. Alisha Edwards – Rollup

Eddie Edwards b. Brian Myers – Boston Knee Party

 

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

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

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

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

Impact Wrestling
Date: July 28, 2020
Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Josh Matthews, Madison Rayne

We’re into the new norm around here and I’m not sure what that is going to mean. Things were on a great upswing until Slammiversary but last week’s show wasn’t quite as strong. I’m curious to see if that is going to continue, as they still have the right pieces in place to do some good things. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Impact Wrestling World Title: Trey vs. Eddie Edwards

Eddie is defending. They shake hands to start and fight over a lockup with neither being able to get very far. Trey’s headlock takeover is countered into a headscissors so Trey does it again with a little more success. An anklescissors into a dropkick gives Trey one and the chinlock goes on. Eddie fights up and hits a quick overhead belly to belly, followed by the Blue Thunder Bomb for two.

Back up and Eddie pops him in the jaw but Trey gets in a kick to the face for two. The split legged moonsault hits Eddie’s raised knees so they trade strikes to the face for a double knockdown. Back from a break with the slugout on again until Trey hits a dropkick to the back into a springboard cutter for two more. Eddie’s tiger driver attempt is countered into a rollup for another two but the second attempt connects to give Eddie his own near fall. The Boston Knee Party is enough to retain the title at 10:54.

Rating: C+. They kept things short here but the two of them are more than athletic enough to make something like this work. There wasn’t exactly much drama with what they were doing though as Eddie isn’t going to lose his title in his first defense. Certainly not with the epic ERIC YOUNG showdown looming. Trey is probably done near the main event scene, but he got a rather nice rub out of the whole thing, which is impressive given that he has what is a glorified comedy gimmick.

Post match Eric Young comes out to tell Eddie to sleep well because he’s waiting. Good for him. Now go away.

Here’s what’s coming on the rest of the show.

And now, the debut of Wrestle House. A bunch of wrestlers are standing around and Taya Valkyrie isn’t happy with most of them being here. Rosemary taunts her over it, sending Taya storming out. Taya goes to leave but opens the door to see a ring of fire and Abyss holding a bag of thumbtacks. That sends her back to the main room, where Johnny Swinger says he knew this place was purgatory. Rosemary says it isn’t her house either, so Cody Deaner wants to know whose house it is.

That sends us into the opening sequence, which seems like a Real World knockoff. Back in the main room, the Deaners think this is Duck Dynasty with Larry D. having to correct him. With that out of the way, we meet our host and the house owner: Tommy freaking Dreamer. After making House of Hardcore jokes, the Deaners start an ECW chant. Taya wants to know how long she has to be here, with Rosemary saying as long as it takes. This has potential, though the Dreamer thing doesn’t have me thrilled.

We take a break and come back with the Deaners and XXXL ready to fight. Susie says that’s bad so they agree to bow like Mr. Fuji, much to Kylie Rae’s delight. Taya still wants to know why they’re here so Dreamer says it’s all for a chance to win $1 million. Rosemary: “IT’S NOT TRUE!”

Dreamer mentions that there are only six rooms so the race is on to get one. XXXL get stuck trying to go through the door at the same time so Acey lets Larry go….and gets a door slammed in his face. Kylie and Susie try to give each other a bed so Swinger dives between them (dropping an elbow onto a stuff tiger at the same time). And yes, he invites them to join him. The women leave so Crazzy Steve comes in, with Swinger offering him a job as a young boy. Steve is crazy, not desperate.

Rather than dealing with the Deaners, Alisha takes the couch. Rosemary and Taya take a room each and John E. Bravo can’t decide who to follow. Upstairs, the Deaners play Rock Paper Scissors for their own bed but it keeps going to a tie. Acey goes outside and finds a ring but Steve dives in ahead of him. Dreamer: “MATCH TIME!!!” Acey and Steve are suddenly in their ring gear and I guess this is for the right to use the ring as their bed.

Acey Romero vs. Crazzy Steve

Kylie Rae is referee. After putting his monkey in the corner, Steve offers to sleep on the top rope (Swinger: “That’s it kid!”) but has to dodge a charging Acey. A crisscross has Acey running the ropes alone until he gets tired (it doesn’t take long) so Steve offers him some help. That means a Bubba Bomb into a rear naked choke to knock Steve out at 1:34.

Back in the arena, TJP and Fallah Bahh make Rohit Raju wear a mask. He isn’t happy but says he wants to be serious. Raju brags about Chris Bey and TJP suggests an X-Division Title shot. Raju runs off to find Bey, who isn’t all that interested in whatever Raju is doing. He’ll deal with TJP.

Ace Austin and Madman Fulton don’t like these new Good Brothers getting involved in their business. They’ll be watching the Brothers’ debut tonight.

Video on the Motor City Machine Guns.

The North says they’re still the greatest tag team ever and they’ll get the belts back. Ethan Page is about to say something but walks off instead.

Flashback Moment of the Week: Motor City Machine Guns b. Beer Money at Victory Road 2010.

Katie Forbes is sitting on Rob Van Dam’s lap and previews her new photos, which are going to break the internet.

EC3 talks about his undefeated streak and everyone that he has beaten over the years. He has to go back down his road again though and rants about everything bad that happened to him in WWE. When he looks in the mirror, he sees a reflection of failure. What he did to become what he is today is what he has to destroy. He is here to destroy his past and control his narrative. We have been warned.

Moose isn’t worried about EC3 but here’s Heath to interrupt. He has been contracted by TNA and the championship committee has given him a title shot. Moose says there is no championship committee, which Heath says means there is no TNA Champion. Their match is set for next week so Moose leaves. Scott D’Amore comes in and says Heath’s TNA contract comes from Heyman and Heyman. If Heath wins next week though, he can have a contract.

Kimber Lee vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Non-title. Lee chops her down in the corner to start and a headscissors sends Purrazzo outside. Back in and an elbow gives Lee two, followed by a full nelson with the legs. Purrazzo slips out and stomps on the arm, sending Josh into an anatomy lesson. Back up and Lee grabs a choke in the ropes and it’s time to slug it out. Lee rolls out of a Fujiwara armbar and hammers away on the mat. Purrazzo pulls her off the ropes though and snaps the arm back. Now the armbar can finish Lee at 5:28.

Rating: C-. Lee gave her a bit more of a test here but there is something special about watching Purrazzo snap that hold on and rip it to pieces. The match was a fine way to get Purrazzo on the show though, as she probably has a rematch with Jordynne Grace planned, plus the showdown with Kylie Rae. Once she’s out of the house that is.

Post match here’s Grace with her arm in a sling. She pulls that off and sends Purrazzo running, but the arm is still banged up.

Katie Forbes runs into Sami Callihan and thinks he is a fan.

Brian Myers is still coming.

Back at the house, Steve runs into Swinger again and is told that he is sleeping on the bathroom floor tonight. Swinger mentions various bladder issues that he has, so a chuckling Steve agrees to be his young boy.

The Deaners are sharing a room with Jake sleeping on the floor. They get in an argument over who woke the other up snoring. Dreamer winds up in bed too and it’s MATCH TIME!

Cousin Jake vs. Cody Deaner

Loser leaves the room and Alisha is referee this time. Cody offers the Fuji bow and then small packages him for two. Jake gets beaten down in the corner but comes back with a jumping knee to the face to put Cody down for a change. A big right hand sets up the chinlock but Cody fights up again. The Deaner DDT is countered though and Jake hits a swinging Boss Man Slam for the pin at 2:57. Alisha: “I don’t know which Deaner you are. The winner is a Deaner!”

They hug post match.

Later, Cody finds a bus.

Sami Callihan asks Ken Shamrock for an explanation of Slammiversary but Van Dam and Forbes come up saying that Sami hit on her. Van Dam says stay away but Sami says he’ll never seen him coming.

Here are Van Dam and Forbes to unveil Katie’s pictures. Rob tells the fans to shut up and Katie is ready to show off for Free ninety nine. The launch is in five seconds….and the photos have Sami’s face imposed, sending Katie into a rant. She rants about how hard she worked on the site, which thankfully she never names.

The Rascalz debate if Suicide is a Power Ranger. Suicide, with smoke coming out of his mask, is here, and still has nothing to say. More smoke appears and Suicide starts dancing.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Rich Swann joins us via satellite to talk about working so hard to come back but then get taken out again by Eric Young. He can’t talk about what the doctors have told him because it puts him in a dark place, but he’ll be in the Impact Zone next week.

Reno Scum vs. Good Brothers

Anderson and Thornstowe start things off with a shoulder putting Thornstowe down. Another shoulder does it again and it’s off to Gallows to unload in the corner. Cue Ace Austin to watch from the stage as Legend comes in and runs over Anderson to take over. The chinlock goes on but the impaler is countered with a spinebuster. That’s enough to get the tag off to Gallows so house can be cleaned. Boots to the face have Scum staggered and it’s the Magic Killer to finish Thornstowe at 6:31.

Rating: D+. This wasn’t supposed to be anything more than the Good Brothers’ introduction and it worked fine in that regard. It wasn’t much of a match, but that is to be expected from Scum, who aren’t exactly thrilling most of the time. The Brothers are a big deal around here though, and presenting them in the main event for their first match is a good idea.

Post match Austin hits the ring but the distraction lets Madman Fulton come in for the beatdown. All four brawl to the back and then outside, with Gallows kicking Fulton into the camera to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. I can’t think of a better example of a show where your individual tastes may vary. The wrestling was barely a factor here, though they did set up some stuff for later. What mattered here was Wrestle House, and that is something that is going to work a lot better for some than others. It was funny at times and has a lot of potential for jokes in the future, but it isn’t going to be for everyone. I’ll certainly give them points for trying something different though, and if it works out then well done. Not the worst show, but there are going to be some people who aren’t thrilled.

Results

Eddie Edwards b. Trey – Boston Knee Party

Acey Romero b. Crazzy Steve – Rear naked choke

Deonna Purrazzo b. Kimber Lee – Fujiwara armbar

Cousin Jake b. Cody Deaner – Swinging Boss Man Slam

Good Brothers b. Reno Scum – Magic Killer to Thornstowe

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

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

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

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