By Jon
COMMENTATORS: Matt Striker & D-Lo Brown
Rich Swann teams with his No Surrender opponent Tommy Dreamer in the main event this week to take on Moose and Chris Bey. Also on the show Rohit Raju takes on TJP in a non-title match, Jordynne Grace takes on Susan, and Larry D wrestles for the first time since getting out of jail.
CHAMPIONS
- IMPACT WORLD CHAMPION: Rich Swann
- IMPACT KNOCKOUTS CHAMPION: “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo
- IMPACT X-DIVISION CHAMPION: TJP
- IMPACT WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Good Brothers (“Big LG” Doc Gallows & “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson)
- IMPACT KNOCKOUTS TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Fire ‘n Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz)
LINEUP (Match of the Night in Bold)
- Havok vs. Tasha Steelz
- Josh Alexander vs. Madman Fulton
- Crazzy Steve vs. Larry D
- Jordynne Grace vs. Susan
- TJP vs. Rohit Raju
- Rich Swann & Tommy Dreamer vs. Moose & Chris Bey
*****
Havok [w/ Nevaeh] defeated Tasha Steelz [w/ Kiera Hogan] via pinfall (4:34)
Havok & Nevaeh crashed last week’s Fire ‘n Flava Festival (a segment better left forgotten) and are gunning for the Tag Team Championship. Gotta drag that out though so we got a singles match instead which was…pretty good. Havok picked up the win with a Tombstone after both Hogan & Nevaeh tried to cheat for their respective teams. Nevaeh takes on Hogan on next week’s show so expect more shenanigans.
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-After the cameras were done rolling last week Ken Shamrock continued his assault on officials, security guards, and even Sami Callihan. Show cut to Scott D’Amore’s office who told Callihan that Shamrock is suspended indefinitely due to his actions, a fact that Callihan was completely fine with since he was also attacked.
–Tommy Dreamer and Rich Swann discussed their upcoming tag team match. Swann offered to take the bulk of the match as he wanted Dreamer to be in ring shape for his No Surrender birthday title shot. Dreamer tried not to take offense but you could tell it was annoying him a little bit.
- I dug this a lot. Swann came off “accidentally” condescending in his talk with Dreamer, going hand in hand with “gifting” Dreamer a title shot which is also kind of condescending in its own way. They’re slated to have a contract signing next week and I fully expect Dreamer to knock it out of the park on the mic.
–The Good Brothers discussed tomorrow’s AEW Beach Break match and how much they love beating up Jon Moxley. Chris Sabin & James Storm interrupted and goaded them into a Tag Team Title match for next week. Sabin kept using “balless wonders” like it was going to catch on.
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Josh Alexander defeated Madman Fulton [w/ “Inevitable” Ace Austin] via pinfall (4:46)
Alexander and Matt Cardona defeated Austin & Fulton in tag team action last week, and Alexander continued his win streak against the duo in this singles match. Fulton took the pin then and took the pin here, continuing his run as one of wrestling’s most ineffectual big guys. Glad to see Alexander get the win though, using what I think was a Jay Driller to secure the bag. I would have been on board for a 10+ minute version of this match, I was into it until it abruptly ended.
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–Brian Myers came to the ring with an eyepatch due to the gouging from Eddie Edwards last week. Myers mocked Edwards, saying he used to be a classy wrestler and that his trainer, the late Killer Kowalski, is rolling over in his grave. Edwards understandably attacked Myers, but then Hernandez showed up and attacked Edwards. Matt Cardona then made his way out and made the save, sending Myers & Hernandez packing. This tag team match is apparently happening at No Surrender. Myers & Hernandez feel like a real “throw darts at a board” pairing.
–Fallah Bahh and Alisha lamented how they always get caught up in the goofy antics of Johnny Swinger and John E. Bravo while gambling at Swinger’s Palace, Bahh saying it felt like Groundhog Day.
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Larry D [w/ Acey Romero] defeated Crazzy Steve [w/ Rosemary] via pinfall (4:00)
This was Larry D’s first match since, sigh, beingreleasedfromprisonforshootingjohnebravo. Larry D used power moves while Steve resorted to A LOT of biting, like ALL OF the biting, but Larry D scored the victory thanks to a well-timed right hook. Rosemary scared XXXL off after the bell with her scary demeanor and growling and whatnot.
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–Gia Miller interviewed Trey Miguel, who made his return to Impact last week. He talked about how he had “two crutches” ever since joining the company and now it was time for everyone to see him walk on his own. Sami Callihan showed up and dressed Miguel down for burying his former friends and for letting Impact waste a goodbye on him. Callihan told Miguel that he lacked the drive to really make it in Impact Wrestling, and Miguel stewed in it.
–Gia Miller interviewed XXXL who were insistent that they were not scared by Rosemary. Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb with a K rolled in, with Tenille offering to hit Rosemary for them since they’re too gentlemanly to do it themselves. A six-man tag team match was made for No Surrender: Rosemary, Crazzy Steve, & ??? vs. Tenille Dashwood & XXXL. THEN CAN WE MOVE ON?
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Jordynne Grace [w/ Jazz] defeated Susan [w/ “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo & Kimber Lee] via pinfall (4:48)
Susan put on her big girl pants suit last week and challenged Grace to this match…and promptly got routed as she was in no way shape or form ready for A…sorry, Jordynne Grace. Susan did use some decent heel tactics, putting the ref in between her and Grace so she could gouge the eyes, and distracting the ref so Purrazzo and Lee could attack, but Grace picked up the win with a gnarly Pumphandle Driver. Susan, Purrazzo, & Lee attacked Grace & Jazz after the match, with the returning ODB making the save.
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–Matt Hardy hyped up Private Party ahead of Beach Break’s Tag Team battle royal and their Impact Tag Team Title shot at No Surrender, saying they could potentially end up DOUBLE champions which would make them all very rich (but especially Big Money Matt). Hardy said he needed Private Party to SHOW UP and they assured him they have this.
-This week’s AEW Paid Advertisement featured Beach Break hype and a hilariously drunk Tony Khan calling Impact Wrestling his fantasy league while talking about how he makes decisions and matches based on his emotions. It was pretty awesome. Tony Khan rules.
–Jordynne Grace and Jazz thanked ODB for the save and asked if she was back. She didn’t super commit but Jazz mentioned that “more of us” were returning lately, so it looks like Impact is bringing in more Knockouts.
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Rohit Raju defeated TJP via pinfall (7:10 shown)
This one wasn’t for TJP’s X-Division Championship but that didn’t stop Raju from going in ready to win. And win he did thanks to his insurance policy, the returning Mahabali Shera, who emerged from under the ring with TJP in his grasp and connected with a chokeslam on the apron, Raju following up with a sliding knee to get the win. I guess that’s who Raju was talking to last week. TJP rocked it here, hitting everything so effortlessly it bordered on being arrogant (in a good way) while Raju continued showing why he’s one of the best wrestlers in the company in all the metrics that matter. Easily match of the night.
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-A video played from Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, & Joe Doering), Young offering Jake a spot in the group. Gia Miller got words from Jake moments later, who promised to give them his answer next week. I hope his answer is a KNUCKLE SAMMICH.
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Moose & Chris Bey defeated Rich Swann & Tommy Dreamer via pinfall (8:40 shown)
Dreamer dodged a spear from Moose, who hit Swann instead and picked up the victory for his team. I honestly expected this match to go differently, to have Swann kind of baby Dreamer a little bit, but nah it was just a regular tag team match. Joy to see Swann and Bey trade flips, they have great chemistry, and Moose even got some shots in as well as I desperately wait for that World Title match to happen. Bey was finally treated like a tag team partner too as Moose didn’t use him as a battering ram once during this match. A true miracle.
Moose laid out Dreamer with a spear then posed with his TNA World Heavyweight Championship and the Impact World Championship to close the show.
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: TJP/Raju and the main event were pretty good, but most of the action felt too short to really get into. I like the brewing tension between Swann & Dreamer and they can tell a really cool story if they choose to do so; that they didn’t in the tag team match itself was disappointing. Maybe they can get it all out there during next week’s contract signing. Easy watch this week.
