By Jon
DATE: July 17, 2021
VENUE: Skyway Studios (Nashville, TN)
COMMENTATORS: Matt Striker & D’Lo Brown
VIEWING METHOD: Fite TV
Slammiversary 2021 welcomes back the Impact Wrestling faithful, as Kenny Omega defends the World Championship against Sami Callihan in a No-DQ match. Will AEW’s Omega continue to have an iron grasp on Impact’s top prize or can Callihan bring the gold home? The X-Division and Tag Team Championships are also on the line in multi-man/team matches and Deonna Purrazzo defends the Knockouts Championship against a mystery opponent.
CHAMPIONS
- IMPACT WORLD CHAMPION: Kenny Omega
- IMPACT KNOCKOUTS CHAMPION: “The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo
- IMPACT X-DIVISION CHAMPION: “The Walking Weapon” Josh Alexander
- IMPACT WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Violent By Design (Joe Doering, Rhino, & Deaner)
- IMPACT KNOCKOUTS TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Rosemary & Havok (beat Fire ‘n Flava during the Slammiversary pre-show)
LINEUP
- ULTIMATE X: Josh Alexander [c] vs. Trey Miguel vs. Ace Austin vs. Rohit Raju vs. Chris Bey vs. Petey Williams for the IMPACT X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP (***3/4)
- Matt Cardona & ??? vs. Brian Myers & Tenille Dashwood (*1/2)
- Eddie Edwards vs. W. Morrissey (***)
- FinJuice vs. Madman Fulton & Shera (NR)
- Chris Sabin vs. Moose (***1/4)
- Violent By Design [c] vs. Rich Swann & Willie Mack vs. The Good Brothers vs. ??? & Fallah Bahh for the IMPACT WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (**1/2)
- Deonna Purrazzo [c] vs. ??? for the IMPACT KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/2)
- NO DQ: Kenny Omega [c] vs. Sami Callihan for the IMPACT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (****)
*****
-EARLIER TODAY: Kenny Omega and Don Callis arrive at a private entrance, Sami Callihan arrives in front of the crowd waiting to get in.
-Striker and Brown welcome the home audience and pan the crowd that line Skyway Studios.
—
ULTIMATE X
“The Walking Weapon” Josh Alexander [c] vs. Trey Miguel vs. “Inevitable” Ace Austin vs. “The Desi Hitman” Rohit Raju vs. Chris Bey vs. Petey Williams for the IMPACT X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Raju and Austin do not have their big bads with them, as Shera and Madman Fulton have both been banned from ringside. For now anyway. During the entrances Brown mentions that Williams has more Ultimate X wins than the others have appearances which is impressive and also doesn’t feel real because it can’t already be almost twenty years, right?
Bell rings and Bey already climbs for the belt but gets stopped by Williams and Miguel. Bey gets pulled off and dropped, Austin pulls Williams to the floor and tosses him into the steps then connects with a kick to Alexander. Alexander dodges a second kick and f*cks Austin’s day up with a HIGH release German suplex. Raju climbs the buckles but the Ultimate X ropes are too high; he jumps for them but misses and walks right into a boot from Alexander. Poor guy. Bey leapfrogs Alexander and connects with a dropkick; Williams runs in and Bey flies OVER him, hitting Alexander with a tope con hilo. Williams ends his celebration with a slingshot hurricanrana, Austin drops Williams and Raju with a kick, Miguel connects with a DDT on Alexander. Austin and Raju go for the belt, Raju shoves Austin off the pillar, Austin turns it into a moonsault and wipes out the other competitors. Raju, after a series of attempts, throws a rope around the Ultimate X cables and starts climbing (work smarter, not harder) but Williams pulls him off. Williams drills Raju with a Flatliner, Bey drills Williams with a Fameasser and starts climbing towards the title, Miguel in pursuit. Raju climbs the buckles, Miguel tries a rana but Raju holds on through it then spears Bey off and now everyone is back to square one. Alexander goes for a Tower of Doom on Austin, Williams, & Miguel but Raju grabs a hook to go after the belt. Everyone goes after him but Raju uses the hook to take them out then stands on a chair to try and unhook the title; Miguel makes him pay for it with a dropkick that damn near knocks him out of his boots. Williams gets Alexander off the cables and tosses him to the floor, Miguel runs over and Williams locks him in a Sharpshooter, Raju joining in with a Crossface. Miguel taps but it doesn’t matter. Alexander starts climbing OVER the bodies and dodges a legsweep, Bey gets launched up and Alexander grabs a HANGING ANKLE LOCK as Bey grabs a sleeper on Austin.
Raju knocks Alexander off with a chairshot, Austin drops Raju with a springboard kick. Austin and Bey battle for a moment, Austin jumps and starts climbing for the belt, Bey launches himself at Austin and takes him back to the canvas with a BIG OL’ CUTTER, earning a “HOLY SH*T” chant from the crowd. Williams drills Raju with a Canadian Destroyer, Miguel runs in and eats a Canadian Destroyer as well! Williams starts climbing, Alexander puts Bey on his shoulders and WILLIAMS CONNECTS WITH A DOOMSDAY CANADIAN DESTROYER ON THE ULTIMATE FINESSER. Oh dang. Alexander catches a kick and grabs an Ankle Lock on Williams, Williams kicks him away, Alexander escapes a Destroyer attempt and hits the C4 (double underhook piledriver). Miguel and Alexander trade forearms, Raju stacks Miguel on Alexander and hits a flying Flatliner that knocks Miguel’s mouthpiece right out. Raju follows up with a pair of knee strikes and decides to go for the belt, finally climbing over; he gets SO CLOSE but Miguel pulls him off and hits a Scorpion Kick followed by a swinging slam. Alexander drills Miguel and connects with a SUPER Exploder Suplex! Bey and Alexander battle right over the X-Division Title, trying to knock the other off. They unhook the belt and fight over it, Austin tries to grab it with a springboard but misses, Bey gets dropped and Alexander…wins? Striker says the ref ruled him as the winner without having to touch the canvas even though it was stated at the start that was how you win the match. Fair enough.
Josh Alexander [c] defeated Trey Miguel, Ace Austin, Rohit Raju, Chris Bey, & Petey Williams to retain the IMPACT X-DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP (15:50)
- JON’S THOUGHTS: I’ll always pop for an Ultimate X match. Great stuff here, fun spots all around and Rohit Raju’s attempts to cheese his way through were great; he knew the match he was in and tried to find a way around it. I kinda wish it worked. Alexander retaining is cool, he definitely deserves to stay at the top. (***3/4)
—
-Striker & Brown run down some of the matches to come. TJP is apparently out of tonight’s Tag Team Title match and will be replaced by a MYSTERY PARTNER.
–Gia Miller interviews Don Callis outside of Kenny Omega’s office. Callis does not want to the handsome face of Omega scarred by Sami Callihan; however Omega is a GAWD and Callihan will not kick out of the One-Winged Angel. Once Omega wins then Callis’ work in Impact Wrestling will finally be completed. Will he return to his home planet after or something?
–Matt Cardona’s mystery partner is revealed to be…Cardona’s fiancee and former Impact star Chelsea Green! Green’s left arm is in a cast but she’s been cleared to compete. Green has her left eyeliner running, Cardona his right, and they’re wearing matching colors like a true tag team. Awesome.
—
“Alwayz Ready” Matt Cardona & Chelsea Green vs. “The Most Professional Wrestler” Brian Myers & Tenille Dashwood [w/ Sam Beale & Kaleb with a K]
Cardona sends Myers to the floor, Beale pulls Myers out of the way of a dropkick through the ropes so Cardona drops him and Kaleb with a double clothesline. Myers attacks a distracted Cardona and drives him into the ramp with a flatliner. Myers, Dashwood, Beale, and Kaleb all pose for a selfie as Myers holds Cardona up. Awesome. Cardona tries to make a tag but Dashwood yanks Green off the apron to prevent it, Myers drills Cardona with a leaping DDT for the 1…2…Cardona kicks out. Myers charges, Cardona runs through him with a spear. Dashwood gets the tag BUT SO DOES GREEN who hits a pair of clotheslines, a ripcord elbow, and a running knee for the 1…2…Myers pulls her off. Green slaps Myers, Dashwood sends her to the apron and connects with a neckbreaker over the middle rope. Cardona clubs Myers down in the corner, ref gets distracted and Dashwood goes for a low blow…BUT CARDONA IS WEARING A CUP. Green clears Myers out of the ring with a Canadian Destroyer, Cardona wipes Beale & Kaleb out with a tope con hiro. Green low blows Dashwood and hits the Unprettier for the 1…2…3!
Matt Cardona & Chelsea Green defeated Brian Myers & Tenille Dashwood via pinfall (5:55)
- JON’S THOUGHTS: Did not care for Striker talking up Cardona having dated both Green & Dashwood, but the match itself was…fine, I guess. Impact let them do what they wanted and it was fine. I think the Green reveal would’ve hit for me harder if it wasn’t obvious and if I had been watching Impact during her Hot Mess run. (*1/2)
—
Eddie Edwards vs. W. Morrissey
Edwards dodges Morrissey and connects with chops, Morrissey goes for a slam but Edwards escapes. Morrissey blocks a hip toss attempt and throws Edwards overhead with a fallaway slam. Edwards catches Morrissey with a kick and goes for a tornado DDT, Morrissey peels off and sends Edwards CRASHING to the floor with a big boot. Morrissey drives Edwards back-first into the apron and connects with a right hand to the orbital bone that was cracked so many moons ago courtesy of Sami Callihan. Edwards stuns Morrissey, Morrissey shakes it off and bodies him off the apron and into the guardrail. Morrissey mocks Edwards for being the “heartbeat” of Impact and clubbing him right in the actual heart. Edwards flips out of a suplex, Morrissey catches him with a kick to the midsection and goes for a suplex but Edwards connects with a surprise reversal. Edwards lays into Morrissey with chops and sends him to the floor, Edwards tries to follow with a tope suicida but Morrissey catches him and CHOKESLAMS ONTO THE APRON BENDING HIM IN HALF GODDAMN. Morrissey brings Edwards to the stage, Edwards backdrops him onto the ramp and follows up with a Boston Knee Party, both men dazed and confused. Edwards makes it in at 5, Morrissey rolls in at 8 and the match continues. Morrissey picks Edwards up and throws him with an F-5 of sorts that Edwards takes all on his face. Morrissey seats Edwards on the top buckle, Edwards headbutts him repeatedly and connects with a sunset bomb followed by a punt kick, forearm, and Blue Thunder Bomb for the 1…2…MORRISSEY KICKS OUT. Morrissey puts the ref between them and connects with a running boot to the heart (OF IMPACT) for the 1…2…EDWARDS GETS A SHOULDER UP. Edwards surprises Morrissey with a jackknife rollup for the 1…2…Morrissey kicks out, Edwards hits a Boston Knee Party and he spills to the floor. Morrissey pulls out a chain from his boot and uses it on Edwards, following up with a Power Bomb for the 1…2…3!
W. Morrissey defeated Eddie Edwards via pinfall (10:59)
- JON’S THOUGHTS: Impact continues the rocket push for W. Morrissey, giving him a win over one of the biggest stars on the roster. Good match overall, lost some steam at the end but goddamn Morrissey came to prove something in Impact and he’s doing it. Props to Edwards for making him look great too. (***)
—
–Moose says tonight Chris Sabin will face his consequences. Right on?
-HYPE VIDEO: “Long Live the DRAMA KING”. Oh sh*t Aiden English is coming to Impact?!?
–Gia Miller interviews the winner of Impact’s biggest fan ever contest or whatever. He’s excited to see Deonna Purrazzo lose tonight but his interview is cut short by an angry Madman Fulton and Shera who are mad about being banned from the Ultimate X match. Scott D’Amore makes his way out and says that instead of having security come out and remove them, he’s got a couple of guys also ready to fight: the returning FinJuice! DOESN’T FEEL AWKWARDLY SHOEHORNED IN AT ALL!
—
FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) vs. Madman Fulton & Shera
Shera tries to attack, Robinson lights him up with jabs followed by an inverted atomic drop. Shera ducks a spin kick and WRECKS Robinson with a lariat. Fulton tags himself in, telling Shera they’re in a tag match IDIOT. Fulton misses Robinson in the corner, Finlay tags in and FinJuice hit a double flapjack. Finlay connects with an Acid Drop, kicking off Robinson, for the easy 1…2…3.
FinJuice defeated Madman Fulton & Shera via pinfall (1:16)
- JON’S THOUGHTS: Fulton & Shera have to be the least intimidating “big” men in pro wrestling. Cool to see FinJuice back but I dunno, that was a weird choice for a team to feed to them. Felt forced. (NR)
—
Chris Sabin vs. Moose
Moose hits Sabin in the corner with a European uppercut, Sabin follows him to the other side with a running dropkick, Moose tries to do the same but Sabin moves and Moose hangs himself out to dry. Sabin goes after the left leg, Moose tries to get some time by kicking him out to the floor but Sabin keeps going after the leg. Moose catches a high crossbody attempt, Sabin escapes and goes for a monkey flip but Moose sits him on the top buckle. Sabin stops a dropkick attempt and comes flying off with a hurricanrana, then locks in a Figure Four in the center of the ring. Moose escapes and throws Sabin like a lawn dart into the middle buckle, then tosses him across the ring with one arm, Sabin falling to the floor. Moose sits Sabin on the apron and WRECKS him with a knife-edged chop so brutal the crowd chants “HOLY SH*T”. Moose quiets the crowd, tells Sabin he asked for this, and connects with ANOTHER chop. Crowd chant “ONE MORE TIME”, Moose flips them off instead and connects with a DROPKICK instead after stopping a brief comeback with an eye rake. Sabin bites Moose’s hand to escape his grasp, Moose responds with a urinage and a fallaway slam; Moose nips up but MISSES a top rope moonsault. Sabin mounts a comeback, connecting with a springboard crossbody on the floor. Back in the ring Sabin connects with a tornado DDT from the top rope for the 1…2…Moose kicks out! Sabin climbs the buckles, MOOSE HOPS TO THE TOP ROPE AND CONNECTS WITH A FALLAWAY MOONSAULT. Sabin rolls to the floor and lights Moose up with jabs; Sabin charges, Moose catches him and power bombs him on the apron, then ragdolls him repeatedly into the guardrail. Moose rolls in and tells the ref to count but Sabin makes it back in at the count of 9, his heart mightier than his brain.Sabin dodges Moose in the corner and rolls him up for the 1…2…Moose kicks out, Sabin floats over into a sunset flip in the corner for the 1…2…Moose kicks out, Sabin with a victory roll for the 1…2…3! Oh.
Chris Sabin defeated Moose via pinfall (12:00)
- JON’S THOUGHTS: Great match, another impressive showing from Moose although his fallaway moonsault TERRIFIES ME every time as he always seems like he’s about to land on his head. Sabin sneaking out the win is a choice, but I think Moose needed the win more and I’m sick of Impact disagreeing with me. (***1/4)
—
-New Knockouts Tag Champs Rosemary & Havok boast of their win earlier alongside Decay members Crazzy Steve and Black Taurus.
–Fallah Bahh gets on the mic during his entrance and announces his mystery partner…NO WAY (JOSE)! Bahh and No Way lead a Conga Line to the ring , which includes John E. Bravo and Alisha Edwards. WHO’S MAKING JOKES NOW, TOMMY?!?
—
Violent By Design (Joe Doering & Rhino) [c] [w/ Eric Young & Deaner] vs. Rich Swann & Willie Mack vs. The Good Brothers (“Big LG” Doc Gallows & “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson) vs. Fallah Bahh & No Way for the IMPACT WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
Crowd chant for No Way as he shakes hands with Swann. The two do a little chain wrestling to start, No Way almost getting the surprise pin off a side headlock counter. No Way blocks Swann’s kicks, almost turning it into a Funky Charleston and Anderson angrily tags in to put a stop to the fun. No Way drops Anderson with a shoulderblock, Bahh tags in and drops Anderson with a chop to the head. No Way tags back in and Bahh drops him on Anderson with a legdrop for the 1…2…Anderson kicks out. Mack tags in and he and Swann connect with a legdrop/splash combo but Anderson kicks out of another pinfall attempt. Swann tags in, Anderson drives him into the corner and makes the tag to Gallows who lays into him with a series of jabs to the midsection. Gallows covers Swann, forearm to the face, for the 1…2…not yet. Anderson tags in and jaws at the crowd to draw some heat, then throws Swann chest-first into the corner. Gallows tags back in and hits a fallaway slam followed by a running elbow in the corner. Anderson tags back in and slows it down once more with a chinlock. Swann gets to his feet, Anderson throws him to the canvas and clears Mack off the apron to prevent a tag. Gallows tags in, drops Bahh off the apron, and misses an elbowdrop. Swann has no one to tag yet, Anderson tags in and eats an enzuigiri and Swann reluctantly makes the tag to No Way. No Way lays into Anderson with a hip toss neckbreaker and corner clothesline followed by a Flatliner for the 1…2…Anderson kicks out. No Way charges, Anderson catches him with a spinebuster for the 1…2…Doering breaks it up, finally getting involved, then tags himself in, Gallows tags in, and it’s HOSS FIGHT CITY as they throw bombs at one another. No Way and Bahh clear Doering out to the floor, Swann & Mack tossing Gallows out on the other side. Swann spinkicks Bahh and connects with a corner seated clothesline, Bahh counters a rolling whatever into a Samoan Drop. Mack hits Bahh with a forearm an a Samoan Drop, No Way drills Mack with a clothesline, Doering hits No Way with a slam followed by a LARIAT for the 1…2…Swann pushes Rhino into Doering to break the count. Doering backdrops both Swann & Mack to the floor, Rhino gets the tag and sets up for the Gore but gets distracted and Anderson hits a Gun Stun behind the ref’s back. Gallows tags in and the Good Brothers hit the MAGIC KILLER for the 1…2…3!
The Good Brothers defeated Violent By Design [c], Rich Swann & Willie Mack, and No Way & Fallah Bahh to win the IMPACT WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (10:39)
- JON’S THOUGHTS: No Way was surprising and to be honest I’ve kind of missed him so it’s cool that Impact brought him in. Dude has A LOT left in the tank and hopefully Impact can bring some of it out of him. Match itself was pretty cool, everybody got their moments to shine, surprised to see The Good Brothers get the belts back but they’re the “big” team or whatever so I get it. It’s a bummer but I get it. (**1/2)
—
–Kenny Omega and Sami Callihan are shown getting ready for the main event later tonight.
-After Deonna Purrazzo’s entrance, complete with crown, her mystery opponent is revealed to be…THUNDER ROSA!!!
—
“The Virtuosa” Deonna Purrazzo [c] vs. Thunder Rosa for the IMPACT KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP
Dueling chants as they lock up, the crowd LOSING THEIR DAMN MINDS. Awesome. Rosa takes Purrazzo to the mat with a side headlock, Purrazzo quickly counters into a headscissors, Rosa kicks out and grabs a front chancery, Purrazzo goes for the wrist but Rosa grabs the leg; Purrazzo kicks her away and they reset. Both go for armdrags and exchange glares. Purrazzo goes for a Gory Special, Rosa escapes and counters with a sunset flip for a two-count. Rosa shoves Purrazzo and rolls her up for a two-count, Rosa drops her on the middle rope and connects with a dropkick to the back of the head for the 1…2…Purrazzo kicks out. Purrazzo sends Rosa to the apron and dodges a shoulder, countering with a hanging armbreaker! Brown calls the move “Divorce Court” which I f*cking love and probably should’ve known already. Purrazzo locks in a sort-of Octopus, Rosa breaks it by squashing her in the corner. Rosa misses a corner shoulder and Purrazzo lays into her with a series of boots. Rosa fights Purrazzo off and connects with a missile dropkick. Rosa connects with a pair of clotheslines followed by a corner clothesline into a pair of double knees and a hangtime dropkick for the 1…2…Virtuosa kicks out. Purrazzo holds onto the wrist, bringing her into a Fujiwara Armbar, Rosa counters the Venus de Milo attempt with a rear-naked choke, Purrazzo counters out back into a Fujiwara, Rosa rolls out and Purrazzo connects with a throw of sorts for the 1…2…Rosa kicks out, Purrazzo keeps hold of the wrist, Rosa rolls out and connects with a death valley driver across the knee for the 1…2…Purrazzo kicks out! Rosa heads to the top, Purrazzo dazes her with a palm strike to the ear but Rosa sends her back to the mat with headbutts, following up with a flying double stomp to the spine for the 1…2…PURRAZZO KICKS OUT. Purrazzo and Rosa trade chops, Rosa connects with a Buzzsaw Kick of sorts, Purrazzo counters a Thunder Driver with a roll-up for the 1…2…Rosa kicks out, Purrazzo boots her in the skull and hits the Queen’s Gambit for the 1…2…3!
Deonna Purrazzo [c] defeated Thunder Rosa via pinfall to retain the IMPACT KNOCKOUTS CHAMPIONSHIP (10:45)
- JON’S THOUGHTS: Crowd lost their mind at Rosa being the mystery opponent. Great surprise leading to a helluva match and win for Purrazzo. Awesome. (***1/2)
Before Purrazzo can gloat, the returning Mickie James interrupts. James says it’s great to be back and plays to the crowd, Purrazzo rightfully gets mad at her stealing the moment. James says she has mad respect for Purrazzo and is here to invite Purrazzo to compete at NWA Empowerrr, the first all-women NWA PPV coming in August. Purrazzo tells James to grab her trash bag and get the hell out of here. James slaps Purrazzo and lays her out with a kick.
- JON’S THOUGHTS: Maybe don’t interrupt a champ’s victory speech to ask them to be part of your PPV event? Seems rude.
—
-Bound For Glory 2021 heads to Las Vegas on October 23rd. Logos for Impact, AEW, AAA, and New Japan were shown. F*CK YOUR FORBIDDEN DOORS.
—
NO-DISQUALIFICATION MATCH
Kenny Omega [c] vs. Sami Callihan for the IMPACT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Callihan attacks Omega from behind during Callis’ intro, hitting a package piledriver for the 1…2…Omega kicks out. SO CLOSE. Callis joins Striker & Brown on commentary as Callihan starts digging for gold under the ring, tossing in a steel chair and a trash can. Callihan teases hitting Omega with a chair but instead sits down in it, yells “WRESTLING!”, and grabs a chinlock. Callihan produces a FORK, Omega blocks it and escapes his grasp with a back headbutt. Callihan charges and stabs the turnbuckle with his fork, Omega goes for a sunset flip but Callihan pulls out a pizza cutter and CUTS OMEGA’S FOREHEAD. Callihan bows for the crowd then uses the pizza cutter some more on a now-bleeding Omega, Callis LOSING HIS MIND ON COMMENTARY. Omega fights back with a series of right hands, Callihan catches him mid-air into a Death Valley Driver and Omega rolls to the floor to create distance/avoid getting pinned. Callihan winds up and charges, Omega uses the THREE MILLION YEARS it took for that to happen to find a trash can lid and use it on the Death Machine. Omega bounces plunder off Callihan’s head, Callihan flipping him off and asking for more until he’s finally dazed with a wet floor sign. Omega puts the trash can on the ring post and connects with a rolling senton followed by a trash can moonsault TO THE ANKLE (oops) for the 1…Callihan kicks out immediately.
Omega wedges a chair between the buckles, Callihan almost throws him in but Omega blocks it and connects with a back elbow. Callihan escapes a One-Winged Angel and rolls Omega up for the 1…2…Omega kicks out and sends Callihan into the wedged chair, busting him open. Omega grabs the fork from the turnbuckle and CARVES CALLIHAN UP! Callihan jabs himself with the fork, Omega FISH HOOKS HIM and the Death Machine rolls out to the floor. Omega shows off the bloody fork to the camera, then tosses Callihan into the guardrail. Callihan fights back but misses a chop, hitting nothing but post, and Omega follows up with a back suplex on the apron. Omega pulls out a table and double stomps it into Callihan, bending the motherf*cker. Omega sets up a second table, Callihan fights out of a Dragon Suplex attempt from the apron. The two trade shots, Omega pokes him in the eye and goes for a piledriver but Callihan grabs the family jewels and connects with a PILEDRIVER THROUGH THE TABLE, Callis so scared I think he just vomited on mic. Callihan introduces a board of some sort as well as a second trash can, cracking Omega in the back. Callihan sets up the board in the corner, Omega fights back but gets cracked in the head with the trash can. Omega charges, Callihan connects with a sidewalk slam on top of the trash can followed by a power bomb through the board for the 1…2…OMEGA KICKS OUT.
Callihan moves the steps and reveals a STEEL CHAIR WRAPPED IN BARBED WIRE. Callihan puts Omega in a Splash Mountain position, Omega escapes and hits a V-Trigger followed by a jumping legdrop into the steel chair into a power bomb on the chair and another V-Trigger for the 1…2…Callihan grabs the ropes. Omega makes a pile of plunder and sits Callihan on top of the buckle, biting the open wound and SUPERPLEXING CALLIHAN THROUGH THE RUBBLE for the 1…2…shoulder up. Omega connects with a V-Trigger, Callihan escapes the One-Winged Angel, Omega escapes a power bomb, Callihan dazes him with a back fist followed by a Tombstone ON THE BARBED WIRE CHAIR for the 1…2…OMEGA KICKS OUT. Omega blinds Callihan with salt, Callihan accidentally piledrives the referee and Omega knocks him out with the Impact Title. Omega follows up with a piledriver and covers but the ref is out cold, finally a second ref runs in and counts the 1…2…Callihan kicks out! Omega punches the second referee out, annoyed at not getting there in time. The Good Brothers try to interfere but Eddie Edwards and Chris Sabin run interference and fight them to the back. Callihan hits a second Package Piledriver for the 1…2…OMEGA KICKS OUT AGAIN.
Callihan produces a black bag and SPILLS THUMBTACKS OUT ON THE CANVAS. Callihan sets up, Callis runs from the announce table and distracts Callihan, Omega throws tacks into Callihan’s eyes and follows up with a V-Trigger. Omega grinds thumbtacks into his own kneepad and hits another V-Trigger for the 1…2…Callihan kicks out! Omega grabs a handful of tacks and pours them in Callihan’s mouth for ANOTHER V-TRIGGER followed by the One-Winged Angel for the 1…2…3!
Kenny Omega [c] defeated Sami Callihan via pinfall to retain the IMPACT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (27:25)
- JON’S THOUGHTS: I was iffy on this one going in but I’ll be damned if Omega and Callihan didn’t have themselves one vicious motherf*cker of a match. Just some great garbage fighting here with awesome spots punctuated beautifully by Don Callis having a straight up meltdown at the announce desk. Say what you will about Kenny Omega but that man does not half-ass it and he came to play for this one, wrestling the hardcore match Callihan wanted and still coming out the winner. Goddamn. (****)
Omega and The Good Brothers’ celebration gets interrupted by Bullet Club leader “SWITCHBLADE” JAY WHITE! Callis and The Good Brothers call for a Too Sweet…BUT THE PPV ENDS SO I GUESS WE DON’T KNOW AFTER ALL?
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS
Impact did not disappoint in their first show with fans back in the studio, delivering a PPV that was fun from top to bottom with minimal missteps. Some people are probably not going to be happy that their big surprises weren’t big enough but I thought it was hilarious and also kind of cool (who the f*ck thought Aiden English or whatever he calls himself now was going to ever show up again on a big stage?). Solid stuff all around, Omega is a great World Champ, I don’t care about this Bullet Club sh*t but I know others do so I hope they have fun with it. I just hope that isn’t the plan to get the World Title off Omega, Impact needing an outsider to do it would make them look like dorks.
- MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Kenny Omega vs. Sami Callihan
- MOMENT OF THE NIGHT: Thunder Rosa is announced as Purrazzo’s mystery opponent, causing the crowd to lose their goddamn minds.
