Impact Wrestling roster members Sami Callihan and Jessicka Havok announced their engagement today on social media. According to comments Havok posted to Instagram, Callihan proposed immediately following a video game live stream she was doing.
“So, I just ended a live stream of the mothman statue at the mothman museum, just to have Sami on one knee when I turned around. I almost couldn’t believe it. I am so overwhelmed with happiness. I didn’t know how to react, so I started crying. Lol, tears of joy. I don’t know what to say,” she wrote On Instagram. “P.s. I said yes.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQWdfpBDuPs/
Sami Callihan and Jessicka Havok
Havok is in her 2nd stint with Impact Wrestling currently. She was with the company from 2014-15. Havok won the Knockouts Championship during this run. She returned in 2019 and lately has been growing an alliance with Rosemary. They seem to be about to feud with Knockouts tag-team champions, Fire N Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz).
As for Callihan, he’s preparing to challenge Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship in the main event of Slammiversary next month. Callihan is already a former 1x Impact World Champion. He defeated Brian Cage for the title on the promotion’s first show on AXS TV.
Impact Wrestling from 6/17 featured an episode-long story of Anthem sending a representative to deliver a message regarding Sami Callihan’s firing from Against All Odds.
Impact Wrestling 6/17 Quick Results:
TJP defeated Black Taurus
Josh Alexander defeated Madman Fulton
Steve Maclin defeated Jason Page
Tenille Dashwood defeated Rachael Ellering
Satoshi Kojima defeated Rhyno
Chris Sabin Returns To Confront Moose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGKMgb51Tzw
After TJP defeated Black Taurus in the show’s first match, Moose attacked him from behind. Moose got on the microphone and berated Scott D’Amore for what happened to him at Against All Odds. Security came out to attempt to get Moose to leave but then Chris Sabin appeared out of nowhere and clocked Moose with a chair. Later, Sabin challenged Moose for a match at Slammiversary. The match was then made official.
Shera Takes Out The Entire X-Division
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RFQqeuBR-4
Josh Alexander defeated Madman Fulton this week. After the match, Austin attacked Alexander but this caused every member of the Ultimate X match at Slammiversary to come out for the save. Then Rohit Raju and Shera came out, however, and Shera took out everybody. By the end of the melee it was clear that Raju, Shera, Austin, and Fulton have reached some type of agreement. How their alliance will impact the Ultimate X match at Slammiversary is unclear.
Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo is done with Kimber Lee and Susan as her run-in buddies. She fired them in a backstage segment this week. This caused Susan to call her a “degenerate millennial” and a match between her and the KO champ was made for next week.
W. Morrissey cut a backstage promo this week about how many people in Impact Wrestling are of the belief that they have friends. Morrissey doesn’t believe in friends. He noted that he is the only person that he can trust.
Steve Maclin Impresses In His Debut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySp5CsbqxnQ
A very serious and angry looking Steve Maclin made his debut this week. He defeated Jason Page rather convincingly. D’Lo Brown noted on commentary that there is no wasted motion with Maclin, everything is very straight forward. He finished off Page with what look liked a reverse Michinoku Driver or Falcon Arrow type move.
Tenille Dashwood Picks Up Win Over Rachael Ellering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHMhEE4PFQA
Rachael Ellering seemed like she could have used some help on the outside during this match. Her tag partner Jordynne Grace wasn’t at ringside. Ellering had things in control but when Kaleb Konley got involved on the outside to allow Dashwood to pick up the win with a crucifix pinning combination.
Fire N Flava were causing problems in the back when Rosemary and Havok appeared. They tossed the tag champs into the trash where they discovered a bag with a label marked “Mickie James” on it.
Satoshi Kojima Defeats Rhyno
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-rcZtpdGtM
Kojima side-stepped the Gore and gave Rhino the Koji-Cutter to set up the finish of this match. Kojima then bounced off the ropes with a lariat and got the 3-count. Eric Young and Violent By Design were not happy on the outside as this means they will have to defend the tag belts next week against Edwards and Kojima.
Don Callis Is Fired, Sami Callihan Reinstated
All episode long fans were told that the Anthem board was sending a representative to the show to handle the Sami Callihan situation. That representative was revealed to be Tommy Dreamer in the night’s final segment. After teasing that he was going to fire D’Amore, Dreamer announced that Callis had been fired from the company. He also noted that Sami Callihan was reinstated and that Callihan’s match against Omega at Slammiversary will go ahead as planned.
Coming up in Impact Wrestling
Next Week:
Impact Tag Team Championships Violent By Design (Rhino & Deaner) (c) vs Eddie Edwards & Satoshi Kojima
Kiera Hogan vs Rosemary
Rohit Raju & Shera vs Petey Williams & Trey Miguel
Deonna Purrazzo vs Susan
Slammiversary:
Impact World Championship Kenny Omega (c) vs Sami Callihan
X-Division Championship Ultimate-X Josh Alexander (c) vs Rohit Raju vs Chris Bey vs Trey Miguel vs Ace Austin vs Petey Williams
Impact Wrestling has officially confirmed the main event for their upcoming Slammiversary PPV, announcing that Sami Callihan will challenge Kenny Omega for the title at the show.
Last week’s episode of their weekly show saw Scott D’Amore announcing that the winner of the match between Omega and Moose at the Against All Odds event will face Callihan at their next PPV.
However, Callihan didn’t wait until Slammiversary. He showed up at Daily’s Place this past Saturday after the world title match to confront his future opponent.
Unhappy with his move and concerned about Omega and The Young Bucks, Impact EVP Don Callis had rushed to the ring before Callihan could do anything and he fired the Impact Wrestling star from the company.
This week’s episode of Impact then saw Tommy Dreamer who was representing Anthem Sports & Entertainment; reinstate the former world champion’s job.
Dreamer also informed Callis that his job as the Executive Vice President of the company was being terminated. Don Callis has already finished his stint as an Impact executive and he has only been working as an on-screen personality for the company.
Updated Slammiversary Match Card
After the latest announcements, here is the updated match card for Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary PPV, taking place on Saturday, July 17:
Impact World Championship Match: Kenny Omega vs. Sami Callihan
X Division Championship Ultimate X Match: Josh Alexander vs. Trey Miguel vs. Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Rohit Raju vs. Petey Williams
Impact Wrestling has announced that Josh Alexander will defend the X-Division Championship at Slammiversary next month in an Ultimate X match. Impact announced today that he’ll face Trey Miguel, Ace Austin, Chris Bey, Rohit Raju and Petey Williams on July 17th.
Alexander recently successfully defended the title against TJP in a well-reviewed 1-hour Ironman match.
Sami Callihan is also scheduled to face Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship at Slammiversary. Callihan was then fired from Impact by Don Callis at Against All Odds. Callihan had attacked Omega after the conclusion to his match against Moose in that night’s main event.
Previous Ultimate X Winners
This will be the 44th Ultimate X match in history. It dates back to 2003 when Michael Shane beat Kazarian and Chris Sabin in the first match. Since then, Sabin has gone on to win more Ultimate X matches than anyone else with 8.
Winningest Ultimate X match participants:
Chris Sabin (8 victories, 17 appearances)
Christopher Daniels/1st Suicide (5 victories, 8 appearances)
There has been a lot of discussion on the future of the recently released WWE stars and which companies they should join next. Impact star Rosemary recently revealed her picks for the stars she wants to see in their promotion.
Impact Wrestling has been teasing the signing of at least one of the released WWE stars from the latest wave of budget cuts and there has been some speculation on who it could be.
While appearing on The Angle Podcast, Rosemary named The IIconics and former Knockouts champion Laurel Van Ness as stars she would like to see in Impact:
“The IIconics in particular tingles in the back of our minds with the reformed Knockouts Tag Team Championships, bringing in a seasoned tag team and one that’s quite clever and unexpectedly successful. So their addition to the Knockout’s division would be very intriguing indeed.
You called her Chelsea Green, but she’s our Laurel Van Ness” said Rosemary, “And we do have unfinished business with her so to have her return to the IMPACT realm would be something sweet indeed.”
The debate of whether or not WWE should hold another all-women’s PPV after Evolution in 2018 has picked up in recent times and Triple H’s comments have added a spark to this discussion.
Rosemary talked about how Impact used to do their own version of an all-female show called Knockouts Knockdown and hoped that it will return in future.
It was recently reported by the Wrestling Observer that IMPACT Wrestling star Moose had re-signed with the company. There were rumors surrounding the powerhouse performer looking elsewhere, with both WWE and AEW supposedly interested.
Fightful Select has now confirmed that Moose has signed a two year deal, keeping him with IMPACT until at least the Summer of 2023. Although not specific monetary details were given, he is apparently on a ‘significantly improved’ wage structure to his prior deal.
Moose on Improved Contract
IMPACT apparently have been factoring in Moose into their ongoing plans in a ‘major’ way. Whilst it isn’t clear what this means for the time being, he is consistently part of the main event scene on their weekly programming and PPV shows.
Moose recently faced Kenny Omega for the IMPACT World Championship at the Against All Odds event. Moose was unable to capture the title after The Young Bucks would interfere and cost him the match.
With the current ‘Forbidden Door’ storyline ongoing, there’s a good chance that we will see the IMPACT star appearing more at Daily’s Place, likely under the AEW banner.
Moose is sticking around in Impact Wrestling. It was first reported by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer that Moose had signed a new contract. Now, Fightful has details about the deal.
The new contract is for two years, and will carry Moose into the Summer of 2023. His original deal was slated to expire in June. It was said the deal has a significant improvement over his last deal, though there’s no word yet on the financial terms.
It was noted that Moose figures into Impact’s plans in a major way. He did have interest from other promotions in signing him, but it’s unclear which promotions wanted Moose.
Moose reacted to the original report about signing a contract last month on Twitter by writing, “Not True,” then following up with another tweet that stated, “Plz get your news from me and me only.”
Impact Wrestling nor Moose have publicly announced that he’s re-signed with the promotion.
Moose lost to Impact World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega in the main event of the Against All Odds special this past Saturday night that was taped one week prior at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
Current Impact X Division champion Josh Alexander will be making his debut for NJPW as part of the partnership between the two companies this week.
The champion will be making his debut for the Japanese promotion in a singles match against Alex Coughlin. The two will face off on this Friday’s ignition episode of NJPW Strong. This will be the beginning of Coughlin’s open challenge series.
The partnership among AEW, Impact and NJPW has been growing in the past few months. Stars from all three companies have been making more and more cross-promotional appearances in recent times.
The Walking Weapon of Impact has been one of the stars who previously competed against talents from other companies. Alexander defended his title against NJPW’s El Phantasmo during the May 15 episode of Impact.
NJPW announced a special ignition event for their weekly NJPW Strong show. The two-night special will begin this week and conclude on June 25.
Apart from the match between Josh Alexander and Alex Coughlin, the episode will also feature bouts such as Satoshi Kojima vs. NWA World Tag Team Champion JR Kratos, and Fred Rosser & Adrian Quest vs. Bateman & Barrett Brown.
Tony Khan has announced that the upcoming Impact world title match between Kenny Omega and Moose at the Against All Odds event will be taking place from AEW’s current home in Florida.
This week’s episode of Impact Wrestling featured a summit between the two companies. It included the AEW president Tony Khan and Impact executive vice president Scott D’Amore.
During the segment, Don Callis advocated keeping Sami Callihan out of the championship match this Saturday. He explained that it should be just Moose challenging Kenny Omega for his title at the upcoming show.
The Impact EVP praised Callis for his logical thinking. D’Amore said that the former Impact official understands the business very well before confirming that Saturday’s match will remain a singles bout.
Tony Khan, however, then made a big announcement. He revealed that the match between Omega and Moose will be taking place on their turf at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Impact EVP also added his own announcement to the mix. He confirmed that the winner of this bout will defend the Impact world title against Sami Callihan at the Slammiversary PPV on 17 July.
Moose won a six-pack challenge at the Under Siege event last month to become the new #1 contender for the Impact world title. Sami Callihan then picked up a DQ victory over Moose last week during their singles match, thanks to interference from Omega and The Good Brothers.
Steve Cutler, aka Steve Maclin, was Tommy Dreamer’s guest on the House of Hardcore podcast this weekend. During the discussion, Maclin spoke about what got him into wrestling, joining the Marines, and his recent release from WWE.
Maclin talked about how 9/11 impacted his decision to join the Marines during the podcast.
“In high school, 9/11 happened when I was a freshman. So that was the big impactful moment for me just because it instilled for me to want to go into the military at a young age,” Maclin said. “My Mom and my Dad fought with me at that time. Around 2005 when I graduated, Iraq was really bad so they said ‘please just try college for a year.’ So I said ‘no problem whatsoever.’”
Maclin continued to say he had friends try to convince him to wrestle during that year at college. He always considered himself too small, however. He left college and was not happy with what he was doing.
“I dropped out college, working a full-time job and just not happy with what I was doing. I didn’t like it, I was like there’s something more and I want to do what I want to do and what I wanted to do was join the Marine core.”
He also noted that there was extra paperwork for him to join the Marines due to being an only child. Being the last of his bloodline, his parents also had to sign off even though he was 20 at the time.
“At 20 years old I joined the Marine core, November of 2007. Then got out in November of 2011. Did my 2 tours in Afghanistan. First one was in 2009 from May to November and then the second one was in January to August of 2011. I got every experience that I wanted in the military.”
When Maclin was on leave from the Marines his friend introduced him to Fred Rosser (WWE’s Darren Young at the time) who encouraged him to go into wrestling. Rosser told Maclin how to find a school when he got out of the Marines. He eventually found the Monster Factory in New Jersey. Maclin was then scouted by Gerald Biscoe about a year and a half after beginning his training.
Maclin’s full discussion with Tommy Dreamer is below.
Impact Wrestling star Karl Anderson has some advice for the WWE Superstars who were released this past week.
Anderson and his tag team partner Luke Gallows were cut by WWE in April 2020, just weeks after they participated in the Boneyard Match main event of WrestleMania 36.
During the latest episode of the Talk N Shop podcast, Anderson advised that the released talent be ‘less friendly’ in their social media comments.
“We know what it’s like to get canned from WWE,” Anderson began. “Here’s the advice I would say; enough of the ‘thank you’ tweets. Give me a f*cking break. When you get canned, let it go. How about hashtag ‘f*ck off.’ I don’t think less than 24 hours after being fired…take a second to take a breather.”
“Take it easy with the thank you bullsh*t within 24 hours” Anderson continued. “Breathe it in and take it all in for just one second. Put together a plan of attack before you start thanking all these motherf*ckers that fired you.”
Anderson Praises Jim Ross
Karl Anderson would then praise Jim Ross, who himself is a lot more candid than most when it comes to discussing WWE’s business practices. “People give Jim Ross a lot of heat, but I have respect for Jim Ross.”
“When we got canned, he said, ‘There’s a reason why WWE decided to not do business with these individuals anymore’” Anderson added. “It’s as true as it can get and Thank God. We made the most money we’ve ever made in our lives this past year and that’s after WWE.”
There’s a good chance that a number of the talents released could end up at AEW and/or IMPACT; so Anderson’s comments could end up hitting home to some of the Superstars when he eventually works with them again.
Listen to the latest episode of Talk N Shop at MLWRadio.com.
Well, you can now add Matt Cardona’s name to the list of people who want a piece of Nick Gage. Cardona stunned the crowd at the recent GCW Zombie Walk show, attacking Gage after the match. What made the altercation even more interesting is how it all transpired.
Matt Cardona came to the ring, covered from head to toe and gave the crowd his best Moxley swagger. Hitting Gage with a paradigm shift before removing his mask. The nod to Mox is understandable give the feud running between Mox and Gage. However, it does make you wonder if there is something else running.
— GameChangerWrestling (@GCWrestling_) June 6, 2021
With the recent news of show titles such as Battle of the Belts being trademarked by AEW, the concept of cross-promotion fights is interesting. The crowd certainly went wild, both when they assumed it was Mox in the ring, and after Matt Cardona unmasked himself.
A hardcore promotion like GCW might not be the place you instantly think of when discussing Matt Cardona. Yet, it seems as if this is something legit. Cardona took to Twitter after his appearance to share some thoughts before calling out Nick Gage from a steakhouse.
You would be hard pushed to find any bigger wrestling fan than Matt Cardona. He lives and breathes the business. Should a match go down between him and Gage, or him, Gage and Moxley, it will be a headline event. This looks likely, especially given how Cardona picked up the GCW title belt and held it aloft.
With all the recent cuts in WWE, it’s no surprise there is a lot of speculation about their ultimate destination. Current IMPACT star and X Division Champion Josh Alexander is the latest to voice his opinion.
During a lengthy interview, Josh Alexander spoke about the recent WWE releases, naming Samoa Joe as his opponent of choice.
“For me, just as a fan, I would love to see Samoa Joe come in and try and get the X Division Championship from me” Alexander said. Since winning the title, Alexander has put in great displays against the likes of El Phantasmo and TJP. However, a match against someone like Samoa Joe would be a mouth-watering affair.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPrX7vNqrCl/
Josh Alexander was not short on comments about other stars he would like to see fighting again.
“But, there are a lot of other talents. Samurai Del Sol – Before he went to WWE as Kalisto, he was being regarded as the next Rey Mysterio Jr. but somehow that got lost in translation while he was there. I think the IIconics are great. I think Chelsea Green is great and would be an asset to the Knockouts Division.”
There is a wealth of talent lurking in the free-agent pool right now. Josh Alexander is a fan of wrestling and agrees we are in exciting times.
“I’ve not asked any of these questions and I don’t know anything. I just want to be pleasantly surprised along with everybody else.”
Josh Alexander is enjoying his first singles championship run in IMPACT. Whoever his next run of opponents may be, they will need to bring their A-game if they want to take his title.
Tony Khan is headed back to Impact Wrestling. The AEW President hasn’t been seen on the show in recent weeks. With Impact moving to Thursday nights, Khan’s weekly paid advertisement for Dynamite haven’t been airing. It was revealed on this week’s show, however, that Khan will return to Impact Wrestling next week.
Khan will appear on Impact Wrestling next week in order to help Impact’s Scott D’Amore sort out the issues between Kenny Omega, Sami Callihan, and Moose. This could involve changing the Against All Odds main event to a triple threat match.
Kenny Omega, The Good Brothers, and Don Callis caused a disqualification in the main event match between Moose and Sami Callihan this week on Impact. Scott D’Amore then told Callis that Tony Khan will be on Impact next week to potentially provide AEW approval for a change to the Against All Odds main event. Currently, Omega is scheduled to defend against Moose but it certainly sounds as though D’Amore wants Khan to agree to have Omega defend the title in a triple threat match against both Moose and Callihan.
Impact Wrestling’s 2nd last show before next weekend’s Against All Odds event aired last night. The “Before the Impact” show also featured a 60-minute Ironman match pitting X-Division Champion Josh Alexander against TJP.
Impact Wrestling 6/3 Quick Results:
X-Division Championship 60-Minute Ironman Match Josh Alexander (c) defeteated TJP (2:1 in Overtime)
Tables Match Jake Something defeated Rohit Raju
Knockouts Tag Team Championships Fire N Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz) (c) defeated Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering
Satoshi Kojima defeated Deaner
Moose vs Sami Callihan – No Contest
Josh Alexander Retains X-Division Gold In 60-Minute Iron Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jExPhinXpQk&t=66s
Josh Alexander retained the X-Division Championship in an epic Ironman match with TJP. The match began on BTI, spilled into the main broadcast, and caused the locker room to empty out from the back to watch the show.
Alexander would score the first fall 20 minutes into the match with a pinning combination. That would be the only fall before the match moved from BTI to the regular weekly Impact Wrestling broadcast. The second fall wouldn’t come until just seconds of the match were remaining when TJP rolled up Alexander to tie the score. This sent us to sudden death overtime.
Alexander hit a big moonsault on TJP early in the overtime period for a near fall. He then hit a big power bomb for another close 2-count. Finally, Alexander hit his double-underhook piledriver, got the pin, and successfully retained his title.
Jake Something Defeats Rohit Raju In A Tables Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypZjPMPHzuw
Jame Something and Rohit Raju had the unenviable task of following the Ironman match this week. This match dates back to Raju interfering in a match where Something had the chance to qualify for a #1 Contenders match at Under Siege. Something would get his revenge against Raju this week, however. The finish of the match came when Raju tossing a chair at Something’s head had little impact and Something then speared him through a table.
W. Morrissey Attacks Rich Swann Before Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kANC9X3h3tA
W. Morrissey has been making quite the impact since debuting in the promotion. This is a bitter, angry, and violent man. Morrissey approached Scott D’Amore in the back about a match with Swann this week. D’Amore obliged, noting that Swann had requested the match as well. As Swann made his way to the ring, however, Morrissey attacked him from behind. Security had to come out to pull him off the former world champion and Willie Mack also came out to assist.
A match between Swann and Morrissey was made for Against All Odds. Another match between Mack and Morrissey was made for next week under No DQ rules.
Fire N Flava Retain Over Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2vWlKWjxzA
Fire N Flava picked up another win over former champions Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering this week. This likely ends the long-running rivalry between the two teams. The finish of the match came shortly after Steelz took Ellering out with a DDT on the floor. This allowed Fire N Flava to double team Grace. Hogan hit Grace with a splash off the top while Steelz had a sleeper locked in and this allowed the champs to pick up the pinfall win.
The former Forgotten Sons member Steve Cutler (aka Steve Maclin) is on his way to Impact Wrestling. A vignette aired on this week’s show featuring Maclin sitting at a desk and enjoying a drink.
Satoshi Kojima Debuts in Impact Wrestling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UEcyAF6e70
Satoshi Kojima will rekindle his old feud with Joe Doering at Against All Odds this weekend. He faced Deaner in his Impact Wrestling debut on this week’s show. The members of Violent Design attempted to cause some interference but Eddie Edwards came out to thwart them off. This allowed Kojima to hit a Koji Cutter followed by a lariat for the win.
Against All Odds Main Event To Be Changed To A Triple Threat?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njLqH7GFb90
The main event match between Moose and Sami Callihan was broken up this week by the Good Brothers. Earlier in the show, Callis visited with both Moose and Callihan to butter them up for various reasons. Neither man seemed to be fooled by Callis disingenuous efforts, however. Omega and the Good Brothers continued the assault on both men before leaving the ring area.
Scott D’Amore then confronted the group in the back after. D’Amore put it out there that perhaps a triple threat match should be made involving both Moose and Callihan. He also noted that Tony Khan will return to Impact Wrestling next week as AEW would have to agree to such a match. Khan will be on-hand to help D’Amore deal with the issues that have developed between Omega, the Good Brothers and Moose and Sami Callihan. This could involve a change to the Against All Odds main event.
— The Demon Assassin (@WeAreRosemary) June 4, 2021
The following has been confirmed for next week’s show:
Havok vs Rosemary (if Havok wins she’ll be added to KO title match at Against All Odds)
No Disqualification W. Morrissey vs Willie Mack
Against All Odds Lineup
BREAKING: Violent By Design will invoke the Freebirds Rule as @CodyDeaner and @Rhyno313 will defend the World Tag Team Titles against @steveofcrazzy and @Taurusoriginal at #AgainstAllOdds on June 12th on @IMPACTPlusApp!
Slammiversary is the biggest show in the IMPACT Wrestling calendar. Schedule for July 17th, it has recently been announced that there will be a limited number of fans allowed in attendance.
This will be the first IMPACT Wrestling show in over 16-months to have an audience. The Slammiversary card was already shaping up to be a big one, but this announcement means it is that much more special.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPrkkYJDoO4/
Due to the limited number of tickets, IMPACT has said that every Slammiversary seat will be ringside. They also come with a whole host of extras and goodies.
IMPACT Executive Vice-President Scott D’Amore broke the news “We have waited over a year to say these three words: Welcome Back, Fans. We know Slammiversary will be an amazing event, with title defenses, jaw-dropping excitement, breath-taking moves … AND NOW, FANS.”
“I speak for everyone at IMPACT Wrestling when I say that we are thrilled to welcome back our fans. IMPACT is going to deliver an amazing night of action in front of the thunderous roar of fans for the first time since early-March 2020 at the two-night A-Town Beatdown in Atlanta.”
Slammiversary tickets go on sale today, June 4th at 10 am. There have been no matches announced for the event just yet. However, there has been lots of speculation about the names people could expect to see appear. Especially after the video package released by Impact in May, teasing several recently released WWE superstars.
Impact Wrestling is reportedly planning to elevate the X Division title and put more emphasis on the high-flying division in the coming times. According to PWinsider, the idea behind the 60-minute iron man match for the championship at tonight’s episode of the show is to elevate the title.
The Impact officials plan to feature it in a major way going forward and the match between TJP and Josh Alexander will apparently kick-start these plans. While the exact plans for the championship were not described, a source compared the X Division plans to the legendary ECW TV title run of RVD.
The WWE Hall Of Famer held the ECW TV championship for more than 700 days in his run. His reign started in April 1998 and the hardcore high flyer only vacated the championship due to injury in March 2000.
This was the longest reign for the ECW TV title ever. The idea behind it was that the championship was just as important as the company’s world heavyweight title and Impact is hoping to elevate the X Division to a similar level.
Tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling saw Josh Alexander retaining his championship over TJP in a hard-fought iron man match. If these reports are true then it likely means that Alexander will now be holding the title for a while and he won’t be losing it anytime soon.
Former WWE star Steve Maclin, better known to the fans of the company as Steve Cutler of The Forgotten Sons will be making his Impact Wrestling debut soon.
The company aired a vignette during the latest episode of their weekly show to hype his debut. The promo as seen below sees the wrestling star in a room with party music playing in the background.
Steve Cutler signed with WWE back in 2014. He stayed with the promotion until 2020, though his career did not have many notable moments.
His most notable outing in the company was as a part of The Forgotten Sons stable which he formed with Wesley Blake and Jaxson Ryker in early 2018.
The trio made their main roster debut in 2020 after spending a couple of years in NXT. However, they were removed from television due to a controversial tweet from Ryker, which effectively disbanded the group.
Steve Cutler did make a brief return to WWE TV in December 2020 when he and Blake re-debuted as part of Baron Corbin’s The Knights of the Lone Wolf stable.
However, this storyline was abandoned quickly as well. The former WWE star was then released from his contract in February earlier this year.
Former WWE and current Impact Wrestling star TJP revealed on Instagram that he suffered a nose injury recently and underwent surgery to repair the damage.
The high-flying star noted in a post that he had been performing with a fractured nose for a few weeks. According to him, he broke his nose about a month ago and had been wrestling with it being ‘broken and kinda loose’
TJP had held off the surgery because of his packed schedule in the past month and finally went under the knife after completing the latest set of Impact tapings:
The upcoming episode of Impact wrestling will see the former WWE cruiserweight champion competing in a historic 60-minute ironman match for the X Division title.
TJP will challenge the current Impact X Division champion Josh Alexander in the bout that will start on Before The Impact and culminate on the broadcast of the show on Thursday.
The former champion also has a scheduled match at the upcoming NJPW Strong show on Friday night where he will be facing Kevin Knight in a singles match.
The exact time for his recovery is not known. However, considering that TJP waited for his schedule to free up, it doesn’t seem likely that he will be off Impact programming for a significant amount of time, if at all.
Impact Wrestling 5/27 featured Moose & Sami Callihan teaming up to take on the Good Brothers. Matches were booked for Against All Odds and Satoshi Kojima arrived to challenge Joe Doering.
Impact Wrestling 5/27 Quick Results:
TJP & Fallah Bah defeated Josh Alexander & Petey Williams
Rosemary, Jordynne Grace, Rachael Ellering, Tenille Dashwood, & Havok defeated Deonna Purrazzo, Kiera Hogan, Tasha Steelz, Kimber Lee & Susan
Crazzy Steve & Taurus (Decay) defeated Johnny Swinger & Hernandez
The Good Brothers defeated Sami Callihan & Moose
TJP Pins X-Division Champion Josh Alexander, Ironman Match Booked For BTI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfkyXUHexnE
TJP and Fallah Bah teamed up to defeat Petey Williams and X-Division Champion Josh Alexander this week. The finish of the match saw TJP pin Alexander with the Mamba Splash. The pinfall over the X-Division Champion should put TJP in line for the next shot at the title. It also moved TJP and Fallah Bah up the rankings in the tag-team division.
Later in the show, TJP challenged Alexander to another match for the title. Scott D’Amore then interjected and made an Ironman match for “Before the Impact” the company’s pre-show weekly event. That match will take place next week. TJP and Alexander shook hands after the match was booked.
W. Morrissey Rips Fans For Recording Him Suffering A Seizure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWAHkontss
W. Morrissey is not happy with how fans and others from the wrestling industry have treated him in the past. He cut an intense promo this week and referred to the time that fans recorded him suffering a seizure at a House of Hardcore event in late 2018. He also ripped his current rivals, Willie Mack and Rich Swann, before Swann appeared out of nowhere and attacked.
Rosemary Pins Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoPnRUb68EE
The second singles champion to be pinned on the show this week was Deonna Purrazzo. In a 10-person Knockouts tag-team match, Rosemary picked up the win for the babyface side when she hit a double-underhook slam on the champion and got the 3-count.
Satoshi Kojima vs Joe Doering In Impact Wrestling
Violent By Design cut a promo this week celebrating their tag title victory over FinJuice last week. Young reminded everyone that this world does not belong to you, it belongs to them. Satoshi Kojima then hit the ring and stared down his longtime rival from AJPW, Joe Doering. These two haven’t met since 2010 but the last time they did, Kojima defended the Triple Crown title against him in a show from Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
Kojima challenged Joe Doering to another match at Against All Odds. While Doering didn’t say anything at the time, he would later accept the challenge in a backstage interview.
Matt Cardona Out 12 Weeks With Broken Orbital Bone, Brian Myers Doesn’t Care
It was revealed this week that Matt Cardona will be out of action for 12 weeks with a broken orbital bone following the attack last week by Brian Myers. While Dr. Foreman was giving an update on Cardona’s condition, Myers interrupted, seemingly irate that they are wasting time talking about Cardona on the show. Sam Beale then walked in and this seemed to irritate Bad Mood Brian as well. Myers then told Beale he is going to teach him to be “professional.”
Decay Pick Up Victory Over Johnny Swinger & Hernandez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34sbs09yptw
Before Crazzy Steve and Taurus took on Johnny Swinger and Hernandez, they got into a backstage altercation with Violent By Design. Crazzy Steve berated Deaner for being a follower and set up what could be a possible match between the two down the line. It was noted that both Crazzy Steve and Deaner were trained by Eric Young. Decay then picked up the victory over the pair from Swinger’s Palace, Johnny Swinger and Hernandez after Steve hit Swinger with a flying DDT.
Moose and Sami Callihan Implode in Match Against The Good Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MNk5vi79bc
Moose is the number 1 contender for Omega’s Impact World title but Sami Callihan seems to be interjecting himself into things as well. Callihan cut a promo to start the show that was interrupted by Moose who reminded Callihan that he is the one to challenge Omega next. This led to a match where Callihan and Moose teamed up against the Good Brothers.
The two could not get along during the match, however, and Moose delivered a pump kick to Callihan while he was setting up Anderson for a piledriver. This led to the Good Brothers giving Callihan the Magic Killer for the win. Moose then took out Callihan with a spear and told him to mind his business to close the show.
Coming Up In Impact Wrestling
The following matches are upcoming in Impact Wrestling:
Before the Impact – Next Week 7 PM est
X-Division Championship 60-Minute Ironman Match Josh Alexander (c) vs TJP
Next Week:
Tables Match Rohit Raju vs Jake Something
Satoshi Kojima vs Deaner
Knockouts Tag Team Championships Fire N Flava (c) vs Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering
Against All Odds – June 12th, 2021
Impact World Championship Kenny Omega (c) vs Moose
W. Morrissey (the former Big Cass) cut a promo on Impact Wrestling last night that while delivered in character, covered some very real issues. In late-2018, Morrissey suffered a seizure while at a House of Hardcore wrestling event. Some fans filmed him as he was in medical distress and the video was submitted to YouTube, as well as picked up by TMZ and other outlets. He addressed this incident during his promo on Impact last night.
“Every time that I’ve fallen down in this industry, every time that something bad has happened to me or I made headlines for all the wrong reasons, people kicked me when I was down,” Morrissey said. “When I had a seizure in front of 1500 people in Philadelphia, PA, those fans that love us and adore us, do you know what they did? They took out their phones, and instead of dealing 9-1-1 they recorded it and put it on YouTube and then everybody in the world got to watch me at my most vulnerable point.”
Morrissey’s time in Impact Wrestling has been notable thus far. Since debuting in the promotion, Morrissey has been feuding with Willie Mack and now appears to be moving into a program with Rich Swann.
Morrissey’s full promo can be viewed in the player below:
Following surgery for appendicitis, IMPACT wrestling star Eddie Edwards took to social media to update and thank fans. Edwards stayed in the hospital in Nashville for a few days, following his surgery on May 18th. However, he is now back home in Boston.
“Finally back home after an extended stay in Nashville,” Edwards tweeted. “Yah I’m an appendix short but I’m good! Thank you to all who reached out. It always amazes me how supportive this industry can be. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again the Impact Wrestling locker room is a family. THANK YOU!”
Finally back home after an extended stay in Nashville. Yah im an appendix short but Im good! Thank you to all who reached out. It always amazes me how supportive this industry can be. Ive said it before and Ill say it again the @IMPACTWRESTLING locker room is a family. THANK YOU pic.twitter.com/vIwoIoUXwC
Eddie appeared on the recent Under Siege card, teaming with former IMPACT tag team champions FinJuice. At that event, Edwards pinned Karl Anderson to give his team victory over the Good Brothers and Kenny Omega.
With many people speculating that IMPACT were preparing for an Edwards vs Omega feud, any plans now need to be shelved. Omega is set to defend his IMPACT title against Moose at the Against All Odds PPV.
There is no word right now on Eddie Edwards returning to action. In the past, wrestlers recovering from appendicitis surgery have taken up to three months to get back in the ring.
Eddie Edwards is an IMPACT wrestling legend. Having held the IMPACT belt on two separate occasions and will surely be eager to add a third.
Whether it is against Kenny Omega, Moose, or anybody else on the IMPACT roster, Eddie Edwards will be ready for them.
When FinJuice won the IMPACT Wrestling tag-team belts back at the Sacrifice PPV everybody stood up to take notice. The NJPW stars were on loan to IMPACT as part of the new working relationship between wrestling promotions. They won the belts from a different promotion and took them around the world with them.
For two months, FinJuice brought a new elevated level of prestige and attention to IMPACT wrestling. When they were dethroned so cheaply by Violent by Design on the last round of IMPACT tapings, it came as a huge surprise. Even bigger than their initial victory.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPLzu-LKNWM/
The loss did not sit well with the former champs. Returning to Japan empty-handed, they were quick to comment on events.
“What the hell is a Call Your Shot trophy? I’ve heard of a briefcase, didn’t know there was a trophy. We just put our heart and soul on the line to defend the tag team championships and then we lose them…like that.” David Finlay said during a video call following the recent broadcast.
Title changes are part of wrestling. Having the belts on wrestlers from a different company is never going to be a long-term solution. As it stands right now, there are no immediate plans for FinJuice to challenge for the titles again.
According to sources, IMPACT creative has no immediate plans for the team, who are back in Japan. The working relationship between IMPACT and NJPW is still strong, however, so who knows who else might step up to try and claim the crown.
FinJuice have formed an impressive team since graduating through the NJPW system, and it is only a matter of a time before more belts are hung around their waist.
PROGRESS Wrestling star Kanji has made a challenge to IMPACT Wrestling’s Jordynne Grace. Kanji will be attempting to win the PROGRESS Women’s Championship at Chapter 111: One Leg In The Air, and she said that Grace is a former Champion that she would like to see return to the company.
Kanji made the comments during a recent PROGRESS Media Call. “I’d love to see Jordynne Grace come back,” Kanji replied when asked who she would like to see return.
“I’d love to step in the ring with Jordynne Grace and have her come back with all the skills and abilities that she’s learned since having the belt previously” Kanji continued.
Kanji on Jordynne Grace and Meiko Satomura
Jordynne Grace was previously the PROGRESS Women’s Champion after defeating NXT UK Superstar Jinny. Grace was eventually defeated by Meiko Satomura, who also has gone on to NXT UK. Satomura is also someone that the PROGRESS hopeful would like to see return to the company.
“I think definitely also get Meiko Satomura back” the UK star stated. “I think she could grace our ring again. That would be awesome.”
After many rumors and teases from the heavyweight star himself, Moose has finally signed a new contract with Impact Wrestling to stay with the company for the foreseeable future.
The former Impact grand champion was set to become a free agent when his previous contract with the company expired next month.
The Impact star had been teasing fans about his future moves recently and Moose went as far as suggesting that he might be signing with NXT once his current contract expires.
However, Dave Meltzer of F4wonline is now reporting that the former football player has made the decision to stay with his current promotion and already inked a new deal to make it official.
Though the site was not able to reveal the length of his new contract. So it’s unknown for how long we can expect Moose’s current run to continue
The former ROH star has been with Impact Wrestling for 5 years now. He has achieved numerous accolades during his time with the promotion including two reigns with the now defunct Impact Grand championship.
Though he has failed to win the Impact world title so far. He will get an opportunity at the title when he faces ‘The Belt Collector’ Kenny Omega at the upcoming Against All Odds event taking place on June 12.
In light of his newly signed contract with the company, it would be interesting to see if Moose if finally able to capture the title at the upcoming show.
