Former IMPACT and WWE Superstar EC3 recently wrote a series of tweets regarding the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill main event. It was confirmed yesterday that Alex Shelley could not appear in the main event of the show. Travel reasons were the catalyst for this, although nothing further has been released publicly by the company.
IMPACT Wrestling made a change to the card and inserted Moose into the main event of the show. Moose is now teaming with Rich Swann and Chris Sabin. This adds extra intrigue to the main event, as Moose and Rich Swann have been at odds recently; with Moose beating Swann’s close friend Willie Mack at last week’s Genesis event.
EC3 would write a series of tweets regarding the inclusion of Moose into the main event. The can be seen at the bottom of this article.
The former Ethan Carter The Third is not included on tonight’s card officially, nor is he contracted to IMPACT Wrestling (at least this isn’t known publicly). EC3 has been adopting the ‘Control Your Narrative’ stance ever since he left WWE last year, and this appears to be another wrinkle in that story.
It’s worth noting that the below tweets do not indicate that EC3 will get involved at Hard To Kill; but it is certainly something to watch out for.
• To find someone with potential to carry a lost aspect of this industry forward. ? An athlete, a man, an entity, someone powerful, terrifying. ? Someone LEGITIMATE. ? One worth my sacrifice.???
In a company where management has now become infatuated with the #serotonin release of using someone else's "star" Moose once again has found himself unwanted. Abandoned.??? ??? This makes him very dangerous.??? ???
Alex Shelley was scheduled to be in the main event of Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill PPV tonight. Yesterday, the promotion announced that Shelley would be unable to perform on the show. He has been replaced in the main event by Moose.
Shelley released a video statement through Impact’s social media channels and spoke about the situation.
“There are certain things in life that are just out of our control and unfortunately, my ability to compete at Hard to Kill has been dropped into that bucket,” Shelley said in the video. “So, on that note, I owe an apology to Chris Sabin. I owe one to Rich Swann, I owe one to the fans. And I owe a receipt to the Good Brothers and Kenny Omega.”
Shelley then confirmed that he does not have COVID-19.
“I assure everyone out there, I do not have COVID, I am not orthopedically injured.”
Although not explicitly said, it sounds as though Shelley is missing the show due to precautions regarding the ongoing pandemic. This could mean he came into contact with someone who tested positive, but that is just speculation.
“(Impact management) they are doing the utmost in terms of precautions to make sure that nobody is at risk at Hard to Kill or moving forward.”
He concluded the video by saying he’ll be back in Impact Wrestling. Shelley’s full video can be viewed below:
Impact Wrestling has sent in word that there’s been a change to the main event of Saturday night’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view.
The scheduled main event was supposed to be AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Impact World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers vs. Impact World Champion Rich Swann and the Motor City Machine Guns. Unfortunately, MCMG member Alex Shelley will be unable to appear and has been pulled from the match. His replacement will be Moose.
According to Impact, Alex Shelley contacted the company late Thursday night and informed them he will be unable to travel to Nashville, TN for the PPV. The company cited “unavoidable circumstances” as to why Alex Shelley cannot appear.
Moose commented on Twitter, “Hey Kenny Omega, I heard you put on 5 star matches…. GREAT. But the real question is have you ever met a God? You meet one tomorrow night.”
Impact executive Scott D’Amore also commented on the situation:
“When we got the news from Alex there was no question what we needed to do. Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures – I personally contacted Moose and he accepted the match immediately. I know Rich Swann in particular has his issues with Moose. but this is time to put personal issues and egos aside.
“HARD TO KILL is a huge event for IMPACT Wrestling and a historic one for professional wrestling in general. IMPACT Wrestling needs to put our best foot forward. Moose fits that bill. He is a physical specimen, a five-tool athlete, and has proven himself to be a world-class professional wrestler. Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers will have their hands even more full now when they step into the ring with IMPACT World Champion Rich Swann, IMPACT Original Chris Sabin, and the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Moose.”
Hard To Kill: Updated Card
The following is the updated lineup for Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill PPV:
Rich Swann, Chris Sabin & Moose vs. Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers
Impact Wrestling presents Hard to Kill on Saturday night. Rosemary will team with her old Decay stablemate, Crazzy Steve, on the show. They’ll take on the team of Tenille Dashwood and her personal photographer, Kaleb Conley (aka Caleb Konley). Rosemary’s longtime ally, Taya Valkyrie, will challenge Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts title on the show as well.
Rosemary spoke to Women’s Wrestling Talk about the upcoming PPV and her relationship with Taya. It should be noted that when Rosemary speaks she refers to herself in the plural sense, i.e “we” instead of “I”.
“The Valkyrie and the Demon have gone to war so many times. And we know each other so well, that when we decided, we say decided, when we were commanded by the shadow to form an alliance with her, it was not difficult to do so because we already knew her so well,” Rosemary said. “And the fact that we became so dominant as a tag team, leading up into the announcement of the tag team titles, by being returned to Impact, we really knew that we had something there because we could rely on her to be where we needed her to be and vice versa.”
Rosemary On Hard to Kill & Crazzy Steve
Rosemary also spent some time talking about the upcoming Hard to Kill PPV. She suggested that she would like it if Taya won the title and then the two of them later won the tag belts.
“In the most immediate future, the most ideal, the most ideal path, the most ideal reality to manifest, would be if the Valkyrie was to win the Knockouts championship this Saturday and then down the road we were to capture the tag titles and bring all the belts into the fold,” she continued.
“We already have seen the return of our dear brother Crazzy Steve into Impact Wrestling. While we have not had too many interactions with him as of yet just know that we are talking and when the time is right when the shadow was ready for our brother crazy still too Crazzy Steve to realign with the demon assassin. That would be as you said, trouble for anyone involved.”
The full interview can be viewed in the player below:
Impact Wrestling co-Vice President and Kenny Omega’s manager, Don Callis, was recently interviewed by Chris Van Vliet. During the discussion, Callis teased that there is more to come in his angle with Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers.
“Kenny and I have a lot of plans and what people are seeing from a national television perspective is just the fruition of those things,” Callis said. “We take great pride in the fact that when people think they have seen the apex of it, we try to do something different, take it to the next level.”
Callis talked about how he cut a promo in WWF as a complete unknown and called out Vince McMahon. What he said in the promo, Callis said, was indicative of what he wants from the wrestling business.
“I called out Vince McMahon. I said that I wanted to run the World Wrestling Federation, I wanted to run the wrestling business,” Callis said. “But it was true. I never had any interest in being a pro-wrestling manager, or being a color commentator, I wanted to be the person pulling the strings. I was 29-years-old when I said that.”
Callis continued to say the timing wasn’t right for him to run the wrestling business, however. WWE did offer him jobs working in creative but he turned them down.
“I wrote 6 weeks of television for Kurrgan to get him to try to get him to a different level and I wrote it out in a week-by-week format,” Callis continued. “That would be fairly common now, in 1997, it was pretty unheard of.”
Callis said that after doing so, he was offered a spot in WWE creative but turned it down. He ended up getting released from the company in 1999. The belief is he was fired by Bruce Prichard for “getting over at the talent’s expense.”
Callis then went to ECW and performed as Cyrus the Virus. During his interview with Chris Van Vliet, Callis referred to Paul Heyman as one of the most influential people in his career.
Don Callis On Comparisons To Paul Heyman
“There’s probably been 3, I’d say,” Callis said when asked about the most influential person in his career. “Kenny’s uncle the Golden Sheik, for sure. Bad News Allen (aka Bad News Brown) who kind of took on my training after the Sheik moved on. And then Paul Heyman in ECW.”
Callis then explained the key difference between what he does and what Paul Heyman does, however.
“I’ve been happy for Paul that he’s had the success that he’s had cause he’s a very talented and hard-working guy. Did a lot for me. There have been people now that have been comparing us. I think it’s an unfair comparison for Paul. Cause Paul is a tremendous wrestling performer, a character on a wrestling show. He does a wonderful job of that. I’m not a character. I am the essence of who I am and what I do is done at a much higher level than what characters like Paul, with all due respect, can do.”
The full interview with Don Callis can be heard in the player below:
A lot of former WWE stars have said that their run with the company resulted in a loss of passion and confidence for them and The Good Brothers shared their similar experiences recently.
The team of Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows were recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated where they opened up about their time with the company and more.
During the interview, Anderson said that he hates to admit the fact that there was a point in WWE when they had lost their confidence:
“I hate to admit this, but I think there was a point in WWE where we had a loss of confidence, but I can promise you that the confidence is back.
We needed to get out of that environment to remind ourselves who we really are and what we can be. Right now, we’re on top of our game. It feels that way to us, and hopefully, it shows.”
Though later in the interview, Doc Gallows said that the Good Brothers don’t have any sour grapes about their time with the company before joking about not getting Slammy Awards for their participation in the Boneyard match:
“We don’t have any sour grapes about WWE, except that they forgot to mail us our Slammy Award for Match of the Year, maybe the mail is slow. I’m still waiting on that. But we’re focused on right now.”
Apart from this, the Good Brothers also discussed their reunion with the Elite on last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite and said that it felt good to do it in front of a live crowd. You can check out their full interview at this link.
Impact Wrestling World Champion Rich Swan is gearing up for one of the biggest matches of his life. This Saturday night, Impact presents Hard to Kill live on pay-per-view. Swann will team with the Motor City Machine Guns against AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Impact World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers (Gallows & Anderson).
Swann appeared on Wrestling Epicenter this week and spoke to host James Walsh about the significance of this match. The full interview is embedded here, with highlights below.
Rich Swann is currently the top dog in Impact Wrestling, but it almost didn’t happen. He suffered a wave of injuries last year that almost forced him into retirement.
“It was excruciating, it was painful, it was something that I wouldn’t ever wish on my worst enemy,” said Swann. “I broke my leg, my fibula, my ankle… Everything in my ankle, my foot… And then, not only that, my back. My lower back was broken. You know, I was told that I probably would never wrestle again let alone walk the same way again. That was just another something that I had to overcome.”
Thanks to exhaustive physical therapy, he eventually trained himself back into fighting shape. Swann captured the Impact World Championship at Bound for Glory 2020. He says “the crown is heavy on the head” because so many legends before him have held that title. It means the world to him that he’s the leader of a company that has such a rich history.
Impact Working With AEW
Impact Wrestling’s working relationship is one of the hottest angles in pro wrestling. As Impact World Champion, Swann is one of the key players involved in the inter-promotional conflict. He feels that the two companies working together is “awesome” for the business and for fans.
Last week, we saw The Good Brothers crash AEW Dynamite and come tot he aid of Kenny Omega. The Young Bucks joined in and the group embraced in what appeared to be a reunion of former Bullet Club members. Swann says he’s not surprised at what we saw. He feels that it was just a matter of time before the Bullet Club members threw up the Too Sweet symbol and showed their true colors. Even though he’ll be standing across the ring from Omega and the Good Brothers this Saturday night, he can’t help but admit that it’s cool to see them together again.
Don Callis has been claiming that Kenny Omega is the “real” world champion, which has to be seen as a slight to people like Rich Swann. When asked how he feels about this, Swann said he does not let it get under his skin.
“No, it doesn’t get under my skin because I know what I had to do to win the World Heavyweight Championship,” said Swann. “So, for someone to say that they’re the “real” world champion, guess what? You are the real world champion… in AEW! Maybe thanks to the tactics that he used with Don Callis, don’t forget to mention! I did it the old fashioned way – With heart, determination, and the power of love of professional wrestling. If you look at our wins, if you compare those two, who is the real World Champion?”
AEW World Chamion Kenny Omega has made it known that he is on the hunt for more titles. Would Rich Swann be interested in a match to unify the AEW and Impact World titles?
“I’m from Baltimore, Maryland.” said Swann. “I’m not afraid to step into the ring with no man. I fear no man and I only fear one thing. The thing is, that is not one thing that I would ever fear. If he (Kenny Omega) wanted to step into the ring and do a Unification… We’ve it. We’ve seen seen him go into Mexico and he beat Loredo Kid in AAA. Do I think he could come into my house and do what he did there? I don’t know. Time will tell.”
With just days until Impact’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view, Rich Swann says he and the Motor City Machine Guns are ready with “a whole lot of ammunition and we’re ready to unload.”
Order Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill now at FITE.TV.
Impact Wrestling has just announced a change to their commentary team. Longtime commentator, Josh Mathews, has been promoted to a behind-the-scenes role and will be leaving the commentary booth. Similarly, Madison Rayne will be leaving the commentary booth to begin a career outside the world of wrestling. In their place will be the new commentary team of Matt Striker and D’Lo Brown.
Josh Mathews will now serve as senior producer for all of Impact’s weekly shows and PPVs. He was quoted in a press release announcing the change.
“My play-by-play career has spanned nearly 20 years – from WrestleMania to Bound For Glory to incredible moments from IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV,” Mathews said. “Producing will allow me to have a bigger role in the overall production of our weekly show, PPVs and IMPACT+ Specials.”
“This transition has been a great process, Matt and D’Lo are bringing a fresh energy and are ready to go. It was a special year in 2020, and both Madison Rayne and I will always be grateful for the opportunity and look forward to these exciting changes.”
Matt Striker has been working on Xplosion for the promotion as of late. Previously, Striker has worked on commentary for WWE, Lucha Underground, and AAA.
“I’ve always loved professional wrestling. It is a love that unites so many people,” Striker said. “Pro wrestling is a sport and I want to be mindful to call it as such. I’ve learned and grown so much since I began, and I thank the fans – and the critics – for that.”
“It is not lost on me the opportunity that is before me – I can once again lend my voice to the sport that I love. In doing so, I’m poised to describe, analyze, and witness the most advanced athletes the sport has ever seen. I am excited, nervous, thankful, and humbled. I cannot wait to get out there. You will always be able hear the fan in me.”
D’Lo Brown was also quoted on his new role as color commentator for Impact.
“I’m humbled to follow the IMPACT broadcasting path of Don West and Mike Tenay, and most recently Don Callis, Madison Rayne and certainly Josh Mathews. I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity. I know there are big shoes to fill, but Striker and I will do our best.”
The new commentary team will debut this Saturday at Hard to Kill. Last night’s Impact Wrestling, will be the last for the Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne team.
BREAKING: Starting at #HardToKill, Matt Striker and D'Lo Brown will be IMPACT Wrestling's new broadcast team! @AsleepOnThBeach @dlobrown75
Impact Wrestling on January 12th, 2021 was the go-home show before Saturday’s Hard to Kill PPV event. Karl Anderson faced Rich Swann in a non-title match in the main event.
Impact Wrestling Quick Results 1/12:
Kimber Lee defeated Taya Valkyrie
Chris Bey & Rohit Raju defeated Manik & Suicide
Deaner defeated Tommy Dreamer via DQ
Rosemary defeated Tenille Dashwood
Moose defeated Matthew Palmer
Rich Swann defeated Karl Anderson
Below are 8 key takeaways from the show:
Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers Brawl With Rich Swann & MCMGs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1KoeKz58Oo
During the show this week, Kenny Omega, Don Callis, and the Good Brothers were shown regularly from their luxury bus outside the venue. This week, the faction was preparing for Karl Anderson’s 1-on-1 non-title match with Impact World Champion, Rich Swann. Neither the Motor City Machine Guns nor Bullet Club would be allowed ringside.
Anderson spent much of the match working on his opponent’s arm. It’s possible this injury may potentially play into the match at Hard to Kill as well. The champion fought through adversity, however, and countered the Gun Stun into a pinning combination for the win.
After the match, Omega and Gallows attacked the Motor City Machine Guns in their dressing room while Don Callis watched on. Swann arrived to help but Anderson wasn’t far behind. These two teams are heading into Hard to Kill with some built up animosity.
“Susan” Helps Kimber Lee Defeat Taya Valkyrie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUbQyCc7ro8
This was seemingly a warm-up match for Taya as she is scheduled to challenge Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts title at Hard to Kill. Taya looked to have the match won with a double-knee strike in the corner but Purrazzo put Kimber Lee’s foot on the ropes during the pin attempt. Rosemary then chased the KO champ up the ramp but this brought out “Susan” Su Yung’s newest alter-ego. Susan working alongside Purrazzo and Kimber Lee distracted Taya, allowing Kimber Lee to score the pin on a roll-up. Will Susan be on-hand to help Purrazzo retain at Hard to Kill?
Moose Gets Revenge On Matthew Palmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgxR_XyaBho
Last week, Moose was unable to defeat former security guard, Matthew Palmer, in under 3 seconds. This week, Moose again needed longer than 3-minutes to beat his opponent, but he did eventually do so. The referee called a halt to the match as Moose was laying elbows into his unresponsive opponent.
We saw at Genesis, that Moose’s victory over Willie Mack was enough to earn him a future title shot at Rich Swann. It’s not clear when exactly that match will take place, but it’s coming and it’s something Moose has been preparing for.
Eric Young’s Faction Gets Ready To Go Old School At Hard To Kill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8bxm3PyfqI
Eric Young, Joe Doering, & Deaner will face Tommy Dreamer, Rhino, and Cousin Jake in an old school rules match at Hard to Kill. This week, Deaner took on Tommy Dreamer in singles action. Cousin Jake is still all torn up about Cody Deaner joining Eric Young’s faction. He again tried to talk some sense into his former partner but to no avail. Eventually, Jake grew frustrated with Deaner and attacked him while he was on the ring apron, leading to the disqualification.
Things broke down into a brawl after the match. Both Rhino and Joe Doering, who had been sent to the back during the match, returned and brawled as well. The segment ended with Eric Young delivering a vicious piledriver to Dreamer.
Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament Finals Preview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQugVanxpMI
After an 8-team single elimination tournament, we are down to two teams. Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz will face Havok & Neveah in the finals at Hard to Kill. It’s the most established teams in the tournament facing off in the finals. We saw a sit-down face-to-face interview between the two teams this week. Steelz and Hogan had plenty to say but their opponents sat silent. Finally, Havok & Neveah got up and pushed their opponents up against the walls to let them know they will do their talking in the ring on Saturday.
Chris Bey Picks Up Momentum Ahead Of Hard To Kill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KYGNOVrhdI
The X-Division Championship picture continued this week as Manik & Suicide teamed up to face Chris Bey and Rohit Raju. Raju seems obsessed with unmasking Manik to prove that he is TJP but this might be to his detriment. Bey seems much more focussed on the task at-hand, which is likely why he was able to walk away with the victory this week. Bey hit the Art Of Finesse on Suicide for the win. There will be nobody under the Suicide mask at Hard to Kill, however, when Manik defends against Bey and Raju in a triple threat match.
Decay Reunite Against Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb
Tenille Dashwood’s personal photographer, Kaleb with a K (Caleb Konley) got involved often during this match. He tripped Rosemary’s foot as she came off the ropes and he sprayed hairspray in her eyes. Fortunately for Rosemary, an old ally appeared to even up the odds. Crazzy Steve and Rosemary are former members of Decay, and evidently, their bond still runs strong. Steve chased Kaleb away from ringside. This allowed Rosemary to spray hairspray in the eyes of Tenille Dashwood and then hit a spear for the win. A match between the former members of Decay and Dashwood and Kaleb has now been scheduled for Hard to Kill.
Hard To Kill Lineup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42aaPBHpzYQ
Here is the scheduled lineup for Saturday’s Hard to Kill:
Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs Rich Swann & The Motor City Machine Guns
Knockouts Tag Team Championships (Tournament Finals) Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz vs Havok & Neveah
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
Barbed Wire Massacre Sami Callihan vs Eddie Edwards
Old School Rules Eric Young, Deaner & Joe Doering vs Tommy Dreamer, Rhino, & Cousin Jake
X-Division Championship Manik (c) vs Chris Bey vs Rohit Raju
The Karate Man vs Ethan Page
Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb vs Rosemary & Crazzy Steve
Impact Wrestling returns to AXS TV tonight for the “go home” show before Saturday’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view.
The big angle headed into the PPV is AEW World Champion Kenny Omega aligning with Impact World Tag Team Champions, the Good Brothers. The trio will battle Impact World Champion Rich Swann and the Motor City Machine Guns. The Bullet Club alums have gotten the upper hand in recent weeks, so you can be sure Swann & the Machine Guns are looking to make a statement.
Impact has confirmed that Kenny Omega and Don Callis will appear in the Impact Zone tonight.
Jeff Jarrett and Anthem, the parent company of the current Impact Wrestling have finally reached a settlement in their trademark case, according to Law 360.
While the terms of the settlement between the two parties were not disclosed, a brief filing with the court told the judge that both the parties will be submitting a joint request for dismissal:
“The terms of the settlement are met, and unless any party objects, they will submit a joint request for dismissal of the claims and counterclaims in the case by no later than Oct 1, 2022.”
Impact Wrestling had originally announced a merger with Jarrett’s GFW back in April 2017 and they started rebranding their programming using the GFW logo and theme in June.
However, the merger was short lived as the company severed their ties with GFW in October and returned to the Impact Wrestling name which they have utilised ever since.
Then in August 2018, Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Anthem claiming that the company violated state and federal trademark infringes by continuing to use footage of GFW Amped.
Anthem officials filed a countersuit against Jeff Jarrett in 2019, arguing that Jerrett and GWE granted them a licence to the GFW name and related assets.
Tuesday’s 1/5 episode of Impact Wrestling on AXS TV averaged 148,000 viewers and a 0.04 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. The show ranked 140th on cable for the evening, according to ShowbuzDaily.
The first Impact of 2021 featured the latest from Kenny Omega, Don Callis and the Good Brothers, Sami Callihan vs. Eddie Edwards, Havoc & Neveah advancing to the finals of the Knockouts tag title tourmanent and more. You can view our full recap here:
Impact’s viewership was up from the previous week, which drew 103,000 viewers and a 0.01 rating for the ‘Best of 2020: Part 2’ recap show.
Impact faced stiff competition from cable news election coverage of the two United States senate races in the state of Georgia.
MSNBC’s Election Coverage program at 8pm topped the night in cable viewership with 4.655 million viewers and a 0.68 A18-49 rating. CNN’s Election Night In America at 10pm did 3.815 million viewers and a 0.92 A18-49 rating.
Impact Wrestling presents Genesis this Saturday night on Impact Plus. The following weekend is Hard to Kill on pay-per-view.
It’s a huge month for Impact Wrestling. This Saturday, Genesis will air on Impact Plus. On January 16th, Impact is back on PPV with Hard to Kill and the promotional in-ring debut of AEW World Champion, Kenny Omega.
Impact Wrestling 1/5 Quick Results:
Fatal 4-Way Craazy Steve defeated Ace Austin and Blake Christian and KC Navarro
Cody Deaner & Joe Doering defeated Cousin Jake & Rhino
Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament (Semi-Final #2) Havok & Nevaeh defeated Jazz & Jordynne Grace
3-Minute Challenge Matthew Palmer defeated Moose (Palmer lasted full 3 minutes)
Sami Callihan vs Eddie Edwards – No Contest
Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers Attack Rich Swann & The MCMGs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdmurvK7BhQ
Kenny Omega, Don Callis, Doc Gallows, and Karl Anderson were back on their luxury bus this week. They cut a promo from the bus talking about how they once again all hold title belts. Later in the show, Swann and the MCMGs cut a promo and then went to confront the group on the bus. They blew past security and approached the bus door when Omega and the Good Brothers came from around the back of the bus for a surprise attack from behind. The surprise attack allowed them to take it to their opponents at Hard to Kill. Omega ended the segment by putting the boots to Swann, Shelley, and Sabin.
Sami Callihan Set A Trap For Eddie Edwards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Haaj68LiaU
Arguably the most intense rivalry in Impact history continued in this week’s main event. Just as Edwards had Callihan cowering away from him, Callihan used his hacking device to put a video up on the big screen. The video showed Eddie’s wife, Alisha, trapped behind a fence. Edwards fled the match to go save her. As he approached the fence to let her out, Ken Shamrock attacked from behind. Callihan then used barbed wire to tie Edwards to the fence. The two hammered Edwards with some shots and then left just before the show came to a close.
A Barbed Wire Massacre match has since been booked for Hard To Kill:
We got another paid advertisement by AEW this week. Tony Khan joked about how it only costs $100 for the spot. He talked about how Kenny Omega is one of the two best wrestlers in the world, the other being Jon Moxley. They then ran down the card for tonight’s AEW New Year’s Smash Event.
Willie Mack Embarrasses Moose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izmcF3PX9Qw
Moose took on former security guard Matthew Palmer this week in a 3-minute challenge. Palmer only needed to last the full 3-minutes to win the match. Moose dominated early but was arrogant and took his time. Willie Mack then came out to make a distraction, costing Moose the match. Moose and Mack will face each other in an I Quit match this weekend at Genesis.
Havok & Nevaeh Advances To KO Tag Tournament Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzA3E8i7NU4
The final semi-final match in the Knockouts tag-team tournament took place this week on Impact. Havok hit a tombstone piledriver on Jazz to pick up the win for her team. They will face Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz in the finals, pitting the two most solidified teams in the division against one another.
Later in the show, Jordynne Grace apologized to Jazz and the two shared some mutual respect. Grace then said she’d be honoured to face Jazz at Genesis and the legend agreed to the match.
Craazy Steve Picks Up Victory En Route To The Super X Cup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCImzPQVREA
This Saturday at Genesis, 8 wrestlers will compete in a single-elimination tournament for the Super X Cup. 4 wrestlers in the tournament, Craazy Steve, Ace Austin, Blake Christian, and KC Navarro met in a fatal 4-way to kick off the show. Steve would pick up the pin on Navarro with a diving DDT from the second rope. With that, Craazy Steve is heading into Genesis with all the momentum.
6-Man Hardcore/Old School Rules Match Scheduled For Hard To Kill
Cody Deaner is now a member of Eric Young’s faction along with Joe Doering. Cousin Jake kept trying to talk some sense into him during their tag match this week. In the end, however, Deaner hit a low-blow on Jake and picked up the win for his team. The assault continued after the match but Tommy Dreamer came in to make the save. A 6-man, no dq, old school rules match was then scheduled for Hard to Kill.
Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo and her run-in buddy, Kimber Lee, recently enlisted the help of Father James Mitchell to turn Su Yung back into her less threatening persona of Susie. This week, Mitchell revealed that Su Yung was now someone different, although it wasn’t Susie. Susan came out in a suit and serious look. Purrazzo and Kimber Lee seem willing to deal with this persona.
Impact Wrestling Genesis Lineup
The following matches have been booked for the Genesis card on January 9th, 2021:
Super X-Cup (1st Round) Ace Austin vs Suicide
Super X-Cup (1st Round) Daivari vs Cousin Jake
Super X-Cup (1st Round) Craazy Steve vs Tre Lamar
Super X-Cup (1st Round) KC Navarro vs. Blake Christian
I Quit Match Willie Mack vs Moose
Jazz vs Jordynne Grace
Super X-Cup Semi-Finals
Super X-Cup Finals
Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill Lineup
Impact Wrestling presents Hard to Kill on January 16th, 2021. The following matches are booked for the card:
The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) & Rich Swann vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) & Kenny Omega
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
X-Division Championship Manik (c) vs. Rohit Raju vs. Chris Bey
Old School Rules Tommy Dreamer, Cousin Jake, & Rhino vs Eric Young, Joe Doering, and Cody Deaner
Barbed Wire Massacre Eddie Edwards vs Sami Callihan
AEW President Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone returned to Impact on AXS TV this week with another sponsored ad spot. Khan said they are continuing the holiday spirit of helping the less fortunate by funding Impact with the paid ad.
Schiavone ran down the card for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. It will be the first night of a 2-week special, New Year’s Smash.
Tony Khan then denied Don Callis’ claim that he was partially responsible for the formation of AEW. Khan said that he was the man responsible for AEW’s funding, resources, television relationships, booking, hiring talent and more.
Khan told Callis, “You do nothing for the wrestling business. You’re a parasite on this business.” The Tony’s will be back on Impact next week with another ad, and he’ll pay for the air time with a $100 bill his grandmother sent him for Christmas. Tony Schiavone’s reaction to this line was priceless.
Watch Tony Khan & Tony Schiavone’s latest paid advertisement from this week’s Impact Wrestling in the player embedded below:
Kenny Omega, Don Callis and The Good Brothers also appeared on Impact on AXS TV. They hyped their upcoming match at Hard to Kill on January 16th.
Omega, Gallows and Anderson addressed their opponents, Impact World Champion Rich Swan and the Motor City Machine Guns. Omega said those guys are teammates for now, but they’re not family like Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers.
The gang said they are Bullet Club for life. Watch the promo below:
Impact Wrestling on AXS TV returns tonight with the first new episode of 2021.
Impact finished the year strong with the hot inter-promotional storyline involving AEW World Champion Kenny Omega, Don Callis and the Good Brothers. Omega and Callis will be on hand tonight as the built continues for Hard to Kill later this month.
The following matches are advertised for Tuesday’s Impact:
Sami Callihan vs. Eddie Edwards
Jordynne Grace & Jazz vs. Nevaeh & Havok: Winners advance to Knockouts Tag Team Tournament Finals.
KC Navarro vs. Crazzy Steve vs. Ace Austin & Blake Christian
Rhino & Cousin Jake vs. Joe Doering & Eric Young
Moose vs. Matthew Palmer in a ‘Last Three Minutes’ Challenge.
Impact Wrestling: Hard To Kill
The card is taking shape for Impact Wrestling’s next pay-per-view, Hard to Kill. Here is the updated lineup for next weekend’s pay-per-view:
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega & Impact Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers vs. Impact World Champion Rich Swann & The Motor City Machine Guns
Knockouts Champions Deonna Purrazzo vs. Taya Valkyrie
X-Division Champion Manik vs. Chris Bey vs. Rohit Raju
Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals: Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz vs. Jordynne Grace & Jazz OR Nevaeh & Havok
The Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill event takes place Saturday, January 16th. You can order the show now at Fite.tv for $39.99.
We have updates on a few Impact Wrestling contracts that were set to expire at the end of 2020.
Former Impact World Champion, Sami Callihan, has announced that he has re-signed with the promotion. He noted on Twitter yesterday that he’s come to terms on a 2-year deal with the promotion. Callihan originally singed with Impact in late 2017.
Callihan wrote, “Today marks when I WOULD have been a FREE AGENT. I just RE-SIGNED with @IMPACTWRESTLING, 2 years for BIG money. I got other offers…but I don’t give a damn. This is MY company. I made this company. I will be champion again in 2021. #TheDRAW.”
Ethan Page Update
In other Impact news, Ethan Page has finished up with the company. It had previously been reported that he was not expected to re-sign.
It was reported recently in the Wrestling Observer that he has left the promotion. His tag-team partner, Josh Alexander is still with the company, however, and has several months left in his contract. Dave Meltzer wrote, “Ethan Page, who is no longer with the company as he decided not to sign a new deal, which breaks up The North as a team since Josh Alexander has months left, has pulled all of his merchandise effective now.”
As for where Page is headed, pulling merchandise is often a sign someone is going to WWE. Page is the kind of guy who would throw out a red herring like that, though.
“If you think for one F’N second that we’re going to let Impact dictate whether we break up, or we don’t, or whatever you’re out of your damn mind,” said Page.
“I’m telling you guys. Everyone watched Final Resolution, and everyone saw my mental breakdown, whatever. It doesn’t matter. I’m telling you guys that no matter which way this goes The North are not splitting.”
Impact Wrestling named its “Best of 2020” Awards during this week’s Impact on AXS TV. Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo was the big winner, scoring honors for not only Knockout of the Year but also Wrestler of the Year.
July’s Slammiversary pay-per-view was “Moment of the Year” and that show’s main event was Match of the Year.
Here is the full list of winners:
Wrestler of the Year: Deonna Purrazzo
Tag-Team of the Year: The North
Knockout of the Year: Deonna Purrazzo
X-Division Wrestler of the Year: Ace Austin
Moment of the Year: Slammiversary 2020
Match of the Year: Eric Young vs. Rich Swann vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Ace Austin vs. Trey Miguel (Slammiversary)
Deonna Purrazzo Reacts
Deonna Purrazzo commented on Impact Wrestling recognizing her greatness. She wrote,
“This year has been my most challenging. To finish 2020 as WRESTLER OF THE YEAR only validates every trial & tribulation I’ve faced to date. I’ve been true to myself & true to my craft and for that, I’m most proud. Welcome, EVERYONE, to the Age of the #Virtuosa”
Congratulations to Deonna Purrazzo.
This year has been my most challenging. To finish 2020 as WRESTLER OF THE YEAR only validates every trial & tribulation I’ve faced to date.
I’ve been true to myself & true to my craft and for that, I’m most proud.
AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’
One of the most common comparisons Omega/Callis have had is that of Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan. Don Callis would start the interview by addressing that notion and saying that he and Omega are completely different beasts.
Don Callis on Comparisons To Greats
“I actually never said it, but people are saying that” the IMPACT Wrestling EVP would begin on the podcast. “I think it’s great. Nick Bockwinkel? He’s one of the greatest of all time. I think Bobby Heenan is a great wrestling manager. I am not a manager, I’m not a wrestling character, I’m making history Chris (Jericho), just like you.”
“I’m not out there performing, I’m not Bobby Heenan” Don Callis would continue. “I’m a revolutionary, I’m Winston Churchill. I don’t care what people say about me on the internet, I don’t care what the ratings are. Because guess what? When we get a rating? The next week, we forget about the week before and we’re on to the next thing.”
Don Callis would then reveal that his ambition goes far beyond the now in pro wrestling. “I don’t care what people say about me now. I care about what people say about Kenny Omega and Don Callis 50 years from now. When people are saying ‘we thought Eddie Graham, Bill Watts, Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon were smart?’ Don Callis and Kenny Omega are on a totally different level.”
‘The Invisible Hand’ would finish by again rubbishing the comparisons to Bockwinkel and Heenan. “That’s just the reality. So Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan? Great, great, wrestlers. Kenny Omega is not a wrestler, Kenny Omega is a God among insects. That’s how much better Kenny Omega is than everybody else.”
Do you agree with Don Callis? Do you think that he and Kenny Omega are carving out a path that will put them in the history books? Let us know in the comments
AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’
Jericho would begin the interview by asking Kenny Omega how he felt about finally getting the AEW Championship. Much had been made of the AEW EVPs (The Young Bucks and Omega in particular) not being ‘the same’ performers they were in Japan before creating All Elite. Omega would state that he was ready to be the ‘Best Bout Machine’ again.
Kenny Omega on Becoming AEW Champion
“I felt that it was time” Kenny Omega began on the podcast. “I felt that I’d waited long enough kind of trying to help everyone else out. It was time to help myself, and when I had sort of made that decision? I thought, who better to do it with than one of my family members, you know?”
Omega would then discuss how the pairing with him and Don Callis would align on AEW and IMPACT programming. “Even though he was involved with a different company had other business to attend to? He made himself available. I think you can really tell when you’re comfortable with someone in a ring, comfortable with someone in a professional environment. Don and I working together? It just goes hand in hand.”
“I think that’s why people enjoy it (Kenny Omega and Callis)” Kenny Omega would continue. “Because they see that, they see the chemistry there. They also see one of the greatest managers, one of the greatest wrestling personalities of all time with, arguably, I would say; the greatest wrestler currently active in today’s world.”
Are you enjoying the start of Kenny Omega’s run as AEW Champion? Do you think that he’ll appear in more promotions? Let us know in the comments
Former Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne will be leaving Impact Wrestling soon to pursue a career outside of the wrestling world, latest reports reveal.
According to reports from PWinsider, the female star who currently works for the company as a commentator alongside husband Josh Mathews will be leaving the company for a new full time job outside of wrestling.
The Wrestling Observer provided some more update on the situation and it notes that Impact officials had not found a replacement for Rayne as of last week.
Madison Rayne’s Career
The former champion made her debut for the promotion in 2009. Since then she has had a number of runs with TNA and she has won over half a dozen titles in the promotion.
Madison’s achievement in the promotion includes 5 different reigns with the Impact Knockouts championship and a couple of runs with the Knockouts tag team titles as well.
Outside of TNA, Madison Rayne, who made her wrestling debut back in 2005, has wrestled for promotions such as ROH and she also competed in the Mae Young Classic tournament back in 2018.
Madison Rayne is not the only star to leave Impact in recent times. Jake Crist recently departed the company and reports suggest that Ethan Page is also expected to become a free agent at the end of this year.
Impact Wrestling star Karl Anderson is teasing an appearance at tonight’s AEW Dynamite.
Anderson is one half of the Good Brothers, the Impact Wrestling world tag team champions. Gallows & Anderson reunited with former Bullet Club partner Kenny Omega last night on Impact’s TV show
Omega, Gallows & Anderson will main event next month’s Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view against Impact World Champion Rich Swann & the Motor City Machine guns.
Ahead of Wednesday’s live AEW Dynamite from Jacksonville, Anderson sent out the following teaser on social media.
The December 15th edition of Impact averaged 177,00 viewers and a 0.04 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. The show finished 143rd on cable for the night. This data comes courtesy of Showbuzzdaily.com.
This was the second week of Impact to feature an appearance by AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis. The show-closing angle saw Omega align himself with former Bullet Club partners, the Good Brothers. Omega will team with Gallows and Anderson at the upcoming Hard to Kill pay-per-view.
By comparison, last week’s Impact had 221,000 viewers and did a 0.08 rating. Two weeks ago, prior to the start of the AEW-Impact angle, Impact had 166,000 viewers.
The next two weeks of Impact during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday weeks will be “best of” shows.
Callis appeared on Figure Four Daily and spoke to Bryan Alvarez about his recent actions. During the discussion, Alvarez asked Callis if he’s received any blowback from Impact for letting another promotion’s champion run rough shot on their show.
“Blowback? Bryan, Kenny Omega, and I are the most talked about thing in professional wrestling and have been for the last 2.5 weeks,” Callis responded. “When you are that big, no one can touch you. Cause you know what they think? They think ‘gee, I kind of wish Don had clued us in but we have Kenny Omega on our show and over a million people saw the Kenny Omega Don Callis interview.”
He added, “Over a million people saw the Tony Khan infomercial.’ Those numbers don’t lie, Bryan Alvarez. So, the words that Impact might be looking for is ‘hey, this is great!’”
Callis continued to talk about how this is an opportunity for someone like Impact World Champion Rich Swann to show the world what he’s capable of.
“Rich Swann is one of the most competitive athletes I’ve ever been around,” Callis continued. “So, all I’ve done is given someone opportunity, Bryan. Here’s your opportunity to get in the ring with the best wrestler in the world, Kenny Omega, with the Good Brothers, and show everyone who you are, and do it in front of more people than you ever dreamed possible. If you call that running rough shot, I call that making dreams come true, Bryan.”
Don Callis Hints At What Might Come Next
Callis was then asked if he can let fans know what might be coming next in the angle.
“This may go on, as my record suggests, for many, many years,” Callis responded. “When you want to imagine what that next move could be, imagine something so big that you didn’t think it was possible and then magnify that by a thousandfold and you might be getting in the ballpark of what’s next.”
The full interview from Figure Four Daily is available here.
Impact Wrestling 12/15 saw Kenny Omega, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows reunite in the show’s closing segment. We also saw the first semi-final match in the Knockouts tag-team title tournament and more.
Impact 12/15 Results:
Tenille Dashwood defeated Alisha Edwards
Chris Bey defeated Manik via DQ
Knockouts Tag Team Tournament (Semi-Final #1) Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz defeated Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary
Brian Myers defeated Josh Alexander via DQ
Karl Anderson defeated Chris Sabin
Below are 8 takeaways from Impact 12/15:
Kenny Omega, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows Reunite
Last Tuesday night, Kenny Omega made his first appearance on Impact Wrestling. Saturday night at Final Resolution, he reunited with Karl Anderson. This week, Doc Gallows returned to the promotion, and the 3 former Bullet Club members were involved in a fight backstage with Rich Swann and The Motor City Machine Guns.
The MCMG made some pre-match comments about Karl Anderson earlier on in the evening. This caused Anderson to leave the luxury bus and look to confront them. He ran into Rich Swann in the back, however, and the Impact champ and the Motor City Machine Guns sent Anderson back to the luxury bus with Callis and Omega. This did not sit well with Omega, who had some harsh words to say about Swann.
Later in the night, Anderson pulled out the victory over Chris Sabin. He required a handful of trunks to get the pin, however. After the match, Rich Swann came out and confronted Anderson for his cheating. Omega saw this in the back and left the bus.
A fight broke out backstage after Anderson clocked Swann. The MCMGs then came out to attack Anderson but Doc Gallows returned and attacked Shelley and Sabin. Omega then arrived backstage and took out Swann.
Omega, Anderson, Gallows, and Callis then closed the show standing tall over Swann and the MCGM. Callis then officially made the match between Omega and the Good Brothers vs Rich Swann and the MCMG for Hard to Kill.
Tony Khan Purchases More Advertising Time On Impact Wrestling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4f4yE15IA8
Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone were not holding back on their TNA jokes this week. There were cracks about not being able to find AXS TV, and that it was public access TV. Khan said he’ll continue to allow Omega to show up on Impact Wrestling because he feels Omega is giving AEW free advertising. They then ran down the card for AEW Dynamite this week.
Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz Advance In Tag Title Tourney, Taya & Rosemary Eliminated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQBTfLz6lI
The first semi-final match of the Knockouts tag-team title tournament took place this week. The match saw Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo and her ally, Kimber Lee, interfere. Purrazzo and Kimber Lee pulled Rosemary off the ring apron and gave her a flatliner on the stage, leaving Taya alone in the ring. Hogan then hit her twisting fisherman suplex for the win.
Hogan and Steelz will face the winners between Havok & Nevaeh vs Jordynne Grace & Jazz in the finals.
The Karate Man Debuts In Impact Wrestling
Some strange things seem to be going on with Ethan Page. At Final Resolution, Page lost to Karl Anderson and then there appeared to be some dissension between him and his partner, Josh Alexander. This week on Impact, Alexander took on Brian Myers in singles competition.
Page came down to ringside during the match but Myers threw him into a steel post. Later on in the match, Page’s alter-ego of “The Karate Man” would appear at ringside and attack Myers. This resulted in Alexander being disqualified and more dissension between Page and Alexander.
Moose and Willie Mack To Face Off In An “I Quit” Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B33iNQDOtdc
Moose cut a promo this week and mentioned that after the main event last week, Willie Mack will be out of action for a few weeks. He expressed frustration that people still don’t see him as the more important champion between him and Rich Swann. This brought out Willie Mack but a team of security wouldn’t let the injured wrestler get too close to Moose. Mack then challenged Moose to an “I Quit” match at Genesis on account of Moose having beaten him via referee’s decision previously.
Mack got past security and the two men had to be pulled apart. Moose managed to get in a shot on Mack, however. He then turned his attention to security (who had ripped his suit) and beat them up to close the segment.
Chris Bey Picks Up Win Over X-Division Champion, Manik
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g31YNkpy-ts
At Final Resolution, Manik (who seems to have the exact same tattoos as TJP) defeated Rohit Raju to win the X-Division Championship. The issue is that TJP was not allowed to challenge for the title due to a previous match stipulation. So, Raju is out to prove that Manik is actually TJP in what is a bit of a Junkyard Dog/Stagger Lee throwback angle.
Bey encouraged Raju to be in his corner for his non-title match against Manik this week. The Ultimate Finesser had ulterior motives, however. Raju got in the ring, perhaps looking to unmask Manik, but he and Bey ended up in an argument. Raju then hit Bey, causing the disqualification. Now, Bey holds a win over the X-Division champion and Josh Matthews noted on commentary that this puts him in the title picture.
Tenille Dashwood Picks Up Win Over Alisha Edwards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgmLZJSqSdE
After a couple of weeks of backstage altercations, former tag partners Alisha Edwards and Tenille Dashwood faced off in singles action this week. Alisha hit Tenille with a running bulldog and almost got the pin but it seemed Kaleb pulled Tenille out of the ring.
While on the outside, Alisha attempted to come off the top rope onto Dashwood but Dashwood pushed Kaleb in the way. As both competitors got back in the ring, Dashwood hit the Spotlight Kick and got the win.
After the match between Dashwood and Alisha, Sami Callihan’s music hit and we got a scrambled video from the Draw. He challenged Edwards to a match on the next Impact show on January 5th. The next two weeks, Impact will air “Best of” shows to close out 2020. Edwards told Callihan to enjoy his family for the holidays because it might be his last.
The next two weeks of Impact Wrestling will be “Best of” shows. They are back in 2021 with all new programming as well as the Impact Plus event, Genesis, on January 9th and then the Hard to Kill PPV on January 16th. Below are the matches announced thus far:
Impact – January 5th, 2021
Eddie Edwards vs Sami Callihan
Genesis – January 9th, 2021
I Quit Willie Mack vs Moose
Hard To Kill – January 16th
Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs Rich Swann & The Motor City Machine Guns
Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament (Finals) Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace & Jazz or Havok & Nevaeh
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will reunite with Gallows and Anderson at the upcoming Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill pay-per-view.
The reunited Bullet Club partners will face AEW World Champion Rich Swan and the Motor City Machine Guns in a 3-on-3 match.
The match was made at the conclusion of Tuesday’s Impact Wrestling. Rich Swan and the Motor City Machine guns brawled with the Good Brothers backstage when Kenny Omega entered the fray and aligned with his longtime friends.
The match is significant on several fronts. Kenny Omega makes his in-ring debut for Impact. It features a realignment of the Bullet Club. Most significantly, we will see world champions from rival companies competing.
Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill takes place Saturday, January 16th, 2021.
