Deonna Purrazzo spoke with Wrestling Observer Radio this week to promote her Knockouts title defense against Kylie Rae at Impact Wrestling’s Bound For Glory PPV.
Purrazzo discussed her time in Impact thus far, her NXT run and her character, The Virtuosa.
“The Virtuosa persona really started at Ring of Honor back when I was there and building their women’s division and I just kind of needed something other than Deonna Purrazzo, is kind of how it was explained to me,” she said during the interview.
Purrazzo said the name “Virtuosa” at the time was just meant to tie in her Italian heritage. The term literally means, ‘a woman who excels in the technique of an art.’
Pitching The Virtuosa
“Going into NXT right from Ring of Honor, I didn’t expect to need a character more than I was. I was just like ‘I’m a wrestler!’ you know what I mean? I’m Italian.”
She continued to talk about developing her character and pitching it to management.
“I wrote up a character synopsis. I wrote up promo ideas, I pitched to have a manager because I know promos aren’t necessarily my strongest thing. Then the feedback was, it’s too outlandish of a character, you need to be more real-life.”
She would continue to talk about not getting a great reception from NXT management about the Virtuosa character. Purrazzo said she was told that they didn’t get what Virtuosa meant.
“Then it was ‘we don’t understand what Virtuosa means’, I just felt there were so many excuses. I was the person that it didn’t matter what I said or did or changed. They had an opinion and that was that.”
After being released from NXT in April, she then pitched the same character to Impact.
“There was obviously hesitation going into Impact and pitching the same thing. I was a little hesitant to hear their feedback but because I had presented it in such a way of like this is exactly who I am, this is how I want to speak, this is how I want to dress, here’s my entrance music, here’s my gear, I just have constantly been able to evolve that. I think I gave them no choice and because it was a fresh start, they were willing to let me explore myself and explore this persona a little bit more.”
She continued to talk about how she’s happy to see the character working in Impact after having it be rejected in NXT.
“For 18 months I was told, it doesn’t work, we don’t understand, no no no, and to then have it work is kind of like ‘okay, now you see it and you missed out on it.’”
Ahead of tonight’s Bound For Glory PPV, Impact Wrestling has made its streaming service, Impact Plus, free for the entire weekend.
“In celebration of the biggest weekend on the IMPACT Wrestling calendar, IMPACT Plus has been unlocked – MADE FREE – so every fan can get ready for tomorrow’s huge event. Dive into the vast IMPACT Plus library and relive every previous BOUND FOR GLORY, all the moments, all the shock and all the championship glory,” Impact’s press release reads.
BREAKING: @IMPACTPlusApp is FREE this weekend – every single episode of IMPACT, every PPV and every event is now unlocked FOR FREE!
Impact Wrestling Roster Comments On Bound For Glory
Several members of the Impact Wrestling roster have commented on the importance of Bound For Glory.
“Headlining BOUND FOR GLORY is everything to me. I’ve trained so damn hard for this. I’ve going to soar higher than ever this Saturday. I’m bringing everything I’ve got to this match,” said Rich Swann who will challenge Eric Young for the World Championship on the show.
“BOUND FOR GLORY always has a special feeling. It’s all about creating memories. Moments that will live on for years to come, moments that we will never forget, moments that will be around long after we are gone. Last year, I won the Gauntlet Match. I feel like that victory was my reset button. That win set me on my path to becoming the IMPACT World Champion for the second time,” said Eddie Edwards who will wrestle Ken Shamrock on the show.
Impact Wrestling is back with another show, so let’s take a look at the card for the Bound For Glory pay-per-view event.
Bound For Glory takes place on Saturday, October 24, 2020 from Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Eric Young vs. Rich Swann is expected to serve as the headliner.
The show kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be distributed on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view, including DISH, DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, Rogers, Bell, Shaw and Sasktel across North America, and streaming live globally exclusively on the FITE.tv app
This will be the third PPV event of the year for Impact. The card that features several big matches appears to be finalized.
Bound For Glory Final Card
It’s possible the promotion announces more matches but here’s how the card looks like for now:
World Champion Eric Young vs. Rich Swann
Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo (C) vs. Kylie Rae
X-Division Champion Rohit Raju (C) vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Willie Mack vs. TJP vs. Chris Bey vs. Trey Miguel – 6-Way Scramble Match
World Tag Team Champions The Motor City Machine Guns vs. Ace Austin & Madman Fulton vs. The North vs. The Good Brothers
Moose vs. EC3 – Unsanctioned Match
Ken Shamrock (with Sami Callihan) vs. Eddie Edwards
Heath, Rhino, Hernandez, Acey Romero, Larry D, Tenille Dashwood, Taya Valkyrie, Brian Myers, Tommy Dreamer, Havok and more – Call Your Shot Gauntlet
The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) vs. The Deaners (Cody Deaner & Cousin Jake) – Pre-Show
Throughout its near two-decades in existence one thing Impact Wrestling/TNA has consistently received praise for is its Knockouts division. Even during periods where women’s wrestling wasn’t a featured part of other promotions, Impact has seemed to have always had a pretty stacked division.
Impact Hall-of-Famer Gail Kim was recently interviewed by Forbes and talked the past and present of the Knockouts division.
“Just to see where we started, and to be along for that whole ride to see where the Knockouts division is now…of course, there are so many women—not just in our company, but across the board in the industry—so many talented women that I would have loved to have worked with,” Kim said.
“I guess it is a little more special to me to have broken out in a time when women’s wrestling wasn’t so hyped up as it is now, and as big as it is now, so I wouldn’t change a thing,” she continued.
Kiera Hogan On The Present Knockouts Division
Forbes also spoke with Kiera Hogan during the interview. Hogan has been teaming with Tasha Steelz as of late in the promotion and feels the Knockouts division is the best in the business.
“I feel like, as a unit, we are the best. As separate personalities and characters, we are the best, so I feel like if it was ever a thing—if it was company vs. company vs. company (WWE vs. AEW vs. IMPACT)—IMPACT would win hands down,” she said.
The Knockouts title will be on the line at Bound For Glory this weekend. Champion Deonna Purrazzo will defend the title against challenger Kylie Rae.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOVBjLeOnNA
Knockouts Championship History
Purrazzo became the 24th wrestler in history to win the Knockouts title when she defeated Jordynne Grace at Slammiversary this year. Gail Kim leads almost all historic categories when it comes to the championship aside from longest single-reign. That record belongs to Taya Valkyrie (377).
Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo will not be leaving Impact Wrestling anytime soon. Impact announced during Impact Press Pass on Wednesday that the 26-year-old has signed a long-term deal with the promotion. Specific terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Purrazzo returned to Impact Wrestling in May this year and immediately attacked then-champion, Jordynne Grace. She won the title from Grace at Slammiversary and then successfully retained it in a 30-minute Ironman match on night 2 of Emergence.
Purrazzo took to Twitter to comment on the news:
I’ve been waiting to be able to talk about this publicly!!!
Purrazzo spoke with Chris Van Vliet in June about her decision to go to Impact Wrestling. She mentioned that other promotions had contacted her but Impact was where she ultimately decided to go.
“I mean like, some people had reached out, but it was all kind of like fleeting, there was no like, ‘You’re gonna have a meeting’ or, ‘We’re gonna sit down and do this.’”
“Luckily, I had been to Impact before, I know the people there and it was right away like, ‘We’d like to have you, let’s talk about it when we can.’ It was just more of a secure thing.”
Purrazzo is scheduled to defend the Knockouts title against Kylie Rae this Saturday at Bound For Glory.
Impact Wrestling 10/21 was the go-home show for Saturday’s Bound For Glory PPV. The North faced The Good Brothers, a 5-way would determine who enters last in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet at BFG, and Havok took on Rosemary with James Mitchell’s possible reincarnation on the line.
Impact Results 10/20:
Winner Enters At #20 In Call Your Shot Gauntlet Hernandez defeated Rhino, Heath, Alisha & Cousin Jake
Rosemary defeated Havok
Sami Callihan defeated Eddie Edwards
Willie Mack, TJP & Trey Miguel defeated Chris Bey, Jordynne Grace & X-Division Champion Rohit Raju
The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) vs The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) – No-Contest
The Good Brothers Stand Tall To End The Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRmCfwIF5WU
Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows appear to have all the momentum heading into Bound For Glory. They met Josh Alexander and Ethan Page, the North, in the night’s main event. The Good Brothers appeared to have the match won when they hit the Magic Killer on Page but Alexander was able to make the save. Shortly after this, all 4 men began brawling in the ring, causing the ref to call for the bell.
The chaos brought out the other two teams in the tag title 4-way match on Saturday. The MCMG and the Good Brothers cleared the ring of Austin & Fulton and the North. The Good Brothers then delivered a Magic Killer on Sabin and stood tall to end the show.
Ken Shamrock Assaults Eddie Edwards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fslgptf80xE
At Bound For Glory, Ken Shamrock will face Eddie Edwards. In recent weeks, Shamrock has been under the control of Sami Callihan and seems more vicious than ever. This week it would be Edwards and Callihan rekindling their rivalry. Edwards appeared to have the upper hand but right when he went for the Boston Knee Party, Callihan pressed that button he has which turns the lights out in the building. When the lights came back on, Shamrock was at ringside. The distraction allowed Callihan to roll up Edwards for the pin. Shamrock then attacked his BFG opponent to soften him up before the PPV.
Eric Young and Rich Swann Brawl Days Before Bound For Glory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6xOT51fUO4
Eric Young and Rich Swann will clash for the Impact World Championship on Saturday. Young has attacked Swann numerous times but the former X-Division Champion keeps training hard and getting cleared by Impact’s medical team. Young was cutting a promo stating that he’ll continue to attack people if they get in his way when Swann attacked him.
EC3 Says Moose Is Becoming Who He Is Supposed To Be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KysbLTEhv1Q
Jimmy Jacobs had the unfortunate task of interviewing both Moose and EC3 this week. Moose was his normal pleasant self, having recaptured the TNA title seemingly having done little to improve his mood. After Moose stormed off set during the interview, EC3’s minions put a hood over Jacobs and took him to an undisclosed location to meet with EC3.
EC3 said that when he was fighting Moose on the bridge last week (when Moose repossessed the title) he saw the kind of guy he wants to fight. He saw the version of Moose that he should always be. EC3 called Moose a false idol but has potential to be something more.
“Lessons not learned in blood are lessons you will forget,” EC3 said. “Moose needs to learn who he has to become but he also must learn at my hands.”
Rosemary Earns James Mitchell’s Reincarnation With Win Over Havok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaP7rbmndR4
This may take some explaining. Rosemary is getting married to John E Bravo on next week’s show. Since she is a demon, however, she needs someone like Father James Mitchell to officiate the wedding. That would be all fine and good but Mitchell was killed by Rosemary and Havok in the undead realm in a previous storyline. Rosemary needs Havok to agree to help bring back Mitchell to officiate the wedding. Havok agreed to this match with the stipulation that if Rosemary won, she’d help bring back the Sinister Minister. Rosemary picked up the victory with two spears, meaning Father James Mitchell may return to both Impact and the living realm next week for the wedding.
Hernandez To Enter Last In Call Your Shot Gauntlet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4njCE9cIDM
A 10-person tag last week was held with the winning team facing each other this week. The winner of this match would then be granted the #20 entry into the Call Your Shot Gauntlet at Bound For Glory. The winner of the Gauntlet match can challenge whichever champion in the promotion they want. Also, Scott D’Amore has said to Rhino and Heath that if one of them doesn’t win the match, they are both gone from Impact.
Hernandez would pick up the victory here and earn the final entry at BFG. The finish of the match came when Rhino attempted to gore Hernandez, missed, hit Alisha, and then Hernandez rolled him up for the pin.
Everyone’s Gunning For Rohit Raju’s X-Division Championship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69tKYo1GDP4
X-Division Champion Rohit Raju has done everything he can to avoid facing the top challengers for his title. He’s in tough at Bound For Glory, however, as he’ll have to defend his title in a 6-way match. All 6 competitors in the match were in this tag-team match but the champion’s team failed to get along.
Raju and Chris Bey began arguing over who should pin their opponents and it became clear they were not on the same page. The champion attempted to attack Bey but took a springboard cutter for his trouble. Trey Miguel then kicked Bey in the head and pinned Raju to win the match for his team.
Bound For Glory Lineup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R2-IB099AM
Here is the lineup for Saturday’s Bound For Glory PPV:
Impact World Championship Eric Young (c) vs Rich Swann
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Kylie Rae
Impact Tag Team Championships The Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs the Good Brothers vs The North vs Ace Austin & Madman Fulton
X-Division Championship Rohit Raju (c) vs Jordynne Grace vs TJP vs Chris Bey vs Trey Miguel vs Willie Mack
2020 has been a year of releases with many big names becoming free agents and jumping ships and now another name seems to have joined the list in Impact Wrestling star Daga.
According to reports from WrestlingInc, the high flying star had asked for his release from the company a while back and the officials have now granted his request.
Daga made his Impact debut in February last year and the company had held off his release request while trying to re-sign him but the management did not succeed in their efforts.
The now-former Impact star is probably best known for his time with AAA in Mexico where he spent six years of his career from 2011 to 2017 and won multiple titles, including the AAA cruiserweight championship once.
He was asked about a potential AEW signing last year but Daga had confirmed that he hasn’t talked to the promotion, though he had shown interest in growing his name in the American market.
Now it would be interesting to see where the former Impact star goes next after his release and if WWE or AEW officials show any interest in signing the Mexican wrestler to their promotion in the coming times.
Sami Callihan will go one-on-one with his longtime rival Eddie Edwards tonight on AXS TV and Twitch. At Bound For Glory, Callihan will be in Ken Shamrock’s corner as he takes on Edwards. Shamrock and Callihan have formed an alliance in the promotion. They previously feuded and then formed a tag-team.
“If you told a 14-year-old Sami Callihan that he’d be tag-teaming with Ken Shamrock, he’d freak out,” Callihan said in an interview with Slam Wrestling. “But, now, as a grown man, I don’t just look at him like a legend – I look at him as an equal, a co-worker. I look at it as a big feather in my cap that I’m the person they put with him after he came back to wrestling after being gone for so many years. Because they knew we could really do good business.”
Callihan also spoke about the last couple of years he has spent in Impact Wrestling. He won the company’s world title and has had high-profile feuds with Rich Swann, Tessa Blanchard and others.
“To go from someone like Pentagon Jr. then to Brian Cage, to Rich Swann, to Tessa Blanchard, then to Ken Shamrock. Anyone you put me in the ring with, I’m going to bring out the best in them.”
Former President of TNA/Impact Wrestling, Dixie Carter, recently sent out a Tweet promoting the Bound For Glory PPV scheduled for this Saturday. Carter was responding to a Tweet from Scott D’Amore when she made the comments. D’Amore is promising to send a personal video to anyone who pre-orders the PPV from FITE.
Elijah Burke Says Dixie Carter Doesn’t Get Enough Credit
Elijah Burke recently mentioned that he doesn’t feel Dixie Carter gets enough credit for her work in wrestling. He was speaking with the Wrestling EpiCenter podcast when he said Dixie gets a bum rap.
“Certainly, she gets a bum rap and she doesn’t get enough credit for what she did do, which was take a company that was going under and made it a national company and made it a somewhat profitable company. Sure, she was not the wrestling genius or wrestling mastermind, as so many other people have pointed out. But, when it came to the promotion and what needed to be to get IMPACT to a respectable number 2 at the time, she did that. She did that!”
The Lineup For Bound For Glory
Here is the lineup for Saturday’s Bound For Glory event:
Impact World Championship Eric Young (c) vs Rich Swann
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Kylie Rae
Impact Tag Team Championships The Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs the Good Brothers vs The North vs Ace Austin & Madman Fulton
X-Division Championship Rohit Raju (c) vs Jordynne Grace vs TJP vs Chris Bey vs Trey Miguel vs Willie Mack
Gallows and Anderson have started a number of new business ventures since leaving WWE and it has made many wonder if this is a sign that their days in the ring are numbered.
The Good Brothers were recently interviewed by Entrepreneur.com where they talked about things like their future business plans, getting released from WWE and more.
During the interview, Gallows and Anderson were asked if the new projects they have undertaken are a sign that they are planning their retirement and the two responded negatively:
“We are not counting down the days until then. We want to be out there when we’re 50 if we can be. There’s a chance our bodies don’t hold up, so we want this brand that we’re creating now to be the thing that carries us into the next thing.”
The fact that the duo decided to sign with Impact Wrestling and make the company their home base in the US surprised a lot of people because many were hoping Gallows and Anderson to sign with AEW.
When asked about it, the duo claimed that Impact officials put together a very good deal for them and they explained that the company is promoting them as their top stars. You can check out the full interview at this link.
Eric Bischoff made some interesting comments about WWE NXT and TNA Wrestling.
While speaking on his After 83 Weeks post-show, the former SmackDown Executive Director spoke about the differences between TNA about 7 years ago and today’s NXT.
“I don’t think NXT is as good as TNA was when TNA was at its peak.”
He continued by noting that something being at its peak is subjective as some people like it at various stages. He stated that a lot of people liked it because it did feel different in the very beginning or because it was new or it had a smaller presentation. He noted that more than anything, everybody loves a competitor.
“But if you go back and look at TNA in terms of its peak across the boards, not for a moment in time but for an extended period of time across the boards in terms of television ratings, PPV buys and house show attendance. That’s going to be that period of time that I was describing earlier.
Right around the Aces and Eights peak storyline period with Brooke [Hogan] and Bully [Ray] and all of that when they were putting 2500, 3500, 5000 people in a venue.
Yes, they did, and they actually paid for it. I don’t know that NXT is doing anything better than TNA was when TNA was at its peak. I would be pretty sure…that I would bet that there are a lot more resources being pumped into NXT than there ever were being pumped into TNA.”
Bischoff came into the promotion in January 2010 alongside Hulk Hogan. He would be behind various storylines including the Aces & Eights group and Bully Ray becoming TNA World Heavyweight Champion.
Impact Wrestling will present Bound For Glory on October 24th, 2020. Several big matches are confirmed for the show including a Call Your Shot Gauntlet match. Scott D’Amore recently revealed to Rhino that if neither him nor Heath win the match, they will be gone from the promotion.
Impact recently announced 10 wrestlers who will participate in the gauntlet match:
Heath
Rhino
Hernandez
Acey Romero
Larry D
Tenille Dashwood
Taya Valkyrie
Brian Myers
Tommy Dreamer
Havok.
“At last year’s BOUND FOR GLORY, Eddie Edwards emerged victorious after a brutal struggle in the inaugural Call Your Shot Gauntlet. Eddie bided his time until this past July’s Slammiversary, picking exactly the right moment to strike and win the World Championship,” said Scott D’Amore in a press release.
“As you can imagine, everyone on the roster wants to win the Call Your Shot Gauntlet and we’re excited to announce the first 10 participants.”
The rest of the participants will not be revealed until the day of the show.
IMPACT World Championship Eric Young (C) vs. Rich Swann
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo (C) vs. Kylie Rae
X-Division Championship: 6-Way Scramble Match Rohit Raju (C) vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Willie Mack vs. TJP vs. Chris Bey vs. Trey Miguel
World Tag Team Championship The Motor City Machine Guns (C) vs. Ace Austin & Madman Fulton vs. The North vs. The Good Brothers
Unsanctioned Match Moose vs. EC3
Ken Shamrock (with Sami Callihan) vs. Eddie Edwards
Call Your Shot Gauntlet Heath, Rhino, Hernandez, Acey Romero, Larry D, Tenille Dashwood, Taya Valkyrie, Brian Myers, Tommy Dreamer, Havok … and more to be announced.
Impact Wrestling 10/13 continued the build to Bound For Glory on October 24th, 2020. Doc Gallows faced Madman Fulton, Kimber Lee faced Kylie Rae and more.
Moose finally found EC3 this week in the final segment of the show. EC3 was holding the TNT World title that he called a false title for a false idol. He put the title down and dared Moose to fight him, which Moose quickly obliged to. The two brawled in some undisclosed location, just as they will at Bound For Glory.
Moose got the better of the exchange and walked away from a bloody EC3 with the TNA World title in his grasp.
Rich Swann Cleared To Compete At Bound For Glory
Eric Young closed out this week’s episode with a promo. He asked Scott D’Amore to officially announce that Rich Swann would not be medically cleared for Bound For Glory. Young attacked Swann again last week in a gym. D’Amore announced that Young had done extensive damage to Swann’s ankle last week but he would be cleared to compete at the PPV.
Young then attacked D’Amore but Rich Swann came out for the save. He hit a springboard cutter off the ropes, seemingly not favouring his ankle at all. Young escaped the ring and Swann celebrated with the title to end the segment.
Doc Gallows Defeats Madman Fulton In No DQ Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGHwpPrJ3u8
Before this match could begin, the Good Brothers cut a promo. They noted they are happy they signed with Impact but that they need to become the tag-team champions. They will have that opportunity at Bound For Glory in the 4-team tag match. This week, Gallows would face Madman Fulton, who will team with Ace Austin at Bound For Glory.
Fulton and Gallows were first counted out but the match was restarted as a no-dq no-countout match. Gallows finished his opponent off with a double-handed chokeslam onto two tables for the win.
Kylie Rae Shows A More Vicious Side Ahead Of Bound For Glory Title Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuEUljInQKw
Kylie Rae will face Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts title at Bound For Glory. This week she took on Purrazzo’s run-in buddy, Kimber Lee. Rae scored the victory with the Smile To The Finish submission but the newly aggressive Smiley Kylie wouldn’t let go of the hold.
Purrazzo hit the ring and attacked her challenger from behind but Kylie fought back and took the champ down with a superkick. Rae mounted the champion and reigned down the blows but Purrazzo found away to escape to end the segment.
Heath Or Rhino Need To Win Call Your Shot Gauntlet To Remain In Impact
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M5HBnEepGY
After contract negotiations between Impact and Heath broke down last week, a new deal was worked out between Rhino and Scott D’Amore this week. They agreed that Heath would be entered into the Call Your Shot Gauntlet on the PPV but if neither Heath or Rhino win, then Heath will be given no more opportunities in Impact and Rhino will forfeit his contract as well.
This week a 10-person tag was scheduled with the winning team facing each other next week in a 5-way match. The winner of that match will be given the #20 spot in the gauntlet on the PPV.
Heath picked up the win for his team by pinning Johnny Swinger with the Wake-Up Call.
Havok Agrees To Help Re-Incarnate Father James Mitchell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHY7jtUIqXA
The Knockouts division seems to have several tag-teams working together at the moment. This week’s opening match featured 3 of them. The team of Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie might be busy planning for the Demon Assassins wedding but they were able to focus their efforts enough to pick up the victory here.
The finish of the match came after Taya had taken out Neveah, Havok, and Kiera Hogan on the outside. This left Rosemary in the ring with Tasha Steelz. Rosemary hit a spear followed a double undertook sit-out slam type move.
After the match, Rosemary and Taya stared down Havok & Neveah in the ring while Hogan and Steelz watched on from the ramp.
Rosemary needs Father James Mitchell to officiate her wedding to John E Bravo. For this to happen, she needs Havok’s (who helped murder Mitchell) help. Later in the show, Havok and Rosemary agreed to a match for next week. If Rosemary wins, the Sinister Minister will be brought back, if Havok wins, he will not be.
Crazzy Steve Picks Up Victory Over Fallah Bah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peLnu0YoKvQ
There is a wad of cash that is flowing through the Impact Wrestling roster like the sisterhood of the traveling pants (unless I misunderstand what that movie is about). This started when Hernandez and Rhino were feuding over gambling debts and arm-wrestling. Then last week Fallah Bah obtained the cash in the backstage shower area. This week Fallah Bah and Crazzy Steve met in singles competition with the wad of cash playing a significant role.
Steve kept trying to get Fallah Bah to take his shirt off, potentially revealing the wad of cash’s location. The finish of the match came when Steve ripped Bah’s shirt off and revealed he was keeping the cash attacked to a necklace. Steve hit a schoolboy on the distracted Bah and picked up the 3-count. Bah escaped to the back still with the cash, however. Josh Matthews noted on commentary that Hernandez will now know for sure it was Fallah Bah who stole the cash from him.
Next Week On Impact Wrestling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1llCwNe5bE
The following matches are scheduled for next week’s show:
Hernandez vs Cousin Jake vs Rhino vs Alisha Edwards vs Heath
Eddie Edwards vs Sami Callihan
Chris Bey, Rohit Raju & Jordynne Grace vs TJP, Willie Mack & Trey Miguel
The North vs The Good Brothers
Updated Card For Bound For Glory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQW1A6W9GyM
The following matches are scheduled for Bound For Glory:
Impact World Championship Eric Young (c) vs Rich Swann
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Kylie Rae
Impact Tag Team Championships The Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs the Good Brothers vs The North vs Ace Austin & Madman Fulton
X-Division Championship Rohit Raju (c) vs Jordynne Grace vs TJP vs Chris Bey vs Trey Miguel vs Willie Mack
Impact Wrestling star Heath has reflected on his time in WWE, believing his former employer “never really wanted me to get over as much as I could.”
Heath joined Sitting Ringside for an interview where he detailed his issues with WWE. He believes WWE took issue with him for pitching ideas whenever he could earn some momentum with fans.
“They would work and then they would switch it. Then they end the story and put me on ice and you would not see me for a year and a half,” Heath explained. “If you do, it’s me putting over this guy. Once that happens to you four or five times, you get frustrated.”
Heath continued, “Then you start asking questions and they say you are asking too many questions and you’re being a bother. What can I do? There is no communication between the lines. You are paying me. You have a guy that wants to work and wants to do things but you can’t get anywhere. It’s like tires spinning.”
Heath was let go by WWE earlier this year as a cost-cutting measure by the promotion in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Since leaving the company and joining Impact Wrestling, he has claimed several WWE Superstars have contacted him expressing their interest in making the jump between promotions.
Joey Ryan was part of a short-lived faction called “Cancel Culture” in Impact Wrestling. Not long after the faction started, Ryan was the subject of a series of allegations as part of the #SpeakingOut movement online.
Ryan has since reportedly filed lawsuits against some of his accusers. According to a report from Pwinsider, Ryan has also filed a lawsuit against Impact Wrestling as well.
Ryan is stating that Impact failed to live up to their side of the contract which committed to him until 2021. He seeking $10 million. The lawsuit was filed last month in Nashville.
Ryan alluded to possibly taking legal action against his former employer in a YouTube video released in July.
Contract Dispute
In Ryan’s lawsuit, part of his Impact contract is attached. Sections of his contract note possible reasons he could be released from the company. Below are some reasons Ryan could be released from Impact according to documents obtained by PW Insider:
“(g) Wrestler commits any act with Promoter believes, in its reasonable business judgment, would damage Wrestler’s or Promoter’s reputation.”
“(h) Wrestler commits any act (other than in character in accordance with direction provided to Wrestler by Promoter’s Creative team) which places or could place Wrestler or Promoter (or any of its affiliates) in a patently negative light; or
(i) Any instance of a violation for which Wrestler has already received a warning, reprimand or notification therof, provided, however, that in the case of a breach under paragraphs (a), (b), (f), (g),or (h), Promoter shall provide Wrestler with written notice of breach and a 5 day cure period.”
Section (i) seems to imply Impact needed to give him written notice and time to defend himself if they felt he breached sections (G) or (H). Ryan also noted in a YouTube video this July that he didn’t feel the company could fire him for allegations that allegedly took place before he signed with the company as well.
Denying Allegations
Ryan has also denied that he is guilty of any of the allegations against him. He had the following to say on the video he released in July:
“I have never had sex with a woman without her consent. I have never acted criminally towards a woman and I have never acted criminally with sex. And unlike these allegations, I have actual evidence that can show you that,” Ryan said.
The lawsuit was filed in Nashville on September 15th and Impact was served on September 24th.
James Storm was one of the stars who helped build TNA and he spent almost 15 years in the promotion in his two stints before leaving the company in 2017.
During a recent interview with Lucha Libre Online, the former TNA star talked about a number of things and he also detailed the reasons behind his departure from the promotion.
Storm first claimed that he left because he just wanted to do something different and he went on to explain that the ownership problems of the company were also a contributing factor to his decision:
“I had been there for 15 years and, I don’t know, I just kind of wanted to do something different, I still love Impact; I still wish nothing but the best for Impact Wrestling, but it was my time to step away from Impact.
“At that time, I didn’t know really who was running the company, you had Dixie, you had the Harris brothers, then you had Anthem out of Canada, then you had Billy Corgan,” said James Storm, “So it was just like, okay, I don’t know who my boss is.”
The Cowboy also revealed during the interview that he wanted to leave a year before his deal was up because he felt that the company was not utilising him while he had a lot left to give.
James Storm has joined NWA after leaving Impact Wrestling where he has won a few titles and is the current NWA world tag team champion with Eli Drake.
Jeff Jarrett’s lawsuit against Anthem Sports and Entertainment was ruled a mistrial this summer. The courts decided that “cumulative errors by both the Court and counsel resulted in neither party receiving a fair trial”. Jarrett’s legal team filed a motion recently asking for a new trial.
According to a report from PW Insider, Jarrett’s request for a new trial has been denied. The court rejected the motion for the following reason: “because of the press of other Court business, the fact that criminal cases take precedent, and the impact COVID-19 has had on the ability to regularly schedule jury trials.”
The request was denied without prejudice meaning Jarrett has the option of filing again when the courts have more availability. This likely means there will be no progress on the case until after the pandemic.
Both sides have been ordered into mediation regarding the case. Previously, Anthem and Jarrett’s teams stated an agreement through mediation was unlikely to occur. Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw has again requested that the two sides meet with a mediator.
Jarrett is suing Anthem Sports and Entertainment over the failed merger between his Global Force Wrestling and Anthem’s Impact Wrestling. Jarrett’s team says that Anthem continued to use GFW branding following Jarrett’s departure from the company.
Ken Shamrock made some headlines recently when he publically asked The Rock to deliver a greeting for his Impact Wrestling Hall Of Fame induction and received a reply from the great one.
The MMA legend recently had an interview with Busted Open Radio where he talked about a number of things and also explained why he wanted The Rock to be a part of his induction.
Shamrock recalled his feud with the People’s Champion and his Nation Of Domination faction in 1998. The former WWE star explained that the feud helped him tremendously in his pro wrestling career:
“I’ll never forget the things that he did for me, and the times that we spent together were special because it really did help me in my pro wrestling career, and I know he’ll tell you the same thing with me and the things that we did because that shot him up into stardom, and it wasn’t because of me.
It was because of what we were able to do together and be able to give ourselves a chance to be able to step away and do greater things at other places, but that was a start for me and for him, and he was a big part of that. So, I thought it was fitting for him to be a part of that induction because I believe that’s where it started – was with him.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Shamrock who is in both the UFC and Impact Wrestling Hall Of Fame said that you shouldn’t get in the Hall Of Fame of any industry unless you have contributed to it at a high level and you are respected by the fans of the community.
Ken Shamrock’s Hall Of Fame induction was announced earlier this year and he was inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall Of Fame in February.
Impact 10/6 featured the build to the October 24th Bound For Glory PPV. It was also the first show since Victory Road on Saturday night. The card was headlined by the Motor City Machine Guns facing Ace Austin & Madman Fulton.
The Deaners (Cody Deaner & Cousin Jake) defeated Johnny Swinger & Crazzy Steve
The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) defeated Ace Austin & Madman Fulton
Here are 9 takeaways from Impact 10/6:
Tag Team Chaos Closes Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyNq-_Niwpc
With Bound For Glory and the 4-way tag team title match just 18 days away, MCMG faced Madman Fulton & Ace Austin in this week’s main event. The two other teams involved in the BFG title match made their presence known at the end of this match. The North sauntered to ringside and got up on the ring apron to distract the ref. This brought out the Good Brothers who started brawling with Page and Alexander.
Meanwhile in the ring, The Guns hit Fulton with a neck breaker/crossbody combo for the win. All 4 teams jawed at each other to close the show.
Contract Negotiations With Heath Break Down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUKLZz67Zvs
At Victory Road, Scott D’Amore informed Heath that he had a contract to offer him. This week, Heath visited D’Amore’s home but had his own proposal drawn up. D’Amore said that Heath should sign the contract he offered him and they would work towards him earning the contract Heath wanted. This didn’t sit well with Heath and contract negotiations quickly broke down. It appears Heath still isn’t officially a member of the Impact Wrestling roster.
Jordynne Grace Robbed Of X-Division Title
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-aaeR8s8kg
X-Division Champion Rohit Raju has proven he’ll do whatever it takes to retain his title. This week, he once again issued an “Open Challenge”. It was answered by former Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace.
Raju was tentative to start the match and was distracted by Willie Mack on the outside when Grace rolled him up for the pin. The ref counted 3 and it looked as though Grace was the new champion but Raju then clarified that the match was not for the title belt.
Scott D’Amore then announced a 6-way scramble for Bound For Glory. The match will feature Raju defending against Grace, Chris Bey, Willie Mack, TJP, and Trey Miguel.
Does Impact Have A Women’s Tag Division?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIrN1RDwDhw
Despite the Knockouts tag team titles having been vacated years ago, Impact has a fairly good women’s tag division right now. This played out this week in a match between Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz against Taya Valkyrie and Rosemary.
Rosemary would pick up the win for her team this week, pinning Steelz.
Neveah and Havok were shown watching the match in the back. They’ve been an established team for some time now. Next week, we’ll get Hogan & Steelz vs Neveah & Havok vs Rosemary & Taya.
Along with those 3 teams, Susie and Kylie Rae have teamed frequently in the past, as have Kimber Lee and Deonna Purrazzo. That is more established teams than other promotions who do have women’s tag titles have.
Eric Young Attacks Rich Swann In Gym
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U2Flhhx1us
With Bound For Glory just 18 days away, Eric Young got in another attack on Rich Swann. This time, Young attacked Swann in a gym where Swann was preparing for the match. He tied Swann’s leg to a machine and began hitting his injured leg with a kettle bell. The attack was so vicious, it is not clear if Swann will be able to compete at Bound For Glory.
Brian Myers Goes Too Far In Match Against Tommy Dreamer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upTMTsbg-0U
Brian Myers and Tommy Dreamer have been involved in a rivalry as of late. Dreamer confronted Myers during a backstage interview recently and would later speak about how he hired him into WWE and wanted him to do well now that he is in Impact. Myers didn’t appreciate the advice, however. Mysers would also pick up the win when the two faced off at Victory Road. A rematch would kick off this week’s episode of Impact.
Dreamer kicked out of the Myers’ finish, causing Myers to grab a kendo stick. Despite it not being a no dq match, Myers would bring the weapon into the match. Dreamer then went to hit Myers with it when Myers’ implored him not to saying “think about my girls,” referring to his daughters. After Dreamer showed compassion and put the weapon down, Myers picked it up and assaulted Dreamer, leading to the DQ. Myers continued the assault after the bell rang until several officials including Scott D’Amore came out to stop him.
The Rascalz Pick Up Another Victory Over Team XXXL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUKzxCjdP1w
Dez and Wentz dropped a match to the Good Brothers last week on Impact Wrestling but defeated Team XXXL at Victory Road and again on the show this week. On commentary, they noted that with the win the Rascalz had established themselves as a top-contender team in the division, despite being left out of the 4-way match at Bound For Glory for the tag titles.
EC3 continued his taunting of Moose with the TNA World Heavyweight Championship this week. A video was shown of EC3 throwing the belt off a bridge. This will not sit well with Moose who has spent several weeks searching for EC3.
Next Week On Impact Wrestling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZAxwnVmKqU
The following has been booked for next week’s episode:
Update on Rich Swann’s condition
Havok & Neveah vs Rosemary & Taya vs Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz
Impact Wrestling presented Victory Road last night on the Impact Plus streaming service. The event was headlined by an Impact World Championship match between Eric Young and Eddie Edwards. Heath also made his in-ring debut for the promotion and teamed with his former partner, Rhino.
Young retained his Impact World Championship over Eddie Edwards. After the match, he looked to continue the assault until Rich Swann made the save. Swann and Young will face each other at Bound for Glory on October 24th.
Heath and Rhino teamed up for the first time in Impact Wrestling. In storyline, Heath still hasn’t signed a contract with Impact but after this match, Scott D’Amore said they would offer him a deal this Tuesday night.
Impact Wrestling Victory Road Quick Results:
The Rascalz (Dez & Wentz) defeated XXXL (Acey Romero & Larry D)
Brian Myers defeated Tommy Dreamer
X-Division Championship Willie Mack defeated Rohit Raju (c) by Countout
Impact Wrestling’s ratings on AXS TV are staying steady just under the 200,000 viewers mark. According to a recent report from Wrestlenomics, the promotion’s ratings have stayed consistent for the most part lately but saw a big increase for a show at the end of the September headlined by Jordynne Grave vs Tenille Dashwood.
Impact did not fair well up against NXT when WWE’s developmental brand presented two Super Tuesday shows last month, however.
Below are the promotion’s television ratings since late July:
9/29/20: 168,000 viewers (54,000 in 18-49 demo)
9/22/20: 200,000 viewers (51,000 in 18-49 demo)
9/15/20: 170,000 viewers (43,000 in 18-49 demo)
9/8/20: 78,000 viewers (22,000 in 18-49 demo) (opposed by NXT)
9/1/20: 102,000 viewers (31,000 in 18-49 demo) (opposed by NXT)
8/25/20: 171,000 viewers (45,000 in 18-49 key demo)
8/18/20: 147,000 viewers (31,000 in 18-49 key demo)
8/11/20: 182,000 viewers (54,000 in 18-49 key demo)
8/4/20: 134,000 viewers (33,000 in 18-49 key demo)
7/28/20: 157,000 viewers (46,000 in 18-49 in key demo)
Information on Impact’s ratings before July 28th, 2020 can be found here.
Additionally, Impact has several international distribution deals. They are also a key component of the Fight Network which is a specialty channel on many cable and satellite packages outside the United States.
I've gotten a hold of weekly Impact Wrestling viewership on AXS TV.
Little was previously known about Impact viewership. It doesn't get reported on Showbuzzdaily. Some data has been reported by PWTorch. I've previously tweeted monthly data. pic.twitter.com/RiW4lUqwcO
Impact Wrestling is on the road to Bound For Glory on October 24th, 2020. Along that route, Impact will travel down Victory Road on Saturday for a special event airing on Impact Plus. On last night’s edition of Impact Wrestling, the full card for Saturday’s event was set and more.
Impact 9/29 Quick Results:
Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary defeated Havok & Neveah
Jordynne Grave defeated Tenille Dashwood
The Good Brothers defeated The Rascalz
Fallah Bah defeated Johnny Swinger
The North defeated Ace Austin & Madman Fulton
Here are 8 Takeaways From Impact Wrestling 9/29:
Impact’s Tag Division Heating Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV_OKVzEq9s
Impact Wrestling’s tag-team division is really starting to heat up. There were two big matches in the division this week and multiple big matches upcoming.
This week the Good Brothers defeated The Rascalz in tag action. After the match, they got on the microphone and said it was time for them to challenge the Motor City Machine Guns for the titles. They issued the challenge for Bound For Glory.
Later in the night, however, more tag-team action would headline the show. Former tag champs the North took on Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. The North would score the victory after hitting Northern Assault on Ace Austin but a tag-team melee would ensue after the match. The Good Brothers came out to get in Page and Alexander’s face but Austin and Fulton attacked them from behind. The North then joined in on the assault but the sides were evened up when the Motor City Machine Guns came out to assist. 4 of the division’s top teams brawled to end the show.
Ken Shamrock Returns, Attacks Eddie Edwards
Last week’s show concluded with a mystery person attacking Eddie Edwards in the back. Edwards will face Eric Young for the Impact World Championship at Victory Road but perhaps an old rival is attempting to get in his way. He was cutting a promo on Young when Sami Callihan appeared on the stage. Edwards’ longtime rival insisted it was not him who attacked Edwards last week but he knows who it was. The lights went out again and when they came back on Ken Shamrock was behind Edwards. He took him out and applied the Ankle Lock submission. Edwards will have to go into his title match with Young at Victory Road in a weakened state.
Jordynne Grace Evens Series With Tenille Dashwood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcCEv-W99OQ
Tenille Dashwood defeated Jordynne Grace thanks to her personal photographer, Kaleb Konley, in the main event last week. A rematch was granted this week between the two Knockouts. This week Grace would make Dashwood submit to a rear-naked choke, evening the series at 1-1. The rubber match was then scheduled for Victory Road on Saturday night.
Heath To Have His First Official Match At Victory Road
We learned this week that Heath maxed out his credit cards to pay for all the celebrity endorsements and infomercials he’s been purchasing. He pulled out the travelling wad of cash that has been making the rounds between wrestlers lately and noted that he can use the cash to pay his credit card bills. Just as he said this, however, Reno Scum attacked along with Hernandez and took the money.
Later in the show, Rhino convinced Scott D’Amore to allow the unsigned Heath to team with him against Reno Scum at Victory Road.
Moose has been searching for EC3 who stole the TNA World title from him this summer. This week, EC3 appeared on a projection screen. He invited Moose to a funeral he is holding for the TNA title next week where he plans on burning the belt. It looks as though weeks worth of this angle could all culminate in a big segment next week.
This week’s episode kicked off with a wedding-related tag-team match. Rosemary is set to be married to John E. Bravo soon but things are a little complicated. As Rosemary is a demon, she needs a Sinister Minister of sorts to officiate the wedding. This requires bringing James Mitchell back from the undead realm. Havok and Rosemary joined in sending the devilish Mitchell to that realm earlier this year and Havok declined to help Rosemary in bringing him back, leading to this tag match.
Taya Valkyrie would pick up the win for her team when she hit Road to Valhalla on Neveah. After the match, however, Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz would hit the ring. As Taya has been playing an active role in planning Rosemary’s wedding, Hogan and Steelz were told they would play no part in it. Evidently, this did not sit well with them and they opted to attack their new rivals. They would end up retreating as Havok & Neveah re-entered the ring.
It was later revealed that Valkyrie and Rosemary will take on Hogan and Steelz next week.
Fallah Bah To Be John E. Bravo’s Best Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFNJxiKMqyc
Johnny Swinger faced Fallah Bah this week with the stipulation that the winner would be John E Bravo’s Best Man at his wedding to Rosemary. Swinger appeared to have won the match after hitting Fallah Bah with Crazzy Steve’s monkey behind the ref’s back but the match result would not stand. A newly confident Bravo berated the ref for not seeing the illegal use of a foreign object and his assertiveness was enough to get the match re-started. Fallah Bah capitalized and scored the victory with a Banzai Drop in the corner.
A little over a year ago, Impact Wrestling’s parent company, Anthem Sports & Entertainment, purchased AXS TV. The company also owns the Fight Network which airs internationally. Impact Wrestling is reportedly the most-watched program on the network by a significant margin. Now it appears, more Impact Wrestling content will be coming to AXS TV.
During a recent interview with Instinct Culture, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows noted that they will be getting their own special variety show on AXS TV.
“I am letting the cat out of the bag right here right now,” Gallows said. “I can’t say anything about titles or anything like that, but you’re gonna see us with our own special on AXS TV, that’s putting credit/belief into a ‘tag team’ or brand to come together, two guys that can entertain inside the ring and outside the ring.”
They would also say the program will follow a late night talk show format.
“I would say, think drunken late night talk show sprinkled in with Impact Wrestling stars of our choice and a little Talk ‘N Shop A Mania running wild brother…”
Karl Anderson als commented on the Good Brothers’ pending variety show.
“A Good Brother Variety Show, that’s the way to put it. Everything that you could expect from us to just be stupid and fun and sitting down and drinking and talking,” he said.
Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows produced “Talk N Shop Mania” recently on the FITE Network. A second PPV is scheduled for November 13th, 2020.
TNA Spinoff Series Possibly Coming To Impact Wrestling
There are also said to be interest from AXS TV in producing a TNA-themed spinoff show. According to a report from PW Insider, the network has been high on this idea since earlier this summer. The TNA World Championship has been re-introduced back into the mix in Impact. Although it is deemed an unofficial title, Moose had been defending it for several weeks. EC3 recently stole the title from him, however.
