Booker T believes there is a misunderstanding when it comes to people who feel he was a burden in TNA.
Booker T felt it was time for a change when he requested his release from WWE back in 2007. He was granted his release and soon found himself wrestling under the TNA banner. Booker T was in TNA until 2009. He made a return for one night only at a live event the following year.
Booker T Responds To Critics Of His TNA Run
During an episode of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T responded to a fan question sent to the K100 podcast. The fan question referred to the notion that Booker T was a “cancer” in the TNA locker room.
“I remember one time we went overseas, and this is where I think I got a really bad rap as far as me being in TNA. Went overseas and all of the boys, we were working so hard, and we got to the building and we had no catering at the building. Zero, zero catering for the boys and a lot of guys in TNA, those guys weren’t making a whole lot of money or anything like that. Me personally, I had a credit card so I could get some food if I wanted it but I felt really, really bad for those young guys.
“I remember after the show they wanted to stop at a food truck and get some food for the guys. The guys would’ve had to buy their own food and I pitched a fit. I went off, I went crazy, I lost my mind but maybe that’s where I got the bad rap for a second because I was speaking up for the boys. I made sure I spoke up for those guys because those guys like dropped off on an island and [were told], ‘Find some water and food on your own. You ain’t getting no credit card.’ It was like one of those Survivor missions or something like that. That’s the way it felt for me and I was really ticked off that those guys were treated that way.”
Booker T went on to say that he actually purchased food for some of the younger talent. He also said he’d let it be known that he wasn’t happy whenever he was asked to do a media day session in his own car rather than the company having a car for him. Booker T also wasn’t pleased whenever he was expected to get on an eight-hour bus ride to catch a one-hour flight.
Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article
Bronson Reed was expected to debut for Impact Wrestling at Bound For Glory. He ended up not being on the show, however. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Reed is expected to sign with Impact. The reason he wasn’t on the PPV and hasn’t debuted yet is that he was still dealing with visa issues.
“Jonah Rock, the former Bronson Reed, was scheduled to debut here for Bound for Glory but he hadn’t gotten his visa. But this is the company he is expecting to sign with,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
According to comments he made recently to Wrestling Inc, it appears Reed has his visa issues handled now and he could debut for Impact soon.
“Well, I’m not at liberty to say exactly what’s going to happen, but I am at the moment, this week, getting everything confirmed with immigration, so everything should be good to go, wherever I do go,” Reed said.
The 33-year-old Australian had been with WWE from January 2019 until being released on August 6th this year. He wrestled two dark matches on the main roster in June and then lost the North American title to Isaiah Scott later that month. His final match in WWE was a loss to Adam Cole on the 7/21 NXT show.
Impact Wrestling on 11/4 continued the build to Turning Point later this month. The main event featured the in-ring promotional debut for Minoru Suzuki.
Impact 11/4 Quick Results:
X-Division #1 Contendership Fatal 4-way Laredo Kid defeated Rohit Raju, Black Taurus, Steve Maclin
Eric Young defeated Jai Vidal
The Good Brothers vs FinJuice – No Contest
Knockouts Championship Mickie James (c) defeated Madison Rayne
Chris Sabin defeated Madman Fulton w/Ace Austin
Moose, W. Morrissey & Minoru Suzuki defeated Josh Alexander, Eddie Edwards, & Matt Cardona
Laredo Kid picked up a victory in the #1 contendership match for Trey Miguel’s X-Division Championship in this week’s opening contest. After Steve Maclin took Taurus out with a suicide dive to the outside, it left Laredo and Raju in the ring together. Raju tried to roll him up and grab the tights but Laredo Kid kicked out and sent Raju crashing into Maclin on the ring apron. This allowed him to hit a Michinoku Driver for the win.
After the match, Miguel came out to congratulate his next challenger but both were attacked from behind by Steve Maclin. Miguel and Laredo Kid then worked together to fight off Maclin and sent him to the outside with a double dropkick to end the segment.
Eric Young cut a promo before making his in-ring return after 6 months this week. He said that Rhino made the wrong decision at Bound for Glory. He also said that his opponent, Jai Vidal, has the “disease” and Young has the “cure.”
Young then won quick with a piledriver in convincing fashion.
Bullet Club Cause No-Contest In Good Brothers vs FinJuice Match
The Good Brothers faced FinJuice this week in a non-title match. The match was later ruled a no-contest after all 3 members of Impact’s Bullet Club faction interfered. Hikuleo, El Phantasmo, and Chris Bey hit the ring as all 4 wrestlers were down. They hit low-blows and belt shots on all 4 and posed with the Good Brothers Impact tag-team titles to end the segment.
Later in the show, Juice Robinson and David Finlay complained in the back about Bullet Club’s interference. Scott D’Amore then made a match for next week between them and Bullet Club with the winner to face the Good Brothers for the tag titles.
Mickie James Retains Title Against Madison Rayne, Mercedes Martinez Next In Line
Some veterans of the Knockouts division squared off once again with the title on the line here. These two met 4x for the Knockouts belt in 2011, each winning twice. The finish of this match here came when James took out Kaleb with a K on the outside and then hit Rayne with a diving attack from the top rope for the win.
After the match, the winner of the Knockouts Knockdown tournament Mercedes Martinez came to the ring to confront the champion. Martinez respectfully addressed James but said that she was not there to praise the champion, she’s there to challenge her at Turning Point.
The Iinspiration Recruit Undead Bridesmaids To Take On Decay
It was an interesting week for the new Knockouts tag team champions, the Iinspiration. A show long angle took place involving them and former Knockouts tag champs, Decay. First, the new champs were scheduled for an appearance on Locker Room talk but the members of Decay haunted the set.
They later decided that they needed to recruit the Undead Bridesmaids to take on Decay. Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay seemed a little disturbed by all the spookiness going on. It looks as though the Undead Bridesmaids are willing to take on Decay for them, however. That match was later made official for next week.
Ace Austin was seen wearing a “I Beat Chris Sabin” t-shirt backstage after defeating him last week. This week, Sabin took on Austin’s ally, Madman Fulton and won with a small package. Austin tried to attack him after the match but Sabin quickly escaped to the outside.
The main event saw several potential feuds and angles take place. Minoru Suzuki and Josh Alexander appear to be on a collision course as Suzuki took him out with a Gotch-style piledriver near the end of the match. The finish came when Morrissey hit Edwards with a big boot followed by a power bomb for the win. The heels celebrated in the ring to close the show.
Coming Up In Impact Wrestling
Turning Point – November 20th
Knockouts Tag Team Championships The Iinspiration (Jessie McKay & Cassie Lee) (c) vs Decay (Rosemary & Havok)
X-Division Championship Trey Miguel (c) vs Laredo Kid
Knockouts Championship Mickie James (c) vs Mercedes Martinez
Next Week:
Digital Media Championship (BTI) Jordynne Grace (c) vs John Skyler
Undead Bridesmaids (Kimber Lee & Brandi Lauren) vs Decay (Rosemary & Havok)
Bullet Club (Chris Bey & Hikuleo) vs FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson)
How much winning a world championship means to a wrestler varies from validation of a lifetime in the industry to nothing more than just a prop. Some feel the title is just a tool to get someone over, while others view it as receiving an award for their efforts.
New Impact World Champion Moose recently commented that while it feels good for a company to put the title on him, in the end, he views it as just a prop.
During an appearance on SGP Radio, Moose was asked what winning the Impact world title means to him.
“I’m kind of indifferent about it,” Moose responded. “It feels good for a company to put the championship on you and be like, ‘Hey, you’re our guy.’ At the end of the day, it is just a prop. It is just a prop. One thing I have noticed with this prop is that it makes you busier. When I didn’t have the championship, I didn’t have to do all these interviews and I didn’t have to pre-tapes.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not downplaying being IMPACT World Champion, obviously you don’t become a wrestler without one day wanting to be World Champion,” Moose continued.
“This is Quinn talking, not Moose, because obviously Moose feels different. At the end of the day, I’m still going to work hard and work as hard as I’ve been working. It doesn’t mean I’m going to look at wrestling different because I know as Quinn that this title is just a prop and for storytelling and it doesn’t make me any better or any less than before I had it.”
Moose is the 32nd wrestler to ever hold the Impact World Championship. Josh Alexander, who won the title moments before Moose cashed in his Call Your Shot Gauntlet trophy, was the 31st.
Coming Up In Impact Wrestling
Minoru Suzuki will make his in-ring debut on Impact Wrestling tonight. He’ll team with Impact World Champion Moose, as well as W. Morrissey to take on the team of Eddie Edwards, Josh Alexander, and Matt Cardona.
Minoru Suzuki, W.Morrissey, and Moose vs Eddie Edwards, Josh Alexander, and Matt Cardona
The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) vs FinJuice (Juice Robinson & David Finlay)
Knockouts Championship Mickie James (c) vs Madison Rayne
X-Division #1 Contendership Rohit Raju vs Laredo Kid vs Black Taurus vs Steve Maclin
Digital Media Championship #1 Contendership John Skyler vs Chelsea Green
Last week’s Impact Results
X-Division Championship Trey Miguel defeated Rocky Romero
Bronson Reed was reportedly a lock for Impact Wrestling’s Bound For Glory event but it wasn’t meant to be.
Reed is free to sign with other promotions as he was part of a wave of NXT roster cuts back in August. Many were surprised by Reed’s release since he had been working dark matches and appeared primed for the main roster. He had also been pushed on NXT, winning the North American Title.
Reed spoke to Wrestling Inc and laid out what went south before his planned Impact Wrestling debut. It sounds like he did not have his governmental paperwork in order.
“Well, I’m not at liberty to say exactly what’s going to happen, but I am at the moment, this week, getting everything confirmed with immigration, so everything should be good to go, wherever I do go.”
He continued by saying that he’s excited to show the world what he’s capable of without the constraints WWE put on him.
“Basically, I feel like the last few years exposed me to the rest of the world. People got to see what Bronson Reed had to offer, but not really what Jonah had to offer. I was very much set in a mold of what WWE wanted me to be, so going forward, it’s more what I myself want to be as Jonah. So I’m looking to have some pretty cool matches and fun matches, a little different to what I did in WWE.”
Reed went on to admit that the visa process has been a “nightmare.” Reed isn’t the only one who has had to go through this. The IInspiration, a team also released by WWE, had to miss Slammiversary due to visa issues. The duo ended up making their promotional debut at Bound For Glory.
Time will tell when Reed will step inside an Impact ring. The promotion wrapped up a set of TV tapings in Las Vegas. Impact’s next big event will be Turning Point on Nov. 20.
Independent wrestler “Speedball” Mike Bailey has signed with Impact Wrestling. He signed his contract with the promotion on Josh Alexander’s back on Sunday night at a Destiny Wrestling show in Mississauga, ON, Canada.
Bailey had been barred from wrestling in the United States from 2016 until recently. He received a 5-year ban after attempting to enter the United States from Canada for a series of EVOLVE shows without a work VISA.
Similar situations have happened to other Canadian wrestlers, such as Nicole Matthews, in the past as well. Matthews was looking to enter the country to compete in the Mae Young Classic.
Impact has released this 4K-resolution video of Mike Bailey signing his contract:
https://youtu.be/kts7IXuPmXw
Mike Bailey: “I’ll Keep Doing My Best”
Shortly after signing with Impact, Mike Bailey posted a message on social media thanking fans for sticking with him. He promises to keep doing his best, which is really all we can ask for.
Thank you. ?
Despite setbacks and hardships I've had in my wrestling career, I only feel blessed & grateful for the love & support that I have received continuously in return for my hard work.
I couldn't do any of it without you all. Thank you. I'll keep doing my best!
Josh Alexander also commented on Mike Bailey signing with Impact. He thinks people will be talking about it for years to come.
“Impact Wrestling gets another killer,” said Alexander. “Speedball Mike Bailey is going to take over the wrestling scene! One of my toughest opponents, most skilled & hardest workers I’ve ever seen.”
The former IIconics have not only found new names for themselves in Jessica McKay and Cassie Lee but they have changed the name of their team to The IInspiration.
The duo appeared on Impact Press Pass with Gail Kim prior to their Impact debut at Bound For Glory. Among other things, they also revealed where they got the inspiration for their new name.
Jessica McKay gave props to Lee for coming up with the idea, revealing that the former WWE star came up with it after watching the classic movie Bring It On:
“Cassie, I will give props to her. She came up with The IInspiration from ‘Bring It On’ classic film that we’ve all seen a million times. They call themselves inspiration leaders, and she loved that and told me about it. And I was like, that’s amazing.
And it just stuck. It felt like us. And it’s so crazy. Now we say the word inspire 100 times a day, and I never knew that. Of course, now we’re saying the word all the time. So it definitely fits for us.”
The IInspiration was released from WWE back in April this year. They made their Impact Wrestling debut during the Bound For Glory event this past weekend.
The debuting duo challenged Decay for the Impact Knockouts tag team titles on the show and won the championships in their first match for the promotion.
Impact Wrestling 9/28 featured the fallout from Bound For Glory. Moose made his first appearance as the new Impact World Champion and Minoru Suzuki made his promotional debut.
Impact 9/28 Quick Results:
X-Division Championship Trey Miguel defeated Rocky Romero
Rachael Ellering defeated Tasha Steelz
Heath vs Joe Doering – No Contest
Ace Austin defeats Chris Sabin
Moose Cuts First Promo As Champion, Josh Alexander & Minoru Suzuki Interrupt
"It doesn't matter how elite you are, it doesn't matter what tribe you're chief to, it doesn't matter if you're the boss, the man…hell you can add a new day to the week – I'm still the greatest champion in all of professional wrestling." #IMPACTonAXSTV@TheMooseNationpic.twitter.com/YCeeFj6K00
Moose cut his first promo as Impact World Champion to kick off the show. He alluded to champions from other promotions before stating that he is the greatest champion in all of pro-wrestling. The man he cashed in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet trophy against, Josh Alexander, hit the ring and attacked Moose, sending him running into the crowd. Just then, Minoru Suzuki’s music hit and he came to the ring. Suzuki and Alexander then came face-to-face. Alexander turned his attention back to Moose but Suzuki turned him around and the two began exchanging blows. Security eventually came out to separate Alexander and Suzuki.
Trey Miguel Successfully Defends X-Division Title, Attacked By Steve Maclin
Trey Miguel successfully defended his newly won X-Division Championship in the first match of the night against NJPW’s Rocky Romero. After a difficult match, Miguel was attacked from behind by Steve Maclin. Maclin hung Miguel up in the Tree of Woe and delivered a spear.
Later in the show, Maclin pointed out that Miguel’s never beaten him and nobody in Impact has defeated him. Scott D’Amore then said he would give him an opportunity to qualify for an X-Division title match next week.
After a backstage confrontation between Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering and Tasha Steelz & Savannah Evans, a match was made with Ellering taking on Steelz. After a back-and-forth match, Ellering picked up the victory with a back-slide after countering a cutter from Steelz.
The feud between Heath & Rhino and Violent By Design continued this week. A match between Heath and Joe Doering was thrown out after Rhino and Deaner started brawling in the ring. Rhino was then going to get his hands on Eric Young but EY backed away, noting that he was still injured. It turns out Young is all cleared, however, as he would then get involved as VBD used the numbers advantage to take out both Heath and Rhino. Young gave Heath a piledriver to close the segment.
Mickie James came out to cut her first promo since winning the Knockouts title at Bound for Glory. She praised Deonna Purrazzo for giving her the toughest fight of her life but was then interrupted by Madison Rayne. Rayne then challenged her to a title match next week, which James accepted.
The main event this week saw Chris Sabin and Ace Austin go one-on-one. It looked as though Sabin had the match in control but Madman Fulton then got involved from the outside. After a big punch from Fulton, Austin hit the fold on Sabin and got the 1-2-3.
Coming Up In Impact Wrestling
Next Week:
Minoru Suzuki, W.Morrissey, and Moose vs Eddie Edwards, Josh Alexander, and Matt Cardona
Knockouts Championship Mickie James (c) vs Madison Rayne
X-Division #1 Contendership Rohit Raju vs Laredo Kid vs Black Taurus vs Steve Maclin
Digital Media Championship #1 Contendership John Skyler vs Chelsea Green
Christian Cage lost the Impact Wrestling World Championship at Bound For Glory. He is not expected to receive a rematch for the title either. AEW wrestlers have not been taking part in recent Impact tapings and Impact talent have not been at recent AEW shows either.
As for if the relationship between AEW & Impact is finished, a representative from Impact spoke to the Wrestling Observer Newsletterand noted that the door is still open to work together. The plan had always been to conclude the storyline of an AEW wrestler holding the Impact title at Bound For Glory, however.
“It’s getting talked about like that but not quite accurate,” the source said addressing rumors the relationship between the two companies was done. “Cage dropping the title at BFG was the end of the story that started last December. That was the plan since the spring. Door is open to do more but nothing planned for short-term.”
The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) had frequently been appearing as members of the Elite on AEW programming. They have not been on AEW programming recently, however. It is not clear if they will be returning to AEW or not.
“Tony Khan didn’t comment on whether they would be brought back when asked,” wrote Dave Meltzer regarding the Good Brothers.
Impact World Champion Moose has his first championship defense set for Impact’s next Pay Per View, Turning Point, on November 20th.
Impact Wrestling is currently taping episodes of their show at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, Nevada. A Fan uploaded clips on Twitter from yesterday’s tapings that revealed the number one contender for the Impact World Championship.
Spoiler for Number One Contender for Impact Title
A triple threat match between Matt Cardona, W. Morrissey, and Eddie Edwards happened during the tapings. Edwards won the match by pinning Cardona and became the number one contender to face Moose at Turning Point. Edwards will try to become a two-time Impact World Champion with a win over Moose.
Edwards becoming the number one contender at Turning Point raises the question of what Impact Wrestling is doing with Josh Alexander. Alexander seemed to be Impact’s next babyface champion after defeating Christian Cage at Bound for Glory on October 23rd. However, Moose would defeat Alexander shortly after to win the title. Fans watching the event questioned Impact’s motive for taking the championship away from Alexander. It now seems that Alexander won’t be getting a rematch for the title anytime soon.
While Alexander is not in the title picture, Impact Wrestling promoted that he’d face Minoru Suzuki during the tapings. It is unclear what Alexander will do at Turning Point or when he will get his rematch.
Another match that is Impact Wrestling teased during the tapings was Mickie James vs. Mercedes Martinez for the Impact Women’s Championship. Martinez challenged James to a title match at Turning Point. However, the match has not been made official by Impact Wrestling. The promotion will air the taped episodes for several weeks, starting this Thursday.
Some spoilers have become available from the recent Impact Wrestling tapings from Sunday in Las Vegas have become available.
According to a report from PW Insider, Minoru Suzuki’s first angle with Impact took place on Sunday night. Suzuki is said to have gotten into a brawl with Josh Alexander. Alexander had won the Impact World Championship at Bound for Glory briefly before Moose cashed-in his “Call Your Shot” trophy and won the title from him moments later.
Josh Alexander and Minoru Suzuki staredown and brawl at IMPACT TV Tapings following Bound for Glory. ??? pic.twitter.com/be4foMUziv
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, several other events took place which should air on this coming Thursday’s broadcast:
Mickie James retained her newly won Knockouts Championship against Madison Rayne. Mercedes Martinez then came out and challenged James to a match at Turning Point.
Ace Austin defeated Chris Sabin.
Laredo Kid became the new #1 contender for the X-Division Championship after winning a fatal 4-way. He’ll face new champion Trey Miguel for the title at some point. It hasn’t been revealed who is opponents were, however.
A match between the Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) vs FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) went to a no-contest after interference by all 3 members of Impact’s Bullet Club faction (El Phantasmo, Chris Bey, & HIKULEO).
Eric Young returned from injury and won a squash match over Jai Vidal.
Heath defeated Violent By Design’s Joe Doering, but after the match VBD attacked both Heath and Rhino.
The new Knockouts Tag Team Champions the Iinspiration (Jessica McKay and Cassie Lee) watched a match between Decay and the Undead Bridesmaids from the stage area. There was said to have then been a small altercation after the match. It is not clear who won this match, however.
Impact Wrestling was advertising that Monday’s show would feature a match between Josh Alexander and Minoru Suzuki.
Mickie James has commented on winning the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Championship for the fourth time.
James challenged Deonna Purrazzo for the gold at Bound For Glory. Mickie ended the 343-day reign of Purrazzo.
Mickie James Admits Knockouts Title Win Means More To Her Than She Thought It Would
Appearing on Busted Open Radio, Mickie James said that despite winning numerous world titles throughout her career, this one was special.
“It feels so good. Honestly, I didn’t think it would matter as much to me as it did in a sense because I have been a champion several times and I’ve had such a tenured career. We always go, ‘God, I don’t need the championship. I’ve done so much.’ There was nothing sweeter than winning the championship. I hadn’t won a championship in eight years. My last championship was the one that I lost in IMPACT against ODB. When I think about that I go, ‘Wow, that’s a long time.’ I’ve done a lot, but not really for me. It was a great moment, it was powerful, and it felt good.”
It’s a feel-good moment for Mickie, who was released by WWE back in April. Mickie aired out WWE for being unprofessional by sending her stuff in a trash bag. WWE acted quickly and fired the person responsible.
Since being released by WWE, Mickie played a key role in the creation of an all-women’s NWA PPV. Billy Corgan has credited her with making a lot of the cross-promotion deals a reality.
Many fans who tuned in last night to Bound for Glory may have been expecting Braun Strowman to show up. Last week, PW Insider reported that Strowman was all but locked down to debut with the promotion. As it turns out, however, no deal has been signed and it is not clear if one will be.
According to a report from Fightful Select, the two sides have talked but no deal has been made. It is not clear if Strowman will end up there or not.
In terms of Bray Wyatt possibly debuting for Impact Wrestling, he was reportedly contacted by the promotion but a deal between the two sides has never been close. It does not sound like there are currently plans for Wyatt to end up in Impact, although things could change.
Bronson Reed was also reportedly booked to be part of the upcoming Impact Wrestling tapings. He was later unbooked, however. No reason for the change has been reported.
Impact is bringing in Minoru Suzuki for this week’s tapings in Las Vegas, however.
Here are the results from last night’s Bound For Glory show from Las Vegas.
Knockouts Tag Team Championships The IInspiration (Cassie Lee & Jessie McKay) defeated Decay (Havok & Rosemary) (c) (8:58) – New Champions
X-Division Championship Trey Miguel defeated El Phantasmo and Steve Maclin (13:23) – New Champion
Heath & Rhino defeated Violent By Design (Deaner & Joe Doering) (w/Eric Young) (5:59)
Call Your Shot Gauntlet Match Moose defeated Ace Austin and Alisha and Brian Myers and Chris Sabin and Eddie Edwards and Johnny Swinger and Laredo Kid and Madman Fulton and Matt Cardona and Melina and Rachael Ellering and Rich Swann and Rocky Romero and Rohit Raju and Sam Beale and Savannah Evans and Tasha Steelz and The Demon and W. Morrissey (29:38)
Impact Tag Team Championships The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) (c) defeated BULLET CLUB (Chris Bey & Hikuleo) and FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) (9:56)
Knockouts Championship Mickie James defeated Deonna Purrazzo (c) (13:21) – New Champion
Impact World Championship Josh Alexander defeated Christian Cage (c) (18:53) – New Champion
Impact World Championship (Call Your Shot Gauntlet Cash-In) Moose defeated Josh Alexander (c) (0:07) – New Champion
Moose has become the new Impact Wrestling world heavyweight champion after picking up a couple of big victories during tonight’s Bound For Glory PPV event.
The former NFL player was part of the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match on the show. He won the match and a future title opportunity by defeating Matt Cardona last.
The main event of the night then saw Christian defending his Impact world title against Josh Alexander. The former champion had given up his X Division title for a shot at the world championship.
Alexander won this match after a tough battle between the two stars. He put Christian in an ankle lock and made him tap out. Josh won the match after stepping on the former WWE star’s hand to stop him from getting to the ropes.
Christian showed respect to the new champion by hugging him and handing him the title before heading to the back. Alexander’s wife and son who were in the front row then made their way to the ring to celebrate.
This is where Moose entered the arena again and cashed in his trophy. Josh Alexander moved his family out of the way, only to take a spear from Moose and lose the title.
Latest report suggests that the partnership between AEW and Impact Wrestling may be ending soon. If so, this was a good way to write Christian off the Impact TV and build a feud between Moose and Alexander to move the storyline further.
The IInspiration has finally arrived at Impact Wrestling and the duo has picked up a big win in their debut match at the Bound For Glory event.
The promotion had announced that the former WWE stars will be making their debut for the company during their biggest show of the year. They had confirmed that the former IIconics will face Decay for the knockouts tag team titles.
The female stars then opened the show. They walked out to Harley Cameron singing The IInspiration’s theme song for the pair’s first entrance in the company:
The two introduced each other by their new names and claimed that they are here to inspire people. The tag team did their signature pose before kicking off the championship match.
The ending of the bout saw all four competitors getting in on the action. Havok hit a choke bomb on Jessie McKay and a forearm to Cassie Lee.
Though Lee managed to fight off both the opponents and sent Rosemary on the floor. The IInspiration sent Havok into the corner a couple of times and then into the ring post outside.
Rosemary got up to send McKay back into the ring but Lee tagged herself in. Lee delivered a big knee to Rosemary and hit a neckbreaker on her opponent to pick up the victory for her team.
There is no word yet on the length of their contract with Impact Wrestling. Although the championship win suggests that The IInspiration is here to stay.
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.
The event takes place tonight (Saturday, October 23, 2021) from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas, Nevada. Impact Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion Christian Cage vs. Josh Alexander is the main event.
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
Impact World Champion Christian Cage vs. Josh Alexander
Impact Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo vs. Mickie James
Impact Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers vs. Bullet Club (Chris Bey & Hikuelo) vs. FinJuice
Trey Miguel vs. Black Taurus vs. El Phantasmo – a three-way match for the vacant X-Division title
Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champions Decay (Rosemary & Havok) vs. The IInspiration
Violent By Design vs. Heath & TBA
Competitors announced thus far: Chris Sabin (#1) vs. Rich Swann vs. Brian Myers vs. Moose vs. W. Morrissey (#20) – 20-man Call Your Shot gauntlet match
Pre-show: John Skyler vs. Fallah Bahh vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Crazzy Steve vs. Chelsea Green vs. Madison Rayne – six-way match for the inaugural Digital Media Championship
Pre-show: Awesome Kong induction into the Hall of Fame
Women’s wrestling has been celebrated and honored all week long, alongside the release of this year’s PWI Women’s 150. Among that list, included the IMPACT Knockouts Champion, Deonna Purrazzo, as she reigned supreme as #3 in the rankings.
Purrazzo is scheduled to defend her Knockouts Championship against Mickie James this Saturday, October 23rd at Impact Wrestling’s Bound For Glory PPV.
Ahead of this title defense, SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay caught up with “The Virtuosa” to discuss her thoughts on some of her fellow female competitors, including “The Russian Dynamite” Masha Slamovich.
The full interview with Knockouts Champion, Deonna Purrazzo, can be viewed below.
Masha Slamovich Joins Impact
Masha Slamovich
Purrazzo’s thoughts on Masha Slamovich signing with IMPACT Wrestling after Knockouts Knockdown:
“I’ve said for 18-months that I want this division, while I’m on top, to be the most coveted around the world. I want everyone to be a part of our Knockouts Division, to want to be a part of the Knockouts Division, to want to be the Knockouts Champion. And we need women like Masha Slamovich, who is one of the best in the world coming up, putting the best out there, and putting her best foot forward.
So, I’m really honored that I kind of got to be a part of that [moment] and that it turned out she was offered a contract. That was not planned or intended, that’s just how good she is. She earned it live and in that moment. We need women like Masha, we need women like Lady Frost.
We need these up and coming independent talent who are ready to make a name for themselves and just looking for the right company to give them an opportunity. I feel very synonymous with those girls because I was very much in that same position for a long time and I’m really happy to see them thrive, because in turn it makes our entire Knockouts division thrive.
Iron sharpens iron is what I said about Masha. I feel like that’s true for so many women on the independent scene right now that could come in and have incredible matches and tell incredible stories for our Knockouts Division.”
Mercedes Martinez
Mercedes Martinez
Deonna Purrazzo also expressed high regard to the winner of the Knockouts Knockdown tournament champion, Mercedes Martinez:
“She’s someone that I wrestled some of my first matches against. She’s someone that obviously I get to wrestle now so to see her kind of being in the same space that I was when I was released from NXT, kind of just being like ‘I want to go out there and I want to do everything I can do, and I want to work for every company that I can, and make you regret it’ is how I felt.
To see she kind of has that chip on her shoulder makes me really happy because she’s more than capable. And I’d love to see her land a spot at IMPACT as well, because we need those veteran presences in our lockeroom.
We have quite a few women on our roster who have been with IMPACT for a long time and have that presence, but I think Mercedes Martinez is an entire entity of her own. There is no one quite like her and if you’re going to have the best division in the world, we need the best talent in the world. Mercedes Martinez is definitely in that conversation for me.”
Besides the addition of Slamovich to the Knockouts Division, like previously mentioned, IMPACT Wrestling will also be welcoming The IInspiration (formerly Peyton Royce and Billie Kay in WWE), at Bound For Glory. They vie for the Knockouts Tag Team Championships against Decay.
The IInspiration
The IInspiration is comin to Bound For Glory
Deonna Purrazzo also discussed her thoughts on the IInspiration coming to IMPACT:
“I am so excited that The IInspiration is coming because I wasn’t sure if they were or not, so when it was announced at the end of Knockouts Knockdown it was like ‘hell yeah! Another victory for us’. I’m going to say the same thing I said about Mercedes [Martinez] about Cassie [Lee] and Jess [McKay], I think that they are unique in their own ways.
They could be serious and want to wrestle, but then they have this really fun, quirky, comedic side of them that I think is different, and brings something different to our Knockouts Division.
I’m excited to see who walks away as the Knockouts Tag Team Champions at Bound For Glory, but at the end of the day, the more talent that lands at IMPACT–and more than then them coming in, I really am enjoying the fact that IMPACT has become this landing zone, and people are actively seeking out IMPACT Wrestling to give them the opportunities they maybe feel they didn’t get anywhere else. So, for them to come in, I’m really excited to see what else they can do as a tag team.”
IMPACT Wrestling will be hosting Bound For Glory on Saturday, October 23rd from Las Vegas at 10pm est / 7pm pst.
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Former WWE NXT Star Bronson Reed is still on the free agent market, but he is gaining some interest from two promotions – New Japan Pro Wrestling and Impact Wrestling.
NJPW has reportedly made a big play for Reed (via Fightful), who is going by his previous moniker of Jonah Rock. Impact is also interested in signing him, but those in the promotion were said to not be confident that he would be making his debut this weekend.
Impact holds its Bound for Glory pay-per-view event on Saturday night and then TV tapings on Sunday and Monday.
Reed was let go by WWE earlier this year after his reign ended as North American Champion. He had a 30-day non-compete clause due to him being under an NXT contract so he’s been free and clear to sign with anyone since early last month.
Before Reed had been released due to budget cuts, the company had him work several dark matches at a time where they were trying out various NXT stars such as Karrion Kross, Shotzi Blackheart, and Teagan Nox before calling them up to the main roster.
Last week it was revealed that former WWE star Buddy Murphy would be joining the promotion to work on their United States brand.
It looks like former WWE Superstar Braun Strowman (Adam Scherr) is indeed bound for Impact Wrestling.
Last week, Scherr was spotted with Impact EVP Scott D’Amore a hotel bar in Detroit, Michigan. The two had a lengthy discussion, presumably about him appearing for Impact. Details about how the meeting went were scarce, until Friday.
PWInsider has provided a significant update to this story. Scherr was seen taking a flight from Chicago to Las Vegas, site of Saturday night’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view.
The PWInsider report notes that Scherr is all but confirmed to be joining Impact Wrestling. He won’t be able to use the name Braun Strowman, which is owned by WWE. Instead, Scherr will be using the nickname, The Titan.
In addition to Bound For Glory, Impact will be holding TV tapings from Vegas as well. In the event that The Titan does not appear at the pay-per-view, we could see him on a future episode of Impact on AXS TV.
Strowman was released by WWE back in June. His release was part of a slew of talent cuts for budget reasons that also included current AEW star Malakai Black.
Stick with SEScoops this weekend to find out if Adam Scherr / Braun Strowman debuts at Bound for Glory.
Acey Romero has detailed why he decided to request his release from Impact Wrestling.
Back in August, Fightful brought word that Romero asked Impact to be let go from his contract. Near the midway point of October, Jon Alba reported that Romero got what he was asking for. Romero is now free to sign wherever he pleases and already has a couple of independent bookings secured.
During an interview with Cultaholic, Romero revealed the final nail in the coffin as far as his run with Impact Wrestling is concerned.
“I just want people to know I’m not talking sh*t or trying to bury IMPACT. The last straw was we were going to be booked in August but we were pulled the week of. I’ll be honest, IMPACT was a big chunk of my income and my deal was if I wasn’t there, I wasn’t paid. I was paid per appearance. So I was counting on that loop to help me financially.
“I was ready to go. We were leaving on a Friday and it was a Monday and just, ‘Hey, bad news. Creative has gone in a different direction and you guys aren’t on the loop this month.’ That’s when the frustration really built, like ‘What the hell?’ I would call them and say, ‘Can we do something better? What can we do to come back?’ I just felt like we were getting d*cked around, for lack of a better phrase.”
Acey Romero had been one-half of the XXXL tag team along with Larry D. He had been with Impact since Oct. 2019. Romero hadn’t been used by the company since a set of tapings back in April.
Impact Wrestling will air a tribute to Daffney show following its regular weekly programming on AXS TV next week. The show will air in the normal “Impact in 60” slot on October 28th at 10 PM.
Additionally, CollarxElbow has partnered with Daffney’s family to sell a t-shirt. Proceeds from sales of the shirt will be donating to the CTE Foundation at Boston University.
Impact also honoured Daffney by holding a memorial Monster’s Ball match at Knockouts Knockdown recently. The match was won by Savannah Evans. Gail Kim spoke to Sports Illustrated about what holding that match means to the company.
“She was one of the first to break the mold and become this hardcore queen, and the Monster’s Ball match was an important part of that,” Kim says. “It’s a great event to bring back, but it means so much more than that this time.”
“There is a very strong bond in our industry of brothers and sisters,” Kim continued. “It’s an undeniable one, and we always unite for these moments that touch us. It’s a business that moves very quickly, but we all slowed down when learning about Daffney. It is time to come together and honor her, beginning with this Monster’s Ball match.”
Posted October 18th, 2021 in TNA, News. Tagged: Daffney.
More and more signs are pointing towards Braun Strowman (Adam Scherr) being on his way to join the Impact Wrestling roster, sooner rather than later.
According to a new report from PWInsider, the monster among men was recently spotted meeting with Imapact EVP Scott D’Amore. The two met at a hotel bar for the Motor City Comic Con in Detroit, Michigan on Saturday.
D’Amore arrived earlier and he waited for Strowman to show up.These two seem to have had an in-depth conversation as according to the site they were sitting ‘for a long time.’ Though detail of their exchange is not available.
Impact Wrestling is said to be working on several surprises for their Bound For Glory event this Saturday. Whether Braun Strowman turns out to be one of them remains to be seen.
Japanese wrestling legend Minoru Suzuki continues to make the most of his trip to the United States.
Suzuki didn’t participate in this year’s G1 Climax tournament for New Japan Pro Wrestling. As a result, he’s been taking dates in America for the likes of AEW and GCW. Now, the leader of Suzuki-gun will be making his way to Impact Wrestling.
Impact Wrestling took to its Twitter account to announce that Suzuki is making his way to the promotion for upcoming TV tapings.
BREAKING: See @suzuki_D_minoru LIVE at our television tapings at @samstownlv in Las Vegas on October 24th and 25th!
“BREAKING: See Minoru Suzuki LIVE at our television tapings at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas on October 24th and 25th!”
Suzuki’s AEW endeavor hasn’t ended either. On Oct. 15, he will be taking on Bryan Danielson during the AEW Rampage Buy In show. You can catch the live stream of the Buy In show on the SEScoops homepage at 9 p.m. ET.
As for Impact Wrestling, the company has been enjoying great success with cross-promotion. Impact has finally made amends with NJPW and has been bringing in the likes of Juice Robinson, David Finlay, El Phantasmo, Jay White, and others.
It’ll be interesting to see what Minoru Suzuki has in store for Impact Wrestling and who he will target upon his arrival.
Impact Wrestling on 9/14 was the first show since the Knockouts Knockdown event that aired on Saturday. It’s the second final episode before Bound For Glory on October 23rd.
Impact 9/14 Quick Results:
X-Division Championship Tournament El Phantasmo w/ Bullet Club (Chris Bey & Hikuleo) defeated Rohit Raju & Willie Mack
Savannah Evans w/ Tasha Steelz defeated Lady Frost
Rich Swann w/ Willie Mack defeated VsK w/ Brian Myers
Chris Sabin defeated Chris Bey
Winner Enters Call Your Shot Gauntlet #20, Runner Up Enters #1 W. Morrissey Last Eliminates Chris Sabin to Win
El Phantasmo Qualifies For X-Division Championship Match At Bound For Glory
We now have the 3 wrestlers who will face off for the vacant X-division championship at Bound For Glory. Joining Trey Miguel and Steve Maclin will be Bullet Club’s El Phantasmo. After his Bullet Club teammates provided a distraction on the outside, taking Willie Mack out of the picture, ELP spiked Rohit Raju face first into the mat and got the 1-2-3.
Savannah Evans won the Monster’s Ball match at Knockouts Knockdown and followed it up with a win here over Lady Frost. As for Frost, this is two losses in a row for her as she was also eliminated in the first round of the tournament on Saturday when she lost to Rachael Ellering. Evans got the win with a full nelson slam. So, it looks like she is headed to the top of the division.
The Iinspiration Feel Their Title Shot At Bound For Glory Is “Well Deserved”
The former Iiconics, now known as the Iinspiration, had a letter sent to Gail Kim from Sydney, Australia. Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay said that their tag team title shot against Decay is well-deserved despite never having competed in the division. The letter also requested that it be read out loud in an Australian accent.
Swann picked up revenge this week after VSK attacked him after a match recently. It looks like Mack and Swann are moving into a feud with the Learning Tree here. Swann landed numerous strikes followed by a Phoenix Splash for the win.
Since Impact have moved its tapings to Las Vegas, Swinger’s Palace is no longer able to operate. Chris Sabin and others paid tribute to the underground casino closing this week.
Heath Wants His Partner Back
It's been a long road but @HEATHXXII finally has his IMPACT contract.
Heath signed his Impact contract with Scott D’Amore this week after a long time on the shelf with injury. He requested a match pitting him and Rhino against Violent By Design but nobody is too sure where Rhino’s head is at these days or who he is aligned with.
FinJuice came out to support Chris Sabin in this match here against Bullet Club’s Chris Bey. Bey also had his stablemates at ringside but after some commotion on the outside both teams were sent to the back, leaving just Sabin and Bey to go one-on-one. Sabin then picked up the victory with the Cradle Shock.
W. Morrissey Wins Battle Royal, Will Enter Last In Call Your Shot Gauntlet
The stipulation here was that the winner of the battle royal will enter the Call Your Shot Gauntlet at Bound For Glory last but the runner-up will enter first. So, a lot on the line. It came down to Chris Sabin and W. Morrissey. Moose provided some assistance on the outside, preventing Sabin from throwing the big man out and this allowed Morrissey to toss Sabin out instead to pick up the victory.
A sit down interview with Josh Alexander and Christian Cage was held this week. During the segment, a clip from a Impact fan fest was shown where Christian said he didn’t know who Josh Alexander was. Cage said it was just good natured ribbing but Alexander was clearly upset. He said he has lost his respect for Christian and stormed off. This will no longer be a friendly contest at Bound For Glory.
Coming Up in Impact Wrestling
Next week:
Mickie James vs TBD (Picked by Deonna Purrazzo)
Trey Miguel vs Alex Zayne
Impact Tag Team Championships #1 Contendership FinJuice (Juice Robinson & David Finlay) vs Bullet Club (Chris Bey and HIKULEO)
Bound For Glory (October 23rd)
Impact World Championship Christian Cage (c) vs Josh Alexander
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Mickie James
Knockouts Tag Team Championships Decay (Rosemary & Havok) (c) vs The Iinspiration (Jessie McKay & Cassie Lee)
X-Division Championship (Vacant) Trey Miguel vs Steve Maclin vs El Phantasmo
Call Your Shot Gauntlet W. Morrissey to enter last, Chris Sabin to enter first
The IInspiration will be getting a title shot during their debut for Impact Wrestling. They will be facing the current Knockouts tag team champions, Rosemary and Havok, at Bound For Glory for their titles.
The promotion had confirmed earlier this week that the former WWE stars will be making their debuts during the upcoming show. Though they hadn’t revealed what the duo will be doing at the PPV.
The company then announced via a tweet earlier that the team of Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay will not only be wrestling at the event, but The IInspiration will be getting a title shot at Bound For Glory:
Previously known as Peyton Royce and Billie Kay of The IIconics, the duo made their name wrestling for WWE. Both of them were released as part of the coronavirus budget cuts in April this year.
Bound For Glory Updated Card
This is the seventh match that has been announced for Impact Wrestling’s biggest show of the year. Here is the updated card for the show after the latest announcement:
Impact World Championship Match: Josh Alexander vs. Christian Cage
Impact Knockouts Championship Match: Mickie James vs. Deonna Purrazzo
Impact World Tag Team Championship Match: FinJuice or The Bullet Club vs. The Good Brothers
Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship Match: The IInspiration vs. Rosemary and Havok
Impact X Division Championship Triple Threat Match: Trey Miguel vs. Steve Maclin vs. 1 TBD
20-Man Call Your Shot Gauntlet Match: Brian Myers vs. Rich Swann vs. Moose vs. Eddie Edwards vs. W. Morrissey vs. 15 TBD
Pre show Inaugural Impact Digital Media Championship Tournament Finals: John Skyler vs. Crazzy Steve vs. Fallah Bahh vs. Jordynne Grace or Johnny Swinger vs. 2 TBD
Impact Wrestling’s Bound For Glory will be taking place from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas on Saturday, October 23. The show is scheduled to begin at 10:30 pm ET.
