Impact Wrestling has confirmed the signing of indie star Masha Slamovich after her recent match against the Knockouts champion Deonna Purrazzo.

The indie star faced the Impact champion during this past Saturday’s Knockouts Knockdown event. She delivered an impressive performance but failed to win the bout.

Impact Wrestling released post-show footage from the PPV yesterday. In the video, current Impact producer and Hall Of Famer Gail Kim is seen approaching Slamovich after her loss.

The Impact veteran offered her a contract to join the promotion. The 24-year-old accepted this offer and she then received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Masha Slamovich is then seen heading backstage where she receives applauds from the Impact roster. Backstage, she mentions how she has been doing it for long and claimed that she is very thankful for the journey:

The ‘Russian Dynamite’ was trained by people such as WWE Hall of Famer Johnny Rodz and The Amazing Red. She began her career 5 years ago in Japan.

Masha made her Impact wrestling debut in June 2019. She had matches with the likes of Havok and Jordynne Grace but she wasn’t able to pick up a win.

Since then, she has wrestled for promotions such as CZW, Beyond Wrestling, GCW, and NWA. She also made her AEW Debut recently, losing a match to Hikaru Shida during the September 20 edition of Dark: Elevation.

• Chris Jericho On Dynamite Beating Raw In Key Demo

Nobody knew that the All In event would become the catalyst of a big revolution in the wrestling business when it originally took place. Though WWE still warned their talents against attending the show, according to Chelsea Green.

The Impact Wrestling star talked about the PPV event on her Green With Envy podcast. She discussed things such as her fatal four-way match at All In and more.

Chelsea then said that she wanted her fiancée Matt Cardona fka Zack Ryder to be at the event. However, he couldn’t do it because he got a text from WWE:

“I will say that I really wish Matt had been able to go. Every one at WWE who had a spouse or a partner that was on All In got a text the week or two out from talent relations at WWE, saying they were not allowed to be at All In.

So originally, of course, Matt and people like Deonna and Adam Cole, so many people were going to be at All In, just backstage watching us.” said Chelsea Green, “And when they sent that text, I mean, it was way too risky for any of them to be there, especially after being told not to.”

Chelsea Green also revealed how she was able to participate in her fatal four-way All In match against Britt Baker, Madison Rayne, and Tessa Blanchard, despite already having signed a WWE contract.

She explained that she didn’t say anything about being part of the show to the officials. Instead, she just told them that she had to finish up her bookings before reporting at the performance center.

After taking part in a WWE tryout, the female star was signed to a contract in August 2018. Though she didn’t report to the performance center until October, a month after the All In PPV in September 2018.

• Chelsea Green Blasts Tessa Blanchard For Bringing Impact Title To All In

Acey Romero is no longer under contract with Impact Wrestling.

Back in late August, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported that Romero put in a request to be released from his deal with Impact. He hadn’t been used by the promotion in months and it appears he had enough of the inactivity.

Jon Alba is now reporting that Acey Romero has been granted his release from Impact Wrestling.

“I’m told IMPACT Wrestling has released Acey Romero, and he can now work with any promotion.”

Romero first signed with Impact back in 2019. He never won any championships during his time with the promotion. Romero was last seen on Impact teaming with Larry D as XXXL.

He hadn’t been used since a set of Impact tapings back in April. Acey then had a COVID-19 scare in May. The good news is, Romero was able to avoid long-term issues from the virus. He has been taking bookings and has a few shows lined up in October and November.

Fans can see Acey Romero compete against KC Navarro in Limitless Wrestling’s Fresh Blood on Oct. 23. He’ll also be in action on Nov. 14, taking on Buddy Murphy at Pro Wrestling Magic’s Underdogs show.

The IInspiration are headed to Impact Wrestling.

Cassie Lee and Jessica McCay, formerly known as The IIconics in WWE, will debut at the upcoming Bound for Glory pay-per-view from Las Vegas. The duo has reportedly signed with Impact, according to PWInsider.

A video package aired during this weekend’s Knockouts Knockdown event announcing their arrival:

The Australian stars joined WWE in 2015 and were paired together on the NXT brand that year. They were widely regarded as one of the most entertaining, yet underutilized acts on the roster. They were released on April 15th, 2021.

Since their departure, Lee and McCay launched the Off Her Chops podcast and have been making appearances at wrestling conventions. Now, they’re Bound for Glory.

• The IInspiration’s Bound For Glory Opponents Announced

Impact Wrestling’s Bound For Glory PPV takes place Saturday, October 23rd from Las Vegas, Nevada at Sam’s Town Live. If you’re in the Las Vegas area, tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.com.

Impact Wrestling on 10/7 featured future opponents Christian Cage and Josh Alexander team up in the main event against Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. This was also the go-home show for this weekend’s Knockouts Knockdown event.

Impact 10/7 Quick Results:

1. Bullet Club (Chris Bey, HIKULEO, & El Phantasmo) defeated Chris Sabin and FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson)
2. Tasha Steelz, Savannah Evans & Mercedes Martinez defeated Lady Frost, Kimber Lee & Brandi Lauren
3. X-Division Title Match Qualifier
   Steve Maclin defeated Petey Williams and Black Taurus
4. Rich Swann & Willie Mack defeated The Learning Tree (Zicky Dice & Manny Lemons)
5. Christian Cage & Josh Alexander defeated Ace Austin & Madman Fulton

Bullet Club Picks Up Win In Trios Action

Impact’s Bullet Club faction of Chris Bey, HIKULEO, and El Phantasmo picked up a win in the opening contest against Chris Sabin and FinJuice. The finish of the match came when Sabin had Bey set for the Cradle Shock but HIKULEO attempted to enter the ring with a chair and distracted the ref. This allowed ELP to hit what appeared to be a low blow on Sabin, and Bey then hit the Art of Finesse for the win.

Meanwhile, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson were shown in the back watching the match. They’ll face one of FinJuice or Bullet Club with their titles on the line at Bound For Glory.

Heath Addresses The Impact Zone

Heath came out and talked about his long recovery from injury. He noted that during that time he lost his best friend Rhino. Heath said Rhino never called him, never returned his messages, all the time he was with Violent By Design. Eric Young and VBD then came out, but Rhino was not with them. Young said Rhino belongs to him and then VBD attacked Heath. The fans chanted for Rhino but he never came out. VBD draped their flag over top of Heath to end the segment.

Knockouts Knockdown Preview In Trios Action

In a preview of this weekend’s Knockouts Knockdown tournament, Tasha Steelz, Savannah Evans and Mercedes Martinez and took on Lady Frost and Su Yung’s minions of Kimber Lee and Brandi Lauren. The finish fo the match came when Mercedes entered the match illegally and took out Kimber Lee with a big knee but the ref wouldn’t allow her to make the pin because she wasn’t the legal competitor. This allowed Tasha Steelz to cradle Kimber Lee for the win. Steelz refused to tag in Martinez throughout the match and the two ended up jawing at each other after.

Alisha Edwards then hit the ring with a kendo stick (Kendra) and took out Su Yung’s minions. She was doing this out of revenge for Lauren and Kimber attacking one of the Swingerellas in the back recently. Later on, Alisha challenged Kimber Lee. Gail Kim entered the picture and told Alisha she’ll be in the Monster’s Ball match at Knockouts Knockdown and she can get her revenge there.

Steve Maclin Qualifies For X-Division Title Match At Bound For Glory

In the second triple threat qualifying match for the triple threat X-division title match at Bound For Glory, Steve Maclin defeated Petey Williams and Black Taurus. He now joins Trey Miguel as the second person to qualify for the match. The finish of the match saw Williams deliver a Canadian Destroyer to Taurus but then get caught in Maclin’s Mayhem for All finisher.

Christopher Daniels Challenges Christian Cage

Christian Cage was being interviewed backstage when he was confronted by Christopher Daniels. The Fallen Angel told Cage that he wants a shot at his title and it doesn’t matter to him if it is in an Impact or AEW ring. Daniels then told Christian he’d give him some time to consider his challenge.

The Learning Tree Use Numbers Advantage To Beat Down Willie Mack and Rich Swann

Rich Swann and Willie Mack teamed up to defeat the Learning Tree team of Zicky Dice & Manny Lemons this week. After the match, however, Brian Myers and the rest of his faction attacked and beat down both Swann and Mack.

Mickie James To Pick Deonna Purrazzo’s Opponent At Knockouts Knockdown

Mickie James and Deonna Purrazzo got in a backstage altercation this week. Scott D’Amore then announced there is a no-contact clause in their Bound For Glory contract. Gail Kim then announced that they will each have the opportunity to pick the others’ upcoming opponents beginning at Knockouts Knockdown this weekend when James will choose who Purrazzo faces.

Christian Cage & Josh Alexander Defeat Ace Austin & Madman Fulton

Christian Cage and Josh Alexander teamed up this week ahead of their title match at Bound For Glory. The finish of the match came when Alexander seemed to have everything in control against Austin, he landed Chaos Theory suplex but Christian tagged himself in and gave Austin the Killswitch while looking at Alexander for the win. The two future opponents jawed at each other a little at the end of the show as Alexander was frustrated, saying he had Austin where he wanted him.

Coming Up In Impact Wrestling

Knockouts Knockdown airs on 10/9. The lineup for the show is below. Veda Scott and Mickie James will be on commentary.

Knockouts Knockdown 10/9:

• Knockouts Knockdown Tournament (1st Round)
  Tasha Steelz vs. Jamie Senegal
• Knockouts Knockdown Tournament (1st Round)
  Chelsea Green vs. Renee Michelle
• Knockouts Knockdown Tournament (1st Round)
  Lady Frost vs. Rachael Ellering
• Knockouts Knockdown Tournament (1st Round)
  Brandi Lauren vs. Mercedes Martinez.
• Daffney Memorial Monster’s Ball Match
  Alisha Edwards vs Kimber Lee vs Jordynne Grace vs Savannah Evans
• Knockouts Tag Team Championships
  Decay (Rosemary & Havok) vs The Influence (Madison Rayne & Tenille Dashwood)
• Knockouts Championship
  Deonna Purrazzo vs TBD (Mickie James’ choice)

Bound For Glory (October 23rd)

• Impact World Championship
  Christian Cage (c) vs Josh Alexander
• Knockouts Championship
  Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Mickie James
• X-Division Championship (Vacant)
  Trey Miguel vs Steve Maclin vs TBD

Kurt Angle admits he was nervous ahead of the major announcement that he signed with TNA Wrestling.

When Angle signed with TNA back in 2006, it was a big deal. TNA Wrestling was the new kid on the block. The promotion hired a slew of former WWE stars but at that point, they hadn’t signed a megastar who was in their prime. That’s why when the promotion announced that Kurt Angle put pen to paper, it threw the wrestling world for a loop.

During a recent edition of The Kurt Angle Show, the Olympic gold medalist reflected on shooting the secret vignettes.

“They were very quick. There were background lights and water falling and it was just me doing poses and revealing myself at the end of the pay-per-view when I made my debut. ‘It’s real, it’s damn real’ and I started laughing. Those were the vignettes that I did. It didn’t take us very long. We got them done and out of there.”

Angle took note of fans chanting Goldberg’s name before the announcement was made and he went from being excited to sweating bullets.

“Everybody thought it was Goldberg. I was scared. When they were chanting ‘Goldberg’ I was like, ‘oh sh*t. I hope they’re not disappointed it’s me.'”

It’s safe to say that no one inside the Impact Zone was disappointed on that night.

Angle would stick around with TNA until 2016. He made his return to WWE the following year and earned a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. Angle is now retired from the pro wrestling industry, citing injuries throughout his career, his age, and wanting to focus on other things.

If you use the quotes in this article for your website, please drop a h/t to SEScoops with a link back to this article.

Tensions have been running high in the IMPACT Zone recently, specifically between reigning Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo and three-time champ, Mickie James.

Months of brewing animosity reached a climax on last week’s episode of IMPACT, where Purrazzo shocked James with an unannounced visit to her personal home, in Nashville, Tennessee.

In the horse stalls of James’ backyard, the two Bound For Glory opponents traded strikes and fiery words in one of the most hectic brawls in IMPACT Wrestling history. There is certainly high levels of tension between these two fierce wrestling competitors, but perhaps, not ALL love is lost.

SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay recently appeared on the latest edition of IMPACT Wrestling Press Pass and chatted with current IMPACT producer, Gail Kim, alongside the Knockouts Champion, Deonna Purrazzo, and “Hardcore Country”, Mickie James.

In the spirit of celebrating women’s wrestling this weekend at IMPACT’s Knockouts Knockdown event, James and Purrazzo shared one admiration they each had towards their fellow women’s wrestler.

“I will say what I admire most about Deonna is what she’s done since she’s walked into IMPACT Wrestling and she’s really carved out her own name,” James explained. “I think that you’ve done a remarkable job, Deonna. I will say that, from professional to professional. She’s an amazing talent. I’ve watched her matches and her ability to go in there with all of her opponents and have what I like to say is the match of the night, and I know that at Bound For Glory, regardless of what anyone says, you’re going to be up for the fight of your life, and I expect nothing less than that from you. So, the real winners, hopefully, are the fans.”

Deonna Purrazzo on Mickie James

Deonna Purrazzo then similarly expressed a positive regard towards Mickie James:

“I admire most how headstrong Mickie is about women’s wrestling, and how much she loves it, and wants, again like we’ve been talking about, to put it at the forefront of professional wrestling. That is something I dreamt about doing myself as a child growing up, wanting women to be more than they were perceived to be. So to be working with women who feel that same way, and are in a position to make it happen, is very special to me. So that is what I most admire about you [Mickie].”

Deonna Purrazzo is scheduled to defend her Knockouts Championship against Mickie James on October 23rd in Las Vegas, at IMPACT’s popular Bound For Glory pay-per-view in a dream match anticipated by many.

The other top match on the card will see Josh Alexander challenge for the Impact World Championship when he battles Christian Cage.

It will be interesting to see if the conversations held at Press Pass will hold any value to either competitor going forward, or if things will continue to heat up ahead of this historic bout.

You can view the entire 10/5 edition of IMPACT Press Pass on Facebook or in the player below:

The Suicide character in Impact Wrestling has been portrayed by more than half a dozen wrestlers over the years. One of them is the former WWE star TJP. The former cruiserweight champion recently had an interview with Cageside Seats. Among other things, he explained how he got chosen to play the character.

TJP first recalled the time the character made its debut in December 2007 portrayed by Frankie Kazarian. The high flying star remembered how Kazarian was reluctant about it and Christopher Daniels had joked that he should play the character instead:

“He [Frankie Kazarian] didn’t want to do it, he wasn’t having it. We all sat around the locker room and Christopher Daniels joked, ‘TJ should just be Suicide, he’s already in a mask,’ because I was Puma at the time.”

How TJP Got To Be Suicide

Perkins finally got the chance to play the character in May 2013. Explaining how he got the role, TJP revealed the officials originally wanted to bring it back for one night only. Since his Puma character was not being used at the time, the former 205 live star volunteered for the role:

“They were bringing it back for one night only as maybe nostalgia. I don’t think they knew who they wanted to portray it. I said, ‘If you don’t have any idea for this, I’d be happy to do it.’ At the time, I was tired of sitting at home. They said, ‘Good idea.’ One night turned into two, turned into three.”

The former Impact star continued to portray the character for a while before Suicide was revealed to be Perkins during an episode of Impact in June 30, 2013. His ring name was changed to Manik. TJP continued portraying the Manik character till he took his mask off in September 2015. Suicide has since made a few appearances on Impact and he even teamed with Manik in March 2020.

W. Morrissey has changed his tune when it comes to signing a long-term deal.

Morrissey has been with Impact Wrestling since April of this year. He is formerly known as Big Cass in WWE. Morrissey’s run with WWE came to an end in 2018 after some behavioral issues and going against the script on an episode of SmackDown.

Back in July, W. Morrissey appeared on the Pro Wrestling 4 Life Podcast and said that he wasn’t looking to sign anywhere long-term for the time being. Now that a few months have passed and his contract with Impact is coming due, Morrissey knows the place he wants to call home over the long haul.

During an interview with Bison Talks, Morrissey said he’s ready to put pen to paper with Impact Wrestling for a long-term deal.

“I’m with IMPACT through October. The end of October is Bound For Glory. It’s definitely something I want to do, stick with IMPACT for the long-term. I want to be the IMPACT World Champion, for sure, that’s my goal. That’s been my goal since I got there. I want to be the guy. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. That’s my goal and that’s where I’m going to get to or I’m going to die trying. My ultimate goal is to become the IMPACT World Champion and represent IMPACT on a grand stage.”

At the moment, Morrissey has aligned himself with Moose. In storyline, Morrissey and Moose attacked Sami Callihan and caused an injury to write him off TV. The reality is, Callihan suffered a broken tibia and fibula due to a suicide dive done wrong.

There is some more information about the new Impact Wrestling Digital Media Championship.

Impact introduced the championship during a promo video on Sept. 30. The video package included both male talent and Knockouts. Of course, this led many to speculate that female competitors can also challenge for the gold.

That assumption is correct. In a press release, the EVP of Impact, Scott D’Amore confirmed that Knockouts can challenge for the championship.

“In the fine tradition of the iconic television titles from pro wrestling history, IMPACT Wrestling will add a fourth singles championship on October 23rd. The inaugural Digital Media Champion will be crowned in a six-way match, with the winner making history.

“Twelve contenders, drawn from both the Knockouts and male rosters, will compete in six single-elimination matches over the next three weeks. The winners of those matches will be the final six who go on to BEFORE THE GLORY and the Digital Media Championship six-way.”

A tournament will begin on Oct. 5 with the finals taking place on the pre-show of Bound For Glory on Oct. 23. On top of that, elimination matches will be airing on Impact Plus. Those who are Ultimate Insiders on Impact Wrestling’s official YouTube channel will also have access to the matches.

It appears this title was created as a way to help boost the subscription count for Impact’s digital offerings. It appears all matches involving the new championship, at least for now, will be exclusive to subscription services. It makes sense given the name of the title.

What do you make of the new Impact Wrestling Digital Media Championship?

Impact Wrestling on 9/30 featured the return of Christopher Daniels for the first time since 2014. It also saw Eddie Edwards face W. Morrissey in a main event street fight.

Impact 9/30 Quick Results:

1. X Division Championship Match Qualifier
   Trey Miguel defeated Alex Zayne & Laredo Kid
2. Knockouts Tag Team Championship #1 Contendership
   The Influence (Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne) (with Kaleb)  defeated Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering
3. Christopher Daniels defeated Madman Fulton
4. Street Fight
   Eddie Edwards defeated W. Morrissey

Trey Miguel Qualifies For Bound For Glory X-Division Title Match

With Josh Alexander having cashed in the X-Division title using Option C to face the World Champion at Bound For Glory, Scott D’Amore set up a tournament of sorts to crown a new champion. 3 triple threat matches will take place in the build up to the PPV, with the 3 winners meeting at BFG with the vacant title on the line.

Trey Miguel picked up the win here and qualified for the PPV by hitting a meteor on Laredo Kid.

Meanwhile, Drama King Matt was shown watching the match from the back. He would later cut a promo challenging Laredo Kid to a match.

The Influence Defeat Grace & Ellering, Advance To Knockouts Knockdown

Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood will move on to Knockouts Knockdown (October 9th) to take on the Knockouts Tag Team Champions, Havok & Rosemary. They defeated the former champions, Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering to earn that right this week.

The finish of the match saw Kaleb cause a distraction on the outside, which allowed Rayne and Dashwood to hit a double-team face slam on Ellering for the win.

Deonna Purrazzo Attacks Mickie James On Her Ranch

Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo traveled to Mickie James’ ranch this week and a massive brawl ensued. These two will meet at Bound For Glory but fought this week with rakes, water hoses, and various barn-related objects. Purrazzo got the upper hand in the melee.

Christopher Daniels Wrestles First Match In Impact Since 2014

After returning to the promotion last week, Christopher Daniels wrestled his first match for Impact since 2014 this week. He was up against Madman Fulton, who had a considerable size and strength advantage here. The story of the match was basically Daniels using his speed and skill to avoid the big man’s attacks.

Ace Austin attempted to get involved from the outside but this brought out Josh Alexander, who brawled with him to the back. This allowed Daniels to hit the Best Moonsault Ever on Fulton for the win.

Scott D’Amore would later book Ace Austin and Madman Fulton vs Christian Cage & Josh Alexander for next week.

Heath Returns, Attacks Violent By Design

Rhino was asked if he was with Violent By Design or against them after the recent dissension he’s shown with the faction. He wouldn’t give an answer this week, however. Instead, Heath returned from a long absence and brawled with the members of VOD. Meanwhile, Rhino didn’t get involved and gave no indication of which side he is on.

Digital Media Championship Is Introduced

Impact announced a new title belt this week. There will be a tournament to determine the 1st ever Impact Digital Media Champion. The first matches scheduled in the tournament are Zicky Dice vs John Skyler and Hernandez vs Crazzy Steve.

Eddie Edwards Defeats W. Morrissey, Attacked By Moose

After W. Morrissey power-bombed Alisha Edwards recently, Eddie Edwards has been on the war path to get revenge. In this week’s main event, he’d get a measure of revenge by picking up the win after delivering a barbed-wire chair assisted Boston Knee Party.

After the match, however, Moose hit the ring and speared Edwards through a table. Then Moose and W. Morrissey turned their attention to Alisha. They forced her to watch as they wrapped Eddie’s head in a chair and threw him into the steel post. Moose continued to hit Eddie with a chair before eventually him and Morrissey went to the back to close the show. The fans chanted for Eddie as the show went to black.

Coming Up In Impact Wrestling

Next Week:

• Christian Cage and Josh Alexander vs. Ace Austin and Madman Fulton
• Impact Tag Team Championships #1 Contendership
  FinJuice and Chris Sabin vs. Bullet Club (Hikuleo, Chris Bey, El Phantasmo)
• X Division Championship Match Qualifier
  Steve Maclin vs. Black Taurus vs. Petey Williams

Bound For Glory (October 23rd)

• Impact World Championship
  Christian Cage (c) vs Josh Alexander
• Knockouts Championship
  Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Mickie James
• X-Division Championship (Vacant)
  Trey Miguel vs TBD vs TBD

Impact Wrestling is introducing a new championship belt. Impact has announced a single-elimination tournament to crown the inaugural Impact Digital Media Champion.

The tournament kicks off Tuesday, October 5th. The finals will be held at Bound For Glory on October 23rd. Here’s a look at Impact’s hype video announcing the new title:

It appears Knockouts will also be able to contend for the title as they were featured alongside the male stars in the promo video. The company hasn’t officially confirmed that is the case, but one would imagine so.

Impact Bound For Glory 2021

Bound For Glory is beginning to take shape. There will be a bevy of title matches on Impact’s biggest show of the year. Take a look at the matchups that have been scheduled for the PPV event so far.

• Impact World Championship: Christian Cage (c) vs. Josh Alexander
• Impact Knockouts Championship: Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs. Mickie James
• Call Your Shot Gauntlet Match: Rich Swann vs. Brian Myers vs. TBA
• Impact X Division Championship: Trey Miguel vs. TBA vs. TBA
• Impact Digital Media Championship: TBA vs. TBA

Stick with SEScoops for the latest updates on the Impact Wrestling Bound For Glory card as we get closer to the show.

World title aspirations may be in full effect but don’t count on FinJuice breaking up in the near future.

David Finlay and Juice Robinson have had success as a tag team in both New Japan Pro Wrestling and Impact Wrestling. They have won tag team gold under both promotions. Lately, the two have been spending their time in Impact.

Finlay hopped on the Wrestling Perspective Podcast and admitted that while he is chasing singles gold, he doesn’t see himself breaking away from Juice yet.

“I do have aspirations of one day becoming World Champion,” Finlay shared. “At the same time, though, I have so much fun doing tag matches. I really, really enjoy them. I Love tagging with Juice. It’s a blast and never feels like work. So yeah, like I’ll do this until I don’t want to do it anymore and then I guess we part ways, maybe? Or maybe we don’t, I don’t know. But I do have aspirations of being a World Champion somewhere.”

Finlay recently competed for the NEVER Openweight Title. While it isn’t a world championship, a win over Jay White at NJPW Strong Resurgence would’ve given him his first singles title run. It wasn’t meant to be as White scored the pinfall after hitting Bladerunner.

Meanwhile, Juice Robinson has tasted singles gold. He is a former two-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion. Juice gained a ton of momentum in NJPW pre-pandemic.

Time will tell whether or not David Finlay can realize his dream of becoming a world champion. For now, he’ll be looking for tag team gold once again with Juice Robinson as FinJuice.

Impact wrestling on September 23rd was the first show since the promotion presented Victory Road over the weekend. It also started the build towards next month’s Bound for Glory. This week’s episode would also feature the return of Christopher Daniels to Impact for the first time since 2014.

Impact 9/23 Quick Results:

1. David Finlay defeated HIKULEO
2. Rohit Raju defeated Chelsea Green
3. Rich Swann & Willie Mack defeated Brian Myers & VSK 
4. Josh Alexander defeated Ace Austin

Josh Alexander Officially Cashes In Option C

Scott D’Amore kicked off the show and introduced Josh Alexander to come out and officially cash in Option C. Alexander commented on having left the business years ago and his neck injuries but said he is ready to be the face of Impact Wrestling. To do that, he must win the Impact World Championship. Christian Cage came out and told Alexander he will not be the face of the company, he will be another face in the crowd after talking about having had his career taken from him for 7 years.

Ace Austin and Madman Fulton then confronted both of them, bitter about Austin having lost the title match at Victory Road. A melee breaks out between all 4 and Austin hit Cage in the eye with his cane. It would later be revealed in the back that Cage was not medically cleared to compete tonight but Alexander would face Ace Austin in the main event.

ELP Returns, Bullet Club Has Strength In Numbers

David Finlay got a measure of revenge against Bullet Club this week when he pinned HIKULEO in singles action. The end of the match came when HIKULEO rebounded off the ropes and fell backward over top of a crouching Finlay, who then scored the pinfall with a cradle.

After the match, Bullet Club attacked both David Finlay and Juice Robinson but FinJuice was able to fend off the assault. Then El Phantasmo returned to Impact to give Bullet Club the numbers advantage and the edge in the melee. Impact’s Bullet Club faction looks to be growing and becoming more dominant with Chris Bey, HIKULEO, and El Phantasmo.

Rohit Raju Gets Help From Raj Singh To Defeat Chelsea Green

An inter-gender match took place last night on Impact. Green was holding her own and even appeared poised to hit her UnprettyHer, but the returning Raj Singh caused a distraction allowing Raju to score the pinfall on Green with a small package.

Rich Swann & Willie Mack Beat Brian Myers & VSK

This match was made after Brian Myers interjected himself into Swann and Mack’s backstage promo earlier in the night. Mack announced he was gunning for the now vacant X-Division title and Swann is entering the Gauntlet battle royal at Bound for Glory.

Myers said that none of the students in his Learning Tree faction were ready to be his partner for this match against Mack and Swann. So, Myers introduced VSK as his partner.

The finish of this match came when Sam Beale attempted to help out his side by pushing Swann off the top rope. Unfortunately for Beale, Swann landed right on top of VSK and got the pin. VSK did not look pleased with Beale’s actions here.

Mickie James Calls Out Deonna Purrazzo For Bound For Glory

Mickie James came out for a promo. She talked about how she was glad that Purrazzo was part of the big NWA Empowerrr show but her actions that night are not something she’s going to let go. She called out the Knockouts champ and challenged her to a match at Bound For Glory.

Purrazzo denied James’ challenge and the two brawled. Scott D’Amore then came out and said Purrazzo doesn’t get to turn down James’ challenge and made a match between the two official for Bound For Glory.

Eddie Edwards vs W. Morrissey Street Fight Booked For Next Week

A show-long angle this week involved Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards looking for W. Morrissey. At Victory Road, Morrissey power-slammed Alisha Edwards and Eddie is out looking for revenge. Callihan and Edwards took a baseball bat and kendo stick to Morrissey’s run-in buddy Moose and searched all backstage for Morrissey. When they finally found him, however, security separated them but D’Amore made a street fight between the two for next week.

Gail Kim Announces Knockouts Knockdown Tournament

The Knockouts Knockdown event on October 9th will feature an 8-woman tournament involving 4 of Impact’s top talent against 4 wrestlers from outside the promotion. Gail Kim announced this backstage but was interrupted by The Influence who demanded a tag title shot. Kim said if they can beat Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering next week, they will get that shot.

Christopher Daniels Returns!

Josh Alexander defeated Ace Austin in the main event this week after delivering a C4 Spike. After the match, however, Austin and Madman Fulton attacked. Cage came out to make the save but then while he and Alexander were having a stare down, Austin and Fulton attacked again. Then “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels returned to the Impact Zone for the first time since 2014 to make the save.

Coming Up In Impact Wrestling

Next Week:

• X-Division BFG Title Match Qualifier
  Trey Miguel vs Laredo Kid vs Alex Zayne
• Street Fight
  Eddie Edwards vs W. Morrissey
• Knockouts Tag Team Title #1 Contendership
  The Influence (Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne) vs Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering

Bound For Glory (October 23rd, 2021)

• Impact World Championship
  Christian Cage (c) vs Josh Alexander
• X-Division Championship (Vacant)
  TBD vs TBD vs TBD

Rich Swann is honored to have shared the ring with Kenny Omega and would like to do it again.

Swann was the Impact Wrestling World Champion as well as the TNA World Champion before Omega challenged for the gold. The title match took place at the Rebellion PPV back in April. Omega ended up scoring the pinfall to lay claim to the gold.

During an interview with Sportsman, Swann reflected on getting to go one-on-one with “The Best Bout Machine.”

“I lost my IMPACT World Championship and TNA World Championship, but at the end of the day, it’ll come back around, you never know. Just that feeling of having that high pressure and being able to deliver, it was something that I cherish and don’t take for granted. Kenny Omega, he’s one of the hardest hitter, smoothest performers, great talker. Just to be put in that light and put up there with somebody that has been in a high regard, number one in Pro Wrestling Illustrated, it’s something that I would love to do again and I loved the experience.”

Swann had been Impact World Champion for 183 days. Omega’s reign lasted 110 days. He saw that title run come to an end on the debut episode of AEW Rampage. Omega was beaten by Christian Cage. Cage ended up retiring the TNA World Championship.

A future rematch between Swann and Omega may not be impossible but we could be waiting a while. Omega appears to be done with Impact for the time being. With cross-promotion in full effect, one can’t rule out the possibility.

Busted Open Radio’s Dave LaGreca briefly addressed Tommy Dreamer’s status with the show on today’s episode. Dreamer has been a longtime co-host of Busted Open but has not appeared on it since the airing of a recent Dark Side of the Ring episode focussed on 2002’s Plane Ride From Hell.

LaGreca noted that Dreamer is off the show for the time being but he does not know how long Dreamer will be gone for.

“As far as Tommy’s future on Busted Open, he’s off the show. How long? I don’t know. I don’t know how long Tommy is going to be off the show,” said Dave LaGreca (transcriptions via WrestlingNewsCO).

Dreamer took to social media recently to apologize for the comments he made on the Dark Side of the Ring episode. His statement is below:

Dreamer was also suspended by Impact Wrestling. He was sent home from the promotion’s recent tapings in Nashville.

“We are aware of Mr. Laughlin’s (Tommy Dreamer) comments on ‘Dark Side of the Ring.’ The views expressed by him in the interview are completely unacceptable. We can confirm Mr. Laughlin was suspended this morning with immediate effect, pending further action,” reads a statement released by Impact.

Sami Callihan will be out of action for a while.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Callihan suffered a broken ankle during this past weekend’s Impact Wrestling tapings. Callihan isn’t expected to return to the ring this year.

“Sami Callihan suffered a broken ankle Saturday at the Impact tapings and had surgery. Looks to be out until spring 2022.”

It’s a tough pill to swallow for Impact Wrestling fans. Those who were hoping to see the return of Switchblade Conspiracy will also be disappointed. Switchblade Conspiracy is the team of Sami Callihan and Jon Moxley. The two were set to reunite at The Wrestler Revolver’s Tales From The Ring show on Oct. 30.

Callihan recently competed at Impact Wrestling’s Victory Road PPV. He teamed with Eddie Edwards to take on Moose and W. Morrissey. Callihan and Edwards lost the match. This match had been taped back in August but didn’t air until Sept. 18.

Tommy Dreamer has issued a statement after recent controversial comments got him in hot water.

Dreamer appeared on an episode of Dark Side of the Ring covering the “Plane Ride From Hell.” The former ECW Champion received massive pushback for his comments on the episode defending Ric Flair. Flair is accused of sexual assault by a flight attendant from that plane ride.

Dreamer has now taken to his Twitter account to issue an apology.

“Regarding my comments on Dark Side of the ring. It was never my intention to offend, hurt or victim shame anyone. I understand my comments were insensitive & could trigger emotions in someone’s own personal past. I do not condone sexual misconduct of any kind. I apologize to anyone I offended. From the bottom of my heart I am so sorry.”

Tommy Dreamer works under the Impact Wrestling banner. Ed Nordholm of Anthem Sports and Entertainment revealed to PW Insider that Dreamer has been suspended.

“We are aware of Mr Laughlin’s (Tommy Dreamer) comments on ‘Dark Side of the Ring.’ The views expressed by him in the interview are completely unacceptable. We can confirm Mr Laughlin was suspended this morning with immediate effect, pending further action”.

It was confirmed on the IMPACT Victory Road 2021 event that Christian Cage will be defending his IMPACT World Championship against Josh Alexander at Bound For Glory 2021.

Both Alexander and Christian Cage successfully defended their titles at the Victory Road event, to Chris Sabin and Ace Austin respectively.

After Cage beat Austin in the main event, Josh Alexander appeared and declared that he was going with Option C.

Option C was first introduced by Hulk Hogan at the start of the last decade, where the IMPACT X-Division Champion had the ability to trade in their X-Division title to gain a shot at the IMPACT World Championship.

Pre-Order Impact Bound For Glory now from FITE

Christian Cage vs Josh Alexander

The stipulation has remained in TNA/IMPACT since then, with many former X-Division Champions going on to win the World Championship in the company.

So far this is the only match confirmed for the event on October 23, 2021, at Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It was revealed earlier in the year that  All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Mexico’s Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), and Japan’s New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) will all be part of the PPV event in October.

Mickie James vs Deonna Purazzo is also being rumored for the event with the IMPACT Knockouts Championship on the line.

Impact Wrestling is currently taping shows from the Skyway Studios in Nashville. One of the shows taped yesterday was the Knockouts Knockdown event and during the event, Impact inducted a new member to its Hall of Fame.

After officially retiring from the ring at NWA Empowerrr, Awesome Kong was inducted into the Impact Hall of Fame, according to a report from Fightful. Kong said she dedicated her induction to Daffney. A special Daffney memorial Monster’s Ball match will take place to honor her on the Knockouts Knockdown event as well.

Awesome Kong is a 2x Knockouts Champion and also won the Queen of the Knockouts tournament in 2015. Her long-running feud with Gail Kim is often considered one of the greatest programs in the history of the promotion. Kim was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame Members

Impact Wrestling’s Hall of Fame dates back to 2012 when Sting was the inaugural inductee. 

1. Sting (2012)
2. Kurt Angle (2013)
3. Team 3-D (Bully Ray & Devon) (2014)
4. Jeff Jarrett (2015)
5. Earl Hebner (2015)
6. Gail Kim (2016)
7. Abyss (2018)
8. Ken Shamrock (2020)
9. Awesome Kong (2021)

Impact Wrestling presents Victory Road tonight on the Impact Plus App. Christian will defend against Ace Austin in the main event.

Impact Wrestling is currently taping shows in Nashville. Victory Road airs tonight on the Impact Plus app. According to a report from Fightful, Christopher Daniels is at the tapings. Daniels hasn’t wrestled for Impact Wrestling in over 7 years, having last performed for the promotion in 2014.

It is being speculated that Daniels could wrestle as part of the tapings, something he hasn’t done since the May 12th episode of Dynamite. Daniels and Kazarian lost an AEW tag title shot to the Young Bucks on that show.

Daniels is a 4x X-Division Champion with Impact Wrestling/TNA Wrestling. His 280 days spent with the title belt ranks him 8th all-time in that category. He also twice held the Impact tag-team titles along with Kazarian. He also held the NWA tag-team titles 6x while a member of TNA.

Victory Road Lineup

Impact Wrestling presents Victory Road tonight from Nashville. The lineup for the show is below:

1. Impact World Championship
   Christian Cage (c) vs Ace Austin
2. Impact Tag Team Championships
   The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows) (c) vs. Rich Swann and Willie Mack
3. X-Division Championship
   Josh Alexander (c) vs Chris Sabin
4. Knockouts Tag Team Championships
   Decay (Rosemary & Havok) vs Tasha Steelz & Savannah Evans
5. Chris Bey & Hikuleo vs FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson)
6. Moose & W. Morrissey vs. Eddie Edwards & Sami Callihan
7. Steve Maclin vs. Petey Williams vs TJP
8. Taylor Wilde vs. Tenille Dashwood (with Kaleb with a K)
9. Matt Cardona (with Chelsea Green) vs. Rohit Raju (with Shera)

Impact Wrestling presents Victory Road tonight live from Nashville, Tennessee at Skyway Studios. The show begins at 8pm (Eastern).

Order Impact Victory Road at FITE ($9.99)

The main event will see Christin Cage defend the Impact World Championship against Ace Austin.

The “Walking Weapon” Josh Alexander looks to prove he’s the greatest X-Division Champion in history. He defends against 8-time champion, Chris Sabin.

The Knockouts Tag Team Titles will also be up for grabs, as Rosemary & Havok defend against Tasha Steelz & Savannah Evans.

Victory Road Matches

The following matches are scheduled for tonight:

• Impact World Champion Christian Cage vs Ace Austin
• X Division Champion Josh Alexander vs Chris Sabin
• Eddie Edwards & Sami Callihan vs Moose & W. Morrissey
• FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson) vs Bullet Club (Chris Bey and Hikuleo)
• Knockouts Tag Team Champions Decay (Havok and Rosemary) vs Savannah Evans and Tasha Steelz

How to Order Victory Road

Order Impact Victory Road is available to fans who subscribe to the Impact Plus streaming service. You can also purchase the event easily from FITE for just $9.99.

Tommy Dreamer has been suspended by Impact Wrestling “effective immediately” following his appearance on this week’s Dark Side of the Ring episode about the Plane Ride from Hell. Dreamer’s defense of Ric Flair’s behavior on the infamous plane ride has drawn backlash online.

PWInsider reports that Ed Nordholm of Anthem Sports and Entertainment sent an email to the Impact roster today addressing the matter. Nordholm called Dreamer’s comments “out of line with our core values.”

Impact confirmed news of Dreamer’s suspension:

“We are aware of Mr Laughlin’s (Tommy Dreamer) comments on “Dark Side of the Ring”. The views expressed by him in the interview are completely unacceptable. We can confirm Mr Laughlin was suspended this morning with immediate effect, pending further action”.

In addition to periodically wrestling on the show, Dreamer was a member of Impact’s creative team. As of the spring, Impact’s creative team reportedly consisted of Scott D’Amore, Tommy Dreamer, RD Evans and Jimmy Jacobs.

Impact is in Nashville currently for tapings at the Skyway Studios. Dreamer was reportedly in Nashville but was asked to leave by Nordholm. On Saturday, Impact will present Victory Road on the Impact Plus App. Christian Cage vs Ace Austin will headline the show.

On Impact 9/16, the promotion continued to build to this Saturday’s Victory Road event. The main event featured a 10-man tag match between Christian Cage’s team and Ace Austin’s.

Impact 9/16 Quick Results:

1. Fallah Bahh & No Way defeated Hernandez & Johnny Swinger (Before the Impact)
2. Decay (Black Taurus & Crazzy Steve) defeated Rhino & Deaner (Violent By Design)
3. Petey Williams defeated TJP
4. John Skyler defeated Laredo Kid
5. Trey Miguel defeated Drama King Matt
6. Christian Cage, Josh Alexander, Chris Sabin, Eddie Edwards & Sami Callihan defeated Ace Austin, Madman Fulton, Brian Myers, Moose & W. Morrissey

Rhino Turns On Eric Young & Violent By Design

In recent weeks, we’ve seen videos of Eric Young saying he needs to cleanse the sickness out of Rhino. This week, Rhino finally had enough of Young and his cronies. Violent By Design lost another one this week when Deaner accidentally hit Rhino with the VBD flag and then took a second-rope DDT from Crazzy Steve for the pin. After the match, Young was berating Rhino but had enough and grabbed Young’s arm. Deaner then attacked Rhino and the segment ended with Young breaking the VBD flag over Rhino’s back.

Steve Maclin Takes Out Petey Williams and TJP

Petey Williams got some revenge on TJP this week after TJP cost him a match last week. This all stems from the illegal underground gambling operation that Johnny Swinger is running in the back and TJP betting against Williams last week.

Williams countered a cradle attempt into a pin for the win on TJP. After the match, however, both TJP and Williams were attacked by Steve Maclin.

Willie Mack Returns For Revenge Against The Good Brothers

After being injured at the hands of the Good Brothers a few weeks ago, Willie Mack returned this week and along with his partner Rich Swann attacked the Impact tag champs. Shortly after the melee, Scott D’Amore granted Swann and Mack a title shot against Anderson and Gallows this weekend at Victory Road.

John Skyler Picks Up Win Over Laredo Kid

John Skyler cut a promo this week on Laredo Kid who defeated him recently on an episode of Before the Impact. He said that tonight when they meet again, the luchador won’t be so lucky. Skyler pulled out all the stops in this match and the finish came after he twisted Laredo Kid’s mask, cradled him and pulled the tights to get the pin.

Taylor Wilde Pays The Influence A Visit

Taylor Wilde invaded the set of the Influence’s various talk shows this week. She didn’t come alone, however, but brought Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering as backup. Wilde then informed Tenille Dashwood that they have a match this weekend at Victory Road.

Matt Cardona and Rohit Raju Brawl in the Back

In a recent match, Rohit Raju hit Chelsea Green with a Tiger knee to the face. Cardona has taken exception to this and the two were brawling in the back this week. It was later announced that Cardona and Raju will face each other at Victory Road in a no DQ match on Saturday.

Mickie James Saves Trey Miguel From Deonna Purrazzo and Drama King Matt

Trey Miguel used his submission skills to pick up a win over Drama King Matt this week. After the match, however, Deonna Purrazzo attacked Trey from behind and began delivering the boots to him. This brought out Mickie James to make the save. James then dove onto both Purrazzo and Drama King Matt on the outside to end the segment.

Christian Cage’s Team Stands Tall Ahead of Victory Road

Several of Impact Wrestling’s top feuds played out in this match. Chris Sabin and Josh Alexander were on the same side in this match but will be on opposing sides at Victory Road. W. Morrissey and Moose will take on Sami Callihan & Eddie Edwards at Victory Road but also had a chance to face each other here. Finally, when the smoke cleared Christian hit Brian Myers with a spear and Josh Alexander gave him the C4 Spike to give the win to the babyfaces to close the show.

Victory Road Lineup

1. Impact World Championship
   Christian Cage (c) vs Ace Austin
2. Impact Tag Team Championships
   The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows) (c) vs. Rich Swann and Willie Mack
3. X-Division Championship
   Josh Alexander (c) vs Chris Sabin
4. Knockouts Tag Team Championships
   Decay (Rosemary & Havok) vs Tasha Steelz & Savannah Evans
5. Chris Bey & Hikuleo vs FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson)
6. Moose & W. Morrissey vs. Eddie Edwards & Sami Callihan
7. Steve Maclin vs. Petey Williams vs TJP
8. Taylor Wilde vs. Tenille Dashwood (with Kaleb with a K)
9. Matt Cardona (with Chelsea Green) vs. Rohit Raju (with Shera)

It looks like Rhino is staying in Impact Wrestling.

PWInsider is reporting that Rhino has re-signed with the promotion. The terms of the new deal have not been revealed. Rhino’s previous deal with Impact Wrestling began back in 2019 after he made the decision to leave WWE.

During an interview with Sporting News back in 2019, Rhino explained why he chose Impact as his landing spot.

“It’s a company on the right path for almost two years,” Rhino said when asked what signing with Impact meant to him. “They have been moving in a direction where wrestling fans want a company to go in terms of letting the talent be the talent, having bookers booking the matches on the card as opposed to writers.

“I think a lot of fans are drawn to a promotion like that. Not speaking against other promotions, but other promotions are doing it differently because they’re very successful. But I think there’s a niche where you have to let talent be talent and have enough talent where it’s not drowned out too much and where you don’t have enough TV time and run enough shows to use them. It’s up to the talent, whether to sink or swim. And Impact because guys have more control when their contracts are up.”

Rhino has had success with Impact. Back when the promotion was called TNA Wrestling, he captured the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He also won tag team gold in the company alongside members of Violent By Design.