The former champion recently had an interview with SportsKeeda where she talked about a number of things and also opened up about her call.
Rayne, who recently earned a college degree first talked about how the business has given her a lot before explaining that it’s time for her to move away from the industry:
“This business… I have given it so many years of my life, but it has given infinitely more back to me,” Rayne said. “In the sense that, for the first seven years of my daughter’s life, I haven’t been sitting behind a desk, and committed to a structured schedule. And, I spent so much time with her that a lot of parents don’t get in those early years.”
But, I think it’s time now to pivot, and to… you know, I just graduated from college in December.” revealed Madison Rayne, “So, it’s time to put those student loan dollars and that degree to use.”
The female star continued by showing her appreciation for the fans saying that her supporters deserve a lot more but all she can say is thank you.
Apart from this, Madison Rayne talked about how she will now have to adjust to the ‘real life’ away from wrestling and more. You can check out her full interview at this link.
Former TNA knockouts champion ODB has confirmed that she is returning to the company now known as Impact Wrestling and bringing her food truck with her.
The female star recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet where she talked about her time with the company and confirmed the news of her return.
During the interview, ODB explained how despite the hard moments, she has never burned a bridge in wrestling before announcing that she will be getting back in the ring:
“I am actually getting back in the ring, so IMPACT obviously called me and that’s the cool thing about stuff, I’ve never burnt a bridge in wrestling.”
The former ROH star also talked about bringing her food truck to the company and said that driving ODB’s Meat and Greet truck into a stadium has been her ultimate goal:
“They were like ‘Hey, do you want to come back and see what happens? And possibly bring the food truck?’ So that’s my ultimate goal, to actually drive my ODB’s Meat and Greet into a stadium and kick some ass.”
ODB wrestled for Impact Wrestling from 2007 to 2014 and during the period, she won the knockouts championship on 4 different occasions. Since 2014, she has made sporadic appearances for the company.
Joey Ryan has been posting more on social media in the new year and took to Twitter today to send out an interesting message.
Ryan has apparently seen tweets about him from various people and how they think he should live his life in the wake of serious allegations against him during the #SpeakingOut movement.
He wrote, “I have not committed any crimes. I have never been investigated for a crime. There has never been any evidence connecting me to a crime. I have never even been a person of interest in a crime. It is bizarre that some would expect me to live my life like a criminal.”
The sexual assault allegations were made against him last year. Ryan had his contract with Impact Wrestling terminated in June due to the accusations. Later on, he released a video that was about one-hour long where he addressed the allegations. However, the video wasn’t available for long as it was deleted on his YouTube channel.
Since that time, Ryan has filed various lawsuits including two against his accusers for defamation. However, those lawsuits have been dismissed.
Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz, collectively now known as Fire & Flava, won the Knockouts tag team championships at Hard to Kill. After the show, cameras caught up with the new champions celebrating. The video was posted to Impact’s social media accounts and features Hogan and Steelz calling out AEW and Tony Khan.
“We said it from the beginning, Fire & Flava is the team not to F with,” Steelz said in the video. “And Tony Khan, you want to talk about better tag-teams in AEW? What you think about the Knockouts tag-team in Impact. This is how you crown tournament champions, not participation medals.”
“2021 and the next years to come, Fire & Flava is it baby,” Hogan added.
Fire & Flava defeated The Sea Stars, Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie, and Havok & Neveah in an 8-team single-elimination tournament to win the belts.
Steelz comment about participation medals is in regard to the AEW Women’s Tag Team Cup held last year. The tournament was won by Diamante and Ivelisse, who have responded to Fire & Flava’s comments as well.
Prima prima….. I knew getting these titles would give ya a bigger mouth, I expected this, but to disrespect my accolades? I see you got jokes. Let’s see what’s up wit it when that bell rings. Don’t make me have to send you home in bits. https://t.co/QUP4fCjmsX
IMPACT Wrestling held their Hard To Kill PPV event this past weekend. One of the featured ‘matches’ on the card saw Ethan Page face ‘Karate Man,’ an alter ego of Page that was originally created on YouTube and brought to television.
Ethan Page had already left the company before the PPV aired, so he did not hold back in stating his thoughts on the Mortal Kombat inspired video at all. “I’m going to take a full blown break from social media,” Page noted in on social media. “I’ll be staying active on my personal Patreon as much as I can & probably in this group too cuz I love the fig life & u guys. Xoxox.”
“But man, last night sucked” Page continued, talking about the segment. “I’m so embarrassed with how IMPACT! lazily edited that segment last night & forced it to be a joke. I felt the thought of the same guys fighting eachother was comedy enough & the more serious we took it the better the reaction would be. But cuz I left the company, they lied to my face & just did what they wanted the whole time. I’m sorry if any of my fans paid for that PPV & felt cheated. I honestly feel the free version I gave away was made with more love, care & attention to detail.”
The actual presentation from IMPACT had Ethan Page appear in front of a green screen and cut cheesy lines. Whilst the spectacle had humorous moments, Page was absolutely livid that he didn’t even get a look at the footage before it aired.
Ethan Page’s Departure from Impact
“Sadly I had no control over the creative or the final product” Page then continued. “The editor refused to send it to me before hand, so I saw it live with you guys & was surrounded by family. [They were] all scratching their heads at that high school project level delivery on a PPV. I pray ppl know I didn’t edit that hot garbage. I actually begged IMPACT! Not to even have Karate man on tv. I only wanted it for my YouTube channel. But, we don’t write the shows. We just get the scripts & do our best. Idk what else to say. Breaks my heart this company refuses to respect its talent or it’s fan base on a regularly basis.”
When Kenny Omega, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows walked to the ring last night at Hard to Kill, they were each wearing Bullet Club branding.
Karl Anderson wore a Bullet Club hoodie to the ring, Gallows’ gear was all decked out in Bullet Club logos and Kenny Omega wore a limited edition Bullet Club Halloween t-shirt as well. The commentary team never referred to them as Bullet Club, however.
Omega and the Good Brothers defeated the team of Rich Swann, Chris Sabin, and Moose on the show. Moose was replacing Alex Shelley, who was pulled from the event in the days leading up to it.
The Bullet Club’s Tama Tonga has been critical of the faction’s reunion in AEW and Impact. He believes only the wrestler still in NJPW are true members of the faction. Tonga posted the following last night:
“At this point, it’s only BulletClub when the Tongans are in it. Anything else is just guys that wished they were back in BulletClub,” Tonga Tweeted.
Karl Anderson is one of the 4 founding members of the faction along with Tonga, Bad Luck Fale, and Prince Devitt. Gallows joined later in 2013. Omega wouldn’t join until 2014 as a junior heavyweight.
Former WWE and AEW performer Matt Cardona appeared in shock fashion on IMPACT Wrestling’s Hard To Kill event last night. The Major Brother would appear during the show to face Ace Austin in an un-advertised match that took place during the event.
The match would end when Madman Fulton interfered and Cardona would win via DQ. Matt Striker on commentary would not confirm if Matt Cardona had signed with the company; or if it was a one-night only appearance. Cardona however would look as if he was there to stay. The former Zack Ryder made gestures after the match as if IMPACT was going to be his new home.
PWInsider recently reported that Matt Cardona is scheduled to appear at the IMPACT tapings that will be taking place this week. Reportedly the company are looking to film a number of weeks of television, meaning that Cardona could be on AXS TV going forward for some time.
Cardona tweeted following the show to say thanks to Scott D’Amore. “I needed tonight. Thanks @ScottDAmore for the opportunity. Thanks @IMPACTWRESTLING, thanks to all my fans! I’m #AlwayzReady…I’m #HardToKill…and I’m NOT DONE with @The_Ace_Austin & @FultonWorld!”
Matt Cardona last appeared on television for All Elite Wrestling. Cardona signed a short term deal with AEW and he fulfilled those dates last year before moving on. With the ongoing feud between elements of IMPACT and AEW it will be interesting to see if the former Zack Ryder will be inserted into the storyline.
IMPACT Wrestling held their Hard To Kill 2021 event tonight. The main event of the card was once of the most anticipated bouts of the past couple of months; Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers would team up to take on; IMPACT Champion Rich Swann, Chris Sabin and TNA Champion Moose.
The scheduled main event was originally supposed to see Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers take on Rich Swann and the Motor City Machine Guns. Unfortunately, MCMG member Alex Shelley was unable to appear and therefore had to be pulled from the match. Rich Swann’s longtime rival Moose was then added to the match.
Here’s the quick results from IMPACT Wrestling’s Hard To Kill 2021:
Kenny Omega, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs Rich Swann, Chris Sabin and Moose. – Kenny Omega took the win for his team after hitting the One Winged Angel on Rich Swann
Barbed Wire Massacre: Eddie Edwards vs Sami Callihan – Eddie Edwards took the win after hitting the Emerald Flowsion on a barbed wired covered chair
The Karate Man vs Ethan Page – Karate Man took the win after he pulled Ethan Page’s heart out of his chest, seemingly killing him
IMPACT Knockout Championship Match: Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Taya Valkyrie – Deonna Purrazzo took the win via submission to retain her IMPACT Knockouts Championship
IMPACT X Division Championship Match: Chris Bey vs Manik (c) vs Rohit Raju – Manik (TJP) took the win after rolling up Raju. Rohit Raju pulled Manik’s mask off during the match to reveal TJP with facepaint. The commentary team pretended at first it wasn’t him
Ace Austin vs Matt Cardona – Matt Cardona took the win via DQ when Madman Fulton interfered
Knockouts Tag Team Championship Match: Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan vs Havok and Nevaeh –Kiera Hogan took the win for her team to win the Knockouts Tag Team Championships. Gail Kim and Madison Rayne appeared after the match to present the newly re-introduced belts to the Champions
Eric Young, Joe Doering and Deanor vs Tommy Dreamer, Rhino and Cousin Jake – Eric Young took the win for the newly named Violent By Design after hitting a Piledriver on Cousin Jake. Moments before Eric Young had been dropped onto thumbtacks.
Rosemary and Crazzy Steve v.s Tenille Dashwood and Kaleb with a K – Rosemary and Crazzy Steve took the win after spewing mist on their opponents. Crazzy Steve hit a tornado DDT on Kaleb to gain the pinfall
Brian Myers vs Josh Alexander – Brian Myers took the win after hitting a Lariat
The official replay for IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill will be available to view via FITE TV.
Hard to Kill Videos
Impact Wrestling has updated the following videos from Hard to Kill:
IMPACT Wrestling presented Hard To Kill Saturday night on pay-per-view. During the show the X Division Championship would be defended in a triple threat match with Chris Bey and Rohit Raju challenging Manik for the Championship.
Before the match, Ace Austin would appear and demand that he be added to the match, making it a fatal four way. Company Executive Scott D’Amore would appear and tell Austin that he wouldn’t be getting a shot in the X Title match, but he would be facing a man who was Alwayz Ready…Matt Cardona.
The match would end when Madman Fulton interfered and Cardona would win via DQ. Matt Striker on commentary would not confirm if Matt Cardona had signed with the company or if it was a one-night only appearance. Cardona however would look as if he was there to stay, making gestures after the match as if IMPACT was going to be his new home.
Matt Cardona last appeared on television for All Elite Wrestling. With the ongoing feud between elements of IMPACT and AEW it will be interesting to see if the former Zack Ryder will be inserted into the storyline.
The official replay for IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill will be available to view via FITE TV.
Former Knockouts Champion and Knockouts Tag Team Champion Madison Rayne confirmed her retirement this evening. The former member of The Beautiful People stable confirmed as such on the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill pre-show panel.
Madison Rayne was part of the IMPACT commentary team until tonight’s broadcast alongside Josh Matthews. It was recently confirmed that Matt Striker and D’Lo Brown will be taking commentary duties going forward for the promotion.
It is unknown at this time if the switch in commentary prompted the retirement announcement; or whether Rayne made it clear that she wanted to leave before the change was introduced.
An emotional Madison Rayne told fans during the pre-show for Hard To Kill that after 12 years with the company and wrestling over 3 different decades? That it was time for her to go home.
Madison Rayne’s accomplishments in IMPACT/TNA include being a 5-time Knockouts champion. Rayne was also Knockouts Tag Team Champion on 2 occasions; once with Lacey Von Erich and once with Gail Kim. Rayne would also be crowned Queen of The Knockouts in 2014.
Rayne tweeted shortly after Hard To Kill started, referencing the new commentary team of D’Lo Brown and Matt Striker. Madison would write “I already love this team!!”
The official replay for IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill will be available to view via FITE TV.
IMPACT Wrestling Women’s Champion Deonna Purrazzo recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The Virtuosa would discuss a number of topics on the show, including how she now feels ‘fulfilled’ in her professional wrestling career.
Co-host of the show Bully Ray would mention how Deonna was far more jovial during the interview than she had been just a year prior speaking to Busted Open. When asked why, The Virtuosa said “part of it is just feeling fulfilled in your professional role. I think it takes such a mental toll on you when you’re not happy with what you’re doing. When you’re not happy with your life’s work.”
Deonna Purrazzo on IMPACT
“All I’ve ever wanted to be? Was a wrestler” Deonna Purrazzo continued. “So you know, I felt so stifled by not being able to just wrestle. And now the fact that on a daily basis I’m featured either wrestling, or in backstage segments? I’m growing as a professional every week and we get to see that every week. It is exactly what I needed to be able to take myself to the next level.”
Deonna then finished by saying how IMPACT ‘reignited’ a flame in her love for professional wrestling. “Just like personally? It has helped to take me to the next level. It’s reignited a flame for my love for wrestling, for my love for myself, my love of bettering my life outside of wrestling. So I feel like 100% a brand new Deonna Purrazzo from this time last year, to who I am now.”
The IMPACT Women’s Champion will be defending her belt tonight at IMPACT’s Hard To Kill PPV. The Virtuosa will be defending the title against Taya Valkyrie.
Do you think that Deonna Purrazzo leaves Hard To Kill with the IMPACT Women’s Championship tonight? Let us know in the comments
This year has been my most challenging. To finish 2020 as WRESTLER OF THE YEAR only validates every trial & tribulation I’ve faced to date.
I’ve been true to myself & true to my craft and for that, I’m most proud.
Former IMPACT and WWE Superstar EC3 recently wrote a series of tweets regarding the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill main event. It was confirmed yesterday that Alex Shelley could not appear in the main event of the show. Travel reasons were the catalyst for this, although nothing further has been released publicly by the company.
IMPACT Wrestling made a change to the card and inserted Moose into the main event of the show. Moose is now teaming with Rich Swann and Chris Sabin. This adds extra intrigue to the main event, as Moose and Rich Swann have been at odds recently; with Moose beating Swann’s close friend Willie Mack at last week’s Genesis event.
EC3 would write a series of tweets regarding the inclusion of Moose into the main event. The can be seen at the bottom of this article.
The former Ethan Carter The Third is not included on tonight’s card officially, nor is he contracted to IMPACT Wrestling (at least this isn’t known publicly). EC3 has been adopting the ‘Control Your Narrative’ stance ever since he left WWE last year, and this appears to be another wrinkle in that story.
It’s worth noting that the below tweets do not indicate that EC3 will get involved at Hard To Kill; but it is certainly something to watch out for.
• To find someone with potential to carry a lost aspect of this industry forward. ? An athlete, a man, an entity, someone powerful, terrifying. ? Someone LEGITIMATE. ? One worth my sacrifice.???
In a company where management has now become infatuated with the #serotonin release of using someone else's "star" Moose once again has found himself unwanted. Abandoned.??? ??? This makes him very dangerous.??? ???
Alex Shelley was scheduled to be in the main event of Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill PPV tonight. Yesterday, the promotion announced that Shelley would be unable to perform on the show. He has been replaced in the main event by Moose.
Shelley released a video statement through Impact’s social media channels and spoke about the situation.
“There are certain things in life that are just out of our control and unfortunately, my ability to compete at Hard to Kill has been dropped into that bucket,” Shelley said in the video. “So, on that note, I owe an apology to Chris Sabin. I owe one to Rich Swann, I owe one to the fans. And I owe a receipt to the Good Brothers and Kenny Omega.”
Shelley then confirmed that he does not have COVID-19.
“I assure everyone out there, I do not have COVID, I am not orthopedically injured.”
Although not explicitly said, it sounds as though Shelley is missing the show due to precautions regarding the ongoing pandemic. This could mean he came into contact with someone who tested positive, but that is just speculation.
“(Impact management) they are doing the utmost in terms of precautions to make sure that nobody is at risk at Hard to Kill or moving forward.”
He concluded the video by saying he’ll be back in Impact Wrestling. Shelley’s full video can be viewed below:
Impact Wrestling has sent in word that there’s been a change to the main event of Saturday night’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view.
The scheduled main event was supposed to be AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Impact World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers vs. Impact World Champion Rich Swann and the Motor City Machine Guns. Unfortunately, MCMG member Alex Shelley will be unable to appear and has been pulled from the match. His replacement will be Moose.
According to Impact, Alex Shelley contacted the company late Thursday night and informed them he will be unable to travel to Nashville, TN for the PPV. The company cited “unavoidable circumstances” as to why Alex Shelley cannot appear.
Moose commented on Twitter, “Hey Kenny Omega, I heard you put on 5 star matches…. GREAT. But the real question is have you ever met a God? You meet one tomorrow night.”
Impact executive Scott D’Amore also commented on the situation:
“When we got the news from Alex there was no question what we needed to do. Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures – I personally contacted Moose and he accepted the match immediately. I know Rich Swann in particular has his issues with Moose. but this is time to put personal issues and egos aside.
“HARD TO KILL is a huge event for IMPACT Wrestling and a historic one for professional wrestling in general. IMPACT Wrestling needs to put our best foot forward. Moose fits that bill. He is a physical specimen, a five-tool athlete, and has proven himself to be a world-class professional wrestler. Kenny Omega and The Good Brothers will have their hands even more full now when they step into the ring with IMPACT World Champion Rich Swann, IMPACT Original Chris Sabin, and the TNA World Heavyweight Champion Moose.”
Hard To Kill: Updated Card
The following is the updated lineup for Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill PPV:
Rich Swann, Chris Sabin & Moose vs. Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers
Impact Wrestling presents Hard to Kill on Saturday night. Rosemary will team with her old Decay stablemate, Crazzy Steve, on the show. They’ll take on the team of Tenille Dashwood and her personal photographer, Kaleb Conley (aka Caleb Konley). Rosemary’s longtime ally, Taya Valkyrie, will challenge Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts title on the show as well.
Rosemary spoke to Women’s Wrestling Talk about the upcoming PPV and her relationship with Taya. It should be noted that when Rosemary speaks she refers to herself in the plural sense, i.e “we” instead of “I”.
“The Valkyrie and the Demon have gone to war so many times. And we know each other so well, that when we decided, we say decided, when we were commanded by the shadow to form an alliance with her, it was not difficult to do so because we already knew her so well,” Rosemary said. “And the fact that we became so dominant as a tag team, leading up into the announcement of the tag team titles, by being returned to Impact, we really knew that we had something there because we could rely on her to be where we needed her to be and vice versa.”
Rosemary On Hard to Kill & Crazzy Steve
Rosemary also spent some time talking about the upcoming Hard to Kill PPV. She suggested that she would like it if Taya won the title and then the two of them later won the tag belts.
“In the most immediate future, the most ideal, the most ideal path, the most ideal reality to manifest, would be if the Valkyrie was to win the Knockouts championship this Saturday and then down the road we were to capture the tag titles and bring all the belts into the fold,” she continued.
“We already have seen the return of our dear brother Crazzy Steve into Impact Wrestling. While we have not had too many interactions with him as of yet just know that we are talking and when the time is right when the shadow was ready for our brother crazy still too Crazzy Steve to realign with the demon assassin. That would be as you said, trouble for anyone involved.”
The full interview can be viewed in the player below:
Impact Wrestling co-Vice President and Kenny Omega’s manager, Don Callis, was recently interviewed by Chris Van Vliet. During the discussion, Callis teased that there is more to come in his angle with Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers.
“Kenny and I have a lot of plans and what people are seeing from a national television perspective is just the fruition of those things,” Callis said. “We take great pride in the fact that when people think they have seen the apex of it, we try to do something different, take it to the next level.”
Callis talked about how he cut a promo in WWF as a complete unknown and called out Vince McMahon. What he said in the promo, Callis said, was indicative of what he wants from the wrestling business.
“I called out Vince McMahon. I said that I wanted to run the World Wrestling Federation, I wanted to run the wrestling business,” Callis said. “But it was true. I never had any interest in being a pro-wrestling manager, or being a color commentator, I wanted to be the person pulling the strings. I was 29-years-old when I said that.”
Callis continued to say the timing wasn’t right for him to run the wrestling business, however. WWE did offer him jobs working in creative but he turned them down.
“I wrote 6 weeks of television for Kurrgan to get him to try to get him to a different level and I wrote it out in a week-by-week format,” Callis continued. “That would be fairly common now, in 1997, it was pretty unheard of.”
Callis said that after doing so, he was offered a spot in WWE creative but turned it down. He ended up getting released from the company in 1999. The belief is he was fired by Bruce Prichard for “getting over at the talent’s expense.”
Callis then went to ECW and performed as Cyrus the Virus. During his interview with Chris Van Vliet, Callis referred to Paul Heyman as one of the most influential people in his career.
Don Callis On Comparisons To Paul Heyman
“There’s probably been 3, I’d say,” Callis said when asked about the most influential person in his career. “Kenny’s uncle the Golden Sheik, for sure. Bad News Allen (aka Bad News Brown) who kind of took on my training after the Sheik moved on. And then Paul Heyman in ECW.”
Callis then explained the key difference between what he does and what Paul Heyman does, however.
“I’ve been happy for Paul that he’s had the success that he’s had cause he’s a very talented and hard-working guy. Did a lot for me. There have been people now that have been comparing us. I think it’s an unfair comparison for Paul. Cause Paul is a tremendous wrestling performer, a character on a wrestling show. He does a wonderful job of that. I’m not a character. I am the essence of who I am and what I do is done at a much higher level than what characters like Paul, with all due respect, can do.”
The full interview with Don Callis can be heard in the player below:
A lot of former WWE stars have said that their run with the company resulted in a loss of passion and confidence for them and The Good Brothers shared their similar experiences recently.
The team of Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows were recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated where they opened up about their time with the company and more.
During the interview, Anderson said that he hates to admit the fact that there was a point in WWE when they had lost their confidence:
“I hate to admit this, but I think there was a point in WWE where we had a loss of confidence, but I can promise you that the confidence is back.
We needed to get out of that environment to remind ourselves who we really are and what we can be. Right now, we’re on top of our game. It feels that way to us, and hopefully, it shows.”
Though later in the interview, Doc Gallows said that the Good Brothers don’t have any sour grapes about their time with the company before joking about not getting Slammy Awards for their participation in the Boneyard match:
“We don’t have any sour grapes about WWE, except that they forgot to mail us our Slammy Award for Match of the Year, maybe the mail is slow. I’m still waiting on that. But we’re focused on right now.”
Apart from this, the Good Brothers also discussed their reunion with the Elite on last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite and said that it felt good to do it in front of a live crowd. You can check out their full interview at this link.
Impact Wrestling World Champion Rich Swan is gearing up for one of the biggest matches of his life. This Saturday night, Impact presents Hard to Kill live on pay-per-view. Swann will team with the Motor City Machine Guns against AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Impact World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers (Gallows & Anderson).
Swann appeared on Wrestling Epicenter this week and spoke to host James Walsh about the significance of this match. The full interview is embedded here, with highlights below.
Rich Swann is currently the top dog in Impact Wrestling, but it almost didn’t happen. He suffered a wave of injuries last year that almost forced him into retirement.
“It was excruciating, it was painful, it was something that I wouldn’t ever wish on my worst enemy,” said Swann. “I broke my leg, my fibula, my ankle… Everything in my ankle, my foot… And then, not only that, my back. My lower back was broken. You know, I was told that I probably would never wrestle again let alone walk the same way again. That was just another something that I had to overcome.”
Thanks to exhaustive physical therapy, he eventually trained himself back into fighting shape. Swann captured the Impact World Championship at Bound for Glory 2020. He says “the crown is heavy on the head” because so many legends before him have held that title. It means the world to him that he’s the leader of a company that has such a rich history.
Impact Working With AEW
Impact Wrestling’s working relationship is one of the hottest angles in pro wrestling. As Impact World Champion, Swann is one of the key players involved in the inter-promotional conflict. He feels that the two companies working together is “awesome” for the business and for fans.
Last week, we saw The Good Brothers crash AEW Dynamite and come tot he aid of Kenny Omega. The Young Bucks joined in and the group embraced in what appeared to be a reunion of former Bullet Club members. Swann says he’s not surprised at what we saw. He feels that it was just a matter of time before the Bullet Club members threw up the Too Sweet symbol and showed their true colors. Even though he’ll be standing across the ring from Omega and the Good Brothers this Saturday night, he can’t help but admit that it’s cool to see them together again.
Don Callis has been claiming that Kenny Omega is the “real” world champion, which has to be seen as a slight to people like Rich Swann. When asked how he feels about this, Swann said he does not let it get under his skin.
“No, it doesn’t get under my skin because I know what I had to do to win the World Heavyweight Championship,” said Swann. “So, for someone to say that they’re the “real” world champion, guess what? You are the real world champion… in AEW! Maybe thanks to the tactics that he used with Don Callis, don’t forget to mention! I did it the old fashioned way – With heart, determination, and the power of love of professional wrestling. If you look at our wins, if you compare those two, who is the real World Champion?”
AEW World Chamion Kenny Omega has made it known that he is on the hunt for more titles. Would Rich Swann be interested in a match to unify the AEW and Impact World titles?
“I’m from Baltimore, Maryland.” said Swann. “I’m not afraid to step into the ring with no man. I fear no man and I only fear one thing. The thing is, that is not one thing that I would ever fear. If he (Kenny Omega) wanted to step into the ring and do a Unification… We’ve it. We’ve seen seen him go into Mexico and he beat Loredo Kid in AAA. Do I think he could come into my house and do what he did there? I don’t know. Time will tell.”
With just days until Impact’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view, Rich Swann says he and the Motor City Machine Guns are ready with “a whole lot of ammunition and we’re ready to unload.”
Order Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill now at FITE.TV.
Impact Wrestling has just announced a change to their commentary team. Longtime commentator, Josh Mathews, has been promoted to a behind-the-scenes role and will be leaving the commentary booth. Similarly, Madison Rayne will be leaving the commentary booth to begin a career outside the world of wrestling. In their place will be the new commentary team of Matt Striker and D’Lo Brown.
Josh Mathews will now serve as senior producer for all of Impact’s weekly shows and PPVs. He was quoted in a press release announcing the change.
“My play-by-play career has spanned nearly 20 years – from WrestleMania to Bound For Glory to incredible moments from IMPACT Wrestling on AXS TV,” Mathews said. “Producing will allow me to have a bigger role in the overall production of our weekly show, PPVs and IMPACT+ Specials.”
“This transition has been a great process, Matt and D’Lo are bringing a fresh energy and are ready to go. It was a special year in 2020, and both Madison Rayne and I will always be grateful for the opportunity and look forward to these exciting changes.”
Matt Striker has been working on Xplosion for the promotion as of late. Previously, Striker has worked on commentary for WWE, Lucha Underground, and AAA.
“I’ve always loved professional wrestling. It is a love that unites so many people,” Striker said. “Pro wrestling is a sport and I want to be mindful to call it as such. I’ve learned and grown so much since I began, and I thank the fans – and the critics – for that.”
“It is not lost on me the opportunity that is before me – I can once again lend my voice to the sport that I love. In doing so, I’m poised to describe, analyze, and witness the most advanced athletes the sport has ever seen. I am excited, nervous, thankful, and humbled. I cannot wait to get out there. You will always be able hear the fan in me.”
D’Lo Brown was also quoted on his new role as color commentator for Impact.
“I’m humbled to follow the IMPACT broadcasting path of Don West and Mike Tenay, and most recently Don Callis, Madison Rayne and certainly Josh Mathews. I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity. I know there are big shoes to fill, but Striker and I will do our best.”
The new commentary team will debut this Saturday at Hard to Kill. Last night’s Impact Wrestling, will be the last for the Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne team.
BREAKING: Starting at #HardToKill, Matt Striker and D'Lo Brown will be IMPACT Wrestling's new broadcast team! @AsleepOnThBeach @dlobrown75
Impact Wrestling on January 12th, 2021 was the go-home show before Saturday’s Hard to Kill PPV event. Karl Anderson faced Rich Swann in a non-title match in the main event.
Impact Wrestling Quick Results 1/12:
Kimber Lee defeated Taya Valkyrie
Chris Bey & Rohit Raju defeated Manik & Suicide
Deaner defeated Tommy Dreamer via DQ
Rosemary defeated Tenille Dashwood
Moose defeated Matthew Palmer
Rich Swann defeated Karl Anderson
Below are 8 key takeaways from the show:
Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers Brawl With Rich Swann & MCMGs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1KoeKz58Oo
During the show this week, Kenny Omega, Don Callis, and the Good Brothers were shown regularly from their luxury bus outside the venue. This week, the faction was preparing for Karl Anderson’s 1-on-1 non-title match with Impact World Champion, Rich Swann. Neither the Motor City Machine Guns nor Bullet Club would be allowed ringside.
Anderson spent much of the match working on his opponent’s arm. It’s possible this injury may potentially play into the match at Hard to Kill as well. The champion fought through adversity, however, and countered the Gun Stun into a pinning combination for the win.
After the match, Omega and Gallows attacked the Motor City Machine Guns in their dressing room while Don Callis watched on. Swann arrived to help but Anderson wasn’t far behind. These two teams are heading into Hard to Kill with some built up animosity.
“Susan” Helps Kimber Lee Defeat Taya Valkyrie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUbQyCc7ro8
This was seemingly a warm-up match for Taya as she is scheduled to challenge Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts title at Hard to Kill. Taya looked to have the match won with a double-knee strike in the corner but Purrazzo put Kimber Lee’s foot on the ropes during the pin attempt. Rosemary then chased the KO champ up the ramp but this brought out “Susan” Su Yung’s newest alter-ego. Susan working alongside Purrazzo and Kimber Lee distracted Taya, allowing Kimber Lee to score the pin on a roll-up. Will Susan be on-hand to help Purrazzo retain at Hard to Kill?
Moose Gets Revenge On Matthew Palmer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgxR_XyaBho
Last week, Moose was unable to defeat former security guard, Matthew Palmer, in under 3 seconds. This week, Moose again needed longer than 3-minutes to beat his opponent, but he did eventually do so. The referee called a halt to the match as Moose was laying elbows into his unresponsive opponent.
We saw at Genesis, that Moose’s victory over Willie Mack was enough to earn him a future title shot at Rich Swann. It’s not clear when exactly that match will take place, but it’s coming and it’s something Moose has been preparing for.
Eric Young’s Faction Gets Ready To Go Old School At Hard To Kill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8bxm3PyfqI
Eric Young, Joe Doering, & Deaner will face Tommy Dreamer, Rhino, and Cousin Jake in an old school rules match at Hard to Kill. This week, Deaner took on Tommy Dreamer in singles action. Cousin Jake is still all torn up about Cody Deaner joining Eric Young’s faction. He again tried to talk some sense into his former partner but to no avail. Eventually, Jake grew frustrated with Deaner and attacked him while he was on the ring apron, leading to the disqualification.
Things broke down into a brawl after the match. Both Rhino and Joe Doering, who had been sent to the back during the match, returned and brawled as well. The segment ended with Eric Young delivering a vicious piledriver to Dreamer.
Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament Finals Preview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQugVanxpMI
After an 8-team single elimination tournament, we are down to two teams. Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz will face Havok & Neveah in the finals at Hard to Kill. It’s the most established teams in the tournament facing off in the finals. We saw a sit-down face-to-face interview between the two teams this week. Steelz and Hogan had plenty to say but their opponents sat silent. Finally, Havok & Neveah got up and pushed their opponents up against the walls to let them know they will do their talking in the ring on Saturday.
Chris Bey Picks Up Momentum Ahead Of Hard To Kill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KYGNOVrhdI
The X-Division Championship picture continued this week as Manik & Suicide teamed up to face Chris Bey and Rohit Raju. Raju seems obsessed with unmasking Manik to prove that he is TJP but this might be to his detriment. Bey seems much more focussed on the task at-hand, which is likely why he was able to walk away with the victory this week. Bey hit the Art Of Finesse on Suicide for the win. There will be nobody under the Suicide mask at Hard to Kill, however, when Manik defends against Bey and Raju in a triple threat match.
Decay Reunite Against Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb
Tenille Dashwood’s personal photographer, Kaleb with a K (Caleb Konley) got involved often during this match. He tripped Rosemary’s foot as she came off the ropes and he sprayed hairspray in her eyes. Fortunately for Rosemary, an old ally appeared to even up the odds. Crazzy Steve and Rosemary are former members of Decay, and evidently, their bond still runs strong. Steve chased Kaleb away from ringside. This allowed Rosemary to spray hairspray in the eyes of Tenille Dashwood and then hit a spear for the win. A match between the former members of Decay and Dashwood and Kaleb has now been scheduled for Hard to Kill.
Hard To Kill Lineup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42aaPBHpzYQ
Here is the scheduled lineup for Saturday’s Hard to Kill:
Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers vs Rich Swann & The Motor City Machine Guns
Knockouts Tag Team Championships (Tournament Finals) Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz vs Havok & Neveah
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
Barbed Wire Massacre Sami Callihan vs Eddie Edwards
Old School Rules Eric Young, Deaner & Joe Doering vs Tommy Dreamer, Rhino, & Cousin Jake
X-Division Championship Manik (c) vs Chris Bey vs Rohit Raju
The Karate Man vs Ethan Page
Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb vs Rosemary & Crazzy Steve
Impact Wrestling returns to AXS TV tonight for the “go home” show before Saturday’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view.
The big angle headed into the PPV is AEW World Champion Kenny Omega aligning with Impact World Tag Team Champions, the Good Brothers. The trio will battle Impact World Champion Rich Swann and the Motor City Machine Guns. The Bullet Club alums have gotten the upper hand in recent weeks, so you can be sure Swann & the Machine Guns are looking to make a statement.
Impact has confirmed that Kenny Omega and Don Callis will appear in the Impact Zone tonight.
Jeff Jarrett and Anthem, the parent company of the current Impact Wrestling have finally reached a settlement in their trademark case, according to Law 360.
While the terms of the settlement between the two parties were not disclosed, a brief filing with the court told the judge that both the parties will be submitting a joint request for dismissal:
“The terms of the settlement are met, and unless any party objects, they will submit a joint request for dismissal of the claims and counterclaims in the case by no later than Oct 1, 2022.”
Impact Wrestling had originally announced a merger with Jarrett’s GFW back in April 2017 and they started rebranding their programming using the GFW logo and theme in June.
However, the merger was short lived as the company severed their ties with GFW in October and returned to the Impact Wrestling name which they have utilised ever since.
Then in August 2018, Jeff Jarrett and Global Force Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Anthem claiming that the company violated state and federal trademark infringes by continuing to use footage of GFW Amped.
Anthem officials filed a countersuit against Jeff Jarrett in 2019, arguing that Jerrett and GWE granted them a licence to the GFW name and related assets.
Tuesday’s 1/5 episode of Impact Wrestling on AXS TV averaged 148,000 viewers and a 0.04 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. The show ranked 140th on cable for the evening, according to ShowbuzDaily.
The first Impact of 2021 featured the latest from Kenny Omega, Don Callis and the Good Brothers, Sami Callihan vs. Eddie Edwards, Havoc & Neveah advancing to the finals of the Knockouts tag title tourmanent and more. You can view our full recap here:
Impact’s viewership was up from the previous week, which drew 103,000 viewers and a 0.01 rating for the ‘Best of 2020: Part 2’ recap show.
Impact faced stiff competition from cable news election coverage of the two United States senate races in the state of Georgia.
MSNBC’s Election Coverage program at 8pm topped the night in cable viewership with 4.655 million viewers and a 0.68 A18-49 rating. CNN’s Election Night In America at 10pm did 3.815 million viewers and a 0.92 A18-49 rating.
Impact Wrestling presents Genesis this Saturday night on Impact Plus. The following weekend is Hard to Kill on pay-per-view.
It’s a huge month for Impact Wrestling. This Saturday, Genesis will air on Impact Plus. On January 16th, Impact is back on PPV with Hard to Kill and the promotional in-ring debut of AEW World Champion, Kenny Omega.
Impact Wrestling 1/5 Quick Results:
Fatal 4-Way Craazy Steve defeated Ace Austin and Blake Christian and KC Navarro
Cody Deaner & Joe Doering defeated Cousin Jake & Rhino
Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament (Semi-Final #2) Havok & Nevaeh defeated Jazz & Jordynne Grace
3-Minute Challenge Matthew Palmer defeated Moose (Palmer lasted full 3 minutes)
Sami Callihan vs Eddie Edwards – No Contest
Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers Attack Rich Swann & The MCMGs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdmurvK7BhQ
Kenny Omega, Don Callis, Doc Gallows, and Karl Anderson were back on their luxury bus this week. They cut a promo from the bus talking about how they once again all hold title belts. Later in the show, Swann and the MCMGs cut a promo and then went to confront the group on the bus. They blew past security and approached the bus door when Omega and the Good Brothers came from around the back of the bus for a surprise attack from behind. The surprise attack allowed them to take it to their opponents at Hard to Kill. Omega ended the segment by putting the boots to Swann, Shelley, and Sabin.
Sami Callihan Set A Trap For Eddie Edwards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Haaj68LiaU
Arguably the most intense rivalry in Impact history continued in this week’s main event. Just as Edwards had Callihan cowering away from him, Callihan used his hacking device to put a video up on the big screen. The video showed Eddie’s wife, Alisha, trapped behind a fence. Edwards fled the match to go save her. As he approached the fence to let her out, Ken Shamrock attacked from behind. Callihan then used barbed wire to tie Edwards to the fence. The two hammered Edwards with some shots and then left just before the show came to a close.
A Barbed Wire Massacre match has since been booked for Hard To Kill:
We got another paid advertisement by AEW this week. Tony Khan joked about how it only costs $100 for the spot. He talked about how Kenny Omega is one of the two best wrestlers in the world, the other being Jon Moxley. They then ran down the card for tonight’s AEW New Year’s Smash Event.
Willie Mack Embarrasses Moose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izmcF3PX9Qw
Moose took on former security guard Matthew Palmer this week in a 3-minute challenge. Palmer only needed to last the full 3-minutes to win the match. Moose dominated early but was arrogant and took his time. Willie Mack then came out to make a distraction, costing Moose the match. Moose and Mack will face each other in an I Quit match this weekend at Genesis.
Havok & Nevaeh Advances To KO Tag Tournament Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzA3E8i7NU4
The final semi-final match in the Knockouts tag-team tournament took place this week on Impact. Havok hit a tombstone piledriver on Jazz to pick up the win for her team. They will face Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz in the finals, pitting the two most solidified teams in the division against one another.
Later in the show, Jordynne Grace apologized to Jazz and the two shared some mutual respect. Grace then said she’d be honoured to face Jazz at Genesis and the legend agreed to the match.
Craazy Steve Picks Up Victory En Route To The Super X Cup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCImzPQVREA
This Saturday at Genesis, 8 wrestlers will compete in a single-elimination tournament for the Super X Cup. 4 wrestlers in the tournament, Craazy Steve, Ace Austin, Blake Christian, and KC Navarro met in a fatal 4-way to kick off the show. Steve would pick up the pin on Navarro with a diving DDT from the second rope. With that, Craazy Steve is heading into Genesis with all the momentum.
6-Man Hardcore/Old School Rules Match Scheduled For Hard To Kill
Cody Deaner is now a member of Eric Young’s faction along with Joe Doering. Cousin Jake kept trying to talk some sense into him during their tag match this week. In the end, however, Deaner hit a low-blow on Jake and picked up the win for his team. The assault continued after the match but Tommy Dreamer came in to make the save. A 6-man, no dq, old school rules match was then scheduled for Hard to Kill.
Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo and her run-in buddy, Kimber Lee, recently enlisted the help of Father James Mitchell to turn Su Yung back into her less threatening persona of Susie. This week, Mitchell revealed that Su Yung was now someone different, although it wasn’t Susie. Susan came out in a suit and serious look. Purrazzo and Kimber Lee seem willing to deal with this persona.
Impact Wrestling Genesis Lineup
The following matches have been booked for the Genesis card on January 9th, 2021:
Super X-Cup (1st Round) Ace Austin vs Suicide
Super X-Cup (1st Round) Daivari vs Cousin Jake
Super X-Cup (1st Round) Craazy Steve vs Tre Lamar
Super X-Cup (1st Round) KC Navarro vs. Blake Christian
I Quit Match Willie Mack vs Moose
Jazz vs Jordynne Grace
Super X-Cup Semi-Finals
Super X-Cup Finals
Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill Lineup
Impact Wrestling presents Hard to Kill on January 16th, 2021. The following matches are booked for the card:
The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) & Rich Swann vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) & Kenny Omega
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
X-Division Championship Manik (c) vs. Rohit Raju vs. Chris Bey
Old School Rules Tommy Dreamer, Cousin Jake, & Rhino vs Eric Young, Joe Doering, and Cody Deaner
Barbed Wire Massacre Eddie Edwards vs Sami Callihan
AEW President Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone returned to Impact on AXS TV this week with another sponsored ad spot. Khan said they are continuing the holiday spirit of helping the less fortunate by funding Impact with the paid ad.
Schiavone ran down the card for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. It will be the first night of a 2-week special, New Year’s Smash.
Tony Khan then denied Don Callis’ claim that he was partially responsible for the formation of AEW. Khan said that he was the man responsible for AEW’s funding, resources, television relationships, booking, hiring talent and more.
Khan told Callis, “You do nothing for the wrestling business. You’re a parasite on this business.” The Tony’s will be back on Impact next week with another ad, and he’ll pay for the air time with a $100 bill his grandmother sent him for Christmas. Tony Schiavone’s reaction to this line was priceless.
Watch Tony Khan & Tony Schiavone’s latest paid advertisement from this week’s Impact Wrestling in the player embedded below:
Kenny Omega, Don Callis and The Good Brothers also appeared on Impact on AXS TV. They hyped their upcoming match at Hard to Kill on January 16th.
Omega, Gallows and Anderson addressed their opponents, Impact World Champion Rich Swan and the Motor City Machine Guns. Omega said those guys are teammates for now, but they’re not family like Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers.
The gang said they are Bullet Club for life. Watch the promo below:
