There can be no doubting that Kenny Omega’s advertised appearance on Impact Wrestling this week was a draw. The viewership of last night’s broadcast on Twitch was more than double Impact’s previous record on the platform. By the end of the show, over 55,000 people had tuned in on Twitch.
The promotion sent out the following Tweet to note the achievement:
?Trending #3 right now. ?Double our previous all-time viewership record on Twitch. ?Top 5 channel on ALL OF TWITCH right now. #IMPACTonAXSTV
Much of last night’s show was hyping up Saturday’s Final Resolution event. The show will air on Impact’s streaming service, Impact Plus. The following matches have been scheduled for the event:
Impact World Championship Rich Swann (c) vs Chris Bey
Karl Anderson vs Ethan Page
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo vs Rosemary
Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb vs Eddie Edwards & Alisha Edwards
Old School Rules (If Larry D loses he’s charged with attempted murder, if he wins, he’s not) Larry D vs Tommy Dreamer
Eric Young vs Rhino
X-Division Championship Open Challenge (Defeat Rohit Challenge) Rohit Raju (c) vs TBA
When Impact Wrestling aired last night on Twitch and AXS TV, it had been 6 days since Kenny Omega won the world championship and Don Callis promised they would appear on Impact this week. Omega’s interview segment would close the show but we also saw the final 1st round match of the Knockouts tag title tournament, Josh Alexander take on Chris Sabin, and we continued the build to Saturday’s Final Resolution event on Impact Plus.
If you haven’t seen it, the entire full show has been put up on Impact’s YouTube page here:
Impact 12/8 Quick Results:
Chris Sabin defeated Josh Alexander
Brian Myers defeated TJP
Eric Young defeated Cody Deaner
Knockouts Tag Team Tournament (1st Round) Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary defeated Deonna Purrazzo & Kimber Lee
Chris Bey & Moose defeated Rich Swann & Willie Mack
Here are 9 takeaways from Impact 12/8:
Kenny Omega Explains Why He Has Arrived In Impact Wrestling
Josh Mathews’ sit-down interview with Kenny Omega and Don Callis would close the show. First, Don Callis explained the relationship between him and Omega and how he was trained by Omega’s Uncle the Golden Sheik. Callis explained that just as Omega’s Uncle used to take care of him, Callis does the same for Omega.
He talked about the history of their early days in the business, up to Callis getting back into the industry after a 13-year hiatus. They talked about Callis being there when Omega won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, about Callis’ role in booking Chris Jericho vs Kenny Omega in the Tokyo Dome. Finally, Callis explained that he is the “Invisible Hand” behind Omega’s whole career.
What is Kenny Omega doing in Impact?
Omega was asked what he is doing in Impact. He explained that he is now something of a collector, with the AEW World Championship being the prized gem of his collection. Callis and Omega insinuated there were titles in Impact that Omega was interested in collecting.
Omega’s comments were likely heard by Impact World Champion, Rich Swann. Just before Omega’s interview segment, Swann was seen being told he could not visit the luxury bus that Omega and Callis were in because he “wasn’t on the list.”
Has Omega come to collect Rich Swann’s title?
Tony Khan Purchases Advertising Time On Impact Wrestling
Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone were both on Impact Wrestling this week as well. Khan purchased advertising space on the show and a commercial of sorts aired. The AEW President said if he wanted to, he could shut down Omega’s appearance on the show but he’s chosen not to. He continued to say that he knows Omega will be on Dynamite tomorrow and then invited Callis to come on as well. Khan and Schiavone then hyped up this week’s episode of Dynamite on TNT.
The Many Challengers To Rich Swann’s Impact World Championship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FonA9Hy2iBI
The last we saw of Rich Swann on this week’s show, he was angrily leaving the building after being denied access to Omega and Callis. While Swann likely feels disrespected by the AEW World Champion, he has plenty of challengers waiting for his title. On Saturday, Chris Bey will challenge Swann for the belt. The self-proclaimed TNA World Champion, Moose, is also waiting in the wings and has made no secret that he considers Swann’s belt secondary to his.
This week’s main event saw Swann team with his longtime friend, Willie Mack against Moose and Chris Bey. Moose and Bey were not on the same page at all, with Moose using his partner as a weapon and tossing him against their opponents.
The finish of the match came when Mack missed a frog splash and Moose delivered the Lights Out spear. Instead of going for the pin, however, Moose got in the full mount position and started delivering elbows to Mack’s head. Moose has been winning matches via referee stoppage this way as of late. Swann came to Mack’s rescue but this allowed Bey to swoop in and pin Mack for the win.
Saturday night at Final Resolution, Chris Bey has a chance to become Impact World Champion.
Dissension Between The North?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrVFHafL54I
It appears there is a little dissension brewing between Ethan Page and Josh Alexander. This week’s show was opened up by Josh Alexander taking on Chris Sabin in singles competition. The finish of the match came when Alexander was in control but Page was yelling instructions from the outside. As Alexander was listening to Page, Sabin scored a pinning combination and got the 3-count for the win.
As for the Motor City Machine Guns, they are working on their path back to the tag titles now that Shelley has returned. They defeated Team XXXL last week and said the North was next.
Eddie Edwards Gets A Measure Of Revenge On Sami Callihan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcMdR_qQ_-E
The feud between Eddie Edwards and Sami Callihan has been reignited. Callihan recently tried to recreate the infamous baseball bat incident from a few years ago and busted Edwards wide open. With Edwards out of the picture, Alisha Edwards ditched her tag team with Tenille Dashwood to focus on getting revenge. Alisha attacked Sami last week and confronted him this week.
Callihan cut a promo about being the Draw and the history between him and Edwards. Alisha then came out to confront him and the distraction allowed the returning Eddie Edwards to attack from behind. The attack sends Callihan scrambling away from the ring area.
Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary Advance In KO Tag Title Tournament, Eliminate Deonna Purrazzo & Kimber Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlBUnBW5u2Y
Knockouts champion Deonna Purrazzo and her run-in buddy, Kimber Lee, were perhaps too distracted with Su Yung in the build-up to this match. They enlisted Father James Mitchell to abduct the undead bride last week. They had stiff competition in the 1st round of the KO tag title tourney, however, when they faced two former KO champions, Taya Valkyrie and Rosemary.
Rosemary would pick up the win for her team after hitting a double-undertook sit-down slam. She and Taya will now face Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz in the semi-finals.
Cody Deaner Unable To Get Revenge On Eric Young
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enolZeeU6XE
Eric Young and Joe Doering have been attacking everyone in Impact Wrestling as of late. This included Cody Deaner, who took special offence to it considering the history between him and Young in the business. He said he wanted to prove to Young that he isn’t a nobody and requested that Cousin Jake not interfere in their match tonight.
While Deaner fought valiantly, it wasn’t enough to defeat the former world champion. Young picked up the winning with a devastating looking piledriver.
After the match, Young and Doering continued the attack on Deaner. Cousin Jake looked to make the save, but they took him out too. Finally, Rhino would come out with a lead pipe to make the save and end the post-match attack.
Brian Myers Defeats TJP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTrohvzpMCY
TJP is the latest wrestler in Impact Wrestling to take issue with Myers’ attitude towards the rest of the roster. He confronted Myers last week, leading to this week’s singles match between the two. Myers pulled out the victory after delivering a spine buster followed by a lariat. That’s 4 straight wins in singles matches for Myers, having defeated Swoggle, Crazzy Steve, Fallah Bah, and now TJP.
Larry D Can Get Out of Attempted Murder Charges If He Defeats Tommy Dreamer At Final Resolution
Larry D was recently revealed as the person who shot John E Bravo. While the Team XXXL member says he was set up, Dreamer still challenged him to an Old School Rules match at Final Resolution. If Larry D wins, he will not be charged with attempted murder. If Tommy Dreamer wins, Larry D will be charged with attempted murder. When Larry D asked Dreamer how such a match stipulation could take place, Dreamer just answered that he can do whatever he wants.
Lineup For Saturday’s Final Resolution On Impact Plus
Here are the matches confirmed for Saturday’s Final Resolution event on Impact Plus:
Impact World Championship Rich Swann (c) vs Chris Bey
Karl Anderson vs Ethan Page
Knockouts Championship Deonna Purrazzo vs Rosemary
Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb vs Eddie Edwards & Alisha Edwards
Old School Rules (If Larry D loses he’s charged with attempted murder, if he wins, he’s not) Larry D vs Tommy Dreamer
Eric Young vs Rhino
X-Division Championship Open Challenge (Defeat Rohit Challenge) Rohit Raju (c) vs TBA
Impact Wrestling’s Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson have opened up about declining WWE’s offer to host a podcast. Last year, WWE kickstarted its own podcast network featuring several of its Superstars. During their time with the company, the pair were offered the chance to partake in the new initiative. However, it wasn’t something that interested either of the Good Brothers.
“WWE came to us and said they were going to have a podcast network, and we want to have [Corey] Graves and you guys,” Luke Gallows told the Cut Wrestling Podcast. “And we were like, ‘Ehh, it’s not the same.’ Besides us not liking the business offer on it, it’s not the same. It’s not Talk ‘n Shop without [co-host Rocky Romero], so we declined the offer on it. We said, ‘Let’s just do it and see if it catches on.'”
Gallows noted how only four weeks after being extended the offer, he and Anderson were cut from WWE. He shared how since leaving the promotion, their podcast has taken on “a life of its own.”
Anderson added how WWE pulled them both aside and informed them, “we want you to do a podcast.” They were told how they would be given a private room before Monday Night Raw each week to interview guests.
According to Anderson, “We looked at them and said, ‘F*** that!’ If you want us you have to come to the hotel with some wine and beer, and they agreed. Then they told us the money they wanted us to do it for it, and we were like, ‘Nope, we are out.’ Podcasting ain’t that fun.”
Both Gallows and Anderson were released by WWE earlier this year. WWE claimed the cuts were due to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on business. They would eventually sign with Impact Wrestling.
After the controversial finish to the AEW World Championship match between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley during last week’s episode of Dynamite, Don Callis had announced that the new AEW champion will make an appearance on this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling to explain things.
The new champion then made an appearance on the show alongside Callis where he set down with Josh Mathews and the two opened up about the events of this past Wednesday night.
The interview began with Mathews asking how long the AEW and Impact alliance has been in work, to which Callis replied that it all began when he met Kenny at the age of 10. From there Callis made it his mission to be in Omega’s corner and so the idea has been in works for nearly 27 years.
Omega Explains His Actions
Josh Mathews then moved the conversation towards the AEW title match. Josh asked the former NJPW star why he decided to use a microphone as a cheap shot to gain victory over Moxley, despite saying that he wouldn’t do so during their gentlemen’s agreement.
Replying to it, the new champion explained that Moxley shouldn’t have hit Don Callis saying “When you involve family, when you lay your hands on the invisible hand – what do you expect me to do?”
Later in the interview, Kenny Omega declared that collecting world championships is his new hobby and he wants to face other world champions from different promotions, including Impact.
The duo concluded the interview by claiming that they have a big announcement to make at this week’s episode of Dynamite on Wednesday. You can check out Kenny Omega’s Impact Wrestling appearance in the video below:
Kenny Omega’s declaration that he wants to face other world champions is very interesting. we will have to see what other crossovers it leads to in the coming times and if it means that AEW world title will be defended at other promotions.
Joey Ryan was released by Impact Wrestling following numerous allegations against him as part of the #SpeakingOut movement earlier this year. Ryan filed suit against Impact in late-September and is reportedly seeking $10 million.
According to a report from PW Insider, Impact would request an additional 30 days time to respond to the lawsuit that Ryan’s team filed on September 24th. They then missed that deadline and Ryan’s team filed to have a judgment made in their favor as a result on November 27th. Impact then responded to the lawsuit in a filing on December 4th.
In their response to the lawsuit, Impact is stating that they only made a public comment about Ryan’s release so that fans would not expect to see him on their shows. There is also a dispute between the two parties over Ryan’s Impact contract and the wording around what he could be fired for and what process would have had to be followed. Impact’s response states that they believe they did not breach their contract with Ryan.
Ryan’s legal team is seeking $10 million from Anthem Sport and Entertainment, Impact’s parent company.
Ryan, along with Dave Crist, was fired from Impact Wrestling this June. The company announced at the same time that Michael Elgin would not longer be appearing on its programming.
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis will appear on tonight’s episode Impact Wrestling TV. According to a HeelByNature, AEW President Tony Khan is also scheduled to make a cameo on the broadcast.
Khan and AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone are expected to appear on the show in a “paid advertisement.” This sounds similar in format to when the NWO would run promo spots during WCW programming.
Longtime fans remember the black and white segments that began with a voiceover stating, “The following announcement has been paid for by the New World Order.”
Impact Wrestling Preview
In addition to the Kenny Omega & AEW involvement, the following matches are announced for tonight’s Impact Wrestling:
Cody Deaner vs Eric Young
Brian Myers vs TJP
Josh Alexander vs Chris Sabin
Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament (1st Round) Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary vs Deonna Purrazzo & Kimber Lee
If you don’t have access to AXS TV, you can watch for free at the Impact Wrestling Twitch Channel starting at 8PM (Eastern). Melissa Santos hosts during commercial breaks. Note that a replay of the show is not available on Twitch after it has aired, however.
AEW Dynamite Preview
AEW has announced the following matches for tomorrow night’s show:
Dynamite Diamond Ring Match Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs Orange Cassidy
The Young Bucks vs The Hybrid2
FTR vs The Varsity Blondes
Lance Archer and The Lucha Bros. vs. Eddie Kingston, The Butcher & The Blade
Dustin Rhodes vs 10
Abadon vs TBA
Additionally, Sting will appear in a speaking segment and the Inner Circle will decide if they should disband.
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently discussed the working partnership between IMPACT Wrestling and AEW. Henry would say that he is a fan of the two brands working together.
“I do think it will work” Mark Henry began on Busted Open Radio. “I think that is something that for a long, long time? Fans have wanted. They’ve wanted to see fantasy booking. They wanted to see who was the best from WWE versus the best at WCW, and they got that. Look how successful that ended up being!”
Mark Henry on WWE ‘Invasion’
Henry would then address a rumor that was originally being discussed amongst the likes the of Vince Russo. “Just a few months ago there was a rumor, and it was just a rumor, because if it had any legs? It would have happened. An invasion from WWE to AEW, and I was like, ‘oh, man. That would be cool.'”
It seemed odd for Henry to address this rumor as it appeared to be fairly baseless from the get go.
“AEW made [the partnership], they made it a reality with IMPACT” Mark Henry continued. “There’s some good, really outstanding talent on Tuesday nights, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that’s gonna happen.”
Mark Henry would finish by mentioning how the relationship with NWA has helped AEW. Specifically, with the National Wrestling Alliance allowing the likes of Thunder Rosa to appear on All Elite programming and PPV. “I mean you see Thunder Rosa is coming in and wrestling the women at AEW, and she’s adding a lot to their women’s division. So it’s good relationship for both and it’s good for every company involved.”
AEW Champion Kenny Omega will be appearing on IMPACT this week. The newly crowned Champion took the belt last week with help from IMPACT’s Don Callis.
Will you be watching IMPACT this week? Let us know in the comments
Former WWE Superstar and IMPACT wrestler Heath Slater recently appeared on The Ryback Show podcast. The former Nexus member discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, including what it is like to work for IMPACT.
Heath was let go from WWE earlier this year due to budget cuts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Slater was one of the more shocking releases, seeing as he was a much beloved member of the roster and has a ton of experience in the WWE style.
Heath on the IMPACT Locker Room
“It’s really a chilled locker, people are very cool, they’re laid back” Heath began on the show. “But the best thing? There’s communication, you know? Like, if I text or call or email? I can expect a response.”
A number of former WWE talent have talked about the lack of communication from WWE management. Ryback himself has been very vocal about the higher ups in WWE not making instructions clear and creating a land of confusion.
“So, there’s communication. And they actually listen to your ideas to where like, I’m not really used to this!” The former Heath Slater would continue. “Like, what sucks? Is this damn pandemic man.”
Heath would then finish by saying how he misses the feel of a live crowd when he is performing. “Feeding off the people? All of that? I miss the people so much. It’s not just me, it’s everyone. Me, actors, Broadway performers, like we miss the damn people so much. It kind of feels like a practice match when you walk out there sometimes you know?”
“Except you’re in full gimmick now and people are going to see it, so you got to get moving. But my goodness, the energy from the people? I missed the sh*t out of it.”
Have you enjoyed seeing Heath’s run in IMPACT? Do you think that he’ll be part of the proposed tie-in with AEW? Who would you like to see him in the ring with if that is the case? Let us know in the comments
Former WCW President Erich Bischoff reflected on his time in TNA back in 2010 during an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast on AdFreeShows. The episode saw Bischoff and Conrad Thompson looking back on TNA Final Resolution 2010. During their conversation, Bischoff also addressed how Dixie Carter handled Jeff Hardy during that time.
Bischoff confessed he did not enjoy his time in TNA back in 2010. He claimed he wasn’t in “TV shape,” explaining how he was carrying “15 or 20 extra pounds” at that time.
“I didn’t put forth the effort. My performances were generally decent or pretty good, but my physical appearance, I look back and I’m embarrassed,” Bischoff confessed. “I wished somebody would have pulled me aside and said get a haircut and lose 20 pounds, dress a little better and show up next week.”
He admitted part of the reason behind his lackluster approach was because he “really wasn’t into it.”
Bischoff added how it wasn’t his goal to be on TV in TNA. He wasn’t excited about being involved as, he argued in comparison to WCW and WWE, “TNA was a notch or four down.”
Bischoff explained how he’d “already been to that mountain.”
However, “I didn’t say that to myself when I got there. I didn’t say that to myself every time it was time to go out and do a scene, but deep down inside, that’s how I felt about it.”
Eric Bischoff acknowledged how TNA’s usage of him stemmed from wanting to get the “biggest bang for their dollar.”
He acknowledged how “Part of it was me. I’m not going to put it all on somebody else. That would not be fair or honest. I would allow myself to get sucked in because it made sense on paper, but I wasn’t passionate about it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzPoilF17JE
Dixie Carter’s Handling of Jeff Hardy’s Issues
Eric Bischoff then turned his attention to how Dixie Carter handled Jeff Hardy’s substance issues whilst maintaining her TNA duties. He stressed how “Dixie loved Jeff Hardy.”
He added how Dixie Carter was a “healer” and a “fixer.” According to Bischoff, she would “look for broken people and fix them.” He explained how Dixie almost became like a mother to Jeff during that difficult time.
“Dixie didn’t talk a lot about Jeff to me or probably to anybody else. What a mistake, right? But the intention was there. Her intentions were honorable and good,” Bischoff said. “I think because of the lack of wrestling experience or lack of experience in general on Dixie’s part, she knew she was taking a risk but I don’t think she realized how big a risk she was taking, not only for Jeff, but for the people Jeff was in the ring with.”
Jeff Hardy defeated Matt Morgan at TNA Final Resolution 2010. They competed in a No Disqualification matchup for the TNA World Championship.
Heath revealed how he was actually meant to win his matchup. He shared how “I got in there and I hit three moves that I hit for the last 15 years of my career. I slide and Myers throws the clothesline. I duck it and that neck breaker felt like somebody stabbed me with a knife. I thought, oh God, what was that?”
He explained how he continued on thinking he was okay until he dropped down. Heath recalled not knowing what was happening. It wasn’t until he climbed up to the top rope that he realized the extent of the damage.
“I’ve never felt pain like that. It felt like every time I moved, somebody took a knife and twisted it. It wasn’t a hernia. The person at the hospital said I had a hernia. Then I went to a hernia specialist in Charlotte and he said it wasn’t a hernia,” Heath said. “He said I ripped my abductor muscle off the bone and I slightly tore my groin. He said I didn’t need surgery. He said once I ripped my abductor muscle, they can only suture it back to the bone.”
Heath’s Road To Recovery
Heath was told to ice the injury and “do nothing for two months.” Heath then detailed how the damage was discolored from black to blue to purple and yellow. He knew it was bad as he could barely walk at the time.
Thankfully, the worst seems to have now passed. Heath revealed he can get around easier and, although still bruised and uncomfortable, it’s nowhere near as bad. He then revealed that he is due back in January 2021.
To help with his journey back to in-ring action, Heath has been seeing a physical therapist and “hoping for the best.” Although he put on weight as he nursed his injury, he shared he has since cut back down to 235.
Last month, Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that “there was a COVID test positive” from the latest Impact Wrestling TV tapings. It turns out that there are some on the roster who are not happy with how the promotion conducts its protocols regarding COVID-19.
Fightful Select reports that there are several wrestlers who aren’t thrilled with the procedures as some even mentioned that the last set of tapings seemed to be ‘more unprepared’ and ‘fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants than any this year’.
The COVID protocols were said to be a ‘major concern’ given that there was a positive test. Several talents reportedly hadn’t received a test over the course of multiple sets of tapings.
Instead, the promotion has only been temperature checked in addition to having wrestlers fill out paperwork to record if they’ve had symptoms.
Impact’s Ethan Page recently revealed he was quarantining because he had been in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
Up until the last set of tapings, the promotion hadn’t dealt with any positive tests. The promotion won’t have any more tapings for the rest of 2020 as they’ve taped enough content for their weekly television show on AXS TV.
Kenny Omega defeated Jon Moxley during this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite to become the new AEW World Champion. Omega secured the gold after assistance from Impact Wrestling’s Don Callis. He will now appear on next Tuesday’s episode of Impact Wrestling.
It turns out that Omega was not present for Impact Wrestling’s last set of tapings. The promotion has reportedly already pre-recorded their shows up until the end of 2020.
Mike Johnson of PWInsiderElite.com recently discussed the forthcoming appearance. He explained how “Kenny Omega was not at the last set of IMPACT Wrestling tapings, they are done, they have filmed all their TV for the year.”
“I was told that the plan is this coming week Don Callis and Kenny Omega will be filming something, I assume in Canada, I don’t know for sure, for IMPACT that will inserted into the TV show.”
Kenny Omega On Impact Wrestling
Don Callis revealed how wrestling fans will first hear from the new AEW World Champion on Impact Wrestling. Callis shared the news as he and Omega fled from Daily’s Place, the current resident home of AEW Dynamite at the end of Winter is Coming.
This was followed up by a tweet from Impact Wrestling’s official account. The message hyped Omega’s appearance, proclaiming that “Tuesdays are the new Wednesdays!“
AEW’s working relationship with Impact Wrestling adds to their pre-existing partnership with the National Wrestling Alliance.
Don Callis dropped a bombshell at the conclusion of this week’s AEW Dynamite. Kenny Omega’s first comments as new AEW World Champion will not take place on next week’s Dynamite, but on Tuesday’s edition of Impact Wrestling. It was a huge development that signals a working relationship between the two organizations. Wrestling fans are excited at the prospect of inter-promotional matches, especially in the women’s and tag team divisions.
AEW Executive Vice Presidents Nick and Matt Jackson have revealed interesting details about how the AEW-Impact situation came together. The Young Bucks spoke with Jon Alba and Doug McDonald this week for the Living The Gimmick Podcast. According to Matt, the working relationship has been in the works for nearly two years
“Two years ago, this is something Nick and I actually brought up and we wanted to get this going,” Matt said. “And for whatever reason, it just didn’t work out. I don’t know if that was more on our side or what, but we just couldn’t get everyone to agree on what the creative would be.”
This is something we’ve been whispering in Tony Khan’s ear for two years. So we’re all about collaboration and partnering with everyone and working together .. This is something that we truly wanted to do for a very, very long time. And I guess the timing was right and we got done.”
Collaborating With Other Promotions
In the lead-up to the launch of AEW, the Bucks made surprise appearances at independent wrestling shows across the United States. The All In pay-per-view was a “super show” of independent wrestling that showed the benefits of companies working together for a greater good. Matt thinks this attitude is “what wrestling needs” and will help AEW further transforming the landscape.
“I just think [working with other promotions] makes things unpredictable when you’re working with companies,” he said. “That’s what wrestling needs. It gets stuck in the same formula for so long it gets boring. It’s too easy to predict at times and you don’t want that to happen. So when you can make it different and change things up a bit, make it unpredictable, the fans like it more. It’s almost an easy formula when you explain it that way.”
Nick agrees that inter-promotional matches makes wrestling interesting. The entire industry benefits when companies ‘relax their borders’ to present the most compelling storylines and matches that are possible.
“This is a way to make things interesting, and if you do it right it can be very good for business,” said Nick. “We’ve done it, like Matt said earlier, it worked well when we’ve done it in the past.”
Both men talked about their feud with The Hardy Boyz doing massive business for Ring of Honor.
AEW & Impact Wrestling
So, what will a working relationship between AEW & Impact look like? Nick says it’s still so early, he doesn’t think they know exactly how things will play out. They’re dipping their toes in the water, but already have some big picture plans in place.
“There are immediate plans that I can’t exactly just give away right now. But my dream, if I had it my way, I just think about the possible dream matches. People are already hitting me up like, ‘Oh my god, can you imagine if it was the Young Bucks and the Motor City Machine Guns 10 years later?’ How can you not jump ahead and fantasize and fantasy book?”
AEW has the strongest tag team division in the world. In addition to established acts like the Young Bucks, FTR, the Lucha Bros. and Dark Order, they are still introducing exciting young talent, like Top Flight and The Acclaimed. The Bucks know fans are eager to see AEW’s top teams work The North, the Good Brothers and the Motor City Machine Guns. Matt once again hinted that there are some big surprises coming that fans are sure to enjoy.
“Are we going to do that stuff? I’m not sure yet, we’re still in the beginning of this. But there are some big surprises coming and I’m really excited about it,” Matt said.
The Young Bucks interview on the Living the Gimmick podcast drops next week, but you can listen early at the show’s Patreon page.
AEW’s Winter is Coming was an eventful show, to say the least. We saw Sting’s AEW debut, which garnered mainstream headlines and was still trending on social media on Tuesday morning. However, that memorable moment was overshadowed by what transpired at the end of the broadcast.
Dynamite closed with Kenny Omega winning the AEW World Championship with help from longtime friend (and Impact Wrestling executive), Don Callis. As Omega and Callis were leaving the arena, Callis said that Omega would be on Impact Wrestling next Tuesday night.
AEW’s relationship with Impact Wrestling was discussed on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio. “The Callis thing has been in the works for a while,” Dave Meltzer. “I didn’t know this but I presume that Don Callis – you know, Don Callis came up with the Omega Jericho match- I presume he came up with this idea and Tony Khan went with it and Omega probably wanted it.”
Kenny Omega is now a full-blown heel, with Don Callis at his side. Hijacking the AEW World Championship and are taking it to another ‘territory’ is a huge development that presents a multitude of storyline options.
In addition to Omega appearing on Impact television next week, we’ve heard that this affiliation will naturally lead to some talent exchange. It is very likely that some Impact talent will end up on AEW television, which is win-win for both sides. Impact has a strong women’s division, as well as several tag teams like The North, Gallows & Anderson and the Motor City Machine Guns. You can also expect some AEW talent appearing on Impact.
Impact Wrestling continued the Knockouts tag team tournament this week and the X-Division title was also on the line. The promotion also announced the first few matches for Final Resolution later this month on Impact Plus.
Impact Results 12/1:
The Motor City Machine Guns defeated Team XXXL
Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament (1st Round) Jordynne Grace & Jazz defeated Renee Michelle & Killer Kelly
Cody Deaner vs Johnny Swinger – No Contest
X-Division Championship Rohit Raju (c) defeated Crazzy Steve
Willie Mack defeated Chris Bey
Both Chris Bey & Moose Are Coming For Rich Swann’s World Championship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD0MfQe0_Qw
There is no shortage of contenders gunning for Rich Swann’s world championship. Chris Bey has the next shot upcoming at Final Resolution but Moose’s shot will likely come not long after that. Bey failed to pick up any momentum heading into his title shot as he dropped this week’s main event to Swann’s former tag partner, Willie Mack. After the match, Moose came out and delivered a spear to Mack which brought Swann out for the save. Swann took out Moose but then Bey delivered a springboard cutter on the champion. Bey then held the title over his head and stood strong to end the show.
Jordynne Grace & Jazz Advance In Knockouts Title Tournament
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OpgPiDwdPo
The Knockouts title tournament continued this week. Renee Michelle and Killer Kelly gave a strong performance but in the end, it was Jazz who was able to pick up the victory for her team after giving a facebuster to Michelle.
The win means that Grace and Jazz will move on to face Havok & Nevaeh in the semi-finals. The final 1st round match in the tournament will take place next week when Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary take on Deonna Purrazzo & Kimber Lee.
James Mitchell Has Possession Of Su Yung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdBrGiViL44
Deonna Purrazzo and Kimber Lee enlisted the help of James Mitchell last week. The two noted that they would have a much easier time dealing with Susie rather than Su Yung and asked the Sinister Minister this week if he could turn her back into her less threatening persona. Mitchell agreed but needed Purrazzo and Kimber Lee to lure Su Yung out of hiding. Purrazzo then cut a promo that brought out Yung and then Mitchell came out and unleashed an army of undead brides against her.
Su fought back but just as she was going to give Purrazzo the poison mist, the Virtuoso grabbed her by the neck and forced the poison mist down her throat, seemingly paralyzing her in the process. Then she gave Yung the “Cosa Nostra” piledriver for good measure. The undead brides then walked out with Yung in their arms.
It’s Eric Young and Joe Doering’s World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDDVetXlvcg
Eric Young and Joe Doering continued their reign of terror this week. They interfered in the Cody Deaner vs Johnny Swinger match causing it to be thrown out. Young then cut a promo saying that their actions would continue until everyone’s “eyes are open.” He continued to say that this world belongs to them several times before the segment ended.
Later in the show, Deaner was upset in the back that Young interfered in his match. He talked about how Young was a pivotal figure in the early part of his career and he wants to show him that he’s not “nothing.” A match between the two was then scheduled for next week.
Rohit Raju Retains Again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2iajUaY6vc
Rohit Raju once again found away to retain his title this week. After dropping a non-title match to Crazzy Steve under a Suicide mask last week, a title match between Steve and Raju was scheduled for this week.
With the title on the line, Raju once again resorted to under-handed tactics to retain. He grabbed the middle rope during a pinning combination for extra leverage and got the 3-count.
The Motor City Machine Guns Have A Path To The Tag Team Championships
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REeMmJu_qhA
This week’s episode kicked off with tag-team action as the Motor City Machine Guns picked up a win over Team XXXL. During the match, it was noted on commentary that MCMG have a path to the championship and it starts with Team XXXL. They’d pick up the win with a neckbreaker/top-rope splash combo.
Josh Matthews then noted that next up on MCMG’s path to the championships is the North.
Next Week On Impact Wrestling
Here are the matches scheduled for next week’s show:
Cody Deaner vs Eric Young
Brian Myers vs TJP
Josh Alexander vs Chris Sabin
Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament (1st Round) Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary vs Deonna Purrazzo & Kimber Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVC1GBtGgW0
Coming Up At Final Resolution On December 12th
The following matches have been scheduled for Final Resolution on December 12th:
Impact World Championship Rich Swann (c) vs Chris Bey
Impact Wrestling has reportedly been trying to keep their options as open as possible lately concerning its storylines. According to a report from Fightful Select, the promotion has been filming multiple endings to matches recently. This gives the promotion some options if a wrestler leaves the promotion after the tapings but before their match airs. Impact can then decide which wrestler will be shown winning the match closer to when the show airs.
In addition to different endings to matches being taped, segments were also reportedly filmed multiple times using different wrestlers. This was done in case one or more of the wrestlers used in the scenes depart the company.
Impact has run into problems in this area over the last year. At Bound For Glory, the promotion was left with few options as to how they could handle Kylie Rae not facing Deonna Purrazzo on the show. They also were left scrambling earlier this year when Michael Elgin, Dave Crist, and Joey Ryan were all alleged to have committed acts as part of the #SpeakingOut movement.
Impact may have multiple wrestlers leaving the company soon too as well. All 3 members of the Rascalz recently departed. Both Ethan Page and Taya Valkyrie reportedly have contracts that expire soon as well.
Impact Wrestling is the latest wrestling promotion to be affected by Covid-19. According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a wrestler who was involved at their latest television tapings has tested positive for the virus.
While the report does not reveal the identify of the talent who has fallen ill, Impact had to instruct several other people to get tested due to exposure. The Observer report states that some wrestlers were upset they were not told about the situation by management and heard about it instead via people talking about it backstage.
Any infection is a serious situation, but Impact has been pretty lucky up until this point to not have any other reported infections. The company does not perform Covid tests on site, but simply checks temperatures. One wrestler expressed that management is being irresponsible, since Impact is the only major promotion not doing proper Covid testing.
The latest set of tapings is expected to carry the company to the Hard To Kill PPV in January so they have time to test the stars that may have come in contact with the person who came positive.
It would be interesting to see if this positive test changes the company’s approach towards coronavirus testing and if we see an increase in safety measures for the next set of tapings.
Former WCW President Eric Bischoff recalled his time in TNA during a recent episode of his podcast 83 Weeks. He and Conrad Thompson discussed TNA’s 2010 Bound For Glory pay-per-view.
During the episode, Eric Bischoff shared his thoughts on Abyss, describing him as a wonderful human being who was “stuck on this Mick Foley ripoff character.” It was a gimmick Bischoff confessed he always hated.
“Abyss is a wonderful human being. He is an amazingly talented guy but he was stuck on this Mick Foley ripoff character. I always hated that character, I couldn’t stand it when I was in TNA,” Bischoff said. “I couldn’t wait to get Abyss out of the Abyss character and get him into the Chris Park character which he did a phenomenal job at.”
Abyss competed against Rob Van Dam in a Monster’s Ball match on the card. Despite the match stipulations intending to, in theory, favor Abyss, Van Dam would emerge victorious from their bout.
In 2019, Chris Parks, who portrayed Abyss in TNA, signed a contract with WWE. He currently works for the company as a producer. He made his on-screen debut during the August 14 episode of SmackDown, appearing as AJ Styles’ statistician during Styles’ feud with Jeff Hardy.
Impact Wrestling 11/24 featured both a world title match between Rich Swann and Ken Shamrock and an episode of Wrestler’s Court. Johnny Swinger was put on trial for the attempted murder of John E Bravo.
Impact 11/24 Quick Results:
Knockouts Tag Team Tournament (1st Round) Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz defeated The Sea Stars (Delmi Elo & Ashley Vox)
Suicide (Later revealed to be Crazzy Steve) defeated Rohit Raju
Kimber Lee defeated Killer Kelly
Swoggle defeated Ethan Page
Fallah Bah vs Daivari – No Contest
Impact World Championship Rich Swann (c) defeated Ken Shamrock
Impact Wrestling presented another one of their epic backstage skits this week. They went back to Wrestler’s Court, this time with Johnny Swinger on trial for having shot John E Bravo.
There is a lot to go over here but these are the main bullet points:
John E Bravo is not dead, was in a coma, has come out of it. Doctors have warned he may be different.
Johnny Swinger wore a neck brace to garner sympathy.
Tommy Dreamer, who was originally the judge but then made the prosecutor, eventually started to feel as though Swinger didn’t do it.
Swinger’s finger prints were found on the gun but so were a lot of other people’s.
Then Rosemary got on the stand and admitted she never really loved Bravo. She’s a demon, you see.
Bravo interrupted the proceedings to say he smelled the person who shot him and it was not Rosemary or Swinger.
Team XXXL’s Larry D gets on the stand and is sprayed with a cologne that makes him tell the truth.
He admits to having shot John E Bravo because he was going to marry the woman of his dreams, Rosemary.
Johnny Swinger is declared Not Guilty!
Rich Swann Retains Over Ken Shamrock/Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards Feud Continues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f2Ac2fbGo0
The feud between Eddie Edwards and Sami Callihan likely won’t be over until one of them is dead. It continued again this week after the world championship match between Rich Swann and Ken Shamrock concluded.
Swann pinned Shamrock in the main event to retain his title by reversing a choke attempt into a pinning combination. After the match, Shamrock and Callihan were continuing the assault on Swann when Eddie Edwards came out to make the save. Callihan delivered a baseball bat shot to the eye of Edwards, reminiscent of what he did years ago in an incident that almost ended Edwards’ career.
D’Lo Brown attempted to break everything up but took a shot from Shamrock for his efforts. The show closed with security trying to break up the chaos.
The We-nomenal One AJ Swoggle Defeats Ethan Page
The Good Brothers teased that they had a “phenomenal” opponent lined up for Ethan Page this week. Karl Anderson came out solo to introduce the wrestler since Doc Gallows is out with an injury.
AJ Styles’ music hit and it appeared as though the Good Brothers’ former Bullet Club stablemate had returned! Then when Page’s opponent came out it still looked a little like he’d be facing AJ Styles. Instead, it was Swoggle, who tends to look a little like AJ, albeit a bit shorter.
The stipulation was that if Page could beat Swoggle he would earn a tag team title match for the North. Page was a little too cocky in the match, however. When Karl Anderson then took out Josh Alexander at ringside, Page took his eyes off his opponent and Swoggle rolled him up for the pin.
In a backstage segment last week, Jordynne Grace was seen talking to her future tag partner on the phone. Grace only revealed that the person is a legend who had said they are retiring soon. We found out this week that her partner is Jazz.
Jazz said she’s been a WWE champion, an NWA champion, and now will finish out her career as a Knockouts tag team champion.
Eric Young and Joe Doering Continue Their Path Of Destruction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgV-5gqIdYI
Eric Young and Joe Doering continued their path of destruction this week. They quickly interrupted a match between Fallah Bah and Daivari. Rhino attempted to make the save but got beaten up for his trouble. Young then cut a promo that this is their world.
Crazzy Steve (As Suicide) Defeats Rohit Raju
TJP is not permitted to challenge for the X-division championship again while Rohit Raju is the champion. Scott D’Amore implied to TJP last week that perhaps he could wear a mask and face the champion, much like wrestlers such as Dusty Rhodes and Junk Yard Dog have done in the past. So when Suicide came out to challenge Raju during this week’s Defeat Rohit challenge, the champion was naturally suspicious and said it would only be a non-title match. He ripped off Suicide’s mask but as he did so, TJP appeared on the ramp proving it was not him in the ring. The unmasked Crazzy Steve then rolled up Raju and got a three count.
Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz Advance In KO Tag Tournament
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Z-3zuEyiw
There was a lot of talk between Josh Mathews and Matt Striker on commentary during this match about this side of the brackets being pretty tough. The winner of this match will face the winner of Taya and Rosemary vs Purrazzo and Kimber Lee, which is no easy test.
While the debuting Sea Stars certainly were able to show what they can do, it would be Kiera Hogan who would ultimately pick up the win for her team. She pinned Delmi after a swinging fisherman suplex.
Susie and Su Yung Appear In The Same Segment
Killer Kelly made her Impact Wrestling debut this week. She took on Kimber Lee in singles competition.
Kimber Lee would pick up an impressive-looking victory after delivering a Swanton onto her opponent but after the match, Susie and Su Yung both made an appearance. The mild-mannered Susie appeared on the entrance ramp and introduced Su Yung, her undead bride alter ego. What devious magic allowed for both to be in the same place at the same time is unknown. Su Yung then hit the ring and attacked both Purrazzo and Kimber Lee.
Former WWE women’s champion Jazz will apparently be coming out of her announced retirement to compete in Impact Wrestling’s Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament where she will be teaming with Jordynne Grace.
The storyline for her return started last week when Grace made a phone call to an unknown wrestler to see if they would like to tag with her in the competition.
This week’s episode of Impact Wrestling then saw the female star informing backstage interviewer Gia Miller that veteran wrestler Jazz will be her partner for the tournament.
Jazz has been a part of the industry for over two decades. She made her wrestling debut in 1998 and wrestled for companies such as WWE, Chikara and NWA during her time.
Her WWE stint included a couple of runs with the women’s championship and she also competed for AEW when she participated in the Casino Battle Royal during the All Out event in 2019.
Though Jazz announced her retirement from active competition during an interview back in October and it’d be interesting to see if she goes back into retirement after this tournament or if the former women’s champion stays around for a longer run.
Posted November 24th, 2020 in TNA, News. Tagged: Jazz.
Impact Wrestling 11/17 was the first show since Saturday’s Turning Point event. It was also the final show for the Rascalz, who are leaving Impact Wrestling after having spent the last two years with the promotion.
Impact 11/17 Quick Results:
Moose defeated Willie Mack via referee stoppage
Suicide vs Gio – No Contest
Brian Myers defeated Crazzy Steve
Knockouts Tag Team Tournament Havok & Nevaeh defeated Alisha Edwards & Tenille Dashwood
Hernandez defeated Fallah Bah
Rascalz Farewell Match Rich Swann & Trey Miguel defeated Dez & Wentz
Impact Wrestling Bids Farewell To The Rascalz
For the last 2 years, The Rascalz have provided entertaining matches and segments for fans of Impact Wrestling. Their treehouse skits created many fun and literal LOL moments over the years. All 3 have had great matches throughout their run as well.
They’d finish up with Impact at these tapings and headlined last night’s show in tag action. Miguel teamed with Rich Swann and they faced Dez and Wentz. This match reminded me a little of the NBA All-Star game, where everyone was just trying to break out their flashiest moves and have a good time with no animosity between them.
In the end, it would be the Impact World Champion who would get the win for his team. He delivered a vicious-looking kick to the back of Dez’s head for the pin.
The Rascalz left their jackets on the ring ropes in a symbolic gesture as their time in Impact comes to an end. All 4 who had been in the match then walked through the curtain together only to be assaulted by Ken Shamrock and Sami Callihan. Swann will face Shamrock next week in non-title action.
Did Detective Tommy Dreamer Catch Johnny Swinger With A Smoking Gun?
The investigation into who shot John E. Bravo took a big turn this week. The Deaners sort of implied that Dreamer should look into Johnny Swinger, after finding a gun in his fanny pack. Dreamer then interviewed Swinger who didn’t seem to shy away from the fact that he had a gun during the interview. Dreamer said Swinger is literally holding the smoking gun and that he is being taken to Wrestlers Court next week to go on trial for having shot Bravo.
Eric Young Unleashes Joe Doering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYoaUjiUq6w
A match between Suicide and Gio ended in a no-contest this week after Eric Young unleashed his new monster, Joe Doering onto both wrestlers. Doering debuted at Turning Point over the weekend and appears to be someone who is going to be a big deal in the promotion moving forward.
Young cut a promo saying that this world belongs to them. The two weren’t finished there, however. They went to the backstage area and attacked Rhino and the already-injured Heath.
Knockouts Tag Team Tournament Begins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCdZ9A0N2dc
Tenille Dashwood might not be the best tag-team wrestler. Her “It’s all about me” philosophy makes her a little more suited to the singles division. Two partners in two weeks have discovered this about her. The “Most Influential Person in Impact Wrestling” teamed with Madison Rayne last week in a losing effort to Havok & Nevaeh but would face them again this week in the first round of the title tournament but with Alisha Edwards as her partner.
The end of the match came when Nevaeh came charging out of the corner and Dashwood decided to save herself by throwing Alisha into Nevaeh’s waiting attack. Nevaeh then hit Dashwood with a DDT as well and that left Alisha alone for the rest of the match. Havok and Nevaeh then put her away with a wheel barrel/cutter combo for the win.
Also concerning the KO tag-team tournament. Jordynne Grace, who as of yet does not have a confirmed partner, was seen in the back talking on the phone to someone who will seemingly be their partner next week. Grace said she was thankful this person would be her partner as she had heard she was retiring.
Moose Sends A Message To Rich Swann
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHcO1fIju0s
Ever since Rich Swann won the Impact World Championship, Moose has been taunting him, calling it the second most important belt in Impact. Over the last couple of weeks, Moose has been involved in backstage altercations with Swann’s friend Willie Mack and they would meet in the opener on this week’s show.
Moose used this match as an opportunity to taunt Swann further. Mack looked to be battling back, however. He hit a Stunner on Moose after missing a 6-star Frog Splash. Moose then caught him in a spear and delivered elbows to his prone opponent until the referee called for the bell. Moose then continued the assault after the end of the match, likely to further send a message to the Impact World Champion.
Anyone Not Named TJP Can Challenge For the X-Division Title, Anyone Not Named TJP At All
It was tough luck for @MegaTJP against @HakimZane last week.
Last week, TJP lost an X-Division title match that carried the stipulation that if he lost, he’d never be able to challenge for the title again while Rohit Raju is champion. Later in the back, TJP was speaking with Scott D’Amore. The co-Executive Vice President said that he wondered how Dusty Rhodes would handle such a situation. D’Amore continued to point out that “anyone not named TJP” can challenge for the title and made numerous mentions of how Dusty Rhodes might handle the same spot.
D’Amore may have been referring to Dusty’s “Midnight Rider” gimmick, or maybe just to Stagger Lee like gimmicks from the past. In what may have been a bit of foreshadowing from Impact, Suicide wrestled on the show before this. TJP has played the masked character in the past, beginning in 2013.
Brian Myers Defeats Crazzy Steve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byD0R49yeh0
Brian Myers defeated Swoggle at Turning Point but Crazzy Steve came out to prevent a post-match attack from the “Most Professional Wrestler.” A singles match was then booked between the two tonight. After a competitive match, Myers resorted to underhanded tactics when he punched the legally blind Steve in the eye. Steve couldn’t see anything and Myers hit him with a clothesline for the win.
Hernandez Wins The Clash For Cash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hBncYxjFsM
For weeks now, several Impact wrestlers have been feuding over a wad of cash that was on the line in an arm-wrestling match between Rhino and Hernandez. Fallah Bah came into possession of the cash leading to the match between these two. The finish of the match came when Fallah Bah attempted a Samoan Drop but Hernandez fought out and slingshotted Bah off the ropes. Super Mex then flew off the top rope with a splash for the win.
Next Week In Impact Wrestling
A few big things take place next week on Impact Wrestling.
The Good Brothers have promised a “phenomenal” opponent for Ethan Page in singles competition.
Kurt Angle could’ve made a return to Impact Wrestling earlier this year.
The promotion reportedly made a strong push to have Angle come back after being away for several years. PWinsider.com reports that Impact came up with for him to appear at the Bound For Glory pay-per-view event last month.
The report goes onto state that while they did have talks, those conversations stalled. It should be noted that he posted this photo on Twitter with the TNA title last month:
The WWE Hall of Famer has stated in previous interviews that his focus is now on his Physically Fit Nutrition business. Once he was let go as a producer for WWE, he was offered to be the manager of Matt Riddle but turned down the opportunity.
With Angle being outside of the WWE bubble, there’s been some hope from fans regarding him potentially going to AEW, a direct rival of WWE as they’re seen as the second biggest promotion in the United States.
“The thing is, when I came back to WWE, I wasn’t expecting what I got, and I was very grateful. I got the Hall of Fame. I wanted the Hall of Fame, but I didn’t want it first. I wanted it last, and I wanted to wrestle first.”
Angle is a member of the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame but hasn’t made an appearance for the company since March 2016.
When Don Callis was hired by Impact Wrestling in 2018, he had his eyes set on bringing in Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega. Callis famously helped organized the Jericho vs Omega bout from the Tokyo Dome on January 4th, 2018 that many credit with having changed the course of wrestling.
Callis recently told Fight Game Media that had it not been for AEW, Kenny Omega would have signed with Impact.
“I’ll say this: If AEW had not come into play … Kenny Omega would have come into Impact Wrestling. Not that he ever agreed to it, but it’s something that Scott D’Amore and I would have made happen,” said Callis.
At an Impact press conference to promote Slammiversary 2018 from the Rebel Nightclub in Toronto, Callis told SEScoops that he planned to pursue signing both Jericho and Omega to Impact.
“There’s a young Canadian kid I like, we’d love to sign him, his name is Kenny Omega,” Callis said. “Another is Chris Jericho.”
Callis talked about his history with Omega on the Jim Ross podcast that summer.
“I gave him his first break wrestling for the promotion I had in Winnipeg [Canada]. And his uncle, The Golden Sheik, who was an indie wrestler in Winnipeg helped train me in the [pro wrestling] business in 1989, so my roots with Kenny go back many years. I’ve been on this journey with him, and specifically since I’ve been in New Japan and we have a very close relationship. We talk about ideas, we do things, I helped put together the match between him and Chris [Jericho] for the Tokyo Dome.”
Tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling will feature fallout from this weekend’s Turning Point event and the final appearance from The Rascalz. We have a full preview for the show below.
In addition to The Rascalz leaving Impact, a few other top stars have their contracts expiring in the weeks ahead. Former champions Ethan Page and Taya Valkyrie’s deals are up at the end of December. Ethan Page alluded to this in his latest video blog. This does not mean they are leaving, but both would have the chance to explore free agency if they wanted to gauge interest from other companies.
Taya Valkyrie and Ethan Page’s Impact Wrestling contracts are set to expire at the end of the year. Both deals are believed to be up at the end of December. Page alluded to this in his most recent vlog.
Tonight’s Impact will see:
Moose vs. Willie Mack in a No Disqualification match
The Rascalz Final Match: Dez & Wentz vs. Trey Miguel & Rich Swann
Brian Myers vs. Crazzy Steve
Hernandez vs. Fallah Bahh
Tenille & Alisha vs. Havoc & Nveah in a Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament opening round match.
Below you can see the full brackets for the Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament:
