A lot of people expected former NXT star Deonna Purrazzo to end up in AEW after her recent release from WWE but she ended up joining Impact Wrestling instead.
The female star recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet where she talked about her decision to join Impact and revealed if she had any talks with the upstart promotion.
Purrazzo revealed that some people from All Elite Wrestling had reached out to her but there was no definite offer while Impact officials offered her security:
“I mean like, some people had reached out, but it was all kind of like fleeting, there was no like, ‘You’re gonna have a meeting’ or, ‘We’re gonna sit down and do this.’
Luckily, I had been to Impact before, I know the people there and it was right away like, ‘We’d like to have you, let’s talk about it when we can.’ It was just more of a secure thing.”
Deonna Purrazzo later explained that the decision is for herself as well because she wants to find happiness in wrestling again and work on things she lacked as a performer in NXT before joining a mainstream company like AEW.
Though she didn’t deny the possibility of going to AEW in future mentioning how there are many girls in the roster of the company she hasn’t gotten the chance to work with.
Deonna Purrazzo made her debut on Impact Wrestling this week. The former NXT star is now scheduled to challenge Impact Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace for her title at the upcoming Slammiversary PPV on July 18.
Impact Wrestling has terminated the contract of the former Impact World Champion Tessa Blanchard.
The company confirmed the news via a statement to media outlets, announcing that they are stripping Blanchard of the Impact title and ending their relationship with her:
“Impact Wrestling confirmed that it has terminated its relationship with Tessa Blanchard and stripped her of the Impact Wrestling World Championship.”
Blanchard had not competed for the promotion in a while due to COVID-19 situation, but was scheduled to return for Slammiversary on July 18.
Her deal with Impact going to expire before the PPV. Impact officials optimistic Tessa Blanchard would return for a final appearance at the show. It was not meant to be.
However, the situation between the two parties became increasingly icy after the female star did not record and send content for the June 1 episode of Impact which forced the company to make major edits to the script.
These events made it increasingly obvious that Blanchard will not return to the promotion and so the company decided to cut bait and move forward.
There is no word yet on what the future holds for the 24-year-old second generation star. Her father, Tully Blanchard, works as an on-air talent All Elite Wrestling. It will be interesting to see if AEW is willing to do business with her, despite her reputation for being very difficult to deal with.
Impact Wrestling continued the build to Slammiversary on Twitch and AXS TV this week. This week’s show featured Eddie Edwards vs Madman Fulton, Taya Valkyrie vs Susie, and the in-ring debut of Deonna Purrazzo.
At the end of this week’s show, D’Lo Brown was shown speaking to someone on his laptop. He said he didn’t like being seen as a corporate stooge, something the members of Reno Scum had accused him of earlier in the show.
As D’Lo got up to leave, an Aces and Eights jacket was shown on his chair. The little guitar twang from the old Aces and Eights theme music also played.
Earlier in the show, an Aces and Eights moment featuring Luke “Doc” Gallows was also shown during the Flashback Moment of the Week.
Madman Fulton Picks Up Victory Over Eddie Edwards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQqmncVXoQI
In this week’s main event, Madman Fulton pinned a former world champion and wrestler scheduled to take part in the 5-way world title match at Slammiversary. He defeated Eddie Edwards while Ace Austin watched on from his corner.
The end of the match came shortly after Fulton kicked out from a tiger-driver. Edwards then charged at him for a Boston Knee Party but Fulton countered into a slam for the win. It was a clean victory for the former OVE member and a statement made to the rest of the roster.
Chris Bey Pins Willie Mack In Tag Action
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c7if7PzpfU
Chris Bey’s case for a shot at Willie Mack’s X-division title improved this week. Johnny Swinger spent much of this week’s episode looking for a 3rd partner for him and Bey and landed on Rohit Raju. Bey didn’t seem pleased with this. They then took on the team of Willie Mack and the Deaners in 6-man action.
The end of the match came shortly after Mack gave Raju a stunner. Bey then came off the ropes with a springboard fame-asset on the X-Division champion and pinned him to earn his team the victory. No official match between Mack and Bey has been scheduled but one would have to assume it could potentially take place at Slammiversary.
Deonna Purrazzo Makes Alisha Edwards Tapout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW5WwTfmKFg
Deonna Purrazzo made quick work of Alisha Edwards in her in-ring return to Impact this week. This was a contest pitting someone who utilizes strategy and technique (Purrazzo) versus someone who is driven by emotion (Edwards). Any time Edwards tried to fight back with a fury of offence, Purrazzo had the perfect counter for her. She picked up the victory with an armbar.
After the match, Jordynne Grace hit the ring in an attempt to get a little revenge for the two times Purrazzo has attacked her in recent weeks. Purrazzo fled the ring area pretty quickly to avoid the Knockouts champion, however.
It was later announced that Purrazzo will challenge Grace for the Knockouts title at Slammiversary.
The North Attack Ken Shamrock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x5TU-mJ5iw
Ethan Page was frustrated on a recent episode of Impact when he found people backstage watching old Ken Shamrock matches. This week, Shamrock caught Page making fun of him in the back. This was to set up a match between Shamrock and Josh Alexander but the bout never happened. Instead, both members of the North assaulted Shamrock before the match could even start.
Kylie Rae Saves Susie From Taya Valkyrie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DAzbrye0N4
After dropping her title rematch to Jordynne Grace, Taya Valkyrie got back in the win column this week in a single’s match against Su Yung’s alter ego, Susie. During the match, it seemed as though Susie was channeling her Su Yung personality at points. She gave Valkyrie a run for her money and even countered the Road To Valhalla into a pinning combination for a near fall.
In the end, Valkyrie would finally land her finish and pick up the win. After the match, she continued to taunt Susie. This brought out Susie’s friend Kylie Rae who delivered a super kick to Valkyrie to take her out of the ring. Perhaps a collision between Kylie Rae and Taya Valkyrie is in the works.
Tasha Steelz Steals A Victory Against Nevaeh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb5mq4SPyH8
Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan have been aligned recently in Impact Wrestling as have Nevaeh and Havok. These two teams seem to be on a collision course to facing each other in tag-team action but this week it was Neveah taking on Tasha Steelz in single’s competition. These two recent signees kicked off this week’s show.
Neveah got the early advantage but after Hogan distracted her at ringside, Steelz was able to gain control. After Neveah began fighting back, Hogan again provided a distraction. Havok tried to confront Hogan but as this was happening, Steelz rolled up Neveah with a handful of trunks and got the 3-count.
Next Week On Impact Wrestling
The following has been booked for next week’s show:
TJP & Fallah Bah vs Reno Scum
Havok w/Nevaeh vs Kiera Hogan w/Tasha Steelz
TNA World Championship (Unofficial) Moose (c) vs Crazzy Steve
Impact Wrestling has released a statement regarding 3 members of its roster. In the wake of numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, the promotion has fired Joey Ryan. Impact has also announced that it has released Dave Crist. The former member of OVE was also accused recently as part of the #SpeakingOut movement but was already on his way out of the promotion.
Impact has also announced they have suspended Michael Elgin pending a further investigation into claims made against him.
Furthermore, Joey Ryan’s match has reportedly been edited out of tonight’s Impact show on AXS TV and Twitch. Ryan and Cancel Culture were scheduled to take on Crazzy Steve and two mystery partners. Elgin had been scheduled to participate in the 5-way world title match at Slammiversary. It is unclear if he will still be in the match, however.
Impact released the following statement regarding Ryan, Crist and Elgin:
“IMPACT Wrestling confirms that it has terminated its contracts with Dave Crist and Joey Ryan, effective immediately. In addition, it has suspended Michael Elgin pending further review of allegations of misconduct,” reads the promotion’s statement.
The promotion continues its build to Slammiversary tonight. In the wake Joey Ryan’s match being edited off of tonight’s show, only the following two matches are scheduled:
Susie (Su Yung) vs Taya Valkyrie
Willie Mack, Cody Deaner & Cousin Jake vs Chris Bey, Johnny Swinger & TBD
Impact Wrestling is believed to have parted ways with another wrestler recently. In the wake of the #SpeakingOut movement, it has already been reported that Joey Ryan is likely done with the promotion. Another wrestler who has been accused online of misconduct is also believed to be done with Impact. Dave Crist is said to have been on his way out before accusations were levelled against him as part of the #SpeakingOut movement, however.
According to a report from PW Insider, heat against Dave Crist had reached a boiling point in the Impact locker room at the last set of tapings. The situation is said to have gotten bad enough that he was not allowed to dress in the locker room with the rest of the roster.
On a recent episode of Impact, Jake Crist turned on his brother and joined Joey Ryan’s Cancel Culture faction. This may have been Impact’s way of writing Dave out of future angles. It is also being said that Impact may not have wanted to publicly fire anyone during the pandemic and that is why an announcement regarding his status has yet to be made.
when i was still training i was 100% groomed and sent unwanted photos by dave crist but any time i spoke about it i felt like i didn’t have a voice because i was a 20 year old trainee or was laughed at because ‘hE sHoWs EvErYoNe HiS dIcK’.
The Crist brothers held the Impact tag-team championships for 81 days in 2017. They won the titles at Victory Road that year from LAX. The brothers then dropped the titles back to LAX a few months later.
They are also 5x tag-team champions in the Insane Clown Posse’s JCW promotion.
Numerous reports and allegations have come out recently regarding Joey Ryan. He has been accused of sexual misconduct from various parties as part of the #SpeakingOut hashtag on Twitter. Joey Ryan is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he has been the head of the Cancel Culture faction.
According to a report from PW Insider, Impact will not be bringing Ryan back to the company for future events and tapings. They have yet to release an official statement on Ryan’s status, however.
The promotion previously released a statement that they were looking into allegations made against multiple members of their roster.
“It is a core value of the Anthem organization that we conduct our business with respect and integrity, providing a safe and secure work environment for our employees and performers. We are following carefully the various allegations being made through social media, and are reviewing all incidents involving Impact Wrestling talent and personnel to determine an appropriate course of action,” Anthem’s statement reads.
Ryan has deactivated his Twitter account following the release of a statement over the weekend.
The Twitter account for his Bar Wrestling promotion has also been deactivated. According to a report from the SoCal Uncensored website, the venue which hosted Ryan’s promotion has severed ties with him in the wake of the allegations. Video of Bar Wrestling events has also been removed from the Highspots Network.
Anthem Sports and Entertainment has released a statement regarding recent allegations made against several members of their roster. In the wake of the #SpeakingOut hashtag on Twitter, several wrestlers have been called out for inappropriate conduct.
The statement sent to media reads as follows:
“It is a core value of the Anthem organization that we conduct our business with respect and integrity, providing a safe and secure work environment for our employees and performers. We are following carefully the various allegations being made through social media, and are reviewing all incidents involving Impact Wrestling talent and personnel to determine an appropriate course of action.”
when i was still training i was 100% groomed and sent unwanted photos by dave crist but any time i spoke about it i felt like i didn’t have a voice because i was a 20 year old trainee or was laughed at because ‘hE sHoWs EvErYoNe HiS dIcK’.
Who wants to see Mike Elgins dick pic? I still have the convo, unwanted photo, and emails he tried to send me under a fake name in 2016. @JordynneGrace tried to help me bring this to light when his first scandal came out but the wrestling media didn't care #SpeakingOut
For the last two days, several wrestlers have been speaking out about sexual misconduct and other offenses rampant in pro-wrestling. They are using the #SpeakingOut hashtag on Twitter.
Former Impact Wrestling referee, Kris Levin (aka Kid Ref) also posted a statement online. According to Levin, he was released from his position with Impact shortly after making statements to a 3rd party regarding an investigation into sexual harassment. He also noted that the company “ghosted” him after the meeting. TNA World Champion Moose then issued a response.
Impact Wrestling has been going all out teasing wrestling fans that some free agents will be appearing at Slammiversary on July 18th. On this week’s show, it was noted on commentary that what happens at Slammiversary will change the company’s course for possibly years to come. The tagline for the event is “Our World Will Change.”
On the Impact post-show with Jimmy Jacobs and Don Callis last night, the co-Vice President of the company teased that another name could be on their way to the promotion. Callis noted that he learned a lot from this person beginning in 1999. That was the year Callis began working for Extreme Championship Wrestling.
“So, Jimmy, you might want to bring your autograph book because I just got the scoop. Someone who we didn’t even think was available might be coming, I’m just saying,” Callis said. “I’ll say this, I learned a lot from him, Jimmy, I learned a lot from him from 99 to 2001, do your homework, everyone. All you internet people out there, you figure out, who am I talking about? Who’s undergone some changes recently?”
A few names are possible here. One is Gabe Sapolsky, who was a writer with ECW from 1993 until the company closed in 2001. Sapolsky had been with EVOLVE but the company recently announced a hiatus in the wake of the global pandemic.
Another option here is Lance Storm, who was recently furloughed or released by WWE. Storm closed down the Storm Wrestling Academy last year to accept the position with WWE. He had actually worked at least one taping for Impact in a similar role before signing with WWE.
Many fans have suggested Paul Heyman as someone Callis could be referring to here. Heyman is still under a performer’s contract with WWE, however, in spite of being let go from the creative team. It’s not clear when Heyman’s contract as a performer with WWE is up.
Steve Corino is a dark horse possibility here too. Corino is currently a trainer in NXT and there has been no news that he was released or furloughed but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened and the news simply hasn’t leaked out.
Another dark horse theory suggested by some is Joey Styles. The reasoning here being that Callis and Styles worked commentary together from 99-01. Callis mentioned the person recently “underwent some changes” though, and there hasn’t really been any news relating to Styles since he left the industry in late 2016.
Impact Wrestling continued its build to Slammiversary last night on AXS TV and Twitch. The promotion continued to tease that several recently released WWE wrestlers could be on their way to the promotion. In particular, EC3 was heavily teased.
Impact Wrestling 6/16 Quick Results
Impact Tag Team Championships The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) (c) defeated The Rascalz (Dez & Wentz)
Neveah defeated Kimber Lee
Rhino defeated Rohit Raju
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Moose (c) defeated Hernandez
Reno Scum defeated Team XXXL
Street Fight Ace Austin defeated Eddie Edwards
Here are 9 takeaways from Impact 6/16:
Former World Champion To Return To Impact Wrestling
At least one former World Champion will make his return to IMPACT on Saturday July 18th at #Slammiversary.
Impact has been heavily-teasing that recently released wrestlers from WWE could be on their way to Impact. They have teased that Rhino’s former tag partner who “has kids” could appear at Slammiversary. EC3, Anderson & Gallows, and several others have been teased as well. This week, Impact confirmed that at least one former World Champion will be at Slammiverary.
Slammiversary will take place on Saturday July 18th, 2020. The tagline for the event is “Our World Will Change.”
EC3’s Music Plays Following Moose Victory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl11DSQq26g
Moose continues to claim he is the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. This week he defended the title against Hernandez. Moose hit his opponent with an inadvertent (or perhaps purposeful) low-blow before picking up the win with a No-Jackhammer-Needed spear.
After the match, EC3’s old music played briefly instead of Moose’s. This clearly unnerved the self-proclaimed champion. Eventually, Moose’s music played and he celebrated with the TNA title to close the segment.
The North Retain Over The Rascalz, Trey Attacked In The Back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGt1UEvai9s
Ethan Page & Josh Alexander picked up a win this week over Dez & Wentz to kick off the show. The Rascalz earned the title shot by defeating TJP and Fallah Bah previously.
Page took Dez out of the match after countering a suicide dive and throwing him into the guardrail. Then, in the ring, Alexander crotched Wentz on the top-rope before the North hit their assisted-spinebuster finish for the win.
Following the match, the North went to the backstage area and were insulted to find nobody at the monitors watching their match.
When the Rascalz went to the back, they noticed someone had attacked Trey.
“The Virtuoso” Deonna Purrazzo Attacks Jordynne Grace Again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGumQVumZzY
Deonna Purrazzo attacked Jordynne Grace last week on Impact. She locked the champion in an armbar to close the show. This week, we were shown highlights of an interview with Purrazzo who talked about debuting for Impact early in her career. She referred to herself as the best women’s technical wrestler in the world and is confident coming back to the promotion.
After the segment, Grace was interviewed in the back. She said that if Purrazzo wanted a title shot, all she had to do was ask. Purrazzo then attacked and locked Grace in an armbar once again.
Madman Fulton Aligns With Ace Austin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtpHNAbbhuo
This week’s main event pitted former rivals Eddie Edwards vs Ace Austin in a street fight. The two will also be involved in the 5-way Impact World Title match at Slammiversary.
Edwards gave Austin a brutal neck breaker onto a table leg and looked to be setting his opponent up for the Boston Knee Party when Madman Fulton interfered. Fulton delivered a choke slam to Edwards and held him up for Austin to give him the Fold.
On commentary they revealed that Fulton was likely the man who attacked Trey in the back.
Rhino Defeats Rohit Raju As Commentary Teases Ex-WWE Wrestlers To Slammiversary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReWMpeTvW3k
Last week on Impact Wrestling, Rohit Raju and Rhino were involved in a mild altercation in the back. Rhino told Raju he has a tag-team partner and that tag-team partner “has kids.” This provided an opportunity for Josh Matthews and Madison Rayne to tease ex-WWE wrestlers showing up at Slammiversary. Matthews stated that what happens at Slammiversary could change the projection of Impact for years to come. Rayne said her sources confirmed that Slammiversary will be “can’t miss.”
Rhino picked up the win with a Gore. After the match, Raju looked distraught as Matthews wondered aloud if he would throw a childish fit again.
Neveah Picks Up Victory Over Kimber Lee, Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz Look On
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MW1a0qLw40
Kimber Lee faced Neveah this week on Impact. Neveah is now aligned with Havok after having ominously watched her matches from the crowd in recent weeks. This week, however, Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz played that role. Hogan & Steelz had an altercation in the back last week with Havok & Neveah.
Neveah picked up the victory with a vicious-looking DDT. The win gets a measure of revenge for the new team after Kimber Lee had previously defeated Havok. After the match, Hogan & Steelz threw popcorn in the face of Havok and the two teams almost came to blows until Hogan & Steelz fled the area.
Reno Scum Defeated Team XXXL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NPGfRn3drM
Reno Scum picked up a victory over Team XXXL this week. On commentary, they noted that with The North’s victory over The Rascalz this week that the winner of this match could be in line for a title shot. It looks like the North vs Reno Scum could be a match we get some time in the near future.
Rusev is one of the names who have been speculated for an appearance at Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary PPV after the company released a video package teasing the appearance of a former WWE star at their show.
The Bulgarian Brute addressed these speculations during a recent twitch stream, though his response on the matter only seems to entangle the mystery further.
Rusev mentioned how Impact only showed a Bulgarian flag in their promo which means that anyone from the country could make an appearance before saying that he can’t confirm or deny any rumours:
“As I said, any Bulgarian can go and debut,” he said. “They may have another kid from Bulgaria. I keep saying that. Could be anybody. Look, I don’t know why you think it’s me.
I understand why you think it’s me, but I can’t confirm or deny. Or I don’t wanna confirm or deny.” said Rusev “Maybe they wanna pay me a million dollars for one match. Who knows? Maybe I’ll come in.”
There are a number of stars who can be the one behind the promo from Impact Wrestling. We know Gallows and Anderson are in discussion with the promotion and others like EC3 have also teased a return.
The Slammiversary PPV will be taking place at July 18. It will only be days after the non compete clause of released WWE stars expires on July 15 and it would be interesting to see if it’s Rusev or any other star who shows up at the event.
Posted June 16th, 2020 in TNA, News. Tagged: Rusev.
Impact Wrestling has teased that some of the recently released WWE wrestlers could appear at the Slammiversary PPV on July 18th, 2020. The promotion has teased wrestlers such as Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, EC3, Eric Young, Heath Slater and more could be on their way to the promotion.
Recently on Twitter, there has been some speculation that former NXT wrestler, Taynara Conti, could be headed to Impact as well.
Knockouts Tag Titles Returning?
This speculation started when someone asked Gail Kim if the Knockouts tag-team titles could be returning to the promotion. Kim then tagged several potential teams for the division, including two names who aren’t currently in Impact.
Taya and Rosemary are friends/rivals in the promotion. Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan recently became aligned. Nevaeh and Jessika Havok look to be aligned now in Impact as well as do Kylie Rae and “Susie.” Neither Sarah Stock nor Taylor Wilde is currently involved with Impact, though Wilde has been teasing a comeback on social media. Stock was working as a producer in WWE until being furloughed. The furlough period is up on July 1st.
Madison Rayne then said that if Kim won’t return as her partner then she could team with Deonna Purrazzo, Diamante, or Taynara Conti.
Ok ok I fully support this tweet, and let’s play fantasy booker for a second… If I can’t convince my former tag partner (hi @gailkimITSME) to get back in the ring… perhaps the ??? and:@TenilleDashwood@DeonnaPurrazzo@DiamanteLAX @TayConti_
There was an interesting rumor going around online that Vince Russo was back with Impact Wrestling to help with the creative process.
Pwinsider.com reports that those in Impact Wrestling had denied the rumors that the former head writer was back with the company. Per the report, the rumors have made the rounds since before WrestleMania 36 Weekend.
It was noted that Russo is not involved or employed in any way by Impact. Regarding whether he was set to be part of the “TNA: There’s No Place Like Home” special event back in April at Wrestlecon, it was noted that there was talk of using him at the show.
The reason behind this idea was due to the promotion having an open-door policy for that one single night, to celebrate the old TNA brand.
Russo was never officially booked. The event was nixed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Finally, PWInsider noted there are no plans for Russo within the company in any capacity. This includes him being a consultant, independent contract, or employee.
Russo took to Twitter to react to the rumors by writing the following:
Years Ago I was Hired by TNA as a consultant. Part of the Terms was to keep it Quiet. I did what my Employer asked me to do. When I accidentally sent an e-mail to the wrong address-it came out. I was labeled a LIAR for keeping the confidentiality my employer asked me to. (1)
At that time I vowed myself to never allow myself to get into that situation again. The Dirt Sheets are stirring up that I'm consulting fort TNA again. Hate to kill their FALSE BS-but-I'm not. https://t.co/17iU7cAwCf is a FULL-TIME JOB and I wouldn't trade it in for THE WORLD (2)
Impact Wrestling 6/9 featured an update on the Impact World Championship scenario. The promotion also continued to tease that several wrestlers recently released from WWE could be on their way to the promotion.
Impact Wrestling 6/9 Quick Results:
Michael Elgin defeated Sami Callihan vs Ken Shamrock
Tasha Steelz w/Kiera Hogan defeated Susie
Willie Mack & Cousin Jake defeated Chris Bey & Johnny Swinger
Jacob Crist w/Joey Ryan, Rob Van Dam, & Katie Forbes defeated Crazzy Steve
“The Virtuoso” Deonna Purrazzo had been advertised to appear on this week’s show but as we went to the night’s main event, she had yet to be seen. Attempts to interview her backstage had proved to be difficult.
The night’s main event was a match originally planned for Rebellion. It pitted the longest-reigning Knockouts champion in history, Taya Valkyrie, against the current champion and the woman who took the title off of her, Jordynne Grace. During the match, Taya was not able to get the usual help she’s often been able to rely on from John E. Bravo. The former corrupt referee was distracted by his budding romance with Rosemary on the outside. This led to Grace securing the tap-out from a rear-naked-choke/sleeper hold.
After the match, Purazzo’s music hit and the 26-year-old confronted the champion. She went to shake Grace’s hand but locked her in an armbar instead. Purrazzo then stood over the champion to end the show.
5-Way Championship Match Booked For Slammiversary
Scott D’Amore came out to the ring this week to address the Impact World title situation. He was interrupted by several wrestlers who feel they should be in-line to compete for the championship. This included Ace Austin, who believed D’Amore should just hand the title over to him since he won the #1 Contenders tournament.
D’Amore, however, announced that Tessa Blanchard will be at Slammiversary and she’ll defend the title against 4 challengers in a 5-way match at the PPV. Trey Miguel was announced as in the match just before he came off the ropes to attack Ace Austin. It’s largely assumed at this point that Austin is the one who attacked Trey before he was to compete in the finals of the #1 Contenders tournament.
Eddie Edwards, Michael Elgin, Trey Miguel, Ace Austin and champion Tessa Blanchard will all face off for the belt at Slammiversary.
During a backstage segment this week, Rohit Raju confronted Rhino backstage. Raju told Rhino he should be treating him like a tag-team partner. Rhino responded that he already has a tag-team partner, and his partner “has kids.”
Was this a tease that Rhino’s former tag-team partner Heath Slater is on his way to Impact Wrestling? Slater and Rhino are former Smackdown tag-team champions.
Raju and Rhino brawled to end the segment. A match between the two has been scheduled for next week.
Mike Bennett, Maria Kanellis, and EC3 Featured In “Flashback of the Week”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-QTi0dS89s
During the Flashback Moment of the Week (the one that aired on Twitch anyway) EC3, Mike Bennett, and Maria Kanellis were featured. All 3 were recently released by WWE and their 90-day no-compete clauses will be up in time for them to appear for Impact on July 18th at Slammiversary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gyo1iQxjag&t=13s
Could we see “The Miracle” return to Impact Wrestling? EC3 is a former Impact World Champion and has been heavily teased as someone who could appear at Slammiversary.
"You know us Canadians, we've always been team players."
Impact also dropped a hint that maybe Eric Young is returning to the promotion. Elgin was shown on his phone at the very end of the episode and said something along the lines of “You know us Canadians, we’ve always been team players.” Young is a former member of Team Canada in the promotion.
Michael Elgin Wins, Shamrock vs Callihan Not Over
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0U55UeiK-4
Michael Elgin picked up a big win this week to kick off the show. This triple threat featured 3 of the top ranked male single’s stars in the promotion, so the win here is likely what helped get him booked in the 5-way championship match at Slammiversary mentioned earlier.
Elgin threw Shamrock into an exposed turnbuckle before taking Callihan out with a strike. He then hit a sit-down power bomb on Shamrock for the win.
After the match, Callihan and Shamrock stared each other down before Callihan caused the lights to go out and then disappeared.
Chris Bey and Willie Mack seem to be on a collision course for the next big X-Division title tilt. This week, however, Mack and Cousin Jake teamed up to defeat Bey and his run-in buddy Johnny Swinger. Mack picked up the victory for his team with a Stunner on Swinger.
After the match, however, Swinger and Bey tried to beat down their opponents but Cody Deaner returned from quarantine and made the save. Mack, Jake, and Deaner celebrated to end the segment.
Cancel Culture Picks Up Win Over “Mentally Unwell Steve”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=achftV6MUuE
Joseph P. Ryan of Cancel Culture gave a speech before the newest member of Cancel Culture, Jacob Crist, took on Crazzy Steve. Ryan suggested that the name “Crazzy Steve” is “problematic” and referred to him as “Mentally Unwell Steve.” He was flanked by the other members of Cancel Culture, Katie Forbes & Rob Van Dam as well.
During the match, Ryan distracted Steve with something on his iPad, which allowed Crist to hit a leg lariat for the win.
Next Week On Impact Wrestling
The following matches have been booked for next week’s show:
Rohit Raju vs Rhino
TNA World Heavyweight Championship Moose (c) vs Hernandez
Street Fight Ace Austin vs Eddie Edwards
Impact Tag Team Championships The North (c) vs The Rascalz (Wentz & Dez)
Austin Aries is a star who frequently finds himself in a controversial situation and one such controversy that made a lot of headlines was his departure from Impact Wrestling in 2018.
The former Impact World Champion recently appeared on the In The Room podcast where he talked about things like the diminishing kayfabe in the wrestling business and more.
Talking about his controversial departure from the company formerly known as TNA, Aries confirmed that things did not go as planned and his stint with the company was actually supposed to continue after Bound For Glory:
“It was never intended for me, the way I walked out at Bound for Glory, that was not supposed to be the last that you saw me [there]. That was never the intention, I certainly wouldn’t be trying to create a bunch of controversy for no payoff.
Did it come off exactly as I envisioned in my head before hand? Probably not. Could I have done a couple of things that still would have maybe gotten the point across, without maybe taking on some of the criticism that I’ve seen? Potentially.”
For those who don’t know, the then Impact World Champion Austin Aries was scheduled to defend his title against Johnny Impact at the Bound For Glory PPV in October 2018.
However, their feud blurred the line between a work and a shoot and the two stars started taking personal shots at each other on Twitter.
Their rivalry culminated with a match at the PPV where Aries dropped the title to the now John Morrison but Austin no-sold the finish right after the bell rang and left the arena. This turned out to be his final Impact appearance.
Booker T recently spent some time on his radio show and YouTube channel talking about Impact Wrestling. He said that now could be the time for Impact to get back in the game as the promotion has teased bringing in recently released WWE stars to their Slammiversary PPV on July 18th.
“I am wondering if this is a time now for Impact Wrestling to – bang – explode again and get back in the game,” Booker said.
Booker and his co-host discussed the video Impact aired last Tuesday night for Slammiversary. Clips of EC3, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson, the Bennett/Kanellis’ and more were shown in the video. The clip also shows a flag of Belarus, Rusev’s home country.
“You gotta think Anthem, Anthem has been doing a lot of big major moves, lot of money moves. I’m sure they’re saying ‘hey man, this is the time to get back in the game.'”
“There’s guys out there like Rusev right now. We got guys out there like Heath Slater, Erik Rowan, Kassius Ohno, there’s a lot of big guys out there that we can pick up that can put a lot of behinds in the seats.”
“It’s the perfect time for TNA (Impact) to pull the trigger and get back in the game,” he continued.
They continued to discuss the rumours of WWE reaching out to bring back some of the released stars as well.
Booker’s comments can be heard in the player below:
Outspoken pro wrestling personality and former TNA, WWE and WCW on-screen performer Jim Cornette recently discussed a hilarious tale from TNA’s chequered legacy.
Cornette was discussing Championship belts on the Drive Thru podcast earlier this week when he revealed the faux pas from TNA’s production staff. 2005-2010 is considered by many to be the heyday of the Total Nonstop Action brand, with the likes of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Abyss and Kurt Angle topping the card. Even still, the company that sometimes gets lumbered with the ‘LOLTNA’ meme in their later years were liable to gaffes even in this time frame.
Jim Cornette on ‘Losing’ The Belt
“Another time in TNA? It was years ago., like 2007-2008ish they did the pay per view in St. Louis” Jim Cornette would begin on the podcast. “They actually had to have a stooge in Florida that could get into the soundstage at Universal Studios to go in. Because they forgot the belt [TNA World Championship].”
Cornette would discuss how times had changed in the wrestling industry, as Champions nowadays rarely hold on to their prized possession. In the case of TNA it was kept ‘safe’ by the production team…so things like this didn’t happen.
“The champion wasn’t carrying the belt” Jim Cornette continued. “So the f*cking, you know, production people were supposed to bring it. They forgot the belt they had it at the soundstage. So they had the stooge go to the soundstage in Orlando, get the belt rush it over to the airport and buy it a f*cking plane ticket.”
Jim Cornette would finish by revealing that the belt not only had a seat on the plane, but apparently went under the name belt/championship (we can’t verify if this is true). “They put it on the goddamn plane and they had somebody in St. Louis go to the airport. They still didn’t get there on time, the pay per view had already started. They picked up the belt at the airport in St. Louis from Delta. The ticket was under the name of belt slash championship.”
Can you think of a more LOLTNA moment than this? Let us know in the comments
EC3 got fans talking over the latest video that he shared on his official Twitter account.
Earlier this week, Impact Wrestling released a commercial to promote their Slammiversary pay-per-view event.
The video showed a news anchor announcing how several WWE stars had been let go and that their futures are unknown while the world deals with the pandemic.
The video EC3 shared indicates that he could be the mystery man shown watching the commercial as he removed the hoodie to reveal himself. His video featured footage shown in the commercial with flashes of various stars who had previously worked in Impact.
Although not confirmed, a theory is going around that is how the mystery man will be revealed at Slammiversary.
All WWE stars that were released in April including those in the commercial are under 90-day no-compete that will expire a few days before Slammiversary
This could just be his way to play into the rumors or he could be the mystery man. Nothing is confirmed until the PPV event that takes place on Sunday, July 18th. No matches have been announced for this show.
Impact Wrestling has blocked its contracted talent from appearing in Virtual Basement’s upcoming pro wrestling video game.
Virtual Basement is an indie video game studio developing a 3D wrestling game for mainstream consoles. They have not yet released gameplay footage. However, they have been making noise on social media this year with announcements of wrestlers signing on to be playable characters in the game.
The untitled Virtual Basement wrestling game will featured a wide variety of wrestling stars. Popular wrestling names signed on to appear include Ken Shamrock, nZo, Matt Taven, Brian Pillman Jr, Matt Sydal, Brian Cage, Lio Rush, Eli Drake, Nick Mondo and more.
YouTuber VikingSizeGamer released this video on June 3 saying that Impact Wrestling has pulled its contracted talent from backing out of agreements to appear in Virtual Basement wrestling. VSG says Impact sent a memo to their contracted talent asking them to refuse to be in the game, even if they already agreed.
Virtual Basement commented on the situation and said the news is “sadly true.”
It's sadly true – but we're moving forward and have a fantastic roster we believe in and lots of new surprises on the way! https://t.co/suSq8IHmAI
— Virtual Basement® (@VirtualBasement) June 3, 2020
Impact Wrestling is teasing surprise appearances from former WWE talent at the upcoming Slammiversary pay-per-view.
Slammiversary is one of Impact’s signature events. This year’s installment takes place Sunday, July 18th.
A promo aired during this week’s Impact TV letting fans know to expect some familiar faces in attendance.
The promo, embedded below, shows a shadowy figure watching a news report about WWE’s mass wave of releases that occurred in April. Footage is shown of EC3, Rockstar Spud, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson and more.
We already know that former NXT star Deonna Purrazzo is joining Impact. It will be interesting to see which of the stars shown in this promo will be joining her.
Impact Wrestling presented the semi-finals of its #1 Contenders tournament this week. They also announced that Deonna Purrazzo is on her way to the promotion after having been released by WWE last month.
Impact Tag Team Championships The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) (c) defeated Cody Deaner & Wheels
#1 Contenders Tournament (Semi-Finals) Trey defeated Michael Elgin
Trey Upsets Michael Elgin To Advance To Tournament Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rbS01UBzoc
Heading into this week’s main event, few were giving Trey a chance in his match with perennial title-contender Michael Elgin. Trey surprised many with his ability to hang with Elgin during the match but ultimately it looked as though Elgin was going to take the match. Just as Elgin seemed like he had Trey right where he wanted him, Sami Callihan’s ICU music and video began to play. Elgin defeated Callihan in the 1st round of the tournament.
Although Callihan never came out, the distraction was all Trey needed to land a pinning combination on Elgin and score the upset victory.
Deonna Purrazzo is coming to Impact Wrestling. Before the night’s main event, a vignette featuring Purrazzo aired. In the video, Purrazzo explains what being a “Virtuoso” means. The 25-year-old had been with WWE for the last 2 years before being released last month.
The North Visit The Deaner Family Compound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yegKYSPk0o
Josh Alexander and Ethan Page traveled to the Deaner compound for a tag title match this week. Page, Alexander, and Deaner have been unable to travel to recent Impact tapings due to US-Canada travel restrictions.
Deaner selected a rather large man by the name of Wheels to be his teammate in this cinematic-style match. The match quickly spilled all over the compound. Alexander and Deaner ended up on top of a trailer and Alexander hit a piledriver to take Deaner out of the match for a while. The North then double-teamed Wheels and eventually attacked the referee for a perceived slow count. While this was going on, the various Deaner family members rescued Cody from atop the trailer.
Deaner returned to the match in hot-tag fashion. He looked to have Cody down for a 3-count after a DDT but the referee was still down. Then the North’s personal ring-announcer from recent matches hit a low-blow on Wheels and fast-counted him to give the North the win.
The segment ended with the North running away from the compound with the belts as the various Deanner family members chased them.
Ace Austin Advances To Tournament Finals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McqUZhfdDLU
Former X-Division Ace Austin is now just one win away from being the new #1 contender to the Impact World Championship. He scored an arguable upset victory over Hernandez in the semi-finals of the tournament to kick off the show this week.
The story of the match was that Austin was able to counter the big-power moves that Hernandez would go for. The end of the match came when Austin clipped Hernandez’s knee, hit the Fold, and scored a 3-count.
Nevaeh Rescues Havok From Kimber Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cu_JAo4jgo
Previously on Impact, Kimber Lee defeated Havok after using a pair of brass knuckles. A rematch was scheduled for this week and Kimber Lee again went to use the brass knucks, having hid them in the ring apron. As she did so, however, Nevaeh made the save for Havok. It was the first time Nevaeh has actually gotten involved in the action since she’s been shown ominously watching Havok’s matches.
Nevaeh hit Kimber Lee before she could use the brass knuckles and the referee called for the bell. Havok and Nevaeh then beatdown Kimber Lee and celebrated together to end the segment.
Johnny Swinger Helps Chris Bey Defeated Cousin Jake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6d_r7whdX4
Johnny Swinger accompanied Chris Bey to the ring for his match against Cousin Jake this week. Bey and Swinger have been aligned in recent weeks and a program involving them and Willie Mack appears to be building.
Swinger helped Bey score the victory this week. Jake was forced to turn his attention to Swinger on the apron and the distraction would cost him the match. After Jake knocked Swinger off the apron, Bey hit a fame-asser followed by the Final Finesse for the win.
Swinger and Bey looked to attack Jake after the match but Willie Mack made the save.
Jeff Jarrett and Impact Wrestling are going back to court. A Tennessee judge has set a date for the trial to begin after court-ordered mediation failed to result in a settlement between the two parties.
Jarrett filed suit against Anthem media claiming the company used the GFW Amped shows without proper permission. The recording of the Amped shows was then deleted by Anthem Media. The conflict between the two sides began following Jarrett’s departure from the company in 2017.
Jarrett re-joined Impact in early 2017 and a merger of sorts began between the promotion and Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling project. On September 5th of that year, Jarrett was announced as taking an indefinite leave of absence from the company. He would not return to the promotion.
Last month, a judge ordered the two sides into mediation.
“trial date is realistic notwithstanding COVID-19, and the parties shall anticipate going forward on that date,” the court ruled regarding the upcoming trial date.
Jarrett has been working as a full-time member of the WWE creative team since March of 2019. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. Jarrett was inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015.
Impact Wrestling presented another episode last night from their recent set of tapings in Tennessee. This episode featured 2 more first-round matches in the #1 Contenders tournament as well as Moose defending “his” TNA World Championship.
TJP & Fallah Bah defeated Team XXXL (Ace Romero & Larry D)
TNA World Championship Moose (c) defeated Suicide
X-Division Championship Willie Mack (c) defeated Johnny Swinger
#1 Contenders Tournament (1st Round) Michael Elgin defeated Sami Callihan
Michael Elgin Defeats Sami Callihan, Advances In Tournament
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FizqJHpRNNs
The main event of Impact this week saw Michael Elgin go up against Sami Callihan in the 1st round of the #1 Contenders tournament. It was a rough draw for each wrestler to get in the 1st round. Callihan came into this match at a disadvantage, however. After Ken Shamrock caused Sami to pass out at Rebellion in the ankle lock, it became clear the injury has not fully healed yet and that was a factor in this match.
Elgin didn’t shy away from focussing on his opponent’s injured ankle but Sami fought back. Ultimately, Callihan stumbled on his injured leg after escaping a power bomb attempt by Elgin and this allowed Elgin to capitalize and land a sit-down power bomb for the win. Elgin will go on to meet Trey in the semi-finals.
Moose Defends “His” TNA Championship, Josh Matthews Having None Of It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htmuO44TtE0
We saw more highlights this week of a sit-down interview between Josh Matthews and Moose. Matthews made no secret of the fact that Moose is only a self-proclaimed holder of the TNA World title. Moose did not respond kindly to Matthews’ expression of this fact.
Moose needed to resort to underhanded tactics to score a second-straight victory over Suicide this week. This time, as Suicide landed a crossbody block from the top rope, Moose’s momentum landed him on top of Suicide in a pinning position. Moose then grabbed a handful of trunks and got the 3-count to defend “his” TNA World Title.
Moose continued to insist that he be announced as the TNA World Champion and that the referee hold up the title before the match.
Ace Austin Advances In Tournament
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gocxmhG9zUM
Ace Austin was named as a last-minute replacement for an injured Ken Shamrock in the tournament. The former X-Division Champion was in tough in the 1st round of the tournament but much like he did throughout his title reign, Austin was able to find away to escape with a victory.
In this match, Austin would use his baton to hit Rhino with while the referee’s attention was averted. With the win, Austin will go on to face Hernandez in the semi-finals of the tournament.
Johnny Swinger & Chris Bey Attack Willie Mack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD6Wl3K_Xzw
In Johnny Swinger’s mind, he and Willie Mack used to form a tag-team called “the Mack and Pack Connection.” Once Mack won the X-division title, Swinger started calling for a title shot against him. Chris Bey was shown speaking with Swinger in the back before the match and it appears an alliance between the two is brewing.
At one point in the match, Swinger hit a swinging neck breaker and Mack only kept his title by getting his foot on the rope. Swinger thought he’d won the match and the title but it was not the case. Mack would pick up the victory with a Samoan Drop followed by a standing moonsault.
After the match, however, Chris Bey hit the ring and he and Swinger attacked Mack and left him laying.
Madman Fulton Quits OVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFU2rUdz6Es
The returning Crazzy Steve picked up a victory this week in single’s action. He landed a diving DDT on Dave Crist for the win. Joey Ryan came out to watch Steve in action this week after the two had a bit of an altercation in the back last week. Ryan feels Steve’s name is “offensive to crazy people.”
The other members of OVE, Madman Fulton and Jake Crist were at ringside but after the match Madman Fulton let it be known he’d had enough of being in the faction. Fulton grabbed both Crist brothers by the neck and proclaimed that he quit. It looks like OVE really is over now, as Sami Callihan and Madman Fulton have left, leaving just the Crist brothers on their own.
Tasha Steelz was recently signed to a contract with Impact Wrestling. She lost a single’s match to Kylie Rae last week. This week she was approached by Kiera Hogan in the back and the two came to an understanding on a new alliance.
Steelz is a 5-year pro who has competed for ROH, NWA, Warrior Wrestling and many other promotions. Last summer, she challenged Kelly Klein for the WOH title on the ROH Summer Supercard in Toronto. Steelz was also featured prominently recently on episodes of NWA Powerrr. Now it looks like Steelz will be joining forces with Kiera Hogan in Impact Wrestling.
Next weak on Impact Wrestling, the semi-finals of the #1 Contenders tournament will take place. Trey will take on Michael Elgin and Hernandez will take on Ace Austin. Also next week, the North will take on Cody Deaner and a partner as all 3 are in Ontario, Canada and unable to travel to tapings. Kimber Lee and Havok will also rematch after Lee picked up a victory in their first tilt by way of using a pair of brass knuckles.
#1 Contenders Tournament (Semi-Finals) Ace Austin vs Hernandez
#1 Contenders Tournament (Semi-Finals) Michael Elgin vs Trey
Recently on Impact Wrestling, Michael Elgin has been chasing the Impact World Championship. He’s involved in a #1 contenders tournament which kicked off this week. According to Elgin, however, he’s not happy with where the pro-wrestling industry is at the moment.
Elgin took to Twitter to explain his issues with wrestling today.
“I legit don’t like wrestling anymore. Everyone is so soft. Everyone let’s outsiders or “fans” dictate how we should be. I’m just staying off here, so called wrestlers have turned to nothing but a mockery of how people and wrestling should be. I don’t like hating my profession,” Elgin Tweeted.
I like old school mentality mostly. But I’m not shitting on current stuff. I see many people try and downplay the contributions of guys like the bucks or Kenny. I think those 3 are 3 of the best I’ve ever wrestled. They have a real passion and offer a lot to wrestling. But too https://t.co/fg7xMWn5e3
— “Ronin” Michael Elgin (@AaronFrobel86) May 14, 2020
Elgin would clarify, however, that his Tweets are in-character.
I don’t think you were disrespectful at all. But yes. The things I’ve been trying to do are 100% character driven. https://t.co/lIDy8eLLzG
— “Ronin” Michael Elgin (@AaronFrobel86) May 14, 2020
Michael Elgin In Impact Wrestling
Elgin is one of the top heels in Impact Wrestling at the moment. He was scheduled to face Eddie Edwards and Tessa Blanchard for the world title at Rebellion before the pandemic hit. Neither Edwards or Blanchard was able to attend the recent tapings in Tennessee. As a result, Elgin was placed in a #1 contenders tournament. Moose has since declared himself the TNA World Champion as well. Elgin is scheduled to face Sami Callihan in the 1st round of the #1 Contenders tournament next week.
Impact Wrestling kicked off its #1 contenders tournament for Tessa Blanchard’s Impact World Championship this week. This is the tournament that Moose declined to be involved in as he continues to insist that he is the legitimate TNA World Champion. Moose declared himself the title-holder at Rebellion and later won a triple-threat against Michael Elgin and Hernandez that same night. On this week’s episode, Moose would headline the show by defending the belt against TNA alumni, Suicide.
#1 Contenders Tournament (1st Round) Trey Miguel defeated Rohit Raju
Impact Tag Team Championships The North (c) defeated The Smoes
TNA World Championship Moose (c) defeated Suicide
Here are 7 Takeaways from Impact Wrestling 5/12:
Moose Retains TNA World Championship Against Suicide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9l8lJZHvb4
Moose hijacked the opening video for this week’s edition of Impact. As a result, this week’s video featured the former voice of TNA Brian Scott giving an epic narration of Moose’s career in the company. The video also featured former greats from TNA history seemingly giving their opinion of Moose, though the comments may have been taken out of context.
In the night’s main event, Moose would defend his title against TNA alumni, Suicide. Near the end of the match, Moose accidentally hit the ref, taking him out of action. It looked as though Suicide had the “champion” down for a 3-count but there was no ref to count the pin. With the ref still down, Moose hit a low blow on the challenger followed by his No Jackhammer Needed spear for the win.
Hernandez and Trey Miguel Each Advance In #1 Contenders Tournament
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvz4QCddNak
The #1 Contenders tournament for the Impact World Championship kicked off this week. The 8-person single elimination tournament will determine who Tessa Blanchard defends her title against next. In the first opening round match, Hernandez was able to fend off interference from OVE to finish off the faction’s monster, Madman Fulton. OVE was later confronted in the back by the returning Crazzy Steve, who suggested that OVE was O-V-E-R.
Also in opening round action this week, Trey Miguel fended off a good effort by Rohit Raju and will advance to the semi-finals in the tournament.
Sami Callihan vs Michael Elgin (Opening Round) – Next Week
Ken Shamrock vs Rhino (Opening Round) – Next Week
Trey vs Callihan/Elgin (Semi-Final)
Hernandez vs Shamrock/Rhino (Semi-Final)
Finals
The North Retain Titles Against Sub-Par Competition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7infZl6A20
We traveled back to Mississauga, ON, Canada this week for another title defense featuring Ethan Page and Josh Alexander. This week the North put their titles on the line against a not overly intimidating team of the Smoes. After some elaborate ring introductions, the match got going. Even though Page seemed to have knocked his opponent out with a super-kick early, he used the challenger as something of a puppet and began hitting himself with his fists. After some admonishing from the ref, Page opened up his opponent’s hands so he wasn’t using closed fists, however.
The North eventually finished off their opponents as Josh Alexander looked a little disappointed in the caliber of competition.
Kimber Lee Uses Brass Knuckles To Defeat Havok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIfDDWFSwHQ
Kimber Lee made her debut for Impact Wrestling this week. She confronted Havok backstage last week and the two were scheduled to face each other this week. As the match was going on, we saw Nevaeh once again watching Havok’s match from afar. Nevaeh and Havok have a history in other organizations but it’s not yet clear what the newcomer is doing as she ominously watches Havok from afar.
Meanwhile, Kimber Lee had a plan heading for this match. When Havok and the referee’s attention was averted, Kimber Lee loaded her fist up with a pair of brass knuckles. After Havok propped her up on the turnbuckle, Kimber Lee popped her in the mouth and got the pin.
Kylie Rae Smiles To The Finish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbE9KLe4k3A
Kylie Rae was back this week and built off her victory at Rebellion by picking up another win here. She was taking on the debuting Tasha Steelz. Rae locked in the “Smile to the Finish” to get the win.
Later in the show, Kylie Rae ran into “Susie” (aka the former Su Yung) backstage. Their interaction seemed friendly but with Susie/Su Yung you never quite know what lay ahead.
Rosemary has been feeling lost in life as of late. She got her revenge on James Mitchell but it didn’t bring her the peace she had been hoping for. Rosemary has since turned to the cards to determine her next step. Last week, the cards suggested that she return to victimizing mortals. After she was confronted in the back by John E Bravo for being in possession of Taya Valkyrie’s toy dog, the cards seemed to communicate to Rosemary that John E Bravo would make a good next target.
Next weak on Impact Wrestling, the #1 Contenders tournament continues. The final 2 opening-round bouts will see Ken Shamrock take on Rhino and Michael Elgin take on Sami Callihan.
Also next week, Team XXXL will take on TJP and Fallah Bah. Willie Mack will also defend the X-Division Championship against the other half of the “Mack and Pack Connection” Johnny Swinger.
#1 Contenders Tournament Ken Shamrock vs Rhino
#1 Contenders Tournament Sami Callihan vs Michael Elgin
Team XXXL vs TJP & Fallah Bah
X-Division Championship Willie Mack (c) vs Johnny Swinger
Crazzy Steve returned to Impact Wresting at Rebellion. He was the mystery partner of Tommy Dreamer and Rhino as they went up against OVE. The former member of Decay has now been announced as having signed a new multi-year deal with the promotion.
The 36-year-old from Montreal was trained by Eric Young and made his professional debut in 2003. His first run with Impact lasted from 2014 to 2017. During that time, he was a member of the Menagerie and later Decay. He is a former TNA Tag Team champion along with Abyss.
Crazzy Steve and Abyss won the Impact tag belts in a “Valley of Shadows” match against Beer Money. The match took place at Sacrifice on March 19th, 2016. They would hold the belts until dropping them that October to the Broken Hardys at Bound for Glory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBqjRrnieYw
Impact announced the news today as having first been broken by Wrestling Inc:
Impact Wrestling is back on the air tonight. The #1 contenders tournament kicks off with two opening-round matches. Additionally, Kimber Lee is scheduled to take on Havok, and Moose will defend the TNA World Championship against Suicide.