By John Moore, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@liljohnm)
Impact Wrestling TV
Taped in Nashville, Tennessee at Skyway Studios
Aired September 2, 2021 on AXS TV
[Hour One] An “in memory of” graphic aired for past Impact Knockout, Shannon “Daffney” Spruill, who passed away recently…
Highlights from last week’s Impact Wrestling aired followed by the intro theme… Matt Striker and D’Lo Brown were on commentary with Dave Penzer as the ring announcer…
1. “The Influence” Madison Rayne, Tenille Dashwood, and Kaleb Konley vs. Taylor Wilde, Jordynne Grace, and Rachael Ellering in an intergender match. Kaleb and Rachael started off the match with Rachael planting Kaleb with a Belly To Back Suplex, which caused Kaleb to retreat to ringside. Rachael came back with a gutwrench. Grace tagged in and gave Kaleb a snap suplex for a two count. Grace gave Kaleb a series of shortarm lariats.
Grace gave Kaleb a draping running boot. Rayne tripped up Grace off the top rope. The Influence traded quick tags to isolate Grace in the corner. Grace used a boot and sunset flip to fend of Kaleb and tag in Wilde for the hot tag. Wilde hit Kaleb with a huracanrana and PK. Wilde hit Kaleb with a Tornado DDT. Dashwood broke up the pin attempt. Dashwood and Rayne tried to yank Kaleb to ringside, but Grace tackled Rayne and Dashwood. This allowed Wilde to nail Konley with a bridged German Suplex for the win.
Taylor Wilde, Jordynne Grace, and Rachael Ellering defeated “The Influence” Madison Rayne, Tenille Dashwood, and Kaleb via pinfall in 5:03.
John’s Thoughts: An okay match, but a bit too inconsequential and comedic for me. On one hand, I get that they’re trying to protect the influence by setting up Kaleb as the liability, but there they are forcing The Influence to lose too many matches right out of the gate. What was the point of adding the talented Rayne to the act if you’re just going to continue to run them into the ground for the LOLs? They also need to do something to define Taylor Wilde? Who is she this time? She had a lot of history as the plucky 1-2-3 Kid type of babyface back in the day. I have no clue what they are going for now with her, plus she’s being presented as dominant, which was not where she made the most impact as a character.
Highlights aired of the Deonna Purrazzo vs. Melina match from NWA Empowerrr. They also showcased Purrazzo attacking Mickie James after James’s match on Empowerrr…
Gia Miller interviewed Deonna Purrazzo and Matthew Rehwaldt about Deonna possibly overshadowing herself by attacking Mickie a few moments after defending the title. Purrazzo said that Miller continues to ask stupid questions. Matt said that Deonna is moving on and focusing on her future. Matt also said that Trey Miguel, in assisting Deonna’s opponents, has gotten “the artist’s” attention. Deonna ended the promo by telling Mickie James to not cross the queen of queens…[c]
An ad aired for October 23’s Bound For Glory show…
Tommy Dreamer cut a promo about beating Christian and Jake Hager for the WWE-ECW title. Christian interrupted and said that Dreamer didn’t pin him in that match. Dreamer said he likes that Christian is the Impact Champion. Christian said it would be an honor to defend the title against Dreamer. Dreamer told Christian that no matter what, to please let Dreamer handle his match against Ace Austin on his own…
John’s Thoughts: I know it’s the cliche for the babyface to do the whole “no matter what, I want to handle this on my own” trope, but it’s not like anyone has countered Madman Fulton, so this comes off as a bit dumb.
Matt Striker and D’Lo Brown checked in on commentary and ran through the upcoming segments on this week’s show…
Entrances for the next match took place. Decay came out first. Fallah Bahh and No Way came out next, followed by the not-Adam Rose Rosebuds. Before the match, the Hamburger gave Rosemary a codebreaker. The Hamburger was Tasha Steelz. Havok chased Steelz up the ramp and ran into a lariat by Savannah Evans. The show cut to commercial…
2. “Decay” Crazzy Steve and Black Taurus (w/Rosemary, Jessika Havok) vs. Fallah Bahh and No Way [Jose] (w/No Way’s not-Rosebuds). Taurus hit Way with a sling blade to start the match. Taurus got a two count. No Way tripped up Taurus and body slammed him. Bahh suplexed No Way for an assisted leg drop on Taurus. No Way and Bahh traded quick tags on Taurus. Taurus rallied back with punches. Both men took each other out with lariats. Steve and Bahh tagged in with Steve having momentum.
Bahh had the advantage to start. Steve fended off Bahh with a bit and hit Bahh with a diving DDT for the win.
Decay defeated No Way and Fallah Bahh via pinfall in 6:43.
John’s Thoughts: A simple match to push forward an undercard feud. One thing that really stood out was the crowd not being into No Way’s Rosebud gimmick. That stood out when he would go on offense and the crowd was chanting Black Taurus over Jose in the exchanges and it even seemed to catch him off guard (and I was surprised too because No Way is one of the most loved babyfaces I’ve got to see live).
The Impact Plus Flashback Match of the Week was Sting vs. Christian Cage (w/Tyson Tomko) for the NWA World Championship from Final Resolution 2007. After a lot of interference and a ref bump, Sting defeated Christian to win the championship…
Gia Miller interviewed W Morrissey about his strategy against Sami Callihan and Eddie Edwards moving forward. Morrissey talked about Callihan butting in on Morrissey’s business. Morrissey said that in a world where people work together, he respects that Callihan and Edwards hate each other. Moose interrupted the interview and got in Morrissey’s face. He said he agrees with Morrissey that there are no friends in pro wrestling. Moose said that if he has a chance to stab Morrissey in the back he would, because he knows that Morrissey would too. Moose said they both have issues with Edwards and Callihan. He said he’s not looking for a friend, but for an alliance…
The show cut to Steve Maclin cutting a promo backstage. Maclin talked about how Williams calls himself a “destroyer” but he knows nothing about destruction. Maclin said that he knows more than destruction, he knows mayhem. Maclin said that his match with Petey next week with be mayhem for all…
John’s Thoughts: Holy hell! This guy was at one point boring-ass Steve Cutler of the Forgotten Sons? Wowzer! Maclin is Great! WWE really missed out in a gem in this guy. Meanwhile, in WWE, F’n Gunner is off-TV right after he was slapping himself with whips like a masochist (I kid, I kid, and I actually like Gunner’s in-ring potential).
Moose made his entrance in fancy street clothes for a promo. Moose said he’s pissed off that everyone in this era wants to be a hero. He said he’s pissed off at Eddie Edwards trying to be a hero to the imbeciles, the fans. This invoked an Eddie Edwards chant from the crowd. Moose said being a hero gave Edwards a date with the devil. Moose said he’s known Eddie for a while and Eddie should know that he’s not the same Moose as before, Moose a monster now. Moose asked Eddie to get his ass out here.
Eddie Edwards ran out with his kendo stick. Eddie tried to hit moose with the stick, but Moose caught it. Eddie took down Moose with a double leg takedown. Eddie tossed Moose into the ring post. Eddie hit Moose a few times with the stick. Morrissey ran out and shoved Eddie into Moose’s spear. Moose shoved Eddie into Morrissey’s big boot. Morrissey and Moose hit Eddie with an assisted power bomb. Morrissey’s theme played as Moose and Morrissey stood tall to end the segment…
John’s Thoughts: An interesting segment to keep four main eventers outside of the main event picture for a while. This can lead to some good matches and four good potential opponents to Christian in the near future. I hope it doesn’t lead to both sets of teams in the tag division. Sami and Eddie can be fun as a tag team, but I think Morrissey and Moose can be better utilized as main event singles heels.
Gia Miller interviewed No Way and Fallah Bahh about their loss. Bahh said they didn’t want to lose to Decay. No Way said it was hard to keep track of everyone. TJP walked up to Bahh with his broom. All three men played with the broom for a bit. Perkins said they should all hang out at Swinger’s Palace next week. Bahh said he didn’t want to go because he has a gambling addiction. Perkins said it’ll be okay because he has a bet on a sure thing…[c]
A cutscene aired of Eric Young punishing Rhino for failing Violent By Design. Rhino was in the same prison and prisoner’s seat as Deaner was when he joined Violent By Design. Rhino was also shown on a stretcher with a VBD flag draped over him. Young said in order to be reborn, Rhino must suffer. Young said that VBD must free Rhino’s soul by abandoning him in the darkness. The cutscene ended with Rhino being handcuffed to a pipe and left in darkness. Rhino also yelled “help me!”…
John’s Thoughts: Solitary confinement? I’m guessing we’re not getting our Rhino haircut makeover?
[Hour Two] Josh Alexander made his entrance for his X Division Championship open challenge. Random country music played. Former X Division Champion Jake Crist made his entrance. Striker noted that ..
3. Josh Alexander vs. Jake Crist for the Impact X Division Championship. Alexander started the match out with a release suplex. Crist went for crossbody and Alexander countered with a power slam. Jake met Josh on the top rope and hit him with a Superplex. Jake got a two count. Jake raked Josh’s eyes and then pressured Josh into the second rope. Jake caught Josh with a Yakuza Kick for a two count. Jake transitioned right into a front chancery on Josh.
Josh escaped and backdropped Jake. Josh turned Jake inside out with a Yakuza Kick. Jake blocked a Jay Driller, but Josh adjusted into two German Suplexes. Jake blocked the third initially, but Josh turned it into a deadlift German. Josh hit Jake with a nice looking Jay Driller for the victory.
Josh Alexander defeated Jake Crist via pinfall in 5:36.
John’s Thoughts: A good match (though a bit too short given how talented these guys), but I’m even more excited at the possibility of Jake Crist returning to a televised pro wrestling company as a wrestler. Crist was arguably one of the most improved wrestlers in Impact during his time in the company and the guy showed main-eventer potential when he was “The Golden Draw” as X Division Champion. Jake started off as the weak-link in terms of mic skills in Ohio Vs. Everything, but then the switch flipped once he got the title. His in-ring got more mat based and his character work was off the charts. Jake is someone who’s really won me over from going to being an annoying sidekick to being an actual alpha draw.
Matt Striker said we were witnessing a historic moment with Josh’s run as champion. Gia Miller interviewed Alexander in the ring after the match and asked Josh why he would defend his title against an unknown opponent. Josh said it was just what he has to do, for his legacy and for the Impact Brand. Josh called the X Title the most prestigious championship in wrestling and must challenge people who have held said title. Josh said he’s trying to put himself in the conversation of being greatest X Division Champion of all time.
Chris Sabin made his entrance and said he’s a fan of Josh Alexander. Sabin said he has liked watching Josh’s rise in the company, but Josh has only been a “one time X Division Champion” which drew “ooooooh’s” from the crowd (uhm? Isn’t a long one-time championship better than having it many times? Being a multi-time champion means you’ve lost the title a ton of times). Sabin said he’s not a one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven time champion. He said he’s an eight time champion. Sabin said that in order for Josh to put his name in the hat to being the greatest X Division Champion of all time, he has to beat the greatest X Division Champion of all time Chris Sabin.
Sabin challenged Alexander to a title match at Victory Road. Sabin said that if Alexander wins he’ll get another notch in his belt as champion, but if Sabin wins Sabin becomes a nine time champion and giving him more reason to call himself the greatest X Division Champion of all time. Josh and Chris shook hands to agree to the match at Victory Road…
John’s Thoughts: I think it’s tough to think of Chris Sabin as the “greatest X Division Wrestler of all time” as opposed to the “greatest X Division wrestler we have on the roster at the moment” (one example is them using this exact title for Austin Aries whenever he’s on the roster). That said it was a solid segment which continues to push Josh Alexander as the fastest rising star in Impact Wrestling. While I joke about Sabin not being necessarily the greatest, I do think Impact has done a solid job in the last few months making Sabin a credible wrestler in their main event picture. That should lead to a good match at victory road. Interesting seeing Sabin get a clean win over Sami Callihan last week and now going into a showdown with Alexander. Sabin’s playing the utility player role really well
Another ad aired for Bound For Glory…
A video package aired for some sort of professional wrestler search? Not sure if this is legit, but there were a bunch of video submissions of people trying to apply to become a pro wrestler and train under Brian Myers…
The show cut to this week’s “How to become a professional” skit with Brian Myers. This week’s lesson was “making alliances”. Myers saw the wrestlers lined up in the hallway and was disappointed. Myers conceded and said you have to work with what you got. Meyers “cut” the due in line who was waiting for catering. Myers cut another guy who thought that “gut check” meant checking your actual gut.
Myers cut a dude who said his favorite wrestler was Mojo Rawley. Myers thought the dude in the Strongbad mask was Matt Cardona, but it turned out it wasn’t. Myers decided to keep “Manny Lemons” around. Myers cut the guy who spoke in Spanish. Myers then walked up to NWA wrestler Zicky Dice. Dice claimed to be in the business for 35 years. Myers was about to cut Dice, but Beale convinced him that if Dice were cut, they would only be left with Manny Lemons. Myers agreed to keep Dice around…
John’s Thoughts: Fun segment, and I can see Myers’s gimmick being a good alternate to whatever the hell Scott D’Amore used to do with his whole “Global Forged” thing. I do like the addition of Zicky Dice too as he’s been a very entertaining comedy wrestler in the NWA. I can also see him meshing well with Johnny Swinger if they decided to keep him around.
4. Rohit Raju and Shera vs. Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green. Late in the match, Green and Shera jawed at one another. Green pointed at him and he moved her hand away twice. Shera picked up Green and set her down. Green backhanded Shera, who didn’t want to get physical with her. Cardona hit a leg lariat and was tossed to ringside by Raju. Green went for her finisher, but Raju avoided it and then blasted her with a leaping knee strike before pinning her…
Rohit Raju and Shera beat Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green.
A graphic listed the main event… [C]
Powell’s POV: I can honestly say that I didn’t see the finish coming with Raju hitting Green with a knee strike and then pinning her. I wonder if they are setting up an intergender singles match between the two. By the way, I’m finishing the report for John, who was called away unexpectedly and unable to finish the report.
Su Yung was backstage with zombie Kimber Lee, who told her that some souls are collected and others can be converted. Zombie Brandi Lauren was next to Yung, who told her, “Your time has come. Lauren and Lee laughed…
Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows made her entrance. Anderson fired up the crowd on the mic and then told them to sit down and shut their fat mouths. Anderson brought up Rich Swann and Willie Mack. Gallows recalled losing to them in a non-title match and how that made them number one contenders. Gallows said the problem with all of this is that Mack was powerbombed through a table and is now laid up in a hospital bed.
Rich Swann made his entrance with a chair. Swann entered the ring and worked over Gallows and Anderson for a moment before losing the numbers gam. Security and referees ran out for a pull apart…
Brown hyped the Austin vs. Dreamer main event… [C] An ad aired for Bound For Glory on October 23 in Las Vegas…
Powell’s POV: I wonder if that date will stick now that AEW has announced that they will be doing a Saturday night Dynamite edition on TNT the same night.
Backstage, Swann was still fired up. Scott D’Amore calmed him down and gave him a match against Karl Anderson in a Bunkhouse Brawl…
Striker and D’Amore hyped Swann vs. Anderson in the Bunkhouse Brawl, Steve Maclin vs. Petey Williams, David Finlay vs. Chris Bey, Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz, and Moose vs. Eddie Edwards for next week…
Entrances for the main event took place… [C]
5. Ace Austin (w/Madman Fulton) vs. Tommy Dreamer. The stipulation was that Dreamer would earn a spot in the Impact World Championship match at Victory Road with a win, which would turn the scheduled Christian Cage vs. Ace Austin match into a Triple Threat. Fulton got involved by crotching Dreamer over the ringside barricade while the referee was distracted.
Later, Dreamer caught Austin on the top rope and gave him a neckbraker. Austin came back and became frustrated over his inability to get the pin. Austin spoke with Fulton and then charged at Dreamer with a Fold attempt, but Dreamer caught him with a cutter instead and had the pin, but Fulton pulled Austin’s foot under the bottom rope.
Dreamer leaned through the ropes and barked at Fulton, who pulled him to the floor. Dreamer shoved Fulton into the ring post and then gave him a DDT on the floor. Dreamer returned to the ring where Austin hit him with The Fold and scored the pin.
Ace Austin defeated Tommy Dreamer.
Afterward, Austin looked into the camera and spoke to Christian about facing him one-one-one. Brown said they would have a new world champion if Austin can hit The Fold on Christian…
Powell’s POV: Another surprising outcome. Impact really built up the idea of Dreamer facing Christian, so I mistakenly assumed that he would be added to the Victory Road title match. And perhaps he still will be through some other means, but I’m happy they didn’t give him a clean win over Austin to get there.
Overall, it was another solid show. The push of the monthly Impact Plus specials that started a while back have helped Impact creatively in that they do well when they have monthly end points to book towards. I will be by later today with my audio review of this episode.
Decay is just plain over with the crowd, but Bahh and No Way are handling it well, with how they are reacting to the crowds chanting “bite his face off” with utter confusion.