By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Impact Wrestling TV
Taped in Nashville, Tennessee at Skyway Studios
Aired November 11, 2021 on AXS TV
[Hour One] A video package recapped last week’s show… The Impact opening aired… The broadcast team was Matt Striker and D-Lo Brown…
Powell’s POV: Why is Impact the only company that consistently opens its shows with brief recap videos? Granted, WWE airs a ton of video packages throughout their shows, but I’m surprised that other companies don’t take Impact’s approach by giving viewers a quick recap to bring them up to speed or just to serve as a refresher. By the way, John Moore, who normally covers Impact, was a late scratch this week.
1. Chris Bey and El Phantasmo (w/Hikuleo) vs. David Finlay and Juice Robinson to become No. 1 contenders to the Impact Tag Titles. In the end, Robinson reversed a Bey pin attempt, but Phantasmo blasted Robinson with a super kick. Bey covered Robinson for the three count while Phantasmo stopped Finlay from breaking it up.
Chris Bey and El Phantasmo defeated David Finlay and Juice Robinson to become No. 1 contenders to the Impact Tag Titles.
After the match, Impact Tag Champions Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson came out and cleared the ring. Hikuleo entered the ring and took out Karl Anderson, then went face to face Gallows. They traded strikes. Hikuleo cleared Gallows from the ring…
Powell’s POV: I guess the idea is to set up an OG Bullet Club vs. current Bullet Club feud. I’m not sure if the fans have any idea which team to root for. Perhaps that’s why they didn’t really pop for the Gallows and Hikuleo post match showdown.
The broadcast team ran through the show’s lineup…
Backstage, Gia Miller interviewed Scott D’Amore and asked him why Josh Alexander isn’t in the No. 1 contender’s match. D’Amore started to explain and then noticed that Alexander was standing behind him. D’Amore explained to Alexander and recalled their talk about keeping his emotions in check. He said he nows Minoru Suzuki is in Alexander’s head. D’Amore booked Alexander vs. Suzuki for next week and said that once Alexander puts Suzuki to rest, then he’d be able to focus on the Impact World Championship… [C]
Powell’s POV: I like the way that they took the time to explain this. I have a slight concern that D’Amore could keep making Alexander jump through hoops and become a heel, but I don’t think that’s where they are going.
Highlights aired from last week of Sam Beale picking up a win over Brian Myers in a six-man tag match that aired on Before The Impact…
The latest installment of “The Most Professional Wrestler” aired. It was listed as “Chapter 47: Leading By Example.” Dice told Myers that he won a lot of money off of Beale winning last week. The camera cut briefly and then Dice’s glasses were on sideways with the idea being that Myers slapped him. VSK pointed out that he beat Beale by himself two weeks earlier. They did the gag with Dice’s glasses again and he asked why got slapped again. Myers called for a singles match with Beale…
Powell’s POV: I usually get a kick out of these segments, but this one was a turnoff. Still, I like the story they are telling with underdog Beale and his former mentor.
2. Minoru Suzuki vs. Kaleb. Kaleb wore his neck brace. Josh Alexander was shown watching the match on a backstage monitor. Suzuki dominated the brief match and went over with his Gotch style piledriver… [C]
Minoru Suzuki defeated Kaleb.
Powell’s POV: I can’t be the only one who wanted to see Suzuki punish the Kaleb character for more than a minute.
Backstage, Gia Miller interviewed Impact World Champion Moose. She asked if there was anyone in the No. 1 contenders Triple Threat that concerned him most. Moose said he had three men in the match who were pissed at him for different reasons. Moose listed the way he wronged all three men. Moose said they are all very dangerous men, but he said he’s the champion because the most dangerous man in the locker room…
Entrances for the Rosemary and Havok vs. Kimber Lee and Brandi Lauren match took place. Knockouts Tag Team Champions “The IInspiration” Jessica McKay and Cassie Lee walked out and posed before taking seats on the stage… [C]
3. Rosemary and Havok vs. “The Undead Bridesmaids” Kimber Lee and Brandi Lauren to become No. 1 contenders to the Knockouts Tag Titles. Lee and Lauren attacked Rosemary and Havok from behind while they were watching McKay and Lee. Havok pinning Lauren to win a brief match.
Rosemary and Havok defeated “The Undead Bridesmaids” Kimber Lee and Brandi Lauren to become No. 1 contenders to the Knockouts Tag Titles.
After the match, McKay and Lee applauded and then walked to ringside while Rosemary and Havok made their exit…
Powell’s POV: This felt like something that was supposed to air during Halloween week. Rosemary is over and I’m cool with her and Havok teaming, though I could do without the ridiculous teleportation nonsense. The Undead Bridesmaids gimmick is lousy and really needs to be scrapped.
Heath and Rhino delivered a backstage promo. Heath said he’s still hurting from their battle with Violent By Design, but he has his Rhino back. Rhino said he remembers the last year of his life clearly, but it feels like it happened to someone else. He said there’s a voice in his mind that Eric Young put there. Rhino said he can’t purge the poison from his body, but Heath will help and he will cut each member of VBD in half with gores…
Eddie Edwards was shown warming up backstage… [C]
Knockouts Tag Team Champions “The IInspiration” Jessica McKay and Cassie Lee delivered a backstage promo. McKay said the Undead Bridesmaids had one job in that they asked them to take care of Decay, but they couldn’t do it. Lee said they would have to kick them out of the Knockouts division next week…
Chris Sabin stood backstage and spoke about how stupid Ace Austin looks for wearing an “I beat Chris Sabin” t-shirt. Sabin challenged Austin to a match at Turning Point. He said he would rip that shirt off of him, wipe his ass with it, and shove it down his throat…
Footage aired from last week of Madison Rayne venting to Kaleb about Mickie James and Mercedes Martinez. She asked who runs the place. Scott D’Amore entered the scene. He said he likes to make talent happy, so he booked Rayne in a match against Martinez…
4. Mercedes Martinez vs. Madison Rayne. Martinez held up Rayne for several seconds while executing a vertical suplex.
[Hour Two] Late in the match, Rayne performed a late Blockbuster on Martinez, who came back with a knee strike. Rayne went for a cutter, but Martinez avoided it and then rolled her up and pinned her.
Mercedes Martinez defeated Madison Rayne.
Rayne attacked Martinez right after the pin and put her down with a cutter. Rayne grabbed a chair from ringside and jabbed it into the gut of Martinez. Knockouts Champion Mickie James ran out and cleared Rayne from the ring with a kick. James checked on Martinez, who hoisted her up and slammed her to the mat…
Powell’s POV: A good post match angle with James saving Martinez, who then showed zero gratitude by slamming the Knockouts Champion to the mat. I thought they might play this off as Martinez acting like she didn’t realize it was James, but I like it better that she did know and did it anyway.
Steve Maclin delivered a backstage promo and said that the record books say he lost last week and at Bound For Glory, but the fact is that no one has been able to pin him or submit him. Maclin said he deserves to be in the X Division Title match.
X Division Champion Trey Miguel showed up and told him to calm down. They went face to face. Miguel said that if Maclin wants to be pinned or submitted then he just needs to ask.
Scott D’Amore showed up. Miguel asked for Maclin to be added to his X Division Title match against Laredo Kid. The smartest man in the world had a better idea and booked Maclin vs. Kid for next week. If Maclin wins, the X Division Title match at Turning Point becomes a Triple Threat…
W Morrissey was shown pacing backstage… [C]
Powell’s POV: So Maclin is upset over not factoring into the finishes of Triple Threat matches, so D’Amore’s answer is to book him in another Triple Threat match if he can beat Laredo Kid next week? Um…
Sam Beale delivered a backstage promo while Rich Swann and Willie Mack stood at his side. Beale said it’s one thing to have notebooks full of knowledge from Brian Myers, but it’s another thing to wrestle him. Beale said he beat Myers last week and they both know that it could have gone the other way nine times out of ten. He said he knows how good Myers is and recalled being in his corner for his Impact World Championship match against Christian Cage. Beale said he couldn’t have Swann and Mack in his corner next week because he has to do it on his own…
Footage aired from last week of Rohit Raju and Raj Singh confronting Rocky Romero. Raju complained that Romero walked in the door and got an X Division Title match instead of him. Raju called for a match against Romero so he could prove that he’s better than him and everybody else…
5. Rocky Romero vs. Rohit Raju (w/Raj Singh). Romero performed a huracanrana. Raju rolled to ringside. Romero followed and leapt from the ring steps onto him. [C]
Late in the match, Romero applied a cross arm breaker. Singh climbed onto the apron and distracted the referee. Romero released the hold and chased Singh off the apron. Romero performed a suicide dive on Singh. A short time later, Raju avoided a tornado DDT and then hit a knee strike and a running kick before scoring the pin…
Rohit Raju defeated Rocky Romero.
Powell’s POV: A very good match and a big win for Raju. Granted, Romero puts over a lot of wrestlers in his travels to various promotions, but this one actually felt like an upset given how frequently Raju puts people over in Impact. Hopefully this is a turning point for Raju in terms of becoming cast as an in-ring force.
Backstage, Hernandez sang the praises of Johnny Swinger for giving him a job when no one else would. Hernandez said Swinger has a problem with The Demon, so he went to D’Amore and got them booked in a match against Demon, Crazzy Steve, and Black Taurus. John E Bravo showed up and introduced Fallah Bahh as their tag team partner. Bahh said he wanted the match because he wants Swinger to owe him for once…
Matt Cardona was shown warming up backstage… [C] Chelsea Green delivered a promo about how she saw the Digital Media Championship and decided that she had to have it. She said she’s facing Alicia Edwards, Jake Something, and Matt Rehwoldz to determine the new number one contender. She warned champion Jordynne Grace that she’s coming for her title…
Powell’s POV: I know it’s in its infancy, but I couldn’t care less about Impact’s Digital Media Championship. Only time will tell if the company can change that.
The broadcast team listed the following matches for next week’s show: Knockouts Tag Champions “The IInspriration” Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay vs. Kimber Lee and Brandi Lauren in a non-title match, Steve Maclin vs. Laredo Kid (if Maclin wins he will be added to the X Division Title match at Turning Point), Gia Miller conducts a sit-down interview with Deonna Purrazzo, and Minoru Suzuki vs. Josh Alexander…
Entrances for the main event took place…
6. Matt Cardona vs. Eddie Edwards vs. W Morrissey in a Triple Threat for a shot at the Impact World Championship. Morrissey performed a double chokeslam on his opponents and then stared into the hard camera heading into an early break… [C]
Impact World Champion Moose was shown watching the match from a balcony area. Morrissey played to the crowd, which chanted his name at one point. Later, Morrissey set up for a superplex on Edwards, but Cardona snuck underneath them and turned it into a tower of doom spot, then covered Morrissey for a two count.
Cardona set up for his finisher, but Morrissey avoided it and then performed a Blackhole Slam for a near fall. Edwards and Cardona double teamed Morrissey and then held the top rope down when he charged them, which sent him crashing to ringside.
Cardona and Edwards squared off and also worked to keep Morrissey down at ringside. Cardona caught Edwards with knees to the head and then went for a move from the ropes that Edwards avoid. Edwards hit him with the Boston Knee Party and scored the pin…
Eddie Edwards defeated Matt Cardona and W Morrissey in a Triple Threat to become No. 1 contender to the Impact World Championship.
After the match, Moose was shown standing up and leaving without showing any emotion. Edwards celebrated inside the ring while Morrissey watched from the stage to close the show…
Powell’s POV: Morrissey winning was the most appealing option, but I didn’t think they would go with a heel vs. heel main event. Granted, the fans cheered him, but it’s not like his character has turned babyface. I wonder if that will change soon? Edwards has the most history with Moose. And while seeing Edwards get another title shot doesn’t do much for me, one has to assume that he’s going to put the new champion over. Overall, a decent, yet largely forgettable episode of Impact. Next week’s show looks better on paper thanks mostly to the Alexander vs. Suzuki match. I will be back later today with my weekly audio review of Impact Wrestling for Dot Net Members.
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