By John Moore, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@liljohnm)
Impact Wrestling TV
Taped in Dallas, Texas at The Factory
Aired September 22, 2022 on AXS TV
Highlights from last week’s Impact Wrestling show aired…
Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt were on commentary. Dave Penzer was the ring announcer…
1. Brian Myers vs. Bhupinder Gujjar in a Ladder Match for the Digital Media Championship. Gujjar took down Myers with a Samoan Drop. Myers blocked the 2nd rope spear wtih a knee to the face. Gujjar gave a baseball slide to the ladder to send it into Myers. Myers came back with a back suplex. Myers tried to climb the ladder, but Gujjar pulled Myers down into a cutter. Gujjar hit Myers with the 2nd rope spear finisher into the ladder.
Myers recovered at ringside and pushed down the ladder to prevent Gujjar from climbing. Myers gave Gujjar an Irish Whip into the ladder that he sent into the corner. Myers hit Gujjar with a Roster Cut lariat. Myers tossed a 2nd ladder in the ring. Gujjar set up the other ladder that was already in the ring. Gujjar and Myers climbed up their respective ladders and brawled on the top. Myers gave Gujjar a back superplex off the top of the ladder.
Myers set up a ladder at ringside on the stairs. After brawling a bit, Myers gave Gujjar a power bomb on the ladder set up against the stairs. Gujjar pulled Myers off the ladder after recovering and hit Myers with a superkick. Myers recovered and gave Gujjar a low blow as Gujjar was climbing up. Myers took some duct tape and taped Gujjar’s leg half way up one of the ladders. This allowed Myers to climb up the adjacent ladder to retrieve the Digital Media Championship.
Brian Myers defeated Bhupinder Gujjar in a ladder match in 12:17 to retain the Digital Media Championship.
John’s Thoughts: A good match that was way better than you would have expected given how worthless the Digital Media Championship is. Good story laid out with Myers plucking out the win in a heel way. Bhupinder Gujjar is a good prospect, he just needs a character and a better finisher. Both men made this match feel more important that it should have and the match was executed well. Maybe Impact needs to rebrand their Digital Media title because their roll-out on the title was so horrible that it’s hard to take the belt seriously. I wouldn’t mind seeing Gujjar get some character development going after a meaningful title and at the same time I hope Matt Cardona comes back to continue whatever he was going to do with Myers and Chelsea Green before his injruy.
Heath apologized to Rich Swann and Josh Alexander backstage for costing them the match last week. Heath said he’s challenging anyone from Honor No More to an open challenge this week. Rich said that he appreciates the apology and understands that Honor No More will most likely still stay as a squad tonight despite the one-on-one challenge. Swann said he and Josh will have Heath’s back tonight as well as in their 6-person-tag tomorrow at Victory Road. Heath said he appreciates it, but he’ll take care of Honor No More tonight like a rebel, by himself…
Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt checked in from the commentary table. They hyped up upcoming segments for this week’s show while also running down some Victory Road matches. Tasha Steelz vs. Killer Kelly was added to the Victory Road card…
Footage aired from Sami Callihan’s Pro Wrestling Revolver promotion. Steve Maclin interrupted a Sami Callihan promo and started brawlign with him. Sami and Maclin had to be separated by security…
2. Impact Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace vs. Zicky Dice (w/Johnny Swinger) in a non-title match. Grace took down Dice with a backhand combo and German Suplex. Grace hit Dice with the Grace Driver for the win.
Jordynne Grace defeated Zicky Dice via pinfall in 0:46.
Harmeless squash match to put the Knockouts Champion over. I do feel that Dice and Swinger are a bit underutilized these days. I appreciate Impact toning down the comedy and stupidity, but Swinger and Dice are two people that actually do the comedy well and intelligently. I hope we get more Swinger and Dice segments down the road because these two guys are currently underutilized at the moment.
Hannifan sent the show to a Max The Impaler introduction vignette. The vignette was narrated by James Mitchell. Mitchell talked about how Max will destroy Grace and how Max is the “Non-Binary Nightmare”…
Entrances for the next match took place…[c]
3. Black Taurus vs. Mia Yim vs. Laredo Kid vs. Alex Zayne vs. Trey Miguel. The men brawled to start the match. Miguel and Zayne were left in the ring. Yim gave both men an armdrag. Trey gave Yim a hip toss, while Zayne gave her a basement dropkick. Zayne and Miguel blocked each others’ moves to end at a stalemate. Yim took down Zayne and Miguel with a missile dropkick.
Yim gave Taurus a strike combo, but Taurus no sold it into a headbutt. Kid came back and gave Taurus a huracanrana. Taurus was dumped to ringside. Kid hit Taurus with a Plancha into a huracanrana. Miguel and Zayne hit Taurus and Kid with stereo flip dives. Yim hit the pile of wrestlers with a top rope cannonball to ringside. Taurus tripped Yim off the apron.[c]
Miguel hit Zayne and Kid aith a STO and DDT at the same time. Miguel used a forearm to knock Yim off the apron. Zayne managed to hit Kid and Miguel at the same time with a Frankensteiner. Zayne hit Taurus with the Baja Blast for a two count. Kid and Miguel took out Zayne with stereo superkicks. Kit hit Miguel with a Canadian Destroyer. Taurus took down Kid with a Crucifix Bomb. Yim took down Zayne wiht a power bomb. Yim hit Zayne wiht a package Pile Driver. Miguel and Kid gave Yim a superkick to break up the pin.
Taurus hit Miguel with a backbreaker. Kid hit Taurus with a shotgun dropkick. Kid hit Zayne with a neckbreaker, but missed the corkscrew moonsault. Zayne missed a Spiral Tap, which he calls the Cinnamon Twist because of Taco Bell. Taurus gave Kid a Gore. Taurus gave Zayne a modified Pile Driver for the win.
Black Taurus defeated Alex Zayne, Trey Miguel, Laredo Kid, and Mia Yim via pinfall in 8:08 of on-air time.
John’s Thoughts: Good preview to the X Division revolver match. Black Taurus is picking up a bit of steam recently with a couple of wins while looking dominant. I wouldn’t mind seeing Taurus elevated from being a gatekeeper to an actual contender. He adds a powerhouse to the X Division if he does elevate himself.
Eric Young and Deaner were in front of Eric’s dilapidated cabin, pacing in front of their presumed yellow hooded cultists. Young talked about how they are all a part of the revival of violence. Young said that the cultists are like seeds that will spread and take over everything and everyone. Young asked them if they were prepared and that they need to show him. They all held up their ring and middle fingers. Young led them in “I am violence” chants. Young and Deaner then attacked and beat up the yellow hooded people…
The show cut to a random Scottish couple arguing about their relationship. These were the same actors in the Joe Hendry skit last week. The woman told the man that the son wasn’t the man’s. Joe Hendry appeared out of nowhere to sing his “I Believe in Joe Hendry” song. The couple gave up on their fight and started rocking out to Joe Hendry’s song. The graphic said that Joe Hendry will motivate Impact Wrestling…
John’s Thoughts: Am I alone on an island here? Why aren’t more wresting companies bringing in the greatness that is Joe Hendry. He is a good wrestler, has a great look, and his wholesome musical bits are contageous. Hey I believe in Joe Hendry! Ya’ll should too.
Heath was in the ring, calling out an opponent for his street fight Honor No More open challenge. PCO took up the challenge. The rest of Honor No More interrupted and prevented PCO from heading to the ring. Eddie Edwards said the match isn’t going to happen. Heath said Eddie is talking nonsense. Eddies asked PCO who the hell PCO thinks he is. Heath told PCO that he’d rather live a rebel than live as a coward. Heath and Eddie then argued about weather or not PCO whould wrestle. PCO ultimately accepted with Vincent accompanying him to ringside…
4. Heath vs. PCO in a street fight. Heath gave PCO a plancha to start the match. PCO tossed Heath to the ramp and gave Heath a neckbreaker. Heath managed to hit PCO with a backdrop. Heath chocked a chair at PCO. Both men brawled to the audience area. PCO piled together a bunch of closed steel chairs. Heath recovered and gave PCO a DDT on the stage. Heath chucked PCO into the pile of chairs that PCO set up. The rest of Honor No More surrounded the ring. Swann and Alexander ran out to beat up Honor No More.
Josh Alexander put Edwards in an Ankle Lock. Heath hit Vincent with a Zig Zag. PCO took a while to recover from the chair pile. PCO dragged a few chairs with him to the ring. PCO chucked a bunch of chairs to the ring. PCO rallied at Heath with punches and a Chokeslam. PCO put on a glove and slammed Heath into a pile of chairs with a Mandible claw. PCO missed a PCO sault, sending himself into the chairs. Heath hit PCO with a Zig Zag for the win.
Heath defeated PCO via pinfall in 9:13.
Heath, Josh, and Rich stood tall to end the segment…[c]
John’s Thoughts: A good hardcore match, but I don’t understand why they are dragging their feet so much with this PCO face turn (even though he works babyface when he’s not with Honor No More in Impact anyway). They also had Heath outwit and dominate the entire Honor No More faction with a numbers disadvantage. They really aren’t doing their best to build Eddie Edwards into a credible contender heading into Bound for Glory with Honor No More continuing to be presented as scrubs.
5. “Aussie Open” Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis vs. “The Motor City Machine Guns” Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. Fletcher and Shelley started the match. Fletcher took down Shelley with a shoulder tackle. Shelley came back with chops and an arm wrench. The guns traded quick tags for some tandem offense. Fletcher tossed Sabin into the Aussie corner, but Sabin rolled away. Davis tagged in. Sabin avoided a chop and hit Davis with a huracanrana.
Shelley tagged in to allow the Guns to hit some tandem offense on both Aussie Open menbers. The Guns hit Aussie Open with dives at ringside. Davis avoided a dive and hit Shelley wiht a forearm. Aussie Open grabbed the Guns and slammed them into each other heading into break.[c]
Fletcher and Davis used quick tags to trade off Shelly in a delayed vertical suplex. Sabin broke up Fletcher’s pin on Shelley. Shelley avoided a senton from Davis. Shelley used a leg whip to escape Fletcher and tag in Sabin. Sabin took down Fletcher and gave Davis a plancha. Sabin hit Fletcher with a crossbody for a two count. The guns hit Fletcher with a Flatliner-Missile Dropkick combo to give Sabin a two count.
Fletcher fought out of the corner and gave Sabin a Michinoku Driver. Davis tagged in and carried Sabin into a Cutter from Fletcher to give Davis a two count that was broken up by Shelley. Fletcher dropkicked Shelley off the apron. Davis nailed Sabin with a double team Razor’s Edge. Sabin kicked out at two. Sabin hit Fletcher with a Tornado DDT to escape Coriolis. The guns hit Davis with their signature basement dropkick combo. The Guns hit Davis with Skull and Bones to give Sabin the clean win.
The Motor City Machine Guns defeated Aussie Open via pinfall in 10:56 of on-air time.
The Guns celebrated their win heading into the commercial break…[c]
John’s Thoughts: Great tag team match with a somewhat surprising outcome. For some reason, Impact does their due dilligence in protecting Sabin and Shelley and I won’t fault them for not really pushing parity booking on them. I’m surprised Aussie Open lost their 2nd match in Impact, but it was very competitive and Aussie Open looked great in defeat. As I mentioned last week, Impact has done a good job in a little time making Aussie Open stand out as more than just Will Ospreay’s henchmen (and it helps that Will hasn’t appeared in Impact). If they are just in for this taping, then they had a nice short run; but I hope they do stick around because they can be a strong addition to the Impact tag division.
Gia Miller interviewed Tasha Steelz about facing Killer Kelly the next day at Victory Road. Savannah Evans was behind Tasha. Tasha said she’s gonna hurt Kelly. Tasha said Savannah is about to introduce Kelly to a chair. Tasha and Kelly walked away. Savannah was pulled away by somewhat. Kelly sat on a chair and confronted Tasha in the hallway. Tasha said they will play, and they will play tomorrow night…
The show cut to Giselle Shaw outside, cutting a promo about Mickie James. Shaw said Mickie had a great career and will pass the torch to Shaw. Shaw said she’s going to send Mickie to Nick Aldis and Donovan (Mickie’s son) to be the greatest mother in the world. Shaw said Impact will belong to Gissele Shaw…
Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt checked in from the commentary table. The commentary team ran through the advertised Victory Road card. Rehwoldt hyped more G1 Climax replays for the NJPW AXS show..[c]
Scott D’Amore’s entrance theme played as D’Amore moderated the contract signing between Sami Callihan, Moose, and Steve Maclin. Scott D’Amore said this isn’t just a contract signing, but a signing of a Hold Harmless Agreement, so Impact won’t be liable for all three men receiving injuries. D’Amore noted that the Barbed Wire Massacre was a high risk match. Moose and Maclin arrived to the table, but Sami didn’t head out when his theme played. Moose talked to Maclin, saying that Maclin may have gone through a lot in the military, but that’s nothing compared to being in the ring with Moose.
Moose said he’s going to put Maclin through hell. Maclin said Moose, a former NFL Player, doesn’t know hell on earth. Maclin said Moose hasn’t seen the things that Maclin has seen. Maclin said he’s lucky to be standing here with all four limbs. Maclin said guys like Maclin transcend matches like this. Maclin said it isn’t going to be hell on earth, but mayhem for all. Sami Callihan finally made his entrance with a chair in hand. The crowd gave Sami death machine chants.
Sami apologized for being late and said he was just finding his favorite steel chair to sit in. Sami called Moose and Maclin dumbasses, but noted that they both beat his ass. Sami said that was a grave mistake because the Death Machine is a master of puppets. Sami said he managed to get Maclin and Moose at each others’ throats. Maclin told Sami to just sign the contract. Sami took out a pen covered in barbed wire. Maclin punched out Sami with another pen.
Maclin and Moose took turns beating up Sami. Moose put Sami in the tree of woe. When Maclin went for the spear, Moose nailed Maclin with a spear. Sami avoided a spear and sent Moose into a table. Sami hit Moose with a pile driver. Sami rubbed some blood from his face off and used the blood to sign the contract. Sami did his thumbs up thing. The show closed with Sami Callihan hyping up Barbed Wire Massacre…
John’s Thoughts: Good segment to build up the Barbed Wire Massacre match at the Impact Plus show. This feud has actually gotten better ever since Sami dropped the random teleporting and hacking, and relaying his character more towards his unhinged personality. Glad to have Death Machine Sami back (though I wouldn’t be surprised if he brings back the stupid hacking magic from time to time). Here’s hoping that Barbed Wire Massacre is the end of the feud, so Impact can unleash three main event talents into the world in Maclin, Moose, and Callihan.
As usual, Impact is no-nonsense and an enjoyable weekly wrestling show. When you don’t have that killer Mike Bailey match, The Motor City Machine Guns can jump in and provide a killer match themselves. Good stuff throughout and I’m looking forward towards more build to Bound for Glory.
“Am I alone on an island here? Why aren’t more wresting companies bringing in the greatness that is Joe Hendry.”
Yes, you are. And if he was good, companies WOULD have been bringing him in.