By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
Impact Wrestling Down Under (Night Two)
Streamed live July 1, 2023 on FITE.TV
Wagga Wagga, Australia at Equex Center
Tom Hannifan and Matt Rehwoldt provided commentary (they may be remote from the U.S., we never actually saw them). NOTE: Rehwoldt is listed as being at the Pro Wrestling Revolver show Saturday night, so he is indeed calling this show from the U.S.) Apparently Steve Maclin got injured during Friday’s match with Alex Shelley so he’s off the show.
1. Adam Brooks defeated Robbie Eagles for the vacant Oceania Pro Championship at 13:01. Both men lost on Friday. Hannifan said these two have wrestled off and on for 11 years. Standing switches to open. Brooks suplexed Eagles into the turnbuckles at 5:30, and he was in control. Eagles hit a diving forearm to the back of the head, and they were both down. Eagles hit running double knees to the face for a nearfall at 8:00, but he missed a 450 Splash.
Brooks dove through the ropes onto Eagles, then he hit a slingshot DDT back into the ring for a nearfall. They traded stiff forearm shots, and the crowd was really into this. Brooks hit a roaring back elbow. Eagles nailed a Poison Rana at 11:30, and they were both down. Eagles hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread for a nearfall, and he applied the Ron Miller Special (Trailer Hitch) leglock, but Brooks reached the ropes. Eagles went for a 450 Splash, but Brooks got his knees up to block it. Brooks nailed a Swanton Bomb to become the first-ever OPW champion.
* A backstage promo from Gisele Shaw, who vowed she was winning the title tonight.
2. “The Natural Classics” Stevie Filip and Tome Filip defeated “Velocities” Jude London and Paris De Silva at 5:06. Velocities completed a tour of the U.S. this spring and they are good high-flyers. The Filip brothers are much taller; with their long straight hair, they look like Johnny Hennigan. Velocities hit dropkicks to start the match. London hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall. The Filips worked over De Silva, who has short dark hair. Jude London, who wears a headband, made the hot tag at 3:30 and hit some dropkicks, then a Stundog Millionaire for a nearfall. The Filips hit a team neckbreaker move to pin De Silva. That was good but I had no sense it was about to end.
* Deonna Purrazzo cut a backstage promo. She said she knows she shouldn’t overlook Gisele. She vowed she would retain the title.
3. Joe Hendry defeated Moose to retain the Digital Media Title at 12:15. Hendry got on the mic and said he’s in a good mood because of the hospitality of the locals. He talked about seeing a “dancing Moose” at the hotel bar Friday night. Hendry tried a shoulder tackle that had no effect. Hendry hit a delayed vertical suplex at 2:00 but Moose popped right back to his feet. They brawled to the floor, where Hendry shoved him head-first into the ring post. In the ring, Moose hit some hard chops and punches, and Hendry “hulked up!” “Is it HendryMania?” Rehwoldt asked. Hendry hit a stunner for a nearfall at 6:30.
Hendry hit a series of punches in the corner and a fallaway slam. Moose hit a dropkick, then a standing powerbomb for a nearfall at 8:30. Hendry avoided the spear and he hit a clothesline. He hit a pop-up powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Moose nailed a top-rope superplex, but Hendry held on and hit his own suplex, and they were both down at 10:30. They traded forearm shots and Moose got a backslide for a nearfall. He got a rollup with a handful of tights but the ref saw it; Moose and the ref argued. Hendry snuck up from behind and got a rollup for the pin.
4. Eddie Edwards defeated Slex at 11:46. As I noted a day ago, Slex is now bald and looking a lot like Mike Bennett, or perhaps Eric Young. Eddie hit a shoulder tackle at 2:00. Slex hit a hard back elbow. Slex went for a dive to the floor but Edwards caught him with a forearm. Edwards slammed him on the ring apron at 4:30. He took control in the ring, hitting a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 9:30. Slex fired back with his own swinging powerbomb for a nearfall. Edwards hit a standing powerbomb, then a Boston Knee Party running kneestrike for the pin. Good match but the winner was never in doubt, especially with Edwards having lost a day ago.
* Steph De Lander hit the run and cut another heel promo on Wagga Wagga, saying she can’t believe she had to stay another night there.
5. Steph De Lander defeated Killer Kelly at 9:48. They brawled at the bell and it went to the floor. SDL pushed her shoulder-first into the ring post, and Kelly was selling a shoulder injury. Steph rolled her into the ring and got a nearfall at 1:30, and she was in control early on. Steph hit a running boot for a nearfall at 4:30. Kelly trapped Steph’s arms and hit a series of headbutts, then a hesitation dropkick in the corner for a nearfall at 7:00.
De Lander hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Killer Kelly hit a DDT for a nearfall at 9:00, and she went for the Killer Klutch submission hold, but Steph got to her feet and rammed Kelly backward into the turnbuckles to eventually break free. De Lander hit an F5 Faceplant for the pin! I am shocked; Hannifan said it was her first win in Impact Wrestling.
* A backstage promo with Frankie Kazarian, who announced that his opponent, Steve Maclin, got injured a day earlier, and won’t be able to compete. Frankie said he is instead facing Brian Myers.
6. Frankie Kazarian defeated Brian Myers at 14:44. Frankie out-wrestled Myers early on, frustrating Brian. Kazarian kept him in a headlock and wouldn’t let go. He rammed Myers’ head into the corner pads and was in control. He hit a DDT for a nearfall at 5:00. Myers took control and grounded Frankie. Myers hit an enzuigiri at 8:30 and they were both down.
Myers hit a DDT for a nearfall. Frankie fired up and hit a flying forearm, then a springboard spinning legdrop for a nearfall at 11:30. Kazarian hit a slingshot DDT for a nearfall. Myers hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Myers hit a spear for a nearfall at 13:30, then a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. Frankie applied a cross-face chickenwing while they were standing; he fell backward to the mat and locked it in, and Myers immediately tapped out. A more methodical ‘house show’ vibe to this one. Not bad, but a very safe style.
7. “Bullet Club” Ace Austin and Chris Bey defeated “Motor City Machine Guns” Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin to retain the Impact Tag Team Titles at 19:02. The crowd chanted “this is awesome” before Bey and Shelley even locked up. Rehwoldt talked about Sabin defending his title soon against Lio Rush, as Bey and Shelley traded basic mat reversals. They began trading forearm shots at 3:30. Ace got in to face Sabin. Shelley got back in and went to work on Ace’s left arm. The ABC hit stereo dives to the floor on the Guns at 8:00. In the ring, they hit their standing moonsault-and-legdrop combo on Shelley.
Sabin hit a flying crossbody block on both ABC. He hit a standing neckbreaker on Bey at 11:30 as the Guns kept him in their corner. Sabin accidentally speared Shelley, then he was dropped head-first onto Shelley’s groin at 13:00. Ace made the hot tag, and he hit a springboard dropkick on both opponents. Shelley dropped Ace face-first into the middle turnbuckle. Bey hit a spin kick on Shelley, and suddenly everyone was down at 15:30, and the crowd was again chanting, “this is awesome!”
Sabin got Bey on his shoulders, but Bey blocked the Cradle Shock. Bey hit a double springboard stunner and he got a nearfall on Sabin. Sabin hit a stunner. The Guns hit their quick team offense, ending in a basement dropkick to the face. The ABC hit stereo spin kicks on Sabin. Ace hit The Fold on Shelley, who rolled to the floor. Ace then hit The Fold/overhead swinging faceplant on Sabin; Bey jumped on Sabin for the pin. A very good match. I assumed Shelley, as new heavyweight champion, wasn’t taking the pin here, but I wasn’t ruling out a time-limit draw. They all shook hands and hugged; the Guns left first so the ABC could celebrate with their tag title belts.
8. Deonna Purrazzo defeated Gisele Shaw to retain the Knockouts Title at 17:02. Gisele stalled at the bell and the crowd was all over her. They traded mat holds and Deonna applied a leglock around the head. They tied up in a knucklelock and had a test of strength at 5:00. Gisele began stomping on Deonna’s left arm, and Purrazzo sold the pain; Gisele began targeting it and this was fairly methodical and deliberate. Deonna finally broke free and pushed Gisele into the ring post at 12:00, and Gisele rolled to the floor, also now selling an arm injury.
Back in the ring, Deonna went for the Fujiwara Armbar but she sold the pain in her own arm and couldn’t get it locked in. Shaw applied her own armbar and she jawed with the ref. Purrazzo applied a modified Koji Clutch around the neck at 14:30. They traded forearm shots whle holding onto each other’s left wrist. Shaw hit a backbreaker over her knee, then a faceplant, for a nearfall. Purrazzo applied the Venis De Milo double armbar, and Shaw submitted. Solid match, but it stayed on the mat and never reached that top gear.
Final Thoughts: The MCMG vs. Bullet Club should have headlined. I want to be clear, I have no problem with a knockouts match as headliner, but I don’t see Gisele as a headliner. There was absolutely no mystery over who was winning this match. MCMG/Bullet Club easily earn best match of the show. I’ll go with Edwards-Slex for second place, ahead of Kazarian-Myers for third.
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