By John Moore, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@liljohnm)
Impact Wrestling TV (Episode 1,011)
Taped November 26, 2023 in Monterrey, Mexico at Showcenter Complex
Aired December 7, 2023 on AXS TV
Tom Hannifan introduced the show from Monterey, Mexico. The Impact “we own the night” theme aired…
Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt were on commentary…
Entrances for the opening match took place. The AAA ring announcer handled the ring introductions. Rehwoldt pointed out that the crowd was booing the referee…
1. Chris Sabin and Trinity vs. Dinamico and Chika Tormenta. Chika and Trinity started out the match. Both women took turns with punch rallies. Chika hit Trinity with a shoulder tackle. Trinity hit Chika with her signature standing stink face. Dinamico tagged in and started to showboat. Sabin tagged in and returned the favor with the showboating.
Both men traded quick rollups during the chain wrestling sequence. Dinamico tagged in Chika for some double team moves. Chika held Sabin in place for a double stomp and neckbreaker by Dinamico. The referee was allowing both Dinamico and Chika in the ring at the same time. Sabin got a window of opportunity with a Tornado DDT on Dinamico after kicking off of Chika.
Trinity tagged in and cleaned house. Sabin hit Dinamico with a missile dropkick. Sabin set up Chika with a lateral press slam. Trinity hit Chika with a Split Legged Moonsault. Dinamico broke up Trinity’s pin with a PK. Dinamico hit Sabin with a diving crossbody at ringside. Chika hit Trinity with a rough looking Michinoku Driver. Sabin hit Dinamico with a PK from the paron.
Chika shoved Sabin off the apron. Chika hit Trinity with a body slam. Trinity dodged a double stomp. Sabin and Trinity hit Chika with a Full Nelson Atomic Drop for the win.
Trinity and Chris Sabin defeated Chika Tormenta and Dinamico via pinfall in 7:54.
Chris Sabin and Trinity twerked in the middle of the ring heading into break…[c]
John’s Thoughts: Decent exhibition match. Key word of the day is exhibition. It’s going to be hard for Impact to keep viewers interested with out-of-context house show matches (as was the case with the UK show a few weeks ago). What makes it tough is as a viewer we feel like we’re watching in on a AAA show as opposed to AAA showing up for an Impact show. Anyways, Dinamico did look good here in what little we got to see of him.
Josh Alexander cut a promo in the hallway praising Alex Shelley for beating him fair and square at Bound for Glory. Alexander then pointed out how he met his son backstage after the Shelley match and his son wondered where Josh’s title was? Alexander said that inspired him to get the title back. Josh then challenged the Motor City Machine Guns to a match at the Impact Plus Final Destination show. Josh noted that his tag team partner will be Zack Sabre Jr…
Eddie Edwards got a televised entrance. Latigo and Myzteziz Jr were already in the ring. This is NOT one of the two Sin Caras that appeared in WWE, but he did inherit the Sin Cara mask from one of those Sin Caras. At least Mistico is back to being Mistico. I have no clue who Latigo is, but he kinda looks like a gimp…
2. Eddie Edwards vs. Myzteziz Jr. vs. Latigo. The luchadores double teamed Eddie. Eddie chopped both opponents and yelled “USA”. Eddie took down Myzteziz with a knee. Latigo then got on the same page with Eddie in double teaming Myzteziz for a stretch of the match. Tom Hannifan did note that Impact Plus will be TNA Plus soon.
Myzteziz dumped both heels to ringside. Myzteziz hit Eddie with a Suicide Dive and hit Latigo with a corkscrew plancha. Myztezizhit Eddie with a tightrope armdrag. Latigo knocked down Myzteziz and heeled it up with the crowd. Myztezizhit Latigo with a corkscrew crossbody. Eddie tripped up Myzteziz. Latigo hit both opponents with a flip dive.
Latigo hit Eddie with a Frog Splash for a nearfall. Latigo caught Myzteziz with a superkick and Canadian Destroyer. Eddie hit Latigo with a lariat on the ramp. Eddie hit Myzteziz with a Brainbuster on the stage. Eddie hit Latigo with a Lariat and Tiger Driver for a nearfall. Myzteziz hit Latigo with a slingshot crucifix bomb.
Eddie hit Myzteziz with a power bomb. Myzteziz used his hand to block the ref’s hand from hitting 3. Latigo put Myzteziz in the Tree of Woe and hit him with a crossbody. Eddie hit Latigo with rapid headbutts. Myzteziz hit Eddie with a slingshot dropkick and power slam. Myzteziz hit Eddie with a Shooting Star Press for the win.
Myzteziz Jr. defeated Eddie Edwards and Latigo via pinfall in 11:41.
John’s Thoughts: Great exhibition. This match is one you can go out of your way to see if you have free time and want a bit of lucha libre. This felt more meaningful than the opening in that both luchadores did a great job getting their character’s over in the ring. Myzteziz Jr. was the plucky superhero and Latigo was the scumbag heel. Simple. Eddie meshed in well with his brawling style. Myzteziz Jr. in particular looked really good and I wouldn’t mind seeing him in the States (though dropping the Sin Cara mask would help if he were to make the jump).
Trey Miguel cut a promo backstage to hype up his upcoming match against Mike Bailey at the upcoming Final Resolution show…[c]
Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley cut a promo backstage to hype up their upcoming match against Josh Alexander and Zack Sabre Jr…
Entrances for the next match took place. The Sexy Star in the ring is not the old Sexy Star from Lucha Underground and AAA. That Sexy Star got justifingly blackballed due to breaking Courtney Rush’s arm a few years ago for no reason. Konnan and crew ended up giving the gimmick to another luchadora, who has actually done a good job under the mask…
Apparently, the reason they boo this ref is because he’s the local heel referee (Go to your local indie show! It’s pretty fun and tradition to boo the heel ref…)
3. Deonna Purrazzo and Lady Maravilla vs. Jordynne Grace and Sexy Star (II). Grace and Purrazzo started the match trading standing switches. Both women then traded rapid fire pin attempts. Grace then stood back for a stalemate. Hannifan hyped up Will Ospreay also appearing at an upcoming Impact show in January. Maravilla and Star tagged in. Both women traded wristlocks heading nto the regluar break. [c]
Purrazzo and Maravilla cut the ring in half on Sexy Star for a stretch back from the break. Star managed to fend off Maravilla with kicks and flips. Grace took the hot tag. Grace had some visual pins, but the heel ref did a slow count. Maravilla planted Grace with a spinebuster.
Sexy Star hit Maravilla with a reverse Shining Wizard and a Electric Chair Driver. Maravilla hit Grace with a German Suplex and had Sexy Star break up her pin. Sexy Star hit Deonna Purrazzo with a Suicide Dive. Grace hit Maravilla with a backfist combo and a Grace Driver for the victory.
Jordynne Grace and Sexy Star (II) defeated Lady Maravilla and Jordynne Grace via pinfall in 8:05 of on-air time.
John’s Thoughts: Another solid match. This filler show is way better than that UK filler show a few weeks ago because I feel like the wrestlers are actually working for the TV audience rather than for the house show crowd. Good showcase of two of AAA’s more impressive overall Luchadoras. I’m familiar with the work of both women and they did a good job here to get their stuff over. Even though it’s overdone in AAA, I accept it for the culture and get a kick out of the Heel Ref being so prominent. We haven’t had a big heel ref here since Nick Patrick.
A montage video aired of Impact’s tour in Mexico where Scott D’Ammore and various wrestlers talked about their time in Mexico…
4. Tommy Dreamer and Laredo Kid vs. Brian Myers and Black Taurus. The heel ref was reffing the match again. Kid and Myers started the match. Myers no-sold and mocked Kid’s shoulder tackles. Myers took down Kid with a shoulder tackle. Laredo Kid rallied with a dropkick and huracanrana. Myers hid behind the spanish announcers to stop Kid from hitting a dive. Kid led an “el puto” chant from the crowd.
Dreamer and Taurus tagged in. Both men no sold shoulder tackles. Taurus hit Dreamer with a Gamengiri combo in the corner. Dreamer avoided an elbow drop. Kid tagged in and hit Taurus with an axe handle strike. Kid and Dreamer cut the ring in half on Taurus. Taurus took himself out over the top rope. Dreamer teased a flip dive, but was punched by Myers.
Kid hit Taurus and Myers with a flip dive. Dreamer hit both opponents wiht a diving lariat. Dreamer spat bear in the face of Taurus. Taurus caught Dreamer with a headbutt in the ring. Myers hit Dreamer with a face wash boot. Taurus and Myers cut the ring in half on Dreamer for the stretch. Myers blocked a Bionic Elbow and hit Dreamer with an Edgeucution for a nearfall.
Myers noted that TNA Plus was launching this week. Myers and Taurus went back to cutting the ring in half on Dreamer. Kid got the hot tag and hit Taurus with a few huracanranas. Kid hit Taurus with a Poisonrana. Myers broke up Kid’s pin. Myers went for a Suicide Dive but Dreamer hit Myers with a cookie sheet. The heel ref allowed it. Laredo Kid hit Taurus with a Canadian Destroyer and Sunset Bomb for the victory.
Laredo Kid and Tommy Dreamer defeated Black Taurus and Brian Myers via pinfall in 10:38.
After the match, Tommy Dreamer hit Black Taurus with a Death Valley Driver through a table in the corner…
John’s Thoughts: A fun match with four of Impact’s contracted regulars. What was something we usually don’t see in Impact is Laredo Kid actually winning a match. It always confuses me that Laredo Kid has been in Impact for years, is a worldwide standout luchador, yet he never wins in the States or Canada. Good to see Laredo Kid get the win and look in good condition following that nasty injury that kept him out of action for a while.
Trinity was backstage hyping up her upcoming match against Jordynne Grace at Hard to Kill. Grace walked in and changed the hype to a match where they’re teaming up against Deonna Purrazzo and Gisele Shaw at Final Resolution…
All four men were already in teh ring for the next match…
5. Josh Alexander and Octagon Jr. vs. Moose and Toxin. Alexander went for a quick Ankle Lock early on. Toxin escaped and hit Alexander with an armdrag. Alexander gave Toxin props but Moose told him not to do it. Moose and Octagon tagged in. Octagon did the usual technico rallying of the crowd. Moose called for a Test of Strength and then kicked Octagon in the gut.
Octagon hit Moose with a corkscrew crossbody. Moose caught Octagon and hit him with a Fallaway Slam. Moose hit Octagon with a body slam. Moose tagged in Toxin and body slammed him on Octagon. The heel team cut the ring in half on Octagon. Moose went for the cheap lucha heat by trying to rip at Octagon’s mask. The dominance let to the break.[c]
Back from break, Josh Alexander took the hot tag. Alexander blocked the Go to Hell Sky High. Alexander hit Moose with a German Suplex. Alexander blocked Toxin’s huracanrana and hit him with a deadlift backbreaker. Octagon hit Toxin with a Salida Del Sol on the apron. Octagon hit Toxin with a 450. Moose broke up the pin.
Moose took down Alexander with a dropkick. Octagon broke up the pin. Moose no sold Octagon’s chops. Octagon hit Moose with a huracanrana and Cody Cutter for a nearfall. Octagon caught Moose with a neckbreaker and slingshot corkscrew splash for a nearfall. Toxin hit Octagon with a power bomb. Alexander tackled Toxin in the corners. Toxin gave Alexander a nasty looking German Suplex on the bottom buckle (Ouch! Given Alexander’s neck surgeries, that one made me cringe).
Alexander punched Toxin on the top rope. Toxin blocked a superplex. Alexander hit Toxin with an Argentine toss for a nearfall. Moose prevented Alexander from hitting Toxin with a C4. Toxin hit Alexander with a Corkscrew Flip Dive. Octagon hit Moose with a dropkick. Moose went for a dive but got caught mid air with an RKO by Octagon. Moose kicked out at two. Toxin tripped Octagon off the top rope and Moose hit Octagon with a Spear for the win.
Moose and Toxin defeated Octagon Jr. and Josh Alexander via pinfall in 12:45 of on-air time.
Moose and Toxin drew heat from the crowd after the match…
John’s Thoughts: A solid tag team match. I was afraid they were going to have Moose eat yet another loss heading into challenging to the world title at the TNA Relaunch PPV. Moose gets the win while Josh is protected away from the finish. Impact’s going to still have to do a lot to make midcard Moose seem like a world title contender (I saw mid card Baron Corbin do that successfully in 3 weeks in NXT the past month, so it’s not impossible). I’m not too famillar with the current Octagon Jr (who’s the superhero version of Pentagon Jr). I know this isn’t Flamita or Samuray Del Sol who had the mask in the past.
Tommy Dreamer hyped up his upcoming Digital Media title defense against Deaner at Final Resolution. Dreamer noted that 2023 was the worst year in his life (due to real life losses and trauma) and it was the Digital Media Title that gave him hope and the will to continue in wrestling…
John’s Thoughts: Another good emotional promo by Dreamer, but it’s always a bit cringey to go from serious real-talk to saying the name of the awfully branded “Digital Media Championship”. Hopefully they pull an AEW, and rename this title belt once the TNA rebrand hits. Just don’t change it to the King of the Mountain Title that only gets defended in KOTM matches (that was a thing at one point).
A Kazuchika Okada hype package aired. They actually aired highlights from Okada’s run in TNA as the “O-Kato” Character where he was the Kato to Samoa Joe’s Green Hornet. They cut to a promo of Okata talking about how much he hated TNA, but noted that struggling in TNA only made him a stronger person. Okada said it’s time he step foot in a TNA ring again. Highlights of “The Rainmaker” were shown. Okada was advertised for TNA’s Las Vegas tapings in January…
John’s Thoughts: Will Ospreay and Okada?!? This is almost making me want to buy a plane ticket to head to that show.
Everybody was in the ring for the next match already. Hannifan noted that several wrestlers in the next match have already wrestled earlier in the show…
6. Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, and El Hijo Del Vikingo vs. Trey Miguel, Latigo, and Toxin. Trey and Shelley started the match trading wristholds. Shelley embarrassed Trey with a spank to the ass. Trey put Shelley in a side headlock. Both men clashed with a few shoulder tackles. Shelley then tripped up Trey. Both men traded fighting spirit slaps.
Shelley put Trey in a deep armdrag. Shelley rolled around into a rollup pin for a two count. Sabin tagged in and the Guns gave Trey a double roundhouse. Latigo, the guy that looks like a gimp, tagged in. Latigo put Sabin in a wristlock which Sabin reversed into an armdrag. Sabin did a pose heading into break. [c]
Toxin had Shelley in a Stretch Muffler. Sabin broke up the submission. Latigo put Sabin in a submission, which Vikingo broke up. Sabin backdropped Trey. Trey came back with a CQC combo into a slingshot wrecking ball kick for a nearfall. Sabin got a few nearfalls after a few Small Packages. Trey yelled “Screw the Motor City Machine Guns!”. Vikingo tagged in and was swatted out of the air by Toxin.
Viking hit Latigo and Toxin with ranas. Vikingo hit Trey with an overhead and Final Hour. Toxin broke up the pin. Shelley put Toxin in a crossface. After Lagigo broke it up, the Machine Guns put Toxin and Latigo in stereo crossfaces. After Trey broke the submission, Vikingo dumped him to ringside and hit Trey with a Corkscrew Flip Dive. Viking dumped all his opponents to ringside and bekoned Trey to meet him in the middle of the ring.
Vikingo raded strong style fighting spirit slaps to the chest. Both men then traded kicks and chops. Miguel hit Vikingo with a Poisonrana for a close nearfall. Vikingo rolled away from Miguel’s dive and hit him with a modified Feast Your Eyes. Vikingo then hit Miguel with a Slingshot Tightrope Phoenix Splash for the win.
El Hijo Del Vikingo, Chris Sabin, and Alex Shelley defeated Trey Miguel, Latigo, and Toxin via pinfall in 13:35 of on-air time.
The babyface team stood tall to close the show…
An ad aired for Impact Final Resolution, which was hyped as the last Impact Plus show (because the company’s becoming TNA and the app is shifting to TNA Plus)…
John’s Thoughts: A fun and harmless trios match. I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t get to see much Vikingo as the guy is a joy to watch in long matches, weather is the cool moves he can do or his selling. Definitely check out some of his AEW and early Impact work for some longer showcases. As you would expect, the technico team goes over to leave the crowd going home happy.This was not a bad filler show and felt more like a good standalone showcase to a different promotion.
AAA is a fun show to watch when you have the time (at one point it was unwatchable for me but ever since they took the book away from Vampiro and handed it to Konnan, the show, like Impact recently, went from groan inducing to a logical and well booked weekly wrestling show, just with a lucha libre flavor). I’m surprised they never got a TV deal in the US given how good their show has been the last few years. As for this Impact, nothing consequential, but I feel the novelty of Lucha Libre is enough of a hook to watch the show if you have some free time and want a taste of lucha. Stay the hell away from last week’s trash ass Impact IPWF show though (I’m still sour over reviewing their awful throwback show).
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