Impact Wrestling: Against All Odds
June 12, 2021
by Samoa Rowe
From Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, still behind closed doors. Our hosts are Josh Mathews and D'Lo Brown.
Street Fight:
The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows) vs. Tommy Dreamer and Sami Callihan
There's no tags and both teams lock up. Sami questions why they're grappling in a Street Fight and out come the chairs for a ringside brawl. Dreamer rings a bell against Anderson's groin while Sami attacks Gallows with a neon green kendo stick. Dreamer and Callihan leave for “the convenient store in the back” and return with a collection of extra shiny trash cans. Sami tries to cut open Doc's face with a One Way sign. Anderson crotches Dreamer on the rails and smashes a steel pan over his head. Meanwhile, Gallows wraps a chain around Sami's face. Sami hog ties Gallows and smashes a can into his knees. The Good Brothers remove Sami in order to double team Dreamer with weapon attacks. Dreamer saves himself with a cutter on Anderson and DDT on Gallows. Anderson responds with a sidewalk slam, Sami tackles the ref to stop the count. The Good Brothers put Dreamer through a table with a Magic Killer and Sami makes another last second save. Callihan cleans house with a baseball bat and pins Anderson at 11:10. They looked like they were having fun, but this was a pretty basic weapons match, **½.Winners: Sami Callihan and Tommy Dreamer
Sami triumphantly points his bat at Dreamer, as if to remind him that they aren't friends, but ultimately shakes his hand.
Joe Doering (with Violent By Design) vs. Satoshi Kojima (with Eddie Edwards)
Kojima tests Doering with some running shoulder blocks. Doering finally gets knocked down but sprints up for a clothesline. Doering keeps Kojima on defense with his ground and pound offense. Kojima answers with machine gun chops to the chest. Both men go down after a spinebuster. Kojima manages a suplex onto the apron, but he gets attacked by Rhino and Deaner. Kojima recovers with a DDT in the ring for a 2 count. Doering hits a slam for 2, but his powerbomb is blocked. Kojima delivers a slick cutter, but then runs into Doering's DVD and Clothesline From Hell! Kojima kicks out! Doering immediately hits a sitout powerbomb to win at 9:03. This was competent, but dragged at times, **.Winner: Joe Doering
Backstage promo with Decay. If they play their cards right, they could all leave as champions.
X-Division Championship #1 Contenders Match:
Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Rohit Raju vs. Petey Williams vs. Trey Miguel
They waste no time going right into a chaotic spotfest. Raju and Bey work together, but Petey comes back and piles them with a running bulldog, followed by a dropkick/senton combo. Bey hits Petey with a head scissors into an enziguri. Everyone else is napping at ringside. Ace pops up to block Petey's springboard attempt, and tries to put Bey away quickly. Ace cartwheels over a clothesline, but Miguel returns with a wild dive onto everyone. Miguel puts Ace into a sharpshooter and won't let go when Bey punches him. Petey puts Bey into a sharpshooter close enough to slug Miguel. Raju seizes the opportunity to put the boots to everyone. Raju enjoys a lengthy hot streak, which ends when Bey hits a torture rack slam for 2. Ace piles Bey and Raju for a double guillotine leg drop! Petey returns with a Codebreaker on Ace, and then a side Russian leg sweep for 2. DDT by Petey, but Ace blocks the Destroyer. Petey blocks a superplex and hits a TOP ROPE CANADIAN DESTROYER! Miguel breaks the pinfall and hits a swinging neckbreaker. Miguel perches on the ropes but Madman Fulton arrives to shove him down. Fulton manages to slam four guys at once, and drapes Ace into a pinfall, but the referee refuses to count and rules a no contest at 12:30. Huh, usually these multi-man matches are married to the No DQ aspect of it, so there goes 2 decades of precedents. Good spotfest, the nonfinish should move Ace and Fulton forward, ***.No Contest
Slammiversary hype video, teasing the arrival of former WWE talent.
W. Morrissey vs. Rich Swann
Swann looks for a hot start but gets tossed out. Swann returns with calculated kicks to the knees and an enziguri. Swann blocks a chokeslam, Morrissey blocks a rana, Swann bites the forehead and hits a pop up dropkick. Swann lands a somersault senton off the apron! Swann springboards into a boot to his gut. Morrissey dominates with Performance Center big man offense. Swann dodges a head of steam and pulls the ropes to crotch Morrissey. Roundhouse kick by Swann, and then a bulldog into the ring post! Swann hits a leaping kick off of the ring steps, and then hits a 450 splash from the apron! It looks like Swann got the worst of that spot. They beat the countout, and Swann hits a normal 450 splash for only 2! Phoenix Splash only gets 1, as Morrissey sits up and lifts Swann into an F5! Oddly, Morrissey doesn't go for a pin, instead looking for a chokeslam that Swann blocks. Swann back handsprings into a big boot. Morrissey hits double powerbombs and still doesn't go for the pin. Swann gives a middle finger salute, so Morrissey hits one final powerbomb to win at 11:41. They had a decent match in them, but this went a little too long, **.Winner: W. Morrissey
Backstage interview with Deonna Purrazzo, Kimber Lee, and Susan. Purrazzo is gleeful about their chances of all walking out as champions, personally she's not sweating that freak, Rosemary. Purrazzo challenges Lee and Susan to prove that they belong at her side.
Tenille Dashwood (with Kaleb with a K) vs. Jordynne Grace (with Rachel Ellering)
They lock up and Grace corners Dashwood. Ineffective shoulder block by Tenille, and her crossbody is countered. Grace nails some running shoulder blocks, and then a Timber Slam for 2. Grace hits a spinning full nelson slam. Kaleb pulls Tenille to safety, and she blocks Grace's baseball slide dropkick. Kaleb and Tenille drag Grace off the apron for a rough landing. Tenille takes control of the match, and I'm trying to shake off a comment I heard Wade Keller recently make about Tenille wrestling like a wet noodle. Tenille illegally uses the Tarantula, but Grace counters her low crossbody with a body slam. Grace wins a slugfest and hits a pair of scoop slams. Grace wins another slugfest and delivers brutal running offense, and a Vader Bomb for only 2. Tenille answers with a high crossbody for an expected 2 count. Tenille's stacking neckbreaker would have ended it but for a rope break. Grace slingshots into a rear naked choke. Kaleb distracts the ref, but Ellering knocks him down. Grace yells at Ellering and gets pinned in a roll-up at 11:03. Ah man, I would have expected Jordynne's character to be smarter than this. Decent match, but that finish leaves a lot to be desired, **½.Winner: Tenille Dashwood
Grace plants Kaleb with a Michinoku Driver for good measure.
Brian Myers and his pupil, Sam Beale, have been studying the show and asks him for notes. Jake Something interrupts, telling the protege to do the opposite of whatever Brian says. Brian tells his student to not take the bait. Something dares Brian to man up and do something about it.
Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship;
Fire N Flava © (Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz) vs. Susan and Kimber Lee
Susan has gone full cartoon in her “I demand to speak to the manager” persona. Fire N Flava get a hot start, but Steelz suffers a possible knee injury, allowing Kimber to take control with a spin kick. Steelz does a good job selling a beatdown and eventually makes the hot tag. Kiera looks good cleaning house, and hits a running low dropkick on Susan. Jawbreaker by Susan, and Kimber tags for a side slam on Hogan for 2. Fire N Flava deliver a tandem blockbuster, but Susan then catches Steelz with a superplex. The match breaks down, but Susan tags herself in just as Kimber has the wind in her sails. Kimber helps with a Kim-bomb but Susan gets 2. Hogan plants Susan, and Steelz flies into Kimber with a missile dropkick. Frog splash on Susan gets the 3 count for Steelz at 9:12. Not bad, just an average middle of the show match, **½.Winners and still Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champions: Fire N Flava
Impact Tag Team Championship:
Violent By Design (Cody Deaner and Rhino, with Eric Young) vs. Decay (Black Taurus and Crazzy Steve)
Steve outwrestles Deaner in the opening exchange, prompting Deaner to take a timeout and get chewed out by Eric. Deaner returns with an aggressive edge, but still gets double teamed by Decay. Another timeout by Deaner, this time Eric takes a softer approach and whispers marching orders. That amounts to a tag to Rhino, who gets picked apart by Taurus. Rhino simply connects with a spinning elbow to take control for VBD. Springboard crossbody by Taurus allows a hot tag to Steve, who admirably tries to insert some energy into what's been a pretty meandering match. Steve hits a twisting DDT out of the buckles for a good nearfall. Deaner recovers with a running knee to the ribs, and pulls Steve into a sitout powerbomb. Steve sprints into a low flatliner, and Taurus returns with a missile dropkick. Taurus slams Steve onto Deaner, and then delivers a popup Samoan Drop. Steve drives Deaner for a good nearfall. Steve removes Rhino and unloads a flurry onto Deaner. Rhino knocks Steve off the buckles, and Deaner finishes with a spike DDT at 10:40. This was an overwhelming average tag team match, **.Winners and still Impact Tag Team Champions: Violent By Design
Video promo highlighting the tortured soul that is Maclin (formerly known as Steve Cutler). He brands himself "Mr. Mayhem" and is coming to an Impact ring near you.
Impact Knockouts Championship:
Deonna Purrazzo © vs. Rosemary
Rosemary is really motivated to not taste defeat like her Decay stablemates and takes it to Purrazzo at the opening bell. Rosemary hits an exploder suplex onto the ramp! Deonna stumbles up and repeatedly smashes Rosemary's arm into the ring post. She continues picking apart the freshly injured arm to set up her submission finishers. Rosemary makes a comeback, just as the formula requires, and locks on a Last Chancery. Purrazzo reverses into the Venus de Milo. Rosemary gets the ropes, so Deonna stomps her knee brace and pulls it off. Rosemary absorbs a pump kick and then pops up for a spear for 2. Rosemary's knee buckles and Purrazzo finishes with a piledriver at 12:01. This was shaping up to be a pretty typical formula match, but Deonna threw out the script by switching her focus to Rosemary's bad knee after she realized her arm work wasn't getting her anywhere, **¾.Winner and still Impact Knockouts Champion: Deonna Purrazzo
The Skyway Studios broadcast ends, and the program shifts to Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida. Scott D'Amore and Tony Schiavone take over commentary.
Impact World Championship:
Kenny Omega © (with Don Callis) vs. Moose
Tentative start by Kenny, he locks on a side headlock, but Moose just stands still and escapes. Kenny pummels Moose into the buckles, can't hit an Irish whip, and Moose throws Omega across the ring. Kenny can't carry Moose to the top rope but manages a rana. Moose initially blocks a dive, but Kenny boots him off the apron for a Terminator dive. Finlay Roll by Omega, but Moose blocks the moonsault and hits one of his own. Moose focuses his attacks onto Kenny's back. Moose misses a head of steam and goes flying over the rails and rows of chairs. Kenny goes to work on Moose's shoulders. Moose fires back with a boot, but Kenny reverses a discus lariat into an armbreaker. Moose breaks the hold with a slam and they take a breather. Moose clutches his arm while hitting dropkicks. He pulls Omega off the buckles for a sitout powerbomb. Snap Dragon by Omega, and then the first V-Trigger of the night. Second V-Trigger only gets 2. They slug it out until Kenny hits a driver for 2. He hits more V-Triggers into the shoulders, hoists Moose up for the One Winged Angel, but Moose slips free for a lariat! Moose might have seriously injured his shoulder and gets checked by Doc Sampson. Kenny lunges into another V-Trigger, Moose sprints up for a top rope Spanish Fly! Late cover gets 2! Moose goes for a running cannonball, but Kenny pulls the ref into harm's way. The Young Bucks show up on cue for a Superkick Partay! They dish out a BTE Trigger and help lift Moose up for the One Winged Angel, and the ref wakes up to count to 3 at 22:50. That finish left me rolling my eyeballs more than anything. Everything before that was rock solid, it was cool watching Kenny have a longform match against a big guy like Moose, ***½.Winner and still Impact World Champion: Kenny Omega
Sami Callihan appears in the ring with a bat and clears out the Elite. Callis reminds Callihan that he's the boss and orders him to stop. Callihan prepares a chair for Omega, so Callis fires him on the spot, allowing Omega to slip out. Does this mean Callihan is headed to AEW?
Final Thoughts: This was a disappointingly flat show, filled with average matches. This show needed some extra sizzle in the main event, and if the events that unfolded result in the Young Bucks being more involved with Impact and Callihan being more involved with AEW, the show-closing angle might age well. As it stands, give this one a pass.
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