wrestling / TV Reports
Cazer’s Impact Wrestling Review 3.17.22
Image Credit: Impact Wrestling
Loading...Hey Yo, it’s Thursday so let’s watch some Impact wrestling. I’m stoked for this weeks episode as they have a hell of a card on tap. Steve Maclin has become one of my favorite wrestlers to watch in Impact so his match with Rhino tonight will be one I watch with some intrigue. I’m not anti Rhino but I do wonder how much he brings to the table from the in ring perspective at this stage in his career. I’m not saying he’s bad either I’m just saying I’m interested to see how this match with Maclin goes. Deonna Purrazzo continues her Champ-Champ challenge as she defends against Gisele Shaw and Lady Frost in triple threat action. Deonna’s got to be the favorite in this one but anything can happen in a triple threat.
The duo representing the Bullet Club Jay White & Chris Bey will take on one of Impact’s most notable teams in The Motor City Machine Guns. This is one of the two matches i’m most excited for tonight, with the Bullet Club involved I’m sure there will be shenanigans but if this match gets time it could be really fun to watch. Josh Alexander will face Matt Taven in a singles match that I’m very excited for as well. Both Taven and Alexander were two superstars I kept an eye on over the last few years and have become fans of especially recently. Again shenanigans could occur with Honor No More around but if they get time this could be a really awesome match. This is one of the better built Impact episodes I’ve personally seen in a while, Impact has really started to hit a level of consistency with some good to great shows. I’m hopeful this show will follow that trend. Lets get to the action.
– Tribute to Scott Hall opens up the show. Scott was such a cool dude who was impactful in some way in so many companies. RIP to a legend.
Jay White & Chris Bey vs. Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin
The Machine Guns are back and i’m so excited to see it. Truly one of my favorite Impact teams throughout the years. I havent seen them team up much in recent years so i’m very excited for this. Shelley offers a handshake early but Jay simply taunts in his face and eats a series of chops for his gloating. Jay fights back with chops of his own and tries to send Shelley into the ropes but Shelley counters and tags in Sabin. They hit a creative tag team move on Jay sending him to the outside. Jay slowly re enters the ring and tags Bey in to face off with Sabin. Sabin with a headlock takedown, Bey sends him off into the ropes, Sabin bounces back with a shoulder block but Bey with an immediate kip up and tells Sabin to bring it. Bey with a dropkick of his own before posing for the camera. Shelley with a blind tag, Sabin sets Bey up and Shelley with a kick to the chest. Shelley and Sabin with the double running kick on Bey. These two are still one of the best tag teams in the world. Shelley with a shoulder breaker, Sabin tags in Shelley sets Bey up and he leapfrogs Shelley onto the shoulder of Bey. Sabin with a wristlock continues to work the shoulder, Shelley tags in and drops right onto the shoulder of Bey. Sabin sets his boots up in the corner and Shelley sends Bey face first before tagging him in. Again the MCMG set up a unique tag team combination on Bey. Sabin with the cover but Bey kicks out at two. Sabin with an abdominal stretch but Jay tries to break it up. Shelley jumps in the ring and locks in a stretch of his own. Jay finally counters and breaks up the hold Sabin had on Bey. Shelley goes for a baseball slide and misses but Sabin connects with one of his own. Bey charges at Sabin near the ropes he’s launched onto the apron where Shelley drops him to the outside. Shelley opens up the ropes so Sabin can easily hit the tope to the outside. This is great. Shelley tosses Bey into the ring, Sabin sets him up on his shoulders, Bey rolls through but Shelley still hits a splash. Bey gets set up in the corner and Sabin heads to the top after tagging in but Jay White pushes his leg out from under him sending him groin first into the top turnbuckle. Jay holds the MCMG outside the ring so Bey can hit the dive onto them outside the ring. Jay and Bey are suddenly back in the ring after just being on the ramp, they’re quick. Jay tags in and nails Shelley with a chop and a suplex. Jay covers but Shelley immediately kicks out. Jay with the elbow to the head of Shelley and tags in Bey. Bey starts choking Shelley in the corner. Bey distracts the referee while Jay holds Shelley by the hair. Bey charges Shelley in the corner but Shelley dodges, Bey stops the tag and hits Shelley with a standing moonsault. Bey heads to the top and goes for a double stomp but Shelley counters. Shelley sends Bey face first into the middle turnbuckle and both men make a tag. Sabin with the upper hand early but Jay sends him into the ropes, Sabin responds with a flurry of forearms and a backbody drop. Bey to the top ropes and dives in but takes a dropkick for his efforts. Jay in the corner and Sabin hits him with a clothesline. Sabin sets him up in the tree of woe but Bey goes for a suplex. Shelley sends Bey into the corner, Sabin sends Bey into Jay in the corner by way of an Alex Shelley suplex. Sabin to the top rope and hits Jay with the satellite DDT he covers but Jay kicks out just in time. Sabin charges Jay in the corner but Jay moves and hits Sabin with a snap suplex into the bottom turnbuckle. Bey tags in and drops Shelley off the apron. Bey with an uppercut to Sabin in the corner and runs to dive on Shelley across the ring. Bey to the top and hits Sabin with a big cross body. Bey sets Sabin up on his shoulders and spins him out into a neck breaker and cover for a two count. Bey looks for art of finesse but Sabin counters. Shelley catches Bey and hits him with a dragonscrew, dragonscrews for everyone. Forearm from Bey into Shelley. Shelley takes control he sets Jay White up and drops Bey and Jay with simultaneous moves with the help of Sabin. Sabin with a neck breaker to Bey and Shelley hits a cross body. They hit skull and bones and cover for the victory in 12:38.
Rating: ***3/4
Review: This was a sweet match, the finish was a bit odd not sure if it was intended to be a huge close call to set up a rematch, that’s most likely the case but for now it feels like a tough loss for Jay and Bey. Looking forward to the rematch if we get it down the line.
– They recap the finish from the previous match so it’s pretty clear we’re going to see them run that back down the road. Rehwoldt shouts out Impact’s tag team division, and it’s fair, the division has been exciting and if you get the MCMG back it’s even better.
Steve Maclin vs. Rhino
Maclin let Rhino have it at Sacrifice and that sets up the interesting match up we have before ourselves. Maclin has been having solid matches lately, I expect this to be less fast paced and more hard hitting. The former Santino, Anthony Carelli is here on commentary tonight. They start out with the heavy shots early Rhino backs Maclin into the corner and hits him with a few shots before sending him into the ropes. Maclin with a shot to the midsection and Rhino immediately responds with a shoulder block. We go to commercial as Rhino hits Maclin with a headbutt sending him into the corner.
Back from commercial and Rhino looks to send Maclin into the corner but Maclin counters. Maclin on the apron and hangs Rhino up on the top rope. Maclin slides back in and hammers away at Rhino with lefts and rights. Maclin stocks Rhino and hangs him up on the ropes. Maclin off the ropes and hits Rhino with a leg to the back on the ropes. Maclin covers but Rhino kicks out. Maclin with a series of elbowdrops and knees to the shoulder of Rhino. Rhino in the corner and Maclin lays into him with chops and right hands. Rhino fights out of the corner but Maclin hits him with a DDT. Maclin covers for a two count before Rhino kicks out. Maclin with the chinlock on Rhino and he tries to fight out, finally he does before heading to the top rope. Carelli mentions DTA and Tom immediately says DTF haha. Maclin with a headbutt from the top but Rhino moves out of the way. The crowd chants for Rhino to get to his feet and finally he does. Maclin with the quick counter and hits him with an olympic slam, that Tom called a belly to back suplex, maybe it was and I saw it wrong. Maclin looking for a suplex but Rhino blocks it and hits one of his own. The crowd chants for the Gore and Maclin quickly hits Rhino with a knee in the corner and drops him with a spear/gore of his own and covers for the victory in 9:50.
Rating: ***
Review: I wasn’t expecting that but I really liked it. Rhino’s clearly getting older but he was more than capable in this place and helps give Maclin a legitimate victory. I really enjoy how they went to the finish after the crowd started to chant for Rhino to go for the gore. It’s also nice to get a couple of back to back long matches to open the show.
– The Iinspiration are backstage with Kaleb and tell him they forgive him but say he better get it right next time. They say they know he will before walking off.
– Rhino’s in the back and Heath comes up he says they’re better as a unit and they need to get the band back together and get the Impact tag team titles. Rhino says he knows what he’s saying, they need to fulfill the promise they made to each other and the fans. Rhino gets real hyped up and says they’re going after the tag team titles now. This is a good way to get Heath and Rhino back into the already exciting tag team division.
Larry D vs. Bhupinder Gujar
– Brian Meyers is back to do commentary for this one, great. Larry D is also back after having left Impact for a short bit, not sure if this is a full time return or what. Lock up early and Larry sends Gujar into the corner. Larry D with a shoulderblock to Gujar but he pops right back up. Gujar with a dropkick to the knee and it sends Larry to the mat. Gujar with a springboard elbowdrop and covers Larry D for the two count. Gujar backs Larry into the corner and stomps away but Raj Singh comes to ringside and distracts Gujar. Larry lays into Gujar with forearms to the face and follows with a kick to the midsection. Gujar fights back with shots to the midsection and bounces off the ropes. Larry drops Gujar and covers for a two count and immediately transitions into a headlock. Gujar to his feet but Larry sends him right back to the mat. Larry D lifts Gujar up but he fights free. Larry D runs through a Gujar clothesline and delivers one of his own. Larry D lays into Gujar with forearms and rakes away at his eyes and skull. Larry lifts Gujar up and forearms him before chopping him so hard he falls to the mat. Gujar in the corner and Larry slams him into the opposing turnbuckle, he does it again but Gujar fires up and hits him with a sling blade. Gujar with a backbreaker and then a ripcord knee. Larry D bounces off the ropes into the arms of Gujar who drops him with a samoan drop. Larry D to his feet and hits Gujar with a chop and drops him to the mat before stomping on his head. Larry D covers for a two count. Larry goes for a clothesline in the corner but Gujar blocks it, he goes for one of his own and is sent onto the apron. Gujar climbs to the top turnbuckle, Larry D tries for a superplex. Gujar fights out with headbutts and sends Larry into the ring. Gujar with the corner spear and covers Larry for the victory in 5:55.
Rating; **1/2
Review: This was a decent match but the crowd wasn’t looking to help out much at all as there were a lot of fans behind Larry D not the babyface. Gujar is pretty cool and slowly growing on me, his finish was cool this week as it came out of nowhere and was well done.
Post match: Morrisey heads to ringside to once again beat up Meyers who runs to the back. Raj tries to celebrate with Gujar but he sends him to the outside. Raj runs into W. Morrisey who hits him with a powerbomb through the table.
– Ace Austin tells Mike Bailey he’s excited for him to have his back so he can become X-Division world champion again. Mike Bailey says he is as well because he’s certain ONE OF THEM will become champion. Ace is skeptical of his wording before walking off. I like how they’re building this up with these two.
– Honor No More are backstage and they have words for Josh Alexander. Kenny King tells him to sleep with one eye open. Taven says they came to Impact and took what they wanted, whether it’s the tag titles or the world title it doesn’t matter. Alisha Edwards comes up and Taven tells him to keep his girl in check. Alisha tells Taven he can’t beat Josh because he’s the one who brought the title back to Impact at Bound for Glory. Eddie says thats fine she chose Impact. Alisha says it’s a bullshit ultimatum, she says she chose Impact over Honor No More but he’s still her husband and he doesn’t want to see her go down the wrong path. Eddie says he’s not going down the wrong path Impact is.
Champ Champ Challenge
Gisele Shaw vs. Lady Frost vs. Deonna Purazzo (c)
Deonna gets comfortable in the corner taunting her opponents and Lady Frost goes for an early roll up but Deonna breaks it up. Deonna and Shaw team up to drop Frost and sends her to the outside. Deonna and Shaw lock up, Shaw with the knee tot he midsection but Deonna with the quick takedown into an ankle lock but Shaw fights out and takes her down with a headlock. Lady Frost gets involved and takes Shaw down with a crossbody, she follows with a cartwheel off the back of Purrazzo into a strike. Shaw gets involved sending Frost into the corner. Deonna goes after Shaw in the corner and she avoids the shot forcing Purrazzo to go shoulder first into the ring post. Shaw goes for a standing spanish fly but they botch it, Shaw with the cover for two, Deonna with a moonsault onto both women as the ref checks on Frost. Deonna covers Frost and she kicks out. She then covers Shaw and she kicks out. Deonna with a submission on Shaw but Frost fights back and locks in a submission of her own. They both break and Frost catches Deonna in the corner. Shaw with an ugly suplex on Frost and follows with a senton right on the stomach of Frost. She charges Frost in the corner but she dodges it. Frost with the cannonball on Shaw in the corner. Frost goes for a suplex on Shaw but Deonna cuts her off and gives both women german suplexes. Deonna to the top but Lady Frost cuts her off and hits a suplex on the champ. Shaw lifts Frost up for a suplex but she rolls through into a roll up. Shaw with a superkick on Frost and Shaw covers for two. Shaw charges Frost but eats a combination of kicks sending her to the mat. Frost heads to the top rope and hits the blockbuster on Shaw. Deonna into the ring and hits a piledriver on Frost and covers for the victory in 6:08.
Rating: *3/4
Review: They made the best of this match, I really wonder why Shaw is the woman they’re giving this time to as she consistently has some pretty obvious botches in her matches and seems a bit reckless in the ring. Deonna winning and continuing to be champ champ makes sense until they eventually have her challenge for the Knockouts title again.
– Gia is backstage with Josh and asks about his upcoming match with Taven and future title match with Moose. Josh says he’s going to take care of Taven tonight and then set his sights on Moose and his Impact title because the contract is already signed, at least on his end. Moose still has to sign but Josh says Scott gave him until the end of the show and he expects Moose to try and do it the most dramatic way possible.
– We recap the Good Brothers requesting a rematch for their Impact World Tag Team Titles next week against VBD. We come back from the recap and Scott’s backstage with The Good Brothers and tells them they’ll get their match. He tells them he wants to tell them this face to face because next week he’s letting all of the other teams watch their match next week. He says they’ll be lumberjacks next week to keep an eye on the action next week. He says at Rebellion the winners will defend the titles in an eight team elimination challenge. Gallows says he doesn’t care because they’re seven time champs and wont mind becoming eight time world tag team champions on Scott’s dime.
JONAH vs. Zicky Dice
Jonah has had a hell of a run in Impact just running through geeks and tonight seems no difference. JONAH drops Zicky from behind, heads to the top rope and hits Tsunami for the victory in :30.
Rating: N/A
Review: Short sweet and too the point.
Post match: Jonah tosses Zicky to the outside before PCO’s theme hits. The doctors wheel PCO out on a medical bed and he steps off it while wearing a neck brace. He slowly makes his way to the ring and gets face to face with JONAH. They brawl in the center of the ring before officials hit the ring to break it up. They try to walk JONAH up the ramp but PCO heads to the top rope and tries to dive on Jonah and the security, Jonah moves just in time so PCO takes out a bunch of security on the outside.
– They show a video of Tasha Steelz ambushing Mickie at her own concert before cutting to the backstage with Mickie and Gia to ask about Mickie’s upcoming streetfight. Mickie says she will give Tasha the asskicking her mama never gave her. Chelsea tells Mickie she needs to be in her corner but Mickie says it’s not necessary. Chelsea says she knows she’s a legend but begs her to let her help. Mickie tells Chelsea she’s hurt so she can’t have her at ringside because it’s not worth it. Mickie says she will become the new Knockouts champion and tells her to trust her.
Masha Slamovich vs. Arie
Arie seems hesitant early and offers a handshake. Masha accepts then transitions into a high angle suplex. Arie in the corner and Masha charges for a big boot. Arie moves and lays into Masha with some forearms in the corner. Masha slams Arie into the corner and hits her with a spinning heel kick. Masha with a heel kick to the back of Arie’s head. Masha lifts Arie up and hits her with the snowplow before covering for the victory in 1:00.
Rating: N/A
Review: Another short sweet to the point match. I like seeing Masha make quick work of her opponents but I wouldn’t mind seeing her in a longer feud or match sooner than later.
– Zicky’s backstage with Gia and says he doesn’t understand he has the look, the body and charisma but there’s a hole in his game, maybe he just sucks as a wrestler. He says Brian Meyers tried to help him, but he needs someplace to help. Gia tells him to try a wrestling school, he says the words as she says them and then immediately seems pumped up. This could lead to something ridiculous or awesome or both and i’m all for it.
– We get a commercial for Swingers Dungeon and we get a non endorsement from none other than Lance Storm. This is the great stuff I was hoping for.
Josh Alexander vs. Matt Taven
Maria Kannelis out on commentary. Slow start early, Taven with a headlock, Josh reverses into a headlock of his own, Taven sends Josh off the ropes. Josh responds with a shoulderblock and Taven slithers out of the ring. Taven gets back into the ring and teases a test of strength before kicking Josh in the mid section. Taven with a chop then suplex to Josh, he covers but Josh immediately kicks out. Taven sends Josh into the corner but Josh hits him with an elbow to the face. Josh charges Taven in the corner, Taven reverses out and hits Josh with a dropkick as he bounces off the ropes. Taven taunts before chopping Josh in the corner and following with a knee to the midsection Josh charges him but Taven counters and sends Josh to the apron. Taven catches Josh on the top ropes and goes for something off the top ropes but it doesn’t really connect. Josh sells the arm anyway and takes a dropkick from Taven to the outside as we go to commercial.
We return as Taven drives Josh’ shoulder into the mat. Taven continues to work the shoulder as Josh makes his way to his feet but is just slammed to the mat again. Taven with a submission but he’s rolled up for a two count. Josh to his feet and takes clothesline from Taven. Taven continues to work the shoulder but Josh fights out with strikes to the midsection. Taven lifts him up but Josh reverses, Taven with a ripcord flatliner and floats over into a submission. Josh with a rollup again, both men to their feet and Josh hits Taven with a series of suplexes. Taven fights out and takes Josh down with a twisting neckbreaker. Taven goes for a lionsault but Josh gets the knees up blocks it. Both men to their feet again and Josh drops Taven with a clothesline. He sends Taven into the ropes and hits him with a backbody drop. Taven in the corner to regroup, Josh with a forearm and follows with a big boot. Josh lets Taven get up, Taven fights but Josh hits a northernlights suplex into a bridging cover for a two count. Taven lifts Taven up for the c4 spike, Taven fights out but eats a forearm to the face. Josh sends Taven into the corner but Taven counters with an enziguri and follows with a purple thunder bomb. Taven covers but gets a two and rolls right into the submission. Josh fights free and hits the trio of suplexes onto Taven and lifts him up for the c4 spike again. Taven counters and takes Josh out with a running knee strike. They get to their feet and start exchanging strikes Josh sends Taven to the outside he tries to skin the cat but Josh tries to catch him, Josh sets him on the apron and hits the crossbody to the back sending them both to the outside. Josh with a forearm to the back of Taven, again looks for the c4 spike, Taven fighting to block it, Josh with another forearm, Taven goes for a roll up but Josh kicks out. Taven with a springboard enziguri. Taven looks for the climax but Josh fights out and locks in the ankle lock. Taven crawls to the ropes and forces the break. Taven hangs up Josh’s arm on the top ropes and heads to the top. Josh catches him up top with a superplex, he rolls right into the c4 spike. Josh with the cover and the victory.
Rating: ****
Review: This was a really great back and forth there were multiple times I really thought Taven could’ve taken it even though it makes the most sense for Josh to win. I’m not mad at the finish at all and i’m really excited to see more of Taven in Impact because this was an awesome match from him.
– Moose shows up at Josh Alexander’s house to hand his wife the contract for the Impact Championship match. Moose tells his wife that he was on the way to the Anthem offices and figured since they live close they can deliver the contract for him. He talks to Josh’s son and tells him to give him a message for him and says he’ll see him soon before walking off.
