wrestling / TV Reports
Cazer’s Impact Wrestling Review 6.23.22
Image Wrestling: Impact Wrestling
Loading...We are fresh off of a well-received Slammiversary PPV and ready to begin our quick build to Against All Odds in just eight days. Josh Alexander retained his championship in a solid match against Eric Young but it seems that burden is not completely removed as Josh will face off with Deaner tonight. We’ll also see the fallout from the Queen of the Mountain match continue as Mia Yim will face off with Chelsea Green. Neither Mia nor Chelsea won the match but at one point Mia sent Chelsea and Deonna crashing to the outside through two tables on the floor. Chelsea looks to get her revenge just days later. The Anniversary isn’t over yet as we still have Shark Boy around and I can’t say I’m mad about it. He will team up with Bhupinder Gujar to face Johnny Swinger and Zicky Dice. Shark Boy just won the reverse battle royal after beating Zicky in the finals, Zicky is hoping to avenge his loss here but I don’t like his chances. All this and I’m sure more is on tap for tonight so let’s get to it!
– They open with a great recap package from Slammiversary, this was well done as it should be for a big 20-year anniversary event. I miss Mike Tenay and Don West. Not even taking a shot at the current commentary just hearing Mike do the intro was great.
– Honor No More come out and take over right away. Bennet takes the camera as Eddie cuts a promo continuing to trash Impact. He says that Slammiversary was Sunday but they haven’t stopped celebrating. Eddie says we are looking at the one bright spot in Impact but the Impact originals are doing the most celebrating. Eddie says they didn’t win at Slammiversary and Honor No More did not lose. Eddie blames PCO for their loss but Vincent steps up for him and keeps saying, man. Vincent brings up a bunch of moments from Slammiversary including the hero of the night man, Earl Hebner. Vincent says Impact planned the whole thing. Taven calls it 20 years of mediocrity until Honor No More walked in those doors. Taven claims Impact trends every week because of them but feels like it’s not true. Maybe local trends. Taven says he didn’t kill ROH he saved Impact Wrestling.
America’s Most Wanted come out to defend Impact. Storm still looks so cool and then there’s Braden Walker. Storm introduces the team and he’s a notch below his best but still better on the mic than many. Storm says over 25 years they made their name, in a time when wrestlers looked like wrestlers, not like bums. Oh, I know that stung Eddie. Storm tells them they should’ve learned from their loss, Taven says they didn’t lose, and Storm says the problem is they suck.
Kenny King says they’re talking a lot of smoke coming out alone because there’s nothing worse than a washed-up drunken cowboy and his pussycat Chris Harris. Harris tells Kenny those are hurtful words but if he keeps it up Harris will make him cry harder than he did on the bachelorette. Harris says they’re proud of everything they did in that ring. Harris runs down the teams they’ve beaten over time and only lists a few. Harris says they met a couple of friends at Slammiversary this brings out the Good Brothers who have had a change of attitude recently. Both teams brawl and Honor No More have the numbers with Taven and Bennett backing up Harris until the Briscoes come out to make the save. This is probably the most intriguing group to face off with Honor No More to me, but honestly just split Honor No More and give everyone singles runs. I’m tired of them facing off with a random stable just to come out on the losing end or 50/50 at best. They’re all better off without the group that’s why PCO does so much stuff solo, I’d just let them all go that way sooner than later.
– Giselle is backstage with Lish and asks her what happened against Masha, Lish says she was supposed to coach her but she didn’t because she’s scared of Masha. Lish says they were supposed to be a team and Giselle calls her a clinger. Lish says she’s going to team with Lady Frost and a bunch of other women who hate Giselle. Shaw says that’s great because she’s destined for gold and going to go find a tag team partner to help her with that now.
– Taven says they have to find Scott D’Amore and he just happens to be right there. Scott tells them they bit off more than they can chew. Maria calls Slammiversary a fluke, Scott says, of course, it is so he gives them an opportunity at Against All Odds in a ten-man tag against the Briscoes, Good Brothers, and James Storm. Scott sets up Taven, Bennett, and Eddie to face the Briscoes and Storm tonight, he tells them to kill each other it’ll be great.
– They officially announced Josh vs. Doring, even though I saw it announced on Twitter yesterday hence why I had it in the post earlier but now we’re all on the same page.
Mia Yim vs. Chelsea Green
These two had a couple of interesting encounters at Slammiversary including Mia dumping her off the top of a ladder through two tables alongside Deonna Purrazzo. Mia and Chelsea are both a lot of fun to watch so this should be sweet. Deonna joining us on commentary lovely. Mia Yim’s entrance video is pretty sweet, over time I think she’ll really find a way to match her energy with it as she comes out. Chelsea with a pump kick early it misses, Mia with two arm drags and a roll-up for two. Chelsea with an enziguri sends Mia into the corner, she charges but Mia moves, Chelsea sends her face-first into the top turnbuckle and follows with the curb stomp and cover for two. Chelsea shoves Mia outside and follows with a baseball slide. Chelsea attempts a suplex outside but Mia blocks it and hits one of her own as we go to the commercial.
Back from break and Mia with a roll-up for two. Mia locks in a surfboard stretch, not really locking it in too tough. Mia attempts a kick but Chelsea ducks it and sends her to the mat, Chelsea lays into her with rights and lefts before sitting on her for a two count. Chelsea gets her in the corner and stomps away before choking her in the corner. Mia tries to shove Chelsea away but she’s sent into the corner with a force that sends her to the mat, then again. Chelsea runs into an elbow shot from Mia, Mia with a modified tarantula, she lets go and tries to dive into the ring but leaps right into a dropkick from Chelsea sending her to the outside. Chelsea smashes Mia’s face into the announce table right in front of Deonna. Chelsea sends Mia into the ring and covers her for a two count. Chelsea with a chinlock on Mia before she fights out, Chelsea with a standing elbow drop and covers for two. Mia fights back, Chelsea sends Mia into the ropes and then follows her with a clothesline, she goes for another but Mia returns with one of her own. She goes for another and is stopped by Chelsea so instead, she connects with a kick, then another followed by a missile dropkick. Mia is feeling it. Mia with a dropkick into the corner Mia with the cannonball, she pulls Chelsea out and covers her for a close two count! Mia goes for eat da feet but Chelsea counters and hits a codebreaker then a more modern curb stomp and covers for two, another cover for two, and another. Surprised that didn’t work. Chelsea goes for eat da feet, Mia with a suplex and bridge cover for two. Mia with a kick to the chest of Chelsea, then one to the face. Chelsea goes for one of her own but Mia picks her up for a sit-out powerbomb and covers for another close two count. Mia steps on Chelsea’s stomach and climbs up top, Chelsea distracts the ref allowing Deonna to shove Mia off the top. Apparently, the referee didn’t see her involvement even though it was clear as day. Mickie James comes out and takes out Deonna. Chelsea goes for the imprettier but Mia counters with eat da feet and covers for the victory.
Rating: ***
Review: This was a solid singles match but the clear interference was bad luck and made things feel kinda silly at the end but overall Chelsea and Mia delivered a good opening match.
– The Influence are backstage and they say they won’t get their rematch because they broke Madison’s nose. Gia says she thought that she got hurt when they hit heads. Madison seemingly blames Tenille but she says they won’t get a championship match anytime soon. Giselle comes up and offers to fill in for Madison and Tenille asks why they’d want help from someone they already beat. Giselle says technically she beat one of them but maybe she just needed the right team and maybe the right team is standing right in front of her. Tenille says no at first but Madison says if she can take out Taya or Rosemary then maybe they’ll consider it. Giselle says consider it done and they walk off.
Bhupinder Gujar & Shark Boy vs. Johnny Swinger & Zicky Dice
Shark Boy cost Swinger his coveted win at Slammiversary in the reverse battle royal, now he’s enlisted Zicky to help him beat Shark Boy and his new partner Gujar. Lots of half entrances this week poor Gujar gets the half entrance while Shark Boy gets a full entrance. Swinger and Zicky rocky paper scissors for Swinger to start with Shark Boy. Lockup, and Swinger with a headlock and shot to the face of Sharkboy so he tags in Zicky. Shark Boy fights back and hits a headlock punch combo of his own on Zicky. Gujar tags in and Zicky tries it himself but it’s caught and Gujar turns it around on Zicky. Guajr with a rolling uppercut and then drops Zicky with a dropkick. Shark boy tags in and hits a splash on Zicky, the Gujar with one of his own. The ref has been at four for a bit hilarious. Finally, Gujar is out and Shark Boy locks in the ass bite on Swinger. Zicky calls for a time out so Shark boy brings him into the ring by his hair. Shark boy with shots in the corner and finishes with a big ol shark bite to the forehead. Swinger sets himself on the top rope for no reason. Zicky is sent into him but the distraction allows Zicky to take control and drop Shark Boy choking him for a bit. Zicky up top and jumps right into a shot to the midsection. Shark Boy tags in Gujar as Tom tells him it looks like Shark Boy ate Shark Boy. Gujar with a Samoan Drop to Zicky and covers for two before Swinger breaks it up. Shark Boy is in and they send Zicky and Swinger into each other. Stunner on Swinger, middle rope spear from Gujar to Zicky and he covers for the victory.
Rating: **1/2
Review: Not a technical masterpiece but a fine little comedy match. Not sure it did much for Gujar especially given the post match but hey it could lead to something down the line.
– After the match, Deaner and Doring come out and lay out everyone. Deaner grabs a mic and tells Josh to come out right now, but we’re going to break, so not right now right now but like 3 minutes from now would be ideal. Josh waited just the right amount of time to come out. Nice guy.
Josh Alexander vs. Cody Deaner
This starts right away as a referee comes out. This is pretty weird rushing into the match after Deaner was heading up the ramp but I’m sure Josh was ready for it now. He beats up Deaner dropping him with a backbreaker and cover for two. Josh lifts Deaner up and Deaner responds with a chop, Josh with a chop of his own and he lifts Deaner onto his shoulders, Deaner fights free onto the apron but is hung up on the top rope. Josh with the running crossbody through the ropes to the outside. I love that spot and so do these fans. Josh sends Deaner into the ring but he rolls out the other side. Josh follows and runs into an uppercut. Deaner sends him face-first into the steel post and then back into the ring. Deaner with a shot to the back but Josh follows with a northern lights suplex and cover for two. Deaner sends Josh to the mat and follows with an elbow to the back of the head. Deaner chokes Josh in the middle rope utilizing every bit of that five count. Deaner sets Josh up under the turnbuckle, and Josh just sits there and waits for Deaner to kick him in the ass neck first into the turnbuckle, he deserves it honestly. Josh fights back with a series of german suplexes Deaner gets the ropes to break free and go for one of his own but Josh turns it around into another german. Josh bleeding a little bit from his battle scars from his match with Eric. Josh attempts the c4 spike but Deaner has the ropes and the ref forces a break. Deaner with a big boot out of the corner. Deaner goes for the Deaner DDT but Josh counters into the ankle lock. Deaner flops for the ropes but Josh locks in the leg tight and Deaner is forced to tap.
Rating: **3/4
Review: This was fine but a glorified job match as expected. Deaner actually did really well in this role even if it wasn’t a match I was clamoring to see.
– Kaz calls Slammiversary a night he will never forget, he says it should be closure but when he came here it was to answer a challenge. He runs down his rivalry with Sabin and says he wanted to settle it a month ago but it was taken from them so next week he wants Sabin 1 on 1 to prove once and for all that he is the future and the future looks good. Should be a good match. It’s cool to see Frankie in Impact, I’d rather have some sort of heel run vs. Josh just to see the awesome matches but that’s just me.
– Jordynne cuts a promo and thanks to her opponents for her match but says she feels like she’s at the top of the mountain now. She says if they want to take her title they’ll have to work harder than her and it won’t happen anytime soon.
– We immediately follow with a Tasha Steelz promo and she says don’t thank her just yet because at Against All Odds she will get her Knockouts World Championship back, but that’s only if Jordynne can get it past Savanah Evans. Odd Jordynne is having to get past anyone to face Tasha but I get what they mean.
Sami Callihan vs. Jack Price
Callihan is finally back in singles action, I don’t expect this to go too long but I’m thrilled to see him back on Impact. Not exactly the crowd reaction I expected for Sami but maybe it was just all the extra stuff they did with his entrance or his god-awful entrance that made cheering him difficult. Callihan backs Jack up into the corner, hits a clean break, and wrestling chant of his own. Sami asks Jack to hit him but Jack locks in a headlock, Sami with the thumbs up thumbs down and follows with a clothesline. Sami with a seated lariat to Jack, Sami says it’s over and lifts Jack up and follows with a piledriver and covers for the victory.
Rating: N/A
Review: I missed Sami, this was nothing special but as we build this feud with Moose it’ll get better I think as I enjoy Sami’s full storytelling into matches, rather than one-off squash matches like this.
Post match: Moose with the run-in and Spear to Sami and Moose probably got just as positive of a reaction as Sami. Moose lays into Sami with chair shots before he flings it out of his own hands. Moose tells people to move away from the timekeeper’s table and he puts Sami through it as sections of the crowd boo.
– The Good Brothers meet up with The Good Brothers and AMW backstage to say after everything tonight they’ve got their backs. Harris tries to follow James to the ring but James says he can’t come with him. James says he knows how he feels but he made a promise to his family. Harris says things are different now, James tells him that he’s his brother and he needs to keep his promise to them as we hear the crowd chant for Rosemary. Harris obliges before shaking Storm’s hand as he walks off.
– Callihan is pissed off backstage and says he wants to end it. Gail asks what’s more violent than Monsters Ball. Sami said he had a phone call with a friend who had a great idea. Sami says that Raven’s Clockwork Orange House of Fun match is more dangerous than a Monster’s Ball match. Ok.
Honor No More vs. The Briscoes & James Storm
After the issues early on in the show, this match was made and it looks to be an interesting one. I loved James Storm back in the day so it’s fun to see him back even if it’s a limited run. Thankfully we get James Storms’s badass theme and not the weak AMW theme. Taven and Mark Briscoe kick this one. Feels like I’ve seen a variation of this match once a week for a month or so. Mark backs Taven up with a series of shots but he leaps over Mark and drops him with a shock and drags him to the Honor No More Corner. Bennett tags in and exchanges chops with Briscoe. Briscoe with a lariat out of the corner. Jay Briscoe tags in and hits Bennett with a boot in the corner. Eddie and Taven get in Jay’s face but he’s not biting right now. Jay with a headbutt to Bennett and chokes away at him in the corner. Bennett with a kick to the midsection, he sends Jay into the opposing corner and tags in Eddie Edwards. Eddie chokes Jay in the corner before trying to knock James Storm off the apron but he’s unsuccessful. Eddie charges Jay but runs into a forearm and big boot. James Storm tags in and lays into Eddie with a series of strikes and then bounces off the ropes with a forearm and charges Eddie in the corner sent onto the apron but connects with a kick to the head and then a neck breaker. James sends Taven and Bennett to the outside with Eddie, Mark and Jay hop in to taunt before Jay hits a dive to the outside taking out all three members of Honor No More. Mark calls for one of his own and heads up top, Mark with the twisting dive takes out all three men as we go to commercial.
Eddie attempts to send Storm outside but he skins the cat. Storm sends Eddie outside and hits a dropkick through the ropes taking him out. Storm is on a tear but Bennett and Eddie with the numbers on the outside as Bennett sends Storm face-first into the ring post. Eddie with a hip toss on the outside. Back in the ring and Taven tags in and drops Storm with a side Russian leg sweep then a lionsault and covers for two. Hannifan called it a moonsault like a geek. Bennett tags in and they work over the knee of James Storm. Bennett with a dropkick to the knee of Storm and he tags in Eddie Edwards. Eddie with a submission locked in but the crowd starts clapping away for Storm, he fights back finally able to make a tag but the OGK distract the ref to take the tag back. Taven lifts Storm up and chops him in the corner. Eddie rakes at Storms’s face as the referee is distracted. All night long with these dumb refs. Eddie sends Storm to the opposing corner and hits a clothesline before dumping Jay off the apron. Eddie goes for something in the corner and lands groin first on the turnbuckle, Storm with a back cracker to Eddie and finally tags in Mark. Mark runs through the OGK with a series of strikes and wild mannerisms. Bennett with a kick to the midsection. He sends Mark into the corner and he just dropkicks Eddie. Mark with an exploder suplex to Bennett. Mark and Jay with the combination neck breaker and Mark covers for two fortunately Taven breaks it up. Jay is tossed out by Taven, and Mark and Taven attempt suplexes before Eddie hits a kick to the face, sometimes commentary discussing the referees misses is the problem. They drop Jay with a combination move and Bennett covers for two. They wait for Briscoe to get up and go to steal the Young Bucks schtick before James Storm does it first with a superkick of his own. Bennett with a superkick as this one starts to break down. Mark with a death valley driver and heads up top but Taven breaks it up. Taven and Bennett hit the proton pack and Bennett covers Mark for the victory.
Rating: **3/4
Review: This was a fine six-man tag and I’m glad Honor No More won in a relatively clean fashion here because it feels like they lose too much even if it’s not actually a lot. Mark taking the pin was a surprise to me but I suppose you save beating Storm for a bit.
Post match: Full-on brawl as Honor No More hit the ring to beat down The Briscoes and Storm but The Good Brothers hit the ring to make the save and we get a brawl to end the show. Honor No More has the numbers and they decide to pilmanize Mark. As Hannifan says we’ve seen this like three times since Honor No More debuted, it’s losing its luster.
