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Cook’s Impact Hard To Kill 2023 Review

January 13, 2023 | Posted by Steve Cook
Impact Hard To Kill Jordynne Grace Mickie James Image Credit: Impact Wrestling
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Cook’s Impact Hard To Kill 2023 Review  

Hey kids! Steve Cook here with you for some live coverage of Impact Wrestling’s 2023 edition of Hard To Kill! We’ve got five big title matches tonight, including what could be Mickie James’s last match with the promotion and a Full Metal Mayhem match for the Impact World Championship. Before all of that, we start with the pre-show…

Tom Hannifan & Matthew Rehwoldt are your hosts at Center Stage in Atlanta. I wish they’d bring back the old WCW Saturday Night set for this show, but it’s probably somewhere in the WWE warehouse. Impact should have tried to get it last year when they loaned Mickie James out for the Royal Rumble.

Angels vs. Kushida vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Mike Jackson vs. Yuya Uemura vs. Delirious: Delirious loses his mind at the bell as he usually does. Angels has no time for sportsmanship. Jackson with the double leg takedown before getting taken outside by Angels. Uemura gains the advantage on Kushida until Kushida hits the ol’ cartwheel dropkick. Delirious comes in and hits a back suplex, then 73 year old Mike Jackson arm drags him out of the ring. Bailey hits the Perfect Ten moonsault to the floor. Jackson wants to dive too, and it’s a tope suicida onto the masses! Angels stomps Jackson down in the corner, Delirious comes in and hits a German. Uemura gets a suplex, as does Bailey. Angels shoulderblocks the ringpost and Jackson hits a single arm DDT. Jackson gets a wristlock on Angels and walks the ropes! The other four face off while Jackson keeps walking the ropes. Jackson with the crossbody onto the pile. Small package on Angels gets two, then Angels hits a vertical suplex on Jackson. Delirious with a Boston Crab on Angels, Uemura & Delirious try the double team but Bailey’s kicks are too fast for them. Kushida comes in to eat a suplex. Uemura up top, Bailey ends up kicking him in the corner before heading to the middle rope. Kenny King emerges, knocking Bailey off the ropes to the floor. Angels with a clothesline on Kushida. He goes up top, but Kushida follows him. Kushida hits a flipping armbar off the top rope and Angels taps!

Winner: Kushida (7:29 via submission)
Match Rating: **1/2

Fun little scramble match. Still pretty cool that Mike Jackson can go out at his age and do what he does. It’s very inspiring, and I hope to occasionally write wrestling reviews when I’m 73.

Crazzy Steve joins us in the ring. He asks Atlanta if they can feel it. The winds of change are upon us, and the change will start with a new X Division Champion. Lots of format changes so far. Delirious was originally unscheduled for the first match, and the X Division title match was supposed to be on the proper PPV. Not to mention the starting time of the preshow was incorrectly listed.

Impact X Division Championship Match: Trey Miguel (c) vs. Black Taurus (w/Crazzy Steve): Taurus chases Miguel around the ring, but Trey takes over with kicks upon their return. Trey tries a rana to the floor, Taurus catches him, but Trey ends up ranaing him in the direction of the ringpost. Taurus catches Trey again in the ring, hits some strikes and a sling blade. One more. Miguel slides out of a move, hits a couple of kicks and chokes Taurus on the ropes. An attemped popup Samoan Drop turns into a crucifix bomb by Miguel for two. Spiffy. Some chops on the ropes by Miguel. A boot sends Taurus down. Miguel lands on the ramp leading from the stage to the ring, runs down but jumps into that Samoan Drop! Miguel hits a couple of kicks, then a doublestomp to the back. Taurus bows up while Trey showboats, and clotheslines Trey down. Headbutt! Poooouuunnnncccceeee! Taurus with a backbreaker for two. Miguel sends Taurus down to the floor, flips onto Taurus, gets caught, then hits a sunset flip powerbomb on Taurus! Taurus should stop catching these dudes, it rarely ends well for him. Back in the ring, Trey hits a Meteora for two. Taurus sent onto the apron, climbs up but Trey cuts him off. Both men up top now, Taurus hits a Super Attitude Adjustment! Cover gets two! Miguel slips out of Taurus’s finish, hits the Roll of the Dice and gets a two count. Trey looks under the ring and finds his trusty spray paint can. The referee takes one, but Trey had a second can! Curses! Trey gets Taurus in the eyes with the spray, and the Lightning Spiral ends it!

Winner: Trey Miguel (10:16 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***

Fun little sprint. The spray paint can seems to be working for ol’ Trey, we’ll see if Taurus or somebody else can find a way around that in the future.

Cook’s Impact Hard To Kill 2023 Review

We start the PPV with the roster gathering on the stage to pay homage to TNA’s original color commentator, Don West. The bell tolls ten times.

Videos play hyping the top two matches of the evening.

Impact World Championship Full Metal Mayhem Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs. Bully Ray: Bully hides after walking around the ring during his entrance, and sure enough, he hits Alexander from behind with a chain! The fans don’t approve, but Bully raises the title belt and blasts Alexander with it. Ray re-arranges furniture around ringside, and moves a table into the ring. A bell hasn’t rung yet, but Josh already has some crimson on his face. Ray tosses Alexander over the top rope into the ring and orders the referee to ring the bell. The referee checks on Josh, and eventually that bell rings. Splash in the corner and a powerbomb through the table! Shockingly, this one doesn’t end in fifteen seconds. Ray re-introduces Alexander’s head to the belt, then finds a cheese grater under the ring! Well, it’s metal, so it’s legal in this match. Ray teases the grater shot, but walks into a right hand from Alexander. Alexander gets the grater and hits Ray with it! The fans chant “Walking Weapon” and there’s some blood on Bully’s face now. Trash can lid to Bully’s head, and the fans want one more. They’ll settle for a shot to the back or two. Alexander gets the chain, tosses it away and returns to the cheese grater. He slices Ray’s face with it! He grinds the cheese grater into Ray’s head like he’s New Jack or something. Alexander finds a black bag under the ring, and you might not believe this, but there are thumbtacks in the bag. Alexander pours them out, and Ray rushes out of the ring and up the ramp. Alexander cuts him off, and smacks him in the back with a chair a couple of times. The fans tell Alexander to whoop that trick. Alexander gets a ladder and sets it up next to the ring on the ramp. Ray is laid on a table on the stage. Alexander climbs up the ladder, but Ray rises up and tilts the ladder! Alexander flies backwards into the thumbtacks in the ring and Hannifan lifts Don West’s “YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!” call. Can’t blame him. Bully Bomb is blocked, then Bully gets German suplexed. Straps come down, Alexander splashes Ray in the corner, lifts him up and hits a rolling senton. Alexander goes up to the turnbuckle, wraps the chain around his knee and hits Ray with it for a two count. Josh locks in an ankle lock, and mixes in a chain around the neck! Here comes Bully Ray’s minions Hutch & Skyler, which is completely legal. 3D into the tacks! It only gets two! The boys get some tables to prop up in the ring, and ziptie Alexander to the ropes. I’m pretty sure zipties aren’t metal, so I’m not sure they’re legal here. Ray teases a trash can shot, but here comes Tommy Dreamer! He punches the lackeys down and starts yelling at Bully. Hold on, Bully hands Tommy the trash can! He teases hitting Josh with it, but sure enough he hits Bully! Tommy ends up getting speared though a table for his trouble. Alexander tries to bite himself free from the zipties, but Bully’s got that trash can again. He brains Alexander with the trash can. Ray tells him to give up, but Alexander’s got some fight in him. Ray stares off into the distance, and we see Josh’s wife make her way down to the ring. She wasn’t supposed to be here, but she’s in the ring yelling at Bully. Bully teases hitting her with the trash can, and makes her beg. He wants her wedding ring! Jade ends up landing an uppercut to Bully’s lower nutsac region. She hits an Acid Drop, and cuts Josh’s zipties loose! Jade tosses Bully a chair, and Josh hits it into his skull. Bully is placed on the table, and Josh goes back to that ladder on the ramp. Josh climbs up and hits a splash through the table! Bully kicks out at two, so Josh goes back to the ankle lock. Ray taps out!

Winner: Josh Alexander (17:00 via submission)
Match Rating: ****

Good ol’ fashioned hardcore brawl here, with some solid storytelling and the good guy coming out on top at the end of the day. I was skeptical of Bully Ray being a thing in late 2022 and early 2023, but I have to admit he did his job well.

Mickie James talks about wanting to do what the people expect from her tonight. Tara (WWE’s Victoria) is here tonight to support her. Raven offers a hug and says he’s proud of her. (For those of you not watching TNA way back in the day, Mickie was part of Raven’s faction known as the Gathering with Julio Dinero and CM Punk.)

Impact World Tag Team Championship Elimination Match: Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) (c) vs. Heath & Rhino vs. The Major Players (Matt Cardona & Brian Myers) vs. Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey): We get an eight-person brawl to start, ending up with MCMG & Bullet Club in the ring. Then it’s the Major Players in, then it’s Heath & Rhino standing tall. Rhino & Myers end up as the first two legal competitors. Then Heath comes in off a tag. He clotheslines Myers down, but Myers hits a kick before tagging Cardona. A neckbreaker gets two on Heath. Myers back in, and a flying knee gets two. Cardona & Myers tag back & forth to punish Heath. A Flatliner gets a two count on Heath. Heath comes back with a twisting powerslam off the middle rope! Tags to Cardona & Rhino, and Rhino is a house of fire, clotheslining a couple of people and hitting a belly to belly for two. Heath gets sent into the ringpost. Rhino gets rolled up, and Heath & Rhino are eliminated about 3:40 into the match. Chris Bey rolls Cardona up for two. Bey evades Cardona in the corner, shoulder blocks him, kicks him down, but Cardona hits a back suplex after a Myers distraction. A fisherman’s buster gets two on Bey. Cardona tags in and hits a knee strike. Neckbreakers by Cardona, a Rude Awakening gets a two count. Cardona rips his shirt off! Bey fights Cardona off with a kick, and Austin & Myers tag in. They go at it on the apron before going into the ring. Austin evades Cardona with some head standing, and kicks Cardona down in the ring. Shelley tags in and goes after Austin. Dragon screw in the corner, and the Guns are focusing on Austin’s knees. Another dragon screw by Shelley, Sabin holds on so Austin can’t twist with the move. Shelley with an Indian Deathlock, which leads to a Wishbone with Sabin’s assistance. Shelley with a figure four. Austin gets to the ropes. Shelley goes for a kneebreaker, but Austin answers with an enziguri. Sabin gets sent to the ramp, Bey & Myers tag in. Bey goes after both Major Players. Myers hits Cardona in the corner on accident, then both get taken down by Bey. Myers gets eliminated at around 10:25 after a double team, and we’re down to two teams. Sabin kicks Austin’s head off, then Bey gets worked over in the ring. Magic Killer gets a two count. Austin back in to eat some strikes. Bey evades the double team, kicks Shelley down. Austin with a flying kick on Sabin. Bullet Club goes for their finish, but Major Players with the distraction! Sabin ends up diving onto all four on the floor. Bey eats some kicks in the ring, then the Dirt Bomb gets three!

Winners: Motor City Machine Guns (13:13 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***1/2

The only annoying thing about matches like this one? It’s tough for writers to keep up with everything!

Frankie Kazarian embraces the Guns on the stage, then makes his way to the ring. Frankie shouts out the Impact Zone and talks about how great it is to be here. He talks about how he won the X Division Championship and fought for the World Championship last year as a guest. When he went back to his current home, something just didn’t feel right. If you don’t stand up for yourself, nobody else will. He needed to decide whether or not he wanted to be complacent where he was, or to bet on himself and walk away. Earlier today, Frankie signed a longterm contract with Impact Wrestling! The fans welcome him home. It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock & roll. He’s back, he wants to rock & roll and he’ll rise to the top. The fans chant for Frankie and celebrate his return home.

I think this is a good move for Frankie, as I’m not even sure when he last appeared on Dynamite or Rampage. He obviously wants to work, and one place wants him more than the other. Seems like an easy choice.

Impact Digital Media Championship Match: Joe Hendry (c) vs. Moose: Hendry grabs the microphone and we hear some Moose chants! Moose slaps away the microphone and the bell rings. Hendry with a slap to Moose. Moose shoulderblocks Hendry down. Hendry with a hip toss, then a big bodyslam. Moose with a thumb to the eye. Moose talks some trash, Hendry with a kick, then a vertical suplex. Moose gets right up and tosses Hendry out of the ring! Hendry with a walking vertical suplex on the floor! That’s a big boy to be doing that to. Back in the ring Hendry hits a clothesline in the corner. Moose with a couple of dropkicks in the opposite corner. Looks like he’s trying to do some unnecessary dental wotk on Hendry, then Moose stomps the man’s hand. Moose with some more trash talk, then a slap to Hendry’s face. Hendry bows up, lifts Moose up over his shoulder and chucks him to the floor like yesterday’s garbage! Clothesline in the corners by Hendry, then a running Diamond Cutter gets two. We see some of Moose’s former Falcons teammates at ringside, and now I remember why Atlanta likes the guy. Moose hits a Sky High out of the corner for 2.9999. Hendry knocks Moose off the ropes, but Moose re-joins him and hits a superplex! Impressive agility by the big man. Moose nips up at 8. Hendry might have too but the camera missed that. They exchange strikes. Moose gets two with a backslide, then two with a rollup. Hendry with a headlock takeover into a pin for two. Hendry clotheslines Moose’s head off, then a popup powerbomb gets two for Hendry. Hendry’s chokeslam is blocked, Moose’s urinagi isn’t and it gets two. Aother urinagi gets another two count. Moose grabs the Digital Media championship, but the referee doesn’t let him use it. Moose instead kicks Hendry in the pills, and hits a spear for the three count.

Winner: Moose (11:07 via pinfall)

Hold on, we are now being joined by Santino Marella! He is apparently now the Director of Authority with Impact Wrestling, complete with badge and D.O.A. jacket. He doesn’t like cheaters, and Moose is a cheating sumagun. He’s going to restart the match!

Moose misses the spear in the corner, Hendry rolls Moose up for two! They keep blocking each others’ moves. Hendry catches Moose and hits the Standing Ovation chokeslam for three!

Winner: Joe Hendry (0:43 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***

Some impressive power spots from both guys made for an enjoyable watch. Santino as the DOA…I’ll let it play out and see how it goes.

Kenny King talks about how Mike Bailey’s not taking him seriously. There will be a Pit Fight this Thursday. King never fought in a Pit before, but he’s fought in the streets. People don’t trust Bailey. King went to Bailey’s wrestling school and beat up his students. On Thursday, the Speedball will get snuffed out in one evening.

Impact Knockouts World Championship #1 Contender Match: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Killer Kelly vs. Masha Slamovich vs. Taylor Wilde: Wilde might be a witch these days, but Kelly has the most appropriate entrance for Friday the 13th. Slamovich sends Wilde over the top rope and joins her. Purrazzo tries to leave the ring, but Wilde helps her back into the ring for a vertical suplex from Kelly that gets two. Slamovich grabs Kelly and drags her to the floor, Purrazzo kicks them both down, then Wilde hits a tope suicida. Purrazzo with a twisting crossbody off the top turnbuckle! Slamovich with a cannonball off the top! Masha rolls Kelly into the ring and gets a nearfall. Kelly fights back with some kicks. Kelly with some knees to Masha’s head. Taylor comes off the top rope and kicks both of them down. Wilde works Masha over in the corner. Deonna joins them briefly before getting kicked away. Wilde poses on the apron, so Purrazzo smacks her to the floor. Standing moonsault on Masha gets two thanks to Kelly. Purrazzo locks in a half crab on Kelly, Wilde decides to grab the other leg, and they elbow each other out of the move. Purrazzo & Wilde exchange shots before getting kicked down by Slamovich. Masha kicks away at Kelly, who seems to enjoy the treatment. Some forearms from Kelly before she gets German suplexed. Wilde Germans Slamovich over. Kelly sends Wilde chest first into the corner, then hits a dropkick between the shoulderblades. Wilde comes back with a kick of her own, then gets powerbombed and stacked up by Deonna for two. Piledriver is blocked by Slamovich, who gets rolled up by Wilde for two. Kelly gets Wilde up, hits a Death Valley Driver. Killer Clutch on Wilde is broken up by Purrazzo, who turns Kelly into a Fujiwara armbar. A Wilde kick to Kelly’s face shifts positioning, and Purrazzo gets locked in a Killer Clutch! Wilde with a crossface on Slamovich, who rolls out and Snow Plows Wilde on top of Purrazzo & Kelly! Masha gets the win.

Winner: Masha Slamovich (8:35 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***

Some decent spots here. Four-way matches tend to get a bit crowded, but they did a good job of keeping the action going.

Raven joins Hannifan & Rehwoldt to commentate the next match.

Gia Miller is with Rich Swann. We can’t hear them, but we can see and hear Steve Maclin attacking Rich Swann. The official calls for the bell, so here we go.

Falls Count Anywhere In Atlanta Match: Rich Swann vs. Steve Maclin: Raven sides with he fellow former Marine in Maclin here. Maclin lifts Swann up and rams his head into the dumpster. Swann evades Maclin, who ends up jumping into the dumpster. Maclin hits Swann with a bucket, then a cocktail table top. Table top to the skull of Swann, and a cover gets two. Maclin misses with a sandbag. Swann with some kicks and a cutter as they make their way to the sidewalk. Cover gets one. Swann hits Maclin with a road cone. Here comes a car! Apparently they’re trying to leave the show. Maclin sends Swann into the car, then spears him theough a barricade. Swann has a shovel to use on Maclin, and he gets a cover for two. Swann misses with the shovel, Maclin punches away on him before getting a two count. They finally make their way to ringside, and Maclin uses a chair on Swann. Backbreaker by Maclin gets two on the floor. Swann with a kick sending Maclin into the barricade. Both men finally in the ring, and Swann hits a dropkick. Swann gets placed in the tree of woe, and Maclin spears him for two. Back to the floor now, and Maclin tells the people to piss off before getting cuttered for a two count. Swann chokes Maclin with a camera cord, then they head back into the ring. Swann with the kickback before getting backdropped onto the steps! Raven laughs as Maclin gets a two count. Swann kicks Maclin, who falls off the ramp and takes some lighting with him. A frog splash off the ramp gets two for Swann. Maclin goes for a powerbomb, Swann ends up on the ramp and hits a cannonball onto Maclin. Swann goes for a rana, which ends with him getting running powerbombed on the floor for two. Maclin goes for a splash off the apron, Swann moves and kicks him down. Maclin hits Swann in the head with the gate, then hits the KAI DDT on the floor! That gets a three count, and a tear in Raven’s eye.

Winner: Steve Maclin (11:40 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2

Fun little brawl, though I think they could have taken more of a tour of Atlanta. Go over to Mercedes Benz Stadium, since they’re holding every other event there these days.

Jonathan Gresham vs. Eddie Edwards: Gresham certainly has the homefield advantage here in Atlanta. Edwards with the headlock. Gresham cartwheels out, then evades Edwards on the floor. Back in the ring, Edwards wristlocks Gresham. Gresham smiles and ends up applying a wristlock of his own. Edwards tries getting Gresham on the floor again and has similar results. Eddie finds some success with an elbow block in the ring. Gresham tosses Edwards out of the ring and hits a dive. He walks into a chop from Edwards, but Gresham ends up arm dragging Edwards on the floor. Back in the ring, Edwards hits an overhead belly to belly. Big chop to Gresham in the corner. Gresham evades in the corner, takes Edwards over, kicks him down, hits an arm drag and Edwards seems to have a weakened left arm. Gresham targets that arm with a wristlock, then targets the right hand. Some near-falls on the mat. Edwards changes the momentum with a twisting powerslam. Edwards with a punch, then the Tower of London gets a two count. Gresham fires back with some forearms, but gets chopped down again. Back to the forearms from Gresham, then a thumb to the eye by Edwards. Neckbreaker by Edwards gets two. Edwards chokes Gresham & rakes at his face on the ropes. Some slaps from Edwards, Gresham responds but gets slapped down. Gresham with forearms, Edwards with single chops. Gresham wants some more, and delivers a shot to that left arm before getting chopped down. Gresham keeps trying to get that arm. Edwards keeps chopping. Gresham rocks Edwards with an enziguri. Series of go-behinds. Gresham back to that elbow. Tiltawhirl bulldog, then a standing moonsault by Gresham gets two. Edwards evades a moonsault, then hits a Blue Thunder bomb for two. Edwards drives Gresham into the corner, sets him up for the Backpack Stunner, but Gresham fights out and nearly locks in a chicken wing. Moonsault, then a dive to the floor by Gresham. Gresham goes up top, but takes too much time and Edwards meets him with a kick. Edwards goes for the superplex, Gresham floats over and applies a sleeperhold, but Edwards hits a jawbreaker on the top turnbuckle. Edwards is up first,goes for the Boston Knee Party. Misses, Gresham with a series of strikes and nearfalls. Edwards with a suplex then a powerbomb for two. Edwards goes for the Knee Party again, misses. Edwards rolls through a rana, series of rollups then Gresham runs into a lariat. Sitout powerbomb by Edwards gets two, and there’s the Knee Party for three.

Winner: Eddie Edwards (18:53 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***3/4

I think the big news here was Gresham losing in his hometown. We’ll see if any news comes out here, but hopefully we won’t hear any stories like we heard coming out of the AEW locker room. Good match as you’d expect with the talent involved, Edwards has been slept on for years but the dude can go.

After Edwards gets his hand raised, the lights go out. The crowd has an idea of who it is, and as the lightning flashes and the lights come on, it is PCO! He’s spitting sand and he’s got a shovel! Chokeslam to Edwards! PCO had last been seen getting buried in the Las Vegas desert, but apparently he wasn’t buried deep enough.

Impact’s next PPV will be Rebellion on Sunday, April 16 in Toronto.

Impact Knockouts World Championship Last Rodeo Match: Jordynne Grace vs. Mickie James: We get some Native American dancers for Mickie’s entrance. Her family is in attendance and she’s representing for her background. This might actually be the Last Rodeo. David Penzer joins us from the ring for the super special main event ring announcing. James goes for a standing armbar, Grace goes for a slam, James slips out and goes for a rollup, but Grace is too strong for that. Some shoving and some trash talking between the wrestlers. Grace shrugs Mickie off, who responds with a number of slaps. One slap from Jordynne sends Mickie down. Mickie with some kicks, then a Thesz Press off the ropes. James blocks the boot, but gets headbutted. A double stomp gets one and rocks Mickie. Mickie tries to fight back, but Jordynne’s strikes have more force behind them. A side slam by Grace gets a two count. Mickie goes down in the corner and Jordynne introduces her face to the top turnbuckle a few times. Grace misses the double knees in the corner. Mickie goes up top, but Jordynne meets her up there. Mickie ends up hitting a bulldog off the top rope. They eventually get up around the eight count and exchange strikes. Mickie gains the upper hand, but those clotheslines don’t send Grace down. A super kick will. Grace walks the ropes like she’s Mike Jackson, and Thesz Presses Grace on the ramp! Back in the ring, a cover gets two. Grace blocks the DDT, but Mickie locks in a guillotine choke. Grace lifts Mickie up onto the turnbuckle, and follows her there for a stalling superplex. Grace rolls through into the Juggernaut Jackhammer, which only gets two! Jordynne sends Mickie into the corner, but runs into an elbow and a kick. Mickie with a flying headscissors and a flapjack. Kip up, and Mickie heads up top. Pie in the Sky gets a two count. Mickie with some chops in the corner. Jordynne whips Mickie into the corner, misses, up and over, then it’s Grace with a spinebuster for two. Grace goes for her Driver, but Mickie fights it off. Jordynne with a big kick, then a straitjacket powerbomb gets two. Grace with standing clotheslines to Mickie’s front and back, one to the back of the neck rocks Mickie. Grace goes for a piledriver, Mickie headscissors her way out of it and that gets a two count. Mickie kicks Jordynne down, who keeps sitting up. A Mick Kick, but Grace takes James into the corner. She gets Mickie up, Mickie reverses a musclebuster into a sunset flip, and goes for a series of pinfalls. Backfist rocks James, but the Grace Driver is reversed into a rollup for two. Another Mick Kick, and the Mick DT gets two! Fans bit on that one! Mickie goes for another one, Grace shrugs it off, O’Connor Roll gets two, Grace turns it into a rear naked choke! Mickie taps kinda but not really. James rolls into a pinfall attempt for two. Grace goes back to that rear naked choke. Mickie seems to be fading, but the arm raises up. Grace goes for that Driver again, Mickie blocks. Grace drives Mickie’s head into the corner a few times. Grace misses in the corner, and Mickie with a Tornado DDT! That gets the three count!

Winner: Mickie James (19:08 via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***3/4

Tara joins Mickie in the ring to celebrate, and eventually her son & the rest of her family join the party. I’m half-surprised that nobody does a run-in since that’s how these events usually end, but there ya go.

7.8
The final score: review Good
The 411
Outside of some minor production snafus, there wasn't anything on this show that wasn't at the very least "good". I'll probably be the one person that rates Alexander vs. Bully Ray the highest on the card, but they went out there and told a story while putting their bodies on the line. I have to give them their flowers. I was fully expecting Mickie to go out tonight, but am all for that story continuing since she keeps putting on good matches and entertaining the folks. (Who knows what could happen on tomorrow's TV taping though.) Another fun Friday night with your friends from Impact Wrestling.
legend

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Impact Hard to Kill, Steve Cook