Himanshu’s Impact Wrestling Review 11.23.23

Hey there, IMPACT fans! It’s Thursday and that means it’s time for another episode of IMPACT Wrestling. I’m Himanshu (you can follow me on Twitter @Himanshu_Doi) and you know how this works. Tonight on IMPACT, it’s a special Thanksgiving edition of IMPACT where we relive the classic moments, the greatest matches and holiday cheer that have been a unique part of IMPACT Wrestling over the years! So let’s jump right in!

As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.

IMPACT Wrestling

Match 1: Alex Shelley vs Rhino vs Sheikh Abdul Bashir

This is a match from 2008. The loser must wear a Turkey Suit. Rhino clotheslines Bashir and gores Alex Shelley and pins him for the win.

Result: Rhino beats Alex Shelley and Sheikh Abdul Bashir.
Rating: NR

Alex Shelley must wear the Turkey Suit but doesn’t want to. Mick Foley comes out and says he can walk out without the turkey suit he can do it, but without a job. He counts down for Shelley to wear the turkey outfit. Shelley wears it. Alex Shelley says the only pro he sees out of this is he gets a good MySpace picture. He flips the bird to Mick Foley so Foley plants him with a DDT.

Match 2: PCO, Mike Bailey, Johnny Swinger and Jake Something vs. John Skyler, Jason Hotch, Champagne Singh and Jai Vidal in a Gravy Train Turkey Trot match

Jai Vidal faces off against Jake Something and Vidal dances but gets punched in the face. Something pins him but it gets broken up. The Good Hands double team on Something but he clotheslines them both. Jake powerbombs Vidal onto The Good Hands outside the ring. Jake tags to PCO and hits a Suicide Dive on everybody on the outside. Jake throws Vidal in the ring and PCO clotheslines Champagne Singh. PCO hits a chokeslam onto Vidal followed by a PCO-sault for the win.

Result: PCO, Mike Bailey, Johnny Swinger and Jake Something def. John Skyler, Jason Hotch, Champagne Singh and Jai Vidal via pinfall
Rating: **½

After the match, the referee brings a Turkey Suit. Jai Vidal tries to get out if the ring but Savannah Evans gets him back into the ring. Gisele and Savannah put the Turkey Suit onto Jai.

Match 3: Robbie E vs. Grado

This is a match from 2016. Aiden O’Shea is ringside as the special enforcer. Early on in the match, both men pinch the others nipples as offense. Then there’s a double clothesline. Robbie goes for a pin with his legs on the ropes but O’Shea knocks his legs off. Then Grado does the same to the same result. Grado goes for a sunset flip but Robbie falls to his knees to pin Grado for the 3.

Result: Robbie E def. Grado via pinfall
Rating: **

Grado refuses to put it on at first but finally gives in. He’s less than pleased. In the end, Grado dances wearing the suit.

The next segment is from 2013 featuring Rockstar Spud hosting a Thanksgiving dinner in the ring. He played a slimy heel character that aligned himself with EC3 on IMPACT. Spud invited all the winners of tonight’s matches, Bobby Roode, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Chris Sabin, Knockouts World Champion Gail Kim, Lei’D Tapa and TNA World Tag Team Champions, the Bromans, to the banquet. It ended in a wild brawl when Kurt Angle invited his entourage, Eric Young, James Storm and Gunner, down to face-off with Bobby Roode and his allies.

Match 4: Team Edwards (Eddie Edwards, Fallah Bahh, Garza Jr, Allie, & Richard Justice) vs. Team Fantasma (El Hijo del Fantasma, Chris Adonis, KM, Lauren Van Ness, & Caleb Konley in a Turkey Trot Match

The 2017 Thanksgiving dinner was prepared by world-renowned celebrity chef, Robert Irvine. Meanwhile, Team Edwards battled Team Fantasma in a match created by IMPACT World Champion Eli Drake, the Gravy Train Turkey Trot. Adonis tried the Adonis Lock but Eddie Edwards rolled through and pinned him for the 3 count.

Result: Team Edwards def. Team Fantasma via pinfall.
Rating: **

Since Adonis took the pin, he was forced to wear the turkey suit. Eli Drake grabs Eddie Edwards and Adonis tries to pie Eddie in the face but hits Eli instead.

Match 5: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Chris Sabin in a TNA Turkey Bowl match

This is a Turkey Bowl match from 2007. Styles was one-half of the Tag Team Champions with Tomko. The winner of this match would win $25,000 and the loser had to wear the turkey suit. Sabin clotheslined Styles out of the ring early on in the match. Joe and Sabin went at it and exchanged arm drags. The pace was furious early in the match and the crowd was loving it. Styles ran back in and completely missed an attack, flying out of the ring again. Sabin hit a kick to Joe that sent him outside. He ran the ropes and took out Styles with a suicide dive on the opposite side of the ring.

Back from a commercial break and Styles and Sabin faced off inside the ring. Styles backed Sabin into the corner with right hands. Joe came back into the ring and stopped Styles with a series of jabs, until Styles poked the eye of Joe. Joe swept the legs of Styles then hit an enziguiri in the corner on Sabin. Joe ran the ropes but Styles cut him off with a forearm. Styles dropkicked Sabin off the ring apron. Styles battered Joe with right hands. Joe fought back with right jabs and then ran the ropes but Styles decked him with a drop kick as we go to commercial break.

Back from commercial break and Sabin rolled through a pin attempt on Styles but Styles caught him and nailed him with the Styles Clash. Joe broke the pin up just before the 3 count. Joe picked up Styles and threw him into the corner. Styles jumped off the ropes, looking for an inverted DDT, but Joe caught him and dropped him on his head. Sabin broke up the 3 count and then they took another commercial break.

Sabin hit a Tornado DDT on Joe and climbed to the top rope. Joe recovered quickly and cut him off. Sabin fought Joe off and shoved him to the mat. Styles pushed Joe into Sabin, which caused Sabin to get hung up on the ropes so Joe nailed him with an enzugiri. Sabin fell to the outside of the ring. Joe missed a clothesline on Styles, who then hit the Pele kick. Styles went for a running clothesline in the corner but Joe caught him and slammed him down with a Uranage. Joe hit the Muscle Buster to win the match and the $25,000.

Result: Samoa Joe def. AJ Styles and Chris Sabin via pinfall
Rating: ***

After the match, Styles refused to wear the turkey suit so Jim Cornette went down to the ring and told him to do it or he was fired. Styles complained that it didn’t fit but he eventually got it on. The crowd loved that. The segment ended with a face-off between the heel trio of Styles, Tomko and Angle, and Samoa Joe, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.

5.5

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

A throwaway Thanksgiving episode where IMPACT aired Thanksgiving-related matches and segments from years past with one new match. If you missed tonight's episode, you didn't really miss much. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!