wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s Impact Wrestling Review 10.13.20
Image Credit: Impact Wrestling
Loading...Hello there, Impact fans! It’s Tuesday and that means it’s time for another episode of Impact Wrestling. I’m Jeremy, and y’all know how this works. We’re pushing through October at a brisk pace (too quick for my Hooptober horror movie watching challenge) and Bound For Glory is coming up fast. There’s still a lot of matches to build, so hopefully we get some of that this week. 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.
* Previously on Impact: The doctor gives Rich Swann a clean bill of health for Bound For Glory, only to have Eric Young screw it all up and attack him. Meanwhile, Ace Austin and Madman Fulton battle the Motor City Machine Guns until The North and Good Brothers come down, and the Machine Guns pick up the win. Finally, EC3 mocks Moose once again and holds a funeral for the TNA World Championship, which he tosses into a river.
* We then cut to Moose with Scott D’Amore, ranting at him for not doing anything at a title. He rants about being in a match at an undisclosed location and he doesn’t know where it is. D’Amore throws exactly how ridiculous that is back in his face, and Moose isn’t having any of it. Moose needs D’Amore’s help, but Scott needs people to leave him alone because he’s waiting on a call from Swann’s doctor to find out what’s going on. Moose says he’s the real World Champion and walks off. Walking through the hallway, he comes across EC3 projected on a door. EC3 says that the things Moose owns are owning him, but not everything is as it seems. Moose is learning and controlling his narrative, and when he’s fully committed, he’ll make the journey, cross the bridge, and find what it is he seeks. EC3 holds up the TNA World Championship and then vanishes. Moose says he knows where he needs to go and walks off.
WE OWN THE NIGHT! (AKA Title Sequence!)
Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie vs. Tasha Steelz & Kiera Hogan vs. Havok & Nevaeh
Tasha & Kiera are okay with the other two teams starting off, so Rosemary and Havok start off. Rosemary with a waistlock, Nevaeh with a schoolgirl for two and another rollup for two more. A third one that Rosemary kicks out of, then clotheslines Nevaeh as she gets up. Nevaeh into the hostile corner and Taya is tagged in and whipped into Nevaeh. Rosemary splashes and Taya with a Northern lights suplex for two. Nevaeh blocks a punch, hits a kick, and comes off the ropes with a low angle bulldog for two. Havok tagged in and she and Nevaeh whip Taya back first into the corner, then Nevaeh comes in with a splash. Havok follows suit, then hits a backbreaker/clothesline combo for two. Forearm to Taya, Havok with a whip attempt but Taya blocks it. Havok gets it on the third try, pulls her back but Taya with a fist and she takes control with strikes. Havok goes headfirst into a turnbuckle and Kiera and Tasha distract Taya allowing Havok to hit a big kick. Tasha yells at Havok from the apron and gets tagged in. Tasha charges in on Valkyrie and tags in Kiera who runs around the ring into a dropkick to the face and a pin for two. Kiera pounding away and she pins for another two. Front facelock by Kiera, sends her into the turnbuckle but Taya blocks it, knocks Tasha off the apron and hits a back suplex on Hogan. Taya tags in Rosemary and it’s time for a clothesline but Kiera dodges, only to get thrown back into the corner. Kiera charges for Tasha but gets picked up by Rosemary and slammed into the neutral corner. Exploder suplex by Rosemary and Rosemary stalks Kiera. She slams Hogan into the corner and tags in Nevaeh, who takes over with kick and then stomps to Kiera. Nevaeh with a suplex, floats over for two. Irish whip reversed by Kiera, Tasha kicks Nevaeh in the back through the ropes and Kiera takes control. Tasha now tags in, double straitjacket slam into the ropes, neckbreaker for two. Tasha with a headlock, Nevaeh to her feet and Tasha whips her into the ropes but Nevaeh reverse, leaps up top and jumps over Nevaeh. Havok refuses to tag Tasha and Nevaeh with a back suplex set-up into a face slam. Nevaeh tags in Havok, who stalks Tasha and clotheslines her. Kiera in and eats a kick, kick to Tasha’s gut and Steelz is down. Gutwrench throw, Havok off the ropes but Rosemary tags in. Tasha pulls down the ropes and Havok goes out, Rosemary charges in but Tasha dodges! Tasha runs in and gets pushed over the ropes, Steelz with a kick to Rosemary’s head and goes up for a dive, but Rosemary catches her! Fallaway slam gets two before Hogan breaks it up. Kiera talks trash and Taya comes in to kick Kiera. Hogan off the ropes, reversed by Taya, Kiera goes through the ropes onto Havok. Nevaeh in, waistlock, Taya fights out and hits a front running dropkick. Tasha and Nevaeh are beating on Kiera, Taya goes up and dives onto them! She came down hard though, and all four women are down. Tasha off the ropes in the ring, baseball slides before going out and showboats as Rosemary lies in wait! Spear by Rosemary! She picks Tasha up, Double underhook into a sit out slam and the pin!
Winner: Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie (9:18)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Solid work to start us off. It was a very standard three-way dance with all that entails, but with the exception of one dodgy bit off the ropes everyone looked crisp and slick.
After the match Rosemary and Taya are cute with each other, then Havok and Nevaeh come into the ring. Rosemary entreats Havok and Nevaeh to make her day, but it doesn’t happen.
* Josh and Madison break down the events to come including an update on Rich Swann and EC3 possibly being in the arena tonight. They cover the announcement of the Call Your Shot Gauntlet Match, with ten competitors from that competing in in a tag match later tonight. Madman Fulton battles Doc Gallows tonight, Kimber Lee battles Kylie Rae and an update on Bravo and Rosemary’s wedding.
* Backstage, Groomzilla Bravo berates the wedding party as Fallah Bahh walks in. Alisha asks if he got the money and he says no. Swinger mocks him over it and he asks Swinger what he did? “I beat Buddy Landel in Mid-Atlantic!” he proclaims. Threats are exchanged and Crazzy Steve is the calming voice of reason. He asks Bahh if he has anything to get off his chest and Bahh is angry. Bahh calls Steve Swinger’s young boy. Steve says he’s just calling it as he sees it and Bahh demands a match and walks off. Bravo flips out and says the wedding’s in two weeks and he doesn’t have time for this! He spikes the hellhound and walks off but comes back to retrieve it and apologize. Cousin Jake asks if they want to get started on the dance number for the reception and even with some music, everyone says no as we’re off to break.
* Back from break, Havok is backstage and Rosemary teleports in. Havok cuts her off and tells her to spell out what she wants — not in demon riddles. Rosemary impresses the import of the wedding and she says she needs Havok’s help as Father James Mitchell’s murderer. Havok says she know this is what she was going to ask, and says she made him exit this reality for a reason. Rosemary says this reality’s continuity depends on the wedding and asks for help. Havok says she knows Rosemary won’t let it go, so next week they’ll have a match. If Rosemary wins, Havok will help. Otherwise, Rosemary leaves her along and Mitchell stays where she is. Rosemary agrees and it’s a deal, then she teleports away.
Fallah Bahh vs. Crazzy Steve
Steve starts off by demanding Bahh be checked. The ref doesn’t find the money, and Steve argues with his monkey before he tries to play monkey see, monkey do and takes his shirt off. He tells Bahh to try and Bahh is claiming self-consciousness. He then attacks with palm strikes, Steve ducks a punch and hits a chop to the back. Steve goes for the money and Bahh pushes him away, then hits a dive and clutches the money roll like it’s the goddamn One Ring. He charges in on Steve, who gets a boot up, then locks in an Upside Down for four. Steve jumps on Bahh’s back for a sleeper hold and Bahh is fading. Bahh charges up and fights free, slamming Steve into the corner and charges in put Steve ducks. He jumps up onto Bahh’s shoulders, then slides off and rips Bahh’s shirt off to reveal the money roll. Roll-up on Steve and he gets three.
Winner: Crazzy Steve (2:50)
Rating: N/R
Thoughts: Well, that was dumb as dogshit.
* Heath is backstage and Rhino walks up. Security let Heath in, and Rhino says he took Heath’s comments last week to heart. He pulled some strings and Heath is in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet at Bound For Glory. If either of them wins, Heath gets his contract he demanded. Heath is ecstatic, but there’s a catch. If neither of them wins, they get no further opportunities at Impact. Heath says they’re gonna do this, and Rhino says they have a match next with Call Your Shot implications. Heath runs off and D’Amore walks in and says Rhino’s a good friend. He just has one question: when is Rhino going to tell him the other part? Rhino says Heath doesn’t need to know that part. D’Amore says if neither of them wins, Rhino is fired too. Rhino says he’s sure, and D’Amore walks off.
* Kaleb with a K is in the ring when we’re back from break to introduce Tenille Dashwood. Tenille comes down to the ring and is part of the 10-person tag team match which is apparently what this is.
Tenille Dashwood, Tommy Dreamer, Brian Myers, Cody Deaner, & Johnny Swinger vs. Hernandez, Cousin Jake, Alisha Edwards, Rhino, & Heath
Apparently, the winning team faces off next week for the #20 spot in the Gauntlet Match, with the loser next week getting #1. We get all of the introductions and then go to break.
Back from break and Swinger is starting against Heath. A lot of circling, Johnny looks about to lock up and then tags in Tenille who looks disgusted about it. She gets in there and Heath tags in Alisha, who locks in a waistlock that Tenille reverses. Snapmare into a headlock and noogies from Dashwood, and she picks Alisha up for the side headlock. Edwards fights out and sends Tenille into the ropes, catches a kick and takes Tenille down. Alisha with a senton but Tenille dodges and hits a clothesline for two. Dashwood tags in Cody, who comes in and asks Alisha if she’s okay. Alisha says she remembers him and he calls for a high five but she doesn’t remember which Deaner he is, so she tags in Hernandez. Hernandez makes to lock up and then tags in Rhino. Three minutes in and there’s been precisely four wrestling moves (and noogies). Cody shakes Rhino’s hand and starts an ECW chant. He’s excited to wrestle Rhino! Lockup and Cody with a side headlock, then gets shot into the ropes and Rhino with a shoulder tackle. Rhino tags in Cousin Jake and Cody gets up ready to attack but Jake stops him. Cody then tags in Tommy Dreamer, who reluctantly gets in. Jake is excited to face the Wrestle House boss, and Tommy gets a headlock. Jake shoots him into the ropes and hits a shoulder tackle; elbow drop follow-up misses, and Dreamer comes off the ropes but Hernandez hits him with a knee to the back and Jake, who didn’t see it, hits a clothesline. Cody and Jake argue in the ring about the cheating and Jake proclaims his innocence, then yells at his partner in Hernandez. We’re now five minutes into this match and it feels like a good seven or eight. Hernandez in and Dreamer is back up by now, so he punches at Hernandez’s gut. Dreamer off the ropes, right into a big clothesline. Hernandez picks Dreamer up for a bear hug because we need more stalling in this match. Dreamer bites Hernandez to get free but gets clotheslined down, and Hernandez takes out all of Dreamer’s partners except Tenille who wasn’t even on the apron. Hernandez with a bodyslam and comes off the ropes with a splash, which Dreamer rolls out of the way and misses. Dreamer jumps to make the tag to Myers, but Myers avoids it on purpose and Dreamer gets pulled into the center of the ring. Elbowdrop misses, Dreamer up, tags Myers and throws him into the ring. Heath is in now and lays into Myers with punches, Irish whip reversed by Myers, Heath with a big knee and heel kick, neckbreaker gets two but Cody breaks it up. Heath takes out Cody, turns around and Myers with a leaping front facebuster. Myers lies in wait, but Swinger tags in! He tells Myers not to worry about it but Heath dodges a punch, hits the wakeup call, and gets the pin.
Winner: Heath and the Rest (7:17)
Rating: 1/2*
Thoughts: This was the absolute shits. We had maybe a minute and a half of wrestling in an almost seven in a half minute match where nobody’s characters outside of Heath and maybe the Deaners actually wanted to be in the match. What little wrestling we did get was beyond repetitive: knockdown, some drop-style move is dodged, then stupid comedy, rinse, lather, repeat. Folks, I don’t mind comedy matches but this is the first stage of reintroducing the Call Your Shot Gauntlet to a new crowd and no one in the ring seemed to give the slightest shit about moving onto next week, so why should I care about any of this? Maybe I’m being a bit harsh but, in my book, this was pure garbage.
* Sami Callihan comes up to Eddie Edwards backstage and asks how the ankle is. Eddie is not amused and shoves him, slapping his phone away. Eddie grabs Sami but Ken Shamrock comes in and attacks, beating Eddie down while Callihan films. Shamrock locks in the Ankle Lock for a bit and then the two stand over Edwards until Callihan stomps Eddie and tells Ken they’re leaving.
* Up next after break: Kimber Lee vs. Kylie Rae.
* Back from break and Jimmy Jacobs approaches Eric Young to ask about the attack on Rich Swann. Jacobs says D’Amore is waiting on a call from the doc, and Young says it’s undecided; he’s sitting back there wondering if Rich will show up, if he’ll miraculously heal and walk the aisle and get in the ring. Is that what we’re doing, he asks? What he wants to know is, what does Jacobs think will happen with Swann? Jacobs puts over Swann’s resilience and EY says Rich hasn’t dealt with someone like him nor has Impact or Jacobs. Young says he knows where Jimmy’s allegiance lies, so he’s going to the ring to get some real answers and get to the bottom of this because he thinks Rich has learned enough. But we’ll find out. Off Young goes.
Kimber Lee (w/Deonna Purrazzo) vs. Kylie Rae
Kylie tentatively locks up with Kimber but gets her hair pulled and forced back into the corner, where lee hits a back elbow. Rae looks pissed and she ducks a clothesline, Lee catches a kick and Rae somersaults to go for a submission. Lee escapes, Kimber off the ropes, headscissors takedown and she charges in for an uppercut in the corner. Kylie backs up and charges but Lee slips out of the ring. Rae follows but Deonna plays interference and Lee gets in the ring. Rae in, comes off the ropes with a rana to Lee, kick to the gut, off the ropes with a kick to the head for two. Kimber in the corner, Kylie charges in, Lee dodges then comes in, but gets sent up and over onto the apron. She pulls Kylie out with her and they trade blows and chops on the edge of the ring. Kimber goes for a German suplex but Kylie holds onto the top rope. Rae with a back elbow drops Kimber off the apron, Rae goes for a rana off the apron but Kimber catches her and bombs her onto the apron. Kylie slow to get into the ring and once she’s in, Kimber launches a ton of punches and chokes Rae against the bottom rope. Kimber with stomps to Rae, and she picks Kylie up for a chop across the chest in the corner. Kimber rubs Rae’s face over the ropes and then hits forearms to the chest in the corner and locks in a choke. Kyle starts to fight back, comes off the ropes with a springboard armdrag. She grabs the leg, Lee gets to the bottom rope and Rae backs off, then comes back in but gets pulled into the second turnbuckle. Lee back in control, she picks Kylie up and hits a delayed suplex, cover gets two. Kimber puts a foot at the back of Kylie’s knee and yanks hard, but Rae reverses into a cross armbreaker! Rae’s shoulders are down but she gets a shoulder up, Kimber with a pull on the knee in a diving clothesline that gets two. Kylie shoved into the corner, Kimber runs in but Kylie gets the foot up. Kimber goes in again and hits a back elbow, one more and Kylie goes over, off the ropes with a clothesline and then a back elbow! Armdrag off the ropes, kick to the head and a pin attempt for almost three! Kylie with a cannonball senton in the corner that gets two, both are looking frustrated now. Rae off the ropes, right into a sit out powerbomb by Kimber for a near fall! Kylie picked back up, Kimber with fists to the chest on the ropes. Irish whip, Kylie leaps up for a sloppy rana and pin that gets two. Kylie with a short-arm clothesline, Deonna is on the ropes, Kylie is distracted and Kimber with a waistlock, Kylie rolls her up for a near-fall and Kylie with the Smile to the Finish! Kimber taps!
Winner: Kylie Rae (9:51)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: This match went on perhaps a little too long, they lost momentum in the stretch and things got a bit sloppy. Until then, they had a good match going that Kylie got to give an impressive showing and reveal more of her aggressive side. It wasn’t a great match, but it was solid and had a bit of character development.
After the match Kylie refuses to let go of the hold and Purrazzo comes in to attack. Deonna picks Kylie up, but Kylie fights back. Kylie with a superkick and Kylie goes apeshit with an attack on Deonna, who manages to get away while Rae glares from inside the ring.
* Rosemary and John E. Bravo’s wedding is in two weeks on Impact Wrestling, the episode after Bound For Glory.
* The Good Brothers come down to the ring and get mics. Anderson says to hold the beers until after the match, and says that they told the world why they came to Impact: Scott D’Amore opened the pocket books (with a Brother rating 10 on the payday), but they also liked it when they got there and realized they were the best: wrestlers, talkers, story-tellers, beer drinkers, wine drinkers. But Anderson says they realized to be the best they have to have the titles. Gallows chimes in and says the Guns have a target on their backs and they will punch a hole through it. Magic Killer, 1-2-3, and they don’t even do Too Sweet anymore. They’re walking out Impact Wrestling World Tag Team Champions at Bound For Glory
Doc Gallows vs. Madman Fulton
Ace is out with Fulton of course, and the bell rings. Gallows with a big boot right off the bat and be beats on Fulton in the corner. Gallows off the ropes but Fulton picks him up, Snake Eyes into the corner and Gallows is clotheslined out of the ring. Gallows pulls Fulton out of the ring and hits an uppercut and lays into him on the outside. Fulton counters and hits a big kick to the gut, then a fist to the face but Gallows fires right back. Chops and a punch by Fulton, and he rakes the eyes. Fulton and Gallows continue brawling until the ref counts to ten and that’s it.
Winner: Double Count-Out (1:21)
Rating: N/R
Thoughts: Well, that was a thing that certainly did happen.
Afterward, the two continue to brawl and Gallows hits a big boot, then a knee to the gut and they continue brawling as we go to break.
* Back from break, and Fulton and Gallows are still fighting their way around the empty arena. Apparently, the match is now continuing as a No Countout, No Disqualification. Fulton throws Anderson over the guardrail and then takes it to Gallows, picking up a pipe and thwacking it over Gallows’ back. He puts the trash can on Gallows and smacks hit hard. I’m not restarting the count by the way, they lost their official 411 timekeeper for this one. Fulton bellows into the camera and turns around as Gallows has grabbed a chair, which he nails Fulton in the gut with. Next is a beer can right to the head of the Madman, and Gallows rolls him into the ring, following with the chair. Chair to the back, and another! One more and Fulton is to his knees, and a kick knocks him down. Gallows climbs to the second rope with the chair and waits for Fulton to get up — he leaps RIGHT INTO A BOOT INTO THE CHAIR! Fulton stomps right on Gallows’ gut and stalks the fellow big man, another stomp and he grabs the chair, putting it on Doc’s back for a double axehandle. Fulton chokes LG with a crutch, then slams him headfirst into the turnbuckle multiple times. Fist to the dome of LG, and Fulton gets the chair to set up in the corner. He picks Gallows up, puts him head-first on the chair and grabs another chair for Con-Chair-To time but Gallows gets the boot up! Fulton charges in and Gallows moves, with Fulton going face-first into the chair! Double choke slam through two chairs and Gallows get the win!
Winner: Doc Gallows-Out (Time Uncertain)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: I was not pleased with the double count-out because I didn’t expect it to go anywhere necessarily, but it turned into a solid hardcore match. Workrate fanatics will not love this probably; it was a pretty typical hardcore match that way. But the story was good, getting both men even more over as big tough bastards. Gallows winning was the expected call and while I would have liked to see Fulton get the win considering he and Austin lost last week, he looked good so I won’t complain too much.
* We’re back from break with the Bound For Glory promo featuring multiple Eric Youngs.
* Josh and Madison hype up Bound For Glory and next week’s matches, which include:
– Hernandez vs. Cousin Jake vs. Rhino vs. Alisha Edwards vs. Heath
– Eddie Edwards vs. Sami Callihan
– Chris Bey, Rohit Raji, & Jordynne Grace vs. TJP, Trey Miguel, & Willie Mack
– The North vs. The Good Brothers
* Eric Young is out to demand answers on the status of Rich Swann, and he makes his way into the ring with the Impact World Title and a microphone. Young says it’s 11 days until Bound For Glory and he has to deal with whether he’ll have an opponent. He repeats that this is his world now and everything inside belongs to him and him alone. He says he isn’t leaving the ring until he hears some answers; he wants to hear that Swann quit and he’s not leaving until he gets answers, so he waits.
Backstage, D’Amore gets a phone call while he watches the monitor and it’s the doctor. He says he appreciates the doc doing it after hours and has a conversation we only hear one side of, but he says “If you’re sure…okay” plus a lot more. He says there’s someplace he has to go be and walks off as we go to break.
* Back from break and Young is still in the ring waiting. D’Amore comes out and Young says it looks like good news. He tells D’Amore to come into the ring and give the good news. D’Amore steps inside the ring and EY says Scott’s made him wait long enough so it’s time to tell the world what he already knows. He says he gave Swann the easy way and he didn’t want to take it, so he had to remind Swann what he’s capable of and that he’s the only power here in Impact. He says D’Amore’s looking at the World Champion, so tell the world that Swann is a crippled, no good quitter, and he has the night off at BFG.
D’Amore says EY is really proud of himself, and he doesn’t know where this Young came from and he guesses it’s what we have to deal with now. He says he spoke with Swann’s orthopedic surgeon and says he knows it’s probably not a shot, but Young did additional and substantial damage to Swann’s ankle. Young laughs and says they’re big word so he’ll explain: he hurt Rich Swann, because Swann gave him no choice so he showed Swann the way out of kindness because if he came out and got in the ring — he yells at D’Amore not to look away from him, and says D’Amore looks at him now. He says he taught Swann a lesson and he’s going to let D’Amore finish his statement that Swann is unfit to compete at BFG which was Swann’s fault and his undoing. D’Amore asks where this EY came from and where the guy from Florence, Ontario is. He recounts their history and said he know there was something special in Young, and so did people out there. He says Young lost who he was, or who he was meant to be. He repeats, “additional and substantial damage” but says Swann is a special kind of athlete and is still ahead of schedule. So Young has a match at Bound For Glory with Swann. D’Amore says he hopes Swann knocks some sense into him and knocks the stupid look off his face. Young grabs D’Amore, shoves him into the ring and starts viciously stomping and assaulting D’Amore. He yells “You did this” and locks in a hold to break the ankle. Out comes Swann! Swann is back, he makes the save and hits a handstand cutter on Young! Young flees the ring, Swann is fired up and has the title while Young loses his shit on the ramp.
* We got to a parking lot where Moose pulls in at night. There’s a bridge, with EC3 standing on it with the TNA World Title. Moose approaches, they stand at the opposite side. EC3 calls the title a “false title for a false idol.” Moose counters, “Go to hell, you stupid son of a bitch!” EC3 calls it classic banter and talks in rhyme, while Moose says he’s a wrestling god. EC3 says he’s not a god; he’s not even a wrestler. He’s the combined personality of every wrestler he’s ever liked and there’s nothing clever, original, or real about him. Moose says EC3 wishes he had Moose’s career but EC3 ain’t having it and says Moose is a laughingstock. The chains come off of Moose and EC3 says he’s been waiting for this fight his whole life. He sets the title down and tells Moose to “cross the line.” Cute. Moose does so and they start brawling on the bridge. Moose takes control and goes for the title but gets attacked and EC3 unloads punches before they both go down. EC3 grabs the title and asks Moose, “Who are you? You’re a father; you’re a husband.” He says he wanted the fight of his life, but this is the best he got? It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. EC3 laughs and walks off with the title, but Moose is back up and knocks EC3 down. He beats on the Narrative Controller, picks up the title and says it’s his. His hands are bloody and so is EC3. EC3 laughs as we go to black.
