Join 411’s Live Impact Wrestling Coverage

Heya, folks. It’s time for some Impact Wrestling action! I’m Jeremy, and you all know how this works. Impact’s had a hectic week this week and their Slammiversary main event is in a wee bit of disarray, so it’ll be interesting to see if things get cleared up a bit this week.

Anyway, last week was an interesting show as Deonna Purrazzo made her in-ring debut in dominant fashion, Eddie Edwards ran into Madman Fulton, and things heated up in the speculation of who may be coming to Slammiversary. There’s a lot on the table for tonight, 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.

* Our opening video recaps The North’s attack on Ken Shamrock instead of having a match, Purrazzo’s big debut win over Alisha Edwards and Jordynne Grace’s run after her, and Edwards’ Street Fight with Fulton.

Ladies and Gentlemen — YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! (AKA Title Sequence)

We start off with Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne covering the Impact World Championship being vacated. Rayne announces that the Slammiversary main event is now Austin vs. Edwards vs. Trey vs. a mystery person. Mathews said that Slammiversary will be “one of the most talked about nights of the year.”

Chris Bey vs. Suicide

Suicide dives in to start, but Bey gets away and then starts in the boots, backing Suicide into the cornet. He charges in and gets sent over the ropes, lands on the apron and slingshots in over Suicdie. Off the ropes with am armdrag, followed by some kicks and a standing moonsault that turns into a flip when Suicide gets out of the way. He goes into the ropes, Suicide leapfrogs and hits an armdrag. Clothesline is ducked and Suicide with the atomic drop, a kick the head gets a one-count. Suicide with chops inthe corner, he whips Bey out and catches him jumping out of the turnbuckle for an electric chair drop. Springboard moonsault but Bey gets the knees up and he takes control, laying in fists and getting two. Kick to the back of Suicide and a punch in the corner, he stalks Suicide and eats a couple of chops but sends Suicide into the corner for a clothesline that gets two again. Bey is staying on Suicide, chops him against the ropes. Whip is reverse by suicide into an octopus hold, which is turned into a sunset flip for two. Bey gets a waistlock, hangs on as Suicide tries to knock him off and he hangs Suicide on the ropes for a spinning kick, and that’s another near-fall. Bey with knees to the gut, back suplex and Bey is going up to the second rope. Moonsault is missed and Suicide gets up in the corner, pushes off a charging Bey and hits a running front dropkick into the turnbuckle. Fists and chops by Suicide, he ducks a clothesline and hits palm strikes. Bey hits a spinning kick but comes off the ropes into a knockdown by the masked man. Charging forearm and another, he goes for the German suplex. Bey turns it around but Suicide blocks it, comes off the ropes with a stomp for two. Suicide up now, he goes in and whips Bey, who reverses but misses a clothesline. Suicide hangs in the ropes, gets out of the way as Bey dives to the outside and Johnny Swinger is in! Suicide sends him to the outside, Suicide up top and he hits a coffin drop to Bey and Swinger! Suicide picks Bey up, throws him in to the ring and follows, catches Bey with a boot and a sunset flip for two. Bey with a spinning knee to stop Suicide’s momentum, he gores for a suplex but Suicide stops it and hits a flip slam. Suicide’s going up top as Bey yells about his knee, Swinger takes the referee’s distraction as an advantage and a springboard Famouser ends it!

Winner: Chris Bey (8:51)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Good opening match to get things kicked off. I question the length and the need for Swinger’s involvement; does Suicide really need to be protected here? But all in all it was a good match and I won’t complain too much.

* Mathews and Rayne talk about Bey’s win and his momentum going into his X-Division match with Willie Mack. Madison is, unshockingly, pro-Bey. They also hype the Impact World Championship match again, and Rayne is pro-Austin.

* Gia Miller interviews Moose about his match with Crazzy Steve. He says the match is big because he’s in it and whiel Steve thinks everything is fun and games, fun and games didn’t make him the TNA Heavyweight Champion or through seven years in the NFL that made him rich. He says tonight, Steve finds out why Moose is the five-star athlete and the real world champion, and why he’s the legend known as Moose.

* Back from break, Johnny Swinger is pumping up Chris Bey after Bey’s win. He talks about how it’s all about ring psychology and the important stuff, while he insults Impact’s referees. It turns out that the referee is there listening as Swinger says he’ll throw the ref at Slammiversary $30 to look the other way. The ref is incensed that Swinger thinks he can buy him. Swinger is going to be banned from ringside at Slammiversary. Swinger says he’ll have a plan and Bey isn’t so sure.

Reno Scum vs. TJP and Fallah Baah

Scum attack as Baah and TJP are grandstanding for…err, no one. Yeah, empty arenas are weird in some ways, for sure. The heels throw TJP against the ropes but he breaks their clothesline attempt with a running knee and Baah ends up in the ring with Luster. Luster bodyblocks Baah to no effect, Baah bodyblocks Luster back into a roll-up by TJP which gets two. TJP with a dropkick sends Luster into the ropes, he tags in Baah who gets whiped in hard to Luster and TJP with a charging back elbow followed by a slam by Baah. Piggyback splash gets two. TJP with a European uppercut, whip to the ropes is countered but TJP spins through slides under Luster and drop-toe hold hangs Lister on the bottom rope. TJP goes for a springboard move but Thornstowe gets involved and yanks TJP off the apron. Luster with a diving headbutt to TJP, he manhandles TJP and tags Thornstowe in. They whip TJP back into the turnbuckle and beat him down, Thornstowe with a big stomp for two. Thornstowe whips TJP into a Luster headbutt and tags Luster in. He gets TJP in the corner, charges to take out Baah, charges back but TJP leaps over and hits a dropkick. Thornstowe tags in, uses Luster as battering ram to the chest. TJP lifted for a back suplex but comes down on TJP’s knees. Luster keeps TJP from making the tag but hooks Luster’s head with his feet into a headscissors and tags in Baah! Baah in hot and he takes down Thornstowe a couple of times, avalanches him in the corner and then another one with Adam down. Samoan drop attempt but Luster with the save, he hits a big boot and Thornstowe leaps off the back with a stomp! He pulls Baah out of the corner and covers for a near-fall. Luster back in, picks TJP up for a vertical suplex but the little guy gets a knee to the head. Drop-toe hold to Thornstowe into the bottom rope, springboard dropkick to the head. He goes up but gets hit by Luster, Baah now in and gets kicked in the head by Thornstowe. Thornstowe picks TJP up on the turnbuckle but Baah makes the save, Samoan drop followed by the Mamba splash for three!

Winner: TJP and Fallah Baah (4:52)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: This match was exactly what it needed to be: fast-paced and chaotic without spending too much time. TJP and Baah looked good in the win and that’s all I was hoping for.

* It’s time for Locker Room Talk! Madison Rayne is there with Johnny Swinger, who’s livid about being banned from Chris Bey’s side for Slammiversary. Rayne doesn’t care about that and introduces John E. Bravo. He has his dog. Rayne notes that Bravo has the muffs and the hellhound, and says it’s a been a trying few weeks for all of them but it seems to be heating up in the love department for John E. Bravo plays dumb, and Rayne asks about Rosemary. John E. plays it off as the two of them hanging out but Rayne isn’t letting him off the hook. When it doesn’t work, she invites her other guest: the most important woman in John E.’s life. She tries to make him guess, and she says it’s Rosemary. Rosemary just appears there and asks where her seat is. Rayne asks about the status of their relationship, and Rosemary says she’s still new at understanding mortals so asks Bravo to explain. Swinger says anyone can figure out what’s going on because the sexual tension is thick enough to cut with a knife-edge chop. Rayne notes the chemistry, but Swinger is talking about Rosemary and himself. He says he has a thing for heavy makeup and makes insinuations about Aja Kong. Bravo gets all jealous and the two guys start fighting over Rosemary, who looks DELIGHTED about it. Rayne stops it, which disappoints Rosemary: “What if they’d killed each other?” Rayne says they’re all dying to know if Bravo is in love with Rosemary, and Taya barges in. She wants to know where Bravo has been and notes that Rosemary is looking super-cute. (I ship it.) Taya wants to talk to Rosemary and says she can’t count on Bravo, so wants to be Rosemary’s tag team partner and says they’d be the coolest tag team ever. Rosemary agrees and says it’s time for them to go, so they leave without Bravo.

* Back from break and we get a recap of Purrazzo’s appearance at Imact, her attack on Grace and the rest of their feud over the last couple of weeks including the Busted Open Radio confrontation. As previously announced, the two will face off for the Knockouts Championship at Slammiversary.

* Out come The North to discuss their attack on Ken Shamrock last week. Alexander says he’s there to talk about the World’s Most Dangerous Man, the man who never saw a fight he’d back down from. He says all good things come to an end and Ken didn’t even make it to the ring to face him. Page says that Ken is the man who will literally never have a tag team partner or friend, and explains why: because Ken’s crazy and has rage issues, and can’t control his temper. He asks why anyone would want to deal with someone like him, and if Page was Ken’s friend he’d call a professional to help him out. He says Ken is nuts and asks what makes the World’s Most Dangerous man? Somebody with a friend.

Shamrock’s music plans and out to the ring he comes. He comes into the ring and — SAMI’S EXNTRANCE! Sami Callihan appears on the screen and says who needs friends when you’ve got an enemy? Everything goes black and suddenly Sami’s in the ring! The brawl is on! Alexander is sent to the outside and Shamrock kicks Page in the head, sending him out. Callihan and Shamrock stare off and Callihan vanishes again after saying “Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down!” Looks like we might have a Tag Team Title match for Slammiversary…

* Back from break and Scott D’Amore is on the phone talking to — well, they’re not even being subtle about it, it’s Gallows and Anderson. The North show up and they are pissed about what went down in the ring. Page asks if it looks like they’re in wrestling attire and if D’Amore allows his staff to jump people from behind when they aren’t ready. He says it’s an unsafe work environment and they weren’t prepared for that. D’Amore says that’s not acceptable and he won’t let it happen to his country men. They aren’t going to let that happen, and he makes the match: The North vs. Sami and Shamrock. D’Amore walks off and The North is not pleased.

* The Impact Flashback of the moment is Eric Young vs. Magnus from April 2014 with the World Title on the line. Young wins to capture the title.

* Jimmy Jacobs is there when we come back from break, trying to get a word with Trey before his match with Madman Fulton. He knocks and Try cautiously opens the door. Jacobs asks him about the attacks by Fulton the past couple of weeks and his match tonight. Trey says he doesn’t care if he has to break Austin first and use him as a stepping stool, he’s going to look Fulton in the eye and break his foot off in his ass for leaving anything left of him.

TNA World Heavyweight Title Match:
Crazzy Steve vs. Moose

As usual, Moose makes Penzer do the intro right and makes the referee hold the belt up. Moose keeps criticizing the way Penzer is saying the intro Shane McMahon-style, right down wanting to be named the “Best Wrestler in the World.” Your mileage may vary on that.

They face off and lock up, Steve gets shoved back. Steve ducks the second lockup, jumps out of a move attempt but comes off the ropes into a body block. Steve slips away from an elbow attempt, hits several shots as he ducks swings by the champ. Angered, Moose charges and Steve pulsl the ropes down, sending Moose to the outside, then leaps at him but Moose catches him (barely) and slams him into the apron. Moose grandstands to the camera as Steve is down, he has blood in his mouth and is holding his ribs. Moose picks him up by the legs and swings him into the ring steps. Steve ain’t looking so good, the ref starts the count and Steve is crawling to his feet. Moose jumps out of the ring, grabs Steve and starts laying in punches to the ribs. Moose chucks Steve into the ring, climbs in and mocks Steve before picking him up and dropping him ribs first on the ropes. Moose onto the apron, he jaws into Steve’s face and then elbows him in the sternum. The ref is counting as Moose gets in and Steve tries to fight back! Steve off the ropes and gets got by a knee to the gut. Moose slaps Steve in the head a few times, picks him up and locks in an abdominal stretch but Steve ain’t giving up! Moose blatently grabs the ropes and gets the five count, he’s not too happy about that and threatens to send the ref to the hospital. He walks over to Steve, picks him up, puts him on the turnbuckle for some punches and then goes to superplex him but Steve blocks it! Steve fights back, bites Moose’s head, goes for a sunset bomb and hits it, but only for one. Moose up and swings but Steve ducks, he fires back with shots and gets a schoolboy off the ropes for two! Steve with a kick to the knee and a running knee puts Moose down. Steve backs up, cannonballs Moose in the corner, then goes up top but Moose catches him again and hits a fallaway slam across the ring, then kips up. Lights Out with the spear, and the pinfall victory.

Winner: Moose (8:14)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: The in-ring action was good here. I feel like the match went on a bit too long; I know they’re trying to put over Steve’s toughness but it made the match drag toward the middle. All in all though, it was a solid effort.

After the match, Moose decides to lay in some more punishment to Steve with a kick to the gut and a host of punches to Steve’s head. Officials come down, including Tommy Dreamer, to break it up. And Moose ATTACKS DREAMER! He beats Dreamer down and then walks off with his title.

* Back from break, Steve is being helped away and Dreamer, who is bleeding from a wound in his temple, cuts a promo on Moose. He says he’s been in the business 30 years and has faced thousands of wrestlers. He says he can count on one hand the number who have the god-given ability and talent of Moose, and he used it to make it to the NFL. He says Moose didn’t have dreams of playing in the NFL, he did it because his friends told him to. And then he became a wrestler when the NFL was done with him – not because he had dreams, but because he wanted another paycheck. He says Moose is one of the fastest-rising stars but he didn’t listen to his coaches or friends and is going to be a bust in wrestling and he didn’t win any championship so he created his own title. That’s not how titles are won or lost. He says he’s been beaten up by better and invoked Dusty Rhodes’ “Hard Times” promo, saying now is the hardest time in the world but pro wrestling hasn’t stopped. Moose only wants a paycheck and Dreamer wants a locker room full of people who want to succeed. He says Moose was the only person who has complained backstage and isn’t a locker room leader; he’s a locker room cancer. He says his belly and heinie may be a bit too big like Dusty’s but he’s a violent man. No one ever paid a ticket to see Moose in the NFL or to wrestling, and he’s a waste of talent.

Well, didn’t expect a Tommy Dreamer promo to set my expectations for a TNA World Title feud through the roof in 2020. It’s a weird year.

* Backstage, Cody Deaner is cheering on COusin Jake as he arm wrestles Hernandez, who wins. Hernandez goes for the money and Cody calls for double or nothing. Cody sits down and we get all dramatic. They prepare, and Hernandez has no difficulty until Cody twists the hat around and then he gets it back up to even before Hernandez shakes his head. Cody turns the hat back around and loses. Alrighty then.

Kiera Hogan vs. Havok

* Backstage, Cody Deaner is cheering on COusin Jake as he arm wrestles Hernandez, who wins. Hernandez goes for the money and Cody calls for double or nothing. Cody sits down and we get all dramatic. They prepare, and Hernandez has no difficulty until Cody twists the hat around and then he gets it back up to even before Hernandez shakes his head. Cody turns the hat back around and loses. Alrighty then.

Kiera Hogan vs. Havok

Both women have their tag partners with them. Kiera comes in right as the bell rings when Havok isn’t ready and hits a diving dropkick to Havok from behind! She starts laying in attacks but gets shoved away, only to come right in for a series of chops that have stunned Havok. Kiera walks out of the corner and comes back in, but into a double chokehold from a recovered Havok! Havok flips Kiera over and nails her with a clothesline, then flips her over again. Havok gets Hogan up, carries her around and bodyslams her in the middle of the ring. A boot rake to the eyes and she comes off the ropes but gets her foot caught by Tasha. Havok kicks Tasha away, then goes for a butt drop but Hogan moves and hits a kick to the head. She lays in punches as we go to break.

Back from break, Kiera is on Havok’s back in a sleeper. Havok stars to fade but breaks it when she slams Hogan into the turnbuckle back-first. Havok charges in, right into a boot, and Hogan chokes Havok with her hair. She grabs Havok and does it again, then argues with the ref until Havok grabs her and flips her down off the turnbuckle. Havok back up, she catches a charging Kiera into a messy backbreaker followed by a clothesline. Havok hits a running knee to Kiera, then charges in and catches Hogan with a running kick in the corner (obvious edit here). She sets Kiera up, charges in with another running boot, then picks her up and goes for one more! She pulls Kiera out of the corner, stomps her in the gut and shouts at Tasha before turning her attention back. Kiera is pulled back up and Tasha gets on the apron with Havok’s mask! She gets grabbed by Havok and throws the mask in to Kiera! Kiera hits Havok with the mask, then hits a bunch of kicks and gets the pinfall!

Winner: Taya Valkyrie (5:53)
Rating: **
Thoughts: It was fine for what it was. Don’t know why Neveah didn’t bother to do anything when the international object came into play, but otherwise I was okay with this for the time given.

* Backstage, Moose talks about Tommy Dreamer’s promo and says he heard it all and Dreamer knows nothing about him or what he went through. “Tommy Dreamer only knows what he read on Wikipedia.” he says Dreamer thinks he’s thsi veteran and can do what he wants, but Moose isn’t the kid; he’s the TNA Heavyweight Champion and Dreamer’s going to respect him. He says Dreamer said a bunch of slander and he has to apologize or he’ll get sued.

* We get the Slammiversary promo again.

* Mathews and Rayne break down Slammiversary:

* Impact World Championship: Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Trey vs. TBA
* Impact Knockouts Championship Match: Jordynne Grace vs. Deonna Purrazzo
* #1 Contender Knockouts Gauntlet Match: Rosemary, Nevaeh, Su Yung, Kiera Hogan, Taya Valkyrie, Tasha Steelz, Alisha Edwards, Kylie Rae, Kimber Lee and Jessicka Havok
* Impact X-Division Championship Match: Willie Mack vs. Chris Bey (Johnny Swinger banned from ringside)
* Impact Tag Team Championship Match: The North vs. Sami Callihan & Ken Shamrock

Meanwhile, next week:
* Sami Callihan vs. Josh Alexander

Trey vs. Madman Fulton (w/Ace Austin)

We go to break before the match starts, then come back with Trey diving into the ring. He ducks Fulton’s boot, comes off the ropes, ducks a clothesline and dives out on Ace Austin! Fulton tries to grab him and eats a kick to the head, Fulton charges and Trey leaps over him into the ring as Fulton ends up outside! Try off the ropes and dives in, gets caught by Fulton and thrown into the ring. Fulton climbs in and they stare off; Fulton starts swinging and Trey blocks, ducks and hits an enzuigiri! He charges in, goes up and over Fulton to the outside and hits a kick to the head. Springboard dive but Fulton catches him again. He goes for a suplex but Trey slides out and hits a front dropkick, but when he charges in is pulled into a headlock. Trey gets out, goes up on the ropes, flips around, goes for an armdrag but no dice! Fulton grabs Trey by the throat and chokeslams him. He dead picks Trey up off the ground like a weight bar, lifts him into a gorilla press, holds him there with one hand and then drops him onto the mat. Fulton stalks Trey, who hits some chops and punches to no effect. He comes off the ropes, gets a bodyscissors but Fulton holds him there and stretches him! He then hits a reverse suplex. Fulton steps on Trey’s hand, then pulls Trey in but eats a few elbows. He catches Fulton in uranage position and lifts his foot for a back kick but Fulton catches it and flips Trey over. Fulton pulls Trey to the middle of the ring, he fights back to the corner and Fulton just grabs him, slamming him repeatedly head-first into the turnbuckle. He bends Trey back against the ropes and hits a huge overhand chop, then goes to toss him over the ropes on the other side but Trey turns it into a springboard into a sleeper! Fulton swings Trey around like a doll, catches him and hits a sidewalk slam that gets two. However, Trey still has the sleeper on! He keeps it locked in until Fulton finally backs hard into a turnbuckle. He then charges in but this time Trey gets the back kick to the head and goes up top for second-rope cutter! Trey back up, he kicks at Fulton’s chest repeatedly and then one right to the head, and another to the jaw! Superkick staggers Fulton, springboard DDT is caught by the Madman and Fulton hits a Northern lights suplex for two! Fulton is frustrated as hell, and he lies in wait as Trey staggers to his feet. Fulton charges in for an avalanche splash, he puts Trey up on the turnbuckle and beats on him, then hits an elbow to the back before pulling him up. Trey has grabbed the stick and he whacks Fulton with it for the DQ!

Winner: Madman Fulton by DQ (8:14)
Rating: *** 3/4
Thoughts: The in-ring action was good here. I feel like the match went on a bit too long; I know they’re trying to put over Steve’s toughness but it made the match drag toward the middle. All in all, I won’t complain too much though.

After the match, Trey attacks Austin with a chair and then rises up, gets in the ring and hits Fulton repeatedly with the chair. Lose the battle, win the war, folks.

POST-CREDITS! We get a look at what looks to be a new Super Eric costume! Well, that’s an obvious tease.