Impact Wrestling: Deathproof

[Hoss]

● THE PREMISE ●

In the year 2019, the wrestling industry was in a state of change. For close to two decades, there had been an undeniable leader in the sport in the form of WWE. Since the death of WCW in 2001, no company had managed to bring a legit fight to Vince McMahon's empire. As such, the WWE way of conducting business went unabated, and the product for the most part became rather stagnant in the eyes of many fans. A perfect storm came together in late 2018 that would light the fuse for a wave of change in the wrestling industry. That storm would be an event called All In - the brainchild of the incredibly popular independent wrestling group known as The Elite; namely members Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks. This independently produced wrestling event, which brought together the best of the best from outside the walls of WWE, managed to draw a staggering 10,000+ fans to the Sears Centre in Chicago on September 1, 2018. This historic event, a true first of its kind, was a collaborative effort between several major indie and international promotions, serving to prove to WWE and any naysayers that the appetite for an alternative was at an all-time high. The machinations of a new company began to turn in the aftermath of All In, facilitated by The Elite and billionaire Tony Khan. The new promotion, known as All Elite Wrestling, would rise to become the first company since the closure of WCW to put a dent in the WWE armor, thanks to a brilliantly talented roster, passionate backstage staff and the full-on financial commitment of a lifelong wrestling fan who was dedicated to making his company a success.

However, this project isn't about AEW. This project is about the company that was formed in the aftermath of WCW's closure. The first company that had the roster, resources and nerve to try to bring the fight to WWE once their greatest competitor was vanquished. From humble southern roots, the company formed as Total Nonstop Action built a reputation as the opposition to WWE. As time passed, TNA would carve their own legacy, building homegrown talent with undeniable potential and developing their own style, aesthetic and lore. Even so, the company could never be viewed as a true competitor to WWE, and perhaps that was their biggest undoing. Over the years, the company would take big swings to try to draw closer to WWE, and often invested in past-their-prime talents and C-List celebrity guests. These moves often served only to make TNA look second-rate and stall out the momentum of up-and-comers that should have been company cornerstones. The dagger in the heart of TNA after all this was a regime led by Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, who ostensibly aimed to be the guys who finally legitimized the company in the eyes of the casual audience, lifting the company to unparalleled heights. Instead, the identity of the company was sold out, longtime stars of the brand were forced to take a backseat, and the diehard fanbase who stood by the company despite its many faults was alienated.

Throughout the 2000s, TNA had to traverse some choppy waters just to keep it all together. In the 2010s, things only became more perilous. The company lost major network backing, ownership changed hands, the name was changed, mergers occurred and then were reversed, and a majority of their big name stars who kept the company relevant over the years, such as AJ Styles, Kurt Angle, The Hardy Boyz and Samoa Joe were heading off to greener pastures. Yet despite it all, the company now known as Impact Wrestling, kept moving forward.

By the fateful summer of 2018, Impact Wrestling was an almost unrecognizable company for fans who remembered the peak years for the company inside the Impact Zone. Business was down dramatically. Prestige was at an all-time low. The company that had once been considered the clear second option to WWE was now being overshadowed by independent companies and Japanese promotions on their own soil. Times had changed, but the resolute nature of the company had remained. Now being headed by the duo of creative masterminds Scott D'Amore and Don Callis, pieces were slowly falling back into place for the company to reclaim its former glory. So when All In was conceived, Impact was on board to make history and once again take the fight to the big dog in the yard, WWE. But what they may not have anticipated, was that in doing so, they would help give birth to the new alternative - AEW - which would only make their attempts to recapture the attention of the wrestling world that much more difficult. With the launch of AEW in 2019, a huge slice of the pie that was once shared by many smaller promotions, including Impact, was now going to be taken up by their friends down in Jacksonville. Impact would lose talent, production workers and momentum to the newly formed company, leading to some sentiment from fans that the end was finally nigh for Impact Wrestling. But what the world would soon find out is that Impact Wrestling wasn't just hard to kill… they were “Deathproof”.

● THE LAY OF THE LAND ●

The story of this BTB begins at Bound For Glory 2019, Impact Wrestling's annual flagship PPV. Slated for October 20 at the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, Illinois - a Chicago suburb - the event is yet another opportunity for Impact Wrestling to show fans that the company is yet again worth investing in.

Since Scott D'Amore and Don Callis entered the picture as Executive Vice Presidents, appointed by Impact's parent company Anthem, the product has been on a slow and steady ascent, as the duo have sought to bring stability back to the promotion after the Global Force Wrestling merger fiasco. By investing in up-and-coming talents and partnering with such companies as AAA, NOAH and Lucha Underground, they've managed to cultivate a new style that is heavy on both explosive in-ring action and dramatic, sometimes over-the-top storylines such as The Undead Realm. PPV events like Slammiversary and Bound For Glory over the last couple of years have been met with much critical acclaim, though it hasn't yet yielded much improvement on the business side of things, with Impact still drawing low attendance numbers and struggling to find reliable distribution. In fact, their TV show has recently been airing on Pursuit, a channel with very low exposure, and the company even went through a period of broadcasting on the streaming app Twitch, which has done the company no favors from a public perception standpoint. Additionally, while the company has managed to stabilize, the entry of AEW into the market has unquestionably cut into their resources and increased the level of competition in the wrestling landscape. Directly and indirectly as a result of AEW's founding, Impact has lost several of their major stars of the last couple years, including Johnny Impact, The Lucha Bros and Santana and Ortiz - along with Austin Aries who stormed out of the company following the previous year's Bound For Glory. Add into all of this the shifting streaming landscape, which has enabled companies like MLW and the recently revived NWA to reach larger audiences, competing directly with the likes of ROH and Impact for the title of the number 3 promotion in North America.

As Bound For Glory draws near, however, Impact and its fans have good reason to feel more optimistic than they have in a while. Despite losing some of their top names recently, they've continued to push and develop promising acts such as Brian Cage, Sami Callihan, Moose, Tessa Blanchard and The North to name a few. Impact has also supplemented these rising stars with recognizable names like Rob Van Dam, Ken Shamrock and Rhino to bring some mainstream familiarity to the table. EVPs D'Amore and Callis have been vocal about staying on the lookout for any possible new additions who can help elevate the company going forward, as they may soon be needing them. You see, Impact has recently come into some good fortune that may be the accelerant that the company needs. In the lead-up to Bound For Glory, it was announced that Impact's parent company Anthem had purchased AXS TV, a channel mostly known for music and live event content. Although it isn't one of the most ubiquitous channels in North America, AXS TV is a huge jump in distribution for Impact Wrestling, as the channel is available in upwards of 50 million homes in America. With this break, Impact is rolling into Bound For Glory on October 20 prepared to make a statement and looking to parlay their momentum into more growth as they are set to debut on AXS TV the following week.

● THE ROSTER ●

Impact Wrestling World Champion: Sami Callihan
Impact Wrestling X-Division Champion: Ace Austin
Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion: Taya Valkyrie
Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champions: The North

MALE ROSTER

Ace Austin
Acey Romero
Adam Thornstowe
Aero Star
Aiden Prince
Black Taurus
Brian Cage
Cody Deaner
Cousin Jake
Daga
Dezmond Xavier
Eddie Edwards
El Hijo del Vikingo
Ethan Page
Fallah Bahh
Jake Crist
Johnny Swinger
Josh Alexander
Ken Shamrock
Larry D
Luster The Legend
Madman Fulton
Moose
Naomichi Marufuji
Petey Williams
Raj Singh
Rhino
Rich Swann
Rob Van Dam
Rohit Raju
Sami Callihan
Shera
TJP
Tommy Dreamer
Trey Miguel
Willie Mack
Zachary Wentz

KNOCKOUTS

Alisha Edwards
Havok
Jordynne Grace
Kiera Hogan
Madison Rayne
Rosemary
Shotzi Blackheart
Su Yung
Taya Valkyrie
Tenille Dashwood
Tessa Blanchard

ALLIANCES

The Deaner Boys: Cody Deaner and Cousin Jake
Desi Hit Squad: Raj Singh and Rohit Raju
Fallah Bahh and TJP
The North: Ethan Page and Josh Alexander
oVe: Sami Callihan, Madman Fulton, Dave Crist, Jake Crist
The Rascalz: Dezmond Xavier, Trey Miguel, Zachary Wentz
Reno Scum: Adam Thornstowe and Luster The Legend

MANAGERS

Gama Singh: Manages Desi Hit Squad
John E. Bravo: Manages Taya Valkyrie
Katie Forbes: Manages Rob Van Dam

BEHIND THE SCENES

CEO: Ed Norholm
Executive Vice Presidents: Scott D’Amore and Don Callis
Producers: Gail Kim, Tommy Dreamer, Petey Williams, Jimmy Jacobs, Chris Sabin, R.D. Evans and John E. Bravo

● THE PROGRAMMING ●

TELEVISION

Impact Wrestling

Tuesday at 8/7c on AXS TV
Commentary Team: Don Callis and Josh Matthews
Ring Announcer: Melissa Santos
Interviewer: Alicia Atout

Xplosion

Friday at 8/7c on Twitch
Commentary Team: Josh Matthews and Madison Rayne
Ring Announcer: Melissa Santos
Interviewer: Alicia Atout

PAY-PER-VIEW

Hard To Kill

January 12th @ The Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas

Rebellion

March 14th @ Terminal 5 in New York, New York

IMPACT+ SPECIALS

No Surrender

December 7th @ The Brightside Music and Event Center in Dayton, Ohio​

 

[Brett]

used to pray for times like this

 

[Jam]

LETS GOOOO!

Such a good time period too. Excited to see the content!

 

[Tig]

Really fun time period here. Looking forward to seeing what you cook up.

Good luck!

 

[Deco90]

Love the layout and the set up.

Best of luck with this - looking forward to seeing what you do

 

[Hoss]

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Impact Bound For Glory 2019 Roundup: Night ends in dramatic fashion, on-screen and behind-the-scenes

Last night, Impact Wrestling descended upon The Odeum Expo Center in Chicago suburb Villa Heights to present its biggest card of the year. Often regarded as the yearly “temperature check” for the embattled promotion, there is often no better indicator of the company’s direction than what they put forth at this annual supercard. It’s been a long road to make it here, and many in the wrestling sphere are starting to quietly feel a sense of optimism around Impact, who have recently made big waves with their barrier-breaking Sami Callihan vs. Tessa Blanchard feud, and for pushing the boundaries creatively with acts like Su Yung and Rosemary. Of course, the World Champion is Brian Cage, who is the perfect guy to represent a company that arguably should be looking towards young, exciting talents with star quality. So, what did the company cook up and what is the buzz coming out of the aftermath of the event? Let’s take a look at last night's big show!

Call Your Shot Gauntlet

The first match of the night was the Call Your Shot Gauntlet, a match that is looking like a potential mainstay for the company. The format is similar to a Royal Rumble with new entrants being introduced to the match at timed intervals. It’s an over-the-top battle royal for the bulk of the match, until only two competitors remain, at which point it becomes a standard singles match. Got it? Good.

So as you’d expect with a match of this set-up, the field is a mixed bag of whoever wasn’t already booked for the show, plus a couple of surprise entrants.

Eddie Edwards started the match off and was immediately pitted against some adversity, as the second and third entrants would be Adam Thornstowe and Luster the Legend, the duo known as Reno SCUM. One of the main threads of this matchup was Eddie Edwards’ underdog story. Say what you want about Edwards, ever since he’s embraced this new everyman, Tommy Dreamer-esque persona - he’s still very over with the Impact audience. Edwards and Reno SCUM stuck around the match for a long time, as did the monster of oVe, Madman Fulton. Competitors like Rosemary, Cody Deaner and Rohit Raju came and went. The tone of the match switched up with the appearance of “The Juggernaut” Jordynne Grace at number twelve, as she would clean some considerable house upon entering the match, clearing the ring down to herself, Fulton, Edwards and Cousin Jake. The ring started to fill up a bit more as Desi Hit Squad members Raj Singh and Shera joined the mix. We then started to get some surprise entrants in the form of Swoggle in a comedy spot, AAA’s Black Taurus, as well as rising indie star and a powerhouse out of Long Island, Willow Nightingale entering the match. At number 20, the final spot, we got ECW legend Sabu to a nice pop.

Once every new entrant got their shine in, eliminations picked back up, largely facilitated by Fulton and Grace. The final four in the matchup, to win the right to challenge for any title at any time of their choosing, would be Madman Fulton, Jordynne Grace, Black Taurus and the man who started the match, Eddie Edwards. Maybe you can see where this is going. The faces in the match would align to eliminate the dominant Madman Fulton. Shortly after, Edwards dumped Taurus out of the match after a short scuffle. It all came down to Edwards and Grace, who now would begin a singles match. After a quick show of respect between the two popular competitors, they hit a few quick sequences that saw Jordynne Grace gain the upperhand on the exhausted Edwards. As it seemed Grace had victory within reach, Edwards countered the pumphandle slam set-up into an inside cradle to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat!

Result: Eddie Edwards wins Call Your Shot Gauntlet Trophy

Knockouts Championship
Taya Valkyrie (c) vs. Tenille Dashwood

Tenille Dashwood had been on a tear since recently surfacing in Impact Wrestling, but her run up Bound For Glory could hardly compare to the record-setting 287-day reign of Taya Valkyrie, which she was looking to end.

Much of this match was built on Dashwood being one step ahead of the champion. Sharper, more confident. A rare sight, as Taya let the veil slip a little, and the doubt and desperation was apparent through her work in this match. Though Tenille was more on-point between the ropes, Taya did have an x-factor in the form of her manager, the blathering John E. Bravo, who was a constant thorn in the side of Tenille and the official.

Ultimately, he would finally be ejected after being caught pulling Valkyrie’s foot under the rope on a Tenille pin attempt. However, he would toss Taya a chain outside the view of the official before heading to the back. Taya would attempt to use the chain on Tenille, but miss and lose the chain. Tenille had the opportunity to use the chain on Taya, but her conscience caused her to hesitate. That hesitation was the nail in Tenille’s coffin as the ruthless “Wera Loca” would deliver the Road To Valhalla on Tenille to pick up the win and retain her Knockouts Championship!

Result: Taya Valkyrie retains Knockouts Championship via pin-fall

World Tag Team Championship
The North (c) vs. Rob Van Dam and Rhino vs. Rich Swann and Willie Mack

This is a match that a lot of fans saw as a sleeper match of the night contender going in, and those fans might have been on to something. The team known as The North, consisting of Josh Alexander and “All Ego” Ethan Page have been a revelation as Tag Champions, a team that harkens back to great teams of Impact Wrestling past. Meanwhile, their challengers tonight were men with a lot of history amongst themselves, though are they as closely unified as The North? Well, we found out.

This match was full of action from the beginning, and it never really let off the gas. The North, Swann and Mack did a lot of the heavy lifting early on, delivering big offense and some fast-paced exchanges. Rhino was the first on his team to tag his way in and was in dominant form. Van Dam also showed out with his signature offense when he got the chance to join the fray, but one thing that became apparent early in the match was that RVD wasn’t in his usual carefree mood. Hmm. As the match wore on, it was just textbook multi-man tag action where bodies were shuffling in and out of the match and everyone was getting their little spotlight.

The match surely looked in the bag for The North after an avalanche military press/Swanton Bomb combo, but somehow Rich Swann was able to kick out. Mack entered and clotheslined Alexander out of the ring. Page sent Mack shoulder-first into the steel turnbuckle. In the corner, Rhino was poised and lining up Page to deliver a huge Gore when out of absolutely nowhere, Rob Van Dam smoked his teammate with a laser sharp superkick! Boos rained down on RVD, but he showed zero regard for the fans as he waltzed his way right out of the match. The North were quick to pick the bones of Rich Swann, picking up a win after hitting Swann with The Northern Assault!

Result: The North retains World Tag Team Championship via pin-fall

“Unbreakable” Michael Elgin vs. Naomichi Marufuji

Impact really was looking out for the diehards with this match here, but unfortunately, the match would be overshadowed by some behind-the-scenes disarray. Let’s just address it now: Michael Elgin has departed Impact Wrestling. Yes, that’s the news coming out this morning. Right now the prevailing story is that management was meeting with talent after the show last night to lay out plans for the future, basically getting everyone dialed in, and there was a major disagreement between Elgin and management that ultimately saw him ask for his release. This is shocking but not really unprecedented for Impact, who have had some shaky talent relations over the last few years to say the least. See: Austin Aries and Killer Kross for recent examples. Might say a lot that Impact were willing to simply cut their losses with Elgin, rather than trying to work something else out.

As for this match, it was, frankly, as good as advertised. These guys brought a different flavor to this match than anything else on this card. It was hard-hitting, strategic and meaningful. Marufuji is of course one of the most accomplished athletes on the Japanese scene, and has wrestled this kind of match dozens of times before in NOAH. The fiery fighting spirit of Marufuji meshed nicely with the heavy-handed powerhouse Elgin’s in-ring style. The finishing stretch was a string of kickouts after increasingly brutal offensive maneuvers. Elgin unloaded the clip on Marufuji, including a buckle bomb followed by a sit-out powerbomb combo that still couldn’t keep the living legend down. At last, Elgin hit Marufuji with a gorgeous Burning Hammer to capture the W in what seemingly will be his final match in Impact.

Result: Michael Elgin wins via pin-fall

X-Division Championship Ladder Match
Jake Crist (c) vs. Daga, Tessa Blanchard, Ace Austin and Acey Romero

The deck was surely stacked against reigning X-Division champ Jake Crist, who was tasked with defending his title against four challengers in a high-risk ladder match. Stepping up to compete would be AAA's Daga, the flashy Ace Austin, the mercurial Tessa Blanchard and new Impact signee Acey Romero who, despite being built like a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, is surprisingly well cut-out for Impact's no-limits X-Division… as he made very clear in this matchup.

The primary thread of this matchup was the struggle between Tessa Blanchard and ongoing rival Jake Crist. It's been a real ugly feud going on between Blanchard and oVe that provided much of the drama of this matchup. Tessa continued to shine in these historic moments, commanding much of the matchup. Crist on the other hand was like a rabid animal, doing everything in his power to keep his challengers from securing his championship belt suspended from the ceiling. Of course, both Daga and Ace Austin are built in the traditional X-Division mold so they were both good for some really eye-popping spots as well. The most memorable spot of the match undoubtedly came towards the end when Acey Romero's ladder was tipped over by Tessa Blanchard, sending the 400-pounder out of the ring and through a table on the floor. Hands down one of the most shocking spots in recent Impact history.

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As the end of the match came about, the odds against Tessa just continued to pile up, as oVe's monster Madman Fulton made his presence felt to help derail Tessa. After he was dealt with, Tessa had to book it up the ladder to cut off Crist who was now fingertips away from the gold. Tessa sent Crist careening off the ladder after smashing his skull into the top of it. Just as it appeared victory was finally within reach for Tessa, Ace Austin springboarded onto the ladder, thwacked Tessa with his cane and snagged the title for himself!

Austin begins his first reign as X-Division Champion and feels like the perfect guy to represent the division in the long-term. Tessa's story of battling against oVe continues, now with even more fuel added to that fire. And simmering underneath the surface is perhaps a showdown between the new X-Division Champion Ace Austin and his bitter rival, Call Your Shot Gauntlet Trophy winner Eddie Edwards - a man whose wife Ace is apparently intent on banging (in his own words). There are many possibilities for each of these competitions coming out of this match and the title feels like it's on the right track.

Result: Ace Austin wins X-Division Championship via retrieval

Ken Shamrock vs. Moose

It’s October 2019 and the 55-year-old Attitude Era legend, former NWA Champion and pioneering figure in mixed martial arts known as Ken Shamrock just made his return to pay-per-view for the first time since 2002. Awaiting him was the quickly rising star known as Moose, a former NFL offensive lineman and Impact Grand Champion. This feud was based around two guys from pro sports backgrounds clashing over who was the most “legit” athlete and biggest badass between them. This would be the semi-main event of the pay-per-view and ultimately a really good buffer between the ladder match and the chaotic main event. That’s not to say this match was short on chaos, though. It certainly had its fair share.

In fact, the match was pretty shocking for a number of reasons, and the one that stands out the most was Ken Shamrock performing a reckless fucking over-the-top-rope dive in the opening moments of the match.

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This drew a huge pop from the crowd, one of the best of the night. Shamrock had a hot start, but his momentum was cut off by former mixed martial artist Frank Trigg (formerly involved in a Kurt Angle feud in TNA), coming to the aid of Moose. Trigg would pull the usual antics, like distracting the referee and meddling with the ropes to benefit Moose. He’d also cut the turnbuckle pad off behind the ref’s back, which would come back into play later in the bout. Moose was taking every shortcut imaginable in this match, seemingly overwhelmed by Shamrock’s ruthless offense, which was mostly strikes, hurricanranas and ankle locks, which had Moose right on the verge of tapping out. He caught Moose with two ankle locks in quick succession, the second of which seemed to have the match in the bag for Shamrock. However, it would actually be his undoing, as Moose rolled through the ankle lock, sending Shamrock into the exposed turnbuckle. Moose would spring up, nail Shamrock with the spear and pick up the 1-2-3.

If we’re speaking in terms of name value, this is no doubt one of the biggest wins in Moose’s career, though the constant interference from Frank Trigg surely dampens things. For Ken Shamrock, he proved to be worth the hype, a really good spectacle of a wrestler at his age, with his freakish physique and surprising athleticism.

Result: Moose wins via pin-fall

Impact World Championship
Brian Cage (c) vs. Sami Callihan

And at long last, it’s the main event of Bound For Glory. Hypothetically the match that should define the year for the company. This year, the match had a lot riding on it, as Impact finds itself (yet again) at a pivotal crossroads.

Entering the match as champion would be “The Machine” Brian Cage, having won the belt at Rebellion, but having defended the title very little due to frequently being sidelined with injury. So of course, his injured back would have a bullseye on it for his challenger, “The Death Machine” Sami Callihan. As one of the most vile competitors in Impact history, Callihan wasn’t going to be pulling any punches. Meanwhile, Cage had the extra motivation of revenge to drive him in this match-up, after Callihan “accidentally” smashed a champagne bottle over Cage’s wife Melissa Santos’ skull mere weeks ago.

And with all of that pretense, Cage and Callihan delivered a match that was both a memorably violent affair, as well as a pure demonstration of both these men's quality ring work and ability to headline a major event such as Bound For Glory. If there's a big criticism to be made about Cage, it tends to be about his preference for hitting moves over telling a story. As for Callihan, his use of plunder can become a bit trite for some fans' tastes. In this match, we saw both those tendencies coalesce and the outcome was a spectacular car crash where both men left it all in the ring. With so much personal animosity boiling between the two men, it seemed appropriate that we saw apron bumps, chairshots, barricades being used, blood spilled and thumbtacks aplenty. There were times in the match where Cage's fury got the better of him and it provided openings for Callihan to snake his way back into the match. One of the most standout moments of the match amidst all the carnage was Brian Cage using his Wolverine claw that he had as part of his Wolverine-themed entrance to slice Callihan's face open. In the closing moments of the match, Callihan attempted to put Cage away once-and-for-all with a Cactus Piledriver on the tacks, but the bloodied and beaten Cage surged back to life, stared down Callihan like The Terminator and delivered a powerbomb followed by the Drill Claw on the thumbtacks to secure the victory and retain his title.

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After the hellacious affair, Cage was joined in the ring by his wife Melissa Santos, who shouted profanities at the insidious, defeated Callihan. The two of them joyously celebrated the title defense, the crowd gave the men their props, and Bound For Glory 2019 came to a close on a very pleasant note.

Result: Brian Cage retains World Championship via pin-fall

Bound For Glory 2019 was a monumental night for Impact Wrestling, probably the most pivotal single show produced under the recently installed D'Amore-Callis regime. With AEW Dynamite having recently debuted to unprecedented success, Impact Wrestling and other promotions like it have to be on top of their game to ensure they're not lost in the fold in this new, highly competitive wrestling landscape. This show was not something that would absolutely blow a common fan away, but there were lots of positives to look at. Overall good match quality, satisfying outcomes to a majority of the matches, plenty of high potential talents being showcased and rivalries blossoming, as well as evolving to their next stage, with a new PPV titled Hard To Kill slated for January. And considering this is Impact we're talking about, we really have to consider it a win that they didn't shoehorn any buffoonery into the main event, and overall were very restrained when it came to fuckery tonight.

Although some will say that this was the time to crown Sami champion after his strong heel run this year, the ending really sent the fans home happy and maybe that was the company's biggest goal on this night. The Sami/Tessa feud is clearly far from over, so the future remains open with a lot of possibilities between them, Cage, and even Eddie Edwards who possesses the Call Your Shot Gauntlet trophy. Of course there's no overlooking the elephant in the room, which is that the company now heads into a new era, debuting on AXS TV this Thursday, without one of their main event fixtures in Michael Elgin. While the circumstances around his departure are still a bit dusty, the fact remains that he's now out of the picture and it's a sizable hole that Impact will have to fill. One thing that this show displayed, though, was that Impact does have some up-and-comers that are hungry to step up - guys like Moose, Ace Austin and The Rascalz should be gunning for that spot and if D'Amore and Callis have learned anything from the company's past transgressions, they should be doing everything in their power to see to it that the young blood in this company has their potential nurtured and fully realized. Only time will tell how that pans out but the first benchmark comes in a mere four days when Impact premieres on AXS TV, ushering in a new era in Impact Wrestling!

Show grade: withheld by request of Impact management

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[Chris]

Show grade: withheld by request of Impact management

Dying

 

[Brett]

Solid show Hoss, I like that you didn't execute any extreme punches for the first show and kept everything fairly tame and the same as what happened IRL. I think the only difference was Eddie Edwards getting the win over Jordynne Grace as opposed to Shera.

It's a good foundation to start with and no immediate need to really shake things up. Of course BFG is when storylines end and turnover, so it will be interesting the road you diverge to. Love your writing btw. It's very like 4th-wall breaking and fun for that reason.

 

[Hoss]

Impact Wrestling Preview: October 29, 2019
● Impact debuts on AXS TV! ●

This week’s edition of Impact is special, not just because it will be the fallout show from a monumental Bound For Glory, but because it will also be Impact’s debut episode on AXS TV. Since the SpikeTV deal ended all the way back in December 2014, the company has experienced a steady decline in exposure, moving around from Destination America, to Pop, to Pursuit, never finding a stable television home and losing eyes on the product as a result. With this new AXS TV deal, the show will be available to the most people that it has been since the SpikeTV era, which should be a massive shot in the arm for a company that is trying to mend years of mismanagement and declining quality. With that in mind, the company has loaded up this card a few matches that could be (and in some cases, have been) pay-per-view level.

Impact World Championship
Steel Cage Match
Brian Cage (c) vs. Sami Callihan

The grueling war that took place in the main event of Bound For Glory seemed to be the final chapter in the book of Cage vs. Callihan. Perhaps for most normal people, that would be the case, but for a man as depraved as Sami Callihan, letting “The Machine” walk away with his title over his shoulder and head held high would just wasn’t acceptable. In a post-BFG press conference, Callihan crashed Cage’s segment, confronting his bitter rival with some alarming information: his oVe goons were in Cage’s neighborhood back in Chico, California where his young infant daughter was being looked after by her nanny. The implication was clear, and Cage’s retaliation was swift, grabbing Callihan by the neck and threatening him to back off. Callihan’s response was typically troubling, as he continued provoking Cage, telling him to go ahead and break his neck, to see what happened. Callihan then revealed his ultimatum – and what else would it be – Callihan requested one more shot at the title, this time inside a steel cage, on the AXS TV debut of Impact Wrestling. After brief consideration, Cage accepted the challenge, slamming Callihan to the floor and promising to end him inside the steel cage.

Non-Title Street Fight
Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards

Both men are coming off successful nights at Bound For Glory. Eddie Edwards won the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match, which grants him a shot at any title at any time of his choosing. Meanwhile, Ace Austin captured the X-Division Championship in a show-stealing five-way ladder match. However, those treasures are not at the forefront of this match, because this one is personal. Since Eddie Edwards’ violent transformation earlier this year, his relationship with his wife Alisha has been on the rocks a bit. The incredulous Ace Austin has shown a willingness to sink to extreme lows in order to get ahead, and this has been on full display throughout this rivalry where Austin has attempted to drive a wedge between Eddie and Alisha, playing a “shoulder to cry on” role with Eddie’s wife and using it to play mind games with Eddie. Recently, Ace defeated Eddie in a qualifier match to compete in the X-Division Championship ladder match at Bound For Glory, using a steel plate tucked in his wristband. On the Impact on AXS debut, all bets are off as the two will meet one-on-one in a street fight.

Naomichi Marufuji vs. Josh Alexander

NOAH legend Naomichi Marufuji’s Impact diplomacy tour continues on Tuesday as he steps into the ring with one half of the Impact World Tag Team Champions, “The Walking Weapon” Josh Alexander. During the post-BFG press conference, Marufuji spoke on wanting to continue battling with the best that Impact had to offer, at which time he was called out by Josh Alexander, who guaranteed he would be sending Marufuji back to NOAH with his pride hurt, and his ankle broken. All the talk comes to an end on Tuesday, as these highly respected grapplers go toe-to-toe on Impact.

PLUS!

– Rob Van Dam will speak on his betrayal of Rhino

– Taya Valkyrie, Kiera Hogan and Madison Rayne vs. Rosemary, Alexia Nicole and Jordynne Grace

– Desi Hit Squad vs. Rich Swann and Willie Mack

– MORE Bound For Glory fallout!​

 

[BattleTank]

Seems to be a pretty stacked show for the debut on AXS. Cage Match and Street Fight? Hell yeah! You’ve quickly turned this thing around, excited to read it. Keep up the great work man, great to have you back in the section!

 

[Hoss]

Impact Wrestling Releases Upcoming Schedule

As the tumultuous company continues to try to solidify itself in the wrestling sphere as a viable alternative under the leadership of Anthem, Scott D’Amore and Don Callis, the company recently dropped its upcoming touring schedule for the rest of October through January of next year. As expected, the company is continuing to tape events at familiar locales like Windsor, New York City and Atlanta. Not as expected, though, is that the January 7th edition of Impact Wrestling, which will be the Hard To Kill go-home show, is slated to be broadcast live on AXS TV from The Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta. The company will then be going live the following week as well, as they will stay in Dallas after Hard To Kill for one live show, plus tapings for the next two weeks. In the past, live shows have done solid business for Impact, but with their scaled back production crew and tighter budget, it hasn’t been such a viable option. The company isn’t going all-in on live television just yet, it seems, but they’re clearly testing the waters a little off the back of a successful Bound For Glory event.

The full upcoming taping schedule for Impact Wrestling can be found below:

October 29 - November 19 Impact Wrestling Tapings
October 26 and 27 @ St. Clair College SportsPlex in Windsor, Ontario, Canada

November 26 - December 3 Impact Wrestling Tapings
November 14 @ Melrose Ballroom in New York, New York

No Surrender (Impact+ Special)
December 7 @ The Brightside Music and Event Center in Dayton, Ohio

December 10 - December 17 Impact Wrestling Tapings
December 8 @ PromoWest Pavilion in Newport, Kentucky

Best of Impact 2019 airing December 24 - December 31

January 7 Impact Wrestling LIVE!
January 7 @ Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta, Georgia

Hard To Kill (Pay-Per-View)
January 12th @ The Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas

January 14 - January 28 Impact Wrestling LIVE! + Tapings
January 14 and 15 @ The Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas

Rebellion (Pay-Per-View)
March 14 @ Terminal 5 in New York, New York

– Other dates TBA

​

 

[Stojy]

Mainly just thought I'd pop in and wish you best of luck with this and let you know I'm definitely reading along. Looking forward to what shenanigans you pull on the first AXS TV card because the card is definitely stacked. Based on the scheduling, I'm intrigued to see how hard you go on surprise debuts, big moments etc on the live shows mentioned to avoid spoilers in this online era.

 

[EZ3]

To mirror Stojy, I also wanted to say that I'm excited to read along with the project. Preview has set us up for a huge show on AXS TV. It'll be fun to show how you handle the World Title, and what sort of shenanigans we get that could be a hook to pull in viewers for the future weeks. I also dig the idea Stoyj mentioned about tapings and how you handle surprises for events that would theoretically be posted online from viewers potentially weeks in advance. Could make for some fun use of news reports, etc.

 

[Hoss]

Impact Wrestling
October 29, 2019
St. Clair College SportsPlex in Windsor, Ontario, Canada

—
—

Flashing inside the St. Clair College SportsPlex in Windsor, this week's edition of Impact Wrestling starts with a cold open. It's a shot of World Champion “The Machine” Brian Cage exiting a black SUV in the parking lot, duffel bag in hand, looking laser-focused. His wife, Melissa Santos comes around the vehicle, hugs and kisses him. They have a brief, inaudible conversation, and Melissa gets back into the vehicle, which then drives off. She will apparently not be filling her usual role as ring announcer tonight, and will not be in attendance for the steel cage main event.

We then cut to a corridor backstage where Cage's challenger, Sami Callihan, is seated on a crate, with his unpredictable monster henchman Madman Fulton positioned nearby. Callihan is wrapping his wrists with some white tape, getting in the zone for what might be his last chance to dethrone Cage. Enter Jake Crist, who seems to just be arriving for the night. Crist goes to speak, but Callihan cuts him off.

SAMI CALLIHAN: Whoa, whoa, where the hell is your brother?

JAKE CRIST: I don't know Sami, I've been blowing up his phone all d–

Sami places his hand in front of Crist's face, causing him to stop in his tracks.

SAMI CALLIHAN: Save it. This is exactly the kind of crap that you two always pull! Forget it. You know what? It's all good. Tonight, come hell or high water, I will be walking out with the Impact World Championship, and proving to the entire world what a fraud Brian Cage is. Okay? So if you see your feeble-minded brother, why don't you tell him that his assistance will not be needed tonight? God! I swear I have to do everything my own damn self.

The exasperated Callihan slides down from the crate in a huff and goes into his locker room, giving Crist the cold shoulder as he fumbles, trying to set things right with his leader. The camera pans over to Fulton who says nothing, simply shaking his head at Crist before brushing past him and following Sami into the locker room.

—
—

After a new intro video, set to the song “Seamless” by Higher Power, heavily featuring the current faces of Impact Wrestling – Cage, Callihan, Blanchard, Austin, Edwards, Valkyrie, Moose and the like – we flash into the St. Clair College SportsPlex, where the modest venue is decked out with updated Impact Wrestling graphics reflecting the new era. There's a decent little “Impact Wrestling” chant going, as Impact's EVP Scott D'Amore is positioned in the ring with a microphone.

SCOTT D'AMORE: Thank you! Thank you! Listen, I'm going to keep this brief, because I know you people aren't here to listen to me yap. You're here to watch the best damn wrestlers in the world do what they do best! That's why we have Ace Austin versus Eddie Edwards in a No Holds Barred match!

Slight pop.

SCOTT D'AMORE: That's why we have one of the greatest legends of Japanese wrestling, Naomichi Marufuji, going against one of the men who I believe will be the future of this company and industry as a whole, Josh Alexander!

Another decent pop.

SCOTT D'AMORE: And yeah, while I'm not happy with how we came to this point, we're going to have the World Championship on the line inside a steel cage, as Brian Cage defends against Sami Callihan!

Naturally, the biggest pop.

SCOTT D'AMORE: Let me tell you this, too! This is only the beginning, people. It's been my dream for years to help, in whatever way possible, to bring this company to new heights! You fans out here tonight, and many of you watching at home, have supported this company through the highs and lows, and thanks to your dedication, we are here! We've been counted out, discredited, overlooked and brushed to the side. Well, guess what? We're not [bleep] leaving! The talent in the back, from our World Champion Brian Cage, to the Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie, to the legends like Rob Van Dam, to the future megastars like Tessa Blanchard, and even the SCUMBAGS like Sami Callihan, believe in themselves. They are resilient. They are driven. They are the inspiration for me day in and day out, along with you fans, to work relentlessly to take this company all the way to the top!

The fans are moved to a slight ovation, and an “Impact Wrestling” chant soon follows.

SCOTT D'AMORE: Tonight is a special night for everyone involved in this company, everyone who's supported us, bought a ticket, tuned in to watch… It's the beginning of a new season in Impact Wrestling, and I can tell you all that the wrestlers in the back right now are RAVENOUS for opportunity. We're going to continue to bring you the best wrestling you can find anywhere, and take it from me: things are about to really heat up – I can feel it! And for all of you out there who wanted to write us off, who thought that they had us on the ropes: sorry to break it to you, but Impact Wrestling isn't the type to just lie down and roll over. We're going to keep moving forward, keep breaking barriers and keep on kicking ass! Impact Wrestling isn't just tough, Impact Wrestling is Deathproof! Now let's get on with the show!

The crowd is now nice and riled up after D'Amore's pep rally, and “Impact Wrestling” chants ring out. The music of the Tag Team Champions The North smashes over the PA as Josh Alexander heads out to the ring, followed by his partner Ethan Page, for the opening contest… after a commercial break!

—
—

● Naomichi Marufuji vs. Josh Alexander ●

Alexander and Marufuji put on a technical clinic to kick off the AXS era. This match unfolds in a fairly NOAH house style, working very stiff, featuring lots of counters and nearfalls in quick bursts. The two men get plenty of time to work, and are put over as top tier threats in the company by Don Callis. By the end, things are swinging in favor of Marufuji, who peppers Alexander with a flurry of forearms and uppercuts before dumping him hard to the mat with a Northern Lights Suplex. Alexander’s comrade Page intervenes at this point, placing Alexander’s foot on the rope, unbeknownst to the referee. This of course attracts the attention of Marufuji, who is none too pleased with the interference of Page. Seizing on the distraction, Alexander takes Marufuji down into an ankle lock, and looks to possibly have the match under wraps. However, it isn’t meant to be. Marufuji is able to grit and bear the pain, and make it to the rope, even with Ethan Page trying to interfere out of view of the referee. Once Page is finally caught meddling, it draws the attention of Alexander, who then starts to get into it with the ref as well. This momentary distraction allows Marufuji to recover, sink a boot into Alexander’s midsection and drill him with the Tiger Flowsion for the one, two, three!

Result – Naomichi Marufuji def. Josh Alexander via pin-fall

—
—

In the aftermath of Marufuji’s victory, he extends the hand to his valiant opponent, offering up a sign of respect to Alexander. Following some tense moments of contemplation, “The Walking Weapon” decides not to accept the handshake, shaking his head and rolling out of the ring. Alexander’s partner Ethan Page claps for Alexander, evidently supporting his decision not to shake hands. The North head to the back, with Page talking trash the whole way, as Alexander simply looks disappointed at coming up short.

—
—

Cut to: The Treehouse. The spot where the 4/20-friendly Rascalz can be found, usually being friendly with some 4/20. Zachary Wentz and Dezmond Xavier are hanging out, as the camera films their conversation in a style seemingly inspired by the famous “Circle” in That 70’s Show. The scene begins mid-conversation, and Xavier is describing to Wentz a lovely lady he recently laid eyes on in a very juvenile manner. Wentz is enthralled by Xavier’s orating. Then, the third Rascal, Trey Miguel shows up and joins the circle. He asks what they’re talking about, and Xavier clams up. Wentz however, cannot restrain himself, and reveals that Xavier was just talking about Miguel’s bodacious mother. Of course, Miguel tells them to put a sock in it, and Xavier quickly tries to change the subject. It’s a lot of levity.

Then, the massive “Pinoy Panda” Fallah Bahh arrives, joining the circle. The Rascalz are stoked to see Bahh, but Bahh is in a bit of a glum mood – which you have to ascertain from what The Rascalz are saying, because Bahh is only able to communicate by saying the word “bahh”. But, he’s clearly down about something. The Rascalz suggest a fix for his woes, and next thing you know, the scene goes up in smoke. It fades back in to see Bahh and The Rascalz now looking a lot sleepier all of the sudden. But happy. Really happy. And what do you know? Bahh is suddenly speaking perfect English, and becomes very introspective, quoting William Shakespeare and everything. He discloses that he’s bummed out because he wasn’t able to help TJP when Michael Elgin brutally attacked him a couple weeks ago and he feels he let his friend down. But now, he sees how tight The Rascalz are, and is inspired to become a better friend and tag team partner to TJP. Everyone high-fives and cheers as we fade out from The Treehouse.

—
—

● Rosemary, Alexia Nicole and Jordynne Grace vs. Taya Valkyrie, Kiera Hogan and Madison Rayne ●

Our next bout gives us a glimpse into the past, present and future of Impact Wrestling’s Knockouts Division. On the face side, we have the veteran of many twisted conflicts in Rosemary, teaming up with recently signed hot prospect Jordynne Grace, as well as the unsigned Canadian indie talent Alexia Nicole, who is getting a potential big break in this one. For the heels, they’re captained by the longest reigning and defending Knockouts Champion of all-time in Taya Valkyrie. She is backed up by the self-espoused “Locker Room Leader” and objective legend of the division, Madison Rayne, as well as Rayne’s understudy, “The Hottest Flame” Kiera Hogan. This match goes a fairly standard six-person route, really giving everyone the chance to have their own shine, even Alexia Nicole. One theme that becomes apparent is the unwillingness of both Taya and Madison to get into the ring when Jordynne or Rosemary are on a solid roll. But that ultimately makes little difference, as Madison Rayne finds herself in the ring with “The Juggernaut” Grace, but manages to scurry free, dive and tag in Taya – much to her chagrin. Taya takes her sweet time getting into the ring, begging off Jordynee and yapping with Rayne. Her preoccupation with her partner proves to be her downfall, as she charges towards the corner attempting to tag out, only for Rayne and Hogan to drop off the apron. As Taya clashes into the corner, shocked at the desertion, she turns around and is quickly pulled into an inside cradle from Jordynne Grace. Taya is unable to kick out, as the ref’s hand slaps the canvas one, two, three! Taya instantly jolts up to her knees with a shocked look, and begins to manhandle the referee, absolutely untethered – rage knowing no bounds. Jordynne and her squad come together at the ramp to celebrate, hands held high while Taya has a meltdown.

Result – Rosemary, Alexia Nichole and Jordynne Grace def. Taya Valkyrie, Kier Hogan and Madison Rayne via pin-fall, with Grace scoring the pin-fall over Valkyrie

—
—

Josh Matthews and Don Callis make a big to-do about Grace pinning the Knockouts Champion in a big upset, and speculate it could lead to a future title shot. They then send us to a word from Rob Van Dam, who at Bound For Glory, turned on his partner Rhino completely unprovoked.

The program then cuts away to a video of Rob Van Dam in his hot tub, with his girlfriend Katie Forbes, who is all over the fucking guy. Van Dam cuts a promo with a champagne glass in his hand, where he refuses to explain his actions at Bound For Glory. He goes on a rant about how he's sick of never getting credit for pioneering the style used by the entire industry nowadays, calling out The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Rich Swann by name in the process. Continuing in this blasé manner, Van Dam says he does things on his own terms and thinks for himself. He'll be calling his own shots going forward. And he works the signature taunt in there to wrap it all up.

—
—

Back from commercial break, we get an immediate response to RVD's promo from the victim of his deception at Bound For Glory – “The War Machine” Rhino!

RHINO: ROB! You may decide to sit at home in your hot tub for as long as you choose! But one thing I can assure you! I will be here on Impact Wrestling week after week, stacking bodies, biding my time, waiting for your return! And then, believe me when I say this, Rob…

His voice drops to a seething whisper.

RHINO: I am going to slice you clean in half…

WITH A GORE! GORE! GORE!

Rhino snarls into the camera, making his intentions quite clear. After staring daggers down the camera for several seconds, Rhino charges off like a one man stampede.

—
—

Non-Title Street Fight
● Ace Austin vs. Eddie Edwards ●

This feud has been brewing for a little while and stems from Eddie Edwards’ hectic last year. First, his eye was smashed by a baseball bat, courtesy of Sami Callihan. It was a traumatic injury that set Edwards on a more violent path. He then had battles with ECW veteran Tommy Dreamer that tested him spiritually. Amidst his transformation into a devil-may-care brawler, his wife Alisha has begun to feel distant from a man she no longer recognizes. Enter Ace Austin, who is just plain and simple hellbound on getting Alisha in the sack... or at least he wants to convince Eddie of that. Either way, the bad blood is spilling over here, and as you’d imagine, business picks up immediately. Edwards attacks Ace Austin during his entrance, during which he is wearing a shirt that reads “Ace Austin 3:16” on the front, with the phrase “Says ‘I Just Banged Your Wife’” on the back. This match is just a plain old plunder style match, with kendo sticks (one named Kenny, that belongs to Edwards), trash cans and tables. The usual fare. At one point, Ace brandishes a laminated ace playing card, and uses it to slice the webbing between Eddie’s fingers, a uniquely brutal spot for this bout. The match wears on and there comes a point where Eddie seemingly has Ace set up to deliver a superplex through a table, but Ace Austin is able to spring off the corner, counter Eddie Edwards into his signature “Bang-o-Rama” off the middle rope, through the table! Ace makes the cover and snags the one, two, three victory over the holder of the Call Your Shot Gauntlet trophy.

Result – Ace Austin def. Eddie Edwards via pin-fall

—
—

VIGNETTE TIME – Moose is cutting a promo out on a golf course in full golfing regalia, talking about how, since defeating Ken Shamrock at Bound For Glory, there’s no question as to who is the greatest athlete in all of professional wrestling. He even excels at more sports than anyone else in wrestling. To demonstrate, Moose tees off and shanks the damn thing. The vignette then sees him head down to the green, where he encounters a couple of suburban jabronies and begins accusing them of moving his ball, alleging that he had hit the ball onto the green and that they moved it away. They obviously haven’t the slightest clue what he’s talking about. Big mistake. The vignette ends with Moose kicking the two jackasses off the green, placing his ball directly on the rim on the hole, tapping it in and celebrating his great success.

—
—

Backstage somewhere in the bowels of the arena, we find a visibly distraught Alisha Edwards being pestered by Johnny Swinger. Wearing his usual multi-color, zebra-stripe singlet, Swinger looks like a total chump. He’s yapping at Alisha, hitting on her, and acting like a general scumbag as she simply ignores him, her mind being on other things. The X-Division Champion Ace Austin enters the scene, cutting Swinger off and telling him to take a hike. Swinger jets off frustrated, ranting about being given the cold shoulder and disrespected.

ACE AUSTIN: What happened, I was waiting all night for you at my afterparty.

ALISHA EDWARDS: Ace, you know things are complicated between me and Eddie.

ACE AUSTIN: And so what? You can’t have friends? Don’t you think you should have someone to be there for you?

Alisha sighs.

ACE AUSTIN: Lish, I just want to make sure you’re taken care of. Listen – I like food, you like food… how about we just have dinner later? No funny business.

There’s a pause as Alisha looks at him, a little unsure. She eventually cracks a smile and relents, agreeing to meet him later tonight, causing Ace to pump his fist in celebration.

—
—

● Desi Hit Squad vs. Rich Swann and Willie Mack ●

The recently allied duo of Rich Swann and Willie Mack take on the somewhat fresh-on-the-scene Desi Hit Squad, represented here by Raj Singh and Rohit Raju, a couple of wrestlers of Indian descent competing under the tutelage of Gama Singh. With both teams looking to make their mark in the tag division, we get a nice little showcase of two squads who could soon be on the come-up as contenders. Swann and Mack are both highly favored by the Impact crowd, and are in fine form tonight, performing some nice athletic moves and doing so with style. Mack in particular stands out, executing some power moves against Rohit Raju, as well as taking to the sky for some highlight reel dives. It isn’t an ultra-competitive match, as Mack and Swann really glide through to the finish, managing to isolate Raju and hit him with a combo that features a stunner from Mack, followed by a handspring cutter from Swann that keeps Raju down for the three!

Result – Rich Swann and Willie Mack def. Desi Hit Squad via pin-fall

—
—

oVe are in their locker room, sitting in silence, near meditation. The challenger for the World Championship tonight, Sami Callihan, is clearly in a mode. Off camera, the door to the locker room can be heard opening, as Jake Crist and Madman Fulton quickly jolt up to their feet. Into the frame walks “The Machine” Brian Cage, and the expression on his face communicates that he means business. Though Crist and Fulton quickly meet him face-to-face, Cage shows absolutely no fear, refusing to back down an inch. The still-calm Sami Callihan orders his men to ease up, and they acquiesce. The two opponents in tonight’s main event meet eye-to-eye in the locker room, with neither man flinching.

SAMI CALLIHAN: What the hell are you doing here, Cage?

BRIAN CAGE: Listen, Sami. You and I both know, I already beat you clean as a whistle at Bound For Glory a week ago. But you couldn’t let it rest. So you threatened my baby girl to force me into this match tonight. Fine. You wanted it, and you got it. Tonight, we’re going to step back into that ring together, surrounded by a steel cage, just me and you. And with what I plan to do to you, Sami, you’ll be praying to never be in the ring with me again. But I know exactly what kind of man you are, and I know about the jackals you surround yourself with.

Cage gestures towards Crist and Fulton, who visibly sneer back at him.

BRIAN CAGE: You wanted this match so bad, Sami, how about you be a man for once and leave these bozos out of it? Huh? Just me and you and whatever violence we can inflict. What do you say about that?

Callihan quickly starts to chuckle maniacally.

SAMI CALLIHAN: Oh, you think you’re going to march down here and start trying to dictate the terms of engagement? I’m supposed to get worked into a whole thing and go: ‘you’re on!’ and all that right?

Callihan laughs in Cage’s face, and “The Machine” is clearly unamused.

SAMI CALLIHAN: That’s not how this is gonna go down, Cage! I’m the one who pulls the strings. In Impact Wrestling, I’m the one who has his thumb on the scale at all times! I’m not agreeing to a damn thing with you, but I recommend that you don’t worry about Jake and Fulton. The biggest threat to your championship, your career, and your livelihood… is standing right here.

Sami spreads his arms wide to the side and is right in Cage’s grill at this point. Cage is fed up and pie-faces Sami, shoving him down to the floor in a rapid motion. Callihan’s disciples spring ahead, but Sami is quick to order them to halt.

SAMI CALLIHAN: No! Wait! He’ll get what he has coming to him in due time, boys!

The goons square up with Cage, who is still not budging, even in the face of a three-on-one numbers disadvantage. Sami slowly makes his way back to his feet, snickering all the while.

BRIAN CAGE: Laugh it up, Sami. Go ahead. It’s not going to be so funny later punk!

Cage backs his way out of the locker room, wisely not turning his back on the sordid trio who have been a constant thorn in his side as of late.

—
—

Impact returns from the commercial with a shot backstage, where an eerie scene unfolds. As music from an old timey tin toy music box plays, a familiar face comes into the scene… but there's something a bit off. It appears to be Su Yung, but no longer sporting the undead bride look, instead looking much more like a child's doll perhaps. She wanders around backstage, looking around with a sense of bemusement as the unsettling music continues to provide a sinister undertone. She comes around a corner and encounters Cousin Jake and Cody Deaner at catering. The two of them look frightened by the sight of Su Yung, while also stupified at her sudden transformation. Cody stutters trying to get Su's name out, and she interjects, introducing herself as Susie. Jake and Cody look at each other totally baffled. Jake asks Susie what she's doing here, and Susie says she's not sure, but she feels like she's supposed to be here… Susie then waves at The Deaner Boys and wanders away ominously.

—
—

Back in the ring, we get the unexpected arrival of Johnny Swinger! He heads down to the ring, a little less machismo than what we’re used to, he’s definitely got something on his mind. The Swing Man takes a microphone and rambles about putting in miles on the road, banging rizzats and breaking in young boys. Swinger’s upset about the disrespect he’s been facing lately, and therefore he’s calling out “anyone with the balls” to come out and take him on right here, right now!

After a second of Swinger waiting for a taker, an unfamiliar theme plays. It’s a nice little punk rock loop, and appearing on the titantron is the name: Shotzi Blackheart! Swinger looks perplexed as out comes Shotzi, decked out in black leather and denim, head-to-toe with tattoos, green hair flowing out of an old-school military helmet with horns attached. On the mic, Swinger quickly pivots to making some derogatory remarks towards Shotzi, implying that she’s a ring rat and such. Shotzi gets on the microphone and responds that she’s here to accept the challenge from Swinger. Since he asked for anyone with the balls to challenge him to step up, “The Ballsy Badass” decided to do just that. Swinger tries to laugh off the idea of accepting this challenge, but as soon as Shotzi enters the ring, he attempts to get a cheap shot in on her, to no avail! Shotzi ducks the line and quickly dropkicks Swinger out to the floor as the bell simultaneously rings to begin the match!

—
—

● Shotzi Blackheart vs. Johnny Swinger ●

The match begins with the fans squarely behind the gutsy Shotzi Blackheart. As expected, she is not backing down in the least to Swinger. For his part, Swinger does a lot of hotdogging and grand-standing, only for it to keep biting him in the ass. Shotzi nails Swinger with a springboard cutter which draws a two-count. Swinger reverses a bulldog into a spin-out powerbomb but Shotzi is able to kick out of that. At this point, though, it seems like Shotzi might be running on fumes. Swinger takes the opportunity to taunt his challenger a bit more, before setting up for a fisherman suplex. Shotzi is able to reverse the momentum into a small package, but Swinger reverses once again. Shotzi backs into a corner, and Swinger comes firing in. Shotzi lifts herself to avoid a spear attempt by Swinger, who launches himself shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. Shotzi then delivers a Code Red on Swinger to secure the stunning one, two, three! Shotzi has accepted the challenge and knocked off Swinger!

Result – Shotzi Blackheart def. Johnny Swinger via pin-fall

—
—

Got another vignette up next, this time for “The Diamond” Tessa Blanchard – the third-generation star that is blazing her own trail into wrestling history. The vignette is a montage set to “Cleo” by North Carolina emcee Rapsody.



As clips of some of Tessa's most iconic moments in Impact Wrestling flash, Tessa speaks and the confidence seeps through the screen. At just 24 years of age, she has raised the bar for women's wrestling, battling against Taya Valkyrie and the Knockouts legend Gail Kim. She has been utterly fearless in her pursuit of greatness, which has led her to breaking barriers, competing against the men in Impact Wrestling, engaging in what many consider the feud of the year against Sami Callihan. Blanchard wraps the promo up, stating that everything that she has accomplished thus far has been setting the scene for her to reach a level new heights in 2020, declaring that she's “coming for everything [she's] earned”.

—
—

Backstage, Alicia Atout is speaking with Ken Shamrock, as he reflects on his Bound For Glory loss to Moose. As he is mid-interview, he stops to acknowledge a passing-by Naomichi Marufuji. Shamrock calls the NOAH legend over and expresses his respect for Marufuji. As he does so, he calls out The North, stating that their behavior towards him has been disrespectful. It just so happened that the World Tag Team Champions The North were nearby and overheard this little exchange between Shamrock and Marufuji. Of course, they’re not going to let that slide, so The North heads over for a little confrontation with their enemies. After an exchange of words between the two parties, a tag team match is set up to pit The North against Shamrock and Marufuji on a future Impact!

—
—

Just before the main event, we get a video package recapping the events of the Callihan vs. Cage rivalry. Shortly after Cage’s victory at Slammiversary, where he captured the World Title, Callihan set his sights on “The Machine” and made it his life’s mission to take the championship from him. Their rivalry spilled into highly personal territory when Sami accidentally shattered a champagne bottle over Melissa Santos’ skull. Despite Cage defeating Callihan in their epic encounter in the Bound For Glory main event, Callihan sent his goons to Cage’s residence to stalk his young family, forcing Cage to accept the rematch in tonight’s main event. This rivalry has reached a fever pitch and will be settled once and for all inside a steel cage — right now!

—
—

Impact World Championship
Steel Cage
● Brian Cage (c) vs. Sami Callihan ●

The violence begins quickly in our main event. Callihan attacks Cage during his entrance, jumping him on the outside of the cage before the bell can even ring. The two men do battle all around ringside, with Cage countering Sami and dropping him gut-first across the guard rails to turn the tide back in his favor. Once the champ takes the advantage, he is methodical and takes his time punishing his foe, ignoring the pleas from the referee to get the match into the ring. Cage pulls out the steel ring steps and positions Callihan for a possible piledriver, only to take a back drop to the unforgiving floor below. Having had his fill of brawling on the floor, Callihan scurries into the cage, taking a chance to catch his breath, waiting for the champion to make his way in. Eventually, the bell does ring once Cage makes it inside the structure.

The match quickly unfolds with blood and savagery. The offensive approach from both men can be described as sadistic. Both Cage and Callihan seem to revel in getting to inflict the punishment on their opponent, and the unpredictable nature of the cage gives them free reign to come up with innovative ways to hurt each other. Callihan manages a series of nearfalls after performing a Tower of London, as well as a double underhook DDT. Despite these high impact moves, “The Machine” continues to look far from finished, rallying and nearly finishing Callihan with a buckle bomb into a discus lariat combo. The despicable nature of Callihan shows once more, as he spits directly in the face of Cage, despite being nearly unable to stand, spilling blood from an early encounter with the steel cage. This disrespect sends Cage into a spiral, and he proceeds to plant Callihan with a series of three powerbombs in succession! Cage then proceeds to separate the top rope from one of the turnbuckles in an insane show of force, using the rope to choke the life out of Sami. In the face of all this, Sami is still defiant and unwilling to bow out gracefully. Cage signals for the end and lifts Callihan up to deliver the Drill Claw! But suddenly, a distraction – it’s Jake Crist nearly at the top of the cage, baseball bat in hand. Both Cage and the referee turn their attention to Crist quickly, as Callihan remains prone on the mat. Cage isn’t waiting around, and he ascends the cage with freakish athleticism and quickly forces Crist off the cage out of sheer fear. With that hyena now at bay, Cage drops back to the mat and immediately goes for the pin on Callihan. It’s one, two, and ever-so-close to a three, but Callihan is able to shoot his shoulder up.

Understandably, Cage is beside himself with rage. The champ pulls Callihan up and fires a forearm at him. Callihan remains on his feet as Cage squares up, ready to accept a forearm in return. Some people never learn I guess. Callihan drills Cage with a straight up eye rake, and quickly lands an elbow to the side of the dome. “The Death Machine” then pulls Cage into a side headlock and begins chirping at Crist, ordering him to toss the bat in. Crist fumbles around a bit, but then hucks the bat into the cage, only for Cage to have slipped free of the headlock, intercepting the bat in the process. Cage looks at the bat for a moment, cracking a grin. But by the time he turns back around, Sami Callihan delivers a kick straight between the uprights. Without any hesitation, Callihan quickly pulls Cage in to deliver a Cactus Piledriver! He hooks the leg of Cage… one, two, kickout by the champ! Callihan is fuming. He quickly works to get the dead weight of Cage back up to his feet in the corner, and quickly pulls him down to deliver a second Cactus Piledriver! Hook the leg again, but somehow, yet again, Cage is able to kick out at two! Now Callihan is seething, which I assume is a level above fuming on the rage scale. Callihan grabs the black baseball bat, which he has used to inflict violence on many an enemy over the years, and stalks “The Machine” as he teeters his way up to his feet. Callihan surges in and delivers a swift blow to the skull of Cage with the top of the bat. With that, the champ crumples to the mat, lying motionless. Callihan makes the cover. One, two, three! We’ve got a new champ!

Result – Sami Callihan def. Brian Cage via pin-fall to become the NEW Impact World Champion!

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Well, the sick fuck has done it, Sami Callihan is the Impact World Champion, joining some highly prestigious company in the lineage of the belt. A new chapter has certainly begun in the world of Impact Wrestling in its debut on AXS TV. As Callihan celebrates in the ring with his championship, he is joined by Jake Crist and Madman Fulton who are just as excited for their leader as he is for himself. The crowd is not having it, raining down abuse on oVe, but they are thoroughly unbothered by it at this point. The dethroned and arguably ripped off former champion Brian Cage can only watch on in disgust at the scene unfolding before him. As things are coming to a bit of a lull, after all the celebrating and high-fiving and such has taken place, Callihan suddenly taps on the shoulder of Madman Fulton. Fulton looks, and Callihan shows him a thumbs down gesture. By this simple gesture, Fulton becomes activated like a sleeper agent, and suddenly jumps Jake Crist, spinning him around and driving him into the canvas with a monster chokeslam! All Callihan does is chuckle at the sight of his monster ripping their supposed brother apart. Fulton lifts Crist back up, grabbing him by the throat. Crist can only writhe in pain as Fulton seemingly tries to stare deep into his soul. Fulton lifts Crist high into the air once more, absolutely drilling him into the mat with a second, highly devastating chokeslam. Crist is donezo, and with that, Callihan climbs to the second rope once more, raising his championship belt high above his head once more as the show comes to a close.

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[Stojy]

A really solid first show here, leaving yourself with plenty to work with. I think you captured the essence of an Impact show during this time period pretty well. I'll be happier if The North take out Ken Shamrock and force him to retire.

I'm intrigued to see what you do with the Susie/Su Yung stuff just because there's so much potential for ridiculousness. Same can be said for the use of Johnny Swinger in general. Oh and I want to buy a "I just banged your wife" shirt.

Moose beating jabronis up on the golf is course is fun as well, and I'm excited by big things for Tessa in here.

Finally, the stage is now set with Sami the champ and only Fulton, who is an awesome henchman, by his side. Looking forward to seeing what's next for the title picture.

Again, a good start, looking forward to more.