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IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 (RECORDED)
TAPED AT THE IMPACT ZONE
AIRED ON AXS TV
REPORT BY DARRIN LILLY, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
-Video package recap of last week’s matches featuring Eddie Edwards vs. Rob Van Dam and Deonna Purrazzo vs. Jordynne Grace.
(1) SAMI CALLIHAN vs. ROB VAN DAM (w/Katie Forbes)
Josh Matthews and Madison Rayne did the announcing. Josh questioned if Father Time had caught up with RVD. Sami attacked RVD while RVD and Katie were entering the ring. They fought on the floor and Sami was getting the better of it until Katie caused a distraction to turn the tide. RVD threw Sami back in the ring. While RVD and Katie were talking, Sami attacked from behind. Katie tripped Sami to give RVD the advantage again. They fought outside again with RVD in control. RVD ran Sami into the ring post and legdropped Sami on the guard rail. Back in the ring, RVD continued with punches and kicks. He attempted a Rolling Thunder, but Sami got his knees up. They fought back and forth. Sami started taking over with a cutter and clotheslines. Katie got on the apron to distract Sami and RVD hit a spin kick. RVD delivered a split-legged moonsault for a two count. Sami got a two count after a cutter off the top rope. Sami attempted a piledriver but Katie ran in and twerked for a distraction. RVD went for a pin, but Sami reversed it for a three count and the win.
WINNER: Sami Callihan in 7:00.
After the match, Katie taunted Sami on the floor and RVD attacked from behind. RVD and Katie double teamed Sami and threw him back in the ring. RVD choked Sami with a chair. Katie joined in to help attack Sami. Katie held the chair in front of Sami as RVD dropkicked the chair into Sami.
(D.L.’s Analysis: With RVD dropping two matches in a row and Josh questioning if Father Time has caught up with RVD, I wonder if they are headed towards a storyline in that direction. Regardless, we haven’t seen the end of this feud yet).
-Josh and Madison were on camera and previewed the rest of the show.
-Backstage, Hernandez was talking with Fallah Bahh. Reno Scum walked in and told Hernandez that Heath wasn’t in the building and they would have a two-on-one match against Rhino tonight. Hernandez offered them money to take out Rhino.
-A Wrestle House segment. There were sit-down interviews with Taya Valkyrie, Rosemary, and Johnny Bravo. Taya was mad that Rosemary and Bravo had kept their secret from her. The segment concluded with Taya saying “We’re not leaving until I say we’re leaving”. Then the Wrestle House intro aired. Alisha Edwards and the cast were knocking on Johnny Swinger’s bedroom door. Swinger didn’t want to come out because everyone would make fun of him (he lost his match last week and had to dress as Crazzy Steve this week). Kylie Rae suggested that they should be nice and he would come out. Susie asked nicely and told Swinger they wouldn’t make fun of him. Everyone promised not to laugh. Swinger opened the door and came out dressed as Crazzy Steve and his face was painted like a clown. He said that Matt Borne was laughing at him right now. Cody Deaner sarcastically said that Swinger looked great and didn’t look like the Insane Clown Posse. Jake Deaner snickered and said that Swinger’s name definitely isn’t “Swingy 2 Dope”. Tommy Dreamer pulled Bravo aside and told him that he would be the referee for the Taya vs. Rosemary match tonight.
(2) RHINO vs. RENO SCUM (Luster the Legend & Adam Thornstowe)
Rhino attacked Reno Scum outside and threw Adam into the ring. Once in the ring, Reno Scum took over by double teaming. [c]
Back from the break, Reno Scum was still working over Rhino. Adam did a moonsault for a two count. Luster tagged in and delivered a diving headbutt for a two count. Rhino made a comeback and clotheslined Luster out of the ring. Luster pulled Rhino out, missed a punch, and Rhino gored him. In the ring, Adam took off his studded belt. The camera started moving around and the camera was set on the floor. Heath (wearing a face mask) was the cameraman and attacked Adam from behind with the Wakeup Call. Rhino pinned Adam for the win.
WINNER: Rhino in 4:30.
After the match, Heath got back in the ring, took off his mask, and hugged Rhino. Scott D’Amore and security hit the ring and Heath fled. D’Amore looked distressed.
(D.L.’s Analysis: Basic match that was mostly there to set up the Heath run-in. The #heath4impact storyline continues).
-Moose was sitting in his dressing room when a TV suddenly came on and EC3 started talking. He held up the TNA belt and said that he’s always liked Moose, so he’s giving Moose the opportunity to find him. But if Moose doesn’t find him, Moose would get the TNA belt back piece by piece. He held up a knife to the belt and said “you’ve been warned”. Moose ran out of the room and ran into a man backstage. He frantically told the guy there was a hostage situation and to call the police because EC3 had his belt and was going to harm it. The guy said that EC3 was on the other side of the building. Moose ran off. The guy unzipped his jacket to reveal a shirt that had “Control the Narrative” on the front. He walked into the room that Moose had just left. [c]
-Backstage, the Good Brothers were holding court with security guys. Karl Anderson was telling a story about being in a bar in New Orleans with Doc Gallows and “Uncle Allen”. He laughed about Gallows falling asleep. The security guys summoned the Rascalz over to hear the story. They politely declined because they had to get ready for a match against Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. Gallows offered the Rascalz advice since the Good Brothers had already handed Ace and Fulton their asses. The Rascalz left. Anderson went back to his story.
-Wrestle House segment. Swinger told Bravo to use charm to get “two for the price of one”. The Deaners told Bravo to follow the first rule of Wrestle House, which was to never listen to anything Swinger says. The Deaners confronted Larry D about the stolen beer. Acey came over to remind them of the truce. Larry said there was no truce. They fought in the kitchen. Tommy Dreamer watched, shrugged, and calmly said “Match Time”. The four wrestlers fought all over the house, which was pretty much all comedy. Acey battled Cody in a ping pong match. Cody punched Acey, who escaped down a freight elevator. Cody ran down the stairs and attacked him as he got off the elevator. Larry D and Jake continued fighting. Jake had taken a running start to tackle Larry, but Acey pulled Larry out of the way. Cody attacked both of them from behind and fought Larry. They ended up in a bedroom. Cody found a bottle under the bed and said “YOU took our beer!”. Larry said he had no idea where the bottle came from. Cody DDT’d Larry on the floor. When Larry stood up, he had transformed back into “Lawrence”. He sprayed Ring Rust at Acey, who passed out. Jake “Fuji’d” Lawrence. Susie appeared behind Jake and asked “what’s…going…on? You broke the truce”. The next scene was Susie coming out of the room. Dreamer asked if the wrestlers had been fighting in that room. Susie said she wasn’t sure. Dreamer peaked in, surveyed the damage, and declared Susie the winner. Her palm had blood on it. Dreamer saw it, said he had the runs, and took off. Susie waved and said “Bye, Tommy”. [c]
(3) ACE AUSTIN & MADMAN FULTON vs. THE RASCALZ (Dez & Wentz)
Dez started off against Fulton. Dez tried to avoid Fulton and kept escaping his moves. Wentz tagged in and they double teamed Fulton. Fulton kicked out of an early pin attempt. Fulton eventually took over and tagged Ace in. Ace punched Wentz and worked on his arm. Fulton tagged in and took over. Wentz punched Fulton but the punches had no effect. A flying knee backed Fulton up. Dez got the hot tag and battled Ace and Fulton. All four wrestlers were in the ring. Dez and Wentz took turns doing dives on Fulton to the outside. Dez moonsaulted Ace in the ring, as Wentz moonsaulted Fulton on the outside at the same time. Dez pinned Ace for the win.
WINNERS: The Rascalz in 5:00.
The Motor City Machine Guns came out to the entrance stage. They offered the Rascalz a title shot next week. The Rascalz agreed, then were attacked from behind by Ace and Fulton. The Guns made the save.
(D.L.’s Analysis: I was surprised to see Ace take the fall, but I suppose the Rascalz needed to stay strong since they are getting a title shot next week. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ace and Fulton make an appearance in that match).
-Deonna Purrazzo was backstage and berated Fallah Bahh and Willie Mack for not dressing appropriately for her black tie celebration. Deonna talked to Kimber Lee, but they were interrupted by Moose, who asked if they had seen EC3. [c]
Rohit Raju was backstage looking at the X Division title belt. TJP entered the room. Rohit gave him a face mask but TJP put it over Rohit’s face. TJP wanted a title shot. Rohit said he still owed Chris Bey a rematch, but TJP could get a title match if he beat Bey.
(4) TAYA VALKYRIE vs. ROSEMARY
This match took place in the Wrestle House ring. Johnny Bravo was the referee. Taya said “are you ready to fight for your man?” in a mocking voice. They talked trash at each other. Rosemary said Slamtown was a cesspool of imbeciles. They brawled and Bravo broke it up. Taya eventually got the advantage. Rosemary battled back with punches and a suplex. They exchanged spears, then exchanged kicks and knocked each other down. Taya pinned Rosemary with a double chicken wing into a face first slam.
WINNER: Taya Valkyrie in 3:30.
Bravo checked on Rosemary. She told him that he did the right thing by calling the match fairly. He pulled out a ring and got on his knee. He said he shouldn’t have to sacrifice his happiness for a job. He said Taya was his colleague, but he wanted Rosemary to be his wife. Taya said it was okay. Bravo asked Rosemary to marry him. She said “You know I’m a demon?”. She accepted. Kylie Rae asked if they could go back to the Impact Zone now. Taya said yes. Jake was bandaged. Cody said it would have been nice to celebrate with beer. They cut away to Crazzy Steve admitting that he was the one who had stolen the beer. He said he couldn’t read the label. Back in the ring, Susie told Taya she finally made a group activity that worked. All of the wrestlers were in the ring and stacked hands. They said “Whoa, Wrestle…” and they all vanished.
(D.L.’s Analysis: And that is the conclusion to Wrestle House. It seems a little rushed to already have the Bravo/Rosemary wedding, but I imagine there will be twists and turns on the way to the altar. I also feel like we may see more Wrestle House “seasons” in the future).
-Deonna Purrazzo’s black tie celebration was next. Wrestlers surrounded the ring. Kimber Lee stood in the middle of the ring with a mic and introduced Deonna. Deonna came out holding the belt and wearing a sparkling black evening dress. Trey of the Rascalz helped her up the stairs and opened the ropes for her. Deonna took the mic and said that even though the guest list wasn’t up to par, she was going to raise a glass in celebration. She sipped champagne. She declared that she had painted a masterpiece since arriving in Impact and that she was the greatest technical wrestler in the world. Right after she said “No one is going to ruin my night”, Jordynne Grace’s music hit and she walked down the ramp.
Jordynne apologized for not being dressed for the occasion and said she was there to congratulate Deonna for taking her to the limit. She said Deonna’s reign wouldn’t last. At that moment, Tenille Dashwood’s music hit and she walked to the stage. She said it was touching that everyone was there to celebrate her return. She declared that she was coming for the title. Tenille said that she isn’t Jordynne and that Deonna had never beaten Tenille. Jordynne charged Tenille on the stage and asked how could Deonna have beaten her since Tenille never showed up for work. Deonna said they were ruining her celebration. All of a sudden, all of the wrestlers from Wrestle House teleported into the ring. Deonna went after Kylie Rae, who ducked, and Deonna exited the ring. Kimber Lee grabbed Kylie and went to hit her, but Susie blocked it, and Kylie superkicked Kimber Lee. Kylie held the Knockouts title belt as Deonna and Kimber Lee fumed outside the ring. [c]
(D.L.’s Analysis: Fun segment setting up a bunch of challengers for Deonna, starting with Kylie Rae as the number one contender. It’s good to have the full roster back in the Impact Zone. Yes, the teleporting was dumb, but I won’t lie, I did laugh).
-Gia Miller interviewed Brian Myers backstage. He bragged about his victory over Willie Mack last week and said he would be glad to shake his hand next week. Moose interrupted to ask if they had seen EC3. Myers said it was unprofessional.
- Josh and Madison previewed next week’s matches, which include:
- Locker Room Talk with Kylie Rae and Susie
- Chris Bey vs. TJP
- Motor City Machine Guns vs. The Rascalz
(5) EDDIE EDWARDS (c) vs. ERIC YOUNG – Impact Wrestling Heavyweight Title match
Eric Young entered the ring first, wearing a hockey mask. Eddie Edwards charged Eric as the bell rang. They exchanged offense, including Eddie getting a suplex and an early pin attempt. Eddie chopped Eric in the corner. Eric battled back with kicks and chops. They went back and forth until Eric snapped Eddie’s neck over the top rope. [c]
Back from the break, both wrestlers were outside and exchanging punches. Eddie clotheslined Eric out of the ring and they brawled outside. Eric gave Eddie a neckbreaker on the apron. Eric rolled him back in the ring for a two count. Eric continued on offense and worked the neck. Eddie battled back with a Blue Thunder Bomb, followed by punches and chops. Eric gained the advantaged and worked the neck again. Eddie hit a stunner for a two count. Eric got a flying elbow for a two count. After an exchange of punches, Eddie dove on Eric outside of the ring but appeared to hurt his knee. On the inside, Eddie hit a Tiger Driver on Eric for a two count. Eric rolled out of the ring and Eddie caught him with another dive. Back in the ring, Eric grabbed the title belt, but the ref took it and put it outside the ring. While the referee’s back was turned, Eric hit Eddie with the hockey mask, then got the piledriver on Eddie, to score the three count.
WINNER: Eric Young in 12:30 to become the Impact World Champion.
After the match, Eric chop blocked Eddie and put him in the figure four leglock. Security and the referee broke it up. Eric left the ring, walked up the stage, and held the belt in the air as the Impact logo appeared on the screen.
-But the show wasn’t over just yet. Moose walked into a room. There was a board filled with pictures of Moose, including pictures from earlier in the day of him at the gym and the hotel. He looked at the lines on the map and said “I know where I gotta go” before tearing down pictures and the board itself. Hidden behind the board were the words “You have been warned”, as the show faded to black.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Another fun edition of Impact. I was a little surprised that Eric Young won the title, but the promos for Bound For Glory seemed to hint that they were building something special for him. He has opponents waiting for him including Willie Mack, a rematch with Eddie Edwards, and the eventual showdown with Rich Swann. I really enjoyed Eddie’s run as champion; the open challenge was a highlight of each week and he carried himself well as the champion. The Moose/EC3 situation took an interesting twist. I’m on board with all of the matches that are on the table for the Knockouts division as well. It was good to see the conclusion of Wrestle House, which lasted just enough not to overstay its welcome. And it looks like we have another wrestling wedding in the future. Impact continues to get the most out of each member of the roster.
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