SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT
OCTOBER 12, 2023
MEMPHIS, TN AT GRACELAND LIVE
AIRED ON AXS TV
REPORT BY DARRIN LILLY, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
-Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt
-Video of last week’s events and a recap of the Eddie Edwards/Frankie Kazarian feud.
-The long-awaited return of the “We own the night” opening montage.
(1) THE RASCALZ (Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz)(c) vs. RICH SWANN & SAMI CALLIHAN — Impact Wrestling Tag Team Title match
The winner of this match will face ABC at Bound For Glory. Sami and Trey started the match. Sami took Trey to the mat early. Swann kicked Trey in the back. Swann and Sami tagged in and out to keep the advantage on Trey. The Rascalz double teamed Sami. Swann tagged in and ran wild on the Rascalz. Wentz superplexed Swann and superkicked Sami off the apron. Wentz dove over the top rope on Swann. [c]
The Rascalz continued to have control of the match. Sami finally tagged in and took on both Rascalz. Sami slammed Trey and got a two count. All four wrestlers fought in the ring. Fans chanted “This is awesome” as all four were on the mat. Swann and Trey traded punches. Wentz did a blockbuster on Swann off Trey’s shoulders for a two count. Trey brought a belt in the ring. As the referee got the belt out of the ring, Trey accidentally sprayed Wentz with the spray paint. Swann & Sami got the upper hand and got a two count on Wentz. Trey knocked Swann off the top rope. Wentz gave Sami a low blow. The Rascalz did the Hot Fire Flame and Trey got the pin on Sami.
WINNERS: The Rascalz in 18:00.
(D.L.’s Take: This built into a really good match and the fans were into it.)
-A clip of Heath fighting with Kenny King on the ramp from two weeks ago.
-Kenny King and Sheldon Jean promo. King said everyone is ducking him and his contractually obligated rematch. Jean said he couldn’t comprehend what was going on. They said they have a Heath Problem. King said Heath would have a health problem. He said Heath’s kids would be eating beans and sardines when he finished with him. He said the sins of the father would leave his kids broke.[c]
-Gia Miller interviewed KiLynn King. Gia pointed out that King’s team lost last week in part because King couldn’t get along with Jody Threat. King talked about Jody and said she didn’t like her because Threat attacked her partner Taylor Wilde with a tire iron. Santino Marella walked in and asked how King knew Taylor had been attacked with a tire iron. King admitted she knew because she was the one who had attacked Taylor. She said she did it because Taylor was dead weight after losing the tag team titles. She said it’s no longer “Long live the Coven”; it’s now “Long live the King.”
(2) ERIC YOUNG vs. JAKE SOMETHING vs. JORDYNNE GRACE vs. DIRTY DANGO (w/Alpha Bravo) vs. CHAMPAGNE SINGH
Whoever wins this match will enter at #20 in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match at Bound for Glory and whoever gets pinned will go in at #1. This match started during the commercial break on a split screen. Grace fought Dango and Singh but they took her to the mat. Singh choked Grace in the corner. Singh threw Eric out of the ring. Grace fought back against Singh and Dango, but she was thrown into the corner. Dango and Singh argued. Jake got back in the ring. Grace made a comeback on Dango and Singh. Singh kicked Grace. Dango put Grace in a chinlock. Singh also put her in a chinlock. Dango and Singh suplexed Grace. Singh turned on Dango and knocked him off the top rope. Grace made a comeback on Singh and Dango with punches and suplexes. Jake got a series of moves on Dango. Jake powerbombed Dango. Singh slipped in and got a two count on Dango. Jake decked Singh. Grace suplexed Singh and Jake off the top rope. Grace went for a cover on Singh, but Dango broke it up with a legdrop. Eric dropped an elbow on Dango and got a two count. Bravo broke up the pin attempt. Bravo flashed a spotlight on Eric. Eric decked Bravo. Singh hit Eric from behind. Oleg Prudius (formerly Vladimir Koslov in WWE) walked to ringside in a black suit. He took out Eric and Singh. Oleg got on the apron. Dango threw Jake into Oleg. Dango got the pin on Jake. Oleg celebrated with Dango and Bravo.
WINNER: Dirty Dango in 12:00.
(D.L.’s Take: The match was all action, but a surprise win for Dango. This could set up Jake Something overcoming the odds and winning the match at BFG.)
-Crazzy Steve promo. He chanted “The angel of death came to Tommy’s room and said it’s time to go home.” He said he was amazed and disgusted at Dreamer. He said he stabbed Dreamer in the back before Dreamer could do it to him. Steve also talked about Black Taurus. He said they would have a no-DQ match next week. He said it wouldn’t be simply enough to beat him. He would teach Taurus pain and misery.
-Kazarian and Eddie were shown warming up. [c]
-Gia Miller interviewed Mike Bailey. He said he needed momentum to beat Will Ospreay at BFG and he needed to avoid being sidetracked arguing with his friend Jonathan Gresham. He said he needed to stay focused and issued an open challenge for next week.
(3) COURTNEY RUSH (w/Jessicka) vs. TASHA STEELZ (w/Deonna Purrazzo)
Rush put Tasha in an armlock and Tasha returned the favor. They wrestled on the mat. Tasha superkicked Rush, followed by a series of suplexes. Tasha taunted Rush, but got rolled up for a two count. Tasha clotheslined Rush over the top rope. They clotheslined each other. Rosemary made a comeback. Rush put Tasha in the sharpshooter. Tasha reached the ropes to break it. Tasha gave Rush double knees and got a two count. Tasha caught Rush with a cutter and got the pin. MK Ultra were shown watching in the back. [c]
WINNER: Tasha Steelz in 7:00.
(D.L.’s Take: Match was okay. The momentum continues for Tasha and Deonna heading into the title match at BFG. The Death Dollz losing streak continues, which makes me wonder if a reset in storyline is not far off.)
-Video package on the Josh Alexander/Alex Shelley feud.
-Clip from New Japan Pro Wrestling of Chris Sabin teaming with Shelley and Alexander. Alexander accidentally ran into Shelley. Tanahashi pinned Shelley to win the match. Kevin Kelly questioned if Alexander did it on purpose.
-Steve Maclin/Bully Ray backstage promo. Bully said that Maclin called called him soft twice. Maclin stood up out of his chair and Bully said “Cool” before walking off.
-Rehwoldt and Hannifan were shown on camera at ringside. They plugged Bound For Glory. They announced for next week:
*Trinity & Mickie James vs. Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans
*PCO & Rhino vs. Moose & Brian Myers
*Kenny King vs. Heath
*Mike Bailey vs. Samuray Del Sol
*Black Taurus vs. Crazzy Steve
-Eddie Edwards and Frankie Kazarian did their ring entrances for the main event. [c]
(4) FRANKIE KAZARIAN vs. EDDIE EDWARDS
This was a 2 out of 3 falls match. The first match was to be decided by pinfall, the second by submission, and the third (if needed) by Last Man Standing Rules. There was a pinfall scoreboard at the top of the screen. Eddie chopped Frankie early. Eddie gave Frankie a Boston Knee party and got the pin.
WINNER (1st Fall): Eddie Edwards in 4:00.
Eddie suplexed Frankie and followed with chops. Eddie caught Frankie with a suplex. [c]
Eddie continued to chop Frankie. Frankie fought back. Frankie went for the chicken wing, but Eddie fought out. Eddie threw Frankie over the top rope. Eddie continued to chop Frankie on the floor. Frankie bled from the chest. Back in the ring, Frankie made a comeback. Frankie put Eddie in an armlock submission. Eddie put Frankie in a single-leg Boston Crab. Frankie reached the ropes to break it. Eddie gave Frankie the Backpack Stunner, but Frankie turned it into a chicken wing. Eddie submitted immediately.
WINNER (2nd Fall): Frankie Kazarian in 17:00.
Frankie knocked Eddie out of the ring. Frankie caught Eddie with a rana over the top rope to the floor. [c]
Frankie hit Eddie with a metal trash can at ringside. Eddie suplexed Frankie into an official at ringside. They traded punches, then Eddie suplexed Frankie on the mats twice. Frankie caught Eddie with a cutter coming into the ring. The action spilled to ringside again. Frankie pulled a table from under the ring. Frankie hit Eddie in the head with a cookie sheet. Eddie hiptossed Frankie onto the steps. Frankie gave Eddie an Unprettier on the steps. Fans chanted “This is awesome.”
Frankie went to the top rope, but Alisha Edwards hit him with a kendo stick and knocked him off. Fans booed. Eddie superplexed Frankie onto a pile of chairs. Eddie hit Frankie with a chair and threw him to the outside. Eddie pulled out another table from under the ring. They fought up the ramp to the stage. Frankie gave Eddie a low blow. Frankie gave Eddie a Styles Clash on the stage. Fans chanted “Impact Wrestling!”
Frankie went after Alisha, but she scratched his eyes. Frankie picked her up and ran her through a table that was set up against the apron. Referees came out to help Alisha. Frankie and Eddie fought on the apron. Frankie drove Eddie through a table. Both wrestlers were laid out as the referee counted. Frankie pulled himself up with the railing and beat the ten count to win it.
WINNER (3rd Fall): Frankie Kazarian in 34:00.
(D.L.’s Take: Really good, physical match and a great effort by both wrestlers. They gave this match plenty of time and it didn’t drag. A fitting end to this feud (I really think it’s the end this time.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: A good show overall and the build to Bound For Glory continues to be excellent. The in-ring action was solid and all the matches had a purpose to build to the big show later this month. The video packages were well done also and continued to build the matches. The show was capped by an excellent main event.
Darrin Lilly is a Pro Wrestling Torch contributor who writes the weekly Impact Wrestling TV results and co-hosts the Impact Wrestling podcast for the site with John Laslo. You can find him on Instagram and Threads at dklstl or on You Tube at Darrin’s Wrestling World.
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