SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT
JULY 8, 2021 (RECORDED)
NASHVILLE, TENN. AT SKYWAY STUDIOS
AIRED ON AXS TV
REPORT BY DARRIN LILLY, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Matt Striker, D-Lo Brown
-A recap video of last week’s events featuring clips of W. Morrissey talking about attacking Eddie Edwards and the six-man main event aired.
-Gia Miller approached Kenny Omega and Don Callis backstage. Callis insulted Sami Callihan with a bunch of big words, talked about the contract signing, and said it’s a big night. Callis and Omega walked off.
-The show intro video played.
(1) BRIAN MYERS (w/Sam Beale) vs. JAKE SOMETHING
Myers and Jake brawled at the bell with Jake getting the best of the exchange. The action spilled to the floor. Jake threw Myers into the steps. Back in the ring, Myers missed a clothesline and Jake clotheslined him out of the ring. Myers got the upper hand and suplexed Jake on the entrance ramp. Myers stomped Jake as he got back in the ring. Beale punched Jake from the outside as Myers distracted the referee. Myers put Jake in a chin lock.
Jake powered out and hit Myers with punches and a powerbomb. Myers caught Jake with a kick and a DDT. Myers landed an elbow from the top rope. Jake caught Myers with a Black Hole Slam and got the pin.
WINNER: Jake Something in 5:00.
After the match Myers took the mic and was supposed to say that Jake was more professional than him. Beale attacked Jake from behind. Matt Cardona’s music hit and he ran in for the save. Cardona took out Beale with his flying legdrop as Myers fled.
(D.L.’s Take: Good match while it lasted. Myers and Beale continue to be a fun act.)
-D’Lo and Josh talked about the proceeding angle and talked about Slammiversary before running down the matches for the rest of the night.
-Gia Miller interviewed Deonna Purrazzo and asked how she would do now without the help of Kimber Lee and Susan. Deonna said Kimber Lee and Susan didn’t really help and she can do it all by herself forever. She said she would issue an open challenge later tonight. [c]
-Gia Miller approached Sami Callihan backstage. Sami said that Gia caught him in a good mood. Sami said it was nine days until Omega faced him. A man in a Sheriff shirt said that he was there to arrest Sami for assault and battery of Don Callis. Security swarmed Sami, handcuffed him, and took him off as he said “you gotta be kidding me!”
(2) DEONNA PURRAZZO vs. LADY FROST
This was Frost’s debut in Impact. After the initial lockup, Deonna and Frost traded the advantage. Deonna mocked Frost and said she was impressed. Deonna stomped Frost in the corner. Frost came back with an elbow and a spin kick. Frost missed a moonsault. Deonna landed kicks and a suplex. Deonna went for the pin but pulled Frost up at two. Deonna finished her off with an armbar submission.
WINNER: Deonna Purrazzo in 3:00.
(D.L.’s Take: Good job of further establishing Deonna’s dominance in the division. Frost didn’t get much time to do anything, but made a good impression.)
Deonna thanked Frost for answering the open challenge, then called herself the greatest Knockouts champion of all-time. Gail Kim’s music played and she walked to the ring. [c]
-Deonna said it is an honor to stand in the ring with Gail Kim and said Gail was pivotal in creating the person she is now. Deonna said she didn’t appreciate being disrespected and interrupted. Gail said that she has worked backstage and was proud to watch as Deonna has become the champ. Gail said she was here to talk about the future and not the past. Deonna said she accepts Gail’s challenge.
Gail said she is retired. Gail asked if Deonna wanted to be known as the greatest Knockouts champ of all-time. Gail said she talked to Scott D’Amore and that Deonna would face a mystery opponent of their choosing at Slammiversary. Gail said not only is our world changing at Slammiversary, but so is yours, then she left the ring.
-Impact Plus Flashback Moment of the Week: Angelina Love vs. Mickie James from Slammiversary 2011.
-Swinger’s Palace. Alisha asked the rest of the Swingarellas how many hours a week they worked. Chris Sabin walked in and asked if Johnny Swinger was there. Alisha said he had important business tonight and wasn’t there. Sabin sat at the table. Moose attacked him from behind. The Swingarellas ran off. Moose attacked Hernandez also. Moose yelled at Sabin and said that Sabin would find out why he is a wrestling god at Slammiversary. [c]
-Clip from last week of Chris Bey saving Trey Miguel, Petey Williams, and Josh Alexander from an attack.
-Gia Miller interviewed Chris Bey and asked why he got involved last week. Bey said he picked a side but it doesn’t mean he is friends with Trey, Petey, and Josh. He said he picked a side and they just happened to be standing on it.
(3) W. MORRISSEY vs. JASON PAGE & MANNY SMITH & DEONTE EVANS
Morrissey took the mic and said that he heard Eddie Edwards challenged him to a match at Slammiversary. He accepted. Morrissey said he would help Eddie prepare by demonstrating what will happen to Eddie at Slammiversary. The match started and Morrissey clotheslined all three of his opponents. He choked two of them over the ropes and splashed them all. Morrissey choke slammed Evans, powerbombed Page, and hit an F-5 on Smith. Morrissey stacked them up and pinned them with his foot. [c]
WINNER: W. Morrissey in 2:00.
(D.L.’s Take: Dominant squash to make Morrissey look like a powerhouse going into his match with Eddie Edwards.)
-Video feature on the Knockouts division.
-Gia Miller interviewed Don Callis. Callis said he was the victim of a brutal assault and he was taking counseling sessions. He said he had footage of the attack and provided it to the production truck. The footage rolled. It was handheld footage of someone dressed as Sami allegedly attacking Callis backstage. Back to the interview, Scott D’Amore approached Callis. Callis complained about the attack. Scott said that since Omega and Callis were here they could still have the contract signing and he would see them later tonight.
(4) SUSAN & KIMBER LEE vs. ROSEMARY & HAVOK
Rosemary and Susan squared off to start. Havok and Lee tagged in and faced off. Havok took Lee down and tossed her across the ring. Lee landed a series of kicks on Rosemary. Lee had Rosemary in a leglock. Susan tagged in and took Rosemary down. Lee and Susan worked on Rosemary in the corner. D’Lo and Josh speculated about who might face Deonna Purrazzo at Slammiversary. Havok tagged in and took on Susan and Lee.
Susan bit Havok and took her down. Susan accidentally knocked Lee to the floor. Rosemary speared Susan for the win.
WINNERS: Rosemary & Havok in 4:00.
(D.L.’s Take: Solid win to make Rosemary & Havok look like strong challengers for the tag team titles.)
All About Me segment. The special guest host this week was Jazz. Tenille and Kaleb welcomed her then awkwardly sat. Jazz asked if this was Piper’s Pit. Tenille got mad and asked if Jazz was going to ask how she feels with all the stuff that was going on with Rachael Ellering and Jordynne Grace. Tenille said none of the situation was her fault. Tenille said that Rachael was the ideal tag partner for her but Jazz ruined it. Jazz said she didn’t have to take this and got up to leave.
Tenille said she should just walk away, like she did with her career. Jazz got in her face then turned to walk away. Tenille attacked her from behind and pushed her into the camera, which went to static. [c]
-Footage was shown from the break of security attending to Jazz, who was still on the ground. Rachael and Jordynne helped Jazz to her feet.
-Rachael and Jordynne (wearing each other’s t-shirts) vowed to get at Tenille and Kaleb for attacking Jazz. Jordynne said they are back on the same page and they wanted to face Kaleb and Tenille next week.
-Rich Swann and Willie Mack walked to the ring and took the mic. Swann talked about being attacked by Violent by Design. TJP and Fallah Bahh walked to the stage. He said that Swann and Mack had a common enemy. TJP and Bahh entered the ring. TJP said they both have an issue with VBD but they are in line first. Mack said that he and Swann were at the front of the line. VBD’s music played and they walked to the stage.
VBD entered the ring. The Good Brothers music played and they walked to the stage. The Good Brothers talked on the mic and got in the ring. Tommy Dreamer walked to the stage and said the tag belts would be settled in a four-team match at Slammiversary. Dreamer said that tonight there would be a four-way match with four of the wrestlers in the ring. [c]
(5) RICH SWANN vs. KARL ANDERSON vs. DEANER vs. TJP
All four wrestlers brawled at the bell. Deaner and TJP took it to the floor. Swann and Anderson wrestled in the ring. Swann took Anderson down with a spin kick. TJP and Swann squared off. TJP did the boot wash to Swann in the corner. Swann caught TJP’s foot, then clotheslines TJP. Swann took TJP down with a head scissor. Deaner attacked Swann from behind. TJP and Deaner had an exchange. Swann hit a dive on the pile at ringside. [c]
Swann had control of Deaner coming out of the break. They showed footage of TJP whipping Anderson into the rail during the break. Swann punched Deaner. Deaner caught Swann with a knee to the stomach. Anderson suggested that he and Deaner teamed up, but Deaner attacked him from behind. Anderson and Deaner exchanged punches. All four wrestlers were in the ring and exchanged moves. TJP hit a series of moves on Anderson.
TJP landed a kick on Anderson, then missed a splash on Deaner. Swann connected with a kick to Swann. Deaner DDT’d Swann. TJP broke up the pin attempt. Deaner threw TJP out of the ring. Anderson hit the Gun Stun on Deaner and got the pin. The Good Brothers squared off with Violent by Design after the match.
WINNER: Karl Anderson in 14:00.
(D.L.’s Take: Fast paced match with good action throughout. Should be a fun match at Slammiversary.)
-Kimber Lee and Susan were backstage. Susan complained that nothing was going to plan. Lee said she had a backup plan. Cackling was heard, then Father James Mitchell appeared. He summoned Susan into a room. Mitchell asked Lee if she was sure if she wanted to do this. Lee said it was her only choice. Mitchell said there were no promises on how long it would take but he would try.
-Scott D’Amore was in the ring and said he hadn’t expected the challenger to the world title to be incarcerated tonight. He brought out Kenny Omega and Don Callis. A table was set up for the contract signing. Callis said what if you had a party and only one person showed up. He said that the most important person was there. Callis talked about being attacked. He said they don’t have a challenger now and that Sami Callihan had eight strikes against him.
Scott asked them to be patient with him. Callis and Omega looked over the contract. Omega sat at the table and signed the contract. The lights fizzled then went out. Black and white footage played of the “attack” from a hidden camera. The footage revealed that Callis was putting on an act and had paid Johnny Bravo to pretend to be Callihan in the skit. Sami appeared and attacked Omega from behind. Omega recovered and they brawled.
Omega hit Sami with the Impact title belt. Omega went for a piledriver, but Sami hit him with a low blow. Sami hit the piledriver on Omega, then signed the contract. Sami powerbombed Omega through the table and raised the belt above his head. Callis seethed at ringside.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Very solid edition of Impact leading to Slammiversary. I enjoyed the show-closing angle. The in-ring action wasn’t the strongest, but the angles clicked and built anticipation for the big show in nine days. A fun watch.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S IMPACT WRESTLING REPORT: 7/1 IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT: Kenny Omega in the main event, Bey vs. Williams, Dashwood vs. Ellering, more
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