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IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT
JULY 14, 2022 (RECORDED)
ATLANTA, GA AT CENTER STAGE CENTER
AIRED ON AXS TV
REPORT BY DARRIN LILLY, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Impact Wrestling Announcers: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt
-Clips from last week’s show.
-Impact show intro video.
-Deaner and Joe Doering were backstage. Deaner said he didn’t know where Eric Young was but they would have to do it alone. Their entrance music played and they walked to the ramp.
(1) MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) & JOSH ALEXANDER vs. DEANER & JOE DOERING & ERIC YOUNG
Eric Young was the last one introduced. He came out separately but got in the corner of his Violent By Design teammates. Alexander and Deaner started the match. The Guns and Alexander had the early advantage. VBD eventually got the upper hand. Alexander tried to make a comeback but got leveled by Doering. [c]
The Guns double teamed Deaner. Alexander and Young faced off. The Guns double teamed Deaner, then double teamed Young. Alexander clotheslined Doering over the top rope. Sabin dove on Doering on the outside. Shelley had Deaner in a crossface and Alexander had Young in an ankle lock. Deaner tapped just seconds before Young did.
WINNERS: Motor City Machine Guns & Josh Alexander in 18:00.
After the match, Sabin and Alexander had a brief tug-of-war over the belt.
(D.L.’s Take: It was a change of pace to start the show with a length match that was shown over two segments. Great start to the show. The possible split of Violent By Design is intriguing and they teased that Sabin might go after Alexander.)
-Hannifan and Rehwoldt appeared on camera and ran down the matches for the rest of the show. [c]
-Killer Kelly vignette.Things picked up from where they left off last week. Kelly was still in the shower. She dried her hair and put on makeup. She sat in a chair with a drink. She wrote something down and her voiceover said she was ready. She spied at people through the peephole. Graphics came up at the end that said “Killer Kelly” and “Coming Soon”.
(2) JAMES STORM vs. STEVE MACLIN
Fans chanted for Storm. Maclin kicked and chopped Storm. Storm made a comeback to an enthusiastic crowd. Maclin went to the floor to break the momentum. Back in the ring, Storm punched Maclin. Maclin poked Storm in the eye as the referee tried to separate them. Maclin stomped Storm in the corner. [c]
Maclin slammed Storm to the mat. Storm made a comeback. Maclin gave Storm the Caught in the Crosshairs. Storm kicked out of the pin attempt. Maclin got out of the Eye of the Storm. Storm punched Maclin. Storm gave Maclin a rana off the top rope. Storm gave Maclin an elbow drop from the top rope for a two count. Fans chanted “That was three”.
Storm rolled up Maclin, but Maclin kicked him into an exposed turnbuckle. Maclin gave Storm a DDT and got the pin.
WINNER: Steve Maclin in 13:00.
After the match, the lights went out. When they came back on, Sami Callihan was in the ring alone with a barbed wire bat. Maclin was on the ramp and they yelled at each other.
(D.L.’s Take: Good win for Maclin. Fans were really into Storm and he put in a good showing. The Sami vs. Maclin feud is coming along slowly.)
-The Ric Flair Impact Moment of the Week was from Lockdown 2010. Flair ran down in street clothes and got involved in the match. He interacted with Abyss, Eric Bischoff, and Hulk Hogan. He was bleeding and thrown into thumb tacks. This was sad. [c]
-Sabin and Shelley approached Scott D’Amore backstage. Sabin said he wanted to be the number one contender to Josh Alexander’s title. Scott said Impact is about opportunities. He said Sabin and Shelley could face off next week and the winner would face Alexander at Emergence.
(3) MICKIE JAMES vs. CHELSEA GREEN
Chelsea kissed Mickie at the start. Mickie kissed her right back. Mickie took Chelsea down and punched her repeatedly. Mickie chopped Chelsea. Fans chanted for Mickie. Chelsea threw Mickie headfirst to the mat. They brawled on the mat. Chelsea threw Mickie to the ringside area. Chelsea missed a baseball slide to the outside.
Mickie punched Chelsea and threw her into the ring post. Chelsea knocked Mickie off the top rope and got a two count. Chelsea continued to have the upper hand. Chelsea put Mickie in the camel clutch. Mickie clotheslined Chelsea. Mickie gave Chelsea a rana, followed by a kick to the face for a two count.
Mickie bounced Chelsea’s head into the turnbuckle. Chelsea made a comeback with punches. Fans booed Chelsea. Chelsea gave Mickie knees to the back and elbows. Mickie came back with punches. Chelsea kicked Mickie to the mat and got a two count. Chelsea stomped Mickie into the turnbuckle. Chelsea taunted Mickie.
Mickie came back with kicks. They both crawled up the ramp, then fought on the stage. Back in the ring, Mickie gave Chelsea a neckbreaker. Mickie made a comeback with a series of moves. Mickie gave Chelsea the Thesz Press from the top rope for a two count. Fans chanted “This is awesome”. Chelsea went for Mickie’s eyes, but Mickie gave her the Mick Kick. Chelsea grabbed the ropes to break up the pin attempt.
Chelsea gave Mickie the stomp, but the referee stopped the count because Chelsea had the tights. Chelsea got another two count. Mickie rolled up Chelsea for another two count. Chelsea missed a stomp, but landed a kick. Chelsea rolled up Mickie with her feet on the ropes and got the pin.
WINNER: Chelsea Green in 13:00.
(D.L.’s Take: Good intensity. Impact fans were invested in Mickie winning this match. They were given plenty of time and it was a really good match that the fans were into all the way through.)
-Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie were ready to go into the Undead Realm to find Havok. Taya worried about what she was wearing, but Rosemary said it wasn’t a priority. Rosemary said she would be safe if she listens to her. Lights flashed and they were transported. Taya said it was a little more damp than she expected.
Rosemary told Taya to stay close and don’t follow the light. They walked. Taya walked away and followed a light. Taya ended up on her own in a room. She bumped into Havok. They cut back to Rosemary realizing that Taya was gone. Rosemary made it to the room. She found Havok and Taya. Taya told Rosemary “I see you’ve met… Jessica.” Havok smiled. [c]
-A clip was aired from Before The Impact of Bhupinder Gujjar beating Johnny Swinger. Gujjar approached Brian Myers backstage. Gujjar said that since he beat Swinger, he wanted a shot for Myers’s Digital Title. Myers said to find him when he has that blue checkmark and walked away.
(4) TENILLE DASHWOOD (w/Madison Rayne & Gisele Shaw) vs. MASHA SLAMOVICH
Rayne and Shaw gave Tenille a pep talk before the match. Fans chanted “Masha’s gonna kill you”. Tenille tried to avoid Masha, but Masha gave her a spinning back fist. Tenille rolled to the floor. She fought back and got in the ring. Masha took her to the mat and followed with a kick. Masha gave her the Snow Plow and got the pin. Rayne and Shaw looked on in shock at ringside.
WINNER: Masha Slamovich in 1:00.
(D.L.’s Take: Not much to the match, but it accomplished its purpose of making Masha continue to look dominant.)
-Clip from last week of Violent By Design attacking Alan Angels and Mike Bailey. Gia Miller interviewed Mike Bailey backstage. Bailey said he’s been thinking about Deaner and he would defend the title against anyone. He said he would be happy to have a match with Deaner next week. [c]
-Gia Miller caught up to Mickie James, who was leaving the building with her luggage. She told Gia “you’re only as good as your last match” and she said she was going home.
-Hannifan and Rehwoldt were shown at the desk. Hannifan said in a somber tone that he hoped it wasn’t the end of Mickie’s career. They introduced matches for next week including:
Mia Yim & Jordynne Grace vs. Chelsea Green & Deonna Purrazzo
Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin
-As Honor No More entered the ring, Heath attacked Vincent on the ramp, then escaped through the crowd. [c]
(5) BULLET CLUB (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson & Chris Bey & Ace Austin) vs. HONOR NO MORE (Eddie Edwards & Matt Taven & Mike Bennett & Kenny King w/Maria Kanellis)
Bey and Eddie started the match. Bey and Ace double teamed King. Taven and Ace had an exchange. Taven chastised Ace for wearing purple. Taven accidentally dropkicked Bennett. The match broke down and everyone brawled in the ring. Bullet Club sent HNM to the outside. [c]
Bullet Club tagged in and out to keep the advantage on Taven. Taven battled back against Doc, but got clotheslined. Bey got a leg drop on Taven and got a two count. Bey gave Taven a spin kick on the outside and got a two count in the ring. Bey fought HNM in the corner, but eventually got kicked by Eddie. Taven gave Bey a leg sweep.
King stomped and punched Bey. The announcers noted that King helped to train Bey. King put Bey in a single leg Boston Crab. HNM kept the advantage on Bey. Fans chanted for Bullet Club. Bennett and Taven double teamed Bey. Bey battled back on Eddie and made the tag to Anderson, however the referee was distracted at the time and wouldn’t allow it.
Bey finally got through Bennett, Taven, and Edwards and got the tag to Anderson. Anderson cleaned house. Anderson gave Taven a senton. Anderson gave Taven a neckbreaker coming from the second rope. Wrestlers took turns hitting their moves. Maria gave Doc a low blow to break up the Magic Killer. HNM hit their moves on Doc. Taven gave Doc a splash from the top rope and got the pin.
WINNERS: Honor No More in 17:00.
(D.L.’s Take: An exciting tag team match and a good win for Honor No More.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Impact is really clicking on all cylinders. The matches were given plenty of time and were all very good. Even the short match accomplished its goal of making Masha Slamovich seem dominant. The Killer Kelly vignette was well done and intriguing. The Undead Realm stuff is not everyone’s cup of tea, but at least it was kept short. I’m interested to see where this Havok storyline is headed. A fast moving tag team match topped off the night. Fun show.
CATCH-UP: 7/7 IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Mia Yim, Bailey vs. Angels, more
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