12/16 IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT: Heath & Rhino vs. MCMG, Delirious vs. Edwards, more

IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT
DECEMBER 16, 2022 (RECORDED)
PEMBROKE PINES, FLAT CHARLES DODGE CENTER
AIRED ON AXS TV
REPORT BY DARRIN LILLY, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Impact Wrestling Announcers: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

-Recap of last week’s events, including the epic Josh Alexander vs. Mike Bailey match

(1) DELIRIOUS vs. EDDIE EDWARDS

After trading the advantage, Eddie took over after a hard chop. Delirious fought back with a chop and talked trash. Delirious kicked Eddie down and ran his head into the turnbuckle. Eddie suplexed Delirious. Delirious suplexed Eddie. Delirious clotheslined Eddie. Eddie made a comeback. Delirious clotheslined Eddie, but Eddie came back with a superkick.

Eddie powerbombed Delirious, but Delirious turned it into an armlock. Delirious put on the Cobra Stretch but Eddie turned it into a pin for the win.

WINNER: Eddie Edwards in 7:00.

They shook hands afterwards but Eddie kicked Delirious and gave him the Die Hard Driver, followed by punches. Yuya Uemura ran in for the save, but Eddie took him out. Eddie tried to take off the mask of Delirious, but Jonathan Gresham made a surprise appearance and confronted Eddie. They had words, then Eddie left the ring.

(D.L.’s Take: Shorter than I would have liked but good while it lasted. Hope there will be more Delirious going forward. Glad to see Gresham in the mix.)

-Josh Alexander and Scott D’Amore talked backstage. Alexander talked about how good Mike Bailey was. Scott said he would be in the fight of his life with Bully Ray. He said it was different waters than Alexander was used to and he had to focus. Tommy Dreamer walked up and said he needed to apologize for saying everyone could trust Bully Ray. He said he didn’t know. Alexander suggested that Dreamer was in on it. [c]

(2) BULLY RAY vs. JOHN SKYLER

Both wrestlers were in the ring after the commercial break. Bully slammed Skyler and gave him a piledriver for the win.

WINNER: Bully Ray in 1:00.

Tommy Dreamer walked to the ring and confronted Bully. Fans chanted “ECW”. Dreamer took the mic and talked about how he vouched for Bully. He said Bully would get his ass kicked by Alexander. He said he wasn’t there to fight but their friendship was over. He said they could still be co-workers on the Busted Open radio show. He called Bully a bitch and said he put him on the spot. Dreamer left the ring.

Bully took the mic and told him to keep walking. Bully called Dreamer a jealous coward. He said Dreamer walked behind him at all times and Bully was a bigger star in ECW, WWE, and Impact. He said that some might say Dreamer was a failure. Dreamer got back in the ring and went face to face. Bully admitted to attacking Ace Austin from behind and he knew Dreamer would stick up for him.

He called Dreamer a bitch for crying. Dreamer mentioned something was going on with his mother and Bully said he didn’t care about his mother. Dreamer gave an emotional promo and talked about his career, then challenged Bully to a fight. Fans chanted for Dreamer. Bully left the ring. [c]

(D.L.’s Take: When the match went short, I feared they’d make up for it with more Bully Ray talking. My fears were confirmed.)

(3) DECAY (BLACK TAURUS & CRAZZY STEVE) vs. MAJOR PLAYERS (Matt Cardona & Brian Myers)

There was a clip of the two teams having a backstage confrontation earlier that led to this match. As Decay made their entrance, Trey Miguel attacked Steve from behind and spray painted a green X on his back. The Players celebrated in the ring. The referee checked on Steve, who declared that he could go.

Taurus and Cardona started the match. Taurus gave Cardona a headbutt and followed up with more offense. Myers tagged in. Taurus hit Myers with an offensive flurry. Taurus clotheslined Myers over the top rope and threw Cardona over, followed by a dive over the top. [c]

The Players had the upper hand after the break. Taurus did a moonsault off the ropes to take down Cardona. Steve ran wild on Cardona and Myers. Myers broke up a pin attempt and all four were in the ring. Steve bit Myers but Cardona hit him from behind. The Players double teamed Steve and Cardona pinned Steve for the win.

WINNERS: The Major Players in 9:00.

(D.L.’s Take: We didn’t get to see much action because the commercial took a big chunk out of the match. The big takeaway was Trey Miguel’s continued heel turn and furthering his feud with Crazzy Steve.)

-Jordynne Grace and Mickie James sat at a table with Scott D’Amore for their contract signing for the match at Hard To Kill. Scott talked about the stakes. Grace signed first and said she would say her peace in the ring. Mickie signed next and said that Grace was assuming Mickie would lose. Mickie said she’s had a lot of moments against some of the greats and she would have one more moment at Hard To Kill.

Tasha Steelz and Savannah Evans interrupted. Tasha said this was a sham. She said that Mickie didn’t go through everyone. She said that Mickie had to face her and that would be the Last Rodeo. Mickie said she had a lot of time before the Hard To Kill match and she would accept the challenge. Grace argued with Tasha. Scott said they could all fight next week and made a tag match for the two sides. [c]

-Clip from last week of the locker room clapping for Mike Bailey after he came backstage from his match. Kenny King spoke and told everyone to clap for Bailey. King spat water at Bailey. King was escorted out.

-Gia Miller interviewed Bailey. Bailey said he would face King and then continue on his quest to be the best.

(4) SAMI CALLIHAN vs. ANGELS (w/ Deaner & Kon)

Sami immediately gave Angels a pop-up powerbomb. Angels regrouped on the outside. Back in the ring, Angels hit Sami with a series of clotheslines. Sami suplexed Angels. Angels knocked Sami to the mat. Sami trapped Angels in the ring skirt and scratched his back. Sami stared down The Design. Sami dropped Angels back first on the apron.

They fought on the apron. Angels dropped Sami on the apron and Sami was laid out at ringside. Back in the ring, Angels punched Sami. Angels kicked Sami. Angels gave Sami a front suplex and put him in a crossface submission. Sami bit his hand to get out. Sami suplexed Angels and got a two count. They exchanged chops and punches.

Sami clotheslined Angels. Angels came back with a discus clothesline and a frog splash for a two count. Angels missed another frog splash. Sami gave Angels the Cactus Driver 97 piledriver and got the pin.

WINNER: Sami Callihan in 7:00.

Sami stared at Deaner. Kon attacked Sami from behind and punched him repeatedly. Deaner called Kon off and hovered over Sami. Kon held Sami so Angels could kick him. The Design stood over Sami and Deaner walked over Sami and sat on him.

(D.L.’s Take: Nice showing for Angels. Deaner is settling into his new role as leader of The Design. The Sami vs. Design feud continues to slowly unfold.)

-Gisele Shaw and Jai Vidal approached Deonna Purrazzo. Shaw said they should get the band back together. Deonna called her the Yoko Ono of their band. Deonna said Shaw should apologize for ruining her friend’s career. Shaw said they should go after the tag team titles. Shaw said that Deonna and Chelsea Green were owed a rematch, so they should take that. Deonna agreed.

-The Motor City Machine Guns were shown warming up backstage. [c]

-Taylor Wilde vignette. She turned over tarot cards. She said she is both masculine and feminine. Her power is her shadow. Without the darkness, there is no light. Without conflict, there is no victory. From the disillusionment rises the wild witch. At the end, she held up a card that said “devil”.

(5) BHUPINDER GUJJAR & JOE HENDRY vs. JOHNNY SWINGER & ZICKY DICE

Before the match, Hendry took the mic. He talked about Swinger’s Dungeon and talked about the screaming, slapping, and whining that he heard when he walked by. He said that at Hendry’s Dungeon, you only hear “We believe”. He said his fans believe in Joe Hendry. After a few minutes of action, Moose went to attack Hendry at ringside.

Moose missed a spear and Hendry tripped him. Hendry took the mic and said that Moose was being unprofessional. Moose chased Hendry to the back with a chair. Gujjar took on Swinger and Dice by himself. Gujjar clotheslined Dice over the top rope. Gujjar pinned Swinger after the Gargoyle Spear.

WINNERS: Bhupinder Gujjar & Joe Hendry in 3:00.

-John Skyler and Jason Hotch were backstage and talked about not getting respect. Skyler complained about being called a “good hand”. They agreed to team up.

-Heath and Rhino were shown warming up. [c]

-Steve Maclin promo. He said he was taught to do everything by the book and to get everyone home. He talked about beating former world champions to no reward. He said he might have to go about it in a new way to get the title. He said that Rich Swann was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

-Rehwoldt and Hannifan appeared on camera and ran down the matches for next week:

• Rich Swann vs. Steve Maclin
• Death Dollz vs. Gisele Shaw & Deonna Purrazzo
• Mickie James & Jordynne Grace vs. Tasha Steelz & Savannah Evans

-The two teams did their ring entrances for the main event. [c]

(6) HEATH & RHINO (c) vs. THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) – Impact Wrestling World Tag Team Title Match

The Major Players were banned from ringside. Shelley and Rhino started the match. Shelley chopped Rhino. Rhino shoulder-blocked Shelley to the mat. Sabin and Heath tagged in and battled. Heath took Sabin to the mat with a back elbow. The Guns double teamed Heath and kept the upper hand. Heath power slammed Sabin. [c]

Rhino rammed Shelley in the corner. Heath and Rhino tagged in and out to keep the advantage. Shelley finally threw Heath into the turnbuckles. Shelley tried to make the tag but Rhino knocked Sabin off the apron. Shelley fought out of the corner and made the hot tag to Sabin. Sabin ran wild on Heath and Rhino. Heath and Sabin traded punches and chops.

Sabin DDT’d Heath. Shelley did a DDT as well. Rhino broke up a pin attempt. The Guns gave Rhino a double superkick. All four wrestlers fought in the ring. Rhino gave Sabin a Gore. Heath got a two count on Sabin. Sabin escaped a Gore by giving Rhino a sunset flip and got the pin.

WINNERS: The Motor City Machine Guns in 18:00 to win the Impact Wrestling Tag Team Titles.

(D.L.’s Take: Basic tag team match, but the fans were into both teams. It got good towards the end. The Guns will make outstanding tag team champions.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: Impact seems to be regrouping on the road to Hard To Kill. The Sami Callihan/Design feud, Trey Miguel/Crazzy Steve feud, and Gisele Shaw & Deonna Purrazzo team are slowly formulating, while the Bully Ray/Josh Alexander and Mickie James/Jordynne Grace pairings continue to build. Main event was decent and it’s good to see the Guns as tag team champions.

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CATCH-UP: 12/1 IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Mickie James, Swann vs. Bully Ray, more