2/23 IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT: MCMG vs. Speedball & Gresham, No Surrender hype, more

IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 23, 2023 (RECORDED)
KISSIMMEE, FL AT OSCEOLA HERITAGE PARK
REPORT BY DARRIN LILLY, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

-Recap video of last week’s show.

-Trey Miguel and Crazzy Steve were shown locked in rooms (with no light or water) ahead of the Monster’s Ball match. A ridiculous but fun touch they always add to these matches.

(1) MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. “SPEEDBALL” MIKE BAILEY & JONATHAN GRESHAM

Gresham and Sabin started the match. Gresham and Bailey tagged in and out to keep the advantage on Shelley. The Guns double teamed Bailey, then Gresham. Sabin got a two count on Bailey. The Guns continued to work on Bailey. Bailey made a comeback on both with kicks. Bailey had on Shawn Michaels inspired attire. Gresham and Sabin exchanged blows. Gresham took out the Guns by himself. All four wrestlers were in the ring. The Guns double teamed Gresham. Sabin got a two count. Gresham gave Sabin a delayed suplex.

Bailey got the hot tag and took Shelley down with kicks. Bailey took on the Guns by himself. Bailey had Shelley in a leglock and suplexed Sabin at the same time. Shelley got to the ropes to break the hold. The Guns turned it up a notch and double teamed Bailey. Bailey did a flip on Sabin to the outside. Fans chanted “Speedball”. Gresham put Shelley in a figure four leglock. Gresham and Shelley kept doing go-behinds. Bailey took out Sabin on the outside. All four wrestlers fought in the ring as fans chanted “This is awesome”.

Gresham had Shelley in a figure four leglock again. Bailey did a standing moonsault on Shelley. Sabin powerbombed Bailey onto Gresham to break the hold. Fans chanted “This is awesome” again. All four wrestlers fought. The Guns double teamed Gresham. All four exchanged moves. The Guns did their finisher on Gresham and Sabin got the pin.

WINNERS: The Motor City Machine Guns in 13:00.

(D.L.’s Take: An excellent match. The last few minutes were so fast paced, I could barely keep up. I would love to see this match on a PPV with more time given. Fans were really into the match.)

-Rich Swann/Josh Alexander hype video. Clips were shown as both men talked. They showed last week when Swann accidentally kicked Alexander. Swann said it was time to get his championship back. Alexander said he has to be the guy to break Rich Swann. Excellent video. [c]

-Clip of Gisele Shaw attacking Deonna Purrazzo on last week’s BTI. Shaw accidentally threw chili on Jai Vidal. Deonna pushed them together.

-Deonna Purrazzo promo. She thanked Shaw for admitting she was the problem. She warned Shaw that she doesn’t rely on luck and does her talking in the ring. She said Shaw doesn’t need to worry about a bowl of hot chili; she needs to worry about a broken arm. Bitch.

-The Good Hands walked to the ring and talked about the Beat the Clock Challenge. They talked about beating up Dreamer.

(2) TOMMY DREAMER vs. JASON HOTCH

The winner of the challenge will get to speak first at the Busted Open Live segment at No Surrender. Wow, you wanna talk about high stakes. Hotch gave Dreamer a neckbreaker. Dreamer gave Hotch a Death Valley Driver from the top rope and got the pin.

WINNER: Tommy Dreamer in 1:15.

-Footage from “earlier today” of Joe Hendry talking with fans and taking pictures. Fans said they believed in him and Hendry was their favorite. Fans sang “I believe in Joe Hendry”. [c]

(3) TAYA VALKYRIE (w/Rosemary & Jessicka) vs. ALLYSIN KAY (w/Marti Belle)

They brawled right from the start and exchanged punches and chops. Taya took Kay to the mat and put her in a submission. Kay made it to the ropes. Taya speared Kay and got a two count. Taya kicked Kay in the corner. Taya clotheslined Kay and followed with a hip attack and double knees. Taya got a two count. [c]

Kay chopped Taya and whipped her into the opposite corner. Kay taunted Taya with her butt, however Taya made a comeback and rubbed her butt into Kay’s face. Kay came back with a punch that dropped Taya. Taya fought back and took Kay down with a flurry of offense, including a Blue Thunder Bomb. Fans were solidly behind Taya. Taya had Kay in a crossface submission. Kay reached the ropes. Taya kicked and stomped Kay for a two count. Kay revered a pile driver attempt and gave Taya a reverse piledriver for a two count. Kay used a distraction from Belle to kick Taya in the head and powerbomb her for the pin. [c]

WINNER: Allysin Kay in 11:00.

(D.L.’s Take: A fun match and the logical decision to have Allysin Kay win headed into No Surrender.)

-Rich Swann and Josh Alexander were backstage signing the contract with Santino. Swann accused Alexander of saying he doesn’t have it in him. Swann talked about coming back after an injury, which proves he does have it in him. He warned Alexander he was in for the fight of his life. Swann said he waited two years for the shot and he wouldn’t let it slip through his fingers. He said he will win because he does have it in him. Steve Maclin interrupted and said he would win the number one contender’s match. He called Swann a choke artist and they brawled. Security separated them. Swann showed good fire in the promo and brawl to really establish himself as a credible contender.

(4) DEANER & CALLIHAN (w/Kon & Angels) vs. FRANKIE KAZARIAN & YUYA UEMURA

The announcers discussed Deaner saying tonight was to be Step Five of the Seven Deadly Steps. Kaz and Deaner started the match. Sami tagged in and dropped Kaz with a running elbow. Deaner gave Kaz a series of punches. Fans booed. Trey Miguel and Crazzy Steve were shown still locked in their rooms. Kaz made a comeback on Deaner. Yuya and Kaz double teamed Deaner. Fans chanted “Yuya”. Yuya elbow dropped Deaner and got a two count. Sami tagged in and put thumbs in Yuya’s eyes. Yuya made a comeback but Deaner pulled Yuya to the mat by the hair. Sami and Deaner tagged in and out to keep the advantage on Yuya.

Sami put Yuya in a chinlock. Yuya made a comeback and kicked Sami in the head. Kon clotheslined Kaz on the floor while the referee was distracted. The Design kept the heat on Yuya. Kaz finally got the tag and ran wild. Kaz legdropped Sami for a two count. Sami used a distraction from The Design to regain the upper hand. Yuya tagged back in and fought Deaner and Sami. Yuya gave Deaner a flying bodypress from the top rope for a two count. Kaz gave Sami a slingshot DDT. All four wrestlers fought in the ring. Sami went for the piledriver but Deaner called him to stop. Kaz came from behind and traded pin attempts. Kaz put Sami in the chicken wing and Sami tapped.

WINNER: Frankie Kazarian & Yuya Uemura in 10:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Good action and The Design storyline continues.)

-Video package on Mickie James and Masha Slamovich. Mickie talked about beating Jordynne Grace and said she didn’t tap out. Grace said that Mickie tapped. Masha talked with subtitles. Mickie said Masha wouldn’t be the one to beat her. Masha said just because the Last Rodeo is over, doesn’t mean she won’t end Mickie’s career with her own hands. [c]

-The Design was walking backstage. Sami asked Deaner what Step Five was about. Deaner said Step Five was about loyalty. Deaner asked Sami if he still wanted to be in The Design. Sami said yes. Deaner said Sami had made it further than he thought, even though it still might be a ruse. He said there were two more steps to go. Deaner said he doesn’t get to choose The Design, The Design chooses him.

(5) BULLY RAY vs. BHUPINDER GUJJAR

On his way to the ring, Bully Ray confronted the fans, including celebrity chef Robert Irvine (Gail Kim’s husband). Bully had to win in 1:15 to beat Dreamer’s time. The Good Hands distracted Gujjar. Bully used a chain to knock out Gujjar and immediately get the pin. Now he has earned the right to ….. speak first at the talking showdown.

WINNER: Bully Ray in 1:00.

-Crazzy Steve was shown locked in his room. [c]

-Bhupinder Gujjar apologized to Tommy Dreamer for losing. Dreamer gave him a pep talk and told him to use that loss to motivate him. Gujjar agreed.

-Hannifan and Rehwoldt pitched to Kevin Kelly to promote tonight’s NJPW lineup.

-Hannifan and Rehwoldt ran down the No Surrender lineup.

-Crazzy Steve was released from his room and was with Black Taurus.

(6) TREY MIGUEL (c) vs. CRAZZY STEVE — Impact Wrestling X Division Title Monster’s Ball Match

They brawled at the start and Steve sent Trey out of the ring. They fought on the floor. Steve threw Trey into a table. [c]

Steve pulled chairs from under the ring and set them up. Trey tripped Steve into the chairs. Steve backdropped Trey on the chairs. Fans chanted for Steve. Back in the ring, Trey had the advantage and punched Steve repeatedly. Steve was bleeding. Trey threw metal trash cans in the ring. Steve gave Trey a staple gun to the nuts. Steve put a trash can on Trey and gave him a cannonball. [c]

Steve attacked Trey with a fork, but Trey quickly regained the upper hand. Trey stomped Steve after battling for the fork. Trey poured tacks on the mat. After a battle, Steve gave Trey a Black Hole Slam in the tacks. Steve got a two count. Steve hit Trey with a trash can. Trey threw Steve into the tacks. Trey brought a table into the ring and set it up in the corner. They clotheslined each other into the tacks. Fans chanted “Impact Wrestling”. Steve pulled out “Janice” (the spiked board that Abyss would carry). Trey avoided Janice, but Steve gave Trey a Death Valley Driver through the table for a two count.

They brawled and traded the advantage. Trey gave Steve a 619 into a chair. Steve gave Trey a destroyer into the tacks, which drew gasps from the fans. Fans chanted “Impact Wrestling” again. Steve got a two count. Steve rubbed Janice across Trey’s forehead. Trey gave Steve a low blow on the apron. Trey gave Steve a neckbreaker through a barbed wire board that was set up at ringside. Fans chanted “Monster’s Ball”. Trey rolled Steve in the ring and got the pin.

WINNER: Trey Miguel in 24:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Absolutely brutal. I think both wrestlers elevated themselves after this match. This lived up to the brutal standards of past Monster’s Ball matches.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: A good go-home edition that effectively hyped key matches such as the World Title and Knockouts match, even though the participants didn’t have ring time. The Guns vs. Gresham & Bailey match was excellent. The Taya Valkyrie vs. Allysin Kay match was really entertaining. I liked that underutilized wrestlers such as Kenny King and Crazzy Steve have been put in main events the last two weeks. The main event lived up to expectations. The No Surrender lineup looks strong.

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CATCH-UP: 2/16 IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT: Chris Bey vs. Kushida, Masha Slamovich in action, more