4/6 IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT: PCO vs. Edwards, Gresham vs. Bailey 3

IMPACT WRESTLING TV REPORT
APRIL 6, 2023
WINDSOR, ON AT ST. CLAIR COLLEGE
AIRED ON AXS TV (RECORDED)
REPORT BY DARRIN LILLY, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

-Video package about Josh Alexander’s title reign and his injury that caused him to have to give up the title.

(1) MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. TMDK (Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito)

Shelley and Haste started the match, but all four wrestlers quickly brawled in the ring. The Guns cleared the ring and did a double tope on TMDK. Once back in the ring, TMDK took over and worked on Shelley. Sabin tagged in and cleaned house. The Guns double teamed Haste. Haste gave Sabin an overhead suplex for a two count. Shelley superkicked Haste on the outside. Sabin did a dive to the outside on TMDK. In the ring, all four wrestlers exchanged moves. Sabin gave Haste a cutter. The Guns double teamed Tito. Sabin rolled up Haste for the pin.

WINNERS: Motor City Machine Guns in 8:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Action packed start to the show. Strong win for the Guns, who should be in line for a title rematch soon).

-Chris Bey and Ace Austin were waiting for the Guns backstage. Ace taunted the Guns about getting a rematch. The Guns challegned them to an Ultimate X match at Rebellion. Ace and Bey seemed apprehensive, but agreed.

-Kenny King and Eddie Edwards were backstage and talked about having each other’s back. King told Eddie if he needed backup tonight to find whoever ran over PCO with the car. [c]

-Backstage, Scott D’Amore was alerted that Josh Alexander and his family had arrived. Tommy Dreamer asked Scott to be on his team at Rebellion again. He talked about their history. Scott said he pawned his watch to go to Dreamer’s wedding and he loves him but he is in management now and couldn’t team with Dreamer.

-Trey Miguel joined Hannifan and Rehwoldt on commentary.

(2) “SPEEDBALL” MIKE BAILEY vs. JONATHAN GRESHAM

The winner of this match will go on to face Trey at Rebellion for the X Division Title. Hannifan complimented Bailey on his match against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Multiverse United. Fans chanted for Bailey at the start. They did some mat wrestling early. Gresham dropkicked Bailey to the mat. Bailey came right back with a series of kicks. They shook hands then flew into each other doing crossbody blocks. [c]

They traded moves on the mat, then went toe to toe and traded chops. Gresham put Bailey in an armlock, but Bailey came right back. Gresham put Bailey in a figure four leglock. Bailey reversed it, but Gresham got it back on. They traded reversals and finally rolled out of the ring. Bailey and Gresham both almost accidentally struck Trey at ringside, who confronted both. Bailey caught Gresham with a moonsault. Once they were back in the ring, Trey attacked them both and gloated. He went back in the ring with his spray paint but backed out again after Gresham and Bailey got to their feet.

WINNER: No contest in 14:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Very good while it lasted. The second half of the match was excellent. When Trey was at ringside, I had a feeling that the match was going this way. Disappointing that it wasn’t the classic that fans wanted, but it served a storyline purpose.)

-Backstage, The Design sat on steps backstage. Deaner said he was surprised that Callihan made it this far. Deaner talked about Callihan losing matches for them. Callihan blew up and said he sacrificed for them. He said he did everything they asked him to do. He said they should move on to Step 7. Deaner said Step 7 was when Callihan shows that he believes there was no bigger authority than the Design. Deaner said Callihan had to figure out how. [c]

-Gresham, Bailey, Trey, Santino, and Dirty Dango had a discussion backstage. Dango said if they needed help with a three-way he had been in a lot of them. Trey walked off in disgust. Dango, Bailey, and Gresham agreed it was weird.

(3) JODY THREAT vs. TARA RISING

Jody took Tara to the mat early in an armlock. They cut to backstage, where Santino had been laid out and people were attending to him. Jody hit Tara with a running uppercut and a series of clotheslines. They traded punches. Jody clotheslined Tara. Jody threw Tara into the ropes and followed with double knees and the F-416 (like the F-5) for the pin.

WINNER: Jody Threat in 4:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Good debut for Threat. We only got a small taste, but I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do.)

-Backstage, Dango told Santino he knew this would happen. Scott D’Amore checked on Santino. Dango said he let Santino down. Dango wanted a match against the Design, who he assumed was responsible for the attack. Scott offered to team Dango with Joe Hendry. Santino said it was an opportunity to show his son that you need to stand up for yourself. He made the match for him, Dango, and Hendry to take on The Design at Rebellion. [c]

-Outside shot of St. Clair College.

-Gia Miller interviewed Tasha Steelz and welcomed her back. Tasha said she went home and decided she need to get herself back. Gisele Shaw, Savannah Evans, and Jai Vidal walked in. Shaw said Tasha was jealous because Savannah left her and upgraded. Tasha challenged them to a match next week. Shaw said for someone who always talks about flava, she should know about biting off more than she can chew. Shaw and her team walked off.

(4) TOMMY DREAMER & YUYA UEMURA & DARREN MCCARTY vs. BULLY RAY & JASON HOTCH & JOHN SKYLER

McCarty is a former Detroit Red Wings hockey player who was driven through a table by Bully Ray at Sacrifice. Dreamer and Skyler started the match. Dreamer punched Hotch. Yuya dropped elbows on Hotch. Yuya armdragged Skyler. Dreamer gave Skyler a neckbreaker. Bully’s team cheated to get the upper hand on Dreamer. Bully tagged in and mocked McCarty. Bully punched Dreamer, but Dreamer came back with a DDT. McCarty made the hot tag and punched Hotch and Skyler. McCarty threw them out of the ring. Yuya did a tope on Hotch and Skyler. McCarty challenged Bully to get in the ring, but he wouldn’t. McCarty gave Skyler a stunner and got the pin.

WINNERS: Tommy Dreamer & Yuya Uemura & Darren McCarty in 6:00.

After the match, Kenny King attacked Dreamer’s team. Frankie Kazarian came in to fight him. Masha Slamovich and Killer Kelly joined the fight as well. Dreamer’s team ran off Bully’s team.

(D.L.’s Take: Short, fun match with a crowd-pleasing ending.)

-Video on Josh Alexander’s record-setting title reign. [c]

-Hannifan congratulated Jordynne Grace for winning a bodybuilding contest over the weekend. Pictures were shown from the competition.

-Clip of Deonna Purrazzo winning the four-way match at Multiverse United.

-Deonna Purrazzo promo. She talked about going from being the champion to having nothing. She talked about rebounding and winning at Multiverse United. She said her future is limitless. She said the only question is if she will face Jordynne Grace or Grace AND Mickie James. She said with this blank canvas, she will create a new Virtuosa and become a three-time champion at Rebellion.

(5) PCO vs. EDDIE EDWARDS

They brawled at the start and fans chanted “PCO”. PCO chopped Eddie. PCO did a rana off the top on Eddie. [c]

They brawled on the floor. Back in the ring, Eddie gave PCO a superplex. A big “PCO” chant broke out. Eddie hit PCO with a knee. Eddie punched and kicked PCO. Eddie chopped PCO. They traded hard chops. Eddie came back with slaps. PCO grabbed Eddie by the throat and threw over the top rope. Fans were super behind PCO. PCO ran the ropes and did a dive on Eddie to the outside. PCO chokeslammed Eddie on the apron. [c]

PCO gave Eddie a DDT. PCO gave Eddie the De-Animator on the apron. Eddie pulled the referee in front of a charging PCO. PCO gave Eddie a reverse DDT. As PCO climbed to the top rope, Alisha Edwards ran to ringside. She pulled out a kendo stick and hit PCO in the head. Eddie gave PCO a buckle bomb and the Boston Knee Party and got the pin. Eddie and Alisha celebrated afterwards. PCO struggled to rise up, but he got to his feet. He chased Eddie and Alisha up the ramp. The cameras followed them backstage and into the parking lot. PCO yelled “Eddie!” PCO caught up to the car, but it was able to drive off.

WINNER: Eddie Edwards in 17:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Hard hitting match and the fans were super into PCO. Alisha joining forces with Eddie again should add a fresh element to the feud.)

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

• Gisele Shaw vs. Tasha Steelz
• Taylor Wilde vs. Jessicka
• Callihan & Angels vs. Dirty Dango & Joe Hendry
• Kenny King vs. Frankie Kazarian
• The final decision of Mickie James

Hannifan and Rehwoldt pitched to Kevin Kelly to discuss tonight’s NJPW show and ran down matches for Rebellion. [c]

-Steve Maclin and Kushida joined Scott D’Amore in the ring. Fans chanted “You tapped out” at Maclin. Scott said that sometimes title reigns end unexpectedly. He said a new champion would be crowned at Rebellion and it would either be Kushida or Maclin. Scott welcomed Josh Alexander to the ring for the last time as Impact World champion. He walked to the ring with his wife and son. Fans cheered. Scott said this was his least enjoyable time to be in a ring with Alexander. Fans chanted “Walking Weapon”. Alexander said he loves the fans. He talked about Scott signing him to a contract in this very building. He talked about working hard to pay back Impact for giving him the opportunity that he needed. He talked about his record-setting title reign. Fans chanted “Best World Champ”.

Alexander talked about his torn tricep and said he would go back to being an Impact fan, like his son. He said he would be watching when a new champion was crowned. Fans chanted “Kushida”. Alexander talked up Kushida and said he could make Maclin tap out. He told Maclin that he had earned his shot at the title. He said he would be taking the title back when he returned. Fans chanted “Thank you, Josh”. Alexander’s son held the belt and fans chanted “New champ”. Alexander handed the belt to Scott. Maclin said he was over the “soap opera bulls**t”. He said the title was his mission and asked Scott to hand him the belt. Fans chanted “You tapped out”. Maclin said that Alexander feared him and this was his way out. Maclin addressed Alexander’s son and said he would teach him a lesson. Scott got mad that Maclin was trying to provoke Alexander. He said Maclin was scared or he would have answered an open challenge. Scott called Maclin a coward son of a bitch.

Scott reminded Maclin that Kushida made him tap out. Maclin said he tapped at Sacrifice because nothing was on the line in the match. He said when he beats Kushida at Rebellion, he will be the next world champion. Maclin and Kushida went toe to toe and Kushida put him in the Hoverboard Lock. Maclin got out and rolled out of the ring. Kushida did a dive on Maclin on the floor. Kushida got back in the ring and held up the belt. He handed it back to Scott and they shook hands.

FINAL THOUGHTS: A good edition of the show that moved briskly. They set up a lot of matches for Rebellion, which has a quick turnaround. I enjoyed the debut of Jody Threat, who is a welcome addition to the Knockouts Division. A very effective show-closing angle. Fun show.