IMPACT WRESTLING TV RESULTS: Swann & Callihan vs. Rascalz, Purrazzo vs. King

IMPACT WRESTLING TV RESULTS
AUGUST 17, 2023
CHICAGO, IL AT CICERO STADIUM
AIRED ON AXS TV (RECORDED)
REPORT BY DARRIN LILLY, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

-Commentators: Tom Hannifan, Matthew Rehwoldt

-Recap video of last week’s events.

(1) DEONNA PURRAZZO vs. KILYNN KING (w/Taylor Wilde)

Deonna took King to the mat early and went for an armbar, but King reached the ropes. Deonna got out of a suplex attempt and rolled up King. Deonna gave King a rana and sent her out of the ring. Deonna slid into King on the outside. Back in the ring, King got the upper hand and elbowed Deonna in the corner. Deonna came back with forearm shots. They brawled on the outside and Deonna sent King into the ring apron. The action returned to the ring and both wrestlers traded punches. Deonna gave King a kneelift and got her in an armbar, but King escaped. King DDT’d Deonna and got a two count. Deonna blocked a piledriver attempt and fought back. Deonna gave King a flatliner and put her in a Koji clutch. King came back with a face first piledriver for a two count. Fans chanted “Virtuosa”. Deonna countered King and got an armbar into the Venus De Milo. King submitted. Trinity was shown looking on in the back.

WINNER: Deonna Purrazzo in 9:00.

(D.L.’s Take: A fine opening match and made Deonna look strong going into the title match. Despite the loss, King continues her ascent.)

-Gia Miller interviewed Kenny King and Sheldon Jean. She announced that Johnny Swinger is going to challenge King for the Digital Media Title instead of the World Title. King asked how did this even happen. Gia pointed out that Swinger beat King on the pre-show. King said he wasn’t worried about Heath or Swinger. He said there would be a lot of slow singing and flower bringing and left. [c]

-Bully Ray interrupted Santino Marella, who was talking to Kevin Knight. Bully said he needed Santino’s help. He said that PCO is a madman and talked about all he had done to him. He complained about being in a no-DQ match tonight. He got tough when Moose and Brian Myers arrived. Myers said he needed a match with Alex Shelley tonight. Moose called Shelley and his team cowards. Knight came back. He talked about his mentor Kushida. Santino said he would make a tag team match for tonight. Alex Shelley stepped in and agreed to a title match against Myers next week.

(2) KILLER KELLY (w/Masha Slamovich) vs. JESSICKA (w/Courtney Rush) vs. SAVANNAH EVANS (w/Gisele Shaw & Jai Vidal)

All three wrestlers had a staredown to start and talked trash. Kelly splashed Jessicka and Evans from the top rope. Kelly kicked Jessicka and got an early two count. Evans suplexed Kelly. Jessicka elbowed Evans and splashed her for a two count. Kelly had Jessicka in a sleeper. Evans gave Jessicka a DDT. Kelly gave Evans a Death Valley Driver onto Jessicka, then Kelly pinned Jessicka. [c]

WINNER: Killer Kelly in 4:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Short but all action. This was mostly just a teaser for the upcoming tag team title match.)

-Dirty Dango promo. Dango and Alpha Bravo were outside of a building and insulted Jake Something. Dango said Jake would get a rub from working with him and have another run on the indys. He asked if Jake’s Tinder profile says “Jake Something”. They looked it up and said that it did.

(3) KEVIN KNIGHT vs. MOOSE

Moose threw Knight to the mat and chopped him. Moose gave Knight a Sky High for a two count. The announcers were impressed that Knight kicked out. Moose punched Knight and stood on his neck. Knight came back with a superkick and clothesline. Moose gave Knight a uranage and stomped him. Knight made a comeback, but Moose launched him over the top rope and to the floor. They went to a picture-in-picture, which I believe is the first time they’ve ever done that. [c]

Moose threw Knight into the corner, but held his knee. Moose sat on the top rope and Knight dropkicked him and followed with a rana. Moose booted Knight, but Knight caught him with a dropkick that sent him out of the ring. Moose caught Knight on a dive over the top rope, but Knight turned it into a rana on the ramp. Knight did another thrilling dive over the top rope onto Moose. Fans chanted for both wrestlers. Knight dropkicked Moose from the top rope. Knight rolled up Moose for a two count. Knight gave Moose a Code Red for another two count. Fans were really into the near fall and clapped. Moose powerbombed Knight and followed with the spear for the two count.

WINNER: Moose in 14:00.

(D.L.’s Take: A classic power wrestler vs. high flyer contest and it built to an excellent match. They worked really well together. I think this was Knight’s breakout Impact performance.)

-Eric Young was shown walking backstage. [c]

-Gia Miller interviewed the Rascalz. Trey Miguel said they were ready to regain the tag team titles and said Rich Swann & Sami Callihan didn’t have a chance. ABC approached and both teams argued. Santino broke it up. Chris Bey said that the Rascalz paid off the Good Hands to attack them. Santino gave ABC a match against the Good Hands for next week.

(4) ERIC YOUNG vs. KON (w/Deaner)

Fans chanted “E.Y.!” Kon used a distraction from Deaner to get the early upper hand. Kon chocked Deaner over the ropes. With the referee distracted, Deaner punched Eric. Kon threw Eric out of the ring. Deaner hit Eric. Kon put a nerve hold on Eric. Eric fought back with punches. Eric backdropped Kon. Eric gave Kon a Death Valley Driver for a two count. Kon gave Eric a spinebuster. Eric slipped out of a chokeslam attempt and went for a piledriver, but Deaner hit Eric with a chair to break it up.

WINNER: Eric Young by DQ in 5:00.

Kon chokeslammed Eric. Deaner DDT’d Eric on the chair. Deaner sat on Eric’s back.

(D.L.’s Take: Hard hitting action, but this was here to continue the feud. A rare DQ in Impact.)

-Joe Hendry and Yuya Uemura video. This was a goofy song about them teaming up. They had cheesy dance moves as well. [c]

-Part 2 of the Crazzy Steve interview with Tom Hannifan. He talked about growing up in a small town and having an abusive, alcoholic father. He said his mom was his number one supporter, but she had various illnesses. They tried to look after each other. He talked about wrestling for twelve years to finally sign with Impact Wrestling. He said that three weeks before he signed his contract, his mother took her own life (a suicide prevention hotline number appeared on the screen). He talked about having to play a clown and make fans happy despite having a difficult time in life. He said he is no clown and he’s not crazy. Hannifan said he hadn’t heard most of that story. Hannifan asked what does the future hold. Steve said “that’s exactly why we’re here” as “to be continued” flashed on the screen.

-Chris Sabin promo. He said that Lio Rush always took shortcuts. He said he couldn’t wait to face Rush and take the title back. Samuray Del Sol showed up said Sabin needed to wait his turn. Sabin said that Lio was nowhere around, so he would face Del Sol next week instead.

(5) BLACK TAURUS vs. BULLY RAY

This was a no-DQ match. Taurus tackled Bully to start and followed with clotheslines. Taurus punched Bully in the corner. Fans chanted along in Spanish. Taurus bit Bully’s head. Taurus sent Bully to the outside. Taurus dove onto Bully on the outside. Fans chanted for Taurus as he threw Bully into the post. Taurus threw chairs in the ring. [c]

Bully raked the eyes of Taurus. Taurus sent Bully into a ladder. Taurus made a comeback. Bully hit Taurus with a chair and followed with punches. Taurus gave Bully a headbutt and Samoan Drop. Taurus got a two count after a senton. Taurus missed a splash and crashed into a ladder, leading to Bully getting the pin.

WINNER: Bully Ray in 10:00.

After the match, the lights wen out and PCO appeared in the ring when they came back on. Bull chokeslammed PCO through a table but he popped right back up. Bully ran up the ramp and to the back. PCO chased after him.

(D.L.’s Take: Typical weapons match and it got very physical. PCO predictably showed up at the end, but it was fun.)

-A clip from last week of Frankie Kazarian accidentally hitting Alisha Edwards with a kendo stick. Eddie Edwards talked to Gia Miller and said that Alisha was a badass and she would be okay. Frankie approached but security stood between them. Frankie said it was an accident and that’s why he told his wife to stay at home. Eddie said they would settle it in the ring. Frankie said they should end it in Killer Kowlaski’s wrestling school.

-Hannifan and Rehwoldt appeared on camera. They ran down matches for Multiverse United 2 and said that Sanada would face Jake Something at Emergence. Matches for next week include:

*Samuray Del Sol vs. Chris Sabin

*Trinity vs. Jody Threat

*ABC vs. The Good Hands

*Deaner vs. Laredo Kid

*Alex Shelley vs. Brian Myers

-Sami Callihan and Rich Swann cut a brief promo backstage on the way to the ring. [c]

(6) RICH SWANN & SAMI CALLIHAN vs. THE RASCALZ (Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz)

This was the finals of the tournament to decide who would get the tag team title shot at Emergence against Subculture. Swann and Trey started the match. Swann and Sami tagged in and out. Sami gave Trey a Death Valley Driver on the apron. Swann dove over the top rope onto the Rascalz. Sami chopped Wentz. The Rascalz raked Swann and Sami’s eyes and followed with moonsaults to the floor. Back in the ring, Trey dropkicked Swann, then Trey did a dive on Swann on the outside. [c/pip]

Trey had the advantage on Swann. Swann made the tag to Sami. Sami took on the Rascalz by himself. The Rascalz double teamed Sami and got a two count. Sami gave Wentz a piledriver onto Trey. Swann tagged in and he took on both Rascalz. Sami and Swann double teamed Trey. Wentz dropkicked Sami off the apron. The Rascalz double teamed Swann and got a two count. All four wrestlers fought in the ring and everyone was down. They got back on their feet and fought. Swann gave Wentz a cutter for a two count. Wentz kicked Swann out of the ring and followed with a dive. Trey got Sami with the spray paint while the referee wasn’t looking. Trey pinned Sami for the win.

WINNERS: The Rascalz in 14:00.

(D.L.’s Take: Good match and the fans were really into it. Looking forward to the Rascalz vs. Subculture at Emergence.)

FINAL THOUGHTS: The emphasis was on in-ring action this week and it was really good, highlighted by Deonna Purrazzo vs. KiLynn King, Moose vs. Kevin Knight, and the main event. There wasn’t much hype for Multiverse United which is in three days, but that was to be expected with half of the competitors not in attendance. The build to Emergence continues to be good however.