Impact’s signature pay-per-view event, Bound For Glory is a month away, but the company started down the road to the October 24 event on Tuesday night. After an intense promo by Rich Swann – who continues to be a standout on the mic – he was named as the contender for Eric Young’s World Championship at the PPV. Otherwise, the show was another solid offering, with strong in-ring action and plenty of plate-setting for BFG, with a few potholes (namely, the increasingly-nonsensical Moose/EC3 interactions, and Brian Myers).
The show started off with a tribute graphic for Barry Scott, the man behind the iconic voice of the TNA/Impact PPV opening videos. At one time, their opening videos were the best in the business, and the gravitas of Mr. Scott’s voice was the key reason. RIP.
Match 1: Kimber Lee and Deonna Purrazzo vs. Susie and Kylie Rae
Susie’s character is great – reminiscent of Drusilla from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and if you don’t know how awesome that show was, then I feel bad for you. Purrazzo was frustrated early by Rae, who happens to be the number one contender to her Knockouts title. The good girls were in control until Lee and the champ pulled some dirty tactics. They beat Susie down for an extended period, but she was finally able to break free and tag in Rae. She was on fire, and she confounded her opponents with speed, until Lee hit them with hard successive German suplexes. Lee looked to end things, but Susie channeled her inner Su Yung and hit Rae with the Panic Switch to get the pin. After the match, it looked like Su Yung’s dark passenger would re-emerge, but Rae talked her down. Solid tag team match. It’s curious that they didn’t have Rae get the win in order to reinforce her as a major threat to Purrazzo’s title, and instead went with furthering the Su Yung heel turn. But if the title match doesn’t happen for a while (Bound For Glory, maybe?) then that makes sense to slow-build the Rae-Deonna dynamic for a while.
Winner: Susie and Kylie Rae
Backstage, Rohit Raju ran into Trey Miguel, who accused the X-Division Champion of ducking contenders. The weaselly Raju gave a bunch of excuses as to why Trey wasn’t next in line for a shot, but Trey said he would beat TJP tonight to take his spot in line.
Elsewhere, John E. Bravo was on the phone doing some wedding planning when Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan interrupted him. They still were petitioning to be his Best Men at the wedding, but he refused them. Fallah Bahh came into the room, and Bravo said that Bahh was his best man, presumably just to get out of the discussion. The girls were mad, and Bahh was honoured. If this doesn’t lead to a tag team match, I’m going to be really disappointed.
Match 2: XXXL (Acey Romero & Larry D) vs. Cody Deaner and Cousin Jake
On commentary, they noted that Romero had recently lost 100 pounds – maybe he went on the Fallah Baah diet? This was a rematch from the Wrestle House finale where they had an amazingly-fun cinematic brawl. The behemoths showed some anger early on and aggressively pounded on Cody for several minutes. Cody eventually ducked a big swing and got the tag to Jake. He fought hard, and muscled up enough to pick up and slam Acey. But he didn’t see the big punch coming from Larry D, and got knocked silly and unable to kick out from the pin. Another good tag match, though I think the heel-face dynamic is reversed in this one. Changing the Deaners from goofy good guys to mean rednecks would be a refreshing change. And XXXL, just visibly, you want to cheer them.
Winners: XXXL
Match 3: Trey Miguel vs. TJP
This one started off fairly evenly, with both opponents using their technical skills to good effect. Trey was a tad more speedy, but TJP was able to slow him down with some tasty submission skills. The two exchanged advantages a few times, each hitting some big moves, until they were both down in the centre of the ring. Trey recovered first, and did some damage with a big dive through the ropes. He tried to go up top, but TJP caught him and dropped him with a Superplex before targeting Trey’s legs and back to take away his speed advantage. TJP tried for a top rope splash, but Trey moved. After a series of counters and reversals, Try ended things with a flying knee splash off the top to get the pin and become the number one contender to Raju’s title. This is one that you wish would have gone longer.
Winner: Trey Miguel.
In the dressing room, The North, Ace Austin, and Mad Man Fulton attacked and destroyed the Rascalz, until they were chased off by security and officials. The Motor City Machine Guns ran in to check on the condition of the Rascalz.
Backstage, a medic told the Guns that he couldn’t clear the Rascalz to compete tonight. The Good Brothers walked up and said that they would team up with the Guns in their match later tonight. The Guns weren’t thrilled with the development.
Rich Swann promo
Rich Swann came to the ring, still on his crutches. He asked Impact Executive Vice-President Scott D’Amore to come to the ring to have this discussion. Rich was ticked the company would give Eric Young – who effectively forced Rich to retire after his heinous attack – a title match last week. He asked for an opportunity to beat Young. D’Amore refused, saying that it would be irresponsible to do so and risk Rich being permanently injured or worse. Swann said that he didn’t care about the risks, and begged for the chance to face Young at Bound For Glory. Before Scott could respond, Eric Young stormed to the ring. D’Amore tried to stop him, but Young shoved him aside to confront Rich. But be careful what you ask for, because Swann went on the offense, swinging at Young and sending him to scurrying to the floor. D’Amore, moved by Swann’s intense competitive spirit, granted Swann the match. Excellent promo by Swann.
Backstage, Taya questioned Rosemary on her whereabouts last week when she needed her help against Steelz and Hogan. Rosemary said that she was too busy resurrecting the dead, one of whom will be performing her wedding, but that she was here tonight, and would be ringside for Taya’s match.
Match 4: Brian Myers vs. Willie Mack
Boy, I am so glad to see Brian Myers on TV again, said nobody ever. Mack, though, is fun to watch, and he didn’t disappoint, hitting a big dropkick and a dive over the top early on. But on the floor, Myers dropped the big man with a Side Russian Leg Sweep on the steel entrance ramp. Back in the ring, Myers pressed his advantage, and when Willie was down, he went to the corner and tore off the turnbuckle pad, no doubt with evil intentions in mind. But before he could do anything, Willie mounted a comeback, hitting a big Side Suplex, and following that up with a few power moves. Myers used the ropes to crotch Willie, but when he tried to end things with a running corner splash, Mack moved, and Myers corked himself on the exposed turnbuckle steel. A Stunner later, and Willie got the 1-2-3. Myers continues to perform blandly – his matches are fine, but his personality is so boring vanilla that who cares?
Winner: Willie Mack
Backstage, Rosemary asked Havok for her help to resurrect her officiant. She said that Havok could help, since she murdered the deceased. Havok refused, and the two brawled in the hallway, with Havok leaving Rosemary laying. She would have continued the assault, but Neveah pulled Havok away.
Moose confronted Scott D’Amore in the hallway and complained about EC3’s theft of his TNA World Heavyweight Championship and brainwashing his coach. D’Amore dismissed these as crazy conspiracy theories and suggested that Moose was imagining things, before walking away. But as soon as he left, a video of EC3 popped up on the wall and threatened Moose. Moose phoned the “Demo God” and asked the person what he did when someone had stolen his title, and was apparently inspired enough by the answer that he promised to buy “the bubbly” next time. These segments are getting to be tiresome and a bit past their prime. Which, I guess, is what inspired the Chris Jericho references.
Rhino sneaked Heath into the building, and said he would help him earn some money.
Tenille Dashwood was in the middle of a photo shoot, but Jordynne Grace barged in. Kaleb, the photographer, tried to throw Grace out of the room, but she wouldn’t leave before telling Dashwood that the two of them were facing one another in the ring next week.
Match 5: Kiera Hogan (w/ Tasha Steelz) vs. Taya Valkyrie
Rosemary didn’t accompany Taya, likely still feeling the effects of her confrontation with Havok. Taya started off hot, charging Hogan at the bell, then pummeling her with kicks and stomps. Kiera was able to turn the tide, but only briefly, as Taya staggered her with a huge knee-lift. Taya continued to batter her and was looking to end things, but Tasha pulled Hogan out of the ring. They exchanged words, and while Kiera distracted the ref, Steelz clocked Taya with a huge head kick. This left Taya vulnerable to a Spinning Fisherman’s Neckbreaker by Hogan who covered Taya for the upset win. Taya is in a weird spot: she’s so far above most – if not all – of the other Knockouts that she seems wasted in the division. But she’s not quite at that Tessa Blanchard level that she would look like a viable competitor against the men.
Winner: Kiera Hogan
Rhino challenged Hernandez to an arm wrestling rematch. This was all a ploy, though, and as he stalled, Heath sneaked in and stole Hernandez’ wad of cash. Even without saying a word in this segment, Heath was comedy gold. #Heath4IMPACT
Backstage, Christopher Bey confronted Rohit, and said that Rohit owed him a title match. Again, Raju ducked the issue. TJP and Trey crashed the party and all of them claimed number one contendership. To buy time, Rohit said that the three of them should have a Triple Threat match to determine who would be the number one contender. They called his bluff and all of them agreed to the match with that stipulation.
Match 6: The North, Ace Austin, and Mad Man Fulton vs. the Motor City Machine Guns and the Good Brothers
Austin and Fulton need a team name – send your ideas, and the one I like best, I’ll use in these recaps moving forward. The Good Brothers used this match to dish out some revenge on Austin who they’ve had a beef with for a few weeks. The other story here was the reluctant co-operation between the Guns and the Good Brothers, as they are only teaming out of circumstance, and not because out of any particular friendship. Eventually, Alex Shelley got isolated in the wrong corner, and he took a beating for a while. He finally was able to tag in Karl Anderson, who went wild on The North, nearly getting the pin on Ethan Page (who, as an aside, looks to be in the best shape he’s been in since joining the company).
Josh Alexander saved his partner from a Magic Killer and after that, things broke down and the action became too quick to call. In the end, The North put down Sabin, but Ace Austin tagged himself in and stole the glory by getting the pin despite doing nothing to earn it. The show ended with Austin and Fulton celebrating “their” win. This was good. All four of these teams can deliver. Early prediction – this seems to be setting up for a 4-way at BFG… an Ultimate X match with these guys could be tremendous – here’s hoping.
