‘Impact Wrestling: No Surrender 2022’ PPV Review
As if one pay per view on a Saturday wasn’t enough, here comes Impact Wrestling with No Surrender 2022 – which has a STACKED card featuring wrestlers from Impact, New Japan and Ring of Honor… it’s almost a “supershow” of sorts! This months PPV opened with not one but TWO Countdown to… matches, the first of which saw a returning Trey Miguel defeat John Skyler; followed by Havok defeating Tenille Dashwood. As I’ve said previously Impact know how to put a pay per view together, hopefully this show continues that trend.
Match #1: X-Division Championship #1 Contenders Match – Jake Something def. Ace Austin, Chris Bey & Mike Bailey
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
The winner of this match will earn a future X-Division Title opportunity against Trey Miguel! Jake suplexes Bailey over the top rope to the floor. Jake soars through the air, crashing into everyone on the outside. Bey uses Jake’s back as a launch pad as he dropkicks Bailey off the apron. Bailey is the next to fly, hitting a top rope Moonsault to the floor. Bey spikes Jake with a Poison Rana for two. Bey hits a huge Frog Splash but Austin breaks the pin. Bey connects with the Art of Finesse on Bailey. Jake catches Austin with a mid-air Into the Void to win the match and become the #1 Contender for the X-Division Title!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: JONAH def. Black Taurus
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
JONAH collides with Black Taurus in this Hoss fight! JONAH swats Taurus out of mid-air, sending him to the outside. Taurus drives JONAH into the steel ring post, then dives to the floor to take control. JONAH hits back-to-back press slams, one into the corner turnbuckles and one into the mat. Taurus begins to build momentum with a reverse Slingblade, followed by a Crucifix Bomb for two. Taurus flies with a top rope twisting senton for another near fall. JONAH hits a thunderous powerbomb, followed by a clothesline. JONAH finishes off Taurus with the Tsunami splash for three.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Jay White def. Eric Young
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
The leaders of Violent By Design and Bullet Club go one-on-one to determine who is superior once and for all! White gains control in the early going with a high back body drop. Young turns the tide by whipping White shoulder-first into the middle turnbuckle. White hits a DDT, followed by a twisting suplex for two. White talks trash in the corner, allowing Young to gain momentum with a DDT of his own. Young hits a high-impact driver to remain in control. Young bites him on the forehead, then delivers a top rope elbow drop for two. Both men take turns raking each other’s eyes but White gains the upper hand with a piledriver on the apron. Young covers White with his feet on the ropes but he’s still able to kick out. White hits the Blade Runner to score the victory!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Champ Champ Challenge for the ROH Women’s World Title – Deonna Purrazzo def. Miranda Alize
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
“The Lucha Baddie” Miranda Alize answers Deonna Purrazzo’s Champ Champ Challenge and chooses to challenge for the ROH Women’s World Title! Alize dives under the middle rope, colliding with Purrazzo on the outside. Purrazzo shuts down Alize’s momentum with a big boot. Alize plants her face-first into the mat with a modified Spike Rana. Alize hits a series of forearms in the corner, followed by a running boot for two. Alize locks in the Miranda Rights but Purrazzo fights out of it. Purrazzo avoids a Shining Wizard, then forces Alize to submit to the Fujiwara Armbar!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Digital Media Championship – Matt Cardona def Jordynne Grace (DQ)
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
After Matt Cardona won the Digital Media Title in controversial fashion, Jordynne Grace gets her rematch right here, right now! Grace rolls up Cardona for an early two count just moments into the match. Grace puts her strength on display as she lifts Cardona with ease for a vertical suplex. Cardona uses the referee as a shield, giving him an opening to gain control. Cardona hits a suplex into the corner turnbuckles. Grace comes back with a huge spinebuster for two. Cardona hits two Re-boots but it’s not enough to keep Grace down. Cardona is about to use a steel chair but Grace delivers a low blow, awarding the victory to Cardona by disqualification.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: IMPACT World Tag Team Championship – The Good Brothers def. G.O.D. (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
Two generations of the Bullet Club explode in this historic first-time-ever matchup for the IMPACT World Tag Team Titles! G.O.D. jumpstart the match as they charge at The Good Brothers to kick things off. The action spills to the outside and a wild brawl erupts. Gallows hits Tama Tonga with a powerful pump-handle slam. Tama Tonga clotheslines Anderson, allowing him to tag in Tanga Loa. G.O.D. connect with a double team neckbreaker but Gallows breaks the pin just in time. Anderson hits a precision neckbreaker on Tama Tonga for two. The Good Brothers deliver double team offense of their own. Tama Tonga soars with a top rope splash to Anderson. Chris Bey comes down to ringside as Gallows chokeslams Tanga Loa on the floor. Jay White sneaks up behind Tama Tonga and hits him with the Blade Runner. The Good Brothers capitalize with the Magic Killer to retain the IMPACT World Tag Team Titles in a shocking turn of events!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #7: Knockouts World Championship – Mickie James def. Tasha Steelz
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
Mickie James puts the Knockouts World Title on the line against the winner of the first-ever Knockouts Ultimate X match, Tasha Steelz! Mickie hits a running boot to gain control in the early going. Tasha turns the tide with a springboard dropkick that sends her to the floor. Tasha calls out Mickie’s husband through the camera but that only fires Mickie up who hits her with a neckbreaker. Tasha distracts the referee, allowing Evans to get involved and throw Mickie into the steel ring post. Tasha hits a bicycle kick for two. The momentum shifts as Mickie bites Tasha and hits a top rope Thesz Press for two. Chelsea Green evens the odds for Mickie as she takes out Evans on the apron. Mickie sends Tasha crashing into Green, then scores the pinfall to retain the Knockouts World Title!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #8: IMPACT World Championship – Moose def. W. Morrissey
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
W. Morrissey challenges Moose one-on-one for the IMPACT World Title in a clash of titans! Brian Myers, who has had his issues with Morrissey in recent weeks, joins Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt on commentary. Moose hits not one but two spears in the first few minutes of the match. Morrissey avoids the third spear and connects with a big boot. Morrissey hits a thunderous BQE powerbomb but Moose rolls to the outside. Morrissey Irish whips him into the steel guardrail. Moose sends Morrissey crashing through the timekeeper’s table with vicious Uranagi. It’s not enough to keep him down as Morrissey comes back with another BQE, this time on the apron. Morrissey counters another BQE attempt into a Hurricanrana. Moose connects with yet another spear but Morrissey gets his arm under the bottom rope. Morrissey hits another BQE and this time it’s Moose who puts his foot under the bottom rope to break the pin. A few moments later, Moose hits one final spear to retain the IMPACT World Title!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #9: Honor No More (Mike Bennett, Matt Taven, Kenny King, Vincent & PCO) def. Team IMPACT (Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Chris Sabin, Rhino & Steve Maclin)
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
Team IMPACT battles Honor No More in a high-stakes showdown where if Team IMPACT wins, Honor No More must leave IMPACT Wrestling for good! As the battle lines are drawn, Vincent takes a cheap shot at Maclin to jumpstart the match. Rhino and PCO exchange strikes in the middle of the ring with Rhino gaining the upper-hand following a clothesline. The pace quickens as Willie hits King with an explosive dropkick. Maclin hits King with a pinpoint backbreaker. Sabin joins the fray as he and Maclin join forces for tandem offense. Maria provides a distraction from the outside, allowing Taven to capitalize with Just the Tip on Sabin. Moments later, Sabin takes out both Taven and Bennett with a dropkick DDT combo. Swann picks Taven off the top with a head scissors. Honor No More catch Swann in mid-air as Vincent soars with a leg drop to the outside. Taven hits a Blue Thunder Bomb on Swann but his partner, Willie Mack, breaks the pin. Swann sidesteps a charging PCO, causing him to crash and burn on the exposed floor. Rich and Willie join forces for a top rope swinging neckbreaker on Bennett. PCO hits a chokeslam on Maclin, followed by a leg drop from the top rope. King sends Maclin into the referee. King, Sabin, Taven and Swann take to the skies with jaw-dropping aerial offense. PCO hits the De-Animator on Rich and Willie, followed by Red Rum from Vincent. PCO flies once again, hitting the PCO-Sault to the outside. Eddie Edwards hits the ring but in the ultimate betrayal, turns his back on Team IMPACT and attacks them with his kendo stick. King crawls to the pin and the referee count to three, awarding the victory to Honor No More.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
I said it in the opener and I’ll say it again, Impact REALLY know how to put a pay per view together. This show aired the same day as WWE’ PPV and, in terms of wrestling and storytelling it made the latter’s show look like a joke. All Impact need is a bigger crowd and better production (there were a few missed chances with the camera work here for example), everything else however was on point. If I had any quibbles with what went down during No Surrender it was a couple of the match finishes – in particular the Grace/Cardona match and the main event. The former seemed like a stretch too far, with Grace being DQ’d when Cardona cheated his way to the championship; and then there’s that turn… Yeah, totally unbelievable unless… maybe it’s part of a double-cross? That is the only way this works IMHO.
In terms of matches, the opening match was superb, with Jake Something getting the shock win (though I’m looking forward to seeing him take on Trey Miguel in the near future. Jay White and Eric Young may have not been high on a lot of people’s must-watch lists but the two delivered a brilliant example of a wrestling match and looked evenly matched for most of this one. G.O.D managed to get a great match out of the Good Brothers; Mickie James made Tasha Steelz look good; and Moose and Morrisey delivered a fantastic World Championship match – one that, I think, is one of their best matches so far. Making No Surrender 2022 another banger for Impact Wrestling!
