‘Impact Wrestling’ Review (Nov 17th 2022)
Welcome to this week’s review of Impact Wrestling, which this week opens with a Before the Impact match that saw Yuya Uemura defeat Andrew Everett (who made his return to Impact). Let’s get into the review…
Match #1: X-Division Title Tournament 2nd Round – Black Taurus def. PJ Black
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
Who will advance to Over Drive and face Trey Miguel in the finals of the X-Division Title Tournament? Black hits a slingshot crossbody over the top rope to the outside. Black gets a running start on the ramp, then drops Taurus on the floor. Back in the ring, Taurus connects with a powerslam, followed by a series of Slingblades. Taurus attempts a pop-up but Black counters into a top rope dropkick. Black soars with a Spanish Fly for two. Both men are down following a collision in the middle of the ring. Taurus delivers a stiff headbutt, then spikes Black with Destination Hellhole to win!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) def. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis), Raj Singh & Shera, and Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley)
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
Buckle up for what will certainly be a chaotic four-team clash between the Motor City Machine Guns, Aussie Open, Bullet Club and the team of Raj Singh and Shera! Two competitors will be legal at any given time and tags can be made to anyone from any team. Shera spears Austin in the corner. Sabin takes Shera off his feet with a missile dropkick before clobbering Singh with a running clothesline. The Guns are in control as Sabin delivers a cutter to Austin, followed by an assisted Flatliner from Shelley to Bey. Shera attempts a double chokeslam but the Guns break free. Instead, Shera runs through them with a thunderous double clothesline. Aussie Open send Shelley and Sabin colliding back-first into one another. With one arm at his disposal, Davis chokeslams Bey, then tosses Austin across the ring. Aussie Open hit Bey with a double team cutter for two. Austin catches Fletcher with his signature springboard kick. Bey soars through the air with a flip over the top rope to the floor. Austin hits The Fold on Fletcher to score the victory.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: Taya Valkyrie def. Tasha Steelz
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
Before the Death Dollz defend the Knockouts World Tag Team Titles against Tasha Steelz and Savannah Evans tomorrow night at Over Drive, momentum is up for grabs in singles action! Valkyrie gains the early advantage with running double knees. Valkyrie charges into the corner but Steelz sidesteps, sending her crashing into the steel ring post. Steelz follows up with a modified Codebreaker for two. Valkyrie counters the cutter, Black Out and pump kick into a Road to Valhalla attempt. Steelz fights her off but Valkyrie traps her in a pin to score the victory.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #4: Old School Rules Match – Steve Maclin def. Tommy Dreamer
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
Steve Maclin vows to end Tommy Dreamer under Old School Rules tonight, which means there are no disqualifications, no countouts and the only way to win is by pinfall or submission! The fight quickly spills to the outside where Dreamer hits him over the head with a baking sheet. Dreamer pulls up the protective mat, exposing the floor underneath. Maclin sends him crashing into the steel ring post, then delivers an elbow drop off the apron. Dreamer elbows Maclin into a seated position, then hits a running crossbody. Dreamer crashes and burns on a top rope elbow attempt, sending him elbow-first into a steel chair. Dreamer assaults him with a kendo stick but Maclin comes back with an Olympic Slam for two. Dreamer bites him in the corner, followed by a cutter for another near fall. Dreamer invites a loyal IMPACT fan to help him put a table into the ring. Maclin spikes Dreamer with the KIA into a pile of steel chairs to win.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Rich Swann def. Laredo Kid
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
Laredo Kid and Rich Swann collide for the first time ever! The bell rings and Kid immediately goes on the attack, charging into the corner with a burst of speed. Swann sees it coming and avoids the incoming cannonball. The pace is fast and furious as Kid hits a springboard crossbody to the floor. Back in the ring, Kid hits a springboard Moonsault but when he goes back to the well, Swann gets his knees up. Swann hits a neckbreaker, followed by a running kick for two. Kid counters the 450 Splash into a German suplex. Kid soars with a Five Star Frog Splash but it’s not enough to put Swann away. Swann comes back with the Handspring Cutter but this time it’s Kid who kicks out just in time. Swann successfully hits the 450 Splash to win.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #6: Death Machine’s Double Jeopardy Match – Sami Callihan def. Eric Young
The following is courtesy of impactwrestling.com:
Eric Young and Sami Callihan settle the score in Death Machine’s Double Jeopardy where you must first make your opponent bleed before you’re able to pin or submit them! While he’s making his entrance, Callihan is jumped by Kon, Angels and Deaner of Violent By Design. Deaner delivers a series of headbutts before Deaner stomps his head into the ramp, busting him open in the process. The match begins and Callihan is already in jeopardy due to the pre-match attack from VBD. The fight spills to the outside where Callihan begins to fight back. Callihan counters a suplex into one of his own. Callihan grabs an 8×10 of the Death Dollz and uses it to give Young a papercut on the corners of his mouth. Young hits a suplex on the hardest part of the ring to regain control. Callihan bites Young and returns the favor with a Death Valley Driver on the apron. Young is now bleeding, meaning that the first person to score a pinfall or submission will now be declared the winner. Both men exchange in a tug of war, driving each other’s shoulders into the steel ring post. Callihan counters a Piledriver into a back body drop on the floor. Back in the ring, it’s an absolute blood bath as Young spikes him with a Piledriver for two. Callihan goes low, then hits the Cactus Driver 97 for a near fall of his own. Callihan assaults Young with a trash can lid, then delivers one final Cactus Driver 97 to win.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
This was show built around two fantastic matches – the four-team tag match and the super-bloody hardcore main event. In the meantime we got some decent filler, though I would’ve scored the Maclin/Dreamer match higher if it WASN’T Dreamer in the match; no-one wants to see Dreamer put himself through hardcore matches these days do they? Yes it’s his forte but he’s – sadly – getting too old for this kind of thing. As for the Valkyrie/Steelz match… Has Tasha Steelz pissed someone off in the back office? This felt her getting a receipt for something in the form of a squash match, something – I don’t think – we’ve seen her suffer through before.
