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Welcome to this week's IMPACT Wrestling News Roundup. We have some blockbuster news after a blistering Slammiversary event and the following IMPACT Wrestling show. The fallout from both shows is immense and we'll take a look at some of the most significant developments.
The biggest surprise at an eventful Slammiversary was NJPW's Jay White showing up after the main event and confronting The Elite. Deonna Purrazzo and Mickie James had a war of words at Slammiversary and came face-to-face on IMPACT Wrestling.
Continuing with returns and surprises, an ex-WWE star was advertised to make his IMPACT Wrestling debut with vignettes and videos. 2-time Knockouts Tag Team Champion Kiera Hogan announced her departure from the company on her OnlyFans page. Last but not least, a popular IMPACT Wrestling star has joined the Bullet Club to aid Jay White in his feud against The Elite.
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Let's jump right into it.
#1. Jay White is on IMPACT Wrestling
Bullet Club leader Jay White stunned fans around the world when he showed up at Slammiversary and the following Thursday at IMPACT Wrestling.
Switchblade is one of the most popular stars in NJPW and him showing up is a huge deal for everyone involved. He wasted no time in making his intentions crystal clear, going straight after the Good Brothers and Kenny Omega, firing verbal shots at the Elite.
Kenny Omega was part of the Bullet Club when he was in Japan and Jay White ended up betraying him. Their backstory has a lot of interesting plots that should be addressed in the coming shows of IMPACT Wrestling as the company seems well-poised to build towards an Elite vs Bullet Club feud that will be a clash of epic proportions.
FinJuice attacked Switchblade as well, ahead of Jay White's battle against David Finlay at NJPW Resurgence, so that is a side story to look out for as well.
Jay White's arrival is the biggest news to come out of the partnership between NJPW and IMPACT Wrestling and whatever lies ahead should be full of excitement and intrigue.
#4. Deonna Purrazzo responds to Mickie James' offer on IMPACT Wrestling
Mickie James showed up at IMPACT Wrestling's Slammiversary after Deonna Purrazzo's big championship victory over AEW's Thunder Rosa. James, in-charge of NWA's all-women pay-per-view EmPowerrr, congratulated The Virtuosa before offering her a spot on the EmPowerrr card.
Deonna Purrazzo turned it down and berated Mickie James for stealing her spotlight and ate a strike from the wrestling legend. On the next IMPACT Wrestling show, Mickie James attempted to bury the hatchet and offered Deonna another chance to accept the offer.
Deonna refused once again. Gail Kim walked out to reveal that it was her who asked Mickie to extend an invitation to Deonna Purrazzo and convinced the IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion to accept the invitation to cement her legacy as one of the top women in all of professional wrestling. Reluctantly, the champion accepted.
Being an all-women's show, EmPowerrr would feel incomplete without the most dominant woman in wrestling today. Since her release from WWE, The Virtuosa has been on a tear and with a match at EmPowerrr, she gets to establish herself further as the best woman in the world.
#3. Aiden English is coming to IMPACT Wrestling
Former WWE star and a crucial part of Rusev Day, Aiden English was introduced to IMPACT Wrestling audiences through vignettes and videos on IMPACT Wrestling as well as Slammiversary.
English was released from WWE in April 2020 as part of the budget cuts and currently goes by the name Drama King Matt. The former NXT Tag Team Champion was revealed in a video wherein someone was shown scribbling "Long Live the King" before writing "Drama" right before King.
It's worth noting that Matt hasn't been shown explicitly yet, so what the future holds for him is unknown for now. He's a solid acquisition for IMPACT Wrestling as he possesses great skills both in the ring and on the mic.
Considering he hardly got to wrestle in WWE, it will be interesting to see how he fares in the ring after an extended break from wrestling.
Matt was shifted to the commentary team of 205 Live after breaking off from Rusev and Lana and did an impressive job as a broadcaster.
#2. Kiera Hogan is leaving IMPACT Wrestling
Kiera Hogan announced on her OnlyFans page that she will be leaving IMPACT Wrestling to explore other career options for herself.
"What’s up babies! I’m in Nashville for tapings and you guys will be the first to know that this is my last IMPACT tapings and I’m going to see what else is out there for me I’m so excited and scared but I know whatever I choose to do I’m gonna be the best and that’s on periodt,” Hogan said.
Hogan, just 26 years of age, was one half of the Fire 'N Flava tag team and won the IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Tag Team Championship twice, losing the title recently to Rosemary and Havok on the Slammiversary pre-show.
Both of their title wins came in 2021, the first being in January at Hard to Kill after defeating Havok and Nevaeh. The second win came at Under Siege when they beat Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering.
Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz unsuccessfully challenged Decay in a title rematch in the latest episode of IMPACT Wrestling.
Nobody knows where Hogan will end up next, but the talented performer should be an asset to whichever company she goes to.
#1. Chris Bey teases joining Bullet Club on IMPACT Wrestling
Jay White was present in the latest episode of IMPACT Wrestling. Making his presence felt backstage, Switchblade approached Chris Bey, offering him a spot in the Bullet Club.
Chris Bey had just gotten a strong win over Rohit Raju and declined the offer as he said "Chris Bey walks alone". In a cynical tone, White asked Bey where did that lead to during the Ultimate X Match at Slammiversary where Chris Bey lost by a whisker.
White asked Bey to ponder on that thought and told Bey that the offer won't last for a long time before walking away.
Later in the show, Jay White addressed his appearance at Slammiversary and called out the Elite. The Good Brothers made their way to the ring and it didn't take long for things to get physical.
The IMPACT Wrestling tag team champions overpowered Switchblade before Chris Bey entered the fray and evened the odds to send the heels running.
The save essentially made Bey's answer loud and clear as the duo are set to take on The Good Brothers in a non-title match next week.
