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IMPACT Wrestling has made an outstanding start to their pay-per-view calendar with Hard To Kill. Being the first pay-per-view of the year, there was a lot of anticipation and expectations from the event. Featuring some high-profile feuds, title matches, the first-ever Knockouts Ultimate X match, the show did exceedingly well to not only match those expectations but surpass them comfortably.
Josh Alexander and JONAH had solid chemistry and worked a great match. The X-Division champion Trey Miguel was taken to his limit by Steve Maclin. Moose retained his IMPACT World Championship in the three-way match against Matt Cardona and W. Morrissey.
The 10-Man Hardcore War was as brutal as it gets. ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham tore the house down in his title defense against Chris Sabin. The Knockouts champion Mickie James and Deonna Purrazzo delivered a solid main event to close out Hard To Kill.
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So without further ado, let's go through the Five Talking Points from IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
#5. First-ever Knockouts Ultimate X match at Hard To Kill
Chelsea Green, Tasha Steelz, Lady Frost, Alisha, Rosemary, and the Digital Media Champion Jordynne Grace all made history tonight by featuring in the first-ever Knockouts Ultimate X match.
It kicked off the main show, and it was a cracking contest from start to finish. We saw Savannah Evans and Havok interfering in the match to help out Tasha and Rosemary respectively.
Every competitor got to shine. Chelsea and Alisha launched themselves off of the truss to layout their opponents. Jordynne showcased her incredible power as she delivered a powerbomb to Tasha off of the cables onto the mat. Rosemary delivered a Spear to Alisha from the cables. Lady Frost hit a Temperature Drop from the top of the Truss.
In the closing moments of the match, Tasha was able to fend off Jordynne and Chelsea to take control of the X, to secure herself a future opportunity at the Knockouts World Championship.
#4. Moose retains his title at Hard To Kill
The triple threat match at Hard To Kill was set up when Moose was pinned by Matt Cardona in a tag team match also featuring Morrissey. Frustrated by the loss, Morrissey laid out Moose following which Scott D'Amore announced the match.
Moose made it personal with Cardona by involving Chelsea Green while Morrissey had set his sights on the title from the first day of joining IMPACT Wrestling. The three produced a good match, with each of them hitting multiple finishers. There were many occasions where it felt like Moose could lose his title.
After several false finishes and a couple of ref bumps, Moose delivered the decisive Spear on Cardona to pick up the win and retain his title. It will be interesting to see who Moose faces next.
#3. Steve Maclin's undefeated streak broken at Hard To Kill
Steve Maclin has been chasing the X-Division Championship for quite some time and had featured in several multi-man matches for the title and wasn't pinned or submitted in any of them. He used that point to bid his way into finally getting a one-on-one shot at the title. He achieved this by blindsiding Trey Miguel multiple times.
In the match, Miguel showcased his incredible agility and athleticism while Maclin showcased his power and resilience. Miguel had a fiery start before Maclin gained control of the match. After a lot of back and forth action, the X-Division Champion won after hitting three Meteoras on Maclin, thus breaking his undefeated streak.
On the go-home episode of IMPACT Wrestling, Gail Kim had announced that if Maclin loses at Hard To Kill, he wouldn't be allowed to challenge for the title again as long as Miguel stays champion.
#2. ROH Invasion at Hard To Kill
Hard To Kill saw 10 men wage war with each other as the team of The Good Brothers & Violent By Design battled Heath & Rhino, Willie Mack, Rich Swann, and Eddie Edwards. The brutal encounter saw Heath pick up the win for his side after pinning Karl Anderson off of a Gore from Rhino.
Following the match, ROH stars Mike Bennett, Maria Kanellis, Matt Taven, Vincent, and PCO entered the ring and laid out Heath's team. Immediately after the assault, Scott D'Amore was interviewed by Gia Miller regarding the events that transpired but the former stated that he had no knowledge of their arrival and that he's going to make a call to Baltimore to find out.
Earlier in the night, ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham successfully defended his title against Chris Sabin in an outstanding match. ROH Women's Champion Rok-C was also present in the crowd during the main event. Whether the ROH stars continue to be a part of IMPACT programming going forward remains to be seen.
#1. Mickie James retains at Hard To Kill
Mickie James and Deonna Purrazzo headlined Hard To Kill in a Texas Death Match. They had a brutal encounter and threw everything they had at each other. It involved steel chairs, tables, guitars, thumbtacks, and whatnot.
Both women were busted open during the match. Ultimately, James picked up the win after delivering a DDT to The Virtuosa on thumbtacks. The interesting part is that James is set to compete in the WWE Women's Royal Rumble later this month, and it looks like she will walk into the match with the Knockouts Championship around her waist.
Did you enjoy Hard To Kill? Which match did you think was the best? Comment down your thoughts in the comment section below.
