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Tonight's Impact was, as always, packed full of faced paced action. After Eli Drake saved Eddie and Alisha Edwards last week, the duo looked to take another crack at tag team wrestling as they faced off against Desi Hit Squad. We also saw KM and Fallah Bahh attempt to get revenge on Reno Scum, who recently returned to Impact Wrestling.
Johnny Impact, though he may have come into tonight injured after the tag team match last week, defended his title against the Machine Brian Cage. Could Impact overcome the terrifying power of Cage, or would tonight mark a new era in Impact Wrestling?
Also, Tessa Blanchard looked to earn another title opportunity against Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie. However, to do that, she needed to get through the powerhouse Jordynne Grace.
All that and more on tonight's Impact Wrestling!
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oVe vs Rich Swann, Willie Mac, & Tommy Dreamer
The match immediately began with a ring clearing brawl, which left Swann in the middle of the ring with Sami Callihan. Swann was too much to handle for the Draw, sending him to the outside following a beautiful crescent kick.
oVe ore apart signs on the outside before finally stepping back inside the ring. Dreamer and Callihan started the match officially with Callihan quickly taking over. Jake Crist tagged in but was taken down by the Hardcore Icon with an arm drag. Dreamer brought him over to his corner where Rich Swann and Willie Mac took turns punishing him. Mac torqued Jake's arm while Dreamer connected with a bottom rope double ax handle. He made it back to his corner, where he tagged in Dave Crist.
Dave distracted the ref while Callihan kicked a draped Dreamer across the face. Tagging back in, Callihan brought him down with a snapmare followed by a running elbow drop. Callihan looked for the piledriver but Dreamer countered, launching him into his corner and tagging in Mac. Mac knocked off Dave and Jake Crist before turning his attention to Callihan, wiping him out with a huge spinning wheel kick.
Callihan went up top for a crossbody but was caught by Mac, slamming him down and connecting with a standing moonsault. Swann tagged in and connected with the Rolling Thunder. Tommy Dreamer followed up the high flying action with a running elbow drop and a failed kip up. Swann and Mac helped him up to his feet as the crowd cheered.
The two teams worked their way to the outside, where Dreamer actually went high risk, jumping onto all five men from the apron to a chorus of "You Still Got It" chants. Back inside, a legal Rich Swann went for a dive, but Dave Crist knocked him off, sending him into Callihan's boot as we cut to commercial.
Back from the break, Callihan had Swann on the ground with a rear chin lock. Swann fought out but was knocked back on his back with a clothesline. Jake tagged in and looked to force Swann to tap, but Mac made the save. Dave tagged in and went for a pin on Swann, but the X-Division Champion kicked out at two.
Swann fought back but his momentum was again cut short, this time bya dropkick from Dave. He then locked in a modified ankle lock on Swann while Callihan taunted him from the outside. oVe swapped in and out beating the nearly defenseless Swann. Back to his feet, however, the champ fought out of the cluthces of Dave Crist and finally tagged in Dreamer.
Callihan and Jake came into a pair of clotheselines from Dreamer, who took out the Crists with jabs and a double clotheseline. Callihan spit in Dreamer's face only for Dreamer to eat it and catch Callihan with a cutter. Callihan kicked out and escaped a DDT attempt, knocking out Dreamer in the corner. Mac leveled Callihan with an elbow.
After everyone took each other down with several impressive moves, Dreamer set oVe up in the corner for a canonball from Willie Mac. The Crists were left in the middle of the ring, with Mac and Swann dropping down on them with frog splashes. Dreamer looked towards the turnbuckle as Callihan struggled to get up. After some thought, Dreamer came down with a Frog Splash of his own.
The Crists pulled Swann and Mac out while Callihan escaped a Dreamer Driver with a claw to the face followed by a claw to the groin before putting him away with a piledriver.
Results: oVe defeated Dreamer, Mac, and Swann via pinfall.
After the match, Josh Matthews and Don Callis ran down the rest of the show, including the #1 Contenders Match between Jordynne Grace and Tessa Blanchard.
Backstage, Cage asked if Impact was ready for tonight. Impact, in a neckbrace, said Cage needed to make sure that he was ready.
Another Rascalz vignette played, this time with Moose interrupting the fun. Moose attacked them for insulting him for trying to hit on Melissa Santos. He then knocked out all three of them, finally getting his revenge on the trio.
Rosemary responded to the attack on Twitter, saying that she's always happy to go "Moose Hunting."
Glenn Gilbertti vs Kikutoro
Glenn Gilbertti insulted Scarlett Bourdeaux and all of women's wrestling lastweek, stating that it hasn't been fun since they quit doing bra and panties matches.
Now, with a match against Bourdeaux set up for Against All Odds, he looked to warm up with an exhibition match tonight.
Kikutoro escaped a wrist lock and kept Gilbertti in a rotating headlock. Gilbertti shot him off into the ropes and shook off a few shoulder tackles. He went low as Kikutoro shot off the ropes again, but was stomped for his troubles. He finally connected with a clothesline before beating Kikutoro down on the outside of the ring.
Back inside, Gilbetrti shot him into the corners repeatedly, with Kikutori eventually falling from exhaustion and pain. A headlock from Gilbertti was broken up, but he took him down with a swinging neckbreaker and a side Russian leg sweep.
He looked for the "Village People's" Elbow only for Kikutoro to roll out of the way. After a dragon screw leg whip, he nearly pinned Gilbertti with a shining wizard, but the Inferno kicked out. Kikutoro went up top for a moonsault, crashing into the mat. Gilbertti dropped him with the Chart Buster for the win.
Results: Glenn Gilbertti defeated Kikutoro via pinfall.
Taya Valkyrie was interviewed backstage and was asked if she was nervous about defending her title against Tessa Blanchard or Jordynne Grace in a few weeks. Valkyrie said that's not on her mind as she's worried about her husband Johnny Impact, who may need serious neck surgery but is defending his Impact Championship against Brian Cage tonight.
Reno Scum vs Fallah Bahh
Scum took the fight to Bahh and KM before they even got to the ring, sending Bah into the steel steps. KM took Adam Thornstowe into the ring but was attacked by Luster the Legend. Luster took KM into Reno Scum's corner where the duo tore him apart.
Thornstowe tagged in a rocked KM with a vicious right to the jaw. Luster came back in with an elbow to the back of the head. KM tried to fight out of the corner but was cut off quickly. Luster shoved KM into Thornstowe's armpit for a little bit of Pitty City. KM made it to the middle of the ring where he dropped Luster with a jawbreaker and an enziguri.
Thornstowe tagged in and took KM down with a battering ram while Luster picked him up for a sky-high leg drop. KM dropped Thornstowe with an arm trapped neckbreaker and Fallah Bahh finally made it back to his corner. Bahh tagged in and took on both members of Reno Scum, splashing Luster in the corner and catching Thornstowe diving off the top into a Samoan drop.
Luster sent KM outside. KM pulled Bahh away from Luster who ran shoulder first into the ring post. Thornstowe knocked him off the apron with a superman punch, but failed to connect with one on Bahh, who dropped Thornstowe with a belly-to-belly suplex.
Results: Fallah Bahh & KM defeated Reno Scum
Backstage, the Lucha Bros told Konnan that they wouldn't be giving LAX another shot at the Impact World Tag Team Championship. Konnan told them that they'd have a lot to answer for.
Konnan met up with LAX and told them that the war between them and the Lucha Bros is officially on. As for that rematch? They'll get it.
Tessa Blanchard vs Jordynne Grace
Grace looked to overpower Blanchard early, shaking off a shoulder block and taking down Blanchard with one of her own. Avoiding a clotheseline, Grace brings her down with a snapmare and a running clothesline. A stalling jackhammer gave her a two-count.
Grace slung Blanchard into the turnbuckles. Before she could connect with a body splash, Blanchard pulled the ref in the way. Grace stopped and was met with a right hand to the jaw. Blanchard went in for an attack in the corner but was rocked by a boot from Grace. She shook it off and raked the eyes of Grace.
Grace went up only for Blanchard to lock her in the ropes for a boot to the face and a Codebreaker. Grace kicked out at two. Blanchard roared at the ref, allowing Grace to regain her composure and driving Blanchard into the mat with a powerful Double A spinebuster.
Back from commercial, Grace and Blanchard traded elbow strikes, with Blanchard getting the better of the exchange. Grace countered a running elbow off the ropes with a Michinoku Driver. Blanchard kicked out. Grace took her up top and nearly sent her tumbling down with a right hand. Blanchard escaped the Muscle Buster and spiked her with a unique DDT.
Grace, however, managed to get back to her feet after Blanchard couldn't help but jaw jack with fans, taking her out with the Grace Driver.
Results: Jordynne Grace defeated Tessa Blanchard via pinfall.
After the match, Blanchard struggled to make it to her feet but shoved the ref away when he tried to help. Blanchard had a meltdown in the ring and threatened Josh Matthews and Don Callis on the outside. Blanchard attacked the bell keeper, taking him out of his seat and bringing him inside the ring, hitting him repeatedly.
Gail Kim stopped the attack and took her out with repeated forearms followed by a running elbow drop. Blanchard rolled out to safety while Kim taunted her. Blanchard, after losing her title opportunity, was sent with her tail between her legs back up the ramp while Kim stood in the middle of the ring.
Backstage, Blanchard was inspected by the company doctor while Scott D'Amore checked on her. Blanchard demanded that something needs to be done. D'Amore said that something would be done, but Kim came in, only making the situation more intense. D'Amore blamed Kim for the situation and suspended her for a week.
Rosemary was shown trying to break the control over Allie. Rosemary said Allie was warned not to let darkness consume her, but she never listened, and that's why they're at this point. The Demon Assassin asked where Allie's soul is, but couldn't get an answer.
Sami Callihan told Rich Swann that he's going to take everything away from him. Starting next week, he takes the X-Division Championship first.
Desi Hit Squad vs Eli Drake & Eddie Edwards
Edwards started off with Raj Singh, taking the fight to him with an elbow and a handful of chops. Singh tried to overpower him but was taken out by a running forearm. Edwards brought him over to his corner where Drake tagged himself in. Singh took over and brought him to the Hit Squad's corner, tagging him Rohit Raju.
Drake took him to his corner and stomped him into the bottom turnbuckle before tagging in Edwards. Raju was tagged out by Singh who dropped Edwards face first with a flapjack followed by a running knee from Raju.
Singh drove his elbow repeatedly into a sititng Edwards' chest, then took him to a neutral turnbuckle. Edwards fought out with two boots but was brought down by a jumping flatliner. Edwards kicked out. Singh brought Edwards to Raju and tagged him in. The Hit Squad stomped him into the corner and cut off Edwards' comeback with a rake to the eyes.
Edwards fought back but running off the ropes he was caught with a kick to the back by Singh and a running knee by Raju. Raju knocked Drake off the apron, but Drake had enough, running in and cleaning house. A clothesline to Singh and a DDT to Raju angered Gama Singh, who accidentally distracted the ref. Eli Drake tossed Eddie Edwards Kenny, and Edwards struck Raju across the head, picking up the win.
Results: Eddie Edwards & Eli Drake defeated the Desi Hit Squad via pinfall.
Impact World Championship Match: Brian Cage vs Johnny Impact (c)
Johnny Impact's music hit but the match was immediately interrupted as Killer Kross came out carrying an unconcious champion over his shoulder and a cinderblock in his hand.
Results: N/A
Security came out to stop Kross, but he easily dismantled them. Placing the cinderblock next to Impact's head, he grabbed a chair and looked to end the career of the champion. Taya Valkyrie attempted to get Brian Cage to help, but he just stood at the top of the ramp and watched.
Valkyrie ran down and protected Impact, covering his body. She then hit Kross with a forearm to the jaw. Kross wasn't phased and looked to hit Valkyrie with a chair, finally forcing Cage's hand. The Machine ran down and took out Kross, saving Valkyrie.
Cage hugged Valkyrie and told her it was okay. As he turned away, Valkyrie hit him with a low blow. Impact leaped back to his feet and ripped off the neck brace, dropping Cage with the Moonlight Drive and a running knee. Impact placed the cinderblock on Cage's head and drove it down with a chair as Killer Kross and Taya Valkyrie laughed.
