The longest reigning Knockouts Champion in Impact Wrestling history has definitely not had an easy reign. Defeating the likes of Tessa Blanchard, Jordynne Grace, Madison Rayne, Su Yung and more, Wera Loca may go down as the greatest Knockouts Champion of all time.
Tonight, she faced one of the best performers in the wrestling world, Tenille Dashwood, who has been nothing short of impressive since debuting with the company earlier this summer.
Knockouts Championship Match: Tenille Dashwood vs Taya Valkyrie (c) w/John E. Bravo
Valkyrie attacked Dashwood just before the bell rang, getting a big advantage early. The challenger escaped Valkyrie's grasp, and the two traded elbows and boots. A double-underhook suplex gave Dashwood a one-count. Valkyrie avoided an attack in the corner and slid around Dashwood for a German suplex, earning her a near fall.
An elbow-spinning back kick-knee combination left Dashwood stunned in the ropes. Dashwood avoided the champion's next attack, though, hanging her up in between the ropes for a neckbreaker. As Valkyrie fell to the floor, Dashwood moved up for a dive. Bravo saved Valkyrie, pulling her out of harm's way.
Dashwood climbed down to the apron where Valkyrie dropped her face first. Inside the ring, a backstabber gave her another two-count. Dashwood fought out of a seated full nelson and brought Valkyrie down with a tilt-a-whirl armbar. Valkyrie countered with a roll-up, then when Dashwood broke the hold, hit the challenger with a knee to the jaw.
Valkyrie couldn't keep Dashwood in the corner, and the two fought back into the middle of the ring. Dashwood sent the champ into the corner for the Tarantula. As she broke the hold before the five-count, she moved to the top rope for a diving crossbody. Valkyrie kicked out at two.
Dashwood lost control again, being left in the bottom of the corner, allowing Valkyrie to connect with her running double knee strike. As she was brought up top, though, Dashwood fought out of a superplex, attempting a sunset flip powerbomb. Though Valkyrie held on, she was eventually pulled away from the corner where she was driven into the mat with a sit-out powerbomb. Again, Valkyrie kicked out at two.
Valkyrie countered a cutter with a Blue Thunder Bomb. As both competitors rolled to the apron, they hoped to finish each other off with a package piledriver. Dashwood managed to prevent Valkyrie from lifting her up fully but was still spiked on her head, sending her body to the floor in a crumpled mess.
Valkyrie re-entered the ring looking for a count-out victory. Dashwood wouldn't let her win that easy, getting in and breaking out of a pinfall at two and a half. As she brought Dashwood over to the turnbuckle for a Canadian Destroyer, she was dropped head first on the top turnbuckle.
Dashwood hit two running body splashes in the corner and the Spotlight. She nearly picked up the win, but Bravo yanked Valkyrie's arm into the ropes. The referee sent Bravo out, and just as he left, sent a chain into Valkyrie's hands. Though Dashwood avoided a strike with the weapon, the second Spotlight Kick missed, and the Road to Valhalla ended Dashwood's championship dreams.
Results: Taya Valkyrie defeated Tenille Dashwood via pinfall.