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Impact Wrestling's Hard to Kill opened with a video package about the main event between Sami Callihan and Tessa Blanchard.
Ken Shamrock vs Madman Fulton (w/ oVe)
Ken Shamrock opened the PPV looking in fantastic shape. He took on the more physically imposing Madman Fulton. The story of the match was how Ken Shamrock tried to avoid takedowns, just like he did in his UFC career.
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Fulton was quick to land the takedown but couldn't keep him down for long. Shamrock took Fulton out of the ring and got the better of him before sending him back in, but not before getting caught in a suicide dive. He began hitting him with a series of strikes.
It didn't take long for oVe to get involved but Shamrock struck them before the referee sent them away. This was enough time for Fulton to take control. It appeared as though Fulton dislocated his shoulder soon after and the referee was a second away from stopping it. Shamrock was telling the referee to stop it but Fulton, with one arm said he's good to go.
He was even close to getting a pin but with a one-arm disadvantage, Shamrock was clever to put him in a submission, forcing a verbal tap from the 6'8 Fulton.
Ken Shamrock def. Madman Fulton by submission
Ace Austin (c) vs Trey Miguel - X-Division Championship
The match started with a good back-and-forth but it was the Champion Ace Austin who was bringing the fire. The action went outside and right in front of Trey's mother, the Champion started attacking her son.
It was clear that Austin had the power advantage and he used that to start twisting the ankle of Trey. He said "Triple X Division" before slamming Trey down, but he was unable to put him to sleep. Up until this point, it was as one-sided as it could get.
Cont. (Next Page)
(Cont.) Ace Austin (c) vs Trey Miguel - X-Division Championship
Ace Austin effectively grounded him but Trey began the comeback soon after. He missed a plash by Trey but found himself locked up in a brutal submission hold. He was quick to escape and caught Trey with an elbow but the latter caught his leg and flatlined him.
Ace Austin continued to counter him and appeared frustrated as he failed to get a pin. He hoisted him on his shoulders and put him on the top turnbuckle. Trey Miguel escaped from underneath and hit a "cheeky Nandos kick" before heading to the turnbuckle himself.
Austin wisely knocked his balance off and hit "The Fold" to secure the win.
Ace Austin def. Trey Miguel to retain the X-Division Championship
After the match, Trey Miguel's mother consoled him. Ace Austin demanded a congratulatory kiss from Trey's mother. Trey Miguel blindsided him by returning and assaulting Austin. The Rascals, referees, and others interjected, taking control of the situation in the process.
Also read: Exclusive: In conversation with Impact Wrestling's Ace Austin & Madman Fulton
Taya Valkyrie (c) vs Jordynne Grace vs ODB - Impact Knockouts Championship
ODB had a strong start to the match, putting both Jordynne Grace and Taya Valkyrie down. The Champion Taya let the other two women battle it out on the apron before knocking ODB right down.
Grace and Taya went at it and a little misdirection led to her taking the Champion down. Taya went out and Grace followed her with a calculated suicide dive. ODB was quick to take advantage and took Grace down by slamming her on the ramp.
After Taya was able to put ODB away, Grace and the Champion went at it, only for ODB to slowly re-enter the ring. Grace lifted Taya with one leg and ODB hit a bulldog from the second turnbuckle.
The match turned into a cluster with all three women in the ring and ODB began gaining momentum. Grace knocked ODB down and even got a splash on her but Taya saved it by breaking the pin.
Grace got close to winning soon after, with the Champion out in the corner. Grace hit the Grace Driver but Bravo was ringside and distracted the referee. Taya Valkyrie was quick to take advantage while Bravo held Grace's leg, allowing the Champion to get the pin on ODB to retain the title.
Taya Valkyrie def. ODB & Jordynne Grace to retain the Impact Knockout's Championship
Also read: Taya Valkyrie wants to wrestle 10-Time Women's Champion and other WWE Superstars
RVD (w/ Katie Forbes) vs Brian Cage
RVD and Katie Forbes had a rather...interesting interview before the match. When Brian Cage entered, he got jumped before the bell even started and RVD attacked him in front of his "girlfriend's girlfriend".
RVD took advantage while Cage had a steel chair in his hand and began the onslaught. He placed the steel chair on him and hit the coast-to-coast, thanks to a little assist from Katie Forbes.
He gloated a bit before trying to make the pin but the referee refused to, telling RVD that he's planning to stop the contest. Tessa Blanchard's fiancee Daga came out (they had a confrontation backstage, but RVD thought he was a fan) to stop RVD.
As Cage was assisted out of the ring, Daga was attacked from behind and he seemingly..substituted RVD? A new match had begun!
It was a bizarre set of events that happened. Brian Cage left with his mouth busted open and it all seemed very underwhelming but as it turns out - it was for a good reason.
RVD vs Daga
RVD began with the advantage because he attacked Daga from behind. He started the onslaught but Daga was quick to make the comeback, sending RVD outside. He even had a verbal confrontation with Katie Forbes, who shouted: "I hate you".
Daga sent RVD back in the ring and RVD played possum but he only had a momentary advantage over Daga. He got it back thanks to a small assist from Forbes. Van Dam took Daga down and hit a corkscrew leg drop before going up for the Five Star Frog Splash.
He managed to get the splash and defeated him.
RVD def. Daga
After the match, Katie Forbes' girlfriend came to the ring and all three of them celebrated, wearing the same gear. The two women were dancing. The overall match seemed unnecessary and it seemed a tad bit overbooked.
After the match, it was reported that Brian Cage had his final match with Impact Wrestling
Backstage, the interviewer was trying to get a word with the World Champion Sami Callihan but oVe refused to let it happen. When asked whether he was inside the room, they said he was.
Also read: Kris Statlander reveals why she signed with AEW over WWE
Michael Elgin vs Eddie Edwards - "Call Your Shot Trophy" on the line
The match started with Michael Elgin accelerating but Eddie Edwards put the breaks and took the Canadian out. Ringside, the two men started exchanging chest slaps and a forearm from Elgin seemingly knocked Edwards out cold.
Elgin removed the mat, exposing the concrete. Elgin began to decimate Edwards and sent him back in the ring. It was the Canadian who was dominating Edwards and the latter was hardly able to get any offense at the time.
However, it was a momentary reversal suplex that Edwards used to send Elgin outside the ring, taking himself out as well. Edwards hit a suicide dive and knocked Elgin to the back, slamming his back against the fence. Elgin kicked out of a pin attempt.
Edwards hit a Blue Thunder Bomb but it wasn't enough to pick up the win. Elgin caught Edwards in his tracks and began an onslaught of running clotheslines to the corner before landing an impeccably-timed elbow. He hit a German suplex and elbowed the back of his neck and was close to finishing him, but Edwards survived.
Edwards and Elgin began exchanging vicious clotheslines and the former nearly finished him with a Tiger Driver, only for Elgin to kick out at 2. Edwards kicked out of a super German Suplex from the top turnbuckle as well.
Elgin nearly submitted Edwards but he managed to place his hand below the rope. Elgin pleaded with the referee to finish the match and when Edwards got up, he hit him with a clothesline and a buckle bomb, only for Edwards to counter him into a pin. What a win that was!
Eddie Edwards def. Michael Elgin
Moose vs Rhino
The two men began with a slugfest. Moose paid an ode to "Macho Man" Randy Savage with his appearance and right off the bat, he showed his signature explosiveness. Moose missed a spar and Rhino wisely rolled out of the ring.
The action went outside and Moose sent the veteran to the ring post head first. The action and intensity reached a new level outside the ring as a table was set up, with Rhino sending Moose through. He even managed to suplex Moose onto a pile of chairs.
Back in the ring, Rhino did most of the work, though Moose did have his moments to shine as well. A table was set up in the ring at the corner and Rhino actively targeted getting Moose through it, eventually getting his reward. However, it came at a cost as he hit the Gore on the referee and Moose.
Due to that, he wasn't able to get the pin. When the next referee came out, he could only get a two. Moose would soon take advantage, hitting a spear and getting a pin over the legend.
Moose def. Rhino
The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) (c) vs Willie Mack - Impact World Tag Team Championship
Rich Swann was supposed to be Willie Mack's partner but he was on crutches and wasn't medically cleared to compete. The Doctor even refused to let him go ringside to support Mack because of Swann's impulsiveness.
The North began with some mind games, with Ethan Page and Josh Alexander constantly tagging each other in-and-out to reinforce the fact that they have a number's advantage. They double-teamed Mack at first but Willie Mack used his strength to take them both out. He hit a solid enziguri on Alexander but Page halted his suicide dive. This allowed Alexander to attack Mack from behind.
Willie Mack began an onslaught of his own on both men from corner-to-corner. He hit a Samoan drop on Alexander. Ethan Page pulled Alexander out of harm's way from a standing moonsault. Page saved the match for the third time after Mack had his momentum back.
However, the numbers game soon came to play and they decimated him together. It looked as though they finished Mack but he kicked out.
He somehow managed to put Alexander above Page and he miraculously hit a super Canadian Destroyer on him. He hit a suicide dive on Page outside and hit a 6-star frog splash on Alexander.
That surely would have been it, but Page pulled the referee's leg in the last second. He pleaded to be DQ'd but the referee refused to do so.
Once again, the numbers caught up despite Mack hitting a stunner on Page and The North finished him to retain.
The North def. Willie Mack to retain the Impact World Tag Team Championship
Sami Callihan (c) vs Tessa Blanchard - Impact World Championship
Sami Callihan showed his ruthlessness right away, booting Tessa Blanchard to the face and then hitting a piledriver as soon as the bell rang. She kicked out and she went at it, hitting a Magnum, nearly finishing him.
The crowd went wild for the challenger and she began to put the pressure on the Champion, hitting him with a series of great strikes and a suicide dive. She was in control outside but Callihan took a fan's beer and smashed her in the face with it. He slammed her against the fence and showed her the finger while Blanchard clutched her leg in pain.
After this, Callihan began to take control - taking his own sweet time and showing disrespect to Blanchard. The challenger began to fight back but the power difference was cleared and the crowd was rallying behind her constantly. He stepped over her, using all his weight on her stomach. He started ripping on the ligaments of her knee as well.
Callihan sent her out and was happy to take the count-out victory only for Blanchard to return on time. Blanchard showed her heart by standing toe-to-toe with Callihan in the ring, exchanging strikes. Callihan went dirty and put the thumb in her eyes. She retaliated by shoving her thumbs on his eye and followed it up with a Magnum.
Her confidence began to grow despite getting knocked down over and over. She kept urging him on and didn't stay down while Callihan screamed at her to stay down. He kicked her leg and she somehow managed to pick him up after a big struggle and sent him crashing. She delivered her third Magnum but was unable to get the three count.
Callihan couldn't believe her resilence. She hit a cutter and nearly got the three count. Callihan hit the sit-out powerbomb and instead of pinning her, he went right for her knee, pressing it to try and submit her.
Cont.
(Cont.) Sami Callihan (c) vs Tessa Blanchard - Impact World Championship
She was a second away from reaching the rope but Callihan took her arm and hyperextended it. She used her ring awareness to use her foot and get the rope break. Callihan looked desperate, set to use the title to DQ himself. He even spat on the referee but he took control and took the title away. He was about to use brass knuckles but she hit him with the low-blow.
She hit the fourth Magnum but he still kicked out. He hit her with a piledriver and thought it was over, only for her to kick out. He looked in disbelief and tried to finish it but Blanchard countered it into an unsuccessful pin. He spat on her and showed the finger, only for her to strike him back,
She hit two Canadian Destroyer and gave him the thumbs down, hitting a DDT, pinning him and making history. What a match!
Tessa Blanchard def. Sami Callihan to become the Impact Wrestling World Champion
She did it. Tessa Blanchard became the first-ever Impact Wrestling World Champion. The night ended with her celebrating the history. She joins the likes of Sting, Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Rob Van Dam, Jeff Hardy, etc. What a club to be in.
