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Welcome to PWInsider.com's coverage of Impact Wrestling's Hardcore Justice 2021 on Impact+!
Hardcore Justice opened with a video feature on Eric Young. He'd rather live with Dreamer's judgments than the sickness. He told Dreamer that he lives on the blood and bones of those who came before. He made it clear he was taking out Young.
Matt Striker welcomed everyone to the show and said it was a Tommy Dreamer production.
Mystery Partner Tag Team Match: TJP & mystery partner vs. X-Division Champion Ace Austin & Madman Fulton vs. Josh Alexander & mystery partner.
TJP picked Fallah Bahh. Josh Alexander picked Petey Williams, which was a nice surprise.
Alexander and Bahh started. Josh was slammed but when they locked up again, he nailed a serious of rights. Unfortunately for him, it was Bahh's head and they had no effect. Bahh fought him off and sent Alexander to the floor. Bahh planned for a dive but Alexander returned to the ring. He cut off Bahh and took him down to the mat. Bahh kicked him off and Williams tagged in. TJP tagged in as well so they faced off and had a nice back and forth maneuvers and reversals. TJP took him down to the mat and tagged in Bahh. Fulton was able to tag himself in and worked over Bahh with a series of tackles into the corner. Fultin and Ace Austin double-teamed Fallah and scored a series of two counts. Austin grabbed a front chancery but Bahh kept forcing himself back, inch by inch, to TJP, only to have Fulton nail TJP off the apron. Bahh was knocked into Alexander's corner and Williams tagged himself in.
Williams gained control on Austin. He and Alexander double-teamed Austin. Alexander nailed a big German suplex with a bridge for a two count. Austin cut off his momentum by grabbing at Alexander's head gear. That allowed him the chance to tag in Fulton. Fulton and Austin tagged in and out, taking out Alexander. Austin cinched in a rear chinlock but Alexander battled back. Austin nailed a legdrop off the ropes for a two count. Petey Williams got involved but Ace Austin drilled him with a superkick from the apron. That allowed Alexander to gain control. They battled in the corner. Alexander was nailed. Austin nailed a very unique rana off the top but TJP tagged in and nailed a springboard high cross bodyblock. He knocked Fulton off the apron and nailed a kick off the ropes. He and Bahh double-teamed Fulton. Alexander and Williams gained control. Austin was locked in a Sharpshooter. Fulton tried to interfere but was trapped in an anklelock. TJP hit the ring and locked an abdominal stretch on Williams. Bahh steamrolled everyone and laid everyone out.
Williams avoided The Fold and went for the Canadian Destroyer. Everyone battled. TJP drilled Alexander with a kick to the face in the corner, drilling Alexander and Austin with Bootscrapes. He and Bahh teamed for a double decker splash on Austin. TJP went for the Mamba Splash on Alexander but he pulled his knees up. Williams went for the Destroyer on Bahh but couldn't get him over. Alexander locked on an ankle lock and Bahh tapped.
Your winners, Petey Williams and Josh Alexander!
It was fun to see Williams back in the ring. This was a lot of action from bell to bell but I felt like it never got into the final gear. Lots of hard working talents though.
Matt Striker and D'Lo Brown ran down the card. They have added Gallows vs. Black Taurus.
Chairly Legal: Hernandez vs. Shera.
All Chairs are legal. The announcers pointed none of the camera crew are inside the railing out of concern for their safety. This is all playing off their recent encounter in a tag bout on Imapct TV.
They went right after each other with power moves. Shera clotheslined Hernandez down and sent him into the buckles. He nailed Hernandez with a series of rights. Hernandez reversed a suplex attempt and dropped him rudely across the ropes. Hernandez tossed a chair into the ring but Shera prevented him from using it. He slammed Hernandez on the chair for a two count. Hernandez nailed him and went to the floor, where he set up a series of chairs near the entrance way. Shera followed him but was nailed across the back with a chair.
Hernandez turned his attention to setting up the chairs but Shera charged with a big boot and sent him crashing down into a chair, which fell backwards. Shera beat Hernandez with a chair and tossed one down across him. Hernandez was sent back into the ring, where Shera kicked away at him. Shera set up two chairs facing each other but Hernandez cut him off and slammed Shera through the chairs.
Hernandez worked over Shera in the corner and whipped him with authority across the ring. Hernandez drilled Shera low. Shera tried to mount a comeback but was quickly smashed to the mat and beaten with some pulverising blows. Shera came back with a running knee lift and a clothesline. Hernandez charged but was nailed with a spinebuster for a close two count. Hernandez nailed him and tossed some chairs into the ring, making a pile. They battled on the ropes and Shera superplexed Hernandez into the pile but he somehow kicked up at the last second. Hernandez drilled him in the head with the chair, then sent him into chairs that were wedged in the corners.
Out of nowhere, Rohit Raju hit the ring and nailed Hernandez with the chair. Shera covered him for the pin.
Your winner, Shera!
The idea was that Rohit was trying to ingratiate himself back with Shera after their recent falling out.
This was way better than I suspect anyone believed it would be going in. Hernandez has always been underrated but this was a good showing for Shera. I like the idea of him as Raju's muscle.
At Swinger's Palace, James Storm and Chris Sabin were gambling but weren't happy about having then night off as they should be the ones taking out Violent By Design after what they did to Chris Harris. XXXL showed up and wanted to play but Storm and Sabin blew them off. Storm offered them a match. They agreed. He said he wanted to have a drinking game match. They set up to face off when Matt Cardona walked in and said he wanted in on the action. Swinger told him they didn't accept action figures as currency. Cardona said he was just bitter he's been in the business 150 years and never had a figure. Tommy Dreamer screamed MATCH TIME but was told he's not at Wrestlehouse. Dreamer said he was the Executive in Charge of WRESTLING (ECW, get it? uh, Yay?) so they were going to have a Crate American Bash match. Chairly Legal and now this? ARGH. My head hurts. Way too much comedy here.
Gallows with Anderson vs. Black Taurus with Decay
Taurus used his speed in an attempt to throw off Gallows. Gallows went for a big boot but was caught and nailed with a dragon screw legwhip in the ropes. Gallows cut him off with a clothesline and whipped him hard into the buckles. Gallows drilled him with a headbutt and several shots. Taurus tried to fire back but Gallows drilled him with a knee to the mid-section and dumped him to the floor. Taurus returned to the ring but was laid out and beaten down with a series of forearms. Taurus came back with a series of forearms and an enziguiri but Gallows drilled him with an uppercut and choked Taurus against the ropes. Anderson nailed Taurus as the referee was distracted. Gallows nailed a big suplex and scored a two count.
Taurus was sent to the floor and was whipped into the guard rails, flipping over to the other side. Gallows followed and worked him over, then dumped him back inside the ringside area. Taurus was dumped back into the ring, where Gallows dropped a big elbow for a two count. Gallows nailed a series of elbows to the face and cinched in another deep chinlock. Gallows kept working him over and beating him down but Taurus kept kicking up at the last second. Gallows picked up and slammed him but Taurus again kicked up.
Gallows went back to the side chinlock. He sent Taurus into the corner but the luchador ran off the ropes and nailed a stunner. Gallows was nailed with a 619 and a shotgun missile dropkick for a two count. Gallows began to get frustrated as Taurus fired away with a series of kicks. Anderson got on the apron but Crazzy Steve grabbed him. That distraction allowed Gallows to kick Taurus under the chin and nailed a sit-down double chokeslam for the pin.
Your winner, Gallows!
This was solid. I think the styles differences made this feel fresh and honestly, I am surprised it wasn't announced and pushed more before the show.
They went to a video feature on Violent by Design. Eric Young said Dreamer's team has a history with violence and they are pillars of Impact. When VBD crashes those pillars down, they can't say that VBD didn't warn them it was coming. Team Dreamer are all ridden with disease and they are tasked with ending that disease. They are 100% belief in violence. They believe in it. They worship it. They believe it every day. This is hardcore justice. It doesn't matter if the show is yours Tommy Dreamer, if you are the heart and soul of the company, one of the best performers in the world or the Impact Champion - the world doesn't belong to them, it belongs to Violent by Design. As always, a tremendous, excellent promo from Eric Young.
Crate American Bash - Swinger with the Swingerellas vs. Matt Cardona
There are four boxes above the corners of the ring and you can use whatever is inside them as weapons. Oh Dear God.
Swinger wanted Cardona to shake but then charged for one of the crates. Cardona rolled him up and Swinger kicked up at two and complained he hooked the tights. Cardona didn't. Swinger kept playing games and complaining to the referee about Cardona. They finally locked up again and Swinger used a hiptoss takedown. He did a Fargo Strut as Cardona looked on incredulous. He went for a full nelson but Cardona easily broke it and tackled down Swinger. Cardona strutted. Swinger got mad and slapped him. Cardona went after him but Swinger kicked him low outside of the referee's vision. Swinger grabbed his legs and made a wish. He dropped an elbow and scored a two count.
Swinger nailed an elbow and went for one of the crates. Inside was a photo of Scott Hall. They are literally parodying a moment from a horrible, forgettable WCW gimmick match from 20 years ago. Swinger grabbed the ropes to avoid a Cardona dropkick and choked him on the mat. Swinger had control and went for the next crate but when he reached in, a mousetrap that snapped on his hand. He walked around the ring selling it, allowing Cardona to make a comeback and nail a big missile dropkick. Cardona was going for a leaping elbow but Swinger just did the Flair flop into the middle of the ring, falling forward.
Cardona went to grab Swinger who acted like he was out. Swinger was sent into the ropes and they clunked heads. The referee began counting each of them down on the mat. Cardona made his way to the crate in one corner while Swinger went to the other. Swinger found brass knuckles in his but Cardona nailed Radio Silence and scored the pin.
Your winner, Matt Cardona!
Cardona grabbed the last crate, looked excited about it and walked off. It's going to be an action figure, isn't it?
All comedy. Swinger is always great at playing the buffoon but this was just well, whatever. I wish there weren't so many comedy underpinings on the show thus far.
Coverage continues on Page 2!
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