Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Impact Wrestling opens with all the twists and turns of last week's episode with The North going against Tessa Blanchard and Eddie Edwards in singles matches.
We see Ken Shamrock enter the building. He will be discussing Sami Callihan's attack several weeks ago.
Josh Mathews noted the road to Rebellion is heating up, so they are still going forward with the event in some form.
We are in Atlanta, GA at the Coca-Cola Roxy. Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne are the announcers.
Willie Mack makes his way to the ring and he isn't happy. He takes the ring mic and said Reno Scum and Ace Austin are cowards. He dared to come and do to him what they did to Rich Swann last week. He said he was tired of this and challenged Austin to come out right now. No one does. He said Austin was all big and bad last week attacking a man on one leg, but now he's nowhere to be seen. He said he's holding up the show and won't leave until Austin come out. Reno Scum came out instead. Mack said they are as guilty as Austin (I would say so, they were the ones who attacked Swann physically, after all!) and said he would be happy to fight them. They hit the ring and attacked him.
They hit the ring and Mack battles them but is quickly overwhelmed. Mack works over Adam with a series of rights but Luster the Legend attacked Mack and slammed him. There is a referee in the ring, so it's officially a handicap match....
Willie Mack vs. Reno Scum - Handicap Match.
Mack is worked over as Reno Scum tagged in and out, maintaining control. Mack is slammed backwards in a turnbuckle and stomped down by Scum. Luster drilled Mack with several elbows to the back of the neck. Adam nailed a standing moonsault for a two count. Mack fired out of a side chinlock but was caught with a dropkick as he rebounded off the ropes. Adam went for a back senton splash but Mack pulled his knees up. The crowd chanted for "Chocolate Thunder."
Luster tagged in but Mack avoided a charge and nailed a series of clotheslines and back elbows. He dropped Legend into a Samoan Drop and nailed a standing moonsault for a two count. Adam grabbed his leg, allowing Luster to nail an Avalanche in the corner. Reno Scum doubleteamed Mack for a two count.
Mack surprised Luster with a stunner and nailed a frog splash off the top, scoring the pinfall.
Your winner, Willie Mack!
X-Division Champion Ace Austin hit the ring from behind and laid out Mack with a kick. He looked down at Mack, laughing at him, before walking off. Mack recovered and saw Austin standing on the ring ramp. Reno Scum attacked Mack and held him for Austin to nail a stunner after leaping into the ring, which they called The Fold.
Traditional booking here with Mack beating Ace Austin's underlings before being sneak attacked.
They ran down the lineup for tonight.
Backstage, Kylie Rae runs into Gail Kim and is extremely excited. Think Bayley's early appearances in WWE NXT. She is overjoyed to meet Gail and promises to do her proud. Kylie walks into a room and runs into Suzie. They introduce themselves to each other and go back and forth...Kylie....Suzie. It was pretty funny. Kiera Hogan walks in and mocks this by sarcastically saying it's so adorable. She mocks Kylie and says there are no friends here. Everyone here is fake. She tells Kylie that they are facing off at Rebellion and Kylie can't handle the heat. Suzie tells her she's not being nice. Hogan tells her that if she doesn't like it, she can do something about it later tonight in the ring with her. She walks off, telling Suzie she will see her in the ring. Suzie agrees.
Chris Bey vs. Daga.
They circle each other and lock up. Daga takes Bey down to the mat but Bey escapes and nailed him with a big knee to the mid-section. They go back and forth with some really nice near falls and reversals. Some really nice action here until Bey nailed a kick to the head to stun Daga. Bey went for a springboard into a cutter but Daga reversed it and nailed a head scissors takeover and a dropkick. Bey was sent to the floor, where Daga went for a dive. Bey cut him off inside the ring and nailed several big rights. Daga nailed him and went for a springboard move but was nailed and crotched himself on the top rope. Bey nailed a leaping kick that sent Daga to the floor. Bey preened to the crowd, then followed the lucha star to the floor.
Bey smashed Daga into the apron and peppered him with shots to the kidneys. Bey tossed him back into the ring and nailed several kicks to the chest. Bey nailed a big suplex for a two count. They battled back and forth with chops. Bey sent Daga into the ropes and nailed him with a stiff back elbow for a two count. Bey played to the crowd as he worked over Daga and nailed a big backdrop. Bey showed some real promise as a cocky heel.
After a commercial, Daga was fighting his way out of a standing side headlock. He smashed Bey with a series of rights but Bey tripped him in the ring and nailed a leaping elbow. Bey covered him with a two count. He clinched Daga in an abdominal stretch in the center of the ring. Daga tried to fight out of the hold and finally hiptossed him out. Bey landed on his feet and caught Daga, taking him down with a body scissors on the mat. Bey has controlled the majority of the bout and has had a nice showing thus far.
Daga tried to battle his way out of the hold, making his way to his feet. Daga drilled him backwards into the buckles but Bey held on. Bey was smashed backwards again but clinched a sleeper while mounting Daga's back. Daga finally flipped him over to escape and nailed a series of running clotheslines and snapped him with a Dragom Screw legwhip.
Daga nailed a sit-down powerbomb but only garnered a two count. Bey rolled to the floor, where Daga went for a sliding kick to the outside. Bey avoided it but Daga followed. Bey slammed him into the rampway to the ring. Bey missed a moonsault off. Daga got up onto the ramp and charged down towards the ring, diving down to Bey, which looked great. They showed several replays from different angles.
Bey was tossed into the ring and nailed with a flying bodypress for a two count. Daga went for a double underhook suplex but Bey turned it into a sunset flip style takedown for a two count. They battled back and forth until Bey stole the win holding onto the ropes.
Your winner, Chris Bey!
Man, give me some more of that. They had a good match and showed some really cool chemistry against each other. Bey continues to be built with another big win.
The Impact+ Moment of the week is from 2011's Lockdown PPV with Max Buck (Matt Jackson) vs. Brian Kendrick.
Backstage, Taya was beating John E. Bravo with a chair. He was wearing pillows taped to his arms and body and a football helmet. She kept beating him. He told her that the Knockouts title wasn't worth this. This only angered her and she slammed him into the wall and left Bravo laying.
Elsewhere, The Rascalz are talking about how they need to watch the main event to prepare for the North. They can't watch it because The Deaners invited themselves to the treehouse. it turns out that Fallah Bah, TJP and XXL were also invited. They had a laugh track under this with the idea that this was presented like an old sitcom.
Madison Rayne vs. Havok
Rayne laid across the ropes, unfazed by Havok. She told Havok that she was the locker room leader. Havok attacked her with a backbreaker and a clothesline. Havok nailed her with a Facewash in the corner but then missed an Avalanche.
Rayne nailed a series of chops and a kick to the head, then nailed an enziguiri. Rayne played to the crowd, allowing Havok to rise behind her. Rayne realized it too later and was throttled by the throat and placed atop the turnbuckle. Rayne fired back but was unable to nail a Northern Lights suplex. Havok reversed it and nailed one of her own.
Havok worked over Rayne and whipped her hard into the buckles. Havok choked her with a boot and placed Rayne on the top. Rayne nailed a series of forearms and dove off the ropes but Havok caught her and nailed a tombstone for the pin.
Your winner, Havok!
A short but good match. Rayne remain extremely underrated as a personality and plays the bitchy veteran well. She tried to bring the fight to Havok but Havok's power and might was too much.
Backstage, Impact Wrestling Champion Tessa Blanchard told Eddie Edwards last week she didn't want his help but he still came out. He said that he knows but he knows what it's been like to be on the wrong end of the numbers game. but perhaps he should have left her alone because he'd see how she did when she's in a two on one situation like she'll be at Rebellion against Eddie and Michael Elgin. He said that he's been the one who didn't want help in the past but sometimes, you have to take it. They have a chance to win the Impact Tag Team titles tonight. He is offering his hand and it's her choice as to whether she wants to take it. He walks off as Tessa considers his words.
Jimmy Jacobs interviewed Ken Shamrock. He was asked about the attack from Sami Callihan. He said that when Callihan threw the fireball, the heat went into his eyes and his retinas. He had to put drops and antibiotics into his eyes for weeks due to potential infection. It was very scary and uncomfortable, especially the first week as he didn't know if he was going to get his eyesight back. Callihan has no respect for anyone coming into the ring, performing their craft and trying to get better. He wanted to be the best in MMA and pro wrestling but he didn't want to hurt someone. Sami hits people with baseball bats and fireballs. He doesn't care if he hurts someone and prevents them from competing.
Jacobs said they are going to have a contract signing next week for their match at Rebellion and asked Shamrock if he can do what Impact officials have decreed, which is that there is to be no physicality between he and Callihan. Shamrock said that he is older and wiser than he used to be and realizes that the only way he can revenge is to fight Sami on 4/19 (that date is outdated, as it was the original PPV date). He's not known as the Godfather of Pain for nothing. Someone hacks into the lights and they flicker. Shamrock said he knows who is doing this and if Impact can't control him, Ken will. Ken storms off.
OVE, Jake and Dave Crist (with Madman Fulton) vs. Tommy Dreamer & Rhino
Madison Rayne blamed her loss to Havok on having to carry Josh Matthews the last two weeks on commentary.
Dave Crist and Dreamer started off. Dave gained the advantage early but Dreamer caught Jake with a hiptoss and controlled his arm. Rhino tagged in and continued assaulting Jake, shoulderblocking him down. Dreamer and Rhino nailed a double back eblow. Madman Fulton grabbed Dreamer as he was rebounding off the ropes so the referee threw him out of the building. Fulton wanted to attack the referee but the Crists forced him to the back.
When Dave Jake returned, Dreamer nailed him with a series of clubbering elbows and a cross bodyblock, but the referee was distracted and didn't count the pinfall. Jake nailed Dreamer with a kick as he ran the ropes. The Crists worked over Dreamer with punches and kicks in their corner. Jake pulled Dreamer out of the corner and powerbombed him down. They took turns working over Dreamer's arm as he fought desperately to try and tag Rhino. Dave Crist went to the top but Dreamer caught him and nailed a superplex into the ring. Shades of Cowboy Bob Orton.
Dreamer crawled to the ropes and made the hot tag to Rhino. He cleaned house and nailed a spear into the corner on Jake Crist. Rhino controlled the Crists, throwing suplexes and clotheslines but was unable to score a three count. Dreamer returned with a cutter on Dave but Jake nailed him with a series of strikes. Jake turned his attention to Rhino, but the former ECW and NWA Champion was already charging and cut him in half with a gore, scoring the pin.
Your winners, Tommy Dreamer and Rhino!
Madman Fulton returned and beat the hell out of Rhino, then Dreamer. They left the ECW Originals laying and stood tall in the ring.
We are back in the bar once again this week, where Rosemary is checking out the patrons to decide who's soul she wants to swallow. She comes across Johnny Swinger. He told her to not worry about these Young Bucks, these mizarks who think they run things. He said he's bringing M Jackson next week. Rosemary blew him off and he immediately tried to go hook up with someone else instead.
Kiera Hogan vs. Suzie.
Hogan had control early on, including several hip attacks and dropkicks in the corner, wiping Suzie out. Hogan pulled her to the center of the ring, scoring a two count.
Hogan locked on a cravate, trying to force a submission. Suzie fought her way out but was wiped out with a rear window. Hogan went for a fisherman's buster but Suzie escaped and fired away with rights and lefts, then hit a Thesz Press. She lost it and began beating Hogan with rights and lefts, banging her head into the mat.
Hogan was pulled away and nailed a superkick for a close two count.
Hogan pulled her to the corner but was nailed with a palm strike. Suzie crawled up the ropes backwards and pulled the dazed Hogan down with a rana. She went looking for the glove Su Yung uses for the Mandible Claw but couldn't find it. Hogan snatched her with a neckbreaker and scored the pin.
Your winner, Kiera Hogan!
Impact Tag Team Champions The North were backstage. Michael Elgin approached them and asked which of them was going to step aside tonight so Elgin could get his hands on Edwards and Tessa. They refused, saying they were defending their titles and that's how it going to work. They are going to soften up his opponents at Rebellion so he has an easier chance to win the title.
Jimmy Jacobs interviewed Tenille Dashwood. She said Taya thinks she is bigger than the Knockouts division. She has "lost the plot" since she lost the title. She announced she is facing Taya next week.
They run down the lineup for Rebellion.
Impact Tag Team Champions The North vs. Impact Wrestling Champion Tessa Blanchard & Eddie Edwards.
Early on Tessa and Eddie maintain control on Josh Alexander. He takes down Blanchard and plays to the crowd. Tessa catches him with a tiltowhirl head scissors. Tessa went for a tornado DDT off the ropes but is blocked. She attempts to clothesline him over the top twice but fails. He shoved her down, which only pissed off Tessa and she finally clotheslined him over the top to the floor with a lot of fire. She went for a dive but Ethan Page distracted her long enough for Alexander to return to the ring and attack the champ from behind.
Alexander knocked Edwards off the apron and worked over Tessa. She escaped and Edwards tagged himself in and nailed Alexander with Kobashi chops in the corner. Page tried to intercede but ate the chops as well. Edwards controlled the champions with clotheslines and suplex throws.
Alexander cut him off and sent Eddie into the ropes. Eddie faked out and tossed Alexander to the floor, then hit a great dive. Tessa tagged herself in and nailed a bodypress to the floor on the North as they went to commercial.
When they returned, Blanchard continued working over Alexander. She and Eddie began double-teaming him. The North were able to regain control and worked over Edwards for some time. He nailed a rana and made the hot tag to Tessa. She dove into the ring with a bodypress on The North, then hit a rana on Page. She nailed a dive on Alexander and a Cutter on Page for a two count. The North swarmed her but Tessa battled them off. Alexander nailed a wheelbarrow suplex but Tessa kicked up.
The Champs went for a double suplex but Edwards saved her and helped Tessa land on her feet. Everyone battled and they went into a fast series of big moves. Everyone was down. Tessa peppered Alexander with rapid-fire forearms. Edwards lariated Alexander. Tessa nailed a Code Red on Alexander for a close two count. She came off the top for The Magum but Josh caught her and rammed her into the buckles. The North nailed Tessa with the T-Bird. Edwards made the save.
They all battled. Tessa nailed a Samoan Drop on Page. Tessa nailed a tiltowhirl DDT for a close two count on Alexander. Edwards offered to make the tag but she didn't take it. That allows the North to wipe Edwards and Blanchard out and Page pinned Blanchard. The story was that when the moment came where Tessa needed help, she blew it off to prove she didn't need it and it cost them the titles.
Your winners and still Impact Tag Team Champions, The North!
Some good action here.
After the match, they argued. Blanchard said that she knows what he really wants. The announcers put over that Blanchard was being paranoid. Edwards walked out on Blanchard. Michael Elgin attacked her from behind as Eddie stood there and watched, this time choosing not to help her since she didn't want help last time. Elgin holds up the title over Blanchard's prone body.
Next week:
Ken Shamrock vs. Sami Callihan Rebellion Contract Signing.
Tenille Dashwood vs. Taya Valkyrie.
Johnny Swinger vs. M Jackson.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
