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Impact Wrestling “Against All Odds”
6/9/23 - FITE.tv - Columbus, OH
I do love these infrequent Impact PPV’s I get to cover. It’s always fun to just see what’s happening and who is on top lately. Steve Maclin beat Josh Alexander?!? Alright, let’s go! We open with the Motor City Machine Guys entering the building, looking ahead to their potential singles glory waiting for each of them tonight.
Match 1: Frankie Kazarian vs Eddie Edwards (w/ Alisha Edwards)
Edwards and Kaz basically needed this match after not winning the #1 contenders match (won by Alex Shelley). This is the FIRST TIME EVER they’ve faced each other 1on1? Wild to think. Commentary is all about their shared past at the Killer Kowalski wrestling school. This starts with some nice old school grass but they are quick to start swinging slaps at end other. Kaz with a side Russian for two. Testing neck break for another near fall. Edwards looking shook early but just whips Kax over the ropes to the floor. Alisha makes a point to rake the back while the ref is distracted….and that just leads to a blindside from Eddie. Kaz trying to come back but Eddie tosses him again and hits a spear to the outside. Big dropkick, Kaz kicks out. Eddie just disrespecting Frankie and the slaps are getting traded. Eddie to the top but Kaz shoves him off to the floor. Crowd chanting for Frankie after that one. Slingshot rana to the outside! Hangman’s leg drop to the apron. Slingshot ddt for two! Alisha distracts Kay from the slingshot leg drop but it’s not enough and Eddie eats it anyways. Kaz blocks the back stunner but eats a blue thunder bomb for two. Kaz dodges the Boston knee party. Kaz with an Alabama slam style pile driver! Alisha puts Eddie’s foot on the rope….and gets ejected for it. Eddie still in it…….huge suplexplex!! Eddie tries a tiger driver but Frankie folds him up for the pin!
Winner: Frankie Kazarian
Backstage with Nick Aldis, Heath, Jonathan Gresham & Bully Ray. They are on one side of the 8-man tag that will become a 4-way for a shot at big belt at Slamiversary. Bully admits they will have trust in the 8-man….but he’s cutting all their throats in the 4-way.
Match 2: The Good Hands (John Skylar & Jason Hatch w/ Brian Myers) vs ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey)(c) (for the Impact Tag Team Championships)
Myers right on the might to say that his boys actually LOOK like tag champs….and they immediately run down the city of Columbus. ABC really highlights how weirdly multiverses the whole Bullet Club thing has gotten. They are Bullet Club. Their tag name stands for Ace & Bey Club and Bey has “Finesse Club” on his trunks. There’s so many Clubs in Bullet Club. Anyways, the champs starts hot against the Good Hands but Ace quickly finds himself getting victimized by the challengers smooth tags and double teams. Ace trying to escape but he’s pulled back to the bad corner. Ace with a good leg scissor takedown, he stomps Skylar’s face into the mat, tag to Bey! Good Hands are just getting railed by Bey. Great stomp into a dropkick . Code red on Skylar for two. Brian Myers looking VERY worried. Ace trying to come off the ropes but he accidentally boots Bey in the back of the head. Slingshot spear and Ace almost loses the belts. Ace with a rollup, launched on the kickoff and Ace dives right into Myers! Ace trying to hold his own while Bey recovers but the numbers are working against him. Bey out of nowhere with a somersault to the floor and the crowd pops good here. Myers blind sides Ace with the tag belts. The ref misses it and Good Hands hit Ace with a Magic Killer?!? Is this it? Ace kicks out! Ace fighting off the finish with kicks and knees! Bey with a ddt to Hotch! Ace launches Skylar off the ropes into a cutter by Bey and Austin finishes him off with the Fold. This was a lot of fun.
Winners: ABC
Backstage with Deonna Purazzo & Trinity, who will be fighting at Slamiversary….but tonight, they have a tag match with Gisele Shaw and Savannah Evans. They are on the same page tonight since they want their Slamiversary clash to be great.
Promo video of the intensely physical months-long rivalry between Masha Slamovich and Killer Kelly. They are settling it tonight…in a dog collar match! Ok, I’m here for this!
Match 3: Masha Slamovich vs Killer Kelly (Dog Collar Match)
Killer Kelly is getting a star’s entrance here, full red lighting as they get locked together. This isn’t a bull rope drag your opponent around match. This is chain and collar and someone gets pinned or submitted. They pull each other closer and Masha starts unloading. Kelly trying to come off the rope but Masha just yanks her back. She goes right to choking out Kelly with the chain. Kelly looking up and smiling as Masha yanks the chain. Masha working Kelly over, wrapping her hands in chain and stomping them out. This is Masha’s playground, right now. They get into a tag of war on the corner post….Kelly eats the steel! Kelly finally fighting back and taking the advantage. Huge dropkick into the corner, Masha yanked right into a sharp ddt for two. Masha gets Kelly hung up in the ropes and damn near hangs her from them! Kelly blocks a snow plow….sleep applied! Masha kicks off the buckles for two! Kelly hits a snow plow on Masha! She goes for that sleeper again…Masha gets the chain around Kelly’s head and drags her over! Masha wraps the chain around her throat, hits the snow plow and gets the win!
Winner: Masha Slamovich
Masha pulls Kelly up by the throat and kind of….blesses Kelly in her blood. Kelly smiling big as Masha walks out victorious.
Match 4: Trey Miguel vs Chris Sabin
Sabin wants that first-ever 9-time X Division championship reign. Miguel wants nothing to do with Sabin’s fire and plays keep away in the early moment….nah, Sabin flies right out at him. This is definitely an old guard vs new guard affair but Sabin is showing that he can MORE than just hang with the champ. Huge Lethal combo to Trey. Miguel gets gutted on the buckles and speared on the apron! Sabin has a target on those ribs and is just trying to take his wind away. Trey starts to pick apart Sabin’s leg….siiiiiiiiick transition to a Muta lock. Counters for days between these two. Miguel with a unique neck choke from behind the back. Sabin trying to get the Cradle Shock but Miguel has it scouted…….and hits one of his own! Sabin kicks out of his own move, thankfully! Miguel’s got a spray paint can, the ref clears it out…but he’s got a SECOND ONE. Sabin blinded but manages to kick out just in the nick of time. Sabin flapjacks Trey onto the top buckle. Those ribs are toast. Sabin pouring water in his eyes to clear the paint. Miguel goes for a lighting spiral…..Sabin hits a Styles Clash!!! Kick out! Sabin with a Clothesline from Hell! Cradle Shock! Sabin did it!!!!
Winner: Chris Sabin
Match 5: PCO, Moose, Speedball Mike Bailey & Rich Swann vs Bully Ray, Nick Aldis, Jonathan Gresham & Heath (8-4-1 Match)
Ok, so it’s a 8-man tag. Then the winning team faces each other in a 4-way and the winner gets a title shot at the Impact World Champion at Slamiversary. A lot on the line and I’m sure this match is going to be a wild affair. Bully wants nothing to do with fighting Speedball so he just tags Gresham in to take this early fight against a rival. Heath and Swann have a little bit of a dance off. Swann isn’t all fun though and he’s bringing the fight. Moose with a blindside to Heath and takes his spot into this match. Now this is a fight Bully DOES want. Speedball with the kick flurry on Heath. Bully uses the top rope to crotch Bailey. His teammates don’t like the tactics…..but they don’t HATE it. PCO in and he’s just a wrecking ball. Bully….gets right out of there. Legdrop to Gresham but it’s not enough. Moose with a huge powerbomb. Gresham kicks out again. Gresham with the chance as Moose misses a spear and cuts Swann in half. Gresham gets the pin.
Bully Ray vs Nick Aldis vs Jonathan Gresham vs Heath
Unsurprisingly, this is a 3-on-1 immediately against Bully. The team immediately breaks down as Bully is sent to the floor. Aldis showing his strength as he slams Ray…..and he works with Heath to set up Gresham to hit a WHAZZZZZZZZUP on Bully! Everyone trying roll ups. Aldis with a huge vertical suplex on Gresham. Health breaks it up. Gresham with a suicide dive…and Bully immediately posts the Octopus. Well….let’s get a chair. This is a 4-way. No DQ’s. Scott D’Amore runs in and takes the chair away! Bully is in shock as Scott says this isn’t happening. Bully dares D’Amore to take a shot. The crowd wants it! Scoot cracks it over his back…Bully is stunned. Heath with a wake up call. Gresham with a splash! Aldis tries to takes with a MIchanoku driver. BIG TOWER OF DOOM! Heath can’t get the pin. Bully s getting too much time to recover. Gresham wraps up Heath’s legs….Aldis with an elbow drop to both of them! Cloverleaf on Heath! Heath taps! Aldis is going to Slamiversary!
Winner: Nick Aldis
Match 6: Deonna Purazzo & Trinity vs Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans (w/ Jay Vidal)
The champ and her challenger with some smooth tags and good team work as they try to make short work of Evans and Shaw. The heels finally isolate Purazzo and try to grind her down. Quick escape and a tag to Trinity. Huge slingshot X factor! Jay Vidal with the distract and Shaw blindsides Trinity. Escape to Deonna, who slaps the fujiwara armor on Shaw! Escape to the rope but Shaw hits an uranage back breaker. Trinity in with the rear view. Evans with a huge boot and everyone’s flat on their face. Evans tries a popup but Deonna comes down into a Thez press. Vidal pulls Trinity off the apron and decks her. It doesn’t matter as Deonna gets a La Magistral cradle on Shaw for the win! Post-match, Deonna is getting beat down 3-on-1. Trinity makes the save! Huge lariat and a double stunner! Deonna and Trinity with a handshake and a hug to close out their night as a team!
Winners: Deonna Purazzo & Trinity
Match 7: OVE (Sami Callihan , Jake Crist & Madman Fulton) vs The Design (Deaner, Angels & Kon)
OVE is back in Ohio! Thumbs up? Thumbs down! This breaks down right into a plunderfest. We got chairs and ladders and shovels and mailboxes and trash cans and other implements of destructions. Crist surfboards a chair into a trash can on Deaner. There’s a barbed wire rolling pin?!? Angels with a roaring elbow but runs into an exploder into a chair from Sami. Get the staple gun. Kon saves Deaner from it and Sami is getting stapled up. Fulton in to do some big man s***. Angels trying to drop him with several mailbox shot. NOPE. Get the wire boards. Angels blocking the bomb into the boards. Huge chair shots to Fulton! He wraps his arm in barbed wire….roaring elbow. Crest with a dvd but Angels kicks out. Sami going for the finish but Angels with a spin kick. Angels off the top…..Crist intercepts with a cutter in midair!!! That was beautiful. Deaner makes the save but he gets suplexed into the wire. Oh we got the little black bag. You know what’s up. Kon right in to chokeslam Sami into the thumbtacks! Fulton makes the save and these big men fight up the ramp onto the stage. They chokeslam each other through a table. They dead. Deaner with a burning hammer off the apron through a barbed wire board to Jake. Jesus Christ. Sami is left with Deaner and Angels. Deaner immediately goes low. We got a table and ladder….Angels up top……Frog splash through the table….kick out! Deaner screaming at Angels to pick up Sami as he grabs the baseball bat. Sami ducks and Angels is downed! Low blow from Callihan! Several garbage can shots to the back. Cactus Driver 97!…Deaner kicks out?!? Deaner is furious…Sami has the bat and clubs him with it. Cactus Driver into the barbed wire. Goodnight to the Design.
Winners: OVE
Hiroshi Tanashi is announced as being part of the Upcoming “Multiverse United 2” PPV!
Main Event: Steve Maclin(c) vs Alex Shelley (for the Impact World Championship)
Shelley has a huge chip on his shoulder for this one. Rightly so…he’s one of the few Impacts staples who have never held that big belt, despite being there for soooooo long. That said, Maclin has been on a tear and landing huge shots on his challenger. Shelley is still frustrating him though. Maclin needs a powder and eats a flying knee instead. Dragon Screw, rollthrough to an armbar. Shelley WANTS this and is just tearing at that shoulder. Straight jacket choke tries to put the champ down. Shelly drives a knee into the spine from this position….he goes for a running knee….Maclin cuts him in half with a German. Alex to the floor….Maclin with a spear through the ropes! Elbow drop off the apron. This attack is just wrecking Shelley’s lower back. That is Maclin’s focus now. Backbreakers, knees, stretches, slams. The champ is trying to break him. Shelley keeps kicking out, Maclin looking frustrated. Shelley with a chop block and finally gets some space. Trading blows in the center! Shelley fired up! Elbow drop, crucifix pin. Kick out. He goes for the Border City Stretch but Maclin is ready for that. Shelley with another dragon screw….He pretzels Maclin and kicks his head off! Figure four! Maclin crawling in pain…..he gets the corner…..He rips off the second turnbuckle….hmmm….twisting fisherman’s neck breaker from Shelley. Maclin with a huge boot…..Psycho Knee! Brain Buster! Kick out! Flying headbutt, kick out! Shelley dodges out of a tree of woe….Maclin eating knees and dropped face first into the apron. Sliced bread on the floor! He goes for Shell Shock….Maclin hits the KIA! This should be it but Alex gets his foot on the rope! Maclin trying KIA off the buckles….Shelley escapes….Sliced Bread from the top! Kick out! Shelley wants shell shock, Maclin runs his back into that exposed buckle. Stout tombstone….Shelley kicks out again! Maclin gets him in the tree of woe….Shelley dodges and Maclin eats the buckle face first! Border city stretch…..reversal city! Face buster into the exposed buckle again! Maclin staggered! Superkick and Shell Shock connect. Steve Maclin is downed! Alex Shelly just won the Impact title for the first time!!!! Wild match, this was really good. Chris Sabin is out here to embrace his MCMG partner and hold their newly won singles belts up high!
Winner (and new champ): Alex Shelley
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