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MUST SEE MAIN EVENT HEADLINES: IMPACT WRESTLING ON AXS TV REPORT

My apologies for the lateness of the Impact Wrestling report but New York Comic Con is this week and being a great Uncle to my niece takes great precedence. 

Regardless, before we even start, I want to praise the main event between Eddie Edwards and Frankie Kazarian.  Their best of three falls Killer Impact bout was a tremendous, excellent bout, so good that I wish it had been part of the Bound for Glory PPV itself as it was one of the best Impact TV matches of the year and deserves all the attention and praise.  Kazarian's entire Impact run has been beyond inspired, as if he came back to show the world what he could do with a chip on his shoulder and it's been some of his best work ever.  Edwards has always been an MVP for the company and this feud is just the latest feather in his cap.  It felt like the end of the story, but really, they could have a lot more excellent bouts against each other, so I hope this is revisited down the line.   If you can, you should seek it out and Impact would be well served to put the entire match out on YouTube. 

The episode also featured what appears to be the final appearance of Sami Callihan as his Impact deal has expired.  It's unfortunate that the final appearance was so low key as Callihan did a lot in and for the promotion during the course of this run.  Obviously, he lost momentum after breaking his leg and had just started to really find himself again in the ring in recent months.  That said, I think he was indeed at the point where there wasn't anything left creatively for him at this point given he HAD done just about everything you can imagine, so in a best case scenario, a long break would do him well to have a fresh return.  I'd be stunned if Jon Moxley wasn't pitching him to Tony Khan already, so it may be that Callihan ends up elsewhere.  In any event, he deserves his flowers for an incredible run and a lot of hard work.

Onto the report!

Welcome to the Impact Wrestling on AXS TV report.

We kick off with a look at everything that brought us to tonight as well as ever closer to Bound for Glory.

Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt are the commentary team and as always, they are damn excellent.

Impact Tag Team Champions The Rascalz vs. Rich Swann & Sami Callihan 

This was a great tag team match and if you weren't aware of Sami Callihan exiting, as a viewer you would have believed he and Swann had every bit of a chance to win the titles.  The Rascalz have evolved into some of the best pure heels in the promotion, so it should be interesting to see how Myron Reed accentuates them when he debuts in Chicago.  Swann and Trey Miguel battled back and forth.  Wentz got involved.  Miguel tried to use the spray paint on him but Swann ducked and Wentz was blinded,  Callihan cleaned house and nailed the Cactus Jack piledriver for a CLOSE near fall.  He went for another but was lowblowed and nailed for the pin.  

Your winners and still Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champions The Rascalz!

The Rascalz will go on to face ABC at BFG.

Backstage, Kenny King and Sheldon Jean complained that Scott D'Amore was trying to prevent King from getting his rematch against Tommy Dreamer for the Digital Media Championship.  King wanted to take out Heath Miller and threatened his kids would pay for what Heath did.  Are they building to the Eddie Gilbert beating up Pez Whatley's son angle from Continental, because that was a GREAT angle!

Gia Miller interviewed The Coven's KiLynn King, who blamed Jody Threat for attacking and putting Taylor Wlde out of action by hitting her with a tire iron.  Santino Marella showed up and wanted to know how King knew about the attack because the doctor only told Santino.  King admitted she was the one who actually attacked Taylor.  Why didn't she lie and just say Taylor called her and told her?  King wouldn't have lasted long in the Law & Order interrogation room!  Wilde is out with a knee injury, as we have reported.

Winner gets final spot in Bound for Glory Call Your Shot Gauntlet, Loser Enters at #1: Champagne Singh vs. Dirty Dango vs. Eric Young vs. Jake Something vs. Jordynne Grace.

This was OK.  Singh clotheslined Grace and celebrated with Dango, but then they turned on each other, each trying to pin Grace.  They worked over her before Jake Something joined in the fight and turned the momentum.  Young nailed a pretty damn awesome flying elbow on Dango and went for the cover but John E. Bravo pulled him out of the ring.  Bravo got punched in the face.  Oleg Prudius, former WWE star Vladimir Kozlov (who gave us a hell of an interview a few years ago and has done extremely well in acting world) debuted and attacked everyone, then laid out Jake, allowing Dango to score the win.

Your winner, Dirty Dango!

More of an angle to set up Oleg coming in.  You know this means he'll have a showdown with Santino.

Crazzy Steve cut a promo, stating that he'll take out Black Taurus next week and put Decay in the past.

Mike Bailey issued an open challenge for anyone to face him as he prepares for Will Ospreay at BFG.

Tasha Steelz (with Deonna Purrazzo) vs. Courtney Rush (with Jessicka)

I enjoy Rush and Jessicka doing Bill & Ted a lot more than I probably should, but given I loved the Bill & Ted movies, perhaps not so surprising.  The first time I ever cut school was to go see Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and I have zero regrets on that decision!  Steelz and Rush went back and forth with some nice counter-wrestling, building to a double clothesline.  The referee counted them both down but they fought to their feet.  Rush gained control an locked on a Sharpshooter.  Steelz was able to fight to the ropes and broke the hold.  Steelz came back with a backcracker and nailed a cutter for the pin.

You winner, Tasha Steelz!

OK bout.  With Steelz and Deonna challenging for the Knockouts titles at the PPV, it made sense to give them a win leading in.

They showed footage from New Japan Pro Wrestling of Alex Shelley being nailed "accidentally" by Josh Alexander in their six man tag.  Shelley was then pinned by Hiroshhi Tanahashi.  This was done to build the tension between the BFG main eventers.

Bully Ray confronted Steve Maclin and questioned if Maclin really called Bullly "soft" in the locker room and then again in front of the audience.  Maclin admitted he did.  Bully said OK and walked off.  Obviously, that's a fight brewing.

KILLER IMPACT MATCH: Frankie Kazarian vs. Eddie Edwards: Best of Three Falls

As I noted before, this was absolutely excellent.

FALL ONE: PINFALL

They went right at it with some nice intensity.  Edwards was chopping the hell out of Kazarian. Kazarian scored several near falls with his elevated legdrops.  At one point, Lazarian was caught in the corner and just crumbled down after being beaten with a series of rough chops. The crowd was all over Edwards early.  Kazarian went for a springboard legdrop but missed, allowing Edwards to drill him with a Boston Knee Party and score the first fall.

Edwards 1, Kazarian 0.

FALL TWO: SUBMISSION

Edwards kept working over Kazarian for a long time before Kaz battled back and they battled back and forth with strikes and kicks.  Edwards had the momentum and slapped Kazarian, who lost it and fired back.  The story was that every time Kazarian had momentum, the chops just broke him down and killed it.  There was blood from Kazarian's chest, so Edwards really lit him up.  Kazarian went for the crossface chicken wing but Edwards drilled him again.  He nailed a back suplex and Kazrian went to the floor.   When he returned, Edwards went for another but Kazarian landed on his feet and went on the attack.  Edwards fought out of a leg submission. He nailed the backpack stunner but Kazarian absorbed the move and snatched him in the crossface chicken wing, finally forcing Edwards to tap.

Edwards 1, Kazarian 1

FALL THREE: LAST MAN STANDING

They escalated the violence here with weapons.  Kazarian nailed rana to the floor.  Edwards was hit with plunder and busted open with a trash can.  They battled on the floor.  Kazarian sped at Edwards for a move but was caught with an overhead belly to belly suplex that sent him crashing into the ringside timekeeper.  Edwards hit several other suplexes and had control.  Kazarian was dumped back in the ring but caught Edwards with a slingshot Ace Crusher.  Kazarian set up a table but was cut off by Edwards and sent into the steel steps on the floor.  Edwards tried to set up a Tiger Driver on the steps but Kazarian blocked and turned it into a Tomakaze on the stairs.  How was THAT not the finish?  Alisha Edwards hit the ringside area and attacked Kazarian with a Singapore Cane.  She went for a swinging DDT but was caught and Kazarian speared her through the table, which looked great.  Kazarian cut of Eddie and put him through the table off the apron with Fade to Black.  It looked EVIL.  The referee counted both men down but Kazarian returned to his feet just before the count while Edwards was down and out.

Your winner, Frankie Kazarian!

 

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