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BEST OF 2023 PART TWO: IMPACT WRESTLING ON AXS TV REPORT

Welcome to Impact Wrestling on AXS TV!

This will be part two of the Best of 2023.

Matt Rehwoldt and Tom Hannifan welcomed us and plugged the TNA Hard to Kill PPV.

SLAMMIVERSARY 2023: Impact Wrestling Champion Alex Shelley vs. Nick Aldis.

Aldis went right in Shelley's face but Alex spit water in his face and went right after him, raining down with fists.  Aldis cut him off and went right for the Texas Cloverleaf.  Shelley tried to fight to the ropes but was caught in the center.  He finally made it to the ropes to force the beak.  Aldis immediately stomped him.  He continued working over Shelley and nailed a big suplex for another two count.

Shelley finally came back with attacks on Aldis' knee, hitting a series of Dragonscrew.   Shelley began stomping and beating on the knee.  Aldis sent him into the ring post.  He kept working on Shelley, slamming him on the apron.  They battled on the apron.  Shelley leaped over the ropes and stomped Aldis' arm.  Shelley came back and sent him into the ring post on the floor.  He pulled Aldis' fingers through the metal part of the buckles and snapped them, with the idea being that he may have broken some of the fingers.   Shelley used a Dragon Screw in the ropes.  Aldis came back and drilled Shelley with a big clotheslines.  Aldis went to the top but Shelley caught him and went for and nailed a superplex.  Shelley went down, his back hurting, after trying to get up.

They battled to their feet with Shelley taking the fight to Aldis, working him over.  Aldis blocked a superkick and went back to the Cloverleaf but couldn't turn it over.  He went for a figure four but was rolled up for a two count.  Shelley nailed Sliced Bread #2 and transitioned into the Border City Stretch.  Aldis turned it over into a Cloverleaf variation but Shelley went after the finger to break it.  Aldis caught Shelley going for Sliced Bread #2 and drove him into a tombstone piledriver for a two count.  Aldis nailed a flying elbow for another two count.

Aldis grabbed the Impact title belt but before he could utilize it, Shelley nailed him and grabbed the belt.  The referee took it from Shelley but that allowed Aldis to nail a lowblow and score a two count.  Aldis grabbed the belt again but Shelley DDTs him on the title.  Shelley nailed a superkick,  Aldis is bleeding.,  Shelley nailed Shellshock and scored the pinfall.

Your winner and still Champion, Alex Shelley!

A hard fought main event with lots of logical storytelling and two talents who worked to beat down the other.

Alex Shelley was named the Male Wrestler of the Year.

SLAMMIVERSARY 2023: Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champions ABC vs. Moose and Brian Myers vs. Sami Callihan and Rich Swann vs. Subculture.

Mark Andrews and Chris Bey kicked off the match.  Subculture caught Ace Austin with some nice double-team manuevers.  Callihan got involved.  Swann hit a dive onto Myers on the floor.  Bey went for one on Moose but was caught and powerbombed onto the apron.  Austin nailed several kicks from the apron but was speared on the apron by Myers.  Andrews hit a dive to the floor on Myers.  Callihan caught Andrews and hit a DVDR over the top onto everyone on the floor.  The crowd was enjoying the early sequences.

Swann and Austin had some really nice back and forth exchanges.  Myers and Moose nailed double powerbomb.  Subculture took control over Moose and Myers.  Myers was knocked to the floor.  Callihan double-clotheslined Subculture.  Bey and Swann battled.  Moose kicked them both and went for a moonsault but they caught him in mid-air with stunners.  The crowd chanted "Holy sh**!"

The Champs nailed Sami with double superkicks and went for the 1-2-Sweet but they weren't the legal team.  The Rascals ran out and attacked Austin on the floor.  Bey nailed a dive onto them.  Subculture took out Myers.  Andrews nailed a shooting star press and pinned Myers!

Your winners and new Impact Wrestling Tag Team Champions, Subculture!

Another good, frenzied bout.

BOUND FOR GLORY 2023: ​​​​​​​X-Division Champion Chris Sabin vs. KENTA

Good action early on.  KENTA had a bloodied lip within a few minutes.  Sabin was in control but was cut off on the floor and shoved hard backward into the apron.  Back in the ring, KENTA locked him in a side headlock and nailed a series of kicks.  Sabin was taken down and caught in another side headlock.  Sabin fought back with several forearms and nailed a leg lariat.  Sabin missed a charging elbow in the corner  but caught KENTA with a forearm and a top rope missile dropkick.  

Sabin nailed a running boot in the corner and followed up with a tornado DDT for a two count.   KENTA came back with a tornado DDT, snapping Sabin across the top.  He came off the top again but Sabin kicked out at two.  KENTA nailed a big running dropkick in the corner.  He went to the top for a stomp but Sabin rolled out of the way and nailed a step up enziguiri.  Sabin went for Cradleshock but KENTA used the referee to escape.  He took down Sabin and tried to use the ropes to score the pin but the referee caught it.  KENTA nailed a series of strikes and a DDT.  He nailed a big double stomp for a close two count.

KENTA goes for the GTS but Sabin escaped.  KENTA drilled him with hard strikes and slaps.  Sabin stunned him with a kick and went for Cradleshock.  They ended up in the corner with Sabin cleaning house with a big clothesline.  He nailed Cradleshock and scored the pin.

Your winner and still X-Division Champion Chris Sabin!

BOUND FOR GLORY 2023: Impact Wrestling Champion Josh Alex Shelley vs. Josh Alexander.

Lots of back and forth wrestling as the two were feeling each other out and trying not to make a mistake.  Shelley gained control and manipulated his fingers and joints.  Alexander fired back and controlled Shelley on the mat but was backdropped over the top to the apron, where Shelley snapped him across the top rope.  Alexander went to the floor, where Shelley stomped his hand.

Alexander knocked Shelley to the floor and went for the C4 spike on the floor.  Shelley backdropped him to escape the move.  Shelley broke the referee's count, then returned to the floor and drilled the challenger into the ring post.  He worked over Alexander on the floor.   Alexander battles back and attacked the left knee, smashing it into the apron and using the old Bret Hart ring post leglock.    Back in the ring, Shelley used an enziguiri aimed at the arm to stop Alexander's attacks and locked him in the Border City Stretch.  Alexander escaped but Shelley remained in control, locking on a straitjacket submission, continuing to work over his arm.

Alexander finally caught Shelley with overhead belly to belly suplex.   Shelley caught him and drilled Alexander's face into the buckles.  He set up for a snap German suplex and nailed it.  He went for Sliced Bread #2 but Alexander rolled through and nailed a German suplex with a bridge for a two count.  They battled to the floor.  Alexander went for a dive but was caught and drive into the barricade.  Shelley nailed Sliced Bread #2 on the floor.  Back in the ring, Shelley nailed a frog splash for a two count and then locked in a Border City Stretch.  Alexander fought out and cinched in an anklelock.

Alexander then attacked the hurt left knee and cinched in a kneebar.  Shelley began kicking away and kicked Alexander so hard, his head gear came off.  They fired back and forth with big strikes, elbows and kicks.  Alexander dropped Shelley with a right hand and went for a C4 spike but Shelley fought his way out.  He caught the challenger with Shellshock in the center of the ring.    He followed up with a superkick, knocking Josh's mouthguard out.  He nailed another Shellshock and scored the pin.

Your winner and still Impact Wrestling Champion, Alex Shelley!

Alexander showed him respect and wrapped the title belt around Shelley's waist.

The Moment of the Year was the return of the year.

BOUND FOR GLORY 2023: Impact Wrestling Knockouts Champion Trinity vs. Mickie James

This is their first-ever singles match.

Lots of really good action here with the two of them working a strong babyface vs. babyface match after big entrances and new ring gear for each.

James caught her with a tornado DDT but Trinity got her shoulder up.  Trinity went for the X-Factor but James avoided it and Trinity hurt her knee.  Trinity still fired back with some kicks.  She went outside for a move but James nailed her and used the ropes to drive her into the ring with a piledriver.  Trinity avoided the Mick-DT.  Trinity caught her with Starstruck in the center of the ring.  Mickie tried to fight out but was trapped and finally tapped.

Your winner and still Knockouts Champion Trinity!

This was really good.

Speedball Mike Bailey was named X-Division star of the year for the second year in a row.

The next bout has been named the 2023 Match of the Year.

BOUND FOR GLORY: ​​​​​​​Will Ospreay vs. Mike Bailey

The crowd chanted "Holy sh**" at the bell as they stared each other down.

They locked up and broke the clench when Bailey ended up in the ropes.  It was clean until Ospreay drilled him with a strike.  Bailey fired back with a series of kicks and they were off to the races.  They went back and forth trying to evade each other until ospreay was sent to the floor and hit with a moonsault to the floor.  Back in the ring, Bailey was in control until being elevated and shot into the top rope.  Bailey went to the floor, where Ospreay nailed a dive to the outside.

Inside the ring, Ospreay worked him over with hard chops.  He nailed a hard backbreaker for a near fall.  Ospreay began enforcing his will.  Bailey fired back with kicks and they battled with chops and kicks.  They continued the battle until Bailey nailed a handspring elbow off the ropes.  Ospreay went to the apron and nailed a springboard forearm strike for a two count.  Ospreay cut him off with the Ozcutter on the apron outside the ring.  Bailey was almost counted out but returned to the ring.  Ospreay nailed him with a springboard legdrop and another Ozcutter for a close two count.

Ospreay went for the Hidden Blade but Bailey collapsed from the beating.   Ospreay nailed him with a big forearm after Bailey tried to pull himself up.  Bailey started to pull himself up again an absorbed several forearms and Kawada kicks.  Bailey fired back with some of his own.  They attacked each other with kicks but Ospreay took him down and nailed the Hidden Blade but each were too beaten down to capitalize.  Tremendous stuff.

Ospreay went to the top but Bailey took him down and nailed Ultima Weapon off the top for a close two count.  Bailey set up for the spinning kicks but Ospreay DESTROYED him with an elbow strike.  Bailey kicked out and used his knees to stop an Ospreay dive.  He set up Meteor Rain, a Fisherman's superplex off the top for a two count.  Bailey nailed the tornado kicks and set up for the Flamingo Driver but Ospreay reversed it and hit a Styles Clash for a CLOSE two count.   If you like pro wrestling as a hard-hitting chess match, this is your jam.

Ospreay nailed Storm Driver but Bailey got the shoulder up.  Ospreay set up for a Hidden Blade and smashed Bailey it then nailed Strom Breaker for the pin.

Your winner, Will Ospreay!

Another great chapter in the tremendous matches each of these men have had this year

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