Impact Wrestling, 3/9/23

Join us tonight for up to the minute results from Impact Wrestling.  Tom Hannifan and Mathew Rehwoldt is on the call once again.

The show starts with a recap of last weeks title change, when Ace Austin and Chris Bey won the Impact World Tag Team Championship over the Motor City Machine Guns.  They also highlighted the build between Gisele Shaw and Mickie James, Knockouts Champ.

Bully Ray enters the arena in street clothes to start the live show.  The fans are all over him, chanting, “You Suck.”  He starts right on Tommy Dreamer and his confrontation at No Surrender.  He didn’t like when Tommy said, “Someone like me” to him.  Bully addresses the challenge by Dreamer, to a Busted Open Match at Sacrifice.  Bully says Tommy can’t wrestle because the Doctors won’t clear him after the coffee he threw in his face burned his retina.  Santino Marella walks to the stage.  He calls Bully, Bobby Ray, which the fans start chanting.  Santino says the Dreamer will be fine by Sacrifice.  Bobby Ray chants start again.  Bhupinder Gujjar walks out to the stage next.  He speaks in his native language.  Santino says you are a Son a Magon and he wants a match right now.

Match 1.  Bhupinder Gujjar VS Bully Ray

Bully hides a chain in his hand, but BG wrestles it away.  Bully hits a clothesline.  The fans start a Bobby chant again.  Bully lays in a few chops.  BG tells him to chop him more defiantly.  He keeps taking shots and asking for more with his hands behind his back.  He then blocks a punch and lays in a few blows and a dropkick.  After another drop kick and clothesline, he rallies the crowd.  Bully crotches him on the top rope.  He grabs the chain, but BG kicks him in the face and takes the chain.  Bully crotches him and the ref calls for the bell.

Winner by DQ, Bhupinder Gujjar

Bully goes to work with the chain on BG.  Tommy Dreamer comes out for the save, but Masha Slamovich runs out and crotches Dreamer.  Mickie James runs out and hits Bully with a kendo stick.  Bully grabs Mickie by the neck, but Tommy and BG recover and chase off Masha and Bully.

We get a PCO vignette next.  He is outside in the desert with a shovel.  He calls out Eddie Edwards for a fight.  He says he is alive.

Josh Alexander asks Rich Swann to be his partner in a six man tag at Sacrifice.  Steve Maclin wants to be on the team, but Josh says no way and Frankie Kazarian is named to be the partner.  The new team will face Time Machine at Sacrifice.

Step 6.  Match 2.  Sami Callihan (with the Design) VS Rhino (with Heath)

These two start off as expected, brawling.  They fight to the floor.  Back and forth they throw hands.  Rhino misses a chop and hits the post hard.  Sami hits a leg sweep on the ramp.  Back from break, the two are trading blows in the ring again.  Rhino hits a TKO for a two count.  Sami recovers and pulls Rhino’s hair from behind.  He sits out for a form of a back drop.  Rhino fights off some chops and hits a spear and a belly to belly.  Sami clotheslines the War Machine in return.  Sami goes for a Cactus Driver 97, but Rhino blocks it.  Sami starts biting the forehead.  Deaner tries to trip Sami and Kon hits him with a chair.  Rhino gores him and gets the pin.

Winner.  Rhino

Deaner walks in acting like this was just part of the initiation process for Sami.

Trey Miguel is backstage with Santino Marella and Dango.  Santino will have a special match for him at the next PPV.  Zicky Dice and Johnny Swinger come up to add a little more comedy to the segment.

We see a commercial break extra coverage Deaner telling Sami Callihan this was punishment.  He finished Step 6.

Match 3.  Jordynne Grace VS Alex Gracia

Grace is just ripped.   She seems to get leaner and more defined every week.  She woman-handles Gracia from the outset.  She throws her around and pounds on her.  After a Grace Driver it is over.

Winner Jordynne Grace

Grace is waiting for the winner of the Gisele Shaw, Mickie James match.

Joe Hendry is making everyone laugh backstage next, Moose and Brian Myers attack him backstage.  They leave him down on the ground.

The Bullet Club, Ace Austin, Chris Bey and Kenta are shown confronting Frankie Kazarian, Josh Alexander and Rich Swann.  They set up a match for next week.

Match 4.  Jonathan Gresham VS Kushida

This is a dream match.  The fans are all pumped for this one.  The pace is super fast to start off.  They perform back and forth scientific takedowns on each other with great speed.  The arm-drags would rival Ricky Steamboat’s in his prime.  Gresham is looking in exceptional shape, just like his wife, Jordynne Grace.  The two begrudgingly shake hands, but they are getting tired of each other’s moves real quick.  The match gets to the floor and Kushida locks on a kimura lock.  Gresham gets to the ropes.  Kushida is annoyed he didn’t wrestle free and they shove each other with a little more anger.  Gresham eats a suplex, but reverses it to a kimura of his own.  Kushida reverses the hold to an armbar.  Gresham gets back to the ropes.  This brings more cheers from the fans.  Kushida held that armbar a bit long and Gresham didn’t like it.  Gresham rolls up Kushida a few times for a few two counts.  Kushida then returns the favor for a roll up two count.  The technique of this match is off the chain.  Gresham locks on a arm lock.  Kushida struggles, but finally gets free off a kick to the face.  The match starts to pick back up in pace again.  Kushida locks on a Hoverboard lock out of nowhere and it is over that quick.

Winner.  Kushida by submission

They have a tense handshake post match.

We see Eddie Edwards being driven to the dessert next.

Killer Kelly is in the ring as we return to the Impact Zone.  She says she is not real happy with Taylor Wilde.  She calls her out to the ring.  Wilde enters in her full on witch gear and persona.  She says her cards will pick Kelly’s future.  Kelly doesn’t want to play card games as Wilde tells her to pick a card.  Wilde then pulls a card for Kelly.  It is a Tower Card.  She says that causes chaos.  Kylin King attacks Kelly from behind.  That must be the chaos Wilde was referring too.

Backstage after break, The Death Dolls console Killer Kelly.  They tell her witches can’t be trusted.  Rosemary tells them they can always ask for help, but she doesn’t need the help and she walks off.  Wilde and Kylin then enter and there is a tense confrontation.  This sets up a match a Knockouts Tag Team Title Match.

Eddie Edwards is shown in the dessert next.  He is looking for PCO.  He has something in his hand.  It looks like a crowbar.  PCO confronts him and throws him to the ground.  Eddie gets to his feet and knocks PCO to the ground.  They both get to their feet and Eddie falls hard.  PCO screams in victory and pulls him to his supposed burial.  Out of nowhere, PCO gets hit by a car.  Eddie gets to his feet and gets in the car.  He tells the driver to leave and PCO is left laying.

Impact Wrestling and NJPW’s Multiverse Card is heavily promoted.

Main Event.  Knockouts Women’s World Champion Mickie James VS Gisele Shaw (with Savannah Evans and Jai Vidal)

Deonna Purrazzo joins the announce team.  James hurls Shaw over her hip with a headlock takedown.  Shaw reverses a armbar and controls the arm.  She then slams her and throws James to the floor.  Shaw misses a apron dropkick to the floor.  James then hits a neckbreaker and we go to break.  Once back, James is shown working Shaw over in the corner.  Shaw reverses position and chops her.  James then whips Shaw, but Gisele reverses than and follows with some stiff back elbows.  Shaw gets a two count.  Mickie loses it and throws some stiff punches.  Shaw goes back to the chops.  Purrazzo clearly wants the belt back from James, but has heat with Shaw too.  Shaw locks on a camel clutch.  James gets to the ropes.  Shaw uses her 5 count to the fullest before letting go.  James hits a back elbow and head scissors.  James hits a few clotheslines and a flapjack.  James is hurt still and selling it.  James goes to the top, Shaw bails to the floor.  She then dives on Savanna and Jai.  Shaw ran from the dive.  Back in the ring, Shaw goes to work on James in the corner.  She hits a series of running back elbows.  She gets another two count.  Shaw pulls Mickie off the floor by her hair.  James starts a comeback next with some chops and slaps.  Shaw gives her best chops back in return.  They then cross the ropes and butt heads.  The ref starts the count and both barely make it to their feet.  They trade rights.  Stiff ones at that.  James gets a couple drop kicks.  After another flapjack Mickie heads to the top.  She hits the Thesz Press, but Shaw kicks out at two.  Shaw hits a superkick.  Deonna pulls Jai from interfering.  Purrazzo takes out Shaw and Mickie rolls up Shaw for the win.

Winner and still Knockouts Champion, Mickie James

Deonna Purrazzo and Shaw stare each other down post match until James taunts Shaw.  This is an interesting alliance, if it is one.