Impact Wrestling Review – March 23, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Impact with highlights from the past month was shown of Steve Maclin’s interactions with Josh Alexander and his quest for the Impact World Title.
6 Man Tag Team Match
Time Machine (Kushida,Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. The Design (Deaner,Angels & Big Kon)
Big Kon no sold Kushida’s forearms. Kon took down Alex Shelley & Kushida with lariats after Shelley tags in. Deaner tags in and took down Shelley with a clothesline. Chris Sabin tags in and Motor City Machine Guns nailed Deaner with a double dropkick. Angels tags in and worked on Sabin with strikes. Sabin rallied with chops. Angels hits Sabin with a dropkick and mocked Motor City Machine Guns’ hand sign.
Time Machine traps Angels in the corner. Sabin hits Angels in the face with a hesitation dropkick. Shelley controlled Angels with short arm chops. Time Machine cuts the ring in half on Angels with quick tags and isolation offense. Time Machine dominated for a few minutes then Angels tags in Deaner after hitting Sabin with a facebuster. The Design cut the ring in half on Sabin. Sabin got a two count on Deaner with a victory roll.
Kushida tags in and caught Deaner with a crossbody and Pele Kick. Kushida and Shelley swarmed Angels & Deaner with strikes. Kushida took Kon off the apron with a handstand kick. Kushida hits The Design at ringside with a dive that sends us to a break.
After the break The Design cut the ring in half on Kushida. Deaner caught Kushida with a Yakuza Kick. Kon plants Kushida with a spinebuster. Angels hit Kushida with a splash for a near fall. Kon tags in and put Kushida in an electric chair. Angels & Deaner hits Kushida with a double electric chair.
Shelley broke up Angels’ pin. Everyone took turns hitting signature moves on each other. Time Machine hit Angels with a triple team version a Muta Lock/Dropkick combo.
Callihan got in the ring and protected Angels by eating some moves. Callihan was dump to ringside. Kushida locks in Hoverboard Lock on Angels. Sabin punts the arm of Angels to prevent the break. Angels taps out.
Winners By Submission: Time Machine
We see the new Knockouts Tag Team Champions The Coven cutting a promo & Taylor Wilde said she took exception to Rosemary calling her a charlatan. King said the Death Dollz sealed their fate by agreeing to the Knockouts Tag Team Title match. The Coven ended the promo by saying long live The Coven.
A vignette aired for Shera & Raj Singh. Singh talked about how he & Shera are rich now due to having good luck in Las Vegas. Singh is now calling himself Champagne Singh.
Eddie Edwards & Kenny King cuts a promo from the locker room. Edwards said he’s been trying to move past PCO. He said in order to put PCO in the past, he had to reach into his personal past. King talks about not talking to Edwards since Honor No More broke up. King said he reunited with Edwards recently at Jay Briscoe’s mother’s house to mourn Jay’s death.
King said in the middle of tragedy, he & Edwards realized that they will always be family. King said you need to sacrifice for family. King said that PCO was never family. Kenny King said that at Sacrifice he and Edwards will put PCO’s dead ass on ice.
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Savannah Evans
Savannah Evans tossed Deonna Purrazzo into the corners and gave her a corner splash. Evans slams Purrazzo and gave her a boot for a two count. Purrazzo dumps Evans to ringside with a hurricanrana. Jai Vidal & Gisele Shaw distracted Purrazzo to allow Evans to tackle Deonna into the apron that takes us to a break.
After the break Evans works on Purrazzo with methodical offense. Purrazzo rallied back with chops. Evans blocks Fujiwara Armbar and gave Purrazzo boots. Evans hit Purrazzo with a snap suplex. Purrazzo slams Evans with a leg whip. Purrazzo no sold clotheslines. Purrazzo reversed a suplex attempt. Purrazzo hits Evans with a kick combination.
Purrazzo rolled Evans into a Fujiwara Armbar. Evans got to the bottom rope for the break. Evans hit Purrazzo with a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Purrazzo rolls up Evans for a two count. Purrazzo hits Evans with a Yakuza Kick. Vidal held Purrazzo in place while the ref was distracted but Purrazzo ducks a big boot to cause Evans to give Vidal a big boot accidentally then Purrazzo hits Evans with a Crucifix Bomb to get the win.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo
After the match Evans attacks Purrazzo & Gisele Shaw joins in on the beatdown to leave Purrazzo lying. Evans hits Purrazzo with a Full Nelson Slam. Shaw hits Purrazzo with a running knee.
This week’s Impact Plus Flashback Match of the week was Team 3D vs. Beer Money vs. Motor City Machine Guns in a Triple Threat #1 Contenders match from Sacrifice 2010. Motor City Machine Guns picks up the win after Motor City Machine Guns hit Bubba Ray with Skull & Bones, allowing Sabin to pick up the win.
Death Dollz were angry at losing the Knockouts Tag Team Titles. Jessicka said that Rosemary should use her magic powers again to help them win. Taya Valkyrie cut in saying that Jessicka needs to stay away from magic. Valkyrie said they need to come up with a plan. Jessicka said she was going to confront The Coven and their magic. Jessicka marched off. Jessicka randomly walked into a casket in the middle of a hallway.
Jessicka opens the casket and there was a bright light. Valkyrie ran and closed the casket. Valkyrie told Jessicka to stay away from the right light and the evil. Valkyrie said Jessicka is one of her best friends and she wants to protect her. A random hand drags Valkyrie into the casket and the casket closed. Jessicka ran in fear.
Mixed Tag Team Match
Busted Open Radio (Knockouts Champion Mickie James & Tommy Dreamer) vs. Masha Slamovich & Bully Ray
Tommy Dreamer & Bully Ray started the match off then then Bully demands that Mickie James tag in so she does & Bully yells at James that she shouldn’t have hit him in the face with a kendo stick. Masha Slamovich demanded to be tag in which Bully agreed. James rallied with right hands. James hits Slamovich with a Thesz Press.
James hits Slamovich with a flapjack. Slamovich came back with a right hand and back kick. Bully tags in. James dodges an elbow drop and tags in Dreamer. Dreamer caught Bully with a crossbody. Bully slams Dreamer and body slams Slamovich on top of him. Dreamer recovers and tags in James. James was slams to the mat after Bully yanks her hair.
Bully threatened to hit James with a kendo stick, but the ref stops him. Bully body slams and mocks James. Slamovich tags in and hits James with a few snapmares. Slamovich got a two count after a front kick. James came back with a hurricanrana and neckbreaker. Bully & Dreamer tags in. Dreamer rallies with a clothesline and 10 punches in the corner. Bully came back with a back elbow. Dreamer hits Bully with a cutter for a two count.
James hits Slamovich with a seated senton. Busted Open Radio hit Bully & Slamovich with stereo Bionic Elbows. Busted Open Radio hits Bully with the Wazzup. Bully yelled My balls!. Busted Open Radio yells to get the tables. Slamovich took down James with a crossbody dive after James brought a table in the ring. Bully hit Dreamer with a piledriver for the win.
Winners: Masha Slamovich & Bully Ray
After the match Bully Ray was about to give James a powerbomb into a table. Jordynne Grace hit Bully Ray in the back with a kendo stick. Grace accidentally hits James with a spear after Bully sidestepped. Bully left while Dreamer checked on James.
Rich Swann & Frankie Kazarian were chatting in a lounge area. Swann said he doesn’t want to be the cannon fodder for Steve Maclin before Maclin faces Josh Alexander. Kazarian said he hopes that Swann is not distracted before their match at Sacrifice. Kazarian said Swann definitely looks distracted and needs to talk with Alexander. Swann agrees.
Rich Swann yells at Steve Maclin who was going through Josh Alexander’s bag. Maclin claimed that he wasn’t going through Alexander’s bag & Maclin said that Alexander knows that Maclin is in his dressing room. Maclin left and Swann looked confused.
Before the match Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry cuts a promo. Hendry said that tonight is special because he & Dirty Dango are teaming for the 1st time. Hendry said he has two magic words to give the crowd. Dango yells Suck it!. Dango kept awkwardly interrupting Hendry.
Tag Team Match
Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry & Dirty Dango vs. Brian Myers & Moose
Joe Hendry & Brian Myers starts off the match as Hendry dominated with shoulder tackles and a delayed vertical suplex then Dirty Dango tags in for a two count. Moose tags in. Dango taunted Moose with hip swivels. Dango went for 10 punches in the corner, but was tackle into another corner. Myers stagged in. Dango came back with a suplex and tornado DDT on Myers. Dango wanted to do the DX crotch chop for some reason but Hendry convinced Dango to do Hendry’s signature hand wave.
Myers & Moose dumps Dango to ringside. Moose & Myers cut the ring in half on Dango with tags and methodical offense. Dango got a window of opportunity with a corkscrew uppercut. Hendry & Myers tags in with Hendry cleaning house. Hendry reversed a crossbody into a fallaway slam. Hendry hit Myers with a cutter for a two count. Myers came back with a Pele Kick. Hendry came back with a powerbomb for a two count. Moose hits Hendry with a Spear before Myers hits Hendry with Roster Cut for the win.
Winners: Brian Myers & Moose
Impact World Champion Josh Alexander headed to his dressing room where Rich Swann confronted him. Swann told Alexander that Steve Maclin was in his bag. Alexander had no idea and said he’ll deal with some business in the middle of the ring. Alexander left the dressing room.
Josh Alexander made his entrance to the arena & he said that Steve Maclin is finally the #1 Contender after all this time. He said he saw Maclin a few years ago kick down the door in this company with a chip on his shoulder. He said Maclin left a trail of bodies behind. Alexander said he not only respects Maclin as a pro wrestler, but also as a combat veteran.
Alexander said he doesn’t respect Maclin whining all the time about management holding him back. Alexander said he also doesn’t respect Maclin saying Alexander is ducking him. He said he’s right here in the ring now and ready to answer all challenges. Alexander said he thinks Maclin is ducking him, waiting for other opponents to wear Alexander down. Alexander said this match will finally happen at Rebellion. Alexander said we’ll find out if Steve actually has it.
Alexander said that after Maclin loses, he’ll be back at the bottom. Alexander said Maclin is afraid of being at the bottom. Alexander said that Maclin will be a man without a purpose and a forgotten son. Maclin made his entrance. Maclin said the forgotten son line was a good joke. Maclin said Alexander was right. He said he could have come at any time to take the Impact World Title.
Maclin said he could have taken the Impact World Title shot when Mike Bailey & Bobby Fish did in recent open challenges. He said Alexander is right about him being afraid to fail, afraid to be back at the bottom. Maclin said he picked the right moment with no room for failure. He said he’s obsessed with winning the Impact World Title. Steve called for the production truck to air footage. Clips were shown of Steve Maclin watching Josh Alexander during Alexander’s Impact World Title defenses.
Maclin said he’s always been there, weather or not Alexander knew. Maclin reiterated that he’s obessed with winning the Impact World Title. Alexander said he underestimated Maclin but this changes nothing. Alexander said he’s a fighting champion. Alexander asked Maclin to fight him right now in Las Vegas. Maclin declined the challenge. Maclin said if he’s going to beat Alexander, the longest reigning Impact World Champion in Impact history, he’s going to do it in Alexander’s hometown at Rebellion. Tom Hannifan closes the show saying that Alexander has to get through Kushida first at Multiverse United.
