Impact Wrestling live results: Best of 2021, part one
For the next two weeks, Impact Wrestling will look back at 2021 with re-airs of some of their top matches and moments in addition to yearly awards.
While the list of matches hasn’t been announced, this week’s show will see the male tag team of the year, the Knockout of the year and Knockouts match of the year revealed. Next Thursday’s show on AXS TV will be part two with the following Thursday’s show being the go-home show for the Hard to Kill pay-per-view on January 8th.
Wrestlers that will appear in matches or moments include former World Champion Kenny Omega, former World and X-Division Champion Josh Alexander, former Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo, former World Champion Christian Cage, current World Champion Moose, current Knockouts Champion Mickie James, former World Champion Rich Swann, and Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers.
The BTI pre-show will feature a match taped at last Saturday’s Throwback Throwdown as Pelvis Wesley (Heath) will take on DJ 2 Large (Moose).
Our live coverage starts at 8 PM Eastern.
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DJ 2Large defeated Pelvis Wesley (with Colonel Corn) on BTI
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Scott D’Amore and Josh Matthews are running tonight’s show. They will be giving out 3 of the 6 wrestling awards tonight, the other three to be given out on next week’s Impact show. In addition, they’ll be showing some of the year’s best matches throughout this show.
Kenny Omega, Karl Anderson, & Doc Gallows vs Rich Swann, Moose, & Chris Sabin from Hard To Kill 2021. Omega would pin Swann with a One Winged Angel and go on to win the Impact World title, a reign that would last until the summer when Christian Cage defeated him to take the title.
– Jordynne Grace approached Chris Sabin to train for the Ultimate X match. Sabin said that upper body strength was the key, so Grace did pull ups for an hour straight.
– Matthews introduced a video package of all the debuts this year, including Kenny Omega, Jay White, Matt Cardona, W. Morrissey, Jonah, and the return of Christian Cage, Kazarian, Mickie James, and Christopher Daniels.
FInJuice (Juice Robinson & David Finlay) vs Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) from Rebellion 2021. FinJuice had arrived not long ago and captured the tag titles. This was the rematch that saw FinJuice retained when Robinson rolled over Gallows for the win. FinJuice and the Good Brothers would continue to feud the rest of the year.
– The first award of the night was Tag Team of the Year, awarded to Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows, collectively known as the Good Brothers. They cut a promo about being multi-time champions in NJPW, Impact, and that place in New York.
AEW World Champion Kenny Omega vs Impact World Champion Rich Swann, title vs title match at Rebellion 2021. One of the first big matches that both Impact and AEW saw after the forbidden door was open, a match that Omega would go and win with a One Winged Angel, to capture the Impact and TNA world titles as he looked to become the belt collector.
– Deonna Purrazzo cut a promo about her rematch with James becoming a Texas Deathmatch, claiming that she is better at adapting to these types of matches.
Next award was for the Knockouts Match of the Year, won by Mickie James vs Deonna Purrazzo from Bound For Glory. James would end Purrazzo’s reign and capture the Knockouts title for the first time in years.
– Trey Miguel went to Scott D’Amore to demand a match with Steve Maclin. D’Amore wasn’t there, but Gail Kim was there, who had the power to make the match official.
– We got a replay of last week’s contract signing for the main event of Hard To Kill, where Moose will defend the title against W. Morrissey and Matt Cardona.
X Division Champion Ace Austin (with Madman Fulton) vs Josh Alexander vs TJP from Rebellion 2021. This match would mark the beginning of Alexander’s path to becoming a world champion at Bound For Glory. He would win this match, reign as the X Division champion until he cashed in Option C against then champion Christian Cage. Alexander would go and win the title, only to lose it the same night against Moose, who cashed in his Call Your Shot title match.
Madison Rayne vs Crazzy Steve vs Jordynne Grace vs Fallah Bahh vs Chelsea Green vs John Skylar from Countdown To Glory. This match was to crown the inaugural Digital Media Champion, where all the participants had to earn their spot in qualifying matches, broadcasted on Impact’s digital media channels. Grace would end up winning the title, which she has managed to defend ever since.
Final award of the night was the Knockout of the year, won by Deonna Purrazzo for the second year in a row. She held the Knockouts title for most of the year, she has represented Impact in NWA, in AAA, and now in ROH. Well deserved.
Next week, we will find out the winners of the Best Men’s Match of the Year, Knockout’s Tag Team of the Year, and Men’s Wrestler of the Year.
Impact World Champion Christian Cage vs Josh Alexander from Bound for Glory. This was the main event of BFG, where Alexander finally won the Impact World Championship, tapping out Christian Cage with an ankle lock. The reign would stop there and then, when Moose would come out and cash in his Call Your Shot title shot. Alexander is still to get his title rematch.