Impact Wrestling results: Karl Anderson vs. Josh Alexander

Four days before the Impact+ special Turning Point, Impact Wrestling returned from Nashville, TN for this week’s episode.

Opening video recapped the ongoing investigation of John E. Bravo’s shooting, Purrazzo failing to recapture the Knockouts Championship from Su Yung, and last week’s main event between the team of Rich Swann and Eddie Edwards vs. Sami Callihan and Eric Young.

Kaleb with a K opened the show to introduce the upcoming match. 

Havok & Nevaeh defeated Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne (with Kaleb with a K).

The team of Dashwood and Rayne was formed during last week’s Locker Room Talk, as they decided to join forces heading into the Knockouts Tag Team tournament scheduled to start a week from now. This was the match where they wanted to test themselves out as a team. 

Story of the match was that Dashwood and Rayne were all friendly when they had the early upper hand against Nevaeh, but once Havok got the tag and Dashwood had trouble with her, she tossed Rayne into the wolves. Dashwood then let Rayne get destroyed by the team of Havok and Nevaeh, and ultimately, got pinned after Havok’s piledriver. 

After the match, Dashwood and Kaleb made the notion that Rayne wasn’t at the level of Dashwood and that they’d find someone else. With one week left before the start of the tournament, Dashwood is likely to find herself a partner by the end of the show, perhaps Jordynne Grace.

– Josh Matthews dreaded having to deal with a losing Madison Rayne in commentary later tonight, but nonetheless, he ran down Saturday’s Turning Point card, as well as tonight’s signed matches. 

– Gia Miller interviewed The Good Brothers. She asked about their upcoming tag title match at Turning Point. Anderson said that the Impact Tag Team titles are the only titles that have eluded them, and that on Saturday, they’ll finally win them. Ethan Page walked up and traded slaps with Anderson before walking away. Anderson vs Alexander is the main event tonight.

– We got a commercial for Talk N Shopamania 2.

– Tommy Dreamer interrogated Larry D and later Cody Deaner, who was mad about losing to Johnny Swinger last week. He said that he didn’t shoot Bravo though.

X Division Champion Rohit Raju defeated TJP to retain

Stipulation of the match was that this is TJP’s last chance to challenge for the X Division Championship as long as Raju is the champion. This comes from Raju, who argued to Scott D’Amore that TJP kept losing and won’t go away.

Match saw a dominant and focused TJP, working on Raju’s legs early on. Raju pulled the referee in between him and TJP in order to gain control of the match and work on TJP’s arm.  TJP made a comeback and before we knew it, both men were chasing their finishers. There was a great spot with Raju countering the mamba splash into a crossface, which TJP turned into a kneebar. 

Finish saw the referee distract himself by putting away the title belt that Raju had pulled. But in the meantime, Raju lowblowed TJP, then followed that with a running knee for the win. Pretty good match, it was given enough time to build up some tension. 

Per the stipulation, TJP can’t challenge for the X Division title for now. It could be possible for him to find a loophole and win the title dressed as Suicide or Manik. 

– Hernandez confronted Fallah Bahh about the stolen money. Hernandez blamed Bahh for shooting Bravo to hide the money from him. Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz walked up and defended Bahh. They told Hernandez off, but while Hogan distracted Bahh, Steelz stole the money from Bahh. 

– The Rascalz were in the treehouse for the first time in months. However, they were being evicted from their treehouse, and implied they may be leaving Impact Wrestling.

Chris Sabin defeated Acey Romero (with Larry D)

Two weeks ago, Romero and D took out Alex Shelley with the purpose of making an impact, no pun intended. Last week, Sabin challenged either of XXXL to match. 

This was a total speed vs. power match. Romero dominated the match early on, tossing around Sabin from corner to corner. Sabin managed a comeback after sidestepping Romero to the floor and taking him out with a pescado. Sabin went kick crazy, and after a couple of them, finally pinned Romero. Ok match, wasn’t that long, but Sabin looked good.

After the match, D attacked Sabin from behind before XXXL ganged up on him.

– Backstage, Sami Callihan approached Chris Bey and agreed to work together against Eddie Edwards, who is facing Chris Bey later tonight.

– Over at the interrogation room, Dreamer has James Mitchell in the hot chair. Mitchell made the argument that he wouldn’t use a gun to take out someone, nor would he waste Bravo’s virgin blood. Mitchell said he did have an idea on who it could be. 

Eddie Edwards defeated Chris Bey

This match came from last week, when Edwards interrupted and spoiled whatever plans Bey had for Rich Swann.

Back and forth match. Bey used his speed advantage to get the better of Edwards early on. Edwards would use his experience to make a comeback and get a roll up win as he dodged a springboard cutter and turned the momentum into a pin. The match was quite short to really build anything substantial, but it showed a lot of promise if these two got more time. I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets added to the Turning Point card. Bey is definitely ready for the main event scene.

After the match, Bey came in with a chair to the ring, making time for Callihan to appear in the ring and take out Edwards with a bat. Rich Swann came down for the save, but Ken Shamrock came down too and between the three, took down Edwards and Swann. 

Callihan teased hitting Swann with the bat the same way he did with Edwards when he got him in the eye. The Rascalz, however, ran down for the save and chased away Bey, Callihan, and Shamrock. Interesting to tease the departure of the Rascalz and immediately insert them against the main event team of heels, could be their departure match.

– Backstage, as expected, Tenille Dashwood reluctantly asked Jordynne Grace to team up for the tournament. Grace said she didn’t trust her, but at that Turning Point, they can wrestle together and maybe she can earn her trust.

– Rich Swann thanked the Rascalz for the save. Swann suggested he teamed with Trey Miguel and Rich Swann to take on Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz. Everyone agreed.

– Impact+ Flashback Moment of the Week was British Invasion vs Beery Money Inc. from Turning Point 2009.

– Miller interviewed Purrazzo and Kimber Lee about Purrazzo’s No DQ match with Su Yung at Turning Point. Purrazzo said she always has a plan and that she will regain her title. As she was cutting her promo, Kimber Lee disappeared. Purrazzo went to find her, only to see a message in red paint on the window: “I think ur alone now”. It was then that Kimber Lee appeared against the window, knocked out.

– Back with Dreamer and Mitchell. The conversation ended with Dreamer telling Mitchell that he’d use the information for the investigation. He brought Havok in next, who wouldn’t answer Dreamer’s questions. 

Reno Scum (Luster The Legend & Adam Thornstowe) defeated Fallah Bahh & Crazzy Steve

There’s really no build here other than Reno Scum are Hernandez’ henchmen and that Bahh has had issues with him since stealing the money roll.

Nothing match. Crazzy Steve was the babyface in peril from the start. Bahh got the hot tag and ran wild for a bit, but Reno Scum regained control and took out Bahh with the top rope curbstomp/footstomp combo. 

With the Good Brothers potentially winning the titles soon, it’s time to build up a couple of heel teams to chase them around, and I’m guessing this is the reason for XXXL and Reno Scum getting some wins lately. Bahh on the other hand…I’m surprised he took the fall in this match. Hernandez didn’t even walk out or anything.

– Backstage, Chris Sabin asked for backup against XXXL on Saturday. The man he asked was none other than his long time rival, “The Cowboy” James Storm. 

– Willie Mack was in a hallway backstage getting himself checked by a doctor. He got cleared for Saturday before Moose jumped him. 

– Matthews and Rayne ran down the final card for Turning Point, including Moose vs. Willie Mack, Eddie Edwards vs. Daivari, Brian Myers vs. Swoggle, Dashwood and Grace vs. Rosemary and Taya, The North vs. The Good Brothers, Su Yung vs. Deonna Purrazzo, and Rich Swann vs. Sami Callihan.

Karl Anderson (with Doc Gallows) defeated Josh Alexander (with Ethan Page) 

Both these teams are scheduled to meet at Turning Point for the Impact Tag Team titles. Last week, Gallows defeated Ethan Page in a singles match, and thus, we now have their respective tag team partners going at it.

Good match. Alexander controlled the match for the first half of the match, working over Anderson’s upper body. Anderson managed a comeback and levelled the playing field a bit. They traded a couple of near falls, but as Anderson called for the gun stun, Ethan Page rushed the ring, attacking Anderson for the DQ. 

After the match, both teams brawled for a bit before security came down for the pull apart as the show went off the air.

Final thoughts — 

Good show for the most part. The whole Bravo investigation is not particularly good right now, but it’s not bad enough to drag down the rest of the show that had some good wrestling and storyline developments heading into Turning Point this Saturday.