Impact Wrestling results: Rich Swann debuts, Rayne vs. Blanchard

Impact took place this week from Windsor, Ontario, Canada and the St. Clair College Sports Complex.

Madison Rayne kicked off the show in the ring, declaring that she wants to become a six-time Knockouts Champion. 

Rayne said she told her daughter not to be afraid of monsters — so what kind of inspiration would she be if she couldn’t challenge Su Yung, the Knockouts Champion.

Tessa Blanchard interrupted the speech and came to the ring. 

“It’s not 2011 anymore,” Blanchard said. “You are not the best anymore — because I am.”

Blanchard reminded everyone that she is a third-generation wrestler. “I have been in this business since before I was born,” she said. 

Rayne interrupted and reminded Blanchard she defeated her in the past. 

The lights flickered and laughter played through the PA system, hinting that Yung and her Undead Bridesmaids were near, but instead Blanchard smacked Rayne with a forearm. 

Rich Swann defeated Trevor Lee

Swann, who was making his Impact debut, swaggered to the ring doing a dancing gimmick. His head was shaved on the top with longer hair in the back than during his WWE run. 

Announcer Josh Mathews said Swann “has been on one of the biggest stages in the world.”

Swann delivered several stiff kicks, prompting Mathews to say: “with kicks like that I am surprised Rich Swann isn’t playing in the World Cup right now.”

Swann showcased several of his aerial moves, including a tilt-a-whirl into a huricanrana, then an impressive dive over the top rope onto Lee. He pinned Lee with a 720 moonsault splash, landing on his thigh area. 

They showed clips of Sami Callihan attacking Pentagon Jr. after a match inside a steel cage at PCW Ultra in Los Angeles. In the clip, Callihan and the Crist brothers triple teamed Pentagon, and actually removed his mask, sending Pentagon crashing to the ring face forward in shame. 

Slammiversary moment: Raven defeated AJ Styles, X-Pac, Abyss, and Monty Brown in a King of the Mountain match to win the NWA World Championship (2005)

It’s always remarkable to see Styles in TNA, with his short hair. Who knew he’d rule WWE SmackDown 13 years later as champion?

The match took place inside the six-sided ring, with trash cans, tables, ladders and chairs. 

The purpose of this match is to hang the championship above the ladder on a hook, sort of the opposite of Money in the Bank. In one of the several high spots of the match, X-Pac hit Styles with an X-Factor off the top of the ladder. Later, Abyss pushed Styles and X-Pac off the top of a ladder onto a table. Raven got the win, capturing the NWA World Championship. 

The Desi Hit Squad defeated DJ Z & Andrew Everett

Gama Singh introduced Rohit Raju and Gursinder Singh as “the future of tag team wrestling.”

Z&E were fresh off of losing their Tag Team titles against LAX last week. This match was a showcase for Everett’s high flying moves. Z&E hit double moonsaults on Singh and appeared poised for the win, but Gama Singh jumped on the apron and distracted the ref, allowing Singh to roll up Everett in a schoolboy for the victory. 

In a video, Pentagon challenged Callihan to a mask vs. hair match at Slammiversary

They aired a long video package of Quinn “Moose” Ojinnaka, chronicling his family and football career leading into Slammiversary, where he will challenge Austin Aries for the Impact World Championship. 

We then got filmed footage from Philadelphia and a House of Hardcore show where Eddie Edwards pummeled a bloodied Tommy Dreamer with a kendo stick. Edwards had a look of euphoria on his face every time he beat Dreamer.

Moose followed Edwards outside of the arena and Edwards screamed “Leave me the f*ck alone.”

X Division Champion Matt Sydal defeated Dezmond Xavier

Sydal worked a mostly slow-paced match against the high-flying Xavier. He worked Xavier’s knee for most of the match, but Xavier was able to break free, hitting a diving splash over the top rope outside of the ring on Sydal. Announcers Don Callis and Mathews made note that Xavier was attempting high-flying moves, but lacked the ring psychology of Sydal in the match. 

Sydal pushed the referee into the ropes, forcing the top-rope climbing Xavier to fall. Sydal hit a pumphandle slam for the three count. 

Brian Cage then lumbered out to the ring looking to attack Sydal, but was blindsided by Kongo Kong. Jimmy Jacobs walked out to the ring and ordered the nearly 400-pound Kong to deliver a splash from the top rope onto Cage.

Aries in an interview said Moose “failed in his first career” of football and that he would fail again at Slammiversary. “I know when I am looking in a desperate man’s eyes,” Aries said. “You are desperate.”

Madison Rayne defeated Tessa Blanchard

This was a good match, worked tight. Blanchard displayed some incredible angry facials during it. She dominated most of the match, hitting several clotheslines and power moves on Rayne. The two engaged in a good back-and-forth elbow display. 

The finish came after Rayne hit a tornado punch on Blanchard and then a running boot, but Blanchard recovered and countered with a quick kick to the ribs. Blanchard pounded on her with right hands and then went for a standing full nelson. Rayne countered the move into a crucifix for the win. 

After the match, Blanchard attacked Rayne from behind and laid her out in the middle of the ring. 

Blanchard was about to hit Rayne with a chair when champion Su Yung interrupted and came out with her zombie-ish undead brides, covered in bloody dresses.

The group surrounded Rayne in the ring and they all started swinging at her. Suddenly, former Knockouts Champion Allie reappeared, running in to scare the creepy group away.