Impact Wrestling results: Swann vs. Elgin vs. Johnny, TJP returns

This week’s episode was from Impact’s television tapings at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York. The opening video recapped the ongoing story between Moose and RVD, Jessicka Havok’s return, Sami Callihan antagonizing the Knockouts, the escalating feud between Eddie Edwards and Killer Kross, and Michael Elgin taking out everyone in front of him.

The Twitch stream was hosted by Don Callis at some points. Callis wasn’t in all of the commercial breaks, so we got a couple of Flashback Moments too.

Tessa Blanchard defeated Jake Crist

The match started with fast-paced action as Blanchard went straight for Crist with forearms, a cutter, and a trifecta of suicide dives. Blanchard quickly went for the Magnum, but Crist caught her with a superkick as she came down.

Crist worked over Blanchard and raked his arm all over her face. He got cocky and gave Blanchard a small chance for her to come back with more forearms, but the offense didn’t last long as Crist locked in a great looking modified Koji Clutch until Blanchard made the ropes.

Crist got a couple of moves in, then Blanchard started a slow comeback via strikes, finally managing to take him down with a tornado DDT counter for a two count. Crist caught Blanchard with a Death Valley Driver for two.

Blanchard hit three superkicks and suckered Crist into the Magnum for the pinfall victory. Strong win for Blanchard — the build to Impact’s intergender matches is going good and makes the whole story with Glenn Gilbertti worth it in hindsight.

After the match, the rest of oVe came out to berate Jake Crist. Blanchard got out of the way, but locked eyes with Callihan and called him out.

Without wait, Eddie Edwards came out for the next match.

Madman Fulton (w/ Sami Callihan) defeated Eddie Edwards

Edwards took out Dave Crist and Callihan, then clotheslined Fulton to the outside as they started brawling around the ring before the match started. Fulton chokeslammed Edwards onto the apron and finally tossed him into the ring and the bell rang.

Fulton tossed Edwards around the ring, hit a second chokeslam, and then hit a third vicious one. Fulton hit a double underhook suplex for a two count. As he went for a running clothesline, Edwards hit a desperation dropkick to earn a couple of seconds.

Fulton went to powerbomb Edwards to the floor, but Edwards held on and reversed it into a rana. Edwards landed a German suplex and a Blue Thunder Bomb to earn a two count.

Callihan kept distracting from the outside, so Edwards took him out with a dive. Edwards grabbed his new kendo stick, but suddenly, Killer Kross was on the screen with Sandman tied up. Kross tortured Sandman as he teased Edwards. The distraction gave Fulton the time to recover, hit the End of Days, and pin Edwards.

– Backstage, Alisha Edwards tried to talk Eddie out of getting into another crazy war, now with Killer Kross. Eddie didn’t want to listen to her.

Moose defeated Tommy Dreamer

Dreamer took advantage of Moose coming out hot, but Moose had the power advantage and quickly gained control outside the ring. Dreamer managed to reverse Moose and whip him to the ring post and drop him over the shoulder. Dreamer then started removing the floor pads, only for Moose to drop him back-first onto the apron.

Back in the ring, Moose choked out Dreamer against the ropes and tortured Dreamer with strikes and chokes, but he kept underestimating Dreamer. Eventually, Dreamer hit a desperation cutter, dropping Moose and earning a couple of seconds to recover. They traded blows until Dreamer got the Dusty Elbow and dropped Moose with a DDT for a two count.

Dreamer hit a superplex for another two count. Moose whipped Dreamer into the buckle and went for a spear, but Dreamer blocked it and hit one of his own. After failing to pin Moose, Dreamer went for a steel chair, but Moose pulled the referee to protect himself, kicked the chair into Dreamer’s face, and hit No Jackhammer Needed to pin Dreamer for the win.

This was an okay match — nothing special. Dreamer using the chair felt backwards considering Moose is the heel.

After the match, Moose attacked Dreamer with the chair and went for a Van Terminator, but RVD came out for the save before Moose could hit it.

– Backstage, Taya Valkyrie and John E. Bravo were looking for Rosemary. Taya told Rosemary that she needs her to deal with Su Yung and Havok. Taya offered Rosemary a shot at the gold if she takes care of the pest.

– Melissa Santos interviewed Johnny Impact and Bravo. Impact talked about Elgin making a big mistake by attacking him last week after he helped him. Impact said he gets his payback tonight — and after he’s done with Elgin, he’s cashing in his X-Division title shot at Slammiversary.

Knockouts Champion Taya Valkyrie defeated Su Yung (w/ Father James Mitchell and Havok) by DQ

They started the match by trading slaps and forearms. Yung went for an early Panic Switch, but Taya blocked it and hit a rolling German. Taya went for the running hip attack, but Yung dodged and hit some strikes before Taya once again hit a German, but into the turnbuckles now, getting a two count.

Taya hit the running hip attack and running knees into the corner for another two count. She started getting more and more comfortable, playing to the crowd, until she gave Yung enough time to recover and get some offense in.

Yung hit the turnbuckle crawl rana for a two count and locked in something similar to Napalm, but Taya made the ropes. Yung hit a draping DDT for another near fall. Yung finally went for her glove.

Yung went for the Mandible Claw, but Taya blocked her and hit a Curb Stomp for a two count. Yung kept chasing the Claw, but Taya instead hit an armbreaker and started working on Yung’s arms.

Taya went for a moonsault, but took too long and gave Yung the time to stop her and for Havok to get in the ring and attack Taya for the disqualification. This was pretty good and clean given the participants.

Yung seemed mad with Havok for costing her the title. All three ganged up on Taya, but Rosemary came out for the save.

James Mitchell took the mic and told Rosemary that this was a time for celebration and said that at Slammiversary, all four women present are invited to a Monster’s Ball. Everyone except Taya seemed excited for this four-way Monster’s Ball match.

– Ace Austin cut a promo in the ring. He was arrogant and brought up that he is the only one in Impact that is still unpinned and undefeated. He said that he is the future of the X-Division and beyond, and soon, Impact will be the Ace Division.

Austin made his intentions clear for the X-Division Championship and made an open challenge. Out came the returning TJ Perkins.

TJ Perkins defeated Ace Austin

TJP got the upper hand quickly with speed, tossing Austin outside with a rana and following up with a springboard dropkick to the floor. Austin hit a forearm, rammed TJP into the apron, and landed a knee strike.

Back in the ring, Austin went for a rana, but TJP countered into a powerbomb and followed with a flying crossbody and the Detonation Kick for the win.

This was good, but too short. It was underwhelming for Austin’s first loss, but a great return for TJP. It’s best to get rid of Austin’s streak so he can start a proper feud now.

– Backstage, Eddie Edwards was looking for Kross before going to commercial.

– The Rascalz cut a promo from their tree house. They talked about their upcoming Tag Team title shot at Slammiversary. Konnan joined them and put them over as great upcoming kids, but he said that they lacked respect. Konnan told them to earn respect in the ring and get work done in the ring. Konnan then asked for a hit of whatever they were smoking. Good promo by Konnan.

– The Impact Plus Flashback Moment of the Week was the mask vs. hair match between Pentagon Jr. and Sami Callihan from last year’s Slammiversary.

– Eddie Edwards finally found the hooded man that Kross had, but it was a swerve and Kross blindsided him. They brawled until Alisha Edwards tried to stop Eddie again. Kross was spitting blood asking for more, and it seemed like Eddie drank the blood as he rose with a mouth full of it, scaring his wife away. I don’t think this writes off Kross, but it was pretty brutal.

– Callihan cut a video promo. He said that he is a calculating man and knew that Blanchard wanted to be treated as equal and make history. He challenged Blanchard to a one-on-one match at Slammiversary and promised to treat her like he treated Pentagon Jr., Brian Cage, and Rich Swann.

X-Division Champion Rich Swann defeated Johnny Impact and Michael Elgin in a non-title triple threat match

Elgin and Johnny argued with each other over who would take out Swann first until they decided to work together against him, but Swann smartly decided to exit the ring and let Elgin and Johnny fight it out for a bit until he came back with a flying crossbody.

Elgin was sent outside and kept there while Swann and Johnny traded reversals inside the ring. Swann hit a tornillo on Elgin, followed by one from Johnny. Swann and Johnny started a battle of one-upsmanship until Elgin came back in the ring and took them out with a double German suplex.

Elgin worked on both of his opponents with running clotheslines, but once again he couldn’t handle both of them at the same time. Swann hit a jumping rana on Johnny, tossing him on top of Elgin for a two count. Swann chased the 450, but Elgin blocked him and hit an Air Raid Crash. Johnny hit a running knee and standing splashes on both men.

Elgin went for a German on Johnny, who blocked it and got a discus lariat instead. Elgin hit a Thunder Bomb for a two count. Elgin went for the Elgin Bomb, but Swann stopped him and all three men traded superkicks. Swann got the final hit with a double cutter on both men.

Swann went for a superplex on Johnny, but Elgin got him in an electric chair, setting him up for a Disaster Kick from Johnny, which then became a reverse rana on Elgin. Johnny went for Starship Pain on Elgin, but Elgin dodged. Elgin went for a lariat, but Johnny dodged that.

Johnny and Elgin traded superkicks until Johnny hit a Spanish Fly on Elgin, but as he landed, Swann surprised Johnny with a 450 from the other corner for the win. Great match given the short time it got.

After the match, Swann celebrated — but Elgin stood up behind him. Swann hit Elgin with a roundhouse kick and connected with a spinning back kick on Johnny, but John E. Bravo came in with the big red X and took out Swann.

Elgin and Johnny traded words, but suddenly, World Champion Brian Cage finally made his return, took out Johnny Impact and John E. Bravo, and faced off with Elgin. Elgin went to attack Cage, but Cage took him out with a jumping knee and a powerslam. Cage looked healed and has good motion.

Final Thoughts —

Good episode. It wasn’t the go-home show, but it did a great job at building some of the final touches for Slammiversary with the announcement of new matches and the return of Cage. The show inside the ring was really strong, but the matches were not particularly long.