IMPACT Wrestling
May 26th, 2020
Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
By: Davie Portman
Commentary by: Josh Matthews and Madison Rayne
#1 Contender’s Tournament
Semi-Final
Ace Austin vs Hernandez
The opening match of the night is the first Semi-Final for the Number One Contenders Tournament. Ace Austin is clearly outsized and outpowered by Hernandez so he tries to use his speed and target the legs to take the big man down. Hernandez hits a Gorilla Press Slam early and blocks a Sunset Flip attempt. Austin comes back with a Spinning Heel Kick which sends Hernandez to the outside. He goes to follow up with a Tope Suicida but gets Caught by Hernandez who Claps his ears. As the referee has his back turned Austin hits a low blow to Hernandez and to target the head and throat to drive the breath out of him. Hernandez gets back into the match with a Pounce and a series of Shoulder Tackles and Clotheslines followed up with a Big Splash into the corner. He then removes his tank top and wraps it around Austin’s neck using it to toss him across the ring. Hernandez goes for the Border Toss but Austin slips out and Chop Blocks the back of the leg. Hernandez goes for the Border Toss again but Austin slips out again and attempts a Crossbody but gets caught and rocked like a baby. Hernandez goes for the Border Toss a third time but this gets countered into a Hurricanrana and a Roll Up for a two count. Austin finally hits one more Chop Block and follows up with The Fold for the win.
Ace Austin defeats Hernandez via Pinfall in 9 mins 42 secs
Davie’s thoughts: This match didn’t quite click for me. Austin was working on top for most of it, which seemed strange considering the size difference before. I felt Austin did wrestle smart with the constant targeting of Hernandez’ legs but I didn’t feel Hernandez ever moved out of first gear. The right person won here and I think the final should be a really good match. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Austin win the whole tournament as he has been gloating about holding a victory over Impact Champion, Tessa Blanchard.
American Badass
After the match we see a man on his motorbike riding down a road by the Deaner’s Compound. Cody Deaner is sat down watching on and yells at the man to slow down as this isn’t a “Boneyard” and says that “He’s probably American as they all think they’re a badass”.
The North are in their car driving towards the compound. They’re mocking the area where The Deaners live and laugh at how they have spelled “Compound” wrong, spelling it “Compund”. A Deaner relative greets them and tells them that they shouldn’t be laughing before running off.
We will continue to go back to the Compound throughout the night leading to the Tag Team Championship match.
Johnny Swinger and Chris Bey
Johnny Swinger approaches Chris Bey and tells him that he thinks they are going to be a great team. He says that he has a lot of weapons with him and if Bey listens to what he says and keeps the ref distracted he will be good in his match against Cousin Jake. Bey doesn’t seem too impressed by having Swinger in his corner and tells him to just call it in the ring.
Michael Elgin Promo
Michael Elgin cuts a quick video promo saying that he has already beaten Sami Callihan and many other former World Champions. Now he has to take on Trey and says that Trey needs to start taking this seriously. “I stand here the Number 1 Contender and I will always be Number 1 Contender until I’m Impact World Heavyweight Champion.
Chris Bey w/ Johnny Swinger vs Cousin Jake
Bey talks a lot of trash to Jake and gets thrown off the top early. Jake dominates the first part of the match with his power. At one point Swinger tries to grab the ankle of Jake and Bey follows up with a Springboard Dropkick allowing him to take over. Bey hits a Double Stomp to the back of Jake and follows up with a Standing Moonsault mocking Willie Mack. Jake comes back with a huge Right Hand, Discus Clothesline, and an Inverted Sitout Piledriver for a two count. Bey is up in the air for a Powerbomb but counters it into a Code Red for a two count. Jake hits a Sitout Powerbomb for a two count. He follows up with a Spear into the corner when Johnny Swinger climbs onto the apron. Jake takes out Swinger but as he is distracted gets hit by the Bey-mouser and the Final Finesse for the pin.
Chris Bey defeats Cousin Jake via Pinfall in 9 mins 44 secs (Plus commercial break)
After the match Swinger and Bey attack Cousin Jake until Willie Mack runs out for the save.
Davie’s thoughts: I really enjoyed this match. Chris Bey has been a highlight of Impact every week and I thought Cousin Jake was a great base for him to work off. A lot of Jake’s power moves looked super impressive and I bit on a few of the near falls. Bey stealing Mack’s moves during the match was a great touch. I’m really looking forward to that eventual match as that should be great.
Rohit Raju Interview
Rohit Rahu is being interviewed backstage and questions when he is next due to an opportunity. He is tired of seeing people repeatedly lose titles and get granted rematches the following week. Chase Stevens interrupts the interview causing Raju to question why these old TNA guys are trying to take his spotlight. Stevens says that he is a multi-time Tag Team Champion and questions what Raju has on his resume. Rohit challenges Stevens to a match next week, which he accepts.
Kimber Lee vs Havok
As soon as the bell rings Kimber Lee attacks Havok. She hits a series of really impressive looking Spin Kicks to the head and follows up by putting Havok in a Sleeper. Havok gets out of the hold by running Lee back first into the turnbuckle. Havok follows up with a Spinebuster, Clothesline, and three running boots to Kimber Lee in the corner. Havok gets Lee up for a Samoan Drop but gets a rake to the eyes. Lee then gets the Brass Knuckles again but Nevaeh runs out and attacks her. The referee calls for the DQ.
Kimber Lee defeats Havok via Disqualification in 3 mins 33 secs
After the match both Nevaeh and Havok double team Kimber Lee with a Wheelbarrow into a Cutter. Both pose together.
Davie’s thoughts: For a three-minute match I thought this was pretty entertaining. Both women have really good strikes in their arsenal and aren’t afraid of laying them in thick. The screaming from both performers was a little excessive at times. It was a very noisy match!
The Awakening of Su Yung
Backstage Kylie Rae bumps into Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz. They start yelling at her telling her to watch where she’s going and get into her face. Kylie tries to apologize but Hogan and Steelz are having none of it. Susie comes out and tells them that they are being bad and that bullying is bad. Steelz and Hogan then attack both Kylie Rae and Susie. As they leave the camera focuses on Susie as the screen flashes with images of her as Su Yung. It looks like she is probably going back to the Su Yung gimmick.
#CancelCulture and oVe
Joseph P Ryan approaches Dave and Jake Crist backstage. Ryan says that next week he has a match against “Mentally Unwell Steve” referring to Crazzy Steve. He suggests that oVe join him to the ring as he knows that they have problems with Steve as well. Dave and Jake seem very excited about the opportunity and say that “this is what we’ve needed”.
The “Deaner Compund”
The North is at the “Deaner Compund” and finds a barn that is locked shut. The doors open and three Deaners welcome them in.
Cody Deaner is inside a barn filled with Deaner relatives and a wrestling ring. He is giving his family a big rallying speech as The North arrives. Ethan Page questions why there are so many of them as this should be a two on two match. Cody Deaner promises that this will be a fair fight. The referee in the wheelchair shows up and The North thinks that he is “Wheels”. Cody tells them that he is the referee and not Wheels. The room starts to shake, we hear footsteps approach and we see The North looking in fear as a very big Deaner shows up and breaks a table with his fists.
Impact Tag Team Championship
The North vs Cody Deaner and Wheels
The bell rings, dramatic music plays and they all start to brawl. Throughout the match the rest of the Deaners are stood and sat around drinking beer. Page launches a set of golf clubs at Wheels. Cody hits Alexander with a golf club. They start to fight outside the barn where Cody takes a Double Crucifix Bomb off the back of a truck on top of the Deaners. Cody comes back with a Crossbody off of a tractor. Wheels got thrown through a wooden fence. Alexander hits a Tombstone Piledriver on to Cody on top of a truck and The North makes their way back to the ring. They begin to double team Wheels and get a two count. Meanwhile the Deaners are helping Cody off of the truck. The North gets frustrated with the referee and starts to attack him. The referee comes back and hits a 619 and goes for a top rope 450 Splash but misses. Cody gets back into the ring and hits a DDT on Alexander but the referee is down. Wheels come back and go for a Double Chokeslam but gets low blowed by the ring announcer from The North’s vignettes over the last few weeks. He rips off his shirt to reveal that he is also a referee and makes a fast count.
The North defeat Cody Deaner and Wheels via Pinfall in 7mins18secs
Davie’s thoughts: It’s quite difficult to rate these “Cinematches” from a wrestling point of view, so I feel I can only talk about it from how much I was entertained and I was entertained! Over the last few weeks both The North and Cody Deaner have been unable to work at Impact tapings due to not being able to leave Canada due to the pandemic and both have been creating entertaining vignettes to stay relevant. It made complete sense to have both face off against each other and they had a really entertaining cinematic brawl. The Deaners Compound reminded me Dwight Schrute’s family from The Office and made for some fun side characters. The Tombstone on top of the truck looked great and was perhaps a nod to the Boneyard Match in which this match most closely resembled. The referee in the wheelchair (Cameron Adamson) managing to hit a 619 and 450 Splash was also very entertaining. I definitely prefer traditional wrestling over these stylized matches but under the circumstances I can’t say that I did not enjoy this.
TJP and Fallah Bahh Interview
TJP and Fallah Bahh are being interviewed backstage. TJP brings up their Fatal Four Way wi, which made them Number One Contenders and that they are just waiting for The North to be allowed back in the United States. The Rascalz approach and seem to be “under the influence”. They say that they don’t have the best memories but were pretty sure that they won that Fatal Four Way. Both teams agree to face each other next week to be Number One Contender for the Tag Team Championship.
The Rascalz Treehouse
Trey is in The Rascalz Treehouse with Dez and Wentz who are talking about their Number One Contender match against TJP and Fallah Bahh. Moose enters and gives Trey a pair of sunglasses. The Rascalz start to laugh and ask why Moose is carrying the TNA Championship. Moose scolds them for “not watching the product” and says that if Trey wins the tournament he should challenge for the TNA Championship instead as great people like Kurt Angle, Sting, and Moose have held that championship. The Rascalz started to make fun of Moose’s name and Moose reminds them what happened last time they made fun of him.
Flashback Moment of the Week
This week’s Flashback Moment of the Week was from Impact on March 30th, 2017 where Moose faced Cody for the Impact Grand Championship, which Moose retains via the judge’s decision.
Deonna Purrazzo Vignette
It appears that Deonna Purrazzo has signed with Impact Wrestling or at least is going to be working with them for the time being. She cuts a promo calling herself “The Virtuosa” and explains that it is someone who “possesses an outstanding technical ability and appreciation for artistic excellence” and she says that she has an “equation for success”.
Davie’s thoughts: I’m really happy to see Deonna has found herself somewhere so soon after her release. As someone who has followed NXT for a long time I was always impressed by Purrazzo and thought that she should have been given an opportunity. She never really got the chance to talk in NXT but she proved here that she can sound confident. The actual content of the promo I wasn’t too keen on and I hope that when she actually debuts she doesn’t continue to use this kind of verbiage but I did like her delivery. I was hoping that she would sign with AEW as I feel their Women’s Division could really use someone like Purrazzo. However with talent like Kiera Hogan and Kylie Rae in Impact I think Purrazzo is going to be a great fit.
Rosemary with John E Bravo
Rosemary is still at the bar with John E Bravo talking about some man she almost married but then assassinated him instead. Bravo describes how he has been in an abusive relationship with a woman who makes him wear sunglasses, earmuffs, and pick up dog poop. Rosemary tells him that she is in his corner now and they set up the first date.
Next Week on Impact
Rascalz vs TJP and Fallah
Kiera and Tasha vs Susie and Kylie
Crazzy Steve vs Joseph P Ryan
Locker Room Talk with Chris Bey
Finals of the No1 Contender tournament
Semi-Final #1 Contender’s tournament
Michael Elgin vs Trey
The main event of tonight’s Impact was between Michael Elgin and Trey to determine who will be in the Final of the Number One Contenders Tournament for the Impact Championship. The match started with Trey trying to use his speed against Elgin but continuously getting knocked down. Trey sends Elgin to the outside with a Hurricanrana and tries to follow up with another Rana to the floor but gets caught and put back on the apron. Trey attempts a Moonsault off the apron but gets caught, he slips out and Handsprings off the apron landing a DDT to Elgin on the floor. Trey follows up with a Split Legged Moonsault in the ring for a two count. Elgin makes a come back by laying in some stiff Forearms. He encourages Trey to hit him back but they don’t have any effect. Elgin hits some Chops, which causes Trey to “hulk up” and starts to lay in some stiff forearms of his own. Elgin comes back with an Enziguri and goes for the Elgin Bomb but it gets blocked. Trey hits a Code Red and reverses a Vertical Suplex into a Stunner for a two count. Elgin comes back with a huge Clothesline but is met by a Bottom Rope Springboard Cutter from Trey for a two count. Trey reverses a Top Rope Powerbomb into a Hurricanrana. He follows up with a Meteora off the top for another two-count. Trey then gets caught in a Powerbomb, which is followed up by another big Clothesline for a two count. Elgin sets up for the Elgin Bomb but the lights go out as Sammy Callihan has “hacked” the match. The lights come back up and Elgin turns into a Jackknife Cover from Trey for the win.
Trey defeats Michael Elgin via Pinfall in 18 mins 4 secs (Plus commercial break)
Davie’s thoughts: This match was excellent. The story is told of the overconfident veteran challenging the underdog to step up to him was really nicely told. Michael Elgin has had a few really great television matches recently and I think should be featured in the main events against up and coming talent more often. The loss didn’t hurt Elgin as he was distracted by Callihan but the win will mean a lot to Trey. Really fun match and I definitely recommend watching it.
I feel Impact has been on a bit of a roll recently as this was another strong week with two really good tv matches and a very entertaining “Cinematch”. I think Ace Austin vs Trey next week should be excellent and I expect Austin to go on to face Blanchard unless Trey wins and decides to challenge Moose.
7 Deaner Cousins Out of 10