IMPACT! Wrestling
June 17th, 2021
Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee
Commentary: Josh Mathews & D’Lo Brown
Before The IMPACT! – Jake Something def. Shawn Daivari by pinfall at 9:50. After the match Brian Myers and Sam Beale attack Something.
Make Time for Moose
Gia Miller starts the show outside the door of Scott D’Amore and talks about rumors that have been going around since Sami Callihan got fired. She knocks on the door, nobody answers, so Moose shows up and gets D’Amore to open up. Moose doesn’t give a damn about Callihan getting fired and says the only match that should happen is his rematch at Slammiversary against Kenny Omega. D’Amore says he’s pissed along with Callihan, and Anthem is sending a representative tonight to sort this out and tells Moose he has to sit and wait for this one. Moose questions about not having time for him, so he’ll make time.
TJP (w/ Fallah Bahh) vs. Black Taurus (w/ Crazzy Steve)
Taurus starts the match in control, but TJP is able to twist himself out and hit his head scissors, but Taurus quickly reverses out. Taurus misses in the corner, as they trade off arm drags and pin attempts. Taurus blocks TJP in the corner and hits a headbutt before starting to work on TJP’s legs. Taurus hits a pump handle into a backbreaker for a 2 count. TJP misses in the corner and spills out to the outside. Taurus goes right after him before scaring off Bahh at ringside. Taurus hits a torture rack into a backbreaker for another two. TJP hits a hurricanrana off the top rope, followed by an inverted Atomic Drop and a springboard crossbody. TJP hits a boot wash in the corner followed by a Tornado DDT, but Taurus escapes to the outside before he can get pinned. Bahh and Steve surround him, and TJP leaps to all three on the outside. Back inside, TJP hits the Mamba Splash for the pin.
Winner: TJP by pinfall at 6:16
A Moose Hijacking
As TJP is getting his hands raised, Moose runs in and takes out TJP, tossing him to the outside. Moose grabs a chair and a microphone and questions Scott D’Amore not having time for Moose after being screwed at Against All Odds. Moose says he is hijacking this show once again until D’Amore comes out and makes time for him. Three security guards come out who Moose points at and says neither one of them are Scott and if they try to do anything he’ll take them out. Chris Sabin runs in, hits a missile dropkick and a chair shot to the head making Moose escape. Sabin tells Moose not to worry about Kenny Omega, but to worry about Chris Sabin, and what better place than now and here, as this is Sabin’s first time back in weeks after being taken out by Moose.
Leveling the Playing Field
We go backstage where Rohit Raju is talking to Ace Austin and Madman Fulton and says whatever plan Austin was giving him doesn’t make sense. Austin apologizes for Fulton attacking him but says a few days before everybody took Fulton, so let’s just move on from this. Austin says that he and Raju are the top contenders in the X-Division and if they can get on the same page, they can level the playing field at Ultimate X and it can come down between the two, and then it’ll be a fair fight. Raju says it does make sense and agrees to it. Raju says Austin isn’t the only one who got an ace up his sleeve and thinks of a way to make this better.
The Real Wrestling God
Gia Miller stops Chris Sabin and asks how his knee is after not being seen from Under Siege. Sabin says how dare Moose do what he did and says the ‘Wrestling God’ is a load of crap, and maybe the real Wrestling God sent Sabin to humble Moose. And challenges Moose to a match at Slammiversary to find out how divine Moose really is.
Madman Fulton (w/ Ace Austin) vs. Josh Alexander
Non-title match here for the X-Division Champion, Josh Alexander as they hype up the return of Ultimate X at Slammiversary with Alexander defending against Trey Miguel, Ace Austin, Chris Bey, Rohit Raju, and Petey Williams. Alexander sporting a shiner from his Ironman match with TJP from a few weeks back. Fulton starts the match tossing Alexander around, but Alexander comes back and clotheslines Fulton to the outside. Fulton catches Alexander from coming back in the ring and hits a release suplex and a headbutt to the ribs. Fulton ends up back on the outside as he grabs Alexander and lawn darts him onto the apron plus a boot as they go to commercial.
When we come back, Alexander is fighting back but fails to suplex Fulton, getting snake-eyed and clawed into the corner instead. As Fulton has the referee distracted, Austin digs his knuckles into the eyes of Fulton. Alexander comes back with a knee to the back head from the top rope and a delayed vertical suplex for a two count. They reverse each other a bit until Alexander hits a roaring elbow followed by Divine Intervention for the pin.
Winner: Josh Alexander by pinfall at 9:56
Ace Austin runs in and starts attacking Alexander right away, as he’s going for the Fold, Petey Williams runs out and starts attacking Austin. Petey calls for the Canadian Destroyer, but Rohit Raju runs in for the save and takes out Petey with a buzzsaw kick. Trey Miguel runs in and takes out Raju. Shera runs in and takes out both Miguel and Petey Williams. Alexander runs back in and he and Shera go at it, ending with Shera hitting Alexander with a chokeslam/backbreaker combo. Raju, Shera, Austin & Fulton stand tall with their hands raised as Raju reveals this is the plan he was alluding to.
Typical Degenerate Millennial
Backstage Deonna Purrazzo is reprimanding both Kimber Lee and Susan about them not being able to back her up and the plan hasn’t been going according to plan for months. Susan yells back saying that Deonna wouldn’t be Knockouts Champion if it wasn’t for them. Deonna says she’s done with both of them and doesn’t need them anymore. As Susan mumbles just a ‘typical degenerate millennial’.
Everybody is Under a Spell
Gia Miller is backstage with W. Morrissey and asks about his thoughts after beating Rich Swann at Against All Odds. Morrissey says everybody here has this idea that they have friends that will help them get to the top of IMPACT. Well, Swann has Willie Mack as a best friend and that didn’t work out well at Against All Odds. TJP had Fallah Bahh who didn’t help out for Moose, and Kojima had Eddie Edwards who didn’t help against Joe Doering. Morrissey says everybody is under a spell about these friends who will watch their back, but the truth is, they aren’t your friends and they will only stab you in the back. Morrissey had to learn one of the hardest lessons in life and the hard way. In this industry, in this life, the only person that he can trust is himself.
Steve Maclin vs. Jason Page
Maclin, the former Steve Cutler from the Forgotten Sons in WWE, makes his debut tonight as Mathews and D’Lo say they tried to get info earlier on Maclin, but he wouldn’t talk to them. Jason Page has been seen recently on AEW Dark as Jason Hotch. Maclin viciously takes down Page with knees to the stomach and suplexes him on the ropes. Maclin starts kicking Page in the face and shots to the back. Page tries to fight back, but Maclin takes him down hard with a clothesline. Maclin starts delivering elbows to the neck of Page, followed by a sit-out jumping reverse DDT for the pin.
Winner: Steve Maclin by pinfall at 1:53
Why She’s Upset
We peak in, to Rachael Ellering and Jordynne Grace talking backstage and Ellering says she knows Grace is upset at her but would like for her to be ringside for her match with Tenille. Grace admits that she’s upset because people think Grace only got the titles because Ellering came in and says she’s listening to Tenille, because that’s the only person Ellering is talking to nowadays.
Toilet Seat Lawyer
Gia Miller backstage outside the locker room of Kenny Omega and Don Callis. Callis opens the door, as Miller asks about the controversy at Against All Odds. Callis says since Miller is from Alabama, she probably has about 14 siblings, so she can understand his and Callis having a sibling-type relationship where they argue and have different skill sets. Callis says that D’Amore has the skill to put his feelings for the wrestlers aside, Callis admits that he doesn’t, doesn’t even know their names but as numbers on a spreadsheet. Because of that, Callis is the heavy and has to make hard decisions. Callis says himself and D’Amore have spoken about 100 times about firing Sami Callihan, and it was inevitable. Miller asks if the Anthem Representative worries Callis, and Callis isn’t worried about a corporate stooge coming and thinks they are just sending someone over to thank Callis. Whatever toilet seat lawyer they are sending there to talk to him should bear gifts for taking care of a long-standing problem.
Tenille Dashwood (w/ Kaleb with a K) vs. Rachael Ellering
Tenille starts the match by gifting Ellering a t-shirt with herself and Kaleb on it, but Ellering throws it away saying she just wants to have this match as Kaleb is upset ringside. They start by exchanging wrist locks, with Ellering coming up with the upper hand and a leg drop on Tenille’s arm for a pin attempt. This continues on for about three minutes until Ellering tries another pin attempt. Tenille tries to break this off by pulling on Rachael’s hair. Ellering whips Tenille to the corners, landing flying forearms but missing one, and as the referee checks on Tenille, Kaleb holds Ellering back by tying her foot up with a towel. Kaleb tries to take pictures of Ellering to distract her, but Tenille only gets a near fall. Tenille tries to hit her low crossbody in the corner, but Ellering rolls to the outside. They start exchanging strikes on the outside as Kaleb continues with the pictures. Tenille ends up whipping Ellering against the guard rails before heading back inside. Tenille continues with the upper hand, but Rachael comes back with a suplex and a sling blade. Ellering hits a senton for a two count. Tenille is able to stop Ellering’s offense with a clothesline but only gets a two, herself. Ellering comes back with a spine buster, picks Tenille up, but Tenille reverses and hits her low crossbody for a two. Ellering tries to go for the pin, but Kaleb blinds Ellering with a ring light over his phone as Tenille rolls up Ellering for the pin.
Winner: Tenille Dashwood by pinfall at 11:52
Kill a Moose, Kill a Bull
TJP and Fallah Bahh are knocking on Scott D’Amore’s door, but he isn’t opening it. Crazzy Steve and Black Taurus come and ask why TJP is upset, and he admits it’s because of Moose. Steve says they are frustrated just as well, as TJP keeps knocking, Steve stops him and says they have unfinished business. Bahh suggests a tag match, and Steve agrees to say it sounds delightful. TJP says ‘Kill a Moose, kill a bull’, I don’t care.
Jeepers Creepers
Fire ‘N Flava backstage and talk about their successful title defense at Against All Odds, and since they are the best tag team in all of Knockout’s history, they are going to go and ask everybody who the best is. They stop a janitor who’s mopping who says his name is Dan. They ask Dan who the baddest tag team in history is, and he says he just started today and doesn’t know who they are. Kiera Hogan tells Dan to keep sweeping his mess as they are the best, and he knows nothing. They stop another guy who’s taking out the garbage and ask him the same question. He says he can’t help them as Rosemary creeps up behind Fire ‘N Flava. Rosemary tells them to stop harassing mortals and Fire ‘N Flava says they have no time for this. As they start backing away, Havok is behind them. Rosemary attacks Tasha Steelz, Kiera tries to walk away but Rosemary and Havok throw her into the trash bin. Tasha says ‘jeepers creepers’, and Kiera finds a trash bag that says ‘Mickie’ on it, as a reference to Mickie James.
Rhino (w/ Eric Young, Deaner & Joe Doering) vs. Satoshi Kojima (w/ Eddie Edwards)
It’s noted that if Kojima wins, he and Eddie Edwards get a tag team title shot against Violence by Design. Rhino takes down Kojima right away a couple of times, but Kojima fights back. Rhino comes back with shots to the back of Kojima as Eric Young yells advice. Kojima comes back and takes down Rhino with a back elbow followed by an elbow that takes Rhino to the outside to huddle up with Violent by Design as we go to the commercial.
We come back as Rhino is choking Kojima out in the corner. Kojima elbows his way out, but Rhino takes him down with an elbow of his own for a 2 count. Rhino continues to twist the head of Kojima as the seconds outside cheer on. Kojima fights his way out, but Rhino continues to stay in command. Kojima dodges out of the corner and delivers the machine gun chops to Rhino. Kojima whips Rhino in the corner, hits a flying forearm followed by a flying elbow off the top rope, but Rhino kicks out at two. Kojima continues landing forearms, a spinning forearm, but Rhino takes him down with a clothesline. Rhino whips Kojima in the corner, hits a shoulder block, but Kojima comes back with a DDT. Rhino blocks a Koji Cutter and hits a belly-to-belly suplex. Rhino sets up for the Gore, but Kojima side steps, and hits the Koji Cutter. Both men are laid out taking their time to get up. Kojima sets up for the lariat, Rhino ducks it, but Kojima connects for the pin.
Winner: Satoshi Kojima by pinfall at 11:13
Next Week
IMPACT Tag Team Championship: Violent by Design (c) (Deaner & Joe Doering) vs. Satoshi Kojima & Eddie Edwards
Kiera Hogan vs. Rosemary
Rohit Raju & Shera vs. Petey Williams & Trey Miguel
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Susan
The Anthem Representative
As D’Lo Brown and Josh Mathews are teeing up next week’s show, they hear the voice of Sami Callihan and realize he’s in the ring saying nobody fires him and he’s calling out Don Callis and Scott D’Amore as we go to the final commercial.
When we come back, Sami Callihan is surrounded by five security guards and says if he wants to be on tv, he’ll be on tv. D’Amore walks out and tells Callihan to breathe and tells security to raid out. D’Amore says if Sami wants to lay him out, to go ahead, but for once, he’s on Sami’s side. What happened at Against All Odds was unfair, and he’s going to fix this for him. That’s why the Anthem board is sending somebody here tonight and that person is already in the building. D’Amore says what Callihan is doing right now though is proving Callis’ point and he knows that Callihan’s instinct is to fight but to have faith in him that this will get fixed. Callihan doesn’t give a damn what D’Amore has to say, he doesn’t like authority, but for once, let’s do things his way as Callihan hits his lights and disappears from the ring.
Don Callis walks out and says he hates to say I told you so, but ‘Captain Crazy’ has just left the building and you can’t fix crazy. He hates to say it but didn’t Callihan just prove the point he was saying. Callis says maybe he overstepped his boundaries, but he did it for D’Amore since D’Amore has a soft spot for all the wrestlers and he and D’Amore are better than them. There’s a reason they don’t wrestle anymore because they are too successful to be garbage like the wrestlers. Callis sees them as the tools to make money and D’Amore is too close to them. D’Amore says Callis did it for Kenny Omega, and Callis says he had the guts and D’Amore argues back that he only did it for his nephew.
Tommy Dreamer walks out, and D’Amore says he loves him, but this isn’t the time for this. Callis tells Dreamer to give D’Lo Brown his jacket back, and D’Amore says he doesn’t have time for this as they are waiting for the representative from Anthem. Dreamer says he is the representative, as he went to Anthem about this. Dreamer says Sami Callihan has been reinstated, as the board has brought Dreamer here to announce that. Dreamer says someone else has to be fired as D’Amore screams that he’s been there for the wrestlers. Dreamer says personal relationships have been put in front of business, as Callis and D’Amore are hyping up that D’Amore is getting fired. Dreamer says this place was great, but when you put relationships in front of business, things need to change. Dreamer told the board, and they are making a change. And effective immediately, Don Callis is fired from IMPACT Wrestling, and as an EVP, he’s been terminated. D’Amore and Callis start yelling back and forth. Callis calls Tommy a ‘Bruce Prichard’ stooge and says this whole place is going to hell in a handbasket and they might as well make Dreamer the CEO. Dreamer says there’s a garbage bag in the back waiting for him.
As Callis is heading to the back, Sami Callihan stops him and says he was a Jackyl then and he’s a Jackyl now and he doesn’t work for IMPACT anymore. Callihan says he isn’t going to hurt him, but instead he’s going to bash in the brains of Kenny Omega and make Callis watch at Slammiversary.
