IMPACT Wrestling Emergence
August 12th, 2022
Cicero Stadium in Chicago, IL
Commentary: Tom Hannifan & Matthew Rehwoldt
RECOMMENDED MATCHES OF THE NIGHT: Bandido vs. Rey Horus, Jordynne Grace vs. Mia Yim, Josh Alexander vs. Alex Shelley
Countdown to Emergence
· IMPACT Digital Media Championship: Brian Myers (c) def. Bhupinder Gujjar by pinfall at 7:21 with a roll-up, to retain.
· IMPACT Knockouts World Tag Team Championship: VXT (Deonna Purrazzo & Chelsea Green) def. Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary (c) (w/ Jessicka) by pinfall at 8:00 to become NEW IMPACT Knockouts World Tag Team Champions. Rosemary accidently spit the green mist into Taya’s face and then got hit with a double suplex from VXT, followed by Chelsea pinning Rosemary for the win.
IMPACT X-Division Championship: Mike Bailey (c) vs. Jack Evans
Mike Bailey starts the match trying to give a handshake, but right away, Jack Evans rolls him up a couple times for some pin attempts before escaping to the outside. Evans goes back inside and keeps evading Bailey, until hitting a cheap shot to start the offense. They trade a couple leg sweeps and pin attempts before Evans hits a crossbody for a one count. They duck and dodge each other a bit more before running the ropes and taking each other down with a double crossbody. Evans heads to the outside, where Bailey hits him with a couple suicide dives. Evans comes back with a corkscrew kick off the ropes for a two count. Bailey tries to come back with a flip off the corner but gets a kick right to the face from Evans who then follows with a slingshot attempt, that Bailey flips out of and hits a running knee. Bailey comes back with a flurry of offense, but Evans returns with a Northern Lights Suplex and a Falcon Arrow for a two. Bailey kicks Evans off the apron and then follows with a moonsault from the inside to the outside. Back inside, Evans hits a Blockbuster for a two. Evans heads to the top rope and keeps trying to fight off Bailey, before hitting the German Suplex. Bailey fights off Evans, and quickly hits the Ultima Weapon for the pin.
Winner: Mike Bailey by pinfall at 12:38, to retain
The Final Battle
Honor No More has a promo backstage where Eddie Edwards talks about destiny and how they refuse to die. If they lose tonight, they are forced to disband and no longer will have each other to rely on and forced in the deep end with the rest of the sharks and backstabbers in this business, and they will not let that happen. Edwards mentions Doc Gallows coming in this no DQ match injured, because PCO did what they asked him to do and it’s time to show them that he has what it takes to finish the job. Edwards says just because Kenny King isn’t in this match doesn’t mean he’s not a pivotal part in this war. King says how each and every one of them has a job to do tonight and he’s got their six and he will set a trap and catch Heath. Maria Kanellis-Bennet talks about how it’s been 8 years since the Bullet Club has been chasing the OGK, but tonight is bigger than that and it’s about spreading Honor No More’s message and tonight is the final battle, and Bullet Club is all out of ammo.
Steve Maclin & Sami Callihan Never Starts
Steve Maclin attacks Sami Callihan as he’s making his entrance, and they brawl outside the ring before the match begins, but Callihan stops Maclin with a suplex on the stage before tossing Maclin in the ring. Callihan brings a chair inside the ring, and they fight over it as well as attacking the referee, taking him out. They go back outside and start brawling into the crowd, as Callihan tosses Maclin into the barricade. They both disappear into the back as the match never starts and they move onto the next segment.
Violent By Design (Eric Young & Deaner) (w/ Joe Doering) vs. KUSHIDA & Chris Sabin
KUSHIDA and Eric Young start the match, but right away Young goes to the outside to try to shut up the crowd. Young drives KUSHIDA right into his corner, as Deaner tags in and continues the attack. KUSHIDA starts working on Deaner’s left arm while quickly tagging Chris Sabin in and out. Sabin continues to work on it, as KUSHIDA tags in and they hit a couple double team moves on Deaner. Young is able to stop their momentum by kicking KUSHIDA from the back. KUSHIDA meets Young on the top rope, but Young bites him off and puts on a Hangman’s choke followed by a diving elbow drop. Young follows that with a neckbreaker for a two as VBD continues to double team on KUSHIDA. VBD continues to make quick tags while keeping KUSHIDA in their corner. Commentary promotes their Micro Brawlers, and interestingly shows one for Bobby Roode. Chris Sabin gets the hot tag and takes out Young, before hitting a running boot and a kick to Deaner for a two count. Young stops Sabin from trying to hit a Cradle Shock and tosses him to the outside. KUSHIDA comes in and takes out VBD, holding the rope for Sabin who dives onto Young on the outside. Sabin hits a Cradle Shock on Deaner, but Young breaks it up. Sabin tries a Cradle Shock on Young, but they fight him off as Young hits a neckbreaker followed by a double headbutt from Deaner and the flying elbow drop from Young, but KUSHIDA is able to break up the pin. KUSHIDA comes back with a double springboard elbow to take out VBD. All four men go at it with Sabin and KUSHIDA hitting some beautiful double team offense. Deaner distracts the referee as Joe Doering knocks KUSHIDA off the top rope. Young comes back and hits a piledriver on Sabin for the pin and the win.
Winners: Violent By Design (Eric Young & Deaner) by pinfall at 12:42
What’s VXT?
Gia Miller is backstage with the new IMPACT Knockouts World Tag Team Champions VXT as they call themselves the two biggest stars in IMPACT and will dominate the entire world of professional wrestling. Deonna Purrazzo says VXT is their entire 10-year friendship and history as Chelsea Green says everybody labeled them problematic, hard to deal with and bullies, but they just knew exactly how good they are and are done tip-toeing around it.
The Red Headed Rebel
Kenny King heads to the ring with a chair, not dressed to wrestle. King says the reason he’s out here is that it’s a big night for his family Honor No More. King says the Chicago Bears have a better chance at winning the Super Bowl than Bullet Club has of beating Honor No More. King says Heath is so scared to death that he hides in the shadows, and he wouldn’t dare square up against them face to face. Since they are in Chicago, he’s going to slide on Heath and call him a Red Headed Rat Bastard. We cut to the crowd where we see Sami Callihan and Steve Maclin are still brawling up the stands. As King is watching them, Heath surprises him from behind and hits the Wake-Up Call. Heath heads into the crowd as Gia Miller tries to get a word with him. Gia asks if this means he’ll get involved in tonight’s 10-man match, but Heath says that’s all Bullet Club’s business but if Honor No More still exists after this, he’ll meet them on the other side. Heath tells the crowd to give him the ‘rebel yeah’ before high fiving some fans.
Upcoming Shows
· Victory Road on Friday, September 23rd in Nashville, TN
· Bound for Glory on Friday, October 7th in Albany, NY
Rey Horus vs. Bandido
This is presented as a AAA attraction match, as Bandido comes out with gear that seems to be inspired by the Green Power Ranger. They start the match trying to take each other down, while running the ropes before Bandido hits a knee strike and a head scissors. They run the ropes some more with super speed before both stand to a standing ovation and a Lucha chant. Bandido takes Rey Horus outside with a pump kick before hitting him with a Fosbury Flop. Bandido heads to the top rope, but Horus stops a diving Bandido with a drop kick for a two. Horus calls for the Brainbuster, but Bandido stops him and hits the Three Amigos. Bandido follows with a headstand into a splash for a two count. Bandido gets tossed to the outside, as Horus runs the ropes and hits a big dive over the corner onto Bandido. Horus follows with a 180 splash for a two count. Bandido stops Horus with an impressive looking one armed press slam for a two count. They head to the top, where Horus hits a crazy looking tilt-a-whirl Tornado DDT for a two count. They head back to the top where Bandido hits a deadlift suplex to Horus from the apron to the second rope, with one arm. This is wild. They go back and forth with some wild offense, including cutters before kicking each other down to the mat. The crowd is fully into this, as these two are not stopping with the offense. Bandido hits a pump knee strike, heads to the top and hits the Frog Splash but Horus kicks out at two, but Horus comes back with another tilt-a-whirl DDT for a two. Bandido catches Horus and hits him with a knee to the face followed by the 21 Plex for the win. This match was fantastic, and it amazes me that Bandido hasn’t been used more for a major U.S. company since Ring of Honor got purchased.
Winner: Bandido by pinfall at 12:56
Common Enemy
Gia Miller is backstage with Moose and asks about his rumored alliance with Steve Maclin. Moose said he was enjoying his night off and says every time he sees Gia, she asks the same dumb questions, and this is the last time he will say this. Him and Steve Maclin are not a thing, not an alliance or in cahoots, they aren’t even friends. In fact, he doesn’t need Maclin’s help to beat up Sami Callihan. As he continues, Steve Maclin and Sami Callihan brawl into Moose, as Moose joins in on the attack with Maclin on Callihan. All three men take this fight ringside, with Maclin and Moose having the upper hand. D’Lo Brown sends him a dozen or so security guards to break it up. Scott D’Amore comes out and says he knew there wouldn’t be a regular wrestling match, so makes a no DQ match between Maclin and Callihan, but says Moose is not allowed ringside. As Maclin turns around, Callihan smashes him over the head with a chair.
No Disqualification Match: Sami Callihan vs. Steve Maclin
The bell officially rings, as Sami Callihan starts smashing Steve Maclin’s head against the ring steps, busting him wide open. Callihan continues on the offense, tossing Maclin around ringside, chopping him against the barricade. Maclin is able to get the upper hand, and traps Callihan in the barricade where he hits him with the Crosshairs, while the blood is flowing down his face. Maclin follows with a suplex on the outside before hitting a diving elbow off the apron. Maclin grabs a chair and starts smacking Callihan’s back with it. Maclin tosses Calling inside along with a bunch of chairs and a Swiffer, but as the crowd gives a big pop for the Swiffer, Maclin gets rid of it as the ‘asshole’ chants rain down. Maclin places Callihan on a chair and gives him a dozen elbows but Callihan is able to grab Maclin and hit an Exploder suplex onto the chair. Callihan viciously tosses two chairs into the face of Maclin, with the second one staying on his head. Callihan calls for his finisher, but Maclin hits him with a low blow followed by multiple chair shots to the midsection of Callihan. Maclin tosses a tool box into the ring where he finds a zip tie. Maclin hits him with the KIA but starts screaming that he’s not done, as he puts on a sleeper hold. Callihan fights his way out with a low blow before tossing another chair into Maclin’s face before stomping Maclin down low, multiple times. Callihan ends up putting the zip tie on Maclin’s wrists, before smacking him around saying he wanted a war. Maclin spits in Callihan’s face which prompts Callihan to hit him with the Cactus Driver ’97 for the pin and the win.
Winner: Sami Callihan by pinfall at 11:21
No Disqualification Match: Honor No More (Eddie Edwards, Mike Bennett, Matt Taven, PCO & Vincent) vs. Bullet Club (Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Ace Austin, Chris Bey & Hikuleo)
The stipulations here are if Honor No More wins, the OGK get a tag team title shot against the Good Brothers, but if the Bullet Club win, then Honor No More has to disband. Maria Kanellis comes out with Honor No More, but heads to the back before the match starts, and when the bell rings all 10 men are in the ring and start brawling. They start spilling to the outside, until it’s just Vincent and the Good Brothers in the ring, as they double team on him. Matt Taven and Mike Bennett break it up and start attacking Doc Gallows, but he comes back with a double clothesline as he immediately tends to his injured arm. Karl Anderson and Eddie Edwards start going at it, as Vincent joins in. Chris Bey and Ace Austin run in next and take out Edwards in the corner. They work on Vincent next before Bey tries to dive onto PCO just to get choke slammed on the apron. PCO and Hikuleo start going at it next until Hikuleo tosses PCO to the outside as Bey hops over Hikuleo to dive onto the outside. Hikuleo tries to dive next, but Taven stops him, just to get tossed on the outside by Hikuleo. Austin and Taven tussle on the apron, where Austin hits him with the Fold onto everybody else on the outside. The Good Brothers start tossing chairs, trash cans and other weapons into the ring as Bullet Club use them and take the advantage. The OGK come back and double team Hikuleo and Bey. Honor No More surrounds Bey but PCO misses the PCO Sault and lands on the trash can. The OGK sent Gallows into the crowd and continued on the attack, with Edwards joining them. PCO joins them, just for Gallows to toss PCO off the railing onto a table on the floor. Bey and Austin set up another table, placing Gallows onto it for Vincent to dive onto him and the table with the Redrum. Edwards starts attacking Anderson with a kendo stick, but Gallows is able to stop him. Honor No More starts ganging up on Gallows, as Taven hits Gallows with the Climax on top of a trash can for the pin and the win.
Winners: Honor No More (Eddie Edwards, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, PCO & Vincent) by pinfall at 15:48
IMPACT Knockouts World Championship: Jordynne Grace (c) vs. Mia Yim
They start the match, both taking each other down as the crowd seems split. They lock-up and make their way around the ring until Scott Armstrong breaks them up in the corner. They start leapfrogging each other until Jordynne Grace dropkicks Mia Yim’s knee and hits a deadlift German Suplex for a one count. Grace retreats to the outside just for Yim to dive onto her. Back inside, Grace tries to suplex Yim, but Yim is able to take her down with a guillotine. Grace fights it off and hits the vertical suplex. They head to the top rope, where Grace tries a sunset flip bomb before hitting a running power bomb. They go back and forth with kicks and forearms, but Yim hits a Pele Kick for a two. Grace pushes Yim off and hits a spinebuster for a two. Grace puts on the Muta Lock, but Yim is able to reverse it and put on a lock of her own before they both keep the chin lock on. Yim comes back and hits a Tornado DDT for a two count. Grace catches Yim on the top rope and hits the Muscle Buster, but Yim kicks out at two. They head back to the top rope where Yim hits the Code Blue for a two count. They go back and forth with pin attempts before Yim hits a pair of kicks but Grace ducks one and hits the Grace Driver for the pin.
Winner: Jordynne Grace by pinfall at 13:25, to retain
As Jordynne Grace goes to shake Mia Yim’s hand after the match, Masha Slamovich makes her way to the ring. Masha gets in Grace’s face and hands her an envelope. Grace opens it and finds a crossed off photo of herself.
IMPACT World Championship: Josh Alexander (c) vs. Alex Shelley
David Penzer, with the introductions, mentions this is Alex Shelley’s first world title shot after 20 years in the business. They lock up and back up into the ropes right away before they go for takedowns. Shelley starts working on Josh Alexander’s arm before putting on a side headlock. Shelley knocks Alexander’s headgear off and starts working on his left leg. Alexander takes over as they stay grounded on the mat with submissions and holds. Alexander knocks Shelley down with a big boot as he tries to shake off his arm before hitting a backbreaker for a one count. Shelley fights off Alexander with an elbow in the corner followed by a knee off the top rope and a tilt-a-whirl into the Border City Stretch, but Alexander powers out with another backbreaker. Shelley takes Alexander out on the outside with a kick off the apron, but Alexander comes right back with a crossbody to knock Shelley off the apron to the outside. Shelley stops Alexander with a dragon screw before continuing to work on Alexander’s left leg. Shelley starts twisting Alexander up, but Alexander breaks out but fails to deliver the C4 Spike with his injuries. They go back and forth until Alexander is able to deliver a suplex. They start exchanging strikes until Alexander hits a T-Bone Suplex. Alexander heads to the ropes, but Shelley gets out of the way, hits a kick before driving Alexander head first into the middle turnbuckle.
Shelley hits a Tornado DDT, heads to the top rope, and hits a frog splash for a two count, with Alexander holding on and putting on an ankle lock but Shelley is able to reach for a rope break. Shelley comes right back with a Sliced Bread, but Alexander rolls him up for a close two count. Shelley comes back and hits the Air Raid Crash, but Alexander kicks out before rolling to the outside. They fight on the outside for a bit where Shelley hits another Sliced Bread, rolls Alexander in, and gets a two count, but right away puts on the Border City Stretch again. They get back up, where Shelley hits a dozen or so chops followed by a running kick to the injured left arm of Alexander. Alexander blocks the Shell Shock and hits two German Suplexes, blocks a Sliced Bread attempt by dropping Shelley face first down. Alexander hits a ripped cord elbow and gets a two count. Alexander is able to fight off Shelley and puts on another ankle lock, before transitioning into the Sharpshooter. Shelley fights out of it, but Alexander puts the ankle lock right back on. Shelley kicks out, rolls up Alexander and puts on the Border City Stretch again. Shelley comes back and hits two Shell Shocks, but Alexander comes back with a Tombstone piledriver for two. Shelley comes right back with another Shell Shock, but Alexander is able to end him with a deadly looking C4 Spike for the pin and the win.
Winner: Josh Alexander by pinfall at 27:29, to retain
