IMPACT Wrestling Against All Odds
June 9th, 2023
By: John Siino
Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, OH
Commentary: Tom Hannifan & Matthew Rehwoldt
KiLynn King (w/ Taylor Wide) vs. Nevaeh (Countdown to Against All Odds)
This is Neveah’s first match in IMPACT (right here in her home state of Ohio) in over 2 years as she last wrestled in April 2021. Neveah started the match attacking KiLynn King in the corner, but King knocked Neveah to the outside where Taylor Wilde attacked her a bit as King as the referee distracted. Back inside, King kept attacking Neveah and going for pin attempts. Neveah punched and chopped her way to a comeback before knocking Wilde off the apron, hitting a swinging neck breaker on Wilde, and getting a two count. They start trading strikes and kicks until Neveah hits a clothesline for a two-count. King comes back with a kick and the King’s Curse for the pin and the win.
Winner: KiLynn King by pinfall at 5:02
IMPACT Digital Media Championship: Joe Hendry (c) vs. Dirty Dango (Countdown to Against All Odds)
The Director of Authority Santino Marella came out to join commentary for this match. Joe Hendry came out and said that his two magical words for himself are We Believe, but then said there are two magical words for Dirty Dango as well and replaced the ‘Divas Reject’ music video from yesterday’s episode that talks about Dango going from beating Chris Jericho to impersonating the police with Tyler Breeze to being rejected by Summer Rae & Eva Marie on Total Divas. They run the ropes until Hendry sends Dango to the apron with a shoulder block, but he comes right back with a snap mare on the ropes. Dango grabs a T-Shirt from a fan in the crowd and tosses it in Santino’s face, but Hendry goes after him, hitting a neck breaker on the outside. Back inside, Dango puts the referee in between them to take control of the match. Hendry comes back with a cutter and a fallaway slam, before calling for his finisher. Dango blocks the Standing Ovation and hits a Falcon Arrow for a two-count. Dango goes to the top rope, but Hendry meets him up there before getting headbutted off. Dango starts talking trash to Santino and misses the Down & Dirty top rope leg-drop. Hendry follows with a vertical suplex and hits the Standing Ovation for the pin.
Winner: Joe Hendry by pinfall at 6:29, to retain
Frankie Kazarian vs. Eddie Edwards (w/ Alisha Edwards)
The story going into this match is that they were both trained by Killer Kowalski but have different methods now in their styles and persona, as they are fighting one-on-one for the first time ever. They start the match going back and forth with arm drags until Kazarian puts on a ‘Kowalski’ roll for a two-count. They run the ropes until Kazarian hits a side Russian leg sweep for a two-count. Kazarian keeps Edwards in the corner with chops, but he comes back with a vicious-looking Irish Whip sending Kazarian flying to the outside where Alisha Edwards rakes his back. Kazarian starts going after Alisha, but Edwards attacks him from behind. Edwards continues to distract the referee as Alisha chokes out Kazarian on the ropes. Edwards knocks Kazarian to the outside again and meets him there with a dive. Edwards comes back with a missile dropkick for a two-count. They start trading some hard slaps until Kazarian pushes Edwards off the top rope to the outside. Kazarian dives to Edwards on the outside with a beautiful-looking hurricanrana. Kazarian follows with the Hangman’s leg drop and a springboard DDT for a two. Edwards backs into a corner to block the Chicken Wing, but Kazarian comes back with a clothesline. Kazarian goes to springboard off the ropes, but Alisha gets on the apron to stop him. Kazarian ends up hitting on from another side of the ring and gets a two-count. They got back and forth a bit until Edwards hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. A bit more action, as Kazarian hits a piledriver, but as he goes for the pin Alisha puts Edwards’ foot on the rope, which results in her ejection. Kazarian goes to the top rope, but Edwards stops him and hits a Superplex. After a bit more back and forth and what looked like a blown three count, Kazarian is able to hold onto the legs of a Sunset Flip to Edwards for the pin. Edwards definitely has a case for a disputed finish.
Winner: Frankie Kazarian by pinfall at 12:30
The Trust Stuff
Jimmy Jacobs is backstage with Nick Aldis, Heath, Jonathan Gresham & Bully Ray ahead of their match and asks how unusual the situation is for tonight’s 8-4-1 Match. Aldis says he respects all of his partners when it’s an 8-man tag, but when it becomes a 4-way it’s every man for themselves. Gresham says he’ll do whatever it takes as Heath says he’ll trust his partners to get his hands on Steve Maclin. Bully Ray tells them to stop with the ‘trust stuff’ and calls them ‘white meat babyfaces with no freaking balls’. Ray says you can trust him in the 8-man tag match if they follow his lead. After that, they can take their respect and trust and throw it out the door as he’ll cut all their throats.
IMPACT World Tag Team Championship: ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) (c) vs. The Good Hands (John Skyler & Jason Hotch) (w/ Brian Myers)
Brian Myers gets on the mic and says ABC might physically have the tag team championship, but they don’t look like champs like The Good Hands. Chris Bey and John Skyler start the match as Skyler takes down Bey and mimics the ‘too sweet’ gesture. Jason Hotch tags in, but Bey holds his wrist and tags in Ace Austin as they start double-teaming Hotch. Austin starts chasing Hotch around the ring, not realizing Skyler was tagged in, and attacks Austin from behind. The Good Hands stay in control, working on Austin while tagging in and out. Austin is able to make the hot tag to Bey who fights off both Hotch and Skyler. Bey hits a couple of moves including a Code Red for a two-count on Hotch. ABC starts double-teaming The Good Hands but Skyler escapes as Austin takes out Bey with a kick. Austin goes for the pin but gets pushed off and ends up taking out Myers on the outside. Austin starts fighting off The Good Hands on the apron, but Skyler takes him out with a spear followed by a moonsault off the corner by Hotch. Bey follows with a dive, over the referee to the Good Hands which wakes this crowd up. Myers takes out Austin on the outside with a title belt, as the referee was preoccupied. The Good hands hit the Magic Killer on Austin, as Skyler covers him, but he’s still able to kick out. Austin is able to fight them both off as Bey takes out Skyler with a DDT. Austin is able to fling Hotch off the top rope right into the Art of Finesse followed by The Fold by Austin to Hotch for the three-count in a really fun tag team match.
Winners: ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) by pinfall at 9:43, to retain
Every Ounce Of Glow
Gia Miller is backstage with Trinity & Deonna Purrazzo and says before they face off at Slammiversary, they will team up tonight for the very first time and asks if they’ll be able to stay on the same page. Deonna says they have matching gear so they are already halfway there. Deonna says her championship is the most important thing in the world to her and she has to be 100% to keep it at Slammiversary and wants Trinity at 100% as well. Trinity agrees and wants Deonna to feel every ounce of her glow.
Dog Collar Match: Masha Slamovich vs. Killer Kelly
Two other officials make sure the collars are secure before the match starts. It starts violent right away with Killer Kelly going after Masha Slamovich with punches before Kelly gets pulled down by the chain. Masha starts choking out Kelly with the chain but Kelly just smiles it off. Masha comes with stomps to Kelly’s hand on top of the chain. Masha continues by raking the chain in Kelly’s eyes as the referee asks Kelly if she wants to continue as she can call this match off. Kelly says no and kicks Masha off to the outside. They start having a tug of war outside, as Masha pulls Kelly right into the post. Masha starts choking Kelly with the chain around the post while biting her. Masha drags Kelly back inside by the chain and gets a two-count. They go back and forth until they both get knocked out by a clothesline. Kelly starts hitting a bunch of clotheslines with the chain before stopping Masha with a couple of headbutts and a double under-hook suplex. Kelly hits a dropkick in the corner, before pulling Masha in for a DDT for a two-count. Kelly gets on the top rope, but Masha kicks her off to the outside as they start pulling on the chain that’s tied up on the ropes. Masha starts choking Kelly by pulling on the chain as the referee keeps asking Kelly if she wants to quit. Masha tries the Snowplow, but Kelly reverses it and puts on a sleeper hold. They fight off the corner before Kelly hits a Snowplow herself for a two-count. They go back and forth before Masha wraps the chain around Kelly and hits the Snowplow for the pin.
Winner: Masha Slamovich by pinfall at 11:51
Masha helps Kelly up after and they shared a bit of a look. We might have the start of a beautiful friendship.
Time For Action
Gia Miller is backstage with The Motor City Machine Guns and says it wasn’t that long ago that they both claimed to win the World & X-Division Championships. They both talk about how important tonight is and how they will walk out as champions as the time for talking is over and the time for action is now.
IMPACT X-Divison Championship: Trey Miguel (c) vs. Chris Sabin
This is a rematch from Under Siege, where Trey Miguel used his spray paint in Chris Sabin’s face to get the win. Right away, Miguel heads to the outside as Sabin goes to chase him until finally catches him with a dive off the apron. Sabin catches Miguel off the apron and hits a gut buster before sending him back inside. Sabin rams Miguel in the corner, but Miguel escapes and hits a neck breaker for two. Miguel stays in control by chopping Sabin on the ropes, but Sabin blocks and hits a Lethal Combination. They fight on the apron a bit before Miguel gets pushed into the turnbuckle and speared off to the outside by Sabin. Bit more back and forth before Sabin hits a hard piledriver for a two. Miguel starts working on the legs of Sabin before putting on a Muta Lock, but Sabin is able to reach for the rope. Miguel continues with the submissions, but Sabin is able to roll him up for a two. Sabin comes right back and hits the Angel’s Wings as the X-Division champion tributes continue. They start trading pins before Miguel hits Sabin’s own Cradle Shock (which Matthew Rehwoldt calls the ‘Trey-dle Shock’) for a close two-count. Miguel goes and grabs spray paint, but as the referee takes it away, Miguel uses a second can on Sabin and rolls him, as Sabin kicks out at two. They go to the top rope where Sabin catches Miguel and drops his ribs first onto the top turnbuckle. Sabin goes and splashes water in his eyes to clear his vision, goes inside, and hits the Styles Clash for two. Sabin hits Clothesline From Hell, Michigan, and the Cradle Shock for the pin and the win. Another great match as Sabin becomes X-Division Champion for the 9th time and his first time holding the title since 2014.
Winner: Chris Sabin by pinfall at 13:12, to become NEW IMPACT X-Division Champion
8-4-1 Match: Moose, Rich Swann, Mike Bailey & PCO vs. Bully Ray, Jonathan Gresham, Heath & Nick Aldis
This match will start as an 8-man tag team match, then the winning team will compete in a four-way, with the winner of that match becoming the #1 contender for the IMPACT World Championship for a title shot at Slammiversary. Mike Bailey, returning from the NJPW Best of Super Juniors Tournament, starts with Bully Ray, but Ray quickly tags out to Jonathan Gresham as Gresham & Bailey shake hands to start the match. They tangle a bit until they end up in the corner before Heath and Rich Swann tag in and have a bit of a dance-off before locking up. Heath catches Swann in the corner and slams him face down for a two-count. Moose gets in and gets in Ray’s face, but Ray says he has to listen to the referee and goes back to the apron. Moose starts stomping away at Heath and tags in Bailey who takes out Heath with a stiff kick in the corner. Bailey goes to the top rope, but Ray knocks him off and starts taunting everybody. Ray tags in and starts stomping away at Bailey’s hands. Ray continues to taunt Bailey until Bailey knocks him out with a roundhouse kick and tags out to PCO. PCO starts taking out all of his opponents before diving onto Heath & Nick Aldis on the outside. PCO starts going after Ray, who quickly tags out to Gresham. PCO just eats a top rope crossbody from Gresham and hits him with a lung blower. PCO gets on the top rope, and Moose allows Ray to knock PCO off the top rope. Moose goes right after Gresham, power bombing him for a two. Swann tags in and kicks Gresham off of Moose. They tussle until Moose inadvertently takes out Swann with a spear, before getting tossed to the outside by Gresham. Gresham quickly goes and covers Swann at 10:36.
It is now a four-way match between Bully Ray, Nick Aldis, Heath & Jonathan Gresham as they all start ganging up on Ray. Aldis and Heath hold Ray’s legs as Gresham hits the Wassup headbutt from the top rope. Heath, Aldis & Gresham all start rolling each other up with pin attempts before Aldis catches Gresham into a suplex that Heath breaks up the count on. Gresham takes out Aldis & Heath on the outside before Ray goes and tosses Gresham into the ring post. Ray teases getting a table but grabs a chair instead as the crowd boos. Before Ray can hit Gresham with it, Scott D’Amore runs out and takes the chair away from Ray. They start shouting back and forth as Ray asks for a microphone. D’Amore tells them no microphone so Ray tells D’Amore to go and hit him with the chair. Ray tells D’Amore he’s got no balls and turns his back, as D’Amore smacks the chair on Ray’s back. Heath runs in and hits the Roster Cut, followed by a top rope splash from Gresham that Aldis breaks up. Gresham and Aldis head to the top rope, but Heath takes them down as they hit a powerbomb/superplex combo. Gresham ties up Heath, as Aldis hits a flying elbow drop to Heath to break up the submission. Aldis puts on the King’s Lynn Cloverleaf on Heath as he taps out.
Winner: Nick Aldis by submission at 19:06
Mayhem For Who?
Gia Miller gets a word with Steve Maclin and runs down what’s happened so far tonight and if it affects Maclin’s match with Alex Shelley. Maclin says he has a strategy and plan and he’ll stick by it and he’ll have a strategy for Nick Aldis at Slammiversary. Aldis asks ‘mayhem for who?’ to make Gia answer ‘mayhem for all’.
Trinity & Deonna Purrazzo vs. Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans (w/ Jai Vidal)
Deonna Purrazzo and Gisele Shaw start the match. Shaw goes after Deonna, but she bounces back off the corner with a clothesline for a two-count. Tom Hannifan with the fact that Trinity hasn’t been beaten in her last 23 tag team matches, as she and Savannah Evans tag in and go at it. Deonna & Trinity start double-teaming Evans in the corner but she comes back and takes down Deonna with a clothesline before mounting her with punches. Jai Vidal gets in the ring causing a distraction, as Shaw knocks Trinity off the top rope for Evans to attack. Trinity is able to fight them off and tag in Deonna who goes right after Shaw, putting on the Fujiawara armbar but she breaks it up with her foot on the rope. Trinity comes in and takes out Shaw with the Rear View before all four are laid out. Trinity gets taken to the outside where Jai Vidal takes her out with a clothesline. Deonna rolls up Evans for the three-count, but everybody looks a bit confused as if that wasn’t supposed to be the right finish.
Winners: Deonna Purrazzo & Trinity by pinfall at 10:03
Vidal & Evans hold down Deonna as Shaw goes for her knee strike, but Trinity stops her and takes all three of them out. Deonna & Trinity have a bit of a staredown before Trinity shakes her hand and pulls her in for a hug. Trinity pulls Deonna back in from leaving so they can dance a little.
Ohio Street Fight: The Design (Deaner, Kon & Angels) vs. oVe (Sami Callihan, Jake Crist & Madman Fulton)
This is Madman Fulton’s first match in IMPACT in over a year, last wrestling in March 2022. All six men start going at it inside and outside, with chairs and crutches being used. Jake Crist hits Deaner with a top rope forearm as Kon and Fulton are going at it on the outside with weapons. Sami Callihan holds a trash can on top of Deaner in the corner as Crist takes him out with a dropkick. Crist starts attacking Deaner with a barbed-wired wrapped rolling pin as Angels and Callihan go at it inside where Callihan suplexes Angels on top of a chair after Angels said ‘Let’s go Michigan’. Callihan goes to use a stapler, but Angels stops him but as he tries a Sunset Flip, Callihan staples him right on the forehead. Kon jumps in the ring and uses Callihan’s stapler on him. Deaner joins in as they keep stapling Callihan. Fulton stops Kon but Deaner stops Fulton with a mailbox. Fulton comes right back and takes out Angels & Deaner. Callihan tells Fulton to ‘get the wire’ as he goes and grabs a barbed-wired board from under the ring. Callihan brings one of his own inside the ring, but Deaner stops him with a shovel. Fulton goes to powerbomb Angels on one o the boards, but he holds on to the dreads to pull himself up into the ring where he attacks Fulton with chairs. Angels wraps barbed wire on his arm and takes out Fulton with a Brodie Lee lariat. Angels and Crist go to the top rope, but Callihan stops Angels. Angels and Crist are both on the top rope, but Crist is able to block Angels from landing on Callihan by catching him with a mid-air cutter. Crist goes for the cover, but Deaner breaks it up at two. Callihan reverses Deaner and suplexes him right onto the barbed-wire board. Callihan grabs a bag of thumbtacks and spills them in the ring. Kon stops Callihan from hitting a Cactus Driver on Deaner, by choke-slamming Callihan on top of the thumbtacks but Angels stop the pin. Fulton and Kon start fighting up the entrance and choke slam each other off the ramp onto a table. Deaner and Crist fight on the apron, before Deaner puts Crist through the barbed wire board with a Burning Hammer. Callihan tries to fight off Deaner & Angels, but they stop him and grab a ladder and a table. Deaner puts Callihan on the top, as Angels climbs the ladder and hits a frog splash on Callihan through the table, but he still kicks out at two. Deaner starts screaming at Angels to pick up Callihan as he goes and grabs a bat. Deaner goes to hit Callihan but takes out Angels instead. Callihan hits a low blow on Deaner, attacks him with a trash can, and hits the Cactus Driver ’97 but Deaner still kicks out at two. Callihan uses the bat on Deaner and hits another Cactus Driver ’97, this time on the barbed wire board to get the pin at 14:53.
Winners: oVe (Sami Callihan, Jake Crist & Madman Fulton) by pinfall at 14:53
Hiroshi Tanahashi At Multiverse United 2
They run down their upcoming schedule and announce that the two shows from the Down Under Tour from Australia will be broadcast live on FITE (June 30th & July 1st) and Hiroshi Tanahashi is the first announced wrestler for Multiverse United 2 on August 20th in Philadelphia, PA.
IMPACT World Championship: Steve Maclin (c) vs. Alex Shelley
They tussle on the mat right away, but as Alex Shelley tries to put on the Border City Stretch, Steve Maclin escapes to the outside. Shelley starts holding down Maclin with a side headlock before he escapes and they run the ropes before Maclin knocks Shelley down with a back elbow. Shelley goes right after Maclin’s elbow and ends up dropkicking Maclin sending him to the outside where he goes to catch a breather. Shelley doesn’t give him enough time as he dives onto Maclin’s arm before diving onto him on the outside. Shelley continues going after Maclin’s arm by stomping on it while on the apron. Shelley continues going after every body part of Maclin, wearing him down. Maclin mounts a comeback and takes out Shelley with a Scud Missile to the outside before back-body-dropping Shelley on the apron. Back inside, Shelley goes after Maclin with chops but Maclin comes right back with an Olympic Slam for a two-count. Maclin stays on top of Shelley, but he comes right back with a chop block. Shelley stays on top of him, bouncing off the ropes with a forearm as the crowd starts getting behind him. Shelley rolls up Maclin for a two-count and tries to put on the Border City Stretch but Maclin fights it off with forearms. Shelley tells Maclin to keep going, as commentary brings up he’s getting Maclin to use his injured arm. Shelley hits a Dragon Screw and tries a Figure Four, but Maclin stops it. Shelley puts Maclin in a pretzel and kicks him down before putting on the Figure Four. Maclin pulls himself out of it by pulling off the middle turnbuckle pad. Shelley continues with a twisting neck breaker but Maclin comes back with a Busaiku knee and a brainbuster for a two-count. Shelley escapes a Crosshairs attempt before dropping Maclin down on the apron and hitting a Sliced Bread off the ring post to the outside. They go back and forth until Maclin hits the KIA, but Shelley is able to put his foot on the bottom rope. They head to the top rope where Shelley hits a Sliced Bread for another two-count. Maclin backs Shelley into the exposed turnbuckle and drives him down for a two. Maclin goes for the Crosshairs, but Shelley moves as Maclin goes into the exposed turnbuckle. They go back and forth some more, until Shelley drives Maclin into the exposed turnbuckle once more, hits a superkick, and Shell Shock to win the IMPACT World Championship. Fantastic match. Wow.
Winner: Alex Shelley by pinfall at 22:41, to become NEW IMPACT World Champion
