Trinity defends IMPACT Knockouts title for the first time in Emergence main event
RESULTS:
- Mike Bailey def. Alan Angels (9:42)
- Joya (Joe Hendry and Yuya Uemura) def. The Good Hands (Jason Hotch and John Skyler) (6:44)
- Eric Young def. Deaner (w/ Kon) (No Disqualification Match) (13:12)
- MK Ultra (Killer Kelly and Masha Slamovich) def. Gisele Shaw and Savannah Evans, Taylor Wilde and Jodi Threat, Death Dollz (Courtney Rush and Jessicka) (IMPACT Knockouts World Tag Team Championships) (Four Way) (9:07)
- Kenny King def. Johnny Swinger (IMPACT Digital Media Championship) (7:12)
- The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz) def. Subculture (Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Andrews) (IMPACT World Tag Team Championships) (18:03)
- Eddie Edwards def. Frankie Kazarian (Back To School Match) (4:36)
- SANADA def. Jake Something (13:13)
- Bryan Myers, Bully Ray, Lio Rush, and Moose def. Josh Alexander, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin and KUSHIDA (22:46)
- Trinity def. Deonna Purrazzo (IMPACT Knockouts World Championship) (15:44)
The title reign for Trinity as IMPACT Knockouts World Champion passed its first test on Sunday, as she overcame former title challenger Deonna Purrazzo in the main event of Emergence from the Rebel Nightclub in Toronto, Ontario Canada.
Trinity closed out the show with a combination of a Canadian Destroyer transitioned into her Starstruck submission move — a head scissors crucifix choke — to cause the match to end. This concluded a battle that got a lot done in 15:44, including big moments from Purrazzo like a piledriver on the floor and a superplex.
Trinity earned the IMPACT Knockouts World Championship over Purrazzo at the promotion’s Slammiversary event in July. This weekend was a chance for Purrazzo to regain the belt and avenge the singles loss that she took earlier in the summer.
The victory for Trinity was a strong showing, working her longest match since joining IMPACT in April. It was also her first time headlining a special event for the promotion.
Alexander returns, PCO and Maclin make run-ins
In a storyline-heavy co-main event, the team of Bully Ray, Moose, Bryan Myers, and Lio Rush beat KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, and Josh Alexander in 22:46.
PCO did a run-in during the match, confronting current rival Ray. But Ray’s team came in to save him, slamming PCO through a table. This stopped PCO only for a moment, as true to his zombie-like character, he rose up and went after Ray once again. The duo went out of frame for the final minutes of the match.
Shortly thereafter, Steve Maclin did a run-in on Alexander, brawling with him on the stage until a pull-apart took place — which did not happen when PCO was there. Alexander then returned back to the ring to face Moose. Maclin was scheduled to face Alexander in a title match at the promotion’s Rebellion event in March, but that contest never happened due to an injury that took Alexander off the card and forced him to relinquish his title.
A miscommunication between Shelley and Alexander caused them to briefly argue in the ring, distracting Alexander and allowing Moose to hit a spear and win the match for his team, concluding the longest bout of the night.
SANADA wins in IMPACT return
In his 141st day as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and in his first appearance since being eliminated in the 33rd G1 Climax by EVIL, SANADA defeated Jake Something in 13:13. After struggling to hit his new finisher, Deadfall, two times during the back-and-forth match, SANADA escaped a finisher attempt from Something and landed the move to win the match.
Sunday was SANADA’s first appearance in IMPACT Wrestling in nearly eight years. He appeared for the promotion in 53 matches from 2014 to 2015, having a 110-day reign as X-Division Champion during that time.
Eddie Edwards won his “Back To School” match against Frankie Kazarian in a brief 4:36. The cinematic match, which at times was heavy on dialogue, took place at the Killer Kowalski gym where they had both previously trained. Edwards attacked Kazarian after the match, cracking a framed photo over his head in the office of the gym. The cinematic showing concluded on a creative note, showing an overhead of a laid-out Kazarian while Kowalski quotes played.
Rascalz crowned new tag champions
The Rascalz became the new IMPACT World Tag Team Champions, defeating Subculture in an 18-minute long, grueling contest. Rascalz used their spray paint – something Subculture criticized them for using in the tag tournament that earned them their title shot on Sunday – and landed their flashy Hot Fire Flame move twice before finishing the contest with a double stop off the top rope and cutter combo move.
The long match struggled to get a rhythm going in the first half but was able to maintain a solid pace in the closing minutes. The crowd — which was alive, but mostly in line with cheering babyfaces and booing heels throughout the night — disregarded the heel booking of the Rascalz at the end and cheered their victory.
Kenny King retained his IMPACT Digital Media Championship against Johnny Swinger in a match that was rife with interference. King’s manager, Sheldon Jean, got ejected after taking Swinger off the top rope by shaking the ropes. As the ejection took place, Heath came in from the crowd and attacked King — this only earned Swinger a near fall upon pinfall attempt. King won by taking Swinger off the top rope and hitting the Coronation for a pinfall at 7:12. The retaining champion did a beatdown of Swinger afterward, also attacking Tommy Dreamer, who came in to check on the unsuccessful title challenger.
The IMPACT Knockouts World Tag Team Championships stayed in the hands of the MK Ultra duo of Killer Kelly and Masha Slamovich, defeating three teams: Gisele Shaw and Savannah Evans, Jessicka and Courtney Rush of Death Dollz, and KiLynn King and Jody Threat. MK Ultra hit a double team piledriver to secure the win at 9:07.
There was a slight change to the lineup earlier in the show, as a mysterious attack backstage took KiLynn King out of the match. Threat, who was backstage at the time when King was hurt, was picked to replace her.
Young wins No DQ match in opener
In his first big match since rising from his IMPACT Wrestling storyline death, Eric Young beat Deaner in a no-disqualification match.
Young had to overcome both Deaner and his ringside ally Kon, who interfered frequently and made the most of a no-DQ stipulation. Young was able to handcuff Kon to a ring post at one point, allowing him to go to the top of a ladder and score with an elbow drop for a near fall. After Kon broke free from the handcuff, Young took both Kon and Deaner and landed a double backbody drop onto barbed wire. He followed that up with a piledriver onto Deaner to end in 13:12 a match that included a chair, a trashcan, and a stapler as well.
Just before the main card, Joe Hendry and Yuya Uemura enjoyed success as an official new tag team, defeating The Good Hands duo of Jason Hotch and John Skyler.
Hendry and Uemura came out with a custom “Joya” (a combination of Joe and Yuya) theme, dance routine, and matching outfits. This, of course, caused a loud, positive reaction from the Toronto audience. The campy duo earned a pinfall in 6:44, with Hendry tossing an opponent into a cutter that Uemura hit to win.
The pre-show for Emergence kicked off with a close match that saw Mike Bailey prevail over Alan Angels in 9:42. Bailey put Angels away with his signature spinning kick in the corner and then the Ultima Weapon.
Bailey created a highlight earlier in the match as well, scoring with a springboard moonsault to the outside onto Angels. This was a trilogy bout for Bailey and Angels, who have scored a win against each other in the past. While he was an X-Division Champion, Bailey beat Angels in a title match last year. Angels avenged that loss a month later at a Garden State PW event.
