IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Knockdown 2021
Exclusively on Impact+
October 9th, 2021
Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee
Commentary: Veda Scott & Mickie James
In Honor of Daffney
The show starts with Gail Kim and all the talent on tonight’s show in the ring and the rest of the IMPACT roster is outside the ring. Lexie Fyfe is representing the family of Shannon ‘Daffney’ Spruill as they do a ten-bell salute in honor of Daffney. They end it with a ‘Thank You Daffney’ chant with the crowd.
Knockouts Knockdown Tournament First Round Match: Lady Frost vs. Rachael Ellering
Both ladies do insert promos before the match and Melissa Santos is the ring announcer while all the referees tonight are women as well. As the bell rings the crowd chants ‘Knockouts Wrestling’. Ellering starts by using her power to put Frost against the corners and Frost gives her a pound as a sign of respect. Ellering goes to work on the arm of Frost and takes her to the mat for a one-count before tackling her down and rolling her up for two-count. Frost is able to reverse Ellering on the mat into a head scissors, but Ellering easily escapes out, as Veda Scott on commentary mentions how the winner of this tournament might have to face Mickie James, but James says it’s not a ‘if’ but a ‘when’ once she beats Deonna Purrazzo for the Knockouts Championship at Bound for Glory. Ellering and Frost run the ropes, before Ellering takes her down with a spinning uppercut for a two count. They start exchanging chops, but Ellering stops Frost with a senton for a two count. Frost comes back with a cartwheel into a dropkick for a two before hitting her with a couple of shoulder blocks in the corner and a headstand into double knees and a standing moonsault for two failed pin attempts. Frost goes to the top, but Ellering stops her, as they duck and dodge their kicks into Ellering hits a big lariat that knocks them both down. They take turns hitting each other with moves in the corner until Ellering hits a spinning leg drop off the second rope for an extremely close two count. Ellering hits a series of big moves including a spine buster for another two-count. Frost retreats to the apron showing a bit of an injury, only to fake out Ellering and hits a blockbuster off the top rope for a two count. Frost goes to the top again, but Ellering stops her and hits an Electric Chair onto the top rope followed by the Boss Woman Slam for the pin and the win.
Winner: Rachael Ellering by pinfall at 11:55, to advance
Knockouts Knockdown Tournament First Round Match: Renee Michelle vs. Chelsea Green
They lock up to start the match and take it all the way down to the mat, rolling around while still locked up. Green whips Michelle to the corner, before taking her down with a headlock takeover but Michelle reverses into a head scissors. Green takes her down with a tackle followed by a headlock takeover and an arm drag. Green keeps Michelle in the corner but misses a running shoulder going right into the post as Michelle immediately starts targeting it and the cast that Green still has on. They take it to the outside where Michelle stays in control. Back inside, Michelle keeps attacking the injured arm including a pair of bridged wrist locks but Green comes back with a big pump kick. Green comes back with a pair of roll-ups for pin attempts followed by a backslide pin attempt, but Michelle reverses it. Green comes back with a pair of clotheslines and an Enziguri for a two count. Michelle comes back with a spinning back kick but Green grabs the rope to break the pin. Green stops Michelle with a headbutt into the Unprettier for the pin and the win.
Winner: Chelsea Green by pinfall at 8:27, to advance
Knockouts Knockdown Tournament First Round Match: Brandi Lauren vs. Mercedes Martinez
Mercedes starts the match with a dropkick and a pair of clotheslines followed by a power slam for a one-count. Mercedes continues with chops, but Lauren stops her and hits a snap mare before ‘sitting up’ in her new undead bride ways. Lauren keeps Mercedes in the corner with stomps and a choke to the throat with her boot. Lauren goes to the top, but Mercedes stops her and hits her with the OG Drop off the top rope for the pin.
Winner: Mercedes Martinez by pinfall at 2:09, to advance
Knockouts Knockdown Tournament First Round Match: Tasha Steelz vs. Jamie Senegal
Senegal has on Daffney tribute gear on, as they were extremely close. They start the match in the middle of the ring with Senegal keeping Steelz down with a headlock before rolling her down for a one count. Senegal continues to knock Steelz down including a dropkick before missing in the corner. Senegal knocks Steelz on the apron, but Steelz kicks Senegal to the outside. They brawl on the outside until Steelz attacks Senegal into the ring post. Back inside, Steelz keeps Senegal down with a chin lock. Senegal stops Steelz, climbs the top rope but gets knocked down and tied on the ropes as Steelz pulls Senegal’s hair and knocks her down to the outside. As soon as Senegal rolls back in, Steelz meets her with multiple stomps to the back and a big kick for a two-count. Steelz starts delivering punches, but Senegal comes back with chops and clotheslines hitting a kick and a suplex but only gets a two. Steelz comes back with knees to the chest and a springboard bulldog followed by a cutter both with two counts. Steelz ends it with a Blackout Crucifix Bomb for the pin and the win.
Winner: Tasha Steelz by pinfall at 11:04, to advance
Gail Kim’s Prediction
Gia Miller is backstage with Gail Kim and says that tonight has been a special night and it’s been the first time since 2017 they have had this event and is proud of all the new talent tonight and they’ve only picked the best talent for this show. Gia asks who she thinks will win this all and Gail says whoever wants it the most will come out on top.
Deonna Purrazzo (w/ Matthew Rehwoldt) vs. Masha Slamovich
Masha was Mickie James’ choice for this Pick Your Poison match, but neither of Deonna’s titles are on the line for this one as Mickie on commentary is going off about Deonna attacking her at her own home. They start the match fighting close to the mat before Masha challenges Deonna to a test of strength, which Deonna obliges and is able to gain control and knock Masha down to the mat for a couple of pin attempts before they trade-off more attempts. Masha comes back with three suplexes ending with a snap suplex that knocks Deonna out to the outside where Rehwoldt is there to consult her, but Masha takes him down with a cannonball before getting taken down with a superkick by Deonna as Mickie and Veda question why Rehwoldt is even allowed to be here tonight. Back inside, Deonna starts working on Masha’s arm and goes for pin attempts. The crowd is fully behind Deonna here as Masha hits a kick, off the rope, and a jackknife pin for a two count. Deonna rolls through into a leg lock submission, but Masha is able to crawl and put her foot on the rope to break it. Masha comes back with a spinning back kick as they both fall down on the mat. Masha comes back with a big in the corner and a spin kick for a two-count. Deonna comes back with a knee lift, Russian Leg Sweep into an armbar. Masha is able to get out and go for a piledriver, but Deonna fights out, rolls out into a cross-arm breaker but Masha is blocking it and breaks it with her foot on the rope. Deonna ducks a Buzzsaw kick and puts on the Venus de Milo as Masha verbally submits.
Winner: Deonna Purrazzo by submission at 12:00
Knockouts Knockdown Tournament Semi-Final Match: Mercedes Martinez vs. Rachael Ellering
They start the match with a handshake before they take it to the mat with Mercedes coming out on top. They trade off more takedowns, but Mercedes is able to stop Ellering’s arm drag attempt. Ellering ducks a kick into a pin attempt, but Mercedes ducks a dropkick in return. They go back to takedown attempts, with Mercedes escaping out slapping Ellering into two butterfly suplexes with Ellering blocking the third one but gets a knee to the face from Mercedes. They head to the apron and exchange forearms ending in Mercedes hitting a spear to Ellering. Mercedes continues to target the ribs of Ellering as they head to the outside with Mercedes throwing Ellering into the guard rail before sending her back inside. Mercedes continues to kick at Ellering and hits a DDT for a two. They go back and forth with Ellering hitting a kick for a two-count herself. Ellering heads to the corner but gets stopped with a twisting neckbreaker off the top but Ellering kicks out at the last moment. Mercedes applies a submission, but Ellering is able to grab the rope right away. Mercedes keeps Ellering in the corner with forearms but misses a kick, as she turns around, she walks into an uppercut and sling blade by Ellering. Ellering hits her springboard leg drop but only gets a two. Mercedes reverses a spine buster, to hit a spine buster of her own for a two. Ellering comes back with twisting suplex followed by the spine buster but only gets a two. Ellering struggles to get Mercedes up, Mercedes fights her off but gets hit with the Boss Woman Slam, but Mercedes rolls out of the ring before Ellering can get the pin. Ellering drags Mercedes back inside and tries to lift her up, but Mercedes stops her and hits a Fisherman’s Buster into a Guillotine submission as Ellering taps out.
Winner: Mercedes Martinez by submission at 12:29, to advance
Mercedes and Ellering hug and embrace after the match.
Never Fall Flat
Gia Miller is backstage with Chelsea Green and asks her about her upcoming match with Tasha Steelz and potentially fighting Mercedes Martinez. Chelsea says she has also fought all over the globe like Mercedes, but she isn’t overlooking Tasha first and she’s going to bring the fight and just like her hair, her performance never falls flat.
Knockouts Knockdown Tournament Semi-Final Match: Tasha Steelz vs. Chelsea Green
The audience starts the match with dueling chants, but Tasha plays with the crowd and taunts Chelsea before starting the match. They finally lock up with Chelsea getting the upper hand. Chelsea keeps Tasha tied down on the mat with a headlock, but Tasha fights out as they trade sunset flips back and forth a number of times. Tasha asks for a handshake just to trick Chelsea. Chelsea comes back with a pair of arm drags and a hesitation dropkick to knock Tasha to the outside. Tasha takes her time on the outside and teases Chelsea by rolling in and out. Chelsea finally goes out to chase her, as they go inside, Chelsea ducks and knocks Tasha to the outside again where she hits her with a tope. Back inside, Tasha hits her with a knee and uppercuts to the corner followed by a kick for a two count. They start trading strikes in the middle of the ring, but Chelsea ends it with a pair of lariats and a neckbreaker onto her knee. Chelsea misses a clothesline in the corner as they meet on the apron. Chelsea misses a stomp and Tasha hits her with a cutter as they both fall over to the outside. They head back inside where Tasha meets her with stomps, places her on the top rope, but Chelsea knocks her down and hits a missile dropkick. Tasha hits her Blackout Crucifix Bomb, but Chelsea kicks out. Tasha picks her up, but Chelsea reverses it into the Unprettier, but Tasha kicks out of that as well. Chelsea hits a crossbody off the second rope, but Tasha turns it into a pin attempt for a two, hits a kick, and goes to the top rope. Chelsea stops her and tries an Unprettier off the middle rope, but Tasha knocks her off and hits the frog splash for the pin.
Winner: Tasha Steelz by pinfall at 12:22, to advance
The True Boricua Bad Ass
Mercedes Martinez is seen watching the match backstage and Gia Miller asks her how she feels now that she knows her opponent, Mercedes says good things about Tasha but says her cockiness is her downfall. She says Tasha thinks she’s just an old legend, but she will send ‘the little chihuahua’ back to the pound and her hand will be raised as the true Boricua badass.
Awesome Kong in the IMPACT Hall of Fame
Christy Hemme comes out and talks about how great of a night it’s been so far and tonight there is a woman backstage that is a legend and is part of the fabric of the Knockouts division and a dear friend of hers and announces the next inductee in the IMPACT Hall of Fame; Awesome Kong as they show a video package with her highlights and former colleagues speak on her legacy. It ends with the announcement that her induction ceremony will be at Bound for Glory on October 23rd, as Awesome Kong makes her way to the ring. Kong says it’s an honor for this announcement and starts tearing up as the crowd chants ‘you deserve it’. Kong says she was there from the birth of the Knockouts Division and it’s great to see today’s Knockouts with the same drive and everlasting ‘Shimmer’ as she winks to the camera. Kong says her main priority today was to pay homage to Daffney and speaks about how Daffney broke barriers and went into places that were denied back in the day such as the first woman to be in a Monster’s Ball match and today they will honor her friend, she loves her, and she will see everybody in Vegas.
Taylor Wilde Pays Honor to Daffney
We go to a Daffney tribute video with words from Taylor Wilde who talks about having hardcore matches with Daffney and is honored that she and Daffney were the first women in a Monster’s Ball match and that was a career highlight. Wilde says Daffney was a huge part of all their lives, continues to say more kind words, and says they will always pay tribute to her, and she loves her.
Monster’s Ball Match: Kimber Lee vs. Savannah Evans vs. Alisha vs. Jordynne Grace
Lee comes out with a ‘crowbar’ in honor of Daffney. Alisha jumps on Lee to start the match as they take it to the outside. Lee comes inside with a pool cue and attacks Evans with it as Alisha is attacking Grace on the outside with a trash can lid. Lee throws a trash can inside and places Evans inside it and attacks her. Lee then places a barbed wire chair and wedges it in the ropes but gets whipped right into it face-first by Alisha. They all start fighting on the outside. Alisha grabs ‘Kenny’ and ‘Kendra’ the Kendo sticks from under the ring and starts attacking Lee with them, with ‘Kendra’ being wrapped in barbed wire. Alisha starts dragging ‘Kendra’ against the forehead of Lee busting her open. Evans and Grace start going at it, but Grace throws Alisha onto Evans in the corner and hits double knees and a Vader bomb on Evans for a two count. Grace brings a weight plate into the ring as Lee brings in a sack only to unload it and drop thumbtacks on the mat. Lee tries to suplex Grace onto them, but Grace reverses only to place Lee on the top rope and hit a muscle buster to Lee onto the thumbtacks. Alisha jumps on Grace and they both fall down onto the thumbtacks. Alisha tries to DDT Grace onto the weight plate but gets dropped down herself on it. Evans throws chalk into the face of Grace and hits a Full Nelson Bomb on Alisha for the pin.
Winner: Savannah Evans by pinfall at 10:04
Who Will Be the Tournament Winner?
Gia Miller is backstage with Tasha Steelz and says with Evans winning the Monster’s Ball, should we expect the momentum to continue. Tasha says this is why she keeps Evans behind her, but it’s not about Evans, it’s about Tasha and her planning to be the Knockouts Knockdown winner. Steelz brings up Mercedes being in tournaments and winning, but Tasha herself is a tournament-winning and tonight she will drag Mercedes and knock her the hell out.
Knockouts Knockdown Tournament Final Match: Tasha Steelz vs. Mercedes Martinez
They start the match circling each other with Tasha waving Mercedes off and taunting her. Tasha gets the upper hand until she runs into a forearm from Mercedes and gets thrown across to the other corner where Mercedes hits her with a big chop and a vertical suplex. Mercedes keeps the hold on and hits three butterfly suplexes for a two count. Mercedes starts attacking Tasha in the corner, but Tasha fights out and keeps Mercedes in the corner with forearms. Tasha comes back with a head scissors takedown and tornado DDT for a two count. Mercedes comes back and mounts Tasha with forearms and goes for the OG Drop, but Tasha reverses it into a sunset flip followed by the cutter as they are both laid out. Tasha talks trash in the camera to Deonna and Mickie which causes Mercedes to gain the upper hand. Mercedes places Tasha on the top rope, but Tasha slips out, kicks Mercedes, hits a headbutt and a huracanrana off the top to Mercedes. Tasha hits the Stratusfaction but gets a two count, as commentary points out that’s a shout-out to Mickie. Tasha goes to the second rope, but Mercedes rolls to the apron. Tasha grabs Mercedes, but Mercedes kicks her and hits the OG Drop for the pin and the win.
Winner: Mercedes Martinez by pinfall at 10:58, to win the Knockouts Knockdown Tournament
As a result, Mercedes Martinez gets a future Knockouts Championship opportunity after Bound for Glory as Gail Kim presents her with the trophy.
Tag Me In
Veda and Mickie cut to a very heartfelt video about mental health and reaching for help with words from Chris Jericho, Awesome Kong, Rebel, Mick Foley, Gail Kim, Nick Aldis, LuFisto, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Lita, Mark Henry, Trish Stratus, Mojo Rawley, Rosemary, Trish Adora, Melina, Eddie Edwards, Konnan, Fallah Bahh, Moose, Kris Statlander, Candice Michelle, Moose, W. Morrissey, Effy, Marina Shafir, Kurt Angle, Torrie Wilson, Deonna Purrazzo, Velvet Sky, Britt Baker, Nyla Rose, Diamond Dallas Page, Chelsea Green, Lillian Garcia and many more names who talk about their own personal struggles and how we can all help each other. We can visit tagmeinunited.com for all the details.
IMPACT Knockouts Tag Team Championship: Decay (c) (Rosemary & Havok) (w/ Crazzy Steve & Black Taurus) vs. The Influence (Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne) (w/ Kaleb with a K)
Melissa Santos has the big introduction for this championship main event as Rosemary and Rayne start the match. Rayne keeps trying to escape Rosemary, but Rosemary finally catches her bites her face in the corner. Havok comes in and continues the beatdown on Rayne until Tenille tags in. Havok hits her with a backbreaker into a lariat for a two count. Rosemary and Havok keep Tenille in her corner and hit her with a number of clotheslines in the corner until Rosemary applies the Upside Down. Kaleb on the outside tries to hold Rosemary’s leg gets chased by Rosemary but Rosemary gets hit with a clothesline by Rayne. Tenille gets the upper hand on Rosemary and hits her with a neckbreaker on the ropes for a two-count. Now Tenille and Rayne keep Rosemary in their corner including putting her upside down in the corner. Rosemary gets up as she and Tenille hit each other with double clotheslines. Havok comes in and hits Rayne in the corner with a couple of kicks, but Tenille breaks up the pin attempt. Kaleb gets on the apron to distract Decay which causes Havok to be sent to the outside as The Influence hits The Collab, but the referee is distracted by Decay on the outside to make the count. Steve and Taurus chase Kaleb away as Havok and Rosemary hit an assisted spear for Havok to get the pin on Rayne for the win.
Winners: Decay (Rosemary & Havok) by pinfall at 10:43, to retain
The IInspiration is Coming
The show ends with a video for The IInspiration (the former IIconics) coming soon at Bound for Glory
