For the first time since 2014, two Impact World Champions will clash as Eric Young takes on Nick Aldis on tonight's Impact on AXS TV.
The two last wrestled one-on-one on a September 2014 One Night Only pay-per-view when Aldis was known as Magnus. Tonight's match was made after a backstage challenge last week.
After the closing events of last week's show, The Time Splitters (Impact World Champion Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA) will unite to face Moose & Brian Myers.
Gisele Shaw will face Masha Slamovich after a backstage confrontation last week.
In a loser leaves Impact bout, friends will turn foes as Zicky Dice will take on Johnny Swinger.
Knockouts Champion Trinity will team with Subculture's Dani Luna against former Knockouts Tag Team Champions The Coven (KiLynn King & Taylor Wilde).
Digital Media Champion Kenny King & Sheldon Jean will take on former champion Joe Hendry & Yuya Uemura on the BTI pre-show.
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George Iceman talked about Deonna Purrazzo losing the Knockout’s championship at Slammiversary, and said we would hear from her soon about what she was going to do next.
Joe Hendry & Yuya Uemura defeated Kenny King & Sheldon Jean
Uemura got a big win over Kenny King in this one, presumably setting up a future Impact Digital Media Champonship match.
Impact Wrestling
Trinity opened the show, making her entrance to the ring to team with Dani Luna from Subculture.
Trinity & Dani Luna defeated The Coven (KiLynn King & Taylor Wilde)
This wasn’t very good. I’m not sure if it was the extended heat on Luna, or something else, but this was fine at best.
King managed well against both Luna and Trinity in the early part of the match, but was dropped after a flying back elbow from Luna. King rolled the corner to escape and tagged out, only for Wilde to get caught on a crossbody attempt and hit with a fall away slam. Luna hit a sliding clothesline for a 2-count. King necked Luna on the top rope, letting Wilde get control. After several minutes of heat, Luna managed to dump King to the floor while Trinity hit a full nelson bomb on Wilde before rolling over into a pinfall.
–Deonna Purrazzo came down to the ring to announce that she was getting her rematch for the Knockout’s championship at Impact Emergence.
–Lio Rush was backstage and Moose & Myers walked up, complaining that Rush left them hanging last week. Rush said, “Why would you align yourself with someone like him?” and Bully Ray walked up behind him, “Who?” right into his ear. Moose said they weren’t asking to be friends, and Ray said that he was with them or against them, so he would need an answer by the end of the night.
–Dirty Dango was with Johnny Bravo, and talked about why he needed security because Scott D’Amore has been hitting people with chairs, and Santino is attacking people lately. He introduced Bravo’s new name, Alpha Bravo.
Johnny Swinger defeated Zicky Dice in a Loser Leaves Impact Match
Dice and Swinger feigned not wanting to fight, and then Swinger did the finger poke of doom, but Dice cradled Swinger when he went for the pinfall. Dice and Swinger then exchanged eye rakes. Dice slammed Swinger and said, “I’m sorry, I love you.” Swinger kicked out at 2. Swinger rolled to the floor and said, “I’m done, count me out.” Dice looked really sad as Swinger tried to take his cart and go home.
Swinger said it was Dice’s time and told him to ride the cart. Dice rode the Cart and Swinger pushed it before hitting Dice with a lariat. Swinger then threw Dice into the ring and pinned Dice with his feet on the ropes, and Zicky Dice must leave Impact. Dice looked heartbroken as Swinger celebrated.
–Yuya Uemura & Joe Hendry were backstage with Santino and he made a triple threat for the Impact Digital Media Championship next week between Kenny King, Hendry, and Uemura.
Gisele Shaw (w/ Jai Vidal & Savannah Evans) defeated Masha Slamovich (w/ Killer Kelly)
This was a great match. I’m excited to see more between these two as the Knockouts tag title feud was advanced here.
Shaw had a surprising amount of intensity in this, taking it right to Slamovich. Shaw dumped Slamovich to the floor and when they came back from break, Shaw continued the assault with a European uppercut. The announcers noted that this was a new level of intensity for Slamovich, which his what Shaw needs to compete against such a strong wrestler.
Shaw missed a running knee and ate a spin kick from Slamovich. Slamovich setup for the Snow Plough, but Jai Vidal came up on the apron to distract Slamovich. Killer Kelly pulled Vidal from the apron, but Savannah Evans dropped Kelly, and Shaw rolled up Slamovich and hit the Denoument for the pinfall.
–A video aired for Jake Something, hyping up his return to Impact.
–Frankie Kazarian was with Traci Brooks backstage and they were talking about how much trouble Alisha Edwards and Eddie Edwards was giving them, and Kazarian had to talk Brooks out of wanting to fight Alisha.
Time Splitters (KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley) defeated Moose & Brian Myers
Moose was able to get some heat on KUSHIDA due to his size, but the Time Splitters proved to be a more experienced tag team, soon taking advantage of Myers. Myers ran around the ring trying to escape Shelley, which baited Shelley into a clothesline from Moose who was somehow hiding near the corner. Myers tagged back in to take on Shelley, but as he tried to tag out to Moose, Shelley manage to pull him into a crucifix pin, outwrestling him.
–Bully Ray immediately ran in and started beating on Shelley. Josh Alexander ran down to make the save. Lio Rush ran down and jumped Alex Shelley, making his decision by siding with Ray and his crew. Chris Sabin ran in to make the save, and suddenly Lio Rush was left in the ring with nowhere to run, and Sabin hit a superkick and threw him from the ring.
–Alan Angels cut a promo via pretaped video, saying that Heath is an imaginary rockstar while he was a real one, calling himself the Celestial again. He still needs to find his way with his promos, but this is the best way for Angels to learn.
Zachery Wentz (w/ Trey Miguel) defeated Mike Bailey
Wentz had some offence early, but did not account for Bailey being able to kick very hard, and after getting hit with several kicks, Bailey got a two count. Bailey attempted to kick Wentz in the face, but Wentz kept ducking close to the mat. Bailey then faked him out, paused mid kick, waited for Wentz to look up, and kicked him right in the face for another 2-count, where Trey Miguel made the save.
Bailey got into an argument with Miguel on the floor after hitting a trianagle moonsault on Wentz. Wentz responded by hitting a slam onto the apron. Bailey and Wentz exchanged kicks, with Miguel pulling Wentz from the ring to avoid a tornado kick. The referee sent Miguel to the back, who blamed Bailey for everything. Bailey turned around into spray paint in his eyes from Wentz, who hit a cravate into a DDT for the win.
Eric Young defeated Nick Aldis
Eric Young got the win here, with Nick Aldis on his way out of Impact almost as fast as he arrived. This was a good match though. I wish Aldis had more time in the company, and maybe they will come to a new deal, but for now, it seems his short-term deal is up.
The first part of this match featured Young and Aldis both trying to one up each other, with Young and Aldis both skinning the cat. Aldis did it back into a punch from Young, so he bailed to the floor as they cut to a break. As they came back, Young dumped Aldis to the floor, but got caught in the apron when Young went for a baseball slide dropkick.
Aldis hit a big clothesline back in the ring for a 2-count. Young hit a flying forearm off the ropes, and Young followed with a belly-to-belly suplex for a 2-count. Young went to the top rope for an elbow drop, but Aldis cut him off and hit a superplex. Aldis hit a Michinoku driver on Young for a near fall. Aldis locked on the Kingsland cloverleaf, but Young fought out. Aldis went for the figure four leglock, but Young cradled him and then hit a piledriver out of the cradle for the win.
–Deaner ran down to the ring and attacked Eric Young, and Kon chokeslammed Young at Deaner’s directions. I’m not sure if this was the feud I would go with, despite it making sense due to Deaner killing Young months ago. Young could have a better feud given he just beat the person who main evented Slammiversary a few short weeks ago. Kon chokeslammed Young twice and then sent him into a DDT from Deaner.
Final Thoughts
I am really disappointed with Young immediately stepping into a feud with The Design, rather than doing something new. The rest of this show was pretty good, including the main event match, but that angle did not work for me. I can say at least Deaner is giving it his all with this gimmick. He has since day one in Impact, back when he was the redneck with ODB. The guy always gives it 100%. It’s just too bad this character really doesn’t work for me. Hopefully Young can get beyond this feud quickly and move onto better things.
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Impact Wrestling Emergence – August 27, 2023
Time Machine (Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, & KUSHIDA) & Josh Alexander vs. Bully Ray, Moose, Brian Myers, & Lio Rush Impact Knockouts World Championship: Trinity (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo