Tag: deonna purrazzo

The Knockouts title will be on the line in the headliner for Sunday’s Emergence streaming special from Impact Wrestling.

After defeating Deonna Purrazzo for the gold at July’s Slammiversary, Trinity will defend for the first time and against the former champion in a rematch.

Impact World Champion Alex Shelley will be in eight-man tag team action as he teams with former champion Josh Alexander, KUSHIDA & Chris Sabin against Bully Ray, Moose, Brian Myers & Lio Rush.

Impact Tag Team Champions Subculture (Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews) will defend against The Rascalz (Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz) while the Knockouts Tag Team Champions MK Ultra (Masha Slamovich & Killer Kelly) will defend in a four-way.

IWGP World Champion and former X-Division Champion SANADA will make his return to Impact as he faces Jake Something in a non-title match.

The rest of the card from Toronto features a Kenny King Digital Media title defense, a no DQ battle between Eric Young and Deaner and more.

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Mike Bailey defeated Alan Angels

This match was awesome, and they will be hard pressed to have a better one on the main card.

Mike Bailey was very over with this Canadian audience for Impact Emergence. Bailey took most of the early portions of the match, hitting kicks, a triangle moonsault to the floor, and many other fast paced moves. Angels managed to trap Bailey’s head in the top turnbuckle, but instead of the superkick to the face, Angels hit a dropkick. Angels and Bailey then exchanged a series of strikes, which included an awesome spinning kick from Bailey, before Angels hit a lariat and both men were down.

Angels went to the top rope, but Bailey cut him off. Angels trapped the head in the turnbuckle again, but Bailey fought out. Angels pulled Bailey from the top rope, sending him crashing back first onto the turnbuckles. Angels then hit a frog splash and a twisting butterfly suplex for a 2-count. Angels went for a it a second time, but Bailey back body dropped Angels and hit a moonsault into double knees on Angels.

Bailey missed a tornado kick but managed to hit a standing Spanish fly on Angels for a 2-count. Angels went behind Bailey and snapped his neck like a movie neck break. This did not break Bailey’s neck and kill him, thankfully. Bailey hit a tornado kick in the corner before hitting Ultima weapon for the win.

while Canada was not. This got heat in Canada, as America is the foreign heel outside of the US.

This led to Joe Hendry and Yuya Uemura making their entrance to a brand new theme played by and produced by Joe Hendry. Hendry and Uemura came out with matching gear and danced like a boy band down to the ring, and it was incredible.

JoYa (Joe Hendry & Yuya Uemura) defeated The Good Hands (Jason Hotch & John Skylar)

This was a ton of fun, and there is absolutely a tag team title run in waiting for Hendry and Uemura eventually. It must happen.

Hendry and Uemura were very over with the audience, easily getting the crowd behind them no matter what they did in this one. It was not long before Hotch and Skylar were getting the heat on Uemura. Hendry kept getting fired up and trying to save his partner, but the official kept cutting him off. However, this referee was a smart one, and she noticed that Hotch and Skylar changed places without tagging, and demanded they switch, which allowed Uemura to recover enough to escape their grasp and tag out to Hendry.

Hendry sent Hotch into a front facelock by his own partner, and then hit a neckbreaker on Skylar to drive Hotch down with a DDT. Hendry then picked up Skylar in a running powerslam position and launched him into a cutter from Uemura for the 3-count.

Impact Emergence 2023 Main Card

–The show opened with a very nice tribute picture to Terry Funk and Windham Rotunda before having a 10-bell salute.

Eric Young defeated Deaner (w/ Kon) in a No DQ match

Young hit the ropes as the match started and hit a tope suicida to the floor on Kon. Young pulled a ladder out from under the ring and hit Kon with it before coming back in the ring. Young dumped Deaner onto the ladder, but as Young hit the ropes, Deaner responded with a drop toe hold that sent Young face first onto the ladder. Kon pulled the ladder through the ropes while Young was on it, sending him crashing to the floor.

Deaner hit Young with some cookie sheets in the ring. Deaner grabbed a staple gun and tried to use it on Young. Young tried to fight out of it, so Deaner raked his eyes and stapled the hand of Young. Deaner sent Young into a chair in the corner. On the outside, Kon got involved again, but Young managed to handcuff him to the corner. Young stapled the hand of Deaner, and was about to piledrive him on a pair of chairs, but Kon ripped and broke the handcuffs, came into the ring, and chokeslammed Young through the chairs for a 2-count.

Deaner tried to get Kon to help him with a spike piledriver, but Young fought out and hit a Death Valley Driver on both men onto a barbed wire board before hitting a piledriver on Deaner on the board for the win.

–Gia Miller was backstage interviewing Joe Hendry & Yuya Uemura and Uemura asked if Gia could give him a JoYa, and Gia proceeded to sing it with gusto. This was great.

–We got a video of Taylor Wilde sitting on the floor as doctors checked on her, and KiLynn King blamed Jody Threat for it. Threat denied it. Santino showed up and made them a team to replace Wilde, while calling Threat “Jody Treats.”

Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Champions MK Ultra (Masha Slamovich & Killer Kelly) defeated Death Dollz (Jessicka & Courtney Rush), Jody Threat & KiLynn King, & Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans

This wasn’t too bad, and was given enough time for the fans to get into it, especially with getting the heat on Kelly. MK Ultra is a great team, and Impact is doing a great job establishing them.

Shaw and Slamovich started the match, but the action got particularly violent once Slamovich and King were in the ring beating on each other. King and Kelley ended up in the ring, but the Death Dollz baited King in and tagged in on King, letting Jessicka hit a running crossbody on Kelly, but she missed the Evans blind tagged in. Shawn and Evans then targeted Kelly, getting the heat.

King managed to tag back in and resume beating on Kelly. Threat asked for the tag, but King kept refusing. Threat protested again, and King tagged her hard, so Threat continued working over Kelly. Threat hit a German suplex on Kelly before tagging out to Rush, and cheering before realizing that King was her partner, and not Death Dollz.

The announcers noted this was the second time Death Dollz lured an opponent in for a tag. Kelly managed to hit a double DDT on Death Dollz and the tag was made to Masha Slamovich, who started murdering everyone. As Slamovich was taking everyone out, Rush rolled her up for a 2-count. Everyone started hitting big moves after this, ending with Kelly dumping Threat to the floor with a lariat. After clearing the ring MK Ultra hit what looked like a double team Ganso bomb/Kawada driver for the win.

–Johnny Swinger was with Gia Miller, and he called her Vanna, before saying that he told Greg Gagne to take a year off and come back as a tag rope, and asked Miller to smarten him up to “this internet gimmick”. Miller then asked if Swinger had what it took to win, and Swinger suddenly got serious, saying he has wondered that since he was 12 and his uncle was wrestling in Maple Leaf Gardens. He said that he used to sleep in ring trucks and setup the ring before he broke in, and that he was going to win tonight because it all came to this for him. This was actually awesome.

Impact Digital Media Champion Kenny King (w/ Sheldon Jean) defeated Johnny Swinger

I wanted Swinger to win this match so badly, and it made me sad that he lost here.

King was surprisingly aggressive in this match, but soon paid for it, as Swinger kicked the middle rope into King’s lower regions. Swinger then said he was going to use his head and fell over hitting a headbutt to the breadbasket. King didn’t go down for a shoulder tackle, and Swinger protested. King told him to stay there, and they hit the ropes and did a crisscross until Swinger jumped over a drop down and hit an elbow.

King distracted the referee, allowing Sheldon Jean to choke Swinger on the ropes. Swinger ended up hitting a slingshot into a flipping leg drop on King, which was entirely unexpected. Swinger said he was going to go for a dive, and King was pulled out of the way by Jean. Swinger went to the top rope, and Jean got on the apron to try and get involved, and as he jumped off he shoved the ropes and Swinger crashed on the ropes. The referee ejected Jean, and as she was doing that, Heath ran in and hit a Wake Up Call on King. Swinger then went to the top rope to try a moonsault, but King cut him off and hit the Royal Flush for the win.

–King and Jean continued beating down Swinger after the match. Tommy Dreamer and security came out to defend Swinger, and King laid out Dreamer. I am not a fan of this transition unless Swinger and Dreamer become a team and Dreamer helps him win this Digital Media title.

–Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Josh Alexander, and KUSHIDA were backstage talking about how Bully Ray, Moose, Lio Rush, and Brian Myers were facing them tonight. KUSHIDA promised that they would not escape.

The Rascalz (Trey Miguel & Zachery Wentz) defeated Subculture (Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster) (w/ Dani Luna) to become the Impact World Tag Team Champions

This match was awesome. A little overbooked with false finishes, but it was excellent. I expected the Rascalz to win here, and it was the right call for now. Subculture are definitely an act that Impact should keep using though, as they are consistently great.

Miguel and Andrews started the match, with Miguel surprisingly engaging in the ground game with Andrews. Andrews can high fly well, but the ground game usually goes far for those trained in the British style, and Andrews did not disappoint, hitting a dead arm drag on Miguel. Wentz pulled Miguel from the ring to help them reset. The reset worked and the Rascalz were able to isolate Flash Morgan Webster and get the heat on him for several minutes.

Wentz almost got a kimura on Webster, but Webster made it to the ropes to escape, Miguel hit a back suplex onto the apron on Webster before hitting a slingshot senton from the apron to the inside. Wentz hit a double stomp to the arm of Webster, continuing where he left off with the submission.

Webster managed to kick away from Wentz and tag out to Andrews, who ran wild taking both men out, and then Subculture hit stereo tope con giros to the floor on both men. Webster missed a 450 splash, but rolled through and tagged out to Andrews, who hit a double team blue thunder bomb on Miguel for a 2-count.

Both teams exchanged strikes in the middle of the ring until Subculture hit stereo headbutts, but then all 4 kicked up, and The Rascalz hit a spectacular series of kicks. Miguel and Wentz went for a double team move where Miguel did a moonsault and Wentz shoved him in midair into landing on Webster. However, he got the knees up and a Canadian destroyer was hit. Subculture missed a tope, letting the Rascalz hit hot fire & flame from the ramp to the floor onto both men.

Miguel hit a Cross Rhodes on Andrews but it was broken up. While Miguel sprayed Andrews with paint, ABC came down to keep The Rascalz from cheating to win. The Good Hands came down and everyone brawled around until Dani Luna hit a crossbody off the top rope onto the Good Hands. Andrews hit Miguel with the Stundog Millionaire and Webster hit a senton for a 2-count. Wentz ran in and they isolated Webster again and hit a double stomp into burning hammer on Webster for the win.

Bully Ray, Brian Myers, Moose, and Lio Rush were backstage and Ray was thrilled about Rush being there, saying that he was smiling because he was glad to finally be on their side. Ray said he was now included in the group text, and Rush said that he had always been ready, but he wondered if Bully Ray was because of PCO. Moose said not to worry about that, and that they were all scumbags while Rush was a scumbag in training.

–We saw Deonna Purrazzo & Trinity preparing for their match.

Eddie Edwards defeated Frankie Kazarianin a Back to School match

This would have been much better as a live match, but honestly, it wasn’t bad. I hope their next match is live and given time, as they’re both great workers.

When the announcers pitched to the match, they had tech trouble and couldn’t get the video to play right away. We saw Kazarian entering the school with a voice over from an old Killer Kowalski promo before entering the school. It fade to Eddie Edwards pulling up to the school with a Jeep the same colour as he green gear. Colour coordination in the heel here, while the same nostalgic music played.

Edwards paused at the same places Kazarian did, noting the photographs of their trainer, and the one signed to Kazarian. The music then got serious as they both entered the gym. Kazarian tried to explain what happened with him accidentally hitting Alisha Edwards. Edwards asked if it hurt Kazarian when he beat Bobby Lashley for the Impact title, or when he became the first foreigner to win the GHC championship in NOAH, rather than him. Edwards than sat in Kowalski’s chair, essentially saying that he was the true successor to their trainer.

Kazarian hit a cheap shot and they got into the ring and started fighting. Kazarian dumped Edwards to the floor but ate a drop toe hold into Kowalski’s chair from Edwards. Kazarian used the gym equipment to hit a hurricanrana on Edwards before throwing him into a pillar. Kazarian hit a springboard leg drop before going for the chicken wing. Edwards fought out and hit a backpack stunner for a 2-count. Edwards went for a Tiger driver, but Kazarian hit an inverted piledriver. Alisha Edwards came in and distracted Kazarian at this point, letting Edwards hit the Boston Knee Party for the win. He then kissed his wife over Kowalski’s chair and left.

Kazarian sadly went back to the photo table, and Alisha Edwards hit Kazarian with a kendo stick while Edwards taunted him, calling him a failure. Eddie Edwards then broke the photo Kazarian brought to the gym over Kazarian’s head, leaving him laying.

SANADA (Just 5 Guys) defeated Jake Something

This was a very good match, with SANADA being treated as a star by the Impact audience and Something looking like he could keep up with the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Something didn’t win, but he definitely walked out of this with higher stock. SANADA also got a bit of a nice homecoming with Impact, since he spent his excursion there.

SANADA entered wearing his Great Muta tribute gear. It wasn’t long into the match before SANADA tied Something up in the ropes with the paradise lock. SANADA hit a dropkick to release him and then a few elbows. Something flipped backwards out of a back suplex and then hit a Vader body press and a clothesline for a 2-count.

Matt Rehwoldt noted that Something would get a championship opportunity at the IWGP World Heavyweight Champinship if he beat SANADA. You can take the man out of WWE, but it’s harder to take the WWE speak out of the man. To his credit, Hannifan called the title a belt after this though, so take that Vince McMahon!

SANADA hit a plancha to the floor on Something, which got the crowd on their feet. SANADA hit a forearm from the apron but missed a dive off the top ropes, causing him to roll through and end up in the opposite corner, with no time before Something hit a huge spear in the corner on SANADA. SANADA managed to hit the ropes and float over from a Destino into a skull end on Something. Something managed to power out, but SANADA hit a magic whip on Something.

SANADA hit a TKO on Something, but Something kicked out at 2. SANADA then followed up with a big moonsault, but Something kicked out again to the surprise of the fans. SANADA almost hit deadfall, but Something countered out and then caught a moonsault attempt with a Greetings from Asbury Park for a 2-count.

SANADA hit a dropkick, and tried to hit a hurricanrana, but Something rolled through it, hanging onto SANADA’s leg, and hitting a powerbomb for 2. The crowd started to get into Something more here, beyond just cheering SANADA, which I think is the point of this match. Something went for into the void, but SANADA hit an enziguri and a shining wizard before going for deadfall again, but Something powered out yet again and hit a big right hand on SANADA. Something went for into the void again, but SANADA quickly countered into deadfall for the win.

Josh Alexander & Time Machine (Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, & KUSHIDA) defeated Bully Ray, Lio Rush, Moose, & Myers

I’m really not sure about pinning Alexander right now when you’re probably warming him up to face Shelley, but they got time to warm him up again before Bound for Glory in October. This was a fun, but definitely overbooked, tag match. That said, it was still quite good.

Ray, rather nicely, said into the camera during his entrance, “God bless the Funker, and God bless the Fiend” before going right back into character and hugging Lio Rush, which Rush did not look thrilled about.

Myers spent the early parts of the match getting beaten up by the entire babyface turn, which is his role, and Shelley continued working over the arm like he did on Impact on Thursday. Myers protested this attack, as one does, and tagged out to Moose. Moose then pointed at Alexander. Alexander put Moose in the tree of woe and then did the “O Canada” that Petey Williams used to do.

Sabin tagged in and went to the top rope, but Bully Ray cut him off and tagged in. The announcers noted how Ray hated Sabin since Sabin beat him for the Impact World Championship years ago. The announcers speculated that this was only a team for Ray until something more valuable was presented to him, which is actually a great point about his character. It’s a little thing, but a way for new viewers to become acquainted with characters. Really good job by Rehwoldt here.

Ray decided to pull a table out despite this being a normal tag match. Josh Alexander responded to Ray by pulling out a table of his own. Sabin went for a sunset flip on Myers, but Myers tagged out to Moose before the move was hit and was able to resume beating on Sabin. Nice little spot to keep the heat. Sabin managed to hit an enziguri on Myers, which finally let him tag out to Alexander who suplexed everyone all over the ring, including catching Rush as he went for Rush Hour.

Moose tried to powerbomb Alexander, but Alexander countered and tried for a C4 Spike. Moose countered out and ran up the ropes to try and hit his crossbody, but Alexander dodged and locked on an ankle lock. Myers ran all the way around the ring, climbed the ropes, and hit a flying elbow on the referee to save Moose.

Time Machine took out Myers with a triple kick in the corner. Sabin tried to hit a suicide dive on Moose, but Moose caught him and hit a uranage through the table that Ray setup earlier. That looked brutal, as the table broke in several places and Sabin went through it like butter. Moose fought off the hoverboard lock from KUSHIDA and walked him around the ring to place him on the other table allowing Rush to hit the Final Hour off the top rope to the floor through the table.

Ray then went directly after Shelley, and asked for another table from Moose. Ray went to powerbomb Sabin off the ramp and through the table, but Shelley tried to fight back, hitting a superkick on Moose. Right as Ray cut him off and went for the powerbomb though, the lights went out and came back up with PCO fighting with Ray on the ramp.

PCO then tried to chokeslam Ray off the ramp and through the table, but Myers made another save, low blowing PCO. Ray, Moose, and Myers then powerbombed PCO off the stage through the table, but PCO immediately sat up and no sold it and the crowd roared. That was awesome. As PCO chased after Bully Ray, Steve Maclin ran in and took out PCO from behind before brawling with Alexander. Unfortunately, as this happened, the camera caught PCO just standing up and walking off stage casually.

Security ran out to break them up, as they continued to try and brawl. Everyone seemed to forget there was a match going on, and again, to the credit of the announcers, they pointed this out. Alexander walked back to the ring and got hit with a uranage from Moose. Moose missed a spear, but got his feet on the ropes for a pinfall attempt. Alexander kicked out. Shelley and Alexander crashed into each other when Myers shoved Alexander, leading to Shelley and Alexander arguing. Alexander turned around and got hit with a spear from Moose, and managed to get the pin.

–Impact aired a video, showing that Jordynne Grace was returning to Impact at Victory Road. It seems she has signed with Impact again.

Impact Knockouts World Champion Trinity defeated Deonna Purrazzo to retain

This was a decent match. Trinity’s in ring still isn’t quite there, but that doesn’t really matter if you are over, and she absolutely is. She comes across as a star, and she is so easy to root for, so all of that overcomes a lot. This was still a perfectly fine match, and both women worked very hard, and I’m happy to see them both be highlighted as a main event act. You have to think Trinity vs. Jordynne Grace will happen down the line with Grace coming back to Impact as well.

Gail Kim joined the commentary team for the match, talking about her own history with both Trinity and Purrazzo, back to the start of their careers. Purrazzo took down Trinity, but Trinity managed to hit an axe kick, and also two kicks from the ropes on Purrazzo. Purrazzo slowed it down after this for the next few minutes, taking it to the mat. Both went down with a double clothesline, and I think one fan screamed “Double clothesline!” ala MJF/Cole, which made me chuckle.

Trinity was able to get back on top with a Samoan drop and then a crossbody off the top rope for a 2-count. Purrazzo went right to the arm of Trinity, hitting a Pentagon Jr. style arm breaker on Trinity before hitting a Russian legsweep and floating over into a Fujiwara armbar. Trinity managed to make it to the ropes to break the submission.

Trinity drove Purrazzo face first into the mat and then hit a split legged moonsault for a 2-count. Purrazzo hit a superplex on Trinity, who went back to the top rope. Trinity blocked a strike after an exchange and went for a full nelson bomb, but Purrazzo blocked it. I’m not sure what the next move was, but it got a two count. A sort of flipping STO?

Purrazzo and Trinity ended up back-to-back and stood up leaning on each other. Purrazzo went for the Fujiwara armbar again, but Trinity countered in into starstruck. They were close to the ropes, and the damage done to the arm of Trinity earlier all played into why Purrazzo was able to escape. Trinity blocked Queen’s Gambit and then hit the full nelson bomb for a 2-count. Trinity tried to hit a full nelson bomb off the ropes, but Purrazzo managed to puller her down back into an armbar, but Trinity countered again, hit a Code Red, and locked on Starstruck right out of it, forcing the tap out for the win. The show faded away as Trinity celebrated.

–The show then closed with Impact announced that Will Ospreay was returning to Impact Wrestling on October 21 for Bound for Glory!

Final Thoughts

This was a fun show, overall. It will be greatly overshadowed by the phenomenal AEW All In earlier today, but Impact still delivered a quality outing here. They are definitely starting to setup the card for Bound for Glory, and starting to put all the pieces together. Where they struggled in the early part of the year with some of what they are doing, they seem to be in a much better place now, selling out shows, and generating some buzz online. This was another easy thumbs up show.