Scott D’Amore would “absolutely” love to have Will Ospreay in TNA/Impact Wrestling.
Ospreay competed for Impact twice over the weekend, defeating “Speedball” Mike Bailey at Bound for Glory and then facing Josh Alexander at a television taping. After those matches, Ospreay made a post on social media saying that he’s “had the best time” competing for Impact.
Ospreay’s NJPW contract is scheduled to expire in February 2024. Ospreay is looking to explore every possible option in contract talks, including potentially signing with Impact.
During an interview with Tom Hannifan on Tuesday, D’Amore — the president of Impact Wrestling — stated that Ospreay is arguably the best wrestler in the world right now. D’Amore said any pro wrestling company would love to have Ospreay at the center of its universe.
I mean, look, Will Ospreay is arguably the greatest wrestler in the world right now. And I don’t think anybody — I don’t know if it’s even disputable — that 2023 Will Ospreay is having one of the greatest years of any wrestler in history. So I think any company that said they didn’t want Will Ospreay at the center of their universe would be lying.
Will’s kind of been pretty honest and upfront about what’s happening and the fact that he’s going to be a free agent soon. And the second that his contract expires, he becomes the hottest free agent in professional wrestling. Would we love to have Will Ospreay? Absolutely. Will Ospreay is a great talent. You saw two examples of that this weekend. You saw him and Mike Bailey put on a match of the year candidate. Only the people there have saw it live so far, but you’ll see it on an upcoming week of Impact weekly television, Will Ospreay and Josh Alexander went out there and put on an unbelievable match.
D’Amore thinks it’s cool that Ospreay wanted to come to Impact Wrestling and dreamed of being in a TNA ring when he was younger. D’Amore said that’s an opportunity that’s open to Ospreay when TNA Wrestling makes its return. It was revealed at Bound for Glory that the TNA name is coming back starting with the promotion’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view in January 2024.
That opportunity is open to Will Ospreay. And I can tell you that I’ve had conversations with Anthem Sports (Impact Wrestling’s parent company) and everything else and let them know. And they’re well aware of who Ospreay is and what Will Ospreay is. And, you know, don’t know where Will Ospreay is going to end up. But there’s certainly a seat at the table here and a meaningful one where he could be at the center of a lot of that advancement and change that we talk about.
Ospreay will be in action again for Impact this Friday (October 27). He’s facing Eddie Edwards at Impact’s Turning Point special in Newcastle, England. The event will be available to watch on Impact Plus starting on Friday, November 3.
Ospreay is NJPW’s current IWGP UK/US Heavyweight Champion. He’s wrestled several matches for AEW this year as well.
While speaking with the Metro recently, Ospreay said he’d be open to the idea of signing with WWE and potentially moving to the United States.
“It’s on the table, that’s all I can really say,” Ospreay said about possibly relocating to the US. “That means I am open to all options going forward.”
During an interview with Tom Hannifan on Tuesday, Impact president Scott D’Amore discussed the return of TNA Wrestling.
It was revealed at the conclusion of Bound for Glory that Impact Wrestling is changing its name back to TNA. The name change will officially go into effect starting with the promotion’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view in January 2024.
When I got here and took over the helm going into 2018, the company had gone through so much. It had been TNA Wrestling, then Impact Wrestling, then I think it might have briefly been TNA, then it was GFW, then it was Impact. Coming in, the last thing it needed was another name change. What it needed was to figure itself out. What it needed was stability, it needed consistency, it needed respectability. And we spent a lot of time under the Impact banner doing that. And I think we’ve proven ourself.
But the fact is, when this company was formed, when this idea was first hatched — three men on a boat with Jeff and Jerry Jarrett and Bob Ryder — it was Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. That’s what they were looking for. And I think that while we found that stability under the Impact banner, and very proud of that, I think what we now have is we’re ready to go there and have our growth and our true success. Our true second golden era under our true name. TNA Wrestling.
D’Amore said he thinks the Impact and TNA brands both have value, but TNA is who the company really is at its core. Their weekly television show on Thursday nights will still be named Impact.
“I think TNA at our core is who we are,” D’Amore said. “And I think it gives us back that swagger that maybe we’ve lacked. When I talk about too much apologizing, that’s done. Are we going to make mistakes? Absolutely. But when we do we’ll get up, we’ll dust ourselves, and we’ll just get back at it.”
D’Amore pointed to how TNA changed the industry by pushing smaller wrestlers, showcasing tag team wrestling, and giving women a platform to be athletes. D’Amore said people have asked for a long time what the identity of Impact Wrestling is. He believes you’ll now see a clearer vision of that.
D’Amore was asked what he’d say to those who assume this means a return to the Dixie Carter/Jeff Jarrett/Vince Russo era.
This isn’t about looking back, this is about looking forward. Certainly TNA/Impact Wrestling has had its ups and downs over the years. But we’re looking at taking the things that worked, bringing them back. We’re looking at doing a better job of managing how things are handled. And like I said, are we going to make mistakes? Absolutely. But we’re going to do more great than we do missteps.
This isn’t about any one person. It’s not about Jeff Jarrett, it’s not about Vince Russo, it’s not about Scott D’Amore. This is about a locker room and a company that feels something special. And this is about a fan base that I think is starting to feel something special.
D’Amore stated that new title belt designs for the promotion’s championships will be unveiled. The current champions will all remain champions and the lineage of the titles will continue.
TNA will also be debuting a new set. D’Amore said it will honor the promotion’s history while also being forward-looking.
D’Amore confirmed that the six-sided ring will not be making a return. D’Amore said the six-sided ring causes more injuries and wear and tear on the wrestlers.
D’Amore said the idea for the TNA name to return was first formulated in early 2023. He thinks it’s a testament to the type of people they have in the company, both on camera and behind the scenes, that the news never leaked before their announcement.
Hard to Kill 2024 is taking place from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 13.
The full interview with D’Amore can be watched below:
Impact Wrestling’s upcoming show in Scotland will be taped to air on television.
Impact is heading to Glasgow this Thursday (October 26) for a stop on the promotion’s UK Invasion tour. It was announced today that the Glasgow event is being taped for TV. It will air on the Thursday, November 9 episode of Impact.
“Breaking News: The live IMPACT Wrestling show on Thursday, October 26, at the O2 Academy in Glasgow, Scotland will be a special taping for the company’s flagship weekly TV Show, Impact!, that will air on Thursday, November 9, starting at 8 p.m. EST on AXS TV,” Impact Wrestling wrote.
“The Glasgow stop on the UK Invasion Tour features the Motor City Machine Guns battling the team of [Josh] Alexander and Eric Young, plus Grado vs. Trey Miguel, Rhino vs. Eddie Edwards, Jordynne Grace vs. Gisele Shaw, and more.”
The four-show UK Invasion tour runs from October 26 through October 29. The October 27 show in Newcastle is an Impact Plus special named Turning Point. Turning Point won’t air on Impact Plus until Friday, November 3.
This is the first time Impact Wrestling has been to the United Kingdom since 2018.
Impact announced on Tuesday that PCO has signed a new contract with the company. Further details about the terms of the new deal were not disclosed.
“I really wanted to be part of the new era of TNA Wrestling and Scott D’Amore made me an offer I could not refuse,” PCO said.
PCO’s previous Impact contract was set to expire on October 30. As of last month, PCO had given notice to Impact and was expected to depart the company at the end of his deal. But PCO giving notice “reopened” the discussions between the two sides. PCO spoke about the negotiations with Impact during an interview with Les Anti-Pods de la Lutte.
At Impact’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view over the weekend, PCO won a Monster’s Ball match against Moose, Rhino, and Steve Maclin.
Impact hyped that PCO is the first signing of the new era of TNA Wrestling. At the conclusion of Bound for Glory, Impact Wrestling revealed that it’s changing its name back to TNA Wrestling. The name change starts with the promotion’s Hard to Kill PPV in January 2024.
PCO started with Impact in the beginning of 2022. Previously best known as a former WWF Tag Team Champion as part of The Quebecers, the 55-year-old PCO has gone through a career resurgence in recent years. That included an ROH World Championship reign for PCO from December 2019 to February 2020.
The new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is up:
Match and performer of the week for both of the past two weeks
The changes in WWE, Vince out of creative, how UFC and WWE are being treated differently
Showtime drops all sports programming and their entire sports department, both how in and of itself its a major story in boxing, MMA and could be in pro wrestling, but even more the trend that it shows
Stations still in the market for sports today
The ominous aspects of NBA current TV negotiations
Why boxing was dropped after such a great PPV year
A look back at the career of Sting after his retirement announcement
A look at his AEW run
His rise to the top in WCW
How his career got started
What person saw the potential in Sting the earliest
The famous 1988 Sting vs. Ric Flair match and how it changed his career trajectory
The multiple times Sting stepped away from wrestling
The TNA run
The WWE run
Power Team USA and Flash Borden
NWA on WB, the keys to this deal
Update on Crown Jewel and who isn’t scheduled right now on the show
The classic matches of 2023 Will Ospreay
New Japan Royal Quest and Power Struggle
Notes on last week’s UFC show
A look back at one of the most traveled enhancement star of the late 60s into the early 80s, Bill Howard
The most detailed look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling shows this past week, including segment-by-segment, competition and comparisons with a year ago
CMLL wrestlers traveling around the world
Two spectacular matches at Friday’s Arena Mexico show
Stardom opens tag tournament
One of AAA’s biggest stars likely not returning
Biggest woman promotion in the world at one time has a nostalgia reunion show coming in January
Chris Hero returns
What pro wrestling star of the 70s never lost a singles match in his entire career
AEW and CMLL relationship notes
Tony Khan’s tweets
Updates on ticket sales to WWE & AEW shows
International TV ratings and streaming numbers
UFC signs huge money international deal
UFC top star taking time off
Main event result in UFC overturned
Pat Miletich returns to fight at 55
Ari Emanuel criticized for working with Dana White, Vince McMahon and Conor McGregor
More on the Vince McMahon documentary
Completely exaggerated PPV claims
What percentage of Logan Paul buyers also buy AEW or WWE shows
WWE sells network rights internationally
Dynamite TV streak ends after two weeks
Notes on all the WWE & NXT arena events this past week
Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
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Monday Update
Bryan and I will be back tonight talking all the latest wrestling and MMA news with Wrestling Observer Radio as well as covering Raw and talking about the shows coming later in the week.
Raw tonight has big competition as the Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers American League championship series game seven starts tonight at 8 p.m. It also goes against the San Francisco 49ers, one of the Super Bowl favorites, facing the Minnesota Vikings. It’s a loaded up show but doesn’t get the post-PPV bump that has saved it against tough competition. I do think baseball and football, even with the playoffs, may be easier for Raw than two different NFL games. They’ve announced Jey Uso vs. Damian Priest, a Judgment Day celebration for winning their tag titles, Becky Lynch vs. Indi Hartwell for the NXT women’s title, Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn, New Day vs. Alpha Academy (teasing the winners getting a tag title match), Johnny Gargano vs. Giovanni Vinci and Logan Paul appears. They had 11,700 tickets out as of earlier today in Dallas, although I’d expect less in the building because the Rangers are in game seven.
WWE has to be rooting for a Philadelphia Phillies win today which would close out the national league series. The game should be ending around the start of Raw although it could go slightly over. If the Arizona Diamondbacks win, it means game seven goes against NXT, although for whatever reason, NXT holds up better than all the other wrestling shows do against sports.
As far as the World Series goes, every game will impact wrestling. Game one is Friday on FOX which moves Smackdown to FS 1. Game two goes against Collision. Game three goes against Raw. Game four goes against NXT. Game five, if needed, goes against Dynamite. A prospective Game six would go against Smackdown & Rampage and a game seven would go against Collision.
We’re looking for your thoughts on Impact Bound for Glory, you can leave a thumbs up, down or middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected] Not to influence the poll but there is one match that was just incredible on this show, enough that I’d recommend the replay if you want to see something very close to a match of the year.
We’re also looking for reports from these shows:
WWE last night in Laredo, TX
Impact last night in Chicago for TV tapings
Raw tonight in Dallas (Main Event matches, anything not on the live show)
We’re looking for results, finishes and angles from those shows to [email protected]
Both WWE and Impact are headed to Europe this week. The Raw crew leaves after the show tonight and heads to Munich, Germany for a Wednesday show, followed by Cologne on Thursday and Hamburg on Friday. Impact is in Glasgow, Scotland on Thursday, followed by a Turning Point PPV taping in Newcastle at the Walker Dome on Friday and shows Saturday and Sunday in Coventry.
The Glasgow card has Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley vs. Josh Alexander & Eric Young, Rhino vs. Eddie Edwards, Trey Miguel vs. Grado and Jordynne Grace vs. Gisele Shaw.
Thanks to B.J. Bethel for listing me as the best person to follow on Twitter in pro wrestling in a story today.
Also want to make mention of our friend Jay Dumont “Great Fowler” on the list. I know that kind of stuff really cheers him up and anyone who cheers him up is doing a good thing. Jay’s the real fighter in this business.
A quick note on the Friday ratings. Both shows were well down due to going head-to-head with the Philadelphia Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks National league championship series game four, which did 5.39 million viewers and a 1.30 in 18-49.
While the competition from baseball is part of, if not the key reason, for Rampage numbers going down this week. While Mistico did sell tickets for the show on Friday, he was not a ratings draw even though his match was the peak of the show
Johnny Walker was on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani today. He said he was fine. He said the doctor asked him if he wanted to continue fighting and he said “Yes.” He said when asked “Where are you?” and he appeared confused and didn’t answer, he said “Fine, I’m in the f***ig desert, bro. I’m here. I’m good. I’m in the desert. I’m in the Middle East.”
Big E noted that the world premiere of the short film “Bridges” will be on Saturday night at Urban World in New York. Ticket info.
A note on the Sami Callihan being backstage at the AEW show on Saturday while I wasn’t aware of it being reported elsewhere, it had been previously reported by Bodyslam.net
WWE is going with the smallest stage in years for Survivor Series. They are looking at getting nearly 16,900 into the Allstate Arena, a number they wouldn’t have gotten for a show in that arena in decades. They are also cutting back on the stage for Smackdown the night before and setting it up for 15,800. (thanks to William Zdon/Wrestletix)
Hana Kimura’s mother Kyoko Kimura, who recently hung out with Mercedes Mone, said, “A superstar who loves flowers/Hana and Me. Mone took me shopping. Treated me to delicious Mexican food. I had a wonderful and heartwarming time.”
The movie “Freelance” starring John Cena opens in theaters on Friday. Cena stars as a former special forces operative who becomes private security for a reporter (played by Alison Brie) as she interviews a ruthless dictator right as they are having a military coup.
Jared Cannonier said he was called about facing Khamzat Chimaev after Paulo Costa had surgery. But he said he just tore his MCL and has to get surgery. He said he won’t be able to fight for five months. He was scheduled for a December fight with Roman Dolidze. Cannonier noted he would be 40 by the time he fights again (thanks to Denis Shkuratov of Submission Radio)
Salina de la Renta is listed as the Executive Producer for the MLW Fusion show that airs Thursday on the MLW YouTube channel and FITE.
Will Ospreay enjoyed his weekend competing for Impact Wrestling.
Ospreay wrestled for Impact twice over the weekend. He wrestled at Bound for Glory on Saturday night and at Impact’s Bound for Glory fallout television tapings the next day. Both shows were held in Cicero, Illinois.
In social media posts on Monday, Ospreay reflected on his experience. He noted that Impact Wrestling is “one big team.”
I have had the best time at @IMPACTWRESTLING from fan experience to quality of wrestling.
I honestly believe that the reason they have climbed back from such a deep trench… is because that place is one big team.
The moment they said ‘we are TNA’
I said ‘yes they are’
I’m so happy for all of that crew because they all work so hard and are grateful for the fan support.
TNA was the reason I wanted to become a wrestler.
With that team, they will inspire brand new TNA kids.
Ospreay defeated “Speedball” Mike Bailey in a show-stealing match at Bound for Glory. Ospreay then faced Josh Alexander at Sunday’s TV tapings.
Ospreay will be in action for Impact again at Turning Point in Newcastle, England this Friday (October 27). He’s facing Eddie Edwards at the event. The show won’t air on Impact Plus until November 3.
The match at Bound for Glory was the first time Ospreay has wrestled for Impact since 2016.
Ospreay, who is contracted to NJPW, recently told Sports Illustrated that he’s “looking to explore every single option” when his contract is up. Ospreay said his NJPW contract is up in February and he’s still in negotiations with them.
“The deal is up in February, and we’re still in negotiations,” Ospreay said. “I’m looking to explore every single option and every single avenue. Impact Wrestling is in the running for my next home. I’m willing to test the waters. So this match against Mike Bailey is a real treat for me, and I’m excited to do it, especially with what could happen next year.”
Ospreay is NJPW’s IWGP US/UK Heavyweight Champion. He’s also wrestled several matches for AEW in recent months.
At the conclusion of Bound for Glory, Impact Wrestling revealed that it’s changing its name and will once again be TNA Wrestling starting with the promotion’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view in January 2024.
Impact Wrestling is crossing the line back to TNA.
At the conclusion of Bound for Glory on Saturday night, Impact Wrestling aired a video revealing that the promotion is changing its name back to TNA Wrestling. It will be the first time since 2017 that the promotion has been known as TNA.
The rebrand goes into effect starting with Hard to Kill 2024, which is taking place from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 13.
TNA IS BACK!
TNA Wrestling RETURNS starting from Hard To Kill on January 13 LIVE on PPV from the Palms in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/2qyaiDxvKI
“I can still hear it. People want to pretend that it went away, but we’re reminded of it every [expletive] day,” Frankie Kazarian said in Saturday’s video. “All of you, you’re my brothers and my sisters. And I feel it in my core. Professional wrestling is bleeding. There needs to be a change. This is that change.”
“And to get there, we have to go back to where it all started,” Jordynne Grace added.
Eric Young, Alisha Edwards, Eddie Edwards, Alex Shelley, Josh Alexander, and Chris Sabin also spoke in the video. It ended with a box being opened that revealed the return of TNA.
“We still hear the ‘TNA’ chants wherever we go,” Impact Wrestling president Scott D’Amore said in a press release. “Fans have longed for TNA Wrestling, so that’s what we’re bringing back in 2024: TNA Wrestling, we’re back!”
The press release stated that the rebrand will include TNA running “larger, more prestigious venues.”
“Company officials confirmed that the new year will launch a new-look TNA Wrestling that runs from the entrance ramp to turnbuckles in the ring to larger, more prestigious venues and much, much more,” Impact wrote.
D’Amore will provide further details in an interview with Tom Hannifan on Impact’s Facebook page this Tuesday (October 24).
TNA launched as NWA: Total Nonstop Action in 2002. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary last year.
The first match for Hard to Kill 2024 already looks to be set. After winning the Call Your Shot gauntlet match at Bound for Glory, Grace declared that she’s going to challenge for the Knockouts Championship at Hard to Kill. Trinity currently holds the Knockouts title.
After Hard to Kill, TNA is holding television tapings at The Palms on Sunday, January 14. Those matches will air on future episodes of Impact.
At Bound for Glory on Saturday night, a former AEW wrestler made their surprise Impact Wrestling debut.
Sonny Kiss appeared as one of the entrants in the Call Your Shot gauntlet match at Bound for Glory. Kiss entered the 20-person match as the ninth entrant. She was eliminated by Matt Cardona and Brian Myers.
This September, Tony Khan confirmed that he did not renew Kiss’ AEW contract. Kiss had been with the promotion since its launch in 2019. Khan said he really likes Kiss, but it’s hard to get everyone on television with such a big roster.
Cardona and Juventud Guerrera were other surprise participants in the Call Your Shot gauntlet. The match came down to Jordynne Grace and Bully Ray. After hitting the Grace Driver, Grace pinned Bully Ray to get the victory.
The Call Your Shot winner receives a title shot of their choosing whenever they want it. And it didn’t take long for Grace to reveal her plans. Grace declared that she’ll be challenging for the Knockouts Championship at Impact’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view in January 2024.
Bound for Glory — Impact Wrestling’s biggest event of the year — emanates from Cicero, Illinois’ Cicero Stadium tonight.
The pay-per-view will be headlined by Alex Shelley vs. Josh Alexander for the Impact World Championship, and Trinity vs. Mickie James for the Knockouts Championship.
Will Ospreay makes his return to Impact, taking on “Speedball” Mike Bailey in a match that could steal the show.
KENTA is also back in Impact for the show, challenging Chris Sabin for the X-Division Championship.
Two Tag Team title matches are set as The Rascalz defend their titles against Ace Austin & Chris Bey while Deonna Purrazzo & Tasha Steelz challenge Killer Kelly & Masha Slamovich for the Knockouts Tag Team titles.
There will be a Monster’s Ball match between Steve Maclin, Moose, Rhino, and PCO in addition to the annual Call Your Shot gauntlet match.
Tonight will see Mike Tenay, Don West, and Traci Brooks inducted into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame. The inductions are taking place on tonight’s pre-show, which begins at 7:30 PM Eastern.
Pre-Show Hall of Fame inductions:
Traci Brooks
Gail Kim, also an Impact Hall of Famer, inducted Brooks. The two worked together extensively and have known each other since 2000 when they started wrestling school together. She said they wrestled in their first bikini match together (which they hated) and their first hardcore match (which they didn’t know about beforehand).
Brooks came out with husband Frankie Kazarian and their son, Rebel. She did the usual, thanking her parents and brothers. She then thanked Kazarian, her in-laws, and told her son to dream big. She then thanked Kim, who was her also her maid of honor. She also thanked Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, The Beautiful People, So Cal Val and others in addition to a slew of men’s wrestlers, executives, the fans, and others.
Brooks is the third-ever woman inducted. This was a pretty straightforward and emotional speech, but you could tell it meant a lot to her to be inducted.
Mike Tenay & Don West
Scott D’Amore inducted the legendary announcing duo. West, of course, sadly passed away in December of last year after a battle with cancer while Tenay has been out of the pro wrestling spotlight since his Impact/TNA days were done, save for a few appearances with Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.
D’Amore told a story about how West accidentally auctioned off a Team Canada jacket prior to 2017’s Slammiversary that was actually D’Amore’s. He said he was the best salesperson in this or any other business. “He had to be. He sold Scott D’Amore memorabilia!”
Both Tenay and West’s families were in attendance. Tenay then accepted the honor, coming out to the old rap-rock TNA theme which I haven’t heard in decades.
Tenay spent the majority of the speech putting over West, his story and how Tenay’s son said West was his favorite announcer. He said in wrestling, you make many acquaintances but not many true friends but to him, West was a true friend.
Tenay told some Bobby Heenan stories and then thanked some people including Eric Bischoff, Zane Bresloff, the Jarrett family, the Sahadi family, Konnan, Keith Mitchell, and others.
He joked his granddaughter asked him if he should be called “Mr. Hall of Fame” and he said it would be a good idea if she wanted to be in the will. He thanked his wife (“the true Hall of Famer in the family”) to close things out and then pitched to Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt.
This was a good speech and worth checking out on YouTube.
Main Show:
X-Division Champion Chris Sabin defeated KENTA to retain the title
According to Cagematch, this is their first ever singles match but they did share the ring earlier this year on opposite sides of a trios match.
Sabin set the record tonight with his 13th Bound for Glory match. He’s in his tenth reign as champion so the title might as well be renamed after him at this point.
Since this was the opener, you know it would be good with two veterans. This was competitive with KENTA nearly getting the pin with his feet on the ropes after a roll-up and then again after a double foot stomp to the chest. KENTA called for the GTS (in Chicago, no less) but Sabin got out of it, only to be slapped repeatedly.
Sabin got the pin after the Clothesline from Hell, Michigan and the Cradle Shock for his second successful title defense.
PCO won a Monsters Ball match over Steve Maclin, Moose and Rhino
PCO’s deal is up at the end of this month after another interesting run in Impact. All four men were kept in separate dark rooms for 24 hours with no food, water or light with all squinting when their doors were opened up. Malnourishment going into a fight is no way to go.
This was a brawl from the start with Maclin attacking Rhino as he came out followed by Moose laying him out. PCO then came out a few minutes later for his last big entrance. Moose’s attire was akin to plaid pajama pants with red sneakers. I kinda like it! He then backdropped PCO over the top rope into a ladder in a gnarly looking spot.
PCO got on a roll, focusing on Maclin. He hit a De-Animator (swanton) onto Maclin as he laid on the outside of the ring in another gnarly spot. I don’t know how long PCO’s body will hold up, but he is certainly going until the wheels not only fall off but explode into flames.
Moose got the upper hand on PCO and spread thumbtacks onto a bed of cinder blocks on the outside of the ring, followed by a power bomb that saw tacks go into the back of PCO’s head. Ouch.
Rhino re-entered the fray and answered the fans and got not just a table, but a barbed wire table that went unused…for a few minutes. Bully Ray eventually came out and pushed Maclin off the top rope through the table, revenge for Maclin calling him “soft” recently.
PCO and Moose went at it, made more ridiculous with PCO wearing tacks all over his head and shoulders. Moose then got gored by Rhino with a chair in his hands, laying out both of them. PCO then hit another Re-Animator from the top and got the surprise win to end a pretty wild and entertaining match. How about that?
Chris Bey & Ace Austin defeated The Rascalz to win the Impact Tag Team titles
This feud goes back months as Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz cost Bey & Austin the titles at Slammiversary and then again in their subsequent rematch for the titles. Bey & Austin won a Feast or Fired briefcase and, imagine this, a Tag Team title shot was in there. The Rascalz are looking for their fourth defense of the titles they won by defeating Subculture.
Interesting fact: Wentz and Miguel went into this match undefeated as a duo (8-0) dating back four years. While these four have shared the ring a lot in the past around the world, this is only their second-ever tag match against each other and the first in Impact.
Similar to the opener, this was competitive. All four guys showed out thanks to their athleticism and knowledge of each other. The end came when Wentz accidentally sprayed Miguel with spray paint and then got hit with the Art of Finesse/Fold combo to give Bey & Austin their second title run.
I think they are running behind on time as they went right to an Ospreay/Bailey video package.
Will Ospreay defeated “Speedball” Mike Bailey
This was originally slated for the inaugural Impact x NJPW Multiverse United PPV, but Ospreay had to pull out with a shoulder injury. This is their fourth-ever meeting, but the first outside the UK. Ospreay has won all of them to date.
His NJPW UK/US title was not on the line here. He is scheduled to wrestle as part of Impact’s UK tour for one date for what it’s worth.
From the start, this had the big fight feeling as the fans kicked it up a notch. Both men were going 100mph at the onset, eventually slowing the pace down for. like, a minute or so. An Ospreay chop knocked Bailey to the floor. However, Bailey avoided a dive, jumped on the top rope, and nailed Ospreay with a twisting leap.
These two continued to have ridiculous sequences where just as one guy got the advantage, another rallied to regain it like when Ospreay hit an Os Cutter on the ring apron. As Bailey barely made it back in, he hit another one that got two. Later, the two had an incredible “you frickin’ gotta see this” kicking exchange that ended with a Hidden Blade out of nowhere.
Bailey nearly got the win on multiple occasions, including off an Ultimo Weapon and Meteor Rain (flipping fisherman’s buster off the top). Ospreay matched him with a Styles Clash and a Storm Driver ’93. Ospreay followed with another Hidden Blade and a Storm Breaker to get the win to close an excellent match.
As much as Ospreay has got his flowers for being so god damn good at this, Bailey has earned the right to make his name on an even bigger stage.
Jordynne Grace won the 20-person Call Your Shot gauntlet match
For the uninitiated, this is an intergender match where two wrestlers start and another one enters after two minutes. The final two then go heads up to determine the winner. Eliminations are over the top rope. The winner earns an Impact title shot of their choosing anytime, anywhere over the next year.
Jake Something and Eddie Edwards (the 2020 winner) kicked things off followed by Kenny King (3), complete with a cape. Who doesn’t love a good cape in pro wrestling? Edwards and King used to be in the Honor No More faction and teamed up on Something.
Juventud Guerrera (!) was the fourth entrant, followed by Johnny Swinger (5). Guerrera eliminated King after a sequence and after Swinger randomly hugged the former WCW star, Crazzy Steve attacked both men with a Fest or Fired briefcase. Gisele Shaw (6) came out as security got Steve out of there. Shaw then got Swinger out of there as Steve threatened to attack Swinger with a fork. Tommy Dreamer then emerged to run Steve off as they brawled throughout the crowd.
Jody Threat (7) was up next as these entrances definitely didn’t feel like two minutes each. KiLynn King (8) entered as we’re on a run of female entrants. Guerrera was eliminated by Edwards after stupidly jumping on the ring apron after a move. That led to the debuting Sonny King (9) who tossed Shaw out of the ring.
About 30 seconds later, Bully Ray (10) entered the fray. he immediately squared up with King in a sentence I never thought I’d write in 2023. King danced, Ray danced and then, nothing happened. Matt Cardona (11) returned which led to Ray teaming with King to do the Whazzup drop on the “Indy God.”
Jordynne Grace (12) went face-to-face with old rival Ray, but that got dissipated quickly. Eric Young (13) was up pretty quickly after as these entrance times are all over the frickin’ place. He eventually eliminated Young as Joe Hendry (14) was up next followed by Brian Myers (15). He tossed out Hendry quickly and after hugging Cardona, they tossed out a charging Kiss.
Heath (16) was up next and delivered a slew of Wake Up Calls before getting tossed by Myers. Kazarian (17) and Rich Swann (18) were in next as the ring continued to fill up. Jonathan Gresham (19) came in and got his first elimination on Threat and then got into it with his wife, Grace.
Dirty Dango (20) was the final entrant and was tossed out by Dango virtually the second he got in the ring. Oleg Prudius (the former Kozlov in WWE and Dango’s second) then got in the ring and laid out some wrestlers before security tossed him. Cardona and Myers tossed Kazarian as Gresham and Grace tried to eliminate each other.
Swann got tossed and then Young got eliminated by Cardona and Myers. Something got rid of Gresham and then went on a run against Cardona and Myers, but a Myers low blow led to his elimination. Cardona then eliminated Myers in a surprise, giving us our final four. Grace eliminated Cardona while Ray took out King, leaving us with Ray and Grace to determine the winner. Again, a sentence I didn’t think I’d type in 2023.
Ray’s power was too much early on, but he kept missing big moves. Grace eventually hit a Grace Driver to get the pin and win, becoming the first women’s wrestler to win it. She then wasted no time in calling her shot: a Knockouts title match at January’s Hard to Kill. Hey now!
This was a fun 30 minutes with some surprises and twists.
Knockouts Champion Trinity defeated Mickie James to retain
If you’re reading this, you know James never lost the title in the ring and had to vacate the gold earlier this year due to multiple injuries. Trinity has been on a run since debuting with the company in June, defeating Deonna Purrazzo for the title. This a first time ever bout and one has added intrigue considering James’ husband now works on Fridays for WWE.
After the last two matches, the crowd was tired for this early on. An interesting sequence woke them up with Trinity shaking her butt in James’ face in the corner which James retorted to with a lewd gesture to show she was up for it. Or, something like that.
This was entertaining when it was all said and done. After a sequence, Trinity eventually got the tap off her Starstruck submission, reapplying it twice for more leverage. I think this Impact run has been a good experience for Trinity. While she could make her way back to WWE at some point, this run on her own will pay dividends down the road.
– Moose said that no matter what, he is going to walk out of Hard to Kill as the Impact World Champion. He owns one of the Feast or Fired briefcases, you see.
Impact World Champion Alex Shelley defeated Josh Alexander to retain
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but this was a competitive match. The backstory is that Alexander, like James, had to relinquish the title earlier this year due to injury. Shelley defeated Steve Maclin, whom Alexander was set to defend against in April, in June and has defended it ever since.
Shelley worked over Alexander’s surgically repaired arm and also his fingers for some time with Alexander eventually locking in a Bret Hart-esque figure four around the outside ring post to temporarily regain advantage. The injured arm was the focus because even with surgery, it never truly has healed, right?
The closing stretch saw Alexander attempting to ensnare the ankle lock and a leg lock with Shelley escaping and slapping Alexander’s head gear off. Shelley hit Shellshock, but didn’t go for the pin right away and kicked Alexander’s mouthpiece out with a superkick followed by another Shellshock for the definitive pin and win. So, there you go.
Alexander will now face Ospreay at the Bound for Glory TV taping Sunday while we don’t know what is next for Shelley.
Then, we got the most surprising news of the night: Impact is rebranding as TNA starting with January’s Hard to Kill. Yes, you read that right and there’s a video to prove it:
TNA IS BACK!
TNA Wrestling RETURNS starting from Hard To Kill on January 13 LIVE on PPV from the Palms in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/2qyaiDxvKI
Ace Steel is reportedly set to work Bound for Glory as a producer.
PWInsider reported on Friday night that Steel was in Chicago for Saturday’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view event, where he will be receiving a tryout as a producer. According to the report, Impact wanted Steel as a producer after he was fired from AEW last year before he was re-hired earlier this year when CM Punk returned to the company.
“One source categorized Steel as having a tryout as a Producer this weekend, noting that Impact Wrestling had wanted to bring him in before he returned to work for AEW in a remote position,” PWInsider wrote. “Now that Steel is again free and clear of his AEW contract, we are told Impact once again reached out and offered the same opportunity.”
Steel was released by AEW last month shortly after Punk was fired from AEW. Punk had gotten into a backstage altercation with Jack Perry during AEW’s All In event back in late August, and his contracts with the company were terminated with cause following an investigation.
Steel had previously made appearances in Impact Wrestling back in 2002 as a wrestler, appearing on their weekly pay-per-view events.
Impact Wrestling has confirmed a new addition to the card for its Turning Point event in the United Kingdom.
Joe Hendry will take on Simon Miller at Turning Point in Newcastle, England. The match is Miller’s Impact Wrestling debut. Along with wrestling, Miller is a YouTuber and a host for WhatCulture.
The match was set up by an altercation that Hendry and Miller got into on Hendry’s Food Fight show on YouTube. Hendry and Miller had been feuding online leading into the altercation.
IMPACT Wrestling does not condone the actions of @joehendry or @SimonMiller316 during this interview.
Tonight’s Impact Wrestling is the last stop on the road to Bound for Glory.
Before facing each other for the Knockouts Championship, Trinity and Mickie James will be tag team partners tonight. They’re joining forces to take on Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans.
“Speedball” Mike Bailey is set for a big match against Will Ospreay at this Saturday’s pay-per-view. Before that, Bailey goes one-on-one with Samuray Del Sol.
A tag team match with Rhino & PCO facing Moose & Brian Myers is airing tonight. Bound for Glory will feature a Monster’s Ball match with Rhino, PCO, Moose, and Steve Maclin.
Heath vs. Kenny King is also set for tonight’s show, along with a no DQ match between Crazzy Steve and Black Taurus.
We’ll also get the final build toward Alex Shelley and Josh Alexander’s Impact World Championship match at Bound for Glory.
Tonight’s Before the Impact match is KiLynn King vs. Jody Threat.
BFI Preshow
George Iceman, in a room that echoed like a cave, told us that Bound for Glory may have a surprise guest showing up.
KiLynn King defeated Jody Threat
Decent match that saw King further established in a singles role, and Threat was able to maintain some heat due to King faking an injury to get the advantage.
Impact Wrestling – October 19, 2023
Impact opened with the familiar music of Mike Bailey, as he faces off against Samuray del Sol in a warmup match for Bound for Glory.
Mike Bailey defeated Samuray del Sol
Very good match from Bailey and del Sol here, with Bailey again showing that he is a guy you can count on to have a great match any time you put him out there.
The crowd was into this right away, as they knew it was going to be a good match. After an initial fist bump after an exchange, del Sol got upset as Bailey kept one upping him, so he refused a handshake. After eating a kick he was able to hit a torneo into an armdrag off the top rope. Bailey went for a suicide dive, but del Sol jumped onto the apron and ducked down, causing Bailey to fly through the ropes and crash to the floor.
Bailey and del Sol both went for handsprings at the same time, but Bailey was able to use a series of kicks out of it before hitting a sole butt, a kick to the back, and a running shooting star press for a 2-count. Bailey went for a thrust kick, but del Sol bent backwards to avoid it, then hit the ropes and both wrestlers hit a single leg dropkick in the ring. This exchange caused both to role to the floor and hit single leg dropkicks at the same time again, causing them to hit the mat.
Bailey ate a kick to the face by del Sol, and after another exchange of kicks on the apron, del Sol went to the top rope finally hitting a leaping enziguri on his own that sent del Sol to the floor. Bailey hit a double jump corkscrew moonsault to the floor on del Sol to a huge reaction from the crowd. Bailey went for Ultima Weapon, but del Sol cut him off and hit a body scissors into a driver off the middle ropes for a 2-count.
Bailey hit a standing Spanish fly for a 2-count, then hit a thrust kick before going for a tornado kick, but del Sol blocked it. Bailey got nailed with a pump kick in the corner, but followed del Sol out and hit a twisting kick before hitting Ultima Weapon for the pinfall. Great match.
–Dango was with Oleg Prudius and Alpha Bravo, and they briefly buried the Flying Elvises, only getting Sonny Siaki correct as a member, while confusing the other two with 3 Count from WCW. He then asked how anyone could get a dancing gimmick over. Dango claimed that Prudius beat up John Wick and that Alpha Bravo would dive on a grenade for his comrades.
–ABC were backstage and claimed that The Rascalz were using the 5 D’s (Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge) but that they couldn’t run at Bound for Glory when they cash in their title shot.
Kenny King (w/ Sheldon Jean) defeated Heath
This was fine. Nothing special, but a perfectly acceptable TV match despite the blatant interference from Jean right in front of the referee multiple times.
Heath started this match brawling with King around the ring. Heath suplexed King in from the apron and said, “Come on, Memphis!” to the crowd that has not been very good throughout this taping. Heath clotheslined King to the floor and Heath twisted his ankle on the landing. King worked over the ankle for the next few minutes. Heath hit a boot to the face in a the corner and a clothesline off the middle ropes for a 2-count, but King went right back to the ankle, dropping Heath again.
Both wrestlers went to the ropes to hit clotheslines and they both went down at the same time. Heath hit a leg lariat and a powerslam for a 2-count. Heath took a swipe at Jean, letting King roll him up with his feet on the ropes, but the referee caught him. Heath hit a spinebuster for a 2-count. Heath dropped Jean again, and turned around into a kick from King. King then hit the Royal Flush for the win.
–Kazarian was backstage after his match last week with Eddie Edwards, and he said that he never hated Edwards, but that they were actually brothers trained by the same man. He said that now Eddie Edwards has to respect him, they were going to take Impact Wrestling to new heights. We’ll have to see if Eddie Edwards feels the same later, I assume.
Crazzy Steve defeated Black Taurus in a No DQ Match
This was actually a really good hardcore match that told a good story. Steve was excellent here, and Taurus was awesome as always.
Taurus went right after Steve, hitting a code breaker to the arm of Steve, and grabbed a chair out from under the ring. Steve dodged a swing from Taurus, then took the chair and said, “I hope this hurts you forever!” before hitting Taurus in the back with it. Little kids in the front row cheered Steve hitting Taurus with chairs. I guess Crazzy Steve is for the kids.
Steve setup several chairs on the floor and bridged folded chairs across them. Steve setup two more chairs in the middle of the ring and tried to suplex Taurus across them, but Taurus countered and hit a Knighfall backbreaker through the chairs for a 2-count. Taurus tried to suplex Steve off the apron and through the chairs, but Steve fought out. Taurus hit two sling blades in response.
Steve hit a drop toe hold on Taurus, sending him crashing into the garbage can. Taurus grabbed the legs of Steve in a position for an Alabama slam, but spun Steve around, and Steve turned this into a Canadian Destroyer attempt for a 2-count. Taurus tried to hit a monkey flip on Steve, who was against the ropes, and Steve turned it into a back body drop to through the chairs to the floor. Unfortunately, Taurus did not land on his back, but on his tailbone.
Steve pulled a fork out of his Feast or Fired briefcase and went for the eyes of Taurus again. Taurus blocked it, and tried to turn the fork on Steve himself. Before he could, Steve screamed that he was sorry, leading to Taurus dropping the fork, but trying to hit a move anyway. Steve raked the eyes, put the briefcase on Taurus’ throat and face, and drove him into the turnbuckle before hitting Belladonna’s Kiss for the pinfall.
–We got a set of short promos with people talking about how they were planning to win the Call Your Shot Gauntlet, like the old Royal Rumble promo videos. I liked this.
–Gia Miller was backstage with Mickie James & Trinity, talking about their match with Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans tonight. They talked about how both of them wanted to win tonight, and it wouldn’t be effected by their match at Impact Bound for Glory.
The Most Professional Wrestling Gods (Moose & Brian Myers) defeated Rhino & PCO
The ring announcer accidentally called Moose, “Bruce Moose” when he merged Brian and Moose into one word. I’d accept the tag team name of Broose rather than their actual name, but alas. Rhino and Myers started the match with the fans chanting “Rhino’s gonna kill you!” and he smiled and nodded with an evil grin. Not much happened here until Moose and PCO started exchanging chops in the ring, which was fun.
Rhino came in and threw Moose face first into the turnbuckle 10 times to the delight of the fans, and Moose rolled to the floor. This allowed Myers to sneak in and get some heat on Rhino, choking him on the ropes and hitting a Russian legsweep for a 2-count. Moose accused the referee of counting too slow. Rhino blocked a suplex from Moose and hit one of his own, tagging out to PCO, who went right after Myers, hitting a DDT and hitting a lung blower in the corner before hitting a legdrop off the middle ropes.
Moose made the save and cussed at PCO, and PCO hit a Cactus clothesline to the floor. PCO hit an inverted DDT on Myers and called for a moonsault, but Moose pulled Myers out of the way. Moose checked on Myers, but ate a belly-to-belly suplex before calling for a Gore. Rhino went for the Gore, but Steve Maclin pulled him from the ring and smashed Rhino into the ring post. Maclin went to hit a move on Rhino, but Bully Ray ran down and made the save. PCO then hit a cannonball dive on Maclin but ate a spear back in the ring from Moose for the win.
–MK Ultra promised to destroy Deonna Purrazzo & Tasha Steelz at Bound for Glory.
–An excellent hype video aired for Will Ospreay & Mike Bailey. Some of the highlights showed the Walter Pyramid in California where New Japan has run some shows, and I think that would be a cool venue for Impact to run a PPV from someday. At 5000 seats, it might be a bit ambitious, but it could work.
–Rhino met Ray backstage and said that he didn’t trust him and didn’t need his help.
I don’t often add reaction notes before a promo segment, but holy cow, this was great. Shelley and Alexander were fantastic here, and they did an excellent job selling how important this match was to the both of them.
–Scott D’Amore did a pretape interview with Alex Shelley & Josh Alexander to talk about their match at Bound for Glory. D’Amore was going to ask Alexander the first question, and Shelley interrupted and said that maybe the champion should talk first. Shelley was taking this very personally because Impact was a company he built, and Alexander said that he was taking nothing away from Shelley.
Alexander said that Shelley wanted to make sure Alexander was 100% because Shelley would not go easy on him. Alexander said that Shelley was cracking under the pressure and it can be seen in his behaviour. Alexander said that Shelley was accusing him of thinking Shelley was a transitional champion, but Alexander thought Shelley was saying that because Shelly believed deep down that he was a transitional champion. This led to Shelley leaving the set and running across the arena to brawl with Alexander as D’Amore tried to break it up. This was awesome.
Trinity & Mickie James defeated Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans (w/ Jai Vidal)
Evans & Shaw jumped their opponents before the match began, but Trinity and James both his Thesz presses. Evans and James started the match. Evans and Shaw tried their best to top James but were unable to with everything they tried. Trinity tagged in and hit a legdrop doing the splits for a 2-count. Shaw and Evans isolated Trinity and hit a double suplex for a 2-count.
Trinity was about to make a tag, but Shaw hit James with a forearm to prevent it from happening. Evans and Trinity struggled as Trinity tried to make the tag again, but the referee missed it because Shaw was distracting the referee. Shaw got a lot of heat from the local audience here, as it can’t be denied that the fans here were into Trinity. One of the few acts that got a universally loved reaction on this show, which they were dead for many others.
Trinity managed to hit a kick from the middle rope to drop Evans and finally make the tag to Mickie James. James ran in and with the help of Trinity was able to hit the MickDT on Evans for the pinfall, as the two babyfaces celebrated before their match at Bound for Glory.
–James and Trinity raised each other’s hand, but James kept held of the Knockouts World Championship, not letting Trinity leave as the show went off the air.
Final Thoughts
A good go home show for Impact. They pushed all the major stories, even for matches that didn’t need much build like Ospreay and Bailey (though they could have given Bailey more wins along the way before the match), and the card for Bound for Glory has something for everyone on the show. I am very much so looking forward to it, and can’t wait to be back here Saturday recapping it live.
Impact Wrestling Bound for Glory – October 21, 2023
Impact Hall of Fame Ceremony for Traci Brooks, Mike Tenay, & Don West
Knockouts World Tag Team Championship: MK Ultra (c) vs. Tasha Steelz & Deonna Purrazzo
Will Ospreay vs. Mike Bailey
Impact World Tag Team Championship: The Rascalz (c) vs. ABC
Call Your Shot Gauntlet
Monster’s Ball: Moose vs. PCO vs. Rhino vs. Steve Maclin
X-Division Championship: Chris Sabin (c) vs. KENTA
Knockouts World Championship: Trinity (c) vs. Mickie James
Impact World Championship: Alex Shelley (c) vs. Josh Alexander
Impact Wrestling has announced an X-Division three-way match for its upcoming Turning Point special.
Rich Swann, Frankie Kazarian, and Trey Miguel will face off at Turning Point. The show is taking place in Newcastle, England on Friday, October 27 but won’t air on Impact Plus until November 3. It’s part of Impact Wrestling’s UK Invasion tour.
Chris Sabin is the current champion of the X-Division. He’s defending the title against KENTA at Bound for Glory this Saturday.
The Rascalz (Miguel & Zachary Wentz) are defending their Impact Tag Team titles against ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) at Bound for Glory.
On last week’s Impact, The Rascalz defeated Swann & Sami Callihan to retain the Impact Tag Team titles.
Last week’s Impact also saw Kazarian end his longstanding rivalry with Eddie Edwards. Kazarian defeated Edwards in a two-out-of-three falls Killer Impact match.
The UK Invasion tour begins on October 26 and runs through October 29.
A singles match with Gisele Shaw facing Alex Windsor has also been added to the Turning Point card. Here’s the updated lineup:
Will Ospreay vs. Eddie Edwards
Eric Young & Josh Alexander vs. Subculture (Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster)
Jordynne Grace vs. Dani Luna
The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. Moose & Brian Myers
We now know who Will Ospreay will be facing at Impact Wrestling Turning Point.
Impact Wrestling has announced that Ospreay vs. Eddie Edwards will take place at Turning Point in Newcastle, England. The show is being held on Friday, October 27 but won’t air on Impact Plus until one week later (November 3).
The match will be the first time Ospreay and Edwards have ever wrestled one-on-one.
Ospreay is returning to Impact for the first time since 2016. He’s also set to compete at Bound for Glory this Saturday (October 21) and at the post-Bound for Glory television tapings on Sunday (October 22).
Ospreay vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey is set for Bound for Glory. At the tapings the next night, Ospreay is taking on Josh Alexander. That will be an Impact World Championship match if Alexander wins the title from Alex Shelley at Bound for Glory.
Turning Point is part of Impact Wrestling’s UK Invasion tour. The tour begins on October 26 and ends on October 29. It has one show in Glasgow, one in Newcastle, and two in Coventry.
Also announced for Turning Point is a tag team match with Josh Alexander & Eric Young vs. Subculture (Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster).
Oleg Prudius, formerly known as Vladimir Kozlov in WWE, made a surprise appearance on Thursday’s Impact Wrestling.
Prudius aligned with Dirty Dango on this week’s episode in a match to determine the first and 20th entrants in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match at Bound for Glory on October 21.
Prudius attacked Champagne Singh, Eric Young, and Jake Something in aiding Dirty Dango to a victory in a five-way match on Thursday’s show that also involved Jordynne Grace. As a result of the match, Dango will enter the Gauntlet 20th, while Something must enter first.
It was the first on-screen appearance for Prudius since a cameo in March of this year. The former WWE star also served as a foreign-language commentator for the company in 2021.
54 years old, Prudius last wrestled in 2012 in a handful of bouts in Japan after being released by WWE in 2011. He was signed to the company in 2006 and spent time in the OVW and DSW developmental territories, also getting main roster house show looks as early as his debut year prior to joining the main roster full time in 2008.
With a legitimate sambo and kickboxing background, Prudius was a highly-touted pro wrestling prospect who was brought to WWE’s attention by Jerry Jarrett.
His most high-profile WWE run came on the SmackDown brand in 2008 where he debuted with a long singles winning streak in squash matches, then was ultimately placed in the WWE Championship picture alongside Triple H and Jeff Hardy.
His lone WWE title reign came with the company’s Tag Team titles from December 2010 to February 2011 with Santino Marella as a comedy duo after he had been phased down as a serious singles competitor.
