Tag: retro

Impact Wrestling took a week off from their normal programming to bring us Throwback Throwdown. This special episode is a retro style wrestling show by the Impact Provincial Wrestling Federacion (IPWF). This show was recorded in the Don Kolov Arena in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada on October 27, 2019.

Show opened with Guiseppe Scovelli Jr. (Josh Matthews), alongside Sexton Hardcastle (Don Callis), running down the card for tonight’s show. Hardcastle is a former champion. Ring announcer Doug Stevensen introduced the sports commissioner and the staff and personnel for tonight’s show as well.

Rapid Delivery Pete (Rich Swann) defeated Rip Rayzor (Ace Austin) 

Rip Rayzor is a punk rocker, while Rapid Delivery Pete is, well, a pizza delivery guy. Rayzor has a spiked collar, which saved him from getting headlocked. Rayzor also wrestled with a cigarette, which he used to try and burn Pete.

Rayzor started the match with control, mostly tossing around Pete with arm drags and chokeholds. Pete eventually made a comeback with arm drags and a big Scoop Slam and the Special Delivery Splash for the win. The match itself was nothing 

The Iceman interviewed the International Commonwealth Television Champion Julian Cumberbun (Ethan Page) and his manager Sonny Sanders (Sami Callihan). Iceman asked about Cumberbun’s Loser Leaves Town match tonight with Downtown Daddy Brown (Willie Mack). Sanders cut a promo saying that they’ll defeat Brown tonight and go get some cheeseburgers. Cumberbun said that if not for him, this town and promotion wouldn’t have any money or women. 

Daddy Brown came out and cut a babyface promo telling Cumberbun that tonight he takes the championship and send him packing downtown. Sanders attacked Brown with the Tennis racket and held him by the arms, only for Cumberbun to accidentally take out Sanders. Brown undressed Cumberbun, tearing up his suit.

Good angle. It’s poetic seeing Sami Callihan play Jim Cornette of all people.

We got a vignette for The Hard Workers — Oats and Hall (Cody Deaner and Cousin Jake). They’re something like Chippendales and disco aficionados. 

The Iceman interviewed the team of Pummel and Plunder, collectively known as Xcessive Force, the Demolition theme tag team of D’Lo Brown and Fallah Bahh. They told The Hard Workers that tonight, they’re taking their final breath. 

The Hard Workers defeated Xcessive Force

XF jumped Oats and Hall to start the match, took out Hall and focused on Oats with some double team moves before cutting the ring in half on him, mostly with headbutts and claws. Hall made the hot tag and came in wild, taking out both Pummel and Plumber with a double lariat. Oats picked up the win with an innovative sunset flip pin. 

After the match, Xcessive Force attacked The Hard Workers, squashing Hall with a running splash by Plunder. I really liked these two teams. 

We got a vignette by The New Wave, the team of Jake and Dave, two surfer dudes debuting next week.

Johnny Swinger defeated Buck Gunderson

Kayfabe aside, we saw this match last week, and I guess it’s worth noting that these two are the only two wrestlers that didn’t have to change their attires or gimmicks for this show. Commentary sells us that Swinger is an innovator that needs to slow down or he’s gonna hurt himself.

Swinger started the match raking Buck’s back several times, whipping him around, hitting backdrops and Llariats. Swinger choked out Buck, hit a couple of closed fist strikes. 

Buck had a short hope spot where he started the ten punches in the corner, but Swinger cut him off after the first and dropped him with a slam, followed with the Swinger neckbreaker for the win. 

Frank The Butcher (Rhino) vignette saying he’s coming to IPWF soon.

Iceman interviewed The Rough Riders. Blanche Ardmore (Tessa Blanchard), Mildred Moore (KC Spinelli), Georgia Cobb (Jordynne Grace), & Ladybird Johnston (Jessicka Havok). They talked about their match tonight and pretty much said that they’re running over the competition and partying all night afterwards. Everyone got a chance to talk, with Tessa and Havok being the better ones. 

We got a series of commercials for upcoming IPWF dates. 

Jazzy Fitbody (Madison Rayne) defeated Agnes Beerhart (Alisha Edwards)

Not going to lie, I had to look up who Agnes Beerhart was because I couldn’t identify the 2019 counterpart. Even after writing this I had to double check. It was just the makeup and hair. Kudos Alisha Edwards.

Agnes started with some wrist control on Fitbody, when we see Sebastian Baker (Jimmy Jacobs) walk out to see the match. Commentary told us that Baker has been following Fitbody around, trying to recruit her to her managerial services.

Back in the match, Jazzy gets distracted, allowing Agnes to attack her from behind and throw her around by the hair, get a two count with a supley. Ages goes for the chokehold, but Jazzy makes a comeback, but is cut short when they collide in the middle of the ring.

Jazzy blocks Agnes’ strikes, hits a series of clotheslines, does some squats with Agnes on her shoulders, and wins with a death-defying second rope splash.  

After the pin, Baker got in the ring. He put over Jazzy and told her to sign with him. Fitbody signs the contract, but Jazzy then low blows Baker and tears up the contract. 

We got a promo by the $300,000 Man (R.D. Evans), alongside Kongo Kong. He talked about the bodyslam challenge he opened last week and he said that he is raising the stakes for tonight. Add Kong to the list of unchanged gimmicks.

IPWF Tag Team Champions The Rough Riders (Blanche Ardmore, Ladybird Johnston, Georgia Cobb, & Mildred Moore) defeated Tim Burr (Josh Alexander), Jim Nasium (Dezmond Xavier), Bill Ding (Trey Miguel), and Ray Strack (Zachary Wentz) in a non-title match.

Oh the puns! Commentary told us that all these wrestlers have t-shirt for sell via P.O. Box. 

Bill Ding and Ardmore start the match with the latter getting the better of the former with a headlock and superkick. Strack and Cobb are next, with a long sequence of Strak running the ropes and getting roll ups on Cobb until Cobb blocked him. 

Nasium and Moore tag in. Nasium started running drills in the ring while dodging Moore’s attack, but eventually she catches him with a running rana to send him packing. 

Finally, we get Tim Burr and Ladybird for the hoss fight. Burr went for the shoulder tackles, but he doesn’t move Ladybird at all. Ladybird caught him with a bearhug, but Burr escaped by biting her forehead. Burr hit a second rope chop, follows with a double axe handle for a two count. Ladybird and Burr started exchanging strikes, with Burr getting the better of Ladybird. 

Strack came in and superkicked everyone, hit running corner splash on everyone, getting a two count on Ardmore. Strack went for a top rope splash, but Ardmore moved away, hit a Buzzsaw DDT, and picked up the win for her team. Sexton Hardcastle actually came up with the name for that move that Ardmore used to win.

$300,000 Man’s Body Slam Challenge

We got footage from last week’s $300,000 Bodyslam Challenge with a failed attempt by Ali. Afterwards, $300K Man announces that he is adding an extra $1000 to the purse, making it $3K for tonight’s challenge. 

Out for the challenge came out Mr. Atlantis. Like, the actual Mr. Atlantis from the Canadian indie scene. He went for the slam, managed to get one leg up, but Kongo Kong attacked him. Out for the save came out Muscles McGhee (Brian Cage). $300K Man tells him that the challenge is over and the money is off the table, to which McGhee answers that he’s not here for the money, but for the people. McGhee got rid of the $300K Man, slammed Kongo Kong, and took the money. I missed R.D. Evans, I really hope he joins Impact as on on-screen character.

Tommy Dreamer cut a promo as himself saying that he returns in two weeks to claim the championship he never lost. He said that Jack Tunney stripped him of the title for using a piledriver. He also said that meanwhile, he went north and took out Bruno in front of Vince McMahon, and slapped Vince’s “Little Vinny Jr”. 

We got a replay from last week’s match between DJ 2 Large (Moose) and Captain Joystick (Joey Ryan). The match ended when DJ 2 Large hit a Discus Lariat for the pin. 

We now had a promo by Captain Joystick, from his Cockpit, alongside Miss Milehigh (Kiera Hogan). He introduces his guest for tonight, DJ 2 Large. Captain Joystick makes fun of DJ 2 Large and said that a man is measured by their class and no one is classier than Joystick. He also made fun of DJ 2 Large’s musical talent, which prompted Large to rap at Joystick, who cancelled the interviewed, attacked DJ 2 Large, and left him laying. Moose was great.

We now had footage from one month ago when Gama Singh and Dada Singh attacked Cowboy Colt McCoy (Eddie Edwards) with a fireball and blinded him. We got a promo from McCoy giving us an update of the injury, saying that doctors told him that there is a 70% chance he won’t fully recover. He said that he will come back no matter what and get his revenge on Gama Singh. 

“Cowboy” Colt McCoy defeated Gama Singh (w/Dada Singh) in a Blindfold Match

Gama is playing himself, but Raj Singh is playing Dada Singh. 

Match started and they started trying to find each other around the ring. Gama is actually playing his part really good, eventually Dada Singh distracted the referee, giving Gama the chance to peak and get some offense in, but during the attack, McCoy grabbed on to the ropes and Gama ended up fighting the Invisible Man. 

Dada once again tried to distract the referee, but this time around, McCoy caught him with a big right hand and took him out. McCoy and Gama then met in the middle of the ring with McCoy landing a Stunner for the win. 

After the match, Iceman interviewed the winner. Colt McCoy said he does it for the working man and his momma, when suddenly, the Soviets — Bruiser and Sergei (Michael Elgin and Madman Fulton) came out and jumped McCoy with a chain. 

Guiseppe Scovelli Sr. (Scott D’Amore), promoter of IPWF came out to stop the beat down, but was also taken out. Scovelli Jr. on commentary said that he may as well take over the territory after his father was taken out. Scovelli Sr. was mad that his son didn’t jump to defend him and said that next week, he’s lacing the boots up one last time and team with McCoy to fight The Soviets. He plugged the concessions stand and the merch table.

Downtown Daddy Brown (Willie Mack) defeated International Commonwealth TV Champion Julian Cumberbun (Ethan Page) (w/Sonny Sanders (Sami Callihan)) in a Loser Leaves Town Match to win the title

Collar and elbow to start the match, but Julian gets the early cheapshot, but Brown counters with an atomic bomb and reverse atomic bomb, followed by a series of strikes and send out Julian to the outside. 

Julian tried to hide among the fans, but Brown back him back to the ring the hard way. Julian begged for forgiveness, but Brown responded with strikes instead. They traded strikes until Julian distracted the ref, allowing Sonny to hit Brown with the tennis racket. 

Julian worked over Brown and at points distracted the ref to allow Sanders to get some shots in. Julian locked in the figure four leg lock, but surprisingly Brown didn’t tap out. Ric Flair won’t like this. Brown managed to reverse it, forcing Julian to release the lock. 

They traded strikes again in the middle of the ring with Julian getting the better of Brown for a bit until he landed a sunset flip for a near fall. Julian worked over Brown a bit more with stomps, which fired up Brown and came back with strikes and a bionic elbow, getting a two count when Sanders put Julian’s leg on the bottom rope. 

Sanders distracted the referee allowing Julian to hit Brown with the racket, but Brown kicked out at two. Julain went for the double axe handle, but Brown dodged, rolled up Julian and pinned him to become the new champion. Good match.

The IPWF roster came out to celebrate with Downtown Daddy Brown to close out the show. 

Final Thoughts — 

This was a fun, one-off show. Some of the characters were fantastic, that I would love to see them become actual gimmicks in today’s promotions. I liked how they managed to use guys like Kongo Kong and Gama Singh as themselves too. This is not an episode that I’d recommend for people curious about Impact Wrestling, but I definitely recommend this show for an easy two hour, fun show during this week.