Air date: June 14, 2019
Location: Melrose Ballroom, New York, New York
The Big Takeaway —
Michael Elgin got a win over Willie Mack ahead of his upcoming title match against Impact World Champion Brian Cage at Slammiversary XVII on July 7.
The North earned a Tag Team title shot at Bash at the Brewery on July 5 by defeating Rob Van Dam & Sabu. The Sandman also wrestled on the show. What year is this?
Two of the six matches on the episode saw wrestler’s pants fall down. The Twitch version of the show was riddled with technical issues during commercial breaks.
Show Recap —
A storyline recap video kicked off the show.
Josh Mathews welcomed us to the Melrose Ballroom in New York.
Mathews and Don Callis talked up the Moose and RVD feud. Moose has challenged RVD to face him at Slammiversary.
The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) defeated Rob Van Dam & Sabu
Sabu got a single-leg takedown, and Alexander rolled to the ropes. Alexander took a chest-first turnbuckle bump. Sabu dropped him with a clothesline. RVD tagged in, hitting a slingshot leg drop, then a vertical suplex.
Alexander forced RVD into The North’s corner. Page tagged in, and RVD hit a spinning back kick, then worked a Fujiwara armbar. Sabu tagged in. RVD and Sabu hit a tandem Rolling Thunder. Sabu used a Camel Clutch, hit Page with a chair, then went back to the Camel Clutch.
RVD got a tag, then he and Sabu used tandem leg drops for a near fall. The North used an illegal double team to gain the advantage on RVD. Alexander hit an inverted atomic drop, and Page hit a backbreaker.
The North used a series of quick tags and worked RVD over in their corner. Page missed a charge into the corner. RVD hit an enzuigiri, then Sabu got a hot tag. Sabu ran wild with a chair and used the weapon to hit a step-up leg lariat.
Sabu and RVD set up a table in the ring. Sabu hit an Arabian facebuster off the top rope to Alexander, sending him through the table. Moose ran out and shoved RVD off the post.
Page used the distraction to jump in and take out Sabu. Sabu’s pants fell down. The North hit their double-team finisher, with Alexander pinning Sabu.
Mathews said that Page and Alexander earned a tag title shot at Bash at the Brewery with their win.
Tommy Dreamer waddled out to the ring, throwing Moose back inside. They teased RVD hitting a Van Terminator, but Moose escaped.
RVD looked good here, considering the mileage on his body. Sabu’s botch and pants falling down were very on-brand.
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During the commercial break on Twitch, they showed a split screen of Don Callis and Melissa Santos. Callis tried to throw it to Santos, but Santos couldn’t hear him. Callis asked why she couldn’t hear him. Santos’ audio wasn’t working either. Callis gave shout-outs to Twitch users in the chat. This was embarrassing.
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Back from commercial, Moose confronted The North backstage. Moose was upset that they beat RVD and Sabu, but didn’t “take them out.”
Havok (w/James Mitchell & Su Yung) defeated Masha Slamovich
Squash city.
Havok no-sold a couple of strikes from Slamovich, then hit a right hand. Havok hit two backbreakers and a vertical suplex. She missed a charge into the corner, and Slamovich fired up. Havok blocked a kick and pushed Slamovich down.
Havok hit a sidewalk slam, then a chokeslam. Havok hit a tombstone and got the pin.
Mitchell cut a promo after the match and said that Rosemary needs to get her anger under control. Mitchell said he was a diplomat when she tried to steal his demon bride, Su Yung. He said she committed the ultimate sin, and put her hands on him.
Mitchell said Havok flattened Rosemary, breaking the spell of the demon collar. He said it’s his personal mission to make sure that Havok becomes the Knockouts Champion and uses Rosemary’s carcass as a launch pad.
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Commercial break time. Santos still couldn’t hear Callis. Callis said they were working on Santos’ audio. Santos’ video dropped out, then Callis’ audio dropped. Callis waved an iPad around.
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Gama Singh introduced Raj Singh and urged the crowd to bow down to him.
Raj Singh (w/ Gama Singh and Rohit Raju) defeated Cody Deaner (w/ Cousin Jake)
Deaner hit a shoulder tackle, some right hands, then a fist drop. Singh rolled outside, and Deaner hit a suicide dive. Singh ended up with a bloody nose after the dive.
Deaner climbed to the top rope, but Singh cut him off. Singh hit a neckbreaker, then a leg drop. Gama Singh connected with a right hand from the floor.
Singh hit a dropkick to the back and got a near fall. Deaner hulked up and hit a series of strikes. Deaner hit a lariat, then the Deaner DDT. Gama jumped on the apron, disrupting the match. Gama feigned a heart attack on the floor.
Raj used the distraction to hit a facebuster for the pin. Deaner looked good here. Singh has good size and a good look, but he’s very green.
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Michael Elgin cut a promo. He promised to send Willie Mack to the hospital later. Johnny Impact interrupted Elgin. He said Mack isn’t going to the hospital if it’s up to Elgin. He said if Elgin needs his help, all he has to do is ask.
Elgin declined help and walked off. Johnny was upset that Elgin didn’t compliment his hair.
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Callis’ audio wasn’t working again. He made some gestures and continued talking as though we could hear him. We couldn’t.
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Rosemary cut a promo. She said Mitchell has a type, monsters. She said he couldn’t control his last monster, what makes him think he can control Havok?
Rosemary told Mitchell they’re on a collision course — and to bring it on.
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The Impact Plus Flashback Moment of the Week showed the Dudleys and Tommy Dreamer fighting off Rhyno, Spud, King Mo, and EC3, then putting Dixie Carter through a table.
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Callis’ audio was working during this break. He said he enjoyed watching Dixie go through the table. He said he won’t ever go through a table because he’s not a mark.
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Sami Callihan entered the women’s locker room. Tessa Blanchard told him to bring his friend Jake Crist next week to face her.
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Madison Rayne defeated Jordynne Grace
Kiera Hogan came out to join the commentary team for this match. She said she’s done making friends in this business, because she always gets stabbed in the back.
Grace and Rayne locked up. They did some solid chain wrestling, and Rayne used a quick cradle for a near fall. Rayne escaped a side headlock, but ran into a shoulder tackle. Rayne rolled to the apron, and Grace knocked her off into the barricade.
Back inside, Grace hit a back elbow for a near fall. She followed with a delayed vertical suplex for a two count. Grace hit some forearm strikes. Rayne used a Koji Clutch, but Grace sat down into a submission of her own. Rayne escaped, then they traded a series of quick cradles.
Rayne hit an enzuigiri and a dropkick. They stepped to the apron. Rayne rolled to the floor, then took Grace’s legs out. Grace tried to send Rayne into the post, but Rayne blocked. Rayne hit a cutter on the floor. They teased a countout, but both made it back inside.
Rayne tried for a Northern Lights suplex, but Grace blocked it with a front facelock. Rayne used a crucifix bomb for a two count. Rayne went to the top rope. Grace teased a Muscle Buster. Rayne teased a tornado DDT. Grace ended up hitting a Muscle Buster, but only got a two count.
Grace hit a short clothesline. She went to the second rope, but Hogan distracted her. Rayne cut Grace off. Off the distraction, Rayne hit Cross Rayne and got the pin. This was a good match.
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Callis hit a tech guy with a right hand during the break, blaming him for the audio issues. Callis urged viewers to send cards and letters to Gama Singh after his “heart attack” earlier in the show.
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Killer Kross defeated The Sandman
Sandman attempted a sneak attack during Kross’ entrance. Kross intercepted him, but Sandman still managed to get the early edge. He hit 10 punches in the corner and was immediately blown up.
Sandman managed a couple of kendo stick shots, but Kross caught him in a choke, and the ref called a stoppage finish.
Eddie Edwards ran down to make the save for Sandman. Kross escaped before Edwards could get his hands on him. Mathews said that Edwards and Kross’ feud may end with someone in a body bag.
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LAX were shown hanging out in a bar. Konnan said that Ortiz and Santana need to start taking their matches more seriously. The Rascalz entered and said that they’re the best tag team in the world. A brawl broke out, and LAX came out on top.
LAX said The Rascalz will get their rematch. LAX defending their Tag Team titles against The Rascalz is official for Slammiversary.
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Callis read a series of compliments about himself from the chat.
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The Smoke Show
Scarlett Bordeaux and Fallah Bahh welcomed Taya Valkyrie and John E. Bravo to The Smoke Show.
Bordeaux said that if Taya doesn’t defend her title next week, she’ll be stripped. Taya made a stripper joke about Bordeaux.
Bordeaux said she heard that Taya has to face Su Yung next week. Everyone in this segment was unlikeable.
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Mathews and Callis plugged Dreamer vs. Moose, Valkyrie vs. Yung, and Blanchard vs. Jake Crist for next week’s show.
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Callis hyped the main event. He said that Elgin is a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, and that he beat Kenny Omega for the title. Actually, that was the Intercontinental title.
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Michael Elgin defeated Willie Mack (w/ Rich Swann)
Elgin’s torso and arms were covered in baby oil.
They started with an exchange of strikes. Mack took Elgin off his feet with a shoulder tackle. Mack hit a blockbuster, a dropkick, and an exploder suplex. Elgin rolled to the apron. Elgin pulled Mack to the apron, where they traded strikes. Elgin hit a superkick, then sent Mack to the floor with a dropkick.
After a break, Elgin had a chinlock on Mack. Mack broke the hold, but Elgin hit a dropkick. Mack hit a couple of clotheslines, then a wheel kick. Mack used a leg drop for a near fall. Mathews informed us that Willie Mack loves to have a good time.
Mack hit a spinebuster for a two count. He went for a stunner, but Elgin blocked it. Elgin hit a series of superkicks. Elgin sat Mack on the top rope and hit a superplex for a two count. Mack’s trunks started falling down.
Elgin missed a charge into the corner. Mack hit something resembling a guillotine leg drop, dropping Elgin to the floor. Mack teased a dive, but Elgin pulled Swann in his way. Elgin slammed Swann on the apron.
Back inside, Elgin hit a buckle bomb, then an Elgin Bomb, and pinned Mack. This was a slightly above average TV match.
After the bell, Elgin teased another Elgin Bomb, but Swann made the save. Johnny Impact ran in, making the save for Elgin. Johnny dropped Swann with a spinning uranage.
Elgin shook hands with Johnny. Johnny turned his back, and Elgin hit him with a suplex. Elgin then went after Mack again. He buckle bombed him into the post. The show ended with Elgin making the championship belt motion around his waist.
