Tag: under siege

Preview by Josh Nason

Impact World Champion Kenny Omega makes his Impact Plus in-ring debut tonight when he teams with the Good Brothers to face Tag Team Champions FinJuice and Eddie Edwards at Under Siege.

Even though the world title won’t be on the line, the nine-match card features several championship matches, several of which were finalized last Thursday.

Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo will look to successfully defend her title once again when she faces former champion Havok; X-Division Champion Josh Alexander will take on New Japan’s El Phantasmo; and Knockouts Tag Team Champions Jordynne Grace and Rachael Ellering will rematch former champions Fire N’Flava.

Under Siege will also feature a six-way that will determine the next World title challenger in addition to a four-way that will determine the next Tag Team title challengers.

Also announced for the show: Brian Myers vs. Black Taurus; W. Morrissey vs. Willie Mack; and Tenille Dashwood and Taylor Wilde vs. Susan and Kimber Lee.

Our live coverage kicks off at 8 PM Eastern.

* * * * * * * * * *

We’re live!

Brian Myers defeated Black Taurus (w/ Decay)

After losing his qualifier match against Matt Cardona, Brian Myers found himself as the punchline to Decay’s jokes as Rosemary tried to read him his future. On the last episode of Impact, Myers defeated Crazzy Steve, only to get taken out by Taurus seconds later, setting up tonight’s match.

Story of the match was that Taurus had the power advantage over Myers, but also, the numbers advantage outside the ring, with Crazzy Steve and Rosemary, something that Myers eventually had to use to distract Taurus, by attacking Steve, and finally managed to attack Taurus from behind and gain control of the match. 

Myers worked over Taurus for a couple of minutes until Taurus got a desperation top rope crossbody to bring down Myers. Taurus had a good couple of lucha spots, a good near fall after a crucifix bomb and a shoulder breaker, but he couldn’t keep Myers down. After a couple more near falls, Myers managed to land a roster cut out of nowhere after he had poked Tauru’s eye.

Myers has wins over both Steve and Taurus, so I would imagine a tag team match is next.

– D’lo Brown and Matt Striker ran down tonight’s card.

Taylor Wilde & Tenille Dashwood (with Kaleb with a K) defeated Kimber Lee & Susan

Taylor Wilde made her big return at Rebellion and saved Dashwood from an attack at the hands of Deonna Purrazzo, Lee, and Susan. After doing so, Susan and Lee decided to put their focus on taking out Wilde, who’s only focus is the Knockouts Championship, but unfortunately for Wilde, Dashwood now thinks that she and Wilde are destined to be tag team partners, which Wilde is just not interested in being.

Not much to the match, but it did the point across that even if Wilde does not want to be a team with Dashwood, both women ended up getting a win against the team of Susan and Lee. It was a short match with little to none heat from the heels. At one point, Dashwood was taken out and Wilde had to deal with Susan and Lee by herself, but at the end, it was Kaleb that assisted Wilde, by kicking Susan and setting her up for Wilde to pin her. Wilde didn’t see the assist, but she still didn’t want to celebrate with Dashwood.

This seems to be building to a Wilde vs Dashwood match, likely at Against All Odds.

– Sami Callihan cut a promo about going through the roster if necessary, all to win the championship.

Ace Austin & Madman Fulton defeated XXXL (Acey Romero & Larry D), TJP & Petey Williams, and Rohit Raju & Mahabali Shera in a Impact Tag Team title no. 1 contenders match

These teams are made from the competitors that failed to become #1 contenders to the X Division Championship. As a second opportunity, they all entered to this match to become the #1 contenders to FinJuice’s tag team championships. 

Match started with Fulton and Romero going at it, but as it went on, we started to test out different pair ups between competitors. This wasn’t tornado tag rules, so every pair up got a chance to showcase and get some signature spots in before transitioning to a different pair. What made this dynamic was that half of the men involved were super heavyweights, and the other cruiserweight size wrestlers, so there were changes from seeing a hoss fight to fast paced counters and reversals. 

The match slowed down a bit when Shera and Raju cut off Williams and kept him in their corner, and for that time, the match felt like a match between two teams. Eventually, Austin and Fulton got in and they worked over TJP the same way that Williams had been worked on by Raju and Shera. At this point, commentary started to sell that TJP and Williams were the only team that was really getting tired while everyone got time to rest, yet they are the most experienced in the field.

Williams got a hot tag against Austin, but as soon as it seemed that Austin was about to cut him off, XXXL had enough and decided to get in the ring and take out everyone. 

Last couple of minutes, the match picked up a lot, with every team stealing tags on each other and attempting to end the match, but there were just too many people involved for a clear pin. Finish finally came when Fulton took out both Romero and D, ending with an assisted plancha for Austin to pin D for the win. For the amount of people, this was a great and organized match with great pacing.

It will be Ace Austin and Fulton vs. Tag Team Champions FinJuice in the future.

– Gia Miller interviewed Hogan and Steelz about their match. They said they’re regaining the titles tonight. Great stuff from both.

W. Morrissey defeated Willie Mack

Morrissey debuted at Rebellion and call it coincidence, but he made a statement by taking out Mack in his match. Mack decided to make a challenge that Morrissey answered in the form of a beat down and it all came down to this match.

Mack started hot, he rushed at Morrissey at the bell, and while having some hiccups, he kept the offense and at one point made Morrissey walk away to recoup, but as much as Mack did, Morrissey wasn’t that injured and easily recovered.

At one point, Morrissey knocked out Mack with a big boot and worked over him for a couple of minutes before Mack made a comeback, but it was a short-lived comeback. The beat down continued for most of the match, but at the end, Mack did manage to make a great comeback with a couple of near falls, but at the end, Morrissey cut him off again and destroyed Mack with a big boot to the back of the head. This went on way longer than I expected, but it was good.

After the match, Morrissey kept attacking Mack, but as he was about to use a chair, Rich Swann made his first appearance since losing the World title at Rebellion for the save. He and Mack cleared the ring before the big staredown between Morrissey and Swann.

Fire N’ Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz) defeated Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering to win the Knockouts Tag Team championship

This is the title rematch from Rebellion, where Grace and Ellering defeated Hogan and Steelz to capture the titles. Going into this match, Hogan and Steelz have been messing around with Grace’s confidence, making her believe that she is the weak link of the team and that it was all Ellering, who won the titles at Rebellion. 

Even with Hogan and Steelz jumping Grace and Ellering at the start, it was the champions that managed to control the match early on with their power advantage. After watching Grace and Ellering show off, tossing around Hogan for minutes, Steelz finally got in and helped cut off Ellering, cut the ring in half on her, and completely turn the match around. 

Hogan and Steelz worked over Ellering for a long time, constant tags, always keeping Ellering down on the mat, switching between kicks and submissions, with the occasional tease to Grace in the corner. 

Grace made the hot tag and it led to both teams chasing the pin, trading big moves. At the end, it came down to Steelz and Grace, with the latter going for the Vader bomb before she got cut off. Outside the ring, Hogan took out Ellering with a sliced bread on the floor, but in the ring, as Grace went for a superplex, Steelz blocked it, dropped Grace, hit a frog splash, and won the match to recapture the titles. This was so much better than their Rebellion match.

Fire ‘n Flava are 2-time champions. 

– We got a Swinger’s Palace skit with XXXL wanting to get a bet in for the main event and it went nowhere.

X-Division Champion Josh Alexander defeated El Phantasmo to retain the title

In a matter of two weeks, ELP debuted on Impact Wrestling with a singles win, and then a win to become the #1 contender to Josh Alexander’s title. There is no story between these men, just a championship on the line.

This was fantastically paced. The story of the match was that Alexander was a better wrestler, he had the upper hand when it came power and technique, but as it has been rumored, ELP’s boot is allegedly loaded, and surprisingly, while nothing was working against Alexander, it was the stomps and kicks that were hurting Alexander way more than they should, and thus it led to ELP dismantle Alexander’s limbs slowly. 

Alexander would still deliver some desperation attacks here and there, because even with injured limbs, Alexander was still a better and stronger wrestler, he just happens to be across the ring from a troll level wrestler that is really hard to anticipate and counter. 

Last couple of minutes saw Alexander start to chase the ankle lock, while ELP started going for the superkick over and over, but he just couldn’t make contact. 

At the end, Alexander went for divine intervention, but ELP countered. Alexander locked in the ankle lock, powerbomb into the knee, and after a couple of stomps, submitted ELP! Awesome match. 

I totally expected ELP to win the championship, but it’s great to see that Impact is putting their coins in Alexander’s basket.

– Gia Miller interviewed FinJuice and Edwards. Robinson said that there wouldn’t be any interference because everyone would be in there in the ring. Finlay hyped the match, saying this is a combination of some of the greatest active wrestlers today. 

Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo (w/ Kimber Lee & Susan) defeated Havok to retain the title

Havok had been eyeing Purrazzo for a while, but it wasn’t until last week where she defeated Rosemary in a #1 contendership match, in which she finally achieved what she wanted, a one-on-one shot with Purrazzo for the title.

Havok is Purrazzo’s first actual powerhouse challenger since winning the championship, and so the story of the match was that of the technical wrestler trying to work herself around to bring down Havok to her knees and target one of her limbs, the left arm as usual, setting it up for the Fujiwara armbar.

Havok made a couple of comebacks using her strength to power out of Purrazzo’s holds, but Havok would end up back on her knees with Purrazzo working the arm. Havok got her biggest offense, locking in a single leg Boston crab, taking out both Susan and Lee, but as she went for the running kicks, Purrazzo dodged, brought her down to the mat, and submitted Havok with the Fujiwara armbar. Purrazzo looked great, even winning the match with her 3rd from the top signature move.

Eddie Edwards & Tag Team Champions FinJuice (Juice Robinson & David Finlay) defeated Impact World Champion Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) 

FInJuice and the Good Brothers have feuded over the tag team titles for months now, but now that Omega has joined Impact and won the championship, the group became a nuisance for Impact, and thus Eddie Edwards, the heart and soul of Impact, joined the fight. As of late, Omega and the Good Brothers cost Edwards his shot at the #1 contendership six-way match, and hence this match was booked.

Match started with some good back and forward tag team wrestling between FinJuice and the Good Brothers, neither team was able to gain proper advantage, and it all led to Edwards vs Omega for the first time. The match continued with Omega vs Robinson, with the latter actually having most of the offense until Anderson and Gallows had to get involved to allow Omega to cut Robinson out. 

It didn’t take long for Finlay to get the hot tag and run wild against Anderson, but he too was cut off by the teamwork and cheats from Omega, Anderson, and Gallows. At the end, it all built to a second Edwards vs Omega face off, a proper one with more time where Edwards got himself a near fall with a blue thunder bomb. Edwards hit a Tiger bomb for a near fall, which was the point that Omega woke up and started hitting V-triggers and snap dragon suplexes. 

Finish saw FinJuice stop a magic killer. Finlay hit the stunner on Anderson, pulp friction by Robinson, and the Boston knee party by Edwards for the pin. 

This was great. Whether it is Against All Odds or Slammiversary, Edwards vs Omega is coming close to a boiling point.

– Brown and Striker announced that Austin and Fulton challenge FinJuice for the titles on next week’s Impact.

Moose defeated Trey Miguel, Chris Bey, Matt Cardona, Chris Sabin, & Sami Callihan in a World title no. 1 contender match

Each of these men won qualifiers in the last couple of months in order to advance to this six-way match, where the winner will challenge Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship. Callihan comes in with momentum, as he got the win over Sabin on the go-home show’s Moose, Bey, and Callihan vs Sabin, Miguel, and Cardona match.

Match started with Moose taking everyone out single handedly, it took the combined forces of Bey and Sabin’s superkicks to finally get him off his feet and out of the ring. The match continued with everyone coming in and out of the ring, taking each other out, only to get taken out too, and so on. It wasn’t until a tandem dive from Bey and Miguel that things slowed down a bit inside the ring. 

We got our first big multiman spot with Bey hitting a German on Callihan on the ropes, as Callihan brought down Cardona with a superplex, only for Sabin and Miguel to dropkick Bey off the ropes. Moose came back and once again started to take everyone out until Bey and Miguel teamed up on him. At this point, Callihan introduced a chair into the match, but we got no disqualifications. 

Callihan actually continued cheating in order to gain some momentum, but that was when the Good Brothers ran down, pulled out Callihan, and took him out, so serves him right. 

Sabin got a great near fall after hitting cradle shock, but was stopped by Moose, who delivered a trifecta of lights out spears for the win. Good match with the exception of Callihan using chairs and low blows. 

It will be Kenny Omega vs. Moose, who told the camera and Omega that he is coming to get back what is theirs. Impact could pull the trigger on a babyface Moose right now and it would be huge.