A Monster's Ball match headlines Thursday's Impact on AXS as the road to Bound for Glory continues.
Masha Slamovich will face the debuting Allie Katch in the no DQ match, set up by Jordynne Grace as part of the Pick Your Poison stipulation ahead of their own match at Bound for Glory.
After a successful Victory Road last Friday, Honor No More will host a victory celebration. Two members (PCO & Vincent) will look to rebound from a loss at the event against Rich Swann & Heath
Bullet Club's Ace Austin & Chris Bey will team up once against to face Trey Miguel & Laredo Kid while the Digital Media title will be on the line as Brian Myers defends against Crazzy Steve.
Delirious will look to rebound from his Victory Road loss to X-Division Champion Mike Bailey as he faces Black Taurus.
The BTI pre-show match will see Yuya Uemura against Jason Hotch.
Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey w/ Juice Robinson) vs Trey Miguel & Laredo Kid
Austin & Bey picked up a win on last Friday’s Victory Road pre-show while Kid and Miguel were part of the Triple Threat Revolver match. Robinson was last seen on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite in a losing effort to AEW World Champion Jon Moxley.
To no big surprise, all four guys worked well together, showing the speed and flash you’d expect from the X-Division veterans. Bey, in particular, is a standout wrestler and one I’d like to see used more prominently on the upper card.
Kid took Austin out with a tope to the outside followed by a double team springboard powerbomb to Bey on the inside that was very rewindable. The end came when Austin shoved Kid off the top rope, leaving Miguel alone. Austin tossed him into Bey for the Art of Finesse followed by Austin’s Fold to give Bullet Club the win. They are turning into a real solid tag team.
WINNERS: Bullet Club
Gia Miller talked to Bhupinder Gujjar about last week’s ladder match loss to Digital Media Champion Brian Myers. He said he suffered a broken nose, but is going to enter the gauntlet match at Bound for Glory.
Miller then talked to Frankie Kazarian about the Triple Threat Revolver match. He talked up his effort in the match and his Bound for Glory match with X-Division Champion Mike Bailey. He is coming for the title and is confident in his chances.
As Tom Hannifan and Matthew Rehwoldt were on camera running down the Bound for Glory card, a man in a yellow hoodie making a hand gesture tried to jump the rail before being taken away by security.
Digital Media Champion Brian Myers vs Crazzy Steve
Myers is coming off the aforementioned ladder match victory over Gujjar. It doesn’t seem like the title is being defended on Impact’s social media channels as originally intended.
Myers was in control until Steve got on a roll, ensnaring him in the Upside Down to put Myers on the defensive. Myers then poked Steve in the eye after the ref was turned around, followed by the Roster Cut clothesline for the pin and win.
Myers got on the mic afterward, asking for more competition from the “blue checkmarks” and such. He then issued an open challenge at Bound for Glory for the title.
WINNER: Brian Myers
Johnny Swinger and Zicky Dice were backstage taking about Swinger’s Palace. Swinger’s ex-fiance and another woman confronted them. John E. Bravo then walked in as he is woman’s new husband. They made an inside joke about no one watching Wrestle House 2 and then Taya Valkyrie and Jessicka walked in and were disgusted by the scene. Dice found a roll of cash and Swinger said he needed to get it to Hernandez. This was awful.
Another Joe Hendry vignette aired with some of the same Canadian actors as before, following along with the storyline of Hendry showing up when the family’s father died. Hendry was apparently the sole beneficiary of the father’s will. This was hokey, but fun.
A camera secretly caught a conversation between Rosemary and Father James Mitchell. She was asking for advice about her issues with Havok/Jessicka as she wants havok back. Valkyrie and Jessicka then walked in as Valkyrie pleaded for Rosemary to drop it. Jessicka likes who she is and Valkyrie said Rosemary is in or out. She’s in and everyone got excited. Again, hokey but fun.
Black Taurus vs Delirious
This was a fine little match, but nothing great. Delirious rushed Taurus as the opening bell rang but couldn't match him in power. Taurus proceeded to overwhelm Delirious with power moves for an extended period.
Delirious eventually landed a clothesline, opening Taurus for a series of leg drops. Taurus escaped Delirious' rally by rolling to the outside. Once returning to the ring, Taurus landed a backbreaker and a Samoan drop.
To close, Taurus hit Destination Hellhole, his inverted sit-out over-the-shoulder piledriver, to get the pin.
WINNER: Black Taurus
Bobby Fish Interview
Fish was interviewed backstage. When asked why he was in Impact, Fish answered "competition and legitimacy." Fish then called out Impact World Champion Josh Alexander or Alexander's next challenger, Eddie Edwards. Fish intends to challenge the winner after the match at Bound for Glory concludes.
This felt about as unimportant as anything I've ever seen.
Mia Yim interview
Mickie James's title or retirement tour continues with a match against Yim at Bound for Glory. Yim referenced her history with James. After footage played with James beating Yim in an old match, she claimed she was much more prepared. This was a decent segment to build for a match James will never lose.
Honor No More Celebration
Eddie Edwards walked to the ring with Honor No More. After celebrating his win at Victory Road, Edwards called out fellow faction member PCO for losing his last match. PCO was calmed after a bag was placed over his head.
Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis hyped up Edwards for pinning Alexander at Victory Road. A video package played which featured nothing but the same clip of Edwards pinning Alexander multiple times.
Edwards took the microphone back to claim the fans turned their backs on him. He then contended at Bound for Glory, he would win because what Honor No More fights for is "righteous."
Alexander then walked out with a microphone of his own. He claimed Honor No More was afraid. He then bolstered his title's importance.
Edwards responded, claiming Alexander was blind and he would open his eyes at Bound for Glory. Alexander answered, with assertion, that he wrestles with the Impact fans by his side.
Edwards challenged Alexander to fight all of Honor No More and Alexander obliged. Alexander was overwhelmed by the group, even as Heath and Rich Swann came to his side. The Motor City Machine Guns tried to even the odds and somewhat succeeded, leaving Alexander and Edwards alone in the ring. Before the pair could come to blows, Edwards rolled to the outside. Have mercy; this was bad.
Heath and Rich Swann vs Honor No More's PCO and Vincent
This sure was a PCO match. Coverage started with this match already in progress. PCO gained control over Swann with his strength advantage, which he handed over to Vincent.
Heath turned things around after receiving the hot tag. PCO saved Vincent from the finish and rushed the ring to flip momentum for his team again, but he just fell to the floor.
Swann hit Vincent with a high kick and phoenix splash to close the match.
WINNERS: Heath & Rich Swann
Moose interview
Moose had a short interview that turned into a shorter brawl after he said something unfavorable about his next opponent, Steve Maclin. This was over as soon as it started. Ok.
Sami Callihan interview
Maclin begged to be inserted into the Maclin/Moose match next week, but he was denied due to his broken orbital bone. Instead, he was made the special guest referee.
Masha Slamovich vs Allie Katch in a Monster's Ball match
I'm a huge Masha fan, but this was just a bad wrestling match. It's easy to blame the stipulation for the structural issues, but there was also a lack of intensity and atmosphere that is required for a match like this to work. Nothing they did felt impactful. Nothing they did felt important. Nothing they did felt logical.
The match started with back-and-forth striking. As things picked up, strikes turned to trash can lid shots.
Masha landed a suplex to put Katch on the back foot, which she followed with a chain-assisted choke. Katch nearly turned things around with another shot from a trash can lid, but an air raid crash into the corner allowed Masha to maintain her control.
During the break, both women got color.
Masha walked outside and grabbed a chair. When she re-entered the ring, Katch caught her with a chain-assisted punch. Masha was basically unphased, escaping Katch's fireman carry with a DDT. Masha landed a suplex into the chair to further her dominance. Masha then hit Katch with a disgusting DDV into the chair.
After Katch kicked out, Masha climbed to the top rope. Katch caught her with the trash can lid again, opening Masha up for a superplex. Katch followed up with a DDV through a door propped up in the corner; Katch kicked out.
Katch pulled Masha to the edge of the ring, where a struggle ensued. Masha won out, landing a Russian leg sweep through a surprise table placed ringside.
Back in the ring, Masha poured a bag of thumbtacks on the mat. Katch caught Masha with a knee, which she followed with a piledriver into the tacks; Masha kicked out. Katch then added to the tack pile with a stack of cut cans.
After surviving a shot from a trash can, Masha hit Katch with a snowplow into the pile of tacks and cans for the win.
WINNER: Masha Slamovich
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