Wrestling Twitter was very supportive and generally positive about Slammiversary last Saturday. Can Impact follow up all this momentum? Is this their biggest opportunity at relevance in….a decade?

We’re going to see an X Division championship rematch, a Knockouts tag team grudge match and the returning Motor City Machine Guns get a title shot!!! Yes, I’m an unabashed Guns fan for the last what…14 years? As someone who was following TNA during the highs and most of the lows (hey every now and then it’s smart to grab the drift wood and float away), a nostalgia act that can still go is a wonderful thing.

So now before we get to the show, Impact has another name returning to the rank and file! Also, if the Guns lose…I…will be disappointed.

Did you think we were done at #Slammiversary? #IMPACTonAXSTV @Myers_Wrestling pic.twitter.com/aMrCC64mNK

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) July 22, 2020

Ratings:

• X Division Championship: Chris Bey (c) vs Willie Mack: Bey retains via Art of Finesse – ***
• Tasha Steelz & Kiera Hogan vs Havok & Nevaeh: Havok & Nevaeh win via DQ – **
• Hernandez vs Rhino: Rhino wins via GORE – N/A (It lasted like 6 seconds…stop it)
• TNA Heavyweight Championship: Moose (c) vs Fallah Bahh w/TJP: Moose retains via No Jackhammer Needed – ** ¼
• Impact World Tag Team Championship: The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) (c) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin): MCMG win via Small Package – **** ¼ – TITLE CHANGE!!

Results:

The show kicks off with an EC3 promo about being lied to and controlling your narrative. That seems to be the theme he’s going for in this version of his character, and it’s fairly compelling. Should be interesting to see where it goes.

OH! New theme song and intro package…neat!

X Division Championship: Chris Bey (c) vs Willie Mack

Given that I was not a fan of the Slammiversary match, this match had a lot of room to improve, and it actually did. Willie started off a little quick, but this whole match was really about Bey finding openings and taking advantage of them. Much of the big offense was focused around Willie, including Bey getting cocky and trying to hit the Standing Moonsault like Willie, but he came up empty.

After Willie looks to keep momentum, he hits the Standing Moonsault, a Pop-up Forearm Smash, goes to the top rope for the 6 Star Frog Splash; but comes up with nothing but mat. Bey takes advantage, gets in a little offense before hitting the Springboard Cutter to retain.

Solid match, just not really sure where they’re going with the Chris Bey story.

After Josh and Madison recap a few things, The Good Brothers come out to talk a bit. Honestly, a solid promo, they’re having fun, making a few references and taking credit for the Slammiversary success (hard to refute). Ace Austin and Madman Fulton come out, and we see where all this is headed. When Machine Gun calls himself the best wrestler in the world, and Big LG the best big man…it all made sense. Should be a fun rivalry.

Before the break, Heath is seen backstage, but not on the list. Apparently he used to have a last name, but can’t use it. So when he calls Rhino to see what’s up, Rhino and Hernandez are arguing about the arm wrestling money. Hernandez has a magnificent Cholo mustache though.

Chris Bey and Rohit Raju talk a little business. So at least this could start to piece together the direction of Bey’s story.

Tasha Steelz & Kiera Hogan vs Havok & Nevaeh

Now this is a fantastic story when it boils down to character work. Tasha and Kiera like to run their mouth, Nevaeh has this wonderful condescending smile on her face as she smacks one of them around and Havok is…effin scary.

So the mouthy heels play into a lot of comedy spots and that makes the finish a little murkier to me. While nothing was bad with the match, it didn’t really grab attention or interest until the end. Tasha takes Nevaeh off the apron and slides in with a chair while Havok has Kiera in Tombstone position.

I think the weakest most dainty CHAIRSHOT in the history of wrestling happens, and I’m not sure if that was Tasha doing the heel thing looking for an easy out of the match, assuming Havok would drop Kiera…or she’s just had swinging a chair. I’m assuming the former since Havok doesn’t flinch, the heels get disqualified, Nevaeh dumps Tasha and then Havok hits the Tombstone anyway.

IMPACTPlus Flashback Moment: Eddie Edwards vs Bobby Lashley, Oct. 6, 2016, TNA World Championship, Eddie’s First Championship Win

Hernandez vs Rhino

Again, Hernandez has a moustache for the ages. Rhino hands the money to the referee, Hernandez checks to make sure it’s all there before he gives the referee his half, turns to take off his shirt…GORE! Game, set, Rhinos?

Now Rhino has all the money and lots of ‘splainin to do to Heath.

As someone from New Jersey…I can say…Deonna Purrazzo is…SOOO New Jersey. Not a bad thing, just screams Jersey.

Eric Young interrupts Eddie’s proclamation that he’s willing to defend the title weekly, but Eddie is having none of it. He says he doesn’t deserve a title shot, but he’ll gladly give him an old fashion ass kicking.

Things got EXPLOSIVE between @TheEddieEdwards and @TheEricYoung. #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/N3QzYhreC7

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) July 22, 2020

After a quick scuffle we see two challenges manifest.

Moose “extends the invitation to challenge” for the TNA title tonight, to Fallah Bahh; and Trey asks Eddie for a shot next week. As we all know by now, I hate Trey, especially in the main event picture, so hopefully this gets him out for a while after the loss, or maybe heads him in a direction less laughably lame.

TNA Heavyweight Championship: Moose (c) vs Fallah Bahh w/TJP

So Moose basically gave Fallah like 3 minutes to get ready and the match is on! Moose really dominates the entire match. He had a feud with Fallah last year, and it was pretty competitive. This match really helped to push the narrative of Moose actually leveling up a bit in skill and everything. Fallah did have a short hope spot, but Moose dodged a move, hit the Spear, and that was all she wrote.

As he’s posing, EC3 creeps up behind Moose and drops him with a Reverse DDT. So they are building this nicely from the music tease a month ago, Moose ducking the EC3 question tonight and now with the EC3 attack.

.@therealec3 JUST ATTACKED @TheMooseNation! #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/SV2GaUWjGr

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) July 22, 2020

Impact World Tag Team Championship: The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander) (c) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)

The match started out in a very Japanese way where Ethan and Alex go back and forth, exchange dodges/counters and end with a breather spot. At this point Chris and Josh are tagged in, so it’s that respectable, everyone gets to touch before the speed increases style. Early on Shelley tried to go at the same pace as The North, while Sabin played more of the wily veteran, ducking and dodging moves.

Some early tandem attacks gave the Guns the advantage, and we even saw the classic between the legs dive that they always used to do. My best way to describe a good bit of this is Alex Shelley is the type of partner you want. Shelley took about 70% of The North offense through this match, including the Sliding Crossbody that Josh Alexander just kills people with. This is most likely since Sabin is only a few months cleared from I think his third ACL surgery? So Shelley being the workhorse is very smart.

We saw a great spot where Shelley has Page in a Crossface, Sabin catches Alexander and slaps on the Cloverleaf; but Page manages to turn it into a pin. So Sabin breaks his submission to stop the pinfall. At this point we get a bunch of bigger moves. Each man tries to wipe the other out.

The North manages to isolate Sabin, then they look to win with the Northern Assault. As Alexander flips Sabin forward, Sabin grabs Page’s head and rolls him up. Shelley slides in to keep Alexander at bay, and the Motor City Machine Guns win the tag titles!

DON’T FORGET! WRESTLE HOUSE STARTS NEXT WEEK!

Wrestle House begins NEXT WEEK! #IMPACTonAXSTV @steveofcrazzy pic.twitter.com/p5EwA1SgDG

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) July 22, 2020

Overall Score: 7.5/10

The matches were logical coming off of Slammiversary, the quality was good and we got some nice storyline movement. Heath sneaking into the building at the very end, Reno Scum being The Good Brothers debut match, Moose with EC3 and Eddie being the babyface fighting champion is great.

Of course, my inner TNA mark exploded all over my keyboard when the Guns won, and it made complete sense. The North dominated the entire division for a year, so you can assume that complacency/overconfidence would strike eventually. Since it was a Small Package win, it looks like they just got caught, and it’s not a definitive loss to hurt anyone. Great nostalgia moment and the boys showed they can still hang, so they ain’t washed up yet.

Most notable thing you could perhaps take a few points off for, were the promos. Not because they were bad, but because they were a little awkward with an empty arena. The Good Brothers/Ace & Fulton was good from content and how they interacted, it just looked a little funny. Same thing with Eric Young interrupting Eddie Edwards, solid promo, just awkward with the situation.

I think Impact Wrestling pulled off a great show as a follow up to such a huge PPV success.

.@The_Ace_Austin just had Reno Scum attack The Good Brothers! #IMPACTonAXSTV @MachineGunKA @The_BigLG @Thornstowe_Scum @legendbaby81 pic.twitter.com/PxEtOhUwRS

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) July 22, 2020