Now tonight we get to see if Impact Wrestling will finally pull the trigger on Moose, or if we continue this AEW thing. Deonna also gets a challenge from Rosemary, but the Knockouts division seems to be running out of people Deonna hasn’t already beaten.

VBD uses the Freebird Rule for their tag match since Doering gets to relive some of his All Japan past with the challenge from Satoshi Kojima. Massive Cassidy also gets his singles match with Rich Swann, and we get to see if the former champion continues to fall or if Cassidy hits a small speed bump in his climb to the top.

Either way, let’s get to all the action!

Ratings:

• Tag Team Street Fight: Good Brothers vs Sami Callihan & Tommy Dreamer: Callihan wins after Baseball Bat Shot – ***
• Joe Doering vs Satoshi Kojima: Doering wins via Revolution Bomb – *** ¼
• Ace Austin vs Rohit Raju vs Chris Bey vs Trey Miguel vs Petey Williams: NO CONTEST – *** ½
• W. Morrissey vs Rich Swann: Morrissey wins via Running Jacknife Powerbomb – *** ¼
• Tenille Dashwood w/Kaleb vs Jordynne Grace w/Rachael Ellering: Tenille wins via Small Package – ***
• Knockouts Tag Championship: Fire N Flava (c) vs Susan & Kimber Lee: Fire N Flava retain via Frog Splash – ** ½
• IMPACT Tag Team Championships: Rhino & Deaner (c) vs Black Taurus & Crazzy Steve: Deaner retains via Deaner DDT – ***
• Knockouts Championship: Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Rosemary: Deonna retains via Cosa Nostra – *** ¾
• Impact World Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs Moose: Omega retains via One Winged Angel – *** ½

Results:

Tag Team Street Fight: Good Brothers vs Sami Callihan & Tommy Dreamer

Things start off with a collar and elbow tie up, but then Dreamer and Callihan remember it’s a Street Fight, so they start taking the low road home. At this point we see Dreamer use the ring bell on Anderson’s family jewels, Sami uses a broom like a kendo stick, and then the hardcore specialists go to the back to grab more weapons and trash cans.

The Good Brothers start to turn the tides a little, using some of the weapons against Sami and Dreamer. Gallows uses a Frying Pan, Karl lands a Spinebuster on Dreamer and we see the tag team fluidity actually start paying off. Good Brothers grab a table, hit the Magic Killer on Dreamer through the table, but Callihan breaks it up!

Callihan fights out of the corner, lights up both brothers with his baseball bat, and one well-placed head shot with the bat lays out Karl, so Sami gets the pinfall victory.

Joe Doering vs Satoshi Kojima

Kojima and Doering had run-ins in AJPW where Kojima got the better of Doering. This is quite a few years after those, but neither have lost much of a step. We get a violent and tough exchange that had to be expected. Kojima pulled out most of his signatures with the Machine Gun Chops, the Reverse Elbow and even a Cozy Cutter.

When he went for the Cozy Lariat, Doering countered with a Death Valley Driver, held the wrist, short arm lariat followed by the Revolution Bomb; that was all she wrote. Doering won a really solid match.

Ace Austin vs Rohit Raju vs Chris Bey vs Trey Miguel vs Petey Williams

We see the usually kind of start where Ace grabs Trey, then Chris and Rohit gang up on Petey a little. After a few tenuous alliances, the pace quickens and bodies fly.

Rohit gets a great amount of time to shine, hitting the Tiger Knee, the Mumbai Drive-by and generally looking great, until Ace and Chris start working together or using one another to further their offense. Ace even hits a great Double Guillotine Leg Drop, but it doesn’t create a win. Trey has a few glimmers, Petey hits the Avalanche Canadian Destroyer but gets the pin attempt broken up by Trey. Trey looks to attempt the Meteora, but Madman Fulton appears and grabs everyone at once, pulls off a Double Chokeslam, Power Bomb/Slam on all four men. He drags Ace on top of them, but the referee refuses to count the pin and throws out the match.

Technically Madman was within the rules with what he did, but I suppose it’s fair to everyone else to not count the win for Ace.

W. Morrissey vs Rich Swann

Well this is a great opportunity for Morrissey. He came in with a strong push, gets paired with the recently deposed World Champion and a good showing would be huge.

Let’s be honest, no one expected Rich to win, but he played the resilient underdog well. Morrissey’s biggest misstep in this match was that he wore light blue jeans that made it look like he pissed himself from the back. Someone should’ve dressed him in a dark blue or a black.

As for the match, Morrissey eats 2 450s, the Phoenix Splash, and rolls through and lifts up Rich from the ground. F5, Power Bomb, Rich flips Morrissey the bird, so the Running Jacknife Power Bomb ends the match. Massive Cassidy looking like a million bucks…or maybe 750,000 dollars since the jean color still made him look dumb. Even if Billy Madison said cool kids pee their pants, I don’t totally agree here.

Tenille Dashwood w/Kaleb vs Jordynne Grace w/Rachael Ellering

Tenille was a bit more serious and came out with more striking and submission attempts which actually kept Jordynne on the ropes. Rachael’s thread in this match was basically that she kept screwing things up. She distracted the referee and Kaleb was able to help Tenille, at the end of the match Rachael tried to get rid of Kaleb while he tried to interfere; which just pissed off Jordynne. Jordynne said she can do it herself, then gets rolled up by Tenille.

Jordynne and Rachael argue after, Jordynne slides back in, attacks Kaleb and we’re probably seeing Rachael vs Jordynne at Slammiversary.

Knockouts Tag Championship: Fire N Flava (c) vs Susan & Kimber Lee

Given Susan’s involvement you have to anticipate a level of camp and comedy. Early on we have piggy back collar and elbow tie ups, some general silliness, but things quickly get serious. Kiera shows a level of aggression that she doesn’t always bring, Tasha had a few nice spots, and even Susan took advantage of things and had good wrestling moments.

When Kiera kicks off Susan and Kimber lands the Swanton, Susan covers for a near fall. This causes Tasha to come in and try to stem the bleeding, Kiera stays angry, and we really just get great focus and determination from Fire N Flava. Kiera hits Face the Music on Susan, Tasha wipes out Kimber and then hits a Frog Splash to retain the titles. So a really solid match, if not hampered slightly by the inherent camp from the participants.

IMPACT Tag Team Championships: Rhino & Deaner (c) vs Black Taurus & Crazzy Steve

VBD gets to utilize the Freebird Rule, which is important for Deaner. Deaner being the perpetual weak link of the group, is given a chance to overcome and make the group proud. Steve and Taurus do a good job at focusing on Deaner early and causing a lot of early concern from Eric Young. Constant camera cuts to EY barking at Deaner and trying to motivate him to retain the gold.

The level of coaching and fear of God was balanced on a knife’s edge from EY, but after Taurus and Rhino take each other out. Deaner gets lit up by Crazzy Steve. He eats a Cannonball in the corner, gets brought into the middle, but manages to find the opening to hit the Deaner DDT and retain.

Knockouts Championship: Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Rosemary

This had great story telling elements. Deonna worked the arm, which Rosemary sold well. Between tying the arm in the post, Russian Leg Sweeps into joint locks and then the Venus di Milo. Rosemary manages to get the ropes, which just pissed off Deonna.

Deonna does a variation of the Garvin Stomps, then takes Rosemary’s knee brace off. Rosemary fights back, hits a sudden Spear which Deonna barely kicks out of. Rosemary goes for her “As Above As is Below” but her knee gives out. Deonna kicks the other leg, kicks her in the head, snaps in the Gotch Style Piledriver “Cosa Nostra” and retains the Knockouts title.

Deonna still looking like a million bucks.

Impact World Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega (c) vs Moose

Omega was outmatched early and tried to rush One Winged Angel attempts and go toe to toe with Moose on strikes. Moose shrugged off the early attacks and threw Omega around. Omega was against the barricade, Moose mocks the Bow and Arrow pose and flies at Omega, missing and going headlong into the back row of chairs.

From then out, Moose is favoring his left arm, but it doesn’t take away from his explosiveness. Moose still had moments to hit the Go to Hell, Game Changer Lariat and counters the You Can’t Escape, with a standing Moonsault of his own.

Moose hits the Lights Out, but Omega grabs Brian Hebner and Hebner eats the finisher. The Young Bucks hit the ring looking like the dorkiest dads in the world with their Hawaiian shirts bad cargo shorts and just…awful. Superkick Party, assisted One Winged Angel and then they grab Hebner so he can count.

This was a set-up and the typical convoluted finish I’ve come to expect from anything involving AEW. Sure with how large Impact wants to make Slammiversary the smart thing is to keep the belt on Omega, I suppose. But this AEW stuff is worse than backyard wrestling fantasy booked WWE Universe mode.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

Holy convoluted overbooked bullshit ending Batman. Moose got screwed from the ambush and didn’t help himself any by his brief err in judgement. So a match that could’ve been a really impressive conquering hero escapes from enemy territory, turns into falling into a trap. Sun Tzu has a quote about “Every battle is won before it’s ever fought”, and aside from the obvious predetermined aspect of wrestling, it’s foolish to go into someone else’s territory and not have built in contingencies.

Aside from the predictable main event, Deaner winning for VBD helps his growth as a character, Deonna is untouchable, so I’m guessing she’ll just have a mystery opponent at Slammiversary, and Fire N Flava were pretty cool. Ellering and Jordynne falling apart gives something for them to do moving forward, Morrissey is looking to be on the fast track to the top, Doering and Kojima is a match I could watch again but we’ll prolly get Eddie; which will also be fantastic.

Questions of how we’re parsing through the X Division will help TV and Sami’s aspect of is her or isn’t he fired. I’m guessing this is just how they get Moxley and Kingston to work with Sami and give people the Switchblade Conspiracy return the want while evening the odds so to speak.

All in all, the show wasn’t bad, it was pretty solid except for the necessary evil that was that awful finish.