IMPACT has a new World Champion, an app event tomorrow and some more momentum to build toward Bound for Glory! Also Melina’s first Impact Wrestling match!

Aside from the major things people know about, we get to see if there’s any fallout from Triplemania with our new Double Champion Deonna Purrazzo. After NJPW Resurgence we could see Guerrillas of Destiny on IMPACT sometime in the near future.

So there we go, 2 shows down, Emergence tomorrow and Empowerrr next week! All of these moving pieces make IMPACT must see…or at least must follow TV!

Let’s see how they keep building momentum!

.@Christian4Peeps has RETURNED to the IMPACT Zone! #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/i5FRpSWhdh

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) August 20, 2021

Ratings:

• Sami Callihan & Chris Sabin vs Moose & Ace Austin: Sabin wins via Cradle Shock – ** ½
• Shera w/Rohit Raju vs Matt Cardona w/Chelsea Green: Cardona wins via Middle Rope Radio Silence – ** ¾
• Melina vs Brandi Lauren: Melina wins via California Dream – **
• NO DQ Match: Jake Something vs Kaleb: Jake wins – SQUASH
• Joe Doering w/VBD vs Gallows w/Karl Anderson: Doering wins via Western Lariat – ***

Results:

Well the show opens with the end of the Kenny Omega vs Christian Cage match, and then Gia and Josh Matthews are in the ring hyping things up. Massive Cassidy and Eddie Edwards spill out of the back fighting one another to break up the Cage lovefest.

After the massive one gets the upper hand, Sami Callihan runs out to make the save with the baseball bat. He and Eddie have a small moment over the bat, but they dismiss Morrissey from the ring, Eddie plays the “I didn’t ask for help” angle and Sami wants his match to start after the intro plays.

Sami Callihan & Chris Sabin vs Moose & Ace Austin

This was an interesting match where Ace did most of the heavy lifting for his team. He started with Sami, taunted him that he couldn’t wrestle, but then Sabin and Sami took turns beating on Ace. After the commercial Moose is tagged in and he gets a little work in, Ace gets back in to try and finish things in a flashy way, but it goes back to treating Ace like a punching bag.

Moose tried to interfere by pouncing Sami out of his shoes, but Sabin hits a Tornado DDT off the top turnbuckle and Moose is wiped out for the rest of the match. Sami sets up for the Piledriver, but Sabin tags himself in as Sami is taunting, Sabin hits Cradle Shock and the face team wins! Discord amongst the faces, it’s the usual pre-Multiman set up, Sami seems to take the high road by calming down Sabin, bowing together and then Sami drops Sabin, shrugs, grins and bows alone in the ring.

Just because they teamed together one time doesn't make @TheSamiCallihan and @TheEddieEdwards friends. #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/odZmDUB1H1

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) August 20, 2021

Shera w/Rohit Raju vs Matt Cardona w/Chelsea Green

Commentary made sure to point out how Cardona is deceptively big since Shera is a little more muscular but Cardona seems a little taller. Shera still showcased his power early tossing Cardona into corners, over the top rope and just generally manhandling Cardona.

It’s not until Cardona gets lucky dodging a charge in the corner, that he starts putting some offense together. Rohit tries to get involved, Chelsea takes him out, Shera tries to power through the failed interference as he launches Cardona over his head to dodge the first attempt at Radio Silence. So Cardona perches on the middle rope, Shera feeds in and then gets hit by Radio Silence from the middle rope.

So Rohit’s amazing yet still failboat comedy heel tactics are great, but come up short.

IMPACTPlus Moment of the Week: 2/12/2006, Jeff Jarret vs Christian Cage, NWA World Heavyweight Championship

.@TenilleDashwood called into @MadisonRayne's Locker Room Talk from the set of All About Me. #IMPACTonAXSTV @kalebKonley @swinger_johnny pic.twitter.com/NAD0ObqJK7

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) August 20, 2021

Well I was always partial to Bad Influence (Kazarian and Christopher Daniels) so Madison and Tenille become THE Influence is kind of a cool name.

Christian comes to the ring, plays up the nostalgia of it being 9 years since he’s been in Impact and goes out of his way to officially retire the TNA Heavyweight Championship, again. Then Brian Myers comes out, they jaw back and forth, Christian seems to get the final burn in, Myers tries to feign leaving, shoves Sam Beale at Christian. Christian ducks, lays out Sam and Brian scurries out before he could get hit.

Melina vs Brandi Lauren

So this did a good job showing old flashes of what Melina can do. She did a little of the M&M entrance, the split, but she showed a level of competence and veteran savvy that many may not remember her for. A few simple but effective moves, Snapmare Driver, into a Muta Lock, as she turns it into California Dream for the quick yet effective win.

Deonna and Matt Rehwoldt attack Melina afterwards, but Trey makes the save after a previous backstage segment where he kinda was still crushing on Melina. So we’ll probably be getting a mixed tag eventually.

NO DQ Match: Jake Something vs Kaleb

We knew this was going to be a long squash. Kaleb tried to put up an early flurry, but he got destroyed, Jake got a table, and then Kaleb died or something.

Speaking of death, Su Yung and Kimber have a quick vignette where Kimber declares she procured the first soul, but not the last…and called Su mother, so that’s weird.

Joe Doering w/VBD vs Gallows w/Karl Anderson

This was a classic Hoss battle. Doering had an early advantage, Lariats LG to the outside. But when things go to the outside, LG sidesteps and crashes Doering into the steps, and he starts to take control. Doering eats a lot of offense until he catches LG coming into the corner and turns it into a nasty looking release German Suplex.

Doering and LG head back outside, Doering keeps on LG, but LG manages to find a chair and Sabu it into Doering which swung things for LG well. Doering was really struggling after the chair, they both met in the middle of the ring with double rope run Shoulder Tackles, and it sent both big men flying. They work up the ramp, LG Double Chokeslams Doering,and the stage breaks so they’re now stuck inside of the broken stage selling.

Doctors, referees, D’Amore and others come out to check them, and then the big men slowly walk out of the rubble like a classic Kaiju battle. LG was first, thought he’d get the countout win, but Doering drags himself to the ring and LG looks like he’s seen a ghost. They both prop themselves up, Doering charges, eats a boot, LG gets to the middle rope, Doering stumbles back up, LG jumps and Doerng kills LG with a Hansen style Western Lariat in mid-air.

.@bigjoedoering emerges victorious over @The_BigLG in a battle of absolute WARRIORS! #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/Aecglc3G6N

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) August 20, 2021

Doering wins but looks like he went through war. Really fun and told a decent enough story given the resume of both men, neither should’ve completely had an advantage. Good stuff.

Overall Score: 6/10

The action for what it was, wasn’t bad. Just felt like a lot of weird segments, vignettes, and promos that weren’t really important. Christian’s promo wasn’t exactly scathing, and any of us who’ve seen E&C’s Show the Totally Reeks of Awesomeness, knows that Christian’s feeling towards TNA aren’t nearly as rosy as he had to portray it.

Either way, Melina showed she can still work competently, Jake Something had a squash to look angry and credible, Rohit gets an undercard story that at least keeps him on major events and Sami Callihan finds a way to keep most of the spotlight on him.

Not a terrible show, but not overly important, and leading into an ImpactPlus show, that’s not always a big deal. So I guess we’ll see where that goes tomorrow, OH but yeah, I did totally notice this was the frst time there was an IMPACTPlus Flashback moment…in months. So that was at least kind of neat.