Andrew’s IMPACT Results & Match Ratings: 9.15.2022

So tonight we should have an interesting show. We get two title matches, X Division and Tag Team, as well as some more information about the Moose/Maclin coalition and Killer Kelly’s fun with Tasha Steelz.

All I can really say is I hope Mascara Dorada has a better showing against the champion today; and The Good Brothers versus Machine Guns lives up to a little bit of the hype! With all that said, let’s see how the Jessicka, Rosemary and Taya alliance is going before getting into the rest of the show.

.@thetayavalkyrie thinks @FearHavok is SIICK!! @WeAreRosemary #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/FdDTVqumoV

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) September 16, 2022

Ratings:

• X Division Championship: Speedball Mike Bailey (c) vs Mascara Dorada: Speedball retains via Ultima Weapon – ** 3/4
• Decay (Black Taurus & Crazzy Steve) vs Moose & Steve Maclin: Taurus wins via Victory Roll – N/A
• Alisha vs Killer Kelly: Kelly wins via Killer Clutch – Squash
• World Tag Team Championships: Josh Alexander & Rich Swann vs OGk(c) w/Maria Kanellis: OGk retain via DQ – **
• Mickie James vs Hyan: Mickie wins via Mick-DT – **
• The Good Brothers vs Motor City Machine Guns: MCMG win via Skull & Bones – *** 1/2

Results:

X Division Championship: Speedball Mike Bailey (c) vs Mascara Dorada

We saw Dorada win the #1 contender slot in a rather bland match with Alex Zayne. Hopefully he has a better showing with Speedball.

Typical start to X Division matches lately where they go for a combination of Japanese Junior and Mexican Lucha where its just very much about blocks, counters and feint strikes. There is too much space between early exchanges before a few Arm Drags and Drop Kicks start to connect and they go outside. Dorada hits a Corner Suicida, but again, a little slow with too much space between the offense.

Dorada goes for a Double Footstomp, misses, tries a Hurricanara which Bailey keeps hold of for a Sunset, but it’s very slow and partially botched. Bailey quickly ties up Dorada into a Reverse Figure Four but Dorada gets to the ropes and then eats a few Bailey strikes into the Corkscrew Shooting Star Press but there’s no cover, an attempt at a Buzzsaw Kick and a Backstabber buys Dorada time.

Dorada goes low while Speedball is on the apron, but the Baseball Slide misses and Bailey hits the Asai Moonsault to catch Dorada by surprise. Rolls in, Tornado Kick into the corner, caught, Enzuigiri trade off, Speedball is dazed on the ropes and Dorada travels to the top. Speedball walked back onto the ropes, so the spot was awkward, obvious and too cooperative for the Frankensteiner from Corner to middle ropes. Dorada takes too long going to the Moonsault, eats some knees, then feet, Tornado Kick, Ultima Weapon, and that’s defense number 8!

Very slow, not bad; but not really good. Just slow between spots, seemingly no real chemistry and too cooperative on bigger spots. Thankfully Kenny King shows up to add some energy into this situation. 

.@joehendry will motivate @IMPACTWRESTLING!#IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/bEjuURDnTX

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) September 16, 2022

Decay (Black Taurus & Crazzy Steve) vs Moose & Steve Maclin

So we get to see how well Maclin and Moose co-exist going into their Barbed Wire Massacre match against Sami Callihan. What is their deal exactly?

Maclin and Moose seem to jaw a little early on who’s going to start, but it ends up being Maclin and Steve and Taurus have been handling Maclin. Quick tags, commercial breaks, and still more quick tags before Moose finally equalizes things and then tags Maclin back in…deliberately…after he gets control. Moose is yelling at a fan so he’s not around for Maclin’s tag attempt, Taurus shoves Maclin into Moose, Victory Roll and…a victory for Decay.

Callihan shows up and tries to show a hacked video of Moose conspiring with his barrister. Maclin tries to say they have a new deal, but Sami has more footage; this time it’s Maclin conspiring to screw Moose before Moose screw him. Moose and Maclin start beating on each other before Callihan comes down to join the fight. 

Alisha vs Killer Kelly

Kelly invited Tasha to commentary last week, and we all know Alisha is gonna die. Tasha is doing what she does best, look cute and talk; because watching her wrestle is painful more often than not.

Lish does her usual gimmick of being feisty but never really threatening. Delayed Fisherman’s Buster after a Sleeper in the ropes has Alisha nearly dead on her feet. Kelly is having fun toying with her prey.

One more quick flurry from Lish gives a chance at the Backpack Stunner, but Kelly blocks, knocks out Lish and then locks in the Killer Clutch for Lish to tap.

Tasha tries to send Savannah in with a chair, Kelly steps on the chair and baits in Tasha. Tasha tries for the chair and they have a creepily provocative stare down in the middle of the ring.

Joe Hendry is back and still has the best vignettes! It’s been since 2019 and there’s no more Grado, so with a new look and new gimmick…I hope this Joe Hendry sticks around a bit. 

World Tag Team Championships: Josh Alexander & Rich Swann vs OGk(c) w/Maria Kanellis

Josh and Mike start off the match and – okay – Josh immediately starts tossing around Mike before tagging in Rich and keeping the attacks crisp. Little tandem Backbreaker/Rolling Leg Drop before Mike can barely shove Rich into the HNM corner and get the tag to Taven.

Taven keeps up nicely with Rich, so much so that Rich is grasping for a tag and Taven takes Josh off the apron. Leg Lariat clocks Rich and OGk get the tag and pull off some more assisted offense. Rich manages to roll to the corner, Josh takes the hot tag and starts imposing his will on the tag champs. Laying out Mike with the Low Crossbody, dipping and ducking Taven before just dumping him on his tag team partner.

Josh has all the control, tags to Rich to pull off some nice offense and lays them out. German Suplex from Josh, which shouldn’t be a pin but the referee starts counting so it screws up their Rolling Jacknife cover move and looks a little rushed. OGk manages some nice tandem offense to take advantage of the referee literally screwing over the babyfaces. Josh counters the Moonsault, goes for the C4 Spike, but Eddie Edwards distracts.

Josh fights off Eddie, Ankle lock, but Maria makes her presence felt. Eddie clocks Josh with the kendo stick, there’s a lot of confusion and then Heath hits a Wake Up Call on Taven, but the referee wasn’t distracted at that point.

So HNM retain via DQ because of Heath getting involved.

.@swinger_johnny and @ZickyDice brought the PIZZA! …and @JordynneGrace's opponent for Pick Your Poison at #VictoryRoad..MAX THE IMPALER!@_theyaremax_#IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/uHOpXvOWoY

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) September 16, 2022

Mickie James vs Hyan

Hyan has a little more visibility than the Last Rodeo opponent. And Hyan gets in some early offense looking pretty solid. Still not buying into Mickie losing yet, but Hyan put in decent effort until Mickie strung a few moves together, Thesz Press into Mick-DT and victory.

Gisele Shaw’s music hits and she saunters down to the ring. She kinda states what many of us have thought with Mickie facing “nobodies”. Cause she thinks Mickie is scared to face real competition, and challenges her for Victory Road. 

.@TheHorrorKingVM had more words of wisdom for @PCOisNotHuman on #IMPACTonAXSTV! pic.twitter.com/YNqnJ8R2xn

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) September 16, 2022

The Good Brothers vs Motor City Machine Guns

A legitimate first time ever match! They’ll get like 18ish minutes, so this could be classic if it doesn’t end in a gimmick way. 

Alex and Karl have a quick little tie up before tagging out to the other members. Sabin tries a few Arm Wringer tricks before LG just socks him and uses the size and power to keep an advantage. Alex with the blind tag, Shoulder Tackle into a tandem takedown, corner moves against LG and then a small stall. Alex tries to pepper in some extra offense but LG hits one big bear paw and lays out Alex.

Good Brothers try to isolate Alex, but that doesn’t go super well. Long and short both teams trade moments of 2 on 1 offense. They are showing a lot of good stalemate moments and leaning into legitimate teamwork. Double Planchas from the Guns into a commercial break. Alex has the ole Abdominal Stretch on Karl, Karl starts to fight back, but a Dragon Screw from Alex keeps the Guns with the advantage. They push him into the corner and both guns start Dragon Screwing different legs of “THE” Machine Gun.

Pulling Karl to the middle, Figure Four attempt and Karl’s knees were just work over hard as Alex does his little Keiji Mutoh pose as he torques the Figure Four. Rope Break, tag to Sabin, Wishbone twice, and a near fall. Sabin starts acting like he’s gonna stomp Karl’s nuts, but locks in the Indian Deathlock before Karl manages to claw at the face to get a small break. Alex tags in and Karl just can’t get out.

Karl tries to fight to his corner, Alex fights back, runs the ropes, eats the Anderson Spinebuster. LG gets the hot tag and starts clearing the ring. The guns run into feet and fists left and right. Pumphandle Slam, Magic Killer attempt but Sabin fights out. MCMG tandem moves and kicks. Five Hole Dive and the Guns are back on top.

Karl gets tagged back in, dodges the Frog Splash but eats the Flatliner/Dropkick combo for 2. Cradle Sh-nope. Sabin eats a Gun Stun but Alex breaks up the pinfall. Assisted Neckbreaker after the corner strikes for only 2. Good Brothers have to be looking for a way to set up Magic Killer again. Karl searches for Gun Stun, but gets pushed into LG. High Speed Dirt from the Guns on Karl, chopping down LG, Skull and Bones from the Guns for the pinfall!

Overall Score: 6.5/10

The story was kinda cute in the main event, where they were literally trying to prove who the better team was. I also like the Good Brothers not accepting the handshake, but throwing up the Too Sweet for all four of them. I appreciate the story since it’s a little unique and both teams tried different tandem advantages to try and win, since every time they tried a solo moment that was when they lost momentum. It’s been a little bit since the Guns won with Skull & Bones, so that’s always nice to see.

Jordynne and Masha’s story keeping Zicky and Swinger relevant actually added a great element of humor/levity to the serious Hossette fight that is incoming. Moose and Maclin falling apart is a cool story beat, Gisele challenging Mickie makes sense and Heath continuing to but in a weird times to piss off Josh is a fun slow burn rivalry on the way.

My favorite thing was Joe Hendry returning and Killer Kelly/Tasha just because they are so different. Hendry is fun and Kelly adds this Stranger Things voyeuristic air to her interactions. Kelly has a similar creepy vibe to 90s Kane.

So it still wasn’t a home run episode, but there was a lot of fun and solid action. Not much to complain about.