We get a new era of VBD, Motor City Machine Guns with a tag title shot and Josh Alexander will finally address what happened at Over Drive. I doubt we’re going to get a clean resolution to the tag match since Brian Myers and Matt Cardona are just assholes, but hopefully we get something fun.

Apparently since Deaner is the Violence, the group is just called The Design.

"The Design" has arrived in the IMPACT Zone!@Big_Kon1 @CodyDeaner @Alan_V_Angels #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/2LqrtRkmn4

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) December 9, 2022

Ratings:

• Tag Team Titles: Motor City Machine Guns vs Heath & Rhino (c): No Contest – ** 1/4
• Savannah Evans w/Tasha Steelz vs Taya Valkyrie w/Death Dollz: Savannah wins via Full Nelson Bomb – **
• Kon w/The Design vs Sami Callihan: Kon wins via Death Valley Driver – **
• IMPACT World Championship Open Challenge: Mike Bailey vs Josh Alexander (c): Josh retains via C4 Spike – *****

Results:

Tag Team Titles: Motor City Machine Guns vs Heath & Rhino (c)

Rhino and Sabin start off and they work to Shelley and Heath with a little bit of MCMG tandem work. Guns are tying up Heath, some corner work where the ref is allowing a little more contact than usual; main point is that Heath is getting twisted and torqued.

Heath tries to paint brush his way out of a Figure Four, but Shelley dips into his heel tendencies. Heath gets to the ropes and Shelley lays back and tells the ref he’s willing to break. He doesn’t and forces the referee to untie their legs, so he gets some extra damage in. Dragon Screw attempt gets turned around, Heath drops Shelley and finally gets Rhino back in.

Guns try to utilize some tandem attacks, but as we see Sabin and Heath swinging back and forth; the Major Players hit the ring and hit simultaneous Wake Up Calls on Heath and Sabin, causing the no contest.

.@Walking_Weapon doesn't want to wait till #HardToKill he wants @bullyray5150 TONIGHT!@ScottDAmore @ZickyDice @swinger_johnny #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/V5sk62ECX8

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) December 9, 2022

Savannah Evans w/Tasha Steelz vs Taya Valkyrie w/Death Dollz

Savannah starts off honestly just overpowering Taya. A few quick shoves, Bear Hugs, rag dolls…and Taya is on the back foot. A little bit of ducking and dodging gives Taya the chances to hit the Spear and send Savannah out.

Savannah puts the brakes on anything Taya can start, we go to commercial and Savannah throws Taya with a Butterfly Suplex…so there’s just a lot of Taya working from underneath. Flying Headscissors finally gives Taya a breather, Blue Thunder Bomb for 2 into an Indian Deathlock transitioning into an STF before Savannah fights out.

Road to Valhalla attempt, Savannah blocks it, a little back and forth before Savannah connects with the Full Nelson Bomb for the win.

Kon w/The Design vs Sami Callihan

Early on Sami is struggling with Kon’s power and size. This is hard to really swallow, even as an early “debut” of a new stable. Sami keeps fighting the good fight, grasps for a Jaw Breaker and turns a Kon charge into a Scoop Slam…but Kon tries to keep being the immovable object.

Sami buckles Kon’s knee and hits the Tanaka style forearm and tries to stay on the bigger guy. The numbers eventually start to distract Sami, Angels distracts the referee, Deaner stops Sami and Kon hits a Death Valley Driver for the win.

I’m not really impressed with this, but I guess you really can’t have the new stable get punked out. Even though they are all punks.

.@ROHDelirious is on "another level" and has the chance to prove it against @TheEddieEdwards TONIGHT in our MAIN EVENT! #IMPACTonAXSTV pic.twitter.com/MIgaGIo5EF

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) December 9, 2022

Josh Alexander comes out to address the Over Drive fallout and states an open challenge with the intent to drag out Bully Ray – but Bully has a whole video set up goading Josh and saying he’s not there. 

So Speedball Mike Bailey comes down to see if the open challenge is still on the table. 

IMPACT World Championship Open Challenge: Mike Bailey vs Josh Alexander (c)

Bailey tries to come at Josh hard, and Josh shows that his left arm is still bothering him some; but he generally shrugs off Bailey for the early goings. A big Forearm and Kitchen Sink have Josh slowly stalking his opponent. His attention isn’t on Bailey, so his style reflects as much.

Josh sends Bailey to the ropes, back handspring, machine gun kicks send Josh reeling and a Tope con Hilo finally gives Bailey some momentum. Commercial break comes back with Bailey hitting a big Double Knees, but a Running Boot from Josh puts things back in his favor. Josh lands kick after kick, big forearms, and just hits Bailey with disdain because he’s not Bully Ray.

A Shotgun Dropkick opens things up for Speedball, Sole Butt doubles over Josh, Axe Kick, Roundhouse into a Corkscrew Shooting Star Press for 2. Buzzsaw Kick missed, German Suplex train begins! Two in a row, Bailey tries to block, so Josh pins the arms and hits a Shutdown Suplex for 2. C4 Spike, spun out, Ankle Lock attempt, blocked and turned into a Kimura from Bailey, but now they’re just jockeying for submission positions. Josh counters the Octopus into running him into the corner twice, but Speedball doesn’t let go. One more attempted jam, but a Poison Rana gives Bailey a 2 count.

Another commercial comes back to Josh driving his knee into Speedball’s shoulder blades. Flipping Stomp miss from Bailey, Tornado Kicks land, Ultima Weapon misses and Josh goes for a C4 Spike but the arm gives out! They spill to the outside and Bailey strings together some offense. A big Missile Dropkick leads into Round Kicks, and then open hand chop exchange. Both men after just firing back and forth, neither is relenting. Forearms and kicks, finally into a proper Fighting Spirit spot that Bailey counters a Rolling Forearm with a Straight Side Kick. Bailey charges into the ropes, Josh catches him in Capture Suplex position but drags him over the ropes and slams him onto the apron.

This is a third commercial break and we’re perched with Bailey going for a Super Frankensteiner, Josh blocks, feigns the Avalanche Styles Clash, but Bailey counters! Flamingo Driver attempt, Josh gets pissed, counters and then throws Bailey with a Torture Rack Bomb. 2 count immediately into the Ankle Lock, but Bailey blocks, manages to get away, counters Josh in the corner, Ultima Weapon connects! But Bailey can’t get the pinfall as he sells his legs. Speedball gets up, PK as he keeps selling the legs but still uses his offense. PK again! Backflip Double Knees, a few missed kicks before finally connecting and then charging through with the snap kick. Open Hand Chops from Josh, Kicks from Bailey, Josh just grabs him and starts the locomotion German Suplexes.

Six suplexes and another commercial! Back perched, Kimura Lock from Bailey, Josh fights, Bailey tries a kick, but Josh grabs him and dumps him back into the ring with an Olympic Slam for a near fall. Josh climbs to the top, Moonsault misses! Bailey slowly climbs to the top rope, Josh pops up, Avalanche Olympic Slam for 2! Josh struggles to try and pick up Bailey, so they have a slow rise as both men are banged up. Bailey pops up with the Straight Kick to the face for a near fall, and we actually hear the 10 minutes remaining call from Penzer.

Ankle Lock again from Josh, but Bailey keeps squirming. Josh Death Rolls with the Ankle and doesn’t want to let go, he’s trying to end this. Bailey tries to stretch up to get out of it, but gets scooped into a Tombstone Piledriver but only another 2 and back into the Ankle Lock! Up Kicks break the submission, Bailey tries to stop Josh from charging back into the corner with a kick, but Josh drivers his knee into Bailey’s leg, drags him back to the center and Grapevine’s the Ankle. Speedball barely manages to claw to the ropes.

Josh tries to climb the corner with Bailey, but Bailey slips down and now he’s trying to get up to Josh but can’t quite muster the energy to get past Josh. Josh keeps clocking and dropping Bailey. Bailey finally powers through the offense, stares down Josh and Avalanche Frankensteiner! Ultima Weapon… connects again but foot on the bottom rope! Flamingo…nope, Styles Clash from Josh into the Ankle Lock again! Bailey grabs the bottom rope and tries to kick Josh away, but Josh finds adrenaline rips Bailey into his arms for an Inverted Piledriver. Josh and Bailey keep struggling as Josh is going for a C4 Spike, 2 C4 Spikes with about 15 seconds left!

Overall Score: 9/10

A Western company actually mentioning time remaining, having to bump a “scheduled main event” and dedicate the last hour of the show to literally one match is a little surprising. The show also did try to add credibility to The Design, Savannah Evans got to look impressive and the fact the tag match was interrupted…to no one’s surprise, helped sell the epic main event even harder.

I don’t really have a lot to say aside from that was a hell of a match, and the fact that it was about 15 seconds short of a Broadway is both crazy and almost feels dirty that it didn’t quite get there. But it was great, built off their previous match and was a great endcap to the year both men had as being fighting champions and two bastions of hope of the company in 2022. IMPACT loves to just to clip shows for the last two weeks of the year, so we only have 1 maybe 2 more real episodes before Hard to Kill is around the corner. But hot damn was this match amazing!