Welcome to JJA Sport Studio’s coverage of IMPACT Victory Road 2023!
Pre-Show: Alan Angels def. Guido Maritato (Nunzio/Little Guido) via pinfall with Angels Wings (shades of Fallen Angel). Guido answered Angels’ open challenge.
Pre-Show: ABC def. Moose & Brian Myers via pinfall when Bey rolled up Myers for the win. Ace held Moose down in the corner to prevent a pin break.
X-Division Championship: Lio Rush (c) vs. KUSHIDA
Kushida is “cashing in” his title shot opportunity from when he won Ultimate X at Slammiversary. Rush ducks out of the ring to start but Kushida still takes control and applies a Hover Board Lock in the ropes briefly. Each time Rush tries to dictate the bout, Kushida continues to counter and works over the champ’s arms.
Rush dives to the outside but Kushida manages to catch him in the Hover Board Lock on the floor. Back inside, Rush counters the Lock again and they turn inside out with a Spanish Fly. Kushida applies the Hover Board Lock yet again. They trade strikes and kicks until Rush throws Kushida’s arm into the ref and then low blows Kushida. Rush hits Final Hour frog splash to retain.
Winner: Lio Rush (c)
We see footage of Bully Ray running over PCO in the parking lot earlier. PCO gets checked out and medics inform Santino that he cannot compete tonight. However, PCO says he’s good.
Knockouts World Tag Team Championship: MK Ultra (c) vs. Gisele Shaw & Savannah Evans
Masha and Shaw start the bout. Kelly gets the tag and hits Shaw with a PK. Vidal gets involved and Kelly ends up on the floor. Evans goes after Kelly and continues beating down the champ. Shaw comes back in with a suplex. Evans comes back and powerslams Kelly to set up a legdrop and cover. Shaw hits another suplex and tries for the cover on Kelly. Slamovich finally gets the hot tag and makes quick work of Evans but Shaw breaks the cover.
Vidal distracts the ref long enough for Shaw and Evans to double team Masha for a nearfall. Gisele tosses Kelly out of the ring. Masha shoves Evans into Shaw, knocking Shaw out of the ring. Masha then tries to roll up Evans, but it’s not enough. Kelly takes out Vidal at the same time. Masha applies a sleeperhold but Evans bucks her off. Masha plants Evans with Snow Plow and covers for the win while Kelly holds Shaw back on the outside.
Winners: MK Ultra (c)
PCO is looking for Bully backstage when Bully beats him down with a chair while yelling, “You’re just a man!” Bully douses PCO in lighter fluid and walks off.
Crazzy Steve vs. Black Taurus
Taurus charges Steve in the corner and beats on him for a moment. Steve rolls out and Taurus chases after but Steve takes control with a shot to the face. Steve throws Taurus back in the ring and then tells Tom Hannifan that he’s witnessing the start of something beautiful. Back inside, Steve throws Taurus in the corner for clotheslines. Steve twists Taurus’ head in the center of the ring.
Steve says he’s gotta take Taurus’ eyes now. He moves his hands towards the eyes but Taurus keeps him off while getting back to his feet. Steve pivots to a Side Russian Legsweep to take him back down. Steve strikes Taurus in the corner again before Taurus gets in a an uppercut and boot. Steve trips Taurus and then spikes him with a crucifix driver to nearly put it away. Taurus manages to hit a big Samoan Drop.
Taurus headbutts and hits a slingblade. A discus lariat follows as Taurus picks up steam. Steve gets planted on the knee for a backbreaker. Taurus relents when thinking about his friend. But it was all a ruse. Steve grabs a fork and goes to stab him but Taurus stops him. Steve jabs his thumbs into the eyes before planting Taurus into the mat for the pinfall.
Winner: Crazzy Steve
Gia Miller interviews Tommy Dreamer about putting his career on the line tonight. Dreamer says he is feeling nerves but he’s not going down without a fight in the building where he first fell in love with wrestling.
Grace takes it right to Purrazzo at the start. Grace hits a suplex and Deonna rolls out after kicking out at one. Deonna catches Jordynne’s boot in the ropes and then takes control. The pace slows down in the ring as they work each other’s arms. Grace throws forearms and a back elbow. Grace counters Deonna with more powerslams. Grace hits a michinoku driver for a two count. Purrazzo pulls out the fujiwara arm bar but Grace rolls her back into the cover.
Grace counters Queen’s Gambit by backing Purrazzo into the turnbuckle. Grace puts Deonna on the top turnbuckle. Grace eventually hits the superplex followed by the jackhammer for a nearfall. Purrazzo hits a nasty package piledriver, but it isn’t enough. They trade blows while Grace is on the apron. She gets back in and they both go down with a double clothesline. They trade more blows until Deonna tries the roll up. Grace hits a powerbomb and stacks on top for a two.
Purrazzo hits a pump kick followed by a German suplex. Grace catches Deonna on her shoulders and drops her on her head, cover for two. Deonna does the headscissors into the armbar. Grace nearly escapes but Deonna sinches in. Deonna gets up and tries for Queen’s Gambit, but Grace back body drops instead. Grace hits wicked clothesline followed by Juggernaut Driver. Grace pins Purrazzo for the first time.
Winner: Jordynne Grace
Backstage, Bully pleads with officials that he needs to get out of the building but PCO catches up to him. They spill into the arena where Bully clotheslines PCO on the stage. Ringside, Bully strikes PCO with a trash can repeatedly. Ray slides three tables into the ring while PCO props chairs up on the floor. Bully strikes PCO and PCO falls onto the propped chairs, which buys Bully time to prop the tables.
They both get in the ring to officially start the match. Bully throws PCO into all three propped tables in the corners. Bully then throws PCO through the ropes and onto a fourth table. PCO pops up, scaring Ray up the ramp where he runs into Santino and security. Bully slaps Santino, which fires him up. Santino grabs the Cobra and strikes Bully, who rolls down the ramp to PCO’s feet.
Back inside, PCO uses the trash can against Bully’s back. PCO grabs a ladder and suplexes Bully onto it. Bully comes back by sling shotting PCO onto the ladder off the top rope. Bully drops an elbow for a two. Bully props two more tables in the ring before using the trash can again. PCO gets to his feet and punches through the can. He chokeslams Bully through a table, two count. PCO low blows Bully with a cheese grater and then rubs it around for good measure.
Bully is laid across a table. PCO goes up top and the table doesn’t break. PCO props the table in the corner and whips Bully into it. PCO covers for the win.
Winner: PCO
Trey and Sabin lock up to start. Trey goes in circles around Sabin before hitting an arm drag. Rascalz maintain control by double-teaming both Sabin and Shelley on the floor. Wentz becomes legal and stomps away at Shelley in the corner. Shelley turns things around by raking the face and tagging Sabin. Shelley twists the ankle before exiting. Sabin resumes working the left foot. Shelley comes in with a figure out and Trey goes to break it up Sabin beats him to it. Sabin traps Trey in a figure four as well.
Trey pulls Shelley into the rope then splashes and moonsaults for good measure. Rascalz unload with kicks and stomps on Sabin. They then hit dueling uppercuts on the Guns in opposite corners. Shelley counters Trey’s spiral and clobbers him with a clothesline. Sabin dragonscrews both Trey and Wentz’s legs at the same time. Shelley holds the ropes open so Sabin can dive out. Sabin isn’t about to put Trey away before Wentz hits a big stomp off the ropes on Sabin.
The Rascalz cheat using a title belt to hit Sabin behind the ref’s back but it doesn’t get the three. Trey calls for spray paint but The Guns double kick Wentz on the floor to take him out. Trey then flips over the ropes to wipe the field out. Trey nearly hits Wentz with his title. Sabin kicks Wentz en route to hitting Trey with a DDT on the title. Before the ref can count three, John Skyler pulls the ref out and there’s confusion over whether it was Shelley. Sabin tries for a roll up. Trey shoves him off and Wentz sprays him in the ropes. Trey stacks on top of Sabin to finish it.
Winners: The Rascalz (c)
Eddie does the ring intro for his wife. The fans throw glow sticks in the ring for Trinity. Once the bell rings, Trinity takes Alisha to the corner and shoves a boot in her face. Trinity then hits the splits and briefly covers. Alisha rolls out to regroup with Eddie. Trinity kicks Alisha through the ropes. Eddie tries to take a swipe at the champ, but she still kicks Alisha anyway. Alisha counters and sends Trinity charging into the turnbuckle, cover. Alishda goes for a tornado DDT, Trin throws her off.
Alisha hits a drop toe hold into the turnbuckle and covers. Alisha wraps her legs around Trinity on the mat and works the midsection. Trinity breaks free and double knees Alisha in the corner. She throws slaps and then hits a big backstabber in the center, cover. Alisha escapes the full nelson but then ducks and Trinity kicks the ref. Alisha tries to hit Delish but Trinity elbows out and takes her down into Starstruck. Alisha taps as Eddie breaks it up. The ref is still down as Eddie throws Trinity down to the mat.
Eddie pulls a table out. He preps to send Trinity through it when Kazarian and Traci Brooks run down to the make the save. They place Eddie on the table and Trinity goes to the top rope. Trinity splashes onto Eddie and the table’s legs collapse. Trinity returns to the ring and gets hit with Kendra the kendo stick. She wakes the ref but Trinity kicks out. Trinity heel kicks and then hits the Full Nelson Bomb. She pins for the win.
Winner: Trinity (c)
They refuse to shake hands to start as fans have dueling chants. Maclin goes for the takedown but Josh initially stays on top. Maclin reaches the ropes to the break. Maclin applies a headlock before Josh turns it around. Josh transitions into a wrist lock. Back up, they trade chops until Maclin clotheslines Josh over the ropes and they both fall out. The chops continue. Josh drops Maclin on his neck like a brainbuster on the apron. Maclin fires back by pulling Josh’s arm into the ropes and then shoving his shoulder into the post.
Maclin hits a backbreaker and covers. Maclin maintains control, working away at the left arm until Josh pulls out 10 consecutive German suplexes. Maclin quickly grabs on to the left arm but Josh’s foot reaches the ropes. Outside at the ring steps, Maclin stomps on Josh’s arm. Josh tries for an up and over but his arm gives out. Maclin takes advantage and hits an Olympic slam for a two. Josh comes back with a belly to back suplex. Josh hits a low crossbody in the bottom rope to knock Maclin out of the ring.
Maclin musters up the energy to slam Alexander and then applies an armbar. Josh open hand strikes Maclin’s face to break it. Maclin goes up top and wraps around the arm but Josh breaks it and hits a backbreaker into the ankle lock. Maclin reaches the rope and then slaps Josh across the face. Josh delivers a slap and then kicks Maclin’s groin. Josh with a rolling forearm, two. Maclin rolls out of the ankle lock and sends Josh into the second turnbuckle.
Josh chops the back and then spins Maclin out, nearfall. Josh goes for a moonsault off the top, but Maclin trips him and stomps. Maclin hits Caught in the Crosshairs followed by KIA, but Josh rolls out. Maclin goes for the dive but Josh counters into a wicked powerslam. They barely beat the count out. They turn it into a slap fest until Maclin hits a pair of suplexes. Maclin goes up top for a headbutt, but Josh gets his knee up. Maclin rolls Josh up, two. Josh kicks the groin again and nails the C4 Spike for the win.
Winner: Josh Alexander
Comments powered by CComment