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IMPACT Wrestling has less than a month until Hard to Kill, and the latest episode added a lot of much-needed heat to several feuds while giving us an exciting title change to boot!
Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer came face to face after the former IMPACT Wrestling World Champion demolished an opponent in quick fashion. A ghost of Mickie James' past haunts her and the Last Rodeo mere weeks before her Knockouts World Championship bout. And a former world champion has returned after months away, coming face-to-face with Eddie Edwards.
Let's take a look at the five biggest moments of IMPACT Wrestling from this week. We're kicking things off with a rather intense exchange.
#5. Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer's relationship has been Busted Open
Tommy Dreamer, against his gut instinct, trusted Bully Ray enough to bring him into the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match at Bound for Glory. Bully and Dreamer's relationship has strained quite a bit since, with Bully showing his obvious true colors after attacking Josh Alexander at Over Drive in November.
Dreamer's shown visible frustration with Bully's antics in the past month, both on IMPACT Wrestling and during Busted Open, the radio show they co-host with Dave Lagreca, Mark Henry, and Thunder Rosa. Dreamer hasn't shied away from his personal feelings for his friend, who he believes betrayed his trust for a shot at glory one last time.
On Thursday, he told Bully that he was done. Aside from the radio and any business they'd have to deal with in the back, they're no longer associates of any kind.
Bully decided to get in Tommy Dreamer's face at this point. He was the mystery assailant of Ace Austin and knew Dreamer would stick up for him. He used his relationship with the Landlord of the House of Hardcore to weasel into the promotion and claim the top prize.
After he was called out by Bully for crying on TV, Dreamer mentioned that this betrayal and the situation with his mother has left him in a rough patch. Bully made it simple, exclaiming, "I don't give a s*** about your mother!" At that point, Dreamer was ready to go to war with his former friend, claiming that the Innovator of Violence was back in business.
Bully opted to walk away from the fight but laughed as tears rolled down Dreamer's face.
#4. Taylor Wilde sends an ominous message to the Knockouts Division
Taylor Wilde's second run with IMPACT Wrestling has been an odd one, for sure. After a 10-year retirement, she returned to IMPACT in 2021 for a short, successful run of matches. Before the year was up, though, she was removed from the roster page, with the company stating she was dealing with "personal issues" and needed to step away.
In 2022, she showed up at Bound for Glory's Call Your Shot Gauntlet and has competed in three matches since then. While someone like Wilde is an invaluable asset, she's been directionless since coming out of retirement. Now, though, it seems that the former Knockouts World Champion has a new gimmick cooking.
A vignette aired on IMPACT Wrestling this week, with Taylor Wilde playing a series of Tarot Cards and burning sage.
"I am both masculine and feminine. My power is my shadow. Without the darkness, there is no light. Without conflict, there is no victory. From the disillusionment, emerges the Wilde Witch."
What's it mean? No one really knows, but it seems that Taylor Wilde seems to have a few cards up her sleeve now. Who will be her first target? What's her goal? You'll have to tune into IMPACT Wrestling to find out.
#3. Tasha Steelz looks to end Mickie James' Last Rodeo before her IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Title match
Mickie James has been on her "Last Rodeo" for the past few months, vowing to retire should she ever lose another match. Her goal? Reclaiming the Knockouts World Championship. That has led her down the path of great match-ups against some of the best that the division has to offer. It also puts her right on the doorstep of IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace.
The woman that Grace took that belt from, though, is still looking for revenge. Tasha Steelz lost the gold to Grace back at Sacrifice in March but took the gold off Mickie James before that. Not only did she beat Mickie for the title, but she defeated her twice.
While Grace and James signed the contract for their Knockouts World Championship match at Hard to Kill 2022, Tasha Steelz interrupted to remind James that she was the one loss on the roster that was yet to be avenged. Steelz brought up that James said she'd defeat everyone on the roster until she worked her way to the top, and she left out one very important person.
Not one to back down from a challenge, James told Steelz that she had a whole month to leave her down for the three-count. Jordynne Grace, though, stepped in, not wanting to risk Steelz taking away such a huge accolade from her. It seems that both wrestlers want to be known as the Knockout that retired Mickie James.
#2. Motor City Machine Guns capture their 3rd IMPACT Wrestling Tag Team Championship
The Motor City Machine Guns are riding high at the end of 2022. Not only are they the NJPW Strong Tag Team Champions, but they knocked off Heath and Rhyno to capture their third-ever IMPACT Wrestling Tag Team Championship.
Looking back on their history with the company, it's strange to see how few reigns they had in the tag division. At this point, they've held IMPACT Tag Titles on more occasions than TNA Tag Titles.
Heath and Rhino successfully took the belts off of The Kingdom back in October. It was something we were supposed to see after Bound for Glory 2020, but an injury to Heath's leg forced the War Machine Rhino to side with Violent By Design and cash in his Call Your Shot Gauntlet trophy.
On the latest episode of IMPACT Wrestling, the Motor City Machine Guns challenged Heath and Rhino for the gold. For a brief moment, it looked like the champions would retain after a hellacious Gore cut Chris Sabin in two.
Sabin avoided taking a pinfall, though, and was able to turn a second Gore into a sunset flip, putting the multi-time world champion on his back for the three-count. With that, Sabin and Alex Shelley walked away with two sets of tag team titles.
A month prior, the Guns defeated the Bullet Club's Chris Bey and Ace Austin in tag team competition, with both teams seemingly sharing mutual respect. The Guns told the young duo to learn as much as they could in Japan, and they'd have a shot at the gold when they returned.
It seems that Ace & Bey will have to wait in line, however, as the champs were attacked by the Major Players after their win.
Matt Cardona and Brian Myers have already reached the mountaintop as solo competitors in IMPACT Wrestling, with both men holding the IMPACT Digital Media Championship in 2022.
Now, the Major Players have their eyes set on the crowns of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. Can they ruin a highly-anticipated rematch for the Bullet Club before they return to the states?
#1. Jonathan Gresham returns for confrontation with Eddie Edwards
Eddie Edwards has been a staple in IMPACT Wrestling since 2014, but his history with Ring of Honor has been the focal point of his time in 2022. Earlier this year, IMPACT Wrestling served as a home away from home for those in ROH, including Jonathan Gresham, who defended his world championship a few times in the promotion.
Around that time, Edwards brought in Honor No More, a group of invaders from ROH set on ruining IMPACT. Since then, Edwards has faced many ghosts from his past while chasing IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Josh Alexander. After failing to claim the gold and the end of Honor No More, Edwards focused on burying his past.
First, he targeted PCO, who he literally buried in the Las Vegas desert. Soon, he'd caught the attention of Delirious, a long-term booker of ROH. After a brutal battle on the most recent episode of IMPACT Wrestling, Edwards had Delirious in an unfortunate predicament, set to tear the mask off of his former friend.
Before he could do so, Yuya Uemura attempted to save Delirious. Unfortunately, he failed to protect the helpless vet. Thankfully, we then saw the return of the Octopus known as Jonathan Gresham.
The former ROH World Champion stormed the ring, getting in the face of Edwards and keeping Delirious safe. Soon after, it was revealed that Gresham had signed a deal with the promotion.
This is one of the most important signings in recent history for the promotion, as fans have already begun listing the possible match-ups for the former leader of the Foundation.
One of those matches, of course, involves Eddie Edwards.
