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Back from its Thanksgiving break, IMPACT Wrestling delivered a strong episode. Setting up some new feuds and even a championship bout for Hard to Kill in January, this two-hour program gave us a lot to chew on.
This week's episode was packed. While we saw Trey Miguel deface the X-Division Championship, putting down the past of the historic belt, several moments beat that out. Still, it's worth a mention. What does the true, arrogant Miguel have in store for the roster going forward?
There's no doubt that the two-time X-Division Champion will be back on the list next week. For now, though, we'll dive into the five biggest moments from this week's episode of IMPACT Wrestling.
#5. Motor City Machine Guns get their IMPACT Wrestling Tag Team title shot next week
It's almost time for the greatest tag team in IMPACT Wrestling history to get their hands on the gold. The Motor City Machine Guns defeated Ace Austin and Chris Bey back at Over Drive to earn a shot at the tag titles and asked Heath and Rhino when they'd be able to cash in on the opportunity.
Being the fighting champions they are, Heath promised to go straight to Scott D'Amore to make the match official for next week. It was a straightforward and respectful meeting between the two teams, with Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin thanking Heath for making it so simple. Cooler heads prevailed.
Well...that is until Rhino stepped in. The veteran threatened to rip off the faces and tear out the hearts of the challengers before splitting them in half with the Gore. Shelley and Sabin, understandably, could only stare in silence and shock as Heath laughed. Maybe they bit off more than they could chew.
#4. Joe Hendry rubs shoulders with a former IMPACT Wrestling World Champion
Say his name, and he appears. Who doesn't believe in Joe Hendry?
Well, Moose isn't exactly a fan. After IMPACT Wrestling Over Drive, Moose needed a victory to get back on track. A Tables Match loss against Bully Ray put the former IMPACT Wrestling World Champion in a worse mood than usual, and he took it out on Bhupinder Gujjar in singles action.
Following the bout, he told the crowd to never say "his" name, referring to Bully Ray. After telling the crowd off, a familiar tune bellowed out as the crowd clapped along. IMPACT Wrestling Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry made his way down to the ring assuming he'd been called out by Moose.
The Generational Talent was quickly annoyed by his presence, especially after Hendry called him out for only being a "former" champion. After eating a boot from Moose, Hendry recovered and goaded Moose into a spear from Bhupinder.
Hendry's been an exciting act in the UK indie scene for a decade now. While his first stint in IMPACT in 2018 didn't work out too well, it's great to see the Local Hero face off against top talent now.
Hendry's got personality and talent. In fact, I believe Joe Hendry could make it far in IMPACT Wrestling. Do you?
#3. Bully Ray gets physical with Scott D'Amore
Times may change, but the song remains the same. Bully Ray, after showing his true colors at IMPACT Wrestling Over Drive, faced Rich Swann in singles competition this week. He demolished the former champion, looking to send a message to Josh Alexander ahead of their world title bout in January.
Bully's longtime friend and Busted Open co-host Tommy Dreamer saved Swann from injury, but Bully was deadset on letting IMPACT Wrestling know that he was back to run the show once again.
He shoved Dreamer on his back for choosing Ric Swann's side, and it looked like he was going to attack Dreamer as well. Unfortunately for Bully, the man running the show this time around wasn't playing any of his games.
Scott D'Amore ran down to the ring and got in Bully's face, leading the number one contender to leave the ring. As he exited through the ropes, D'Amore hit him with his jacket and threw a watch at him.
D'Amore and Dreamer teamed up, serving as a shield to save Swann from further punishment. Bully may have found himself in a more hostile environment than he was expecting. With those running the brand and the locker room against him...does Bully Ray even have a chance at capturing the IMPACT Wrestling World Championship at Hard to Kill?
#2. Eric Young killed by Deaner
If you've seen IMPACT Wrestling before, you know that the company isn't afraid to go the extra mile when someone's leaving. Allie was murdered by Su Yung when she was stabbed in the throat. Taya Valkyrie was arrested for the attempted murder of John E. Bravo. Killer Kross had his head stomped in by Eddie Edwards, who also seemed to bite a piece of Kross's face off beforehand.
Another major name in the company's history met a similar fate this week. At the end of the latest episode, Eric Young met Deaner to see if his pet project could "cut out the sickness" in Violent By Design. With both men sitting at a table with a knife in the middle, they battled to the death.
During the fight, we heard dialogue from Young stating that Young's "design" was all about creating a new violent, ruthless, and in-control Cody Deaner. It turned out to be successful, as Deaner stabbed Young with the knife, killing him before taking a seat at the table. Deaner is now the new leader of Violent By Design, which recently gained new members in Alan Angels and Big Kon.
Young always stated that the "sickness" was failure. After losing his match against Sami Callihan two weeks prior despite the help from VBD, it was clear where the sickness was emanating from. It's been reported that Eric Young is heading back to WWE, and now Deaner is controlling the cult that haunts the corridors in IMPACT Wrestling.
What will this new Violent By Design do with a leader who has abandoned all of his weaknesses?
#1. Mickie James' Last Rodeo leads to IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Title Match
Speaking of wrestlers that have been violently written off of IMPACT Wrestling, Mickie James is currently on her "Last Rodeo." On the latest episode, James defeated longtime rival Deonna Purrazzo in a fantastic match. These two have had fantastic chemistry with one another, and we saw that in an excellent main event bout.
Despite Deonna's best efforts to end the career of the legendary knockout, Mickie James pinned her after securing her tights. At that point, there were very few names left on the Knockouts roster that James hadn't bested. With that, she got a surprise from current IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace.
The Juggernaut of IMPACT, coming off a stellar defense against Masha Slamovich at Over Drive, wanted to make history at Hard to Kill. With their business settled and nothing left to get in their way, it was time to make it official. Jordynne Grace laid down the challenge and Mickie James accepted.
At IMPACT Wrestling Hard to Kill, we'll get Jordynne Grace and Mickie James in a Title vs. Career match! It's easily the most enticing storyline heading into the pay-per-view. Hopefully, we'll see these two in the main event on January 13th. It's a spot that Mickie James deserves, and one that Jordynne Grace has more than earned.
