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The go-home show for Sacrifice featured some incredible matches as we are headed into the weekend.
At Hard to Kill, Eddie Edwards picked up an incredible win over Michael Elgin. Since then, they've been involved in a best-of-five series, with Elgin getting ahead with a 2-0 lead. Tonight, Edwards needs to pull out a miracle if he hopes to come back with a three-win streak.
We started the night with an epic confrontation between Josh Alexander and TJP. Last week, Fallah Bahh defeated Ethan Page. If TJP could pick up a win over the Walking Weapon, he and Bahh might be next in line for a title bout.
Josh Alexander w/Ethan Page vs TJP w/Fallah Bahh
Alexander struggled to keep up with TJP's speed early on. A dropkick and hurricanrana forced Alexander into the corner, but he responded with a boot that turned TJP inside out. Alexander was caught off guard by an octopus stretch into a pinfall attempt but kicked out and again overpowered his opponent.
A counter to another octopus stretch saw Alexander crush TJP with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Harsh elbow strikes and knife edge chops dazed the former X-Division Champion As he was taken to the second rope, though, TJP countered a Green Bay Plunge with a cross armbreaker. Alexander managed to counter it into a pinfall.
As he kicked out, TJP sent Alexander to the floor for a corkscrew plancha. A triangle dropkick caught Alexander on the jaw. TJP moved to the top but missed a Swanton Bomb. Alexander caught him with a sleeper hold, but was countered again. The TJP Clutch was blocked, but TJP put Alexander overhead with a back suplex.
Alexander caught his opponent in a torture rack and sent him flying with a spin-out torture rack bomb. TJP kicked out. Alexander traded strikes with TJP, leading to a snap suplex. TJP responded with a hurricanrana into a cross armbreaker. Alexander countered it into a deadlift powerbomb backbreaker. Again, TJP kicked out.
Up top, TJP fought out of an avalanche fallaway slam, bringing Alexander down with a superplex. Another octopus stretch in the middle of the ring was transitioned into the TJP Clutch. Alexander just barely made it to the rope.
Alexander set TJP up in the fireman's carry position. As TJP fought out, he yanked off a turnbuckle pad by accident. TJP managed to counter a rear-naked choke with a roll-up, giving him the win.
Results: TJP defeated Josh Alexander via pinfall.
Backstage, Johnny Swinger was trying to talk Willie Mack into getting in some reps. Mack decided that was exactly what they needed, moving towards the ring for a one-on-one match. Swinger didn't get the hint, because of course, he didn't.
Tonight, Elgin looked to move ahead 3-0 in the best-of-five series, expecting to challenge for the IMPACT World Championship at Sacrifice in April. Looking past Edwards may not be the smartest decision, but you can't deny his overwhelmingly lopsided record against the former World Champion.
Willie Mack vs Johnny Swinger
Swinger was dropped with an atomic drop and a reverse atomic drop, sending him into the corner. The Swing Man tried to slow Mack down, wanting to "talk over" their tag team business. Hanging Mack up in the corner put Swinger back in the match.
A headbutt to the "lower abdomen" connected, leaving Mack screaming on the mat. Swinger missed a double axe handle and was taken out by a massive clothesline. A spinning powerslam and a Samoan Drop left Swinger on his back for the standing moonsault.
Swinger avoided a splash in the corner and set up the Swing Man Neckbreaker. Mack countered with a Stunner and put him away with the Six-Star Frog Splash.
Results: Willie Mack defeated Johnny Swinger via pinfall.
Madison Rayne was in the ring when we came back from commercial. The Queen Bee congratulated Jordynne Grace on being the champion no one wanted. Rayne said that tonight wasn't about Grace, but herself. Tonight was the beginning of her Golden Opportunity Open Challenge.
Tonight's opponent? Local fan favorite Mazzerati.
Madison Rayne vs Mazzerati
Rayne was caught off guard by a crucifix pin and a schoolboy roll-up. She kicked out, leading to an elbow to the jaw of Mazzerati. Rayne connected with a northern lights suplex and attempted a running boot, but Mazzerati countered with a single knee facebuster.
Mazzerati was planted with a ripcord cutter, leading to a near fall. However, the CrossRayne put away her opponent for good.
Results: Madison Rayne defeated Mazzerati via pinfall.
Following the bout, Jordynne Grace was interviewed backstage about her upcoming title bout against Havok at Sacrifice. As she left, John E. Bravo rushed in to demand the truck show his "emotionall" video package he made for Taya Valkyrie.
If you were wondering, Valkyrie didn't take it well. Poor Bravo.
In the main event, we'll see Ace Austin and his Reno Scum goonies take on Tommy Dreamer, Trey Miguel, and IMPACT World Champion Tessa Blanchard. The trio all have issues with the XXX-Division Champion and look to shut him up tonight.
Michael Elgin vs Eddie Edwards
Eddie Edwards put together the first big series of offense with an overhead release belly-to-belly and a suicide dive to the floor. Back inside, a sit-out tiger driver gave him a near fall. Elgin ducked the Boston Knee Party and dumped Edwards overhead with a release German suplex.
Following up with a sliding clothesline, Elgin nearly decapitated Edwards. A death valley driver saw Elgin drive Edwards into the apron, leaving him squirming on the floor below. Big Mike rolled Edwards inside for a two-count. The rivals began to trade elbow strikes, with Elgin getting the better of IMPACT's resident hardcore hero.
Elgin absorbed some chest chops and responded with a nasty rolling forearm, nearly knocking Edwards unconscious. Edwards managed to recover and sent Elgin to the floor with a running boot on the apron. Another suicide dive was countered with a nasty forearm strike to the temple.
Edwards was moved to the stage for an Elgin Bomb but countered with a hurricanrana. A Boston Knee Party sent Elgin face-first into the apron. On the inside, Elgin was met with a mushroom stomp to the neck. Edwards earned a near fall.
Elgin hammered Edwards with a stiff lariat, followed by a Michinoku Driver. Looking for the Elgin Bomb once again, he instead tossed Edwards in the corner for a buckle bomb. Edwards countered the second bomb with a sunset flip for a two-count. Elgin kicked and attempted a crossface, but was met with a Boston Knee Party instead.
Edwards set Elgin up for a top rope hurricanrana, but was instead spiked with an avalanche powerbomb. Edwards rolled up Elgin after attempting another Elgin Bomb, finally giving him a win in the best-of series.
Results: Eddie Edwards defeated Michael Elgin via pinfall.
After the match, Elgin took his frustrations out on the announce team, forcing Josh Matthews and Don Callis to back up to the edge of the steel barricade.
Prior to the next match, Moose joined commentary at ringside. The former NFL lineman has been in a feud with Rhino as of late, giving us a Gore vs No Jackhammer Needed battle. At Hard to Kill, Moose picked up the win. This Saturday, Rhino gets a chance to pin Moose at Sacrifice.
Dave Crist w/Jake Crist vs Rhino
Rhino dealt with the number games early, but his overall power put Dave down with an over the head belly-to-belly. As he set up the Gore, Jake tripped him up. Dave attempted a cutter but was shaken off, sending him into Jake.
Rhino knocked Jake off the apron and bounced off the ropes with a Gore, cutting Dave in half.
Results: Rhino defeated Dave Crist via pinfall.
Moose got into the faces of Josh Matthews and Don Callis, especially the latter who's had a history with Rhino in ECW. Rhino stared a hole through Moose as we cut to the back.
Havok entered the arena with no James Mitchell. The Sinister Minister was seemingly killed by Suzie last week, who turned into Su Yung and choked out her former master with a noose. Now that Suzie has awoken her inner demon, she's taking her revenge on those who have wronged her.
Heading into the main event, we got a vignette for the "Ultimate Finesser" Chris Bey, who would be debuting "soon."
At Sacrifice, Tessa Blanchard will face Ace Austin in a Champion vs Champion match. Tonight, they'll get a taste of what each other has to offer.
Tommy Dreamer, Trey, & Tessa Blanchard vs Ace Austin & Reno Scum
Trey and Adam Thornstowe started the match off, with Trey sending Thornstowe to the mat with a jumping knee and a standing dropkick. Blanchard tagged in, getting an assisted hurricanrana from Trey.
Dreamer and Trey tagged in, working over the arm of Thornstowe. A knee lift and a slam allowed him to tag in Ace Austin. Trey nearly took his head off, forcing him to tag Luster the Legend instead. A six-person brawl broke out, with the faces getting the upper hand with bionic elbows to Austin and Reno Scum. We cut to commercial break as Luster was hit with a three-way bionic elbow.
Back from the break, and Tommy Dreamer is on the wrong side of the ring getting taken apart by Ace Austin and Reno Scum. Dreamer was taken to Pity city when Luster shoved his face into Thornstowe's armpit.
Dreamer managed to get to his side eventually, tagging in Trey just as Ace became the legal man. Trey took out Austin with his diving Meteora, but Thornstowe broke the pin-up. Trey sent him packing with a kick and followed up with a double tiger feint kick.
Thornstowe dodged both kicks and slung Trey onto the floor. From there, Trey was put back in Scum's corner, with Trey, Luster, and Thornstowe taking him to the task. Luster was the one to drop the ball, allowing Trey to tag in Blanchard.
Thornstowe and Austin rushed in, but the World Champion fired upon them both. Luster came in from behind only to be hammered with several elbow strikes. A tornado DDT spiked Luster and a Samoan Drop sent Thornstowe to the floor. Austin snuck in but was caught in a sleeper hold. Blanchard and Trey hammered him with back-to-back superkicks and a cutter. Trey's pin was broken up by Luster at two.
Dreamer rushed Luster with a cutter of his own, followed by a diving clothesline off the apron to the outside. Thornstowe was knocked to the floor with a dropkick and a suicide dive. The Buzzsaw DDT was stopped when Austin kicked Blanchard's face off.
Trey responded with a kick of his own and dove onto all three of his opponents with a corkscrew senton. As Trey was getting inside the ring, Austin kicked the middle rope, hitting a low blow essentially. The Fold put Trey away.
Results: Ace Austin & Reno Scum defeated Trey, Tommy Dreamer, & Tessa Blanchard
