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Last week, we saw two of the favorites in the IMPACT Wrestling #1 Contender's Tournament, Michael Elgin and Sami Callihan, go one-on-one in the opening round. Big Mike focused a lot on the leg of The Draw, which was still injured from his match with Ken Shamrock, hindering the former champion's offense. With that and a nasty Elgin Bomb, Michael Elgin moved onto the next round, where he'd face Trey.
Could Trey pull out an upset tonight? All that and more happened on tonight's episode of IMPACT Wrestling!
Speaking of the tournament, we kicked off the night with Ace Austin vs Hernandez. However, before that, IMPACT Wrestling dedicated the show tonight to both Shad Gaspard and Hana Kimura.
IMPACT Wrestling #1 Contender's Semi-Final Match: Ace Austin vs Hernandez
Hernandez looked to maul the former X-Division Champion early. Though he was able to avoid some heavy hands, Austin would find himself in the corner eventually, with SuperMex tossing him around the ring with ease.
Austin avoided a big body splash in the corner and responded with a springboard roundhouse. A series of roundhouse to the leg and a chop block damaged Hernandez's left knee, but he responded with a military press slam. Austin avoided a nasty lariat and responded with a spinning back kick to the jaw. A dropkick sent Hernandez to the floor, but the big man caught him mid-suicide dive, clapping his ears.
While the ref wasn't looking, Austin kicked the rope as Hernandez was getting in, catching him with a sneaky low blow. He continued to work over the leg of the TNA Original. Every time Hernandez caught Austin with a big slam, he was taken down with another shot to the knee.
After finally chopping the former TNA Tag Team Champion down to size, Austin rocked him in the corner with a basement dropkick. Hernandez kicked out and bowled over Austin with a series of shoulder tackles and clotheslines.
A big body splash in the corner left Austin crumbling to the mat. The choke toss nearly sent Austin from one corner to the other. Austin responded with a victory roll attempt but was countered by Hernandez with a Canadian backbreaker.
The Border Toss was avoided, and Ace clipped the knee once again. Hernandez caught Ace going for the fold, but a powerbomb attempt turned into a hurricanrana sending him face-first into the turnbuckle. Another Fold was countered, and yet again Austin clipped the knee.
Finally, the Fold connected, sending Ace Austin to the finals of a tournament he wasn't even originally part of.
Results: Ace Austin defeated Hernandez via pinfall.
Grade: B+
Thanks to Michael Elgin, Ken Shamrock's place in the tournament was filled by the Ace of the X-Division. Ace Austin has defeated Rhino and Hernandez already and is one win away from an IMPACT World Title Match. He'll face the winner of Trey and Michael Elgin.
We got a clip of Cody Deaner sitting outside his compound, waiting on his mystery partner "Wheels".
Will Deaner find a way to take the IMPACT Wrestling World Tag Team Titles off The North?
Next up on IMPACT this week, The North arrived at the Deaner Compound in a limo. Ethan Page and Josh Alexander weren't exactly worried about their titles tonight.
Michael Elgin cut a promo on his opponent tonight, Trey. The Rascal has been a fan favorite in IMPACT Wrestling for quite a while now and has always been fingertips away from a singles title.
Elgin said that his lighthearted, goofy ways would spell the end for him tonight. Elgin is always the #1 contender until he finally captures that belt.
Chris Bey w/Johnny Swinger vs Cousin Jake
Chris Bey was launched off the top to the mat with a big choke toss. A pair of short-arm clotheslines rocked Bey. He countered the third attempt, spinning around Jake's arm.
However, he was run over with a big hip attack from Jake. The powerhouse of the Deaners slammed Bey and hit him with a knee drop. A distraction from Johnny Swinger allowed Bey to rock Jake with a roundhouse and a springboard dropkick.
Bey and Swinger took turns pelting Jake, swapping whenever the ref turned around. Still, Jake continued to rise to his feet, an demanded Bey hit him harder. Some roundhouse to the chest didn't take him down, but a leaping enziguri did, sending him right back down to the mat.
A low dropkick and standing double stomp set up for a standing moonsault. Bey's subtle shot at Willie Mack missed, and Jake nearly broke Bey's jaw with a right hand. A pair of running ax handles and a discus clothesline turned Bey inside out. Another clothesline missed, but a sit out piledriver spiked Bey head first.
Bey kicked out at two and blocked a deadlift powerbomb attempt. WIth a knee to the jaw, Bey set up for a hurricanrana. Bey caught him, but his powerbomb was turned into a Code Red. Jake kicked out and caught Bey again, this time driving Bey nearly through the mat with a sky high sit-out powerbomb.
Swinger distracted Jake, allowing Bey to hit the springboard Fameasser. The Final Finesse caught Jake on the back of the head, giving him a big win over Cousin Jake.
Results: Chris Bey defeated Cousin Jake via pinfall.
Grade: B+
Willie Mack ran down to save Jake from a beatdown. Bey immediately rolled out, not wanting anything to do with the X-Division Champion.
Rohit Raju was interviewed backstage. He was asked what's next now that the Desi Hit Squad isn't around. Raju said that he's still demanding opportunities, as he's been overlooked for far too long.
Former TNA Tag Team Champion Chase Stevens walked into frame, leading to Raju challenging him to a match next week.
Last week on IMPACT Wrestling, Kimber Lee picked up a big win over Havok after laying her out with the "Crown Jewel", a pair of brass knuckles. Tonight, Havok hoped to get some revenge on her long-time rival. However, in every match that the Kaiju Queen has had in the past few months, her old tag team partner Nevaeh has appeared. Something to look for.
Kimber Lee vs Havok
Kimber Lee rocked Havok with a series of spinning back kicks to the jaw. Havok fought out of a sleeper hold and broke it up by driving Lee into the buckle.
An impactful spinebuster planted Lee square in the middle of the ring. She followed up with an STO backbreaker and a clothesline. A running knee nearly knocked Lee's head off.
Three running boots in the corner punished Lee, who was probably rethinking using the brass knuckles. As Havok set up for a Samoan Drop, Lee raked her eyes, looking for the knuckles. Guess I was wrong.
Before she could use the knuckles, though, Nevaeh made the save. Lee was caught between Havok and Nevaeh, who dropped her with a wheelbarrow cutter.
Results: Kimber Lee defeated Havok via DQ.
Grade: C
With Havok and Nevaeh back together, the entire Knockouts locker room is on notice.
More from the IMPACT Knockouts Division
Speaking of Knockouts, Tasha Steelz and Kiera Hogan were backstage harassing Kylie Rae. Suzie came in to try and stop the bullying, but Hogan instead ordered Steelz to take out Rae.
Suzie met the same fate when she tried to intervene. However, afterward, Su Yung's spirit was seen nearly taking over.
The North finally arrived at the compound, and were treated by a bunch of tobacco chewing, beer drinking...Deaner family members? It's hard to tell.
Backstage on IMPACT, Joseph P. Ryan invited oVe to watch his match against Crazzy Steve next week. Dave and Jake Crist believed that this was the "opportunity they were looking for" whatever that means.
Deaner's tag team partner forced The North to get serious, though, as he was a mountain of a man. Would the IMPACT Wrestling Tag Team Champions walk out of the compound without their titles?
IMPACT Wrestling Tag Team Championship: Cody Deaner & Wheels vs The North (c)
Cody Deaner and Wheels surprised The North, with the gigantic partner of Deaner crushing Josh Alexander in the ring. Deaner took the fight to Alexander as Wheels brawled with Ethan Page on the outside.
Page managed to take out Wheels with a bag of golf clubs. Deaner used one of the clubs to whack Alexander. The fight moved to the outside, with all four men trading blows with construction and farming equipment.
From the back of a truck, the North dropped Deaner onto his family with a double powerbomb. As Wheels continued to fight on, Deaner eventually made his way to the top of a trailer, where he dropped onto the IMPACT Wrestling Tag Team Champions with a crossbody.
Page kicked out, and eventually drilled Wheels through a fence. The pinfall was broken up by Page. Wheels drove Alexander through the hood of a scar, but couldn't secure the win.
Eventually, Deaner and Alexander made it to the top of a truck, where Alexander spiked Deaner with a Tombstone Piledriver. Ethan Page laid out Wheels in the middle of the ring, and Alexander joined him.
A series of kicks and right hands pelted Wheels as Deaner struggled to regain consciousness. After Wheels kicked out of a pinfall, The North began picking on the referee, who actually managed to hold his own for a moment.
Eventually, he was booted into next week by Alexander. However, that gave Deaner enough time to get back inside and spike Alexander with the Deaner DDT. Sadly, the ref was still knocked out. The North planted Deaner with the Monster Mash, but he rolled to the floor. When they turned around, Wheels set up for a double chokeslam.
However, George Iceman, the man who had been introducing The North for the past month in their "title defenses" caught Wheels with a low blow, and revealed he was wearing a ref's shirt.
With that, Iceman counted the fast three for The North.
Results: The North defeated Cody Deaner and Wheels via pinfall.
Grade: B-
Moose entered the Rascalz Clubhouse, presenting Trey with some sunglasses. The "TNA World Champion" told Trey he should, if he wins the tournament, challenge for his belt instead of Tessa Blanchard's IMPACT World Title.
The Rascalz laughed in Moose's face, which wasn't a great decision. After all, the last time they played jokes on him, he ran through all three men for months on end.
We got a vignette of a new Knockout, the Virtuosa Deonna Purrazzo. You'd be hard-pressed to find a women's division like the Knockouts. It's absolutely loaded.
Rosemary and John E. Bravo were at a bar again, with the Demon Assassin sharing her life story with Bravo. Rosemary revealed that she's in the corner of Bravo.
IMPACT Wrestling #1 Contender's Tournament Semi-Final: Michael Elgin vs Trey
Michael Elgin easily overpowered Trey in the beginning of the match. Trey's arm drags were blocked repeatedly, and a nasty shoulder block turned Trey inside out as he bounced off the ropes.
Trey found himself on the top and launched Elgin to the floor with a diving hurricanrana. He followed up with a 619 and turned it into a hurricanrana attempt. Elgin set up for a powerbomb instead, but couldn't keep a hold of Trey. A pendulum DDT spiked Elgin on the floor.
Back on the inside, Elgin countered a tilt-a-whirl headscissors in the corner for a gutbuster. A double underhook backbreaker broke Trey in half. Big Mike continued to punish the back, slinging Trey spine first into the turnbuckle. An elbow knocked the Rascal out.
Elgin took Trey over with a suplex for a nearfall. As Trey made it back to his feet, he took out Elgin with a striking combination and dropped him with a kneeling jawbreaker. In the corner, Elgin fought out with the enziguri. Trey avoided the Elgin Bomb and lit up the Unbreakable One with a series of kicks.
Trey was popped up by Elgin, but countered in mid-air with a meteora. Elgin had a hard time getting his hands on Trey at this point, with Trey hitting his stride and rocking the big man with a stick and move offense.
Following an elbow and enziguri, Trey moved to the top for his diving Meteora. Elgin made it back up, though, sending Trey to the apron. He slingshotted Trey over the ropes and transitioned into a cutter.
A Razor's Edge into a DDT drove Trey right into the middle of the mat, but he somehow managed to kick out. Elgin clobbered Trey with right hands and clotheslines. Trey and Elgin traded superkicks, leading to Trey hitting a Code Red. Elgin responded with a sliding clothesline.
A reverse suplex attempt was countered by Trey, who turned it into Stundog Millionaire. Elgin bounced off the ropes, rebounding with a deadly lariat. Trey hit his patented back kick/superkick combination and spiked Elgin with a springboard cutter, but couldn't put Elgin away.
Trey countered a super Elgin Bomb with a hurricanrana. The poison Rana was blocked, though, and Elgin slammed him chest first onto the turnbuckle followed by a release German suplex. Trey kicked out at two.
Trey found himself at the top of the turnbuckle with Elgin, and was able to drive his knees into Elgin's face with a sky high Meteora. Elgin, somehow, kicked out at two. Trey moved to the top for another one, but was countered into a sit-out powerbomb.
Somehow, some way, Trey kicked out. Elgin followed up with a lariat, and Trey kicked out again. Before Elgin could hit an Elgin Bomb, the lights went out. The ICU logo kicked in, distracting Elgin.
Trey caught Elgin with a jackknife pinfall, earning the biggest victory in his career.
Results: Trey defeated Michael Elgin via pinfall.
Grade: A+
Trey has advanced to the finals of the #1 Contender's Tournament and knocked off the favorite. He'll go on to face Ace Austin in the finals.
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