IMPACT Wrestling Results: Winners, Grades and Reaction from November 10
Four days before its latest live-event special, Turning Point, Impact Wrestling hit the AXS TV airwaves with a show dedicated to the final build for several top feuds and stars.
Ahead of a titanic clash for the Impact Wrestling World Tag Team Championships between The Good Brothers and The North, Karl Anderson battled Josh Alexander in the night's main event.
Tommy Dreamer continued to seek the assailant who shot John E Bravo two weeks earlier, former world champion Eddie Edwards battled former X-Division champion Chris Bey and the build continued to the Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament.
Find out what all went down in the latest episode with this recap of the November 10 broadcast.
Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood vs. Havok and Nevaeh
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One week after agreeing to return to the squared circle for the Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament, Madison Rayne joined partner Tenille Dashwood to battle Havok and Nevaeh in the night's opening contest.
Nevaeh and Rayne chain-wrestled early, the former getting the upper hand until Dashwood tagged herself in. The Aussie fared well, but a tag to Rayne, mixed with the overwhelming offense of the opposition, put Havok and Nevaeh in firm control of the match.
Despite a late attempt by Rayne to mount some sort of offensive, Havok caught her with a tombstone for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Dashwood and Kaleb With a K appeared to walk out on Rayne, signaling the end of a short-lived partnership.
Result
Havok and Nevaeh defeated Dashwood and Rayne
Grade
C+
Analysis
This was less about presenting a classic wrestling match and more about establishing Dashwood as a self-centered wrestler who works when she wants and will not hesitate to abandon her partner if things turn ugly.
And it worked.
Dashwood completely left Rayne hanging, refusing to reenter the ring and then seemingly blaming her for their loss before leaving with Kaleb, totally disregarding her fallen partner in the center of the ring.
It is a character that will prove interesting as the tournament goes on, especially as the company continues to tease the idea of her teaming with fellow loner Jordynne Grace.
For now, though, it certainly appears as though the partnership with Rayne was one-and-done.
X-Division Championship Match: TJP vs. Rohit Raju
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In what was billed as his final opportunity at the title as long as his opponent held the gold, TJP challenged Rohit Raju for the X-Division Championship.
The challenger started quick, but Raju grounded him. TJP fought back, catching The Mocha Skinned Manimal with a headscissors into the turnbuckle. A slight distraction by Raju, in the form of pulling the referee into harm's way, allowed the champion to regain control.
Raju utilized an array of kicks to drive the air out of his opponent and scored a near-fall. Raju worked the left arm of his opponent, looking to take away a significant part of the challenger's arsenal.
TJP fought his way back into the match, seemingly disregarding the arm injury as he caught Raju with a springboard clothesline and applied a surfboard submission. Raju answered with a running corner kick, a big elbow and a DDT. He followed with an attempted crossface, but TJP fought out of it.
TJP recovered and tried for a Mamba Splash, but Raju avoided it and applied said crossface. TJP escaped and applied a kneebar.
As the referee wrestled the X-Division title away from Raju, the champion delivered a low blow and scored the win with a knee to the face.
Result
Raju defeated TJP to retain
Grade
C+
Analysis
This was a solid match that actually allowed Raju to showcase his in-ring ability rather than simply being the cowardly heel.
TJP was very good, per usual, but the fact that Raju's work on his left arm had little effect on him late in the match as he sparked his comeback was a bit disappointing. Still, he was the glue that held things together, and the result was one of the better one-on-one X-Division Championship matches in quite some time.
The question now is whether Impact finds a booking loophole to get TJP another title shot on the basis that Raju cheated to win, or if his time in the title picture is over for now.
Chris Sabin vs. Acey Romero (with Larry D)
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Two weeks ago, Acey Romero and Larry D brutally attacked Alex Shelley backstage, further injuring him and setting up Romero's match with the other half of the Motor City Machine Guns, Chris Sabin, on tonight's show.
With Romero distracting the official, Larry D wasted little time attacking Sabin on the floor and ensuring the match would be anything but one-on-one.
Romero used his power and size advantage to work over Sabin, keeping the former world champion grounded and negating his speed.
Sabin fought back, scored a crossbody for two but ran right into a uranage. Sabin avoided a senton and put Romero away for the win.
After the match, Larry D attacked Sabin, stomping away at the X-Division icon and leaving him lying in retaliation for the defeat.
Result
Sabin defeated Romero
Grade
C+
Analysis
This was all about putting XXXL front and center and establishing the team as a threat in Impact. From Josh Mathews and Madison Rayne putting over the message Romero and Larry D were sending to the locker room with their attack on Sabin, to Romero dominating the majority of the match, this was their coming-out party.
It worked, too. Mostly.
They looked like total badasses and got the best of a former world champion when all was said and done. Moving forward, though, they will absolutely need to win one of these matches in order to have that trademark victory they can hang their proverbial hats on.
Otherwise, they are dominant big men who can get the jump on the opposition but never win when it actually counts.
For now, though, Impact is off to a nice start with their push.
Eddie Edwards vs. Chris Bey
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Moments after a backstage confrontation with Sami Callihan, former X-Division champion Chris Bey battled familiar Callihan foe Eddie Edwards in singles competition.
Edwards delivered a big belly-to-belly overhead suplex to down Bey and score an early near-fall. Bey recovered and rocked the former world champion with a spinning heel kick for his own two-count.
Edwards obliterated Bey with a clothesline out of the corner and then unloaded a series of chops on the chest of his opponent. He tried for a Tiger Driver, but Bey countered with a headscissors. Bey tried for a springboard cutter, but Edwards countered into a roll-up for the hard-fought victory.
Bey grabbed a steel chair and teased using it until Callihan appeared. He attacked Edwards with a baseball bat while Bey stood by, refusing to join in. World champion Rich Swann made the save, blasting Bey with a big boot and pounding away at Callihan.
Ken Shamrock hit the ring and attacked Swann. As the babyfaces mounted a comeback, Bey finally swung the chair, laying them out.
Callihan threatened a sickening attack on Swann until The Rascalz hit the ring, making the save and staring the heels down.
Result
Edwards defeated Bey
Grade
B+
Analysis
Earlier in the broadcast, The Rascalz revealed they had been evicted from The Treehouse and they had one week to leave Impact.
Trey Miguel, Dez and Wentz making the save set them up for a huge Six-Man Tag Team match, if the powers that be so choose. If the trio really is on the way out, it would be an apropos way to say goodbye for a group that has been nothing if not workhorses for the company over the last year.
Callihan teasing the brutal baseball bat assault on Swann added heat to Saturday's showdown for the world title while the prospects of Shamrock challenging for the gold remain good. Remember, it was the Impact Hall of Famer who confronted Swann on that first episode post-Bound for Glory, foreshadowing their eventual clash.
As for Edwards and Bey, Impact officials can feel free to book that match any time they damn well please because this was a great appetizer for an even better entree between the two just waiting to be had.
Update: During a backstage vignette, Swann made a friendly tag match pitting him and Miguel against Wentz and Dez for next week's show.
Fallah Bahh and Crazzy Steve vs. Reno Scum
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Reno Scum's Luster "The Legend" and Adam Thornstowe battled the team of Fallah Bah and Crazzy Steve in the evening's next match.
Bah punished Luster with a big crossbody, but the heels quickly gained control of the match by working over the smaller Steve. Reno Scum introduced Steve to Pity City, adding insult to injury. Steve answered by biting Thornstowe's face and tagging Bah into the match.
The big man exploded into the squared circle, overpowering and bowling over the competition.
Thornstowe and Luster fought back and scored the win to keep their tag team title dreams alive.
Result
Reno Scum defeated Bah and Steve
Grade
C
Analysis
This was a surprisingly energetic match that properly showcased Reno Scum while featuring better-than-expected chemistry out of Steve and Bah.
The big man was particularly impressive as he bowled over the competition before succumbing to the onslaught of Thornstowe and Luster.
An inoffensive and fun little sprint of a match that continued to build what is developing into one of the better and more interesting tag team divisions in wrestling.
Who Shot John E Bravo, Part Deux
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Tommy Dreamer continued to interrogate suspects in the shooting of John E Bravo.
Cody Deaner, Hernandez, Fallah Bah and Larry D all seemingly passed a lie detector test. Father James Mitchell registered considerable amounts of deception but emphatically denounced the idea that he was behind the shooting.
But he may know who was, he suggested.
Havok joined Dreamer in the interrogation room. She suggested he ask Rosemary all of the questions rather than her.
The vignettes ended on a cliffhanger, Dreamer demanding to know if Havok shot Bravo.
Grade
A
Analysis
Fun, harmless segments that keep the stars not involved in anything more meaningful at the time while also not impeding upon the seriousness that goes on between the ropes is something that Impact does extremely well.
Does a comedy segment bleed into the mat game from time to time, sure, but the company has done a fantastic job of utilizing those segments and the stars involved as a break from the raw emotion of other programs rather than devoting championships and considerable television time to them.
What that does is keep characters like Rosemary and Taya Valkyrie, Fallah Bahh, Crazzy Steve and Johnny Swinger present when the creative team may be more occupied with pushing other stars at the moment.
Impact finds something for its talent to do rather than jobbing them out or throwing them in meaningless matches with no real rhyme or reason for existing. Everyone serves a purpose, no matter how big or small, and the company deserves a ton of credit for maximizing the value of everyone from its world champion down to the opening-match attractions.
Karl Anderson vs. Josh Alexander
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The rivalry between The North and The Good Brothers over the Impact World Tag Team Championships manifested itself in the form of a match between Karl Anderson and Josh Alexander in the night's main event.
The Walking Weapon dominated early, targeting the knee of The Machine Gun in an attempt to build momentum ahead of the teams' showdown Saturday at Turning Point. Anderson attempted a comeback, but Alexander caught him with a side suplex to regain control.
Alexander continued to pick his opponent apart, systematically dissecting the veteran. Anderson escaped his grasp and delivered a big neckbreaker to create some separation.
Anderson finally delivered his trademark spinebuster and turned the tide in his favor. He sought a superplex, but Alexander fought out and delivered a big boot for a near-fall.
The action eventually broke down and Doc Gallows and Ethan Page joined the fray. A brawl between the two teams ensued as security hit the ring to separate them. The show went off the air with one last big sell by Josh Mathews for Saturday's Turning Point.
Result
No-contest
Grade
B+
Analysis
Impact had done everything it could to tell the story of The Good Brothers vs. The North leading into this one. Saturday's match for the world tag titles is one that could genuinely headline the event based on the star power of Anderson and Gallows and the amount of time invested in the program.
Not to mention the excellence of Alexander and Page.
This was a warm-up, the last opportunity to get fans excited for the showdown. For the most part, it worked. Alexander and Anderson had a tough, physical match that gave fans a look at the tag team specialists as singles performers.
The finish was fine, but would it really have hurt to have Alexander score a win to give the champions a modicum of momentum ahead of the match?
The brawl was solid and creates a sense of the wild and chaotic battle to come Saturday on Impact Plus.
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