Impact Wrestling & NJPW Multiverse United 2 Review – August 20, 2023
Location: Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Venue: 2300 Arena
6 Man Tag Team Match
Mega Six Or Nine Coaches (Ryusuke Taguchi, Master Wato & Rocky Romero) vs. Joe Hendry, Yuya Umeura & Heath (Pre Show)
Rocky Romero & Heath starts the match with Heath taking control before Ryusuke Taguchi tags in as Heath reverses and whips Romero into Taguchi’s butt but Taguchi thought it was Heath instead. Joe Hendry tags in but Taguchi gives him a butt bump before tagging in Master Wato.
Wato is able to fight off both Hendry & Wato before running the ropes with Yuya Uemura but Mega Six Or Nine Coaches end up diving to Hendry, Uemura & Heath on the outside. Heath & Wato fight on the outside for a bit until Hendry hits a stalling suplex inside for a two count.
Hendry, Uemura & Heath continues to work on Wato but eventually is able to tag out to Romero. Henry stops Romero’s clotheslines and picks him & Wato both up at the same time to slam them. Taguchi & Uemura go at it for a bit until Uemura hits a top rope crossbody for the win.
Winners: Joe Hendry, Yuya Umeura & Heath (10:19)
Rate: 5
Digital Media Title Match
Kenny King (c) vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (Pre Show)
Match starts off with Kenny King & Yoshinobu Kanemaru testing each other by running the ropes until Kanemaru takes down King with a side headlock takeover. King is able to escape and clothesline Kanemaru and goes for a couple of two counts before putting on a Camel Clutch.
Kanemaru escapes and dodges a leg drop before clubbing King and hitting a reverse DDT followed by a spinning DDT for a two count. Kanemaru follows with a moonsault for a two count as King then hits a spinebuster for a two count of his own.
As the referee is checking on King Kanemaru takes a swig of his drink but misses the spray into King then they got back & forth a bit until King hits Royal Flush for the win.
Winner & Still Digital Media Champion: Kenny King (6:58) (STILL CHAMPION!!!!!)
Rate: 4
Fatal 8 Way Match
Chris Sabin vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Bushi vs. Rich Swann vs. Mao vs. El Desperado vs. Kevin Knight vs. Yoh
All 8 men surround the ring before they all lock up then they all split off into the corners before diving to the outside as Mao & Rich Swann are the two men in the ring and go at it. Yoh jumps in and takes Swann out of the ring before Kevin Knight enters and dropkicks Yoh down and hits a splash for a two count. Chris Sabin now joins in and goes after Knight with a missile dropkick.
Frankie Kazarian & Bushi enter before El Desperado & Mao take out Bushi & Knight then Desperado offers a handshake to Mao but he takes him out with a distraction punch then everybody joins in on an 8 man submission before Bushi uses the ropes and it all breaks up.
They all start stomping on Bushi before they start going after him with splashes in the corner that turned into splashes to Swann. We get a tower of doom spot followed by a frog splash from Knight on Swann for a two count then they all take turns on each other with offense until Sabin hits the Cradle Shock on Yoh to score the victory.
Winner: Chris Sabin (8:06)
Rate: 7
After the match Bushi raises Sabin’s hand after just to spray the black mist in his face.
Tag Team Match
TMDK (Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr & Shane Haste) vs. Moose & Eddie Edwards
Zack Sabre Jr & Eddie Edwards start the match with headlocks and takedowns as Shane Haste tries to distract Edwards before being tag in then they continue to work on Edwards in their corner as Haste teases Moose by being a moose.
Edwards comes back by hitting a belly 2 belly on Haste and tags in Moose as they double team on Haste hitting him with a Backpack Stunner as Moose gets a two count. Moose starts chopping Haste in the corners but Haste turns it around on him.
Moose & Edwards keep working on Haste in their corner by tagging in & out then Haste is able to hit a hurricanrana on Edwards and tags out to ZSJ & he comes in and starts trying to stretch out Edwards but ZSJ is able to take out Moose off the apron as well and puts on a cross arm breaker on Edwards on the ropes.
Edwards & ZSJ starts trading chops and kicks until Edwards hits a Blue Thunder Bomb then Moose & Haste tag in with Haste hitting a cannonball in the corner for a two count.
They start trading forearms for a bit until ZSJ gets involved with a triangle choke as Haste hits Moose with a knee strike before both teams go at it for a bit until Edwards kicks Haste in the face followed by a spear from Moose for the win.
Winners: Moose & Eddie Edwards (13:22)
Rate: 7
Strong Women’s Title Fatal 4 Way Match
Giulia (c) vs. Momo Kohgo vs. Deonna Purrazzo vs. Gisele Shaw
All 4 ladies square off with headlocks before Giulia challenges Deonna Purrazzo to run the ropes. They all start going for pinfalls next as Gisele Shaw starts taking credit for women’s wrestling which causes the other three to attack her and take her out of the ring.
Purrazzo clotheslines Giulia & Momo Kohgo down but Giulia uses Kohgo as a battering ram to take down Purrazzo. Kohgo hits a 619 then goes for the pin but Shaw breaks up the pin attempt. Shaw stacks up Giulia & Kohgo in the corner and stomps on them going for pin attempts.
Purrazzo joins in and puts the Fujiwara Armbar on Shaw followed by a Queen’s Gambit attempt that Shaw gets out of. Giulia & Purrazzo end up on the outside where Kohgo dives on them followed by a twisting dive by Shaw.
Shaw goes after Giulia back inside but as Purrazzo & Kohgo distract Shaw Giulia joins her on the top rope and hits an avalanche butterfly suplex then all 4 go at it with punches until Gisele takes out Giulia with a spear.
Purrazzo heads to the top rope but Shaw joins her and hits a Spanish Fly but the count is broken up. Purrazzo hits the Queen’s Gambit on Giulia but she kicks out as Purrazzo then puts on the Fujiwara armbar & at the same time Shaw puts an armbar on Kohgo but Purrazzo & Shaw start going at it because of this.
Shaw takes Kohgo out with a spinebuster before Giulia goes right after Shaw and hits her with Northern Lights Bomb to get the win.
Winner & Still Strong Women’s Champion: Giulia (12:22) (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
Rate: 7
After the match Momo Kohgo goes after her and they go at it until Giulia takes her out with the Glorious Driver.
Before the match started Sami Callihan got on the mic and said he feels like they have been missing some violence tonight and asked Douki if they should make it a South Philly Street Fight and he said yes.
South Philly Street Fight
Douki vs. Sami Callihan
Douki went right after Callihan by taking him to the outside and attacking him with a chair. Callihan started grabbing all the chairs and tossing them inside the ring and even grabbing an 8 x 10 photo of himself that he used to paper cut Douki so Callihan to do it again but this time to Douki’s armpit.
Callihan started stacking the chairs on top of Douki before smashing it with another chair and setting up a chair against the corner. Douki is able to dodge Callihan but he goes crashing into the wedged chair. Douki grabs a kendo stick but Callihan takes it from him before tripping into a chair.
Douki now stacks the chairs on top of Callihan and hits him with a top rope stomp for a two count then Callihan brings a ladder into the match and sets it against the corner but Douki reverses Callihan sending him into the ladder & the ladder gets bent.
Douki stacks the ladder and chairs on Callihan but misses the Douki Bomb going right onto the ladder. Callihan hits a Cactus Driver but Douki kicks out. Callihan sets up chairs and tries to hit another Cactus Driver on them.
Douki tries to fight him off but Callihan hits a low blow and does end up hitting Cactus Driver through the chairs to get the victory.
Winner: Sami Callihan (12:46)
Rate: 6
Tag Team Match
TMDK (Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita) vs. Catch 22 (TJP & Francesco Akira)
Kosei Fujita & Francesco Akira starts the match by trying to take each other and running the ropes until Fujita takes him down with a dropkick. TJP tags in as they start double teaming on Fujita and going for pin attempts by tagging in and out.
Robbie Eagles jumps in and helps Fujita out as they go after Akira including a submission from Fujita, but Akira crawls over to the ropes to break it up. TJP takes control and starts stomping Fujita in the corner but Fujita comes right back with a chop block before tagging out to Robbie Eagles.
TMDK continue to go after Akira including Eagles putting on Ron Miller Special then Fujita & TJP tag in as Akira joins in as they hits alley oop followed by Mamba Splash for a two count.
TMDK go after TJP with kicks as Fujita hits a belly 2 belly for a two count then Eagles takes out Fujita by accident with a superkick as Catch 22 hits Fujita with 2×2 to get the victory.
Winners: Catch 22 (11:32)
Rate: 7
We hear from Mike Bailey from earlier today where he talks about winning the All Star Junior Festival USA Tournament last night and sending a challenge to Hiromu Takahashi after. Bailey says tonight tho they will team together and that’ll be the perfect opportunity to get to know him better.
12 Man Tag Team Match
Bullet Club (Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion Alex Coughlin, Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Clark Connors, NEVER Openweight Champion David Finlay, Kenta, Ace Austin & Chris Bey) vs. The World (Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, El Phantasmo, Josh Alexander, PCO & The DKC)
David Finlay & Tama Tonga starts the match with Tonga clotheslining Finlay to the outside where he dives onto him and everybody starts brawling. Eventually when back inside PCO & Alex Coughlin tag in and start going at it with chops before Coughlin hits a gutwrench suplex in which PCO gets right back up on and clotheslines Coughlin & himself to the outside where they all brawl again.
The DKC & Clark Connors go at it next in the ring as Bullet Club keep The DKC in their corner while tagging in and out before The DKC is able to make the hot tag to Josh Alexander & he goes after the Bullet Club with German suplexes.
ABC start double teaming on Alexander as Connors runs in and gets a two count then Kenta tags in and goes after Alexander next with multiple pin attempts. Alexander comes back with a double suplex on ABC and makes the tag to El Phantasmo & he goes after all of Bullet Club. The World surround Finlay and take turns going after him until the Bullet Club joins in.
Alexander blocks a Go 2 Sleep and puts on an ankle lock as Ace Austin dives to everybody on the outside followed by a cannonball from PCO. PCO follows with a PCO Sault as The The DKC tries a splash on Finlay inside but Finlay gets his knees up and hits a powerbomb on The DKC for the win.
Winners: Bullet Club (14:09)
Rate: 5
Tag Team Match
Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi & Mike Bailey vs. X Division Champion Lio Rush & Trey Miguel
Hiromu Takahashi & Trey Miguel starts the match off then Miguel backs Takahashi in the corner with kicks and starts choking him out with his boot but Takahashi comes right back with a clothesline and dropkick as Lio Rush tags himself in then Mike Bailey tags in and goes to shake Rush’s hand but he gets slap instead.
They quickly run the ropes until Bailey hits a kick for a two count then both teams start going at it until Takahashi gets tag back in as they hit a double dropkick on Rush. Rush & Miguel start double teaming on Takahashi keeping him near their corner as Rush is teasing Bailey before knocking him off the apron.
Bailey comes in and hits a standing shooting star on Miguel for a two count before Rush tags in and goes after Bailey hitting him with a Fisherman Driver for a two count before Takahashi stops a double team as Bailey hits a moonsault to the outside as Rush joins them with a dive.
Bailey dodges Final Hour as Rush dodges the Ultima Weapon as both men are now laid out before they tag out to Takahashi & Miguel & they trade off chops and kicks. Rush & Miguel starts kicking away at Takahashi.
Both teams go at each other until Takahashi puts Miguel on his shoulders at Bailey hits Ultima Weapon but Rush breaks up the count. Rush hits Rush Hour on Hiromu for a two count and goes to the top rope but Hiromu rolls to the outside.
With Takahashi on his shoulders Miguel runs off the apron off of Rush’s back to hit a Meteora on Bailey. Rush tries Final Hour but Takahashi blocks it & as the referee is distracted by Miguel on the apron Rush hits a low blow on Takahashi and rolls him up to get the win for his team.
Winners: X Division Champion Lio Rush & Trey Miguel (14:28)
Rate: 7
After the match Lio Rush gets on the mic after and tells Takahashi that he wants more gold and puts out a challenge for the Junior Heavyweight Title & Takahashi agrees.
Impact World Title Match
Alex Shelley (c) vs. NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi
Match starts off with Alex Shelley & Hiroshi Tanahashi trying to take each other down before Tanahashi tosses his guitar to the crowd. Alex Shelley is able to fight his way off of Tanahashi and starts working on his left arm. Tanahashi traps Shelley in the ring post before they take it outside and start fighting by the barricades.
Shelley snaps Tanahashi off the ropes and then kicks him before hitting a flying knee off the apron as they are back on the outside now. Shelley starts using the barricades to bend Tanahashi’s arm back before they head back inside.
They start trading blows before Shelley hits a sling blade and Sliced Bread for a two count. Shelley puts on Border City Stretch but Tanahashi is able to put his leg on the rope to break it up.
Shelley continues to target Tanahashi’s arm on the ropes but he comes right back with a dragon screw on Shelley and starts working on Shelley’s leg by putting on a Cloverleaf.
They start trading forearms but Shelley goes right after Tanahashi’s arm before he hits three back 2 back Twist & Shouts and Sling Blade for a two count. Tanahashi goes to the top rope but misses the High Fly Flow as Shelley gets out of the way and hits Bomyaye to the back of the head and Rainmaker for a two count.
They go back & forth a bit before Tanahashi hits another Sling Blade and goes to the top again but Shelley stops him and bends back his arm, followed by Air Raid Crash off the top rope for a two count. Shelley follows with a superkick and Shell Shock to put Tanahashi away.
Winner & Still Impact World Champion: Alex Shelley (18:52) (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
Rate: 7
